The Atlanta Traveler

I love breakfast. I love breakfast so much that I can eat it at every meal of the day. North of the GA-400, there are many notable places to eat breakfast or brunch. Two of these are J Christopher’s and Alpha Soda.

The first one is J Christopher’s which didn’t use to be a chain but now is. Its first location was on Haynes Bridge Rd in Alpharetta. People come in droves despite its consistent lack of good (or even acceptable) service. Breakfast here is so time consuming that a typical one lasts close to two hours (the kitchen is slow, the service is slow). However, food is really good — they use the freshest ingredients and have menu items you can’t find elsewhere. I love their Skillets where you get this hot iron skillet lined with roasted potatoes then your choice of ingredients are added like chicken and broccoli, ham and mushroom, or smoked turkey and avocado. Each Skillet is then topped with two sunny-side up eggs. Yummy!

Photos courtesy of J Christopher’s

Specialty items include Eggs Christopher which uses smoked turkey and crispy bacon instead of ham, goat cheese or portabella mushroom omelette, Irish oatmeal, or blueberry crunchcakes made with granola. It’s not your usual boring breakfast.The other favorite place of mine is Alpha Soda. This place has been around since 1920 but moved to its current location only in 1990. It sits in a nondescript strip plaza but don’t let its location discourage you — inside is an elegant restaurant complete with dark cherry paneling, cozy booths, and stamped tin ceiling tiles. I feel like I’m in a country club whenever I dine here.

Alpha Soda’s menu is extensive. They offer American and Greek-inspired fare and have chef specials daily. Most everything on the menu are available all day including most of the breakfast or brunch items. My ultimate favorite is the Alpharetta Egg Sandwich — hickory smoked bacon and two fried eggs inside a multi-grain bun then slathered with a garlic aioli. There’s also Greek Village Scrambler that has roasted tomatoes, onions, greek sausage, and feta cheese. For lunch, there are many items to choose for but I always go for the daily specials which include several entrees and vegetables of the day. No matter what you choose, you will be guaranteed good food made fresh using fresh ingredients.

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