Around Towne
by Cherryl Greenman

Good news! Towne Lake will soon be home to three new businesses! These are a welcome addition to an already great selection of restaurants and merchants that we all enjoy. Please join us in welcoming the following to Towne Lake.

Say Cheese! Ritz Camera is moving into the space formerly occupied by Joe Mugg's in the Kroger Shopping Center. (Don't fret Yu-Gi-Oh Warriors, CENTURY 21 Advantage is sponsoring a Yu-Gi-Oh tournament on Saturday, March 8 from 2 - 4 p.m. Also, Batter's Up has ongoing tournaments every Friday from 5 - 8 p.m.)

Domo Arigato! The Orients is coming soon to Towne Lake Village Center (the Center in which El Ranchero is located). The shop will carry a unique and beautiful collection of fine oriental furniture, home accents, handicrafts and gifts, which combine Eastern aesthetic form with Western sensibility and functionality. Check out their website at www.theorients.com.

Pass the butter, please. Towne Lake is getting a new restaurant. The Ambers, owned by Charlene Slaj and her husband Michael Maslon, will be a fine dining restaurant opening soon in Southpointe at Towne Lake (home of Towne Lake Fitness). Charlene says, "We are very excited about our new venture. We have lived in the Towne Lake area for six years and we both have restaurant experience. We want to make The Ambers a dining experience everyone will remember and visit often."

Congratulations to Tammy Kincannon, the new owner of Hair Quarters Salon in the Towne Lake Village Center.

The Towne Lake ROA recently approached the Woodstock City Council and the Cherokee County Commission seeking support from both in assuming the financial responsibility for the streetlights on Towne Lake Parkway. In January, they both approved the changeover after working out an acceptable payment formula. The TLROA can now work on a five-year plan for Towne Lake without budgeting for these expenses. It will allow for the continued aesthetic improvements along the Parkway, replacement of the remaining old entrance monuments, and establishment of a sound Reserve Fund. It is projected that these measures will also ensure that the TLROA can more effectively manage rising costs in future years. This is very good news for Towne Lake residents and businesses.

Towne Lake Diamonds is liquidating all of their Christmas stock at ridiculously low prices. If you like jewelry - special things you don't see everywhere else - now is the time to buy!

Sauna Care Center, Inc. has opened a new facility at 160 Towne Lake Parkway in the Towne Place Shopping Center. It offers the latest technology in Radiant Heat Infrared Saunas to the general public.

We now have a shuttle that will take you downtown and to the airport! The TowneLake/Woodstock to Downtown/Airport Shuttle departs from the Hampton Inn, 450 Parkway 575 each weekday morning. The shuttle departs the Hampton Inn at 7:30 a.m. and arrives downtown at 8:30 a.m. It then continues on to the airport arriving at 9 a.m. The return shuttle from the airport is at 4:45 p.m. and from downtown at 5 p.m. There are also afternoon and evening shuttles. The cost is $25 per person each way. For more information, please call (404) 209-1859.

Wild Birds Unlimited in the Towne Lake Village Center will celebrate its second anniversary, Saturday, March 1 from 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. There will be a presentation of live birds of prey, registration to win a free birdfeeder or free birdseed for a whole year and much more. Stop by and enjoy the fun!

X-treme Smoothie Bar located in the Buckhead Crossing Center next to La Parrilla is celebrating its first anniversary. They have a new full service coffee/espresso bar and have expanded their hours - opening at 8 a.m. during the

Cherryl is the Editor of The TowneLaker magazine. She lives in southwest Cherokee with her son Dale and daughter Lori.

week and staying open until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

It's Playtime. We are hearing great things about Jungle Jim in Southpointe at Towne Lake and Tiny Tots in the Plaza at Towne Lake (near the Mellow Mushroom). If you have a little one, you need to check them out. They must be doing something right.

Yoga Parties! This is the rage in California, so why not in Georgia! The Center for Yoga is bringing Yoga Parties to Towne Lake. A registered yoga instructor will be available to come to you, bringing with them music, candles, and incense to create the mood and then lead a yoga class for all your guests. For kids, they do various animal poses. For more information, please call (770) 517-5212.

Yum, Yum! Amy and her crew at Decio's is cooking up a terrific bunch of Italian-esque vittels. Decio's is located in the Eagle Pointe Center where Mama's Pizza used to be. We highly recommend everything - especially the lasagna and chicken pesto salad.

When you've got to go, you've got to go! If you've got to go (get out of town fast that is), you might want to check out Gina Carr's Home Seller's Seminar "The Seven Secrets Every Home Seller Should Know." This first of its kind seminar will be held on Thursday, March 20 from 7 - 8:30 p.m. Reservations are required. Call (770) 517-8210 ext 720.

Need some decorating ideas? Every Saturday in March, Boca Bargoons on Bells Ferry Road in Cobb County just north of I-575 (they share the parking lot with Kauffman Tires) is hosting some of the area's top decorators who will provide you with complimentary help for all your decorating needs.

Love animals? Maybe Doggie U is right for you! Check out the Cherokee County Humane Society's newest program aimed at reducing the number of unwanted pets in Cherokee County.

Towne Lake Diner
Cedars Taverna
by Kara Kiefer

I'm a world traveler. Maybe not physically, but certainly in my restaurant habits. In fact, I've been to Mexico, China, Japan and Italy - all within the perimeter of Towne Lake. And now, I've traveled to the Mediterranean.

Cedars Taverna, open since December, is a place where East meets West. It's located in the Eagle Pointe Shopping Center at Eagle Drive and Putnam Ford. The restaurant features authentic Lebanese, Greek and vegetarian cuisine. And don't let the word "authentic" scare you - it's a palate-pleasing place. The menu is extensive and features a wide variety of appetizers, entrees and sandwiches. The specialty of the house is the kabobs.

There were many items I had never heard of before, but they contained ingredients I had heard of: chicken, beef, onions, lemon, garlic and pita bread, to name a few. For those a little less adventurous, there are relatively common items on the menu such as hummos, gyros and chicken sandwiches. All items are made fresh to order, and that makes the difference. The hummos was by far the best I have ever tasted; it was fresh, smooth and flavorful. Of the myriad of different tastes I tried, there wasn't a bad one to be found. Nothing was overpowering or bland.

Cedars Taverna is owned by Towne Lake residents Abir Masaoud and Naney Fam. Their chefs, Mark Antony and Mike Morsy, create all the recipes from scratch daily. Everything is made on the premises including all the baked goods and desserts. The service is attentive without being overbearing.

Cedars Taverna is open for lunch and dinner and also offers wine and beer.