Food & Drink
Bringing the Urban to the Suburbs
Evans Urban Market a Welcome Addition to Peachtree Corners
Clean, bright, friendly, enticing. All of these are words that describe the vibe at Evans Urban Market. Located in a storefront which once housed Ten Bistro in the Wellington Center Shopping Strip at 5005 Peachtree Parkway, Evans Urban Market is a refreshing homage to the types of markets and eateries you’re more likely to find on the streets of New York City than in a Georgia suburb.
The space has been significantly transformed since it was purchased and renovated by owner Evan Hanson. This fun and casual eatery officially opened its doors for business in March of 2022. Prior to that time, when it was in operation as Ten Bistro and owned by Hanson’s former husband, it was your typical dark and intimate bar setting.
Today, there is a central L-shaped counter with a register and display cases, all bright and clean and white. The walls and displays are similarly clean and pretty. The ceiling features strands of twinkle lights hanging in a zigzag pattern the length of the restaurant. “I feel like it’s a starry night in here,” she said.
Behind a glass partition are the day’s freshly prepared dishes. Offerings typically include salads, sandwiches and soups, plus specialty meals, such as meatloaf, biscuits, biscuit sandwiches, beef stroganoff, Asian beef with rice and even Moroccan and Belizean cuisine.
Nearby is also a dessert case full of decadent treats like donuts, cakes and cookies. Artists’ works are set up on free-standing shelves, while a selection of dry goods and prepared meals to take home and heat up can be found around the outskirts of the shop. A few small tables are located by the front window and a patio outside offers additional seating.
The road to the market
Hanson, the visionary behind this concept, has always loved cooking and baking. She recalled experimenting with brownies, emblazoned with her initials, as far back as eight or nine years old. At the time, Hanson wanted to become a baker. Her mother worried that this would not be a profitable and stable career, so for many years baking was relegated to a passionate hobby in her life.
Several careers and many paths later, today Hanson owns her own restaurant where she is able to use her creativity to craft a vibrant menu of dishes plus custom desserts. “This is a career that has stuck with me,” explained Hanson, who says that owning and operating Evans Urban Market is truly her living out her dream.
Her career includes a variety of positions including sales, teaching, working at Ten Bistro and when she opened Pub Ten, she made desserts for both restaurants. It was during her time with Pub Ten that she developed many of her staple desserts, including the renowned dish called ‘Sweet Heaven from Evan,’ often shortened to Sweet Heaven. This dish, the market’s most popular, features delectable bites of cake topped with mascarpone cream, a chocolate ganache and her mother’s recipe for chocolate pecan brittle.
Following the separation from her second husband, she became determined to find a way to channel her love for baking into a career. So, when she saw the space that was formerly Ten Bistro for sale, she decided to make her move.
“I wanted to do something with cooking and baking. I loved cooking so much but didn’t know if I could sustain doing just baking. I love cooking and wanted to support local artists. So that’s why I ended up doing the gifts too,” explained Hanson.
A family feel and home cooking
She hopes that this shop will function as a sort of one-stop-shop for locals. Whether you just need a quick bite, a prepared meal to reheat at home, desserts, corporate catering or even a gift for someone special, she hopes it fills a void for those who call the neighborhood home. “I used to say that it’s comfort food elevated, but then someone else said it was ‘home cooking that I don’t have to cook.’ I was like ‘oh, I like that.’”
It’s not just the food that is comforting, it is the very atmosphere of this cozy urban market. Clocking in at only 2,000 square feet, Hanson has to be thoughtful when deciding how many local artists she can invite to sell in her shop and who she employs to work behind the counter and in the kitchen.
Her careful selection of crew and employees is certainly a part of why the vibe at Evans Urban Market is so delightful. It’s not uncommon to see a team of only women behind the counter. In fact, the majority of her crew are women, and like Hanson, most are also mothers.
This is part of what Hanson has curated here, a group that feels like a family. They look out for one another and step in when someone needs to attend to a child outside of work. As a result, her 15 staff members are all part time. This allows them to balance their family lives with work and encourages a healthy and, according to Hanson, drama-free work environment. “This is a neighborhood space. We treat the neighbors like we are friends. That’s how people want to be treated. Here you’re not a number.”
Hanson gushed about her staff. “We all get it. We all chip in to help each other. That’s one of the things with this group; they work so hard. This is my dream team. Everybody has a special skill that helps us to succeed. I tell them: this isn’t just my place, this is for all of us.” ■
If you’ve been to or near the Forum in the past few months, you’ve probably noticed cranes and construction crews. The anticipation of the first phase of renovation of the 22-year-old retail center has left a lot of Peachtree Corners residents as well as nearby patrons excited to see changes.
