Bites Nearby: Always Fresh Neighborhood Market

In the 1970s and 1980s, when my parents, brothers and I would visit my grandparents in Murfreesboro, Tenn., my grandmother would always have delicious home-cooked, good old fashioned Southern food waiting for us.

There were lots of big flavors in small pots, simmering on the stove in her bare bones kitchen. Wonderful smells and tastes came from that place - green beans, greens, chicken, cornbread, and more, lovingly prepared by her hands.

When I entered and took in the yummy down-home smells, I was transported to that little house.

Always Fresh's menu gives you a few different options. You can follow the daily food schedule, which has some changes from day-to-day. There are also hamburgers, "Georgia Dawgs" (slow dawgs, chili dawgs, chili cheese dawgs and The Works Dawgs) and deli sandwiches and a variety of salads. There is also a kids menu.

I followed the food schedule. It was Wednesday, so I ordered baked chicken, potato salad, sliced tomatoes, and the broccoli cheese casserole and cornbread - an amazing combination of flavors that were meant to be together.

There's a grandmotherly touch throughout this comfortable, friendly restaurant -- namely because for 13 years, Ginny Guldenschuh, the owner's mother, had a produce stand down the road at a former gas station (the restaurant opened in 2004). Guldenschuh's painted picture hangs on a wall of the spacious but cozy restaurant. She passed away in 2008.

Everyone greets patrons with warm smiles and friendly banter. Amber was an energetic, friendly, and attentive waitress. And once she learns your name, it's as if you've been best friends forever.

I also got a chance to chat with the owner Joel Guldenschuh and his daughter, catering coordinator Michelle Weimer, good folks who knew exactly what I meant when I spoke of my Grandma's kitchen.

Always Fresh Neighborhood Market is located at 5385 Five Forks Trickum Rd. in Stone Mountain (Gwinnett County). Menu items range in price from $1.99 (a side of fruit from the kids menu) to $11.49 (meat plate with three sides). The restaurant is open every day; look up its hours of operation and directions. The phone number 678-380-4656.