Food & Drink
Pouch Pies Bring Comfort to Peachtree Corners
During this difficult time, when we are all looking for a little comfort for our families and ourselves, we need not look further than our own community. We can find it in the walks we take, the neighbors waving hello to us on the street, but especially in the meals we share with our loved ones.
That comforting feeling can be found in delicious Pouch Pies, made locally in a Roswell facility by an entrepreneurial Peachtree Corners family. Now that the holidays are fast approaching, it’s hard to imagine how we will make this season feel “normal.” Perhaps if we can’t be with the people we love, we can still eat the foods that bring us a sense of nostalgia.
The Pouch Pies’ Malcher family saw the value in bringing families together, when the two daughters, who were living in South Africa at the time, convinced their parents, who were living in Scotland, to move to the United States to be closer to extended relatives.
A taste of home
Once they made the move, they quickly grew homesick for a certain kind of dish that most other countries around the world have their own version of. “Pies,” as they lovingly refer to them, are not the same thing as the sweet, fruit-filled treats we have here in the South. Latin countries have the empanada, India has the samosa and Jamaica has the beef pattie. Even George Washington used to make some version of it; in fact, it was his favorite dish.
But when it comes to this common food, the closest thing the U.S. has would be the pot pie, which isn’t handheld and convenient. “The U.S. had it, then somehow lost it. Now we’re bringing it back,” said Dave Malcher, the ‘father’ of Pouch Pies.
In 2015, the family — they call themselves the “pie”-oneers! — decided to open up a small shop in Athens, Ga., where they lived, and spent six months perfecting their recipes and trying new, exciting combinations. Using fresh, high-quality ingredients, they forged on to handmake each pie from scratch.
It was a hit! Not only did they get a ton of business from the local university students with late-night munchie cravings, they also started to notice something far more touching. Expats from all over the world would drive for hours and hours to their little shop in Athens — just to get a taste of home.
Finding more mouths to feed
Three years ago, they decided to close up the shop in Athens and move into a factory in Roswell, Ga. Once there, they expanded the operation, hiring more chefs and distributing to boutique stores and markets all over the country.
Now they ship all over the nation using cooled containers, while still keeping the tradition of hand-making each pie individually. It eventually caught the eye of some prestigious culinary awards and earned the Flavor of Georgia Award in 2019.
Once the pandemic hit, the Pouch Pies family worried about how their special little company might survive. “We learned not to take anything for granted,” said Dave, speaking about the ability to stay quarantined with his family and still see them every day. “The way I see it, you can either adapt to it, or stop your life right there.”
And adapt they did. In addition to distributing their pies to businesses, Pouch Pies started hipping directly to customers, even providing free local deliveries to members within the community. Now families of Peachtree Corners — and all over the country — can enjoy a homecooked meal on nights when they’re exhausted from virtual learning, housebound kids or COVID-burnout.
“It was local businesses that first kept us going,” Charmaine, one of the sisters, recalled. “Now we love being able to help out the community during this difficult time.”
Familiar flavors
I, myself, was “coerced” into a taste test. (Yes, it’s hard being a writer, sometimes!). After sharing with my family, I asked what they thought.
My mama’s favorite was the Spinach and Feta, and she pointed out that while most American pot pies are mostly gravy, Pouch Pies are full of meat and vegetables. My husband’s first response was that one of the pies — Beef, Bacon and Ale — reminded him of his mother’s fabulous brisket. And that’s what it comes down to, isn’t it?
This holiday season, even though we can’t physically be with our loved ones, we need to do all we can to find the comfort of the many holiday meals we’ve shared with them. Thank you, Pouch Pies for giving us a taste of home this holiday season.
As an exclusive perk for magazine readers, Pouch Pies is offering a 15% discount on their site — just order through their site at pouchpies.com and use the code PTCmag when checking out. You can also call at 470-545-3895. The offer will be valid until January 31, 2021.
Use the discount for the seven- or nine-ounce pies. Pouch Pies also plans to offer mini sausages and sticky toffee pudding, and they’ll roll out a new flavor — Beef Bourgeon — for the holidays.
Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar introduces Jolene’s Wings & Beer, a takeout & delivery restaurant that offers a variety of wings, sides, housemade dipping sauces and house beer for you to mix and match.
“We’ve been playing around in the kitchen with different sauces and flavors on our wings for years and now seemed like the right time to share some of our favorites,” said Chris Simms, Lazy Dog founder and CEO. “Jolene’s Wings & Beer gives us a way to serve more people in our communities and bring some fun with crave-able, scratch-made wings at a great value.”
The name is inspired by the 1975 retro RV that Lazy Dog renovated last year and took on the road to visit restaurants, ranchers, growers, and communities around the country.
Available for take-out and delivery, the new Jolene’s Wings & Beer concept centers around bone-in or boneless wings in eight chef-crafted flavors (styles listed hottest to mild):
Nashville Hot: The hottest style wing, packing some real fire balanced with tangy vinegar flavor.
Buffalo: with just the right amount of heat and a buttery brown sugar finish, this classic remains a house favorite.
Kung Pao: brace yourself for the perfect mix of sweet and savory with a hint of soy – tossed with crushed peanuts for texture and a crunch
Sweet Chili: our sweet and spicy red chili sauce hits you in waves, sweetness first and then pops of chili flake, sesame, and garlic – the best of both worlds
Cajun Lime: a zesty dry rub made with brown sugar, salt, pepper, lime and chili peppers, that makes for a real finger-licking treat
Smokey BBQ: with hints of honey and molasses, our BBQ sauce is the kind that other BBQ sauces aspire to be, a sweet, smokey, tangy masterpiece
Garlic Parm: our creamy, garlic sauce topped with fresh parmesan cheese makes for a memorable experience that your taste buds will thank you for later
Naked: no sauce, no seasoning, no judgement
Jolene’s will offer four-packs of 16-ounce cans of Lazy Dog’s house beers* for just $15 each, which are custom brewed by Melvin Brewing. Beer options include Huckleberry Haze IPA, Bonita Bonita Pale Ale, Whoa, Nellie Lager, Old Pal White Ale and Ankle Buster Blonde. (*Must be over 21 or order beer.)
Jolene’s also offers seven housemade dipping sauces, one included with each order, including Honey Mustard, Blue Cheese, Umami, Spicy Maple, BBQ, Nashville Hot Ranch and Ranch. Shareable sides start at $2 each and such as coleslaw, celery + carrots, fries, Cajun fries with chipotle ranch on the side, umami fries with umami sauce, sweet potato tots with jalapeno aioli, and onion rings with Lazy Dog’s classic bark+bite sauce.
Handcrafted salads and shareable housemade desserts round out the menu.
Source
Press release from C-Squared PR, Inc.
Firebirds Wood Fired Grill is excited to share two upcoming initiatives; introducing the Thanksgiving Feast and welcoming back their Holiday Gift Card promotion! Details can be found below.
Thanksgiving Feast
- Choose between a Turkey Feast or Prime Rib Feast
- Available in serving sizes of 4-6 or 10-12 starting at $139.95
- Includes sides and Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Preorder by November 21st for pick up on Tuesday November 25th or Wednesday November 26th
- Find more information and order online at firebirdsrestaurants.olo.com
- Firebirds will be closed on Thanksgiving Day
Holiday Gift Cards
- For every $100 in gift cards purchased in-store or online, guests will receive $20 in Bonus Cards
- Visit us online at firebirdsrestaurants.com/gift-cards/
- This special offer is available from November 6-December 31st
- Bonus Cards are valid January 1-February 10th
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