The Forum administration invited the media for a hard hat tour on July 17. The event showcased the redevelopment progress ahead of The Plaza’s grand opening on Aug. 8.
Scrumptious bites incoming
Executives from the development and leasing teams joined on-site management and led attendees around the new central gathering space, guest amenities and Politan Row, the newly created 10,000-square-foot food hall.
Dining concepts from veterans at Sheesh, Twenty-Six Thai and newbie Gekko Kitchen were the first food vendors announced for the space, which is expected to open in January.
“We can’t wait to introduce the Peachtree Corners community to our food hall experience,” said Politan Group CEO Will Donaldson in a news release. “Every detail from the design to the bar program to the cuisine is thoughtfully curated to inspire guests to not only mingle with one another but to connect with our incredible restaurateurs and discover new favorites.”
During the tour, Donaldson explained that eventually there will be seven different global cuisines in the Politan Row food court at the Forum featuring well-known and up-and-coming local talent. Once complete there will be a central bar, a private event venue and a covered outdoor patio.
“One of the things that we’re excited about is this unique design that we’ve come up with, that’s very specific to this area,” he said. “We’ll be open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. Whether you’re with a group for lunch or with your family, it works great for multiple settings.”
Twenty-six Thai owner Niki Pattharakositkul said the restaurant will work with local vendors to source the freshest meats and produce possible.
“There are certain types of produce and protein we try to source locally, but sauces and the more exotic produce and herbs, we have to import from Thailand,” she said. “Our brand is trying to move towards doing things locally and sustainably.”
Working with organizations such as Georgia Grown limits the use of large food distribution companies. Since starting Twenty-six Thai in 2016, Pattharakositkul has launched seven locations across metro Atlanta, including at Politan Row’s Ashford Lane and Colony Square.
The eatery describes itself as an “authentic wok-fired Southeast Asia-inspired menu featuring items such as pad Thai, pad see ewe and classic drunken noodles.”
Sheesh, a Mediterranean concept that uses simple, wholesome ingredients prepared with unique spices and blends, is run by corporate executive chef Charlie Sunyapong and director of operations Raquel Stalcup. The two are also members of the group behind full-service restaurants Stäge at Town Center and Pêche at the Forum.
The popularity of those suburban concepts has already taken off. With Sheesh, they’re looking to do something different.
“There are going to be some things that are unique to Sheesh that you’re not going to get at the other places,” said Sunyapong. “You’re not getting a whole restaurant; this is quicker fare.”
Gekko Kitchen, a former food truck transformed into a hibachi and ramen experience, will be serving fresh, fast bowls that are more colorful and lighter than traditional hibachi fare.
Gathering spots
Development Manager Nick Lombardo explained that NAP is moving away from building big construction projects from scratch like Colony Square in Midtown Atlanta and Avalon in Alpharetta.
“As a company, North American Properties pivoted around 2020 from building big ground-up construction to more redevelopment with already existing properties,” he said. “With the thought of great assets that just need a little more attention Infused into them to create value, we bought the Forum in 2022.”
He said that value-add propositions done at The Forum will create a more walkable center.
“Trying to compete with the internet on convenience is a very tough task, so the way we differentiate is by experiences,” he said. “We host between 150 to 200 events every year. We have things like concerts, wellness and fitness events and we have child playtime events. Our marketing team does a great job and they’re the differentiator when it comes to what makes our property stand out.”
By the first week of August, a large gathering space will be unveiled in the central area of the property between Pottery Barn and seafood restaurant Pêche. It will have a nine-foot LED screen capable of hosting movie nights and sports viewing. There will also be musical performances featuring local artists.
“We’re not in competition with Town Center,” said Charlotte Hinton, marketing manager at The Forum. “Town Center has gates like a real music festival and we’re more like a ‘chill and enjoy the music’ vibe where you can grab a beer and hang out or maybe kind of walk around.”
The smaller space and artificial turf are unlike the Town Center space where attendees spread blankets and bring chairs. The Forum will have furniture and seating in the space so folks can just gather and either enjoy time with family or partake in events.
The Forum will also offer valet parking on a limited schedule at that end of the property.
More improvements
Although the construction equipment will have moved out, the jewel box building will house a yet-to-be-named restaurant that will open early next year.
“We’re pretty much done with what we’re doing as far as landlord work,” said Lombardo. “We ask our tenants to bring their brand and their design and their material pallet and put that on the building to express their brand identity. They know their brand better than we do. They know how to best design their building and how it functions and works.”
It’s the same process with retail stores, he added.
“We always ask all of our new tenants to come in here when they’re building their storefront,” he said. “They’re not just selling their clothes; they’re selling a lifestyle in the brand so we ask them to push their brand out to the street.”
Even with the new spaces, there will be no shortage of parking, Lombardo added. “There’s plenty of parking behind these buildings,” he said pointing toward Pêche. “What we’ve done is enhance the connectivity to those areas. We’ve redone this breezeway and we’re adding lighting and connecting the parking lot to the main boulevard here. The goal is to replace cars with people and activity and bring a sense of community to the property.”
The Taste of Peachtree Corners has been in the works for years, but the COVID-19 pandemic put many key events on hold for the Peachtree Corners Business Association (PCBA).
But luckily this year, the dedicated staff of volunteers successfully executed a memorable event and introduced a lot of local business owners to their neighboring restaurants and caterers.
As I walked up to the Community Chest Room at Peachtree Corners City Hall on June 27, there was a line outside the door. I later found out that over 100 people had registered to attend the event. I got checked in quickly and was faced with a “passport” of 10 Peachtree Corners restaurants serving everything from high-end bakery items to good old-fashioned barbecue, and modern twists on seafood and American cuisines.
Let’s talk about the food
The idea was to visit all 10 restaurants and collect stars while trying samples and small plates. My first stop was Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, and they had my favorite – homemade chips and queso. The queso was smoky and mildly spicy with a great depth of flavor. What a great start. Next up was Chopt. Creative Salad Co. I had never heard of this restaurant before, but they blew me away with a perfect amuse-bouche of cherry tomato, pesto, mozzarella, and olive oil. These guys understand simple and fresh Mediterranean flavors.
The folks from Marlow’s Tavern were also on-site serving shrimp and grits with jalapeno, spinach and tomato beurre blanc. This is definitely the style of elevated food I’ve come to expect from Marlow’s. And as a nice touch, they prepared a refreshing blueberry cocktail.
Another familiar face was set up on the other side of the room. J.R.’s Log House Restaurant served southern favorites like pulled pork sliders, baked beans and mac n’ cheese. I couldn’t pass this one up. The pulled pork was tender, tangy and saucy. Exactly what I want from a barbecue. Lazy Dog’s table really impressed me with its presentation. The tuna cup with rice, avocado and chili with chips on the side, was a real stunner.
Moe’s Southwest Grill was also on-site handing out tasty tequila lime chicken with rice, avocado, and black beans. This super hearty and comforting entrée was followed by a seafood course from PECHE Modern Coastal. Crab cakes with a croissant pinwheel, roasted garlic and lemon aioli and arugula were on the menu and the flavor combinations were simply fantastic.
PECHE’s sister restaurant STAGE Kitchen & Bar was next door offering a tuna and salmon tostada with avocado, eel sauce, spicy mayo, and cilantro. This was easily one of my favorite bites of the night. The tostada was crunchy and light with clean and bright flavors. No kidding, I could probably eat this every day for lunch.
I moved on the Smoke’s Family Catering and owner Phillip Smoke had whipped up enough barbecue to feed an army. I had the pleasure of trying the smoked chicken with potato salad and it was the perfect pairing. Last but not least: dessert. I capped off the evening with a beautiful chocolate ganache-filled croissant with perfect lamination and flaky texture.
The inspiration behind the event
With a (very) full stomach, I caught up with PCBA President Lisa Proctor to talk about the event.
“We knew that COVID was really hard on a lot of our restaurants to get people back in,” said Proctor. “We wanted to do it in June because we wanted to celebrate our military. Everybody remembers them maybe on Memorial Day or different things, but June is the 80th anniversary of D-Day.”
“The military is always close to our heart,” she added. “We’re also very proud of our restaurants. They all have gone above and beyond.”
Tonight, the PCBA was honoring the Armed Forces and its brave veterans while bestowing two donation checks to very worthy causes.
The first check for $500 went to Folds of Honor. Since 2007, Folds of Honor has provided life-changing scholarships to the spouses and children of America’s fallen or disabled military. And now, their mission expands to the families of America’s first responders.
The second check for $500 was given to Light Up the Corners, a 501(c)(3) volunteer organization with an annual glowing, flashing, blinking, shining, nighttime running party and fundraiser in one. All proceeds from the event go to benefit less fortunate children and families in the Peachtree Corners community who are struggling by giving them the chance to participate in life-enhancing programs and activities at the Fowler YMCA.
Over the past 12 years, the PCBA has awarded 19 scholarships and donated more than $156,000+ back to the Peachtree Corners community.
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