Ahh, these cool summer mornings remind me that we’re coming upon autumn, one of my favorite times of the year. You know what that means! We’ll be able to open the double doors in grace’s dining room so diners can overlook our patio and enjoy that fresh, sweet fall air as it drifts through the restaurant. Loaves of pumpkin bread will be flying out the door in record numbers, and we’ll be booking up for rehearsal dinners, weddings, and (dare I say it already?) holiday parties!

Did you know that grace can host any type of celebration, large or small? We have four distinct areas in the restaurant and will reserve any or all of it to accommodate your celebration or business function.

The Chef’s Table
Our version of the “board room” is our chef’s table, located in a lovely offset of the restaurant complete with equipment outlets and closing doors. It could also be considered the “family table,” as plenty of families have been joined together there through engagement announcements and “meet the new family” dinners.

The Upper Room
Of course, not many people who come in venture upstairs to our aptly named Upper Room, where sunlight (or moon and starlight!) streams in the gorgeous, European-style windows. The room can be configured in many ways to accommodate a full-day meeting, wedding ceremony, or anniversary reception. Please stop by for a tour anytime you are in the area. We promise it’s a space you won’t soon forget!

Main Dining and Patio
Our main dining area often accommodates guest singer, Stephen Lee, and can equally offer a platform for your band, DJ, or guest speaker. Additionally, we can host an evening under the stars on our patio, complete with a water fountain, outdoor fireplace, and twinkling lights strung across the night sky.

The possibilities are endless, as are the menu options. As the executive chef, I’m happy to work with you to develop a special menu for your event to accommodate your specific tastes, budget, and guests’ preferences. Would you like to host your wedding reception with grace? Please let us know and we’ll arrange for your dinner to include a “tasting” so you can include a detailed menu card in your holiday or wedding invitations. Are you in charge of the holiday party this year? Believe it or not, we’ve already had inquiries into November and December and our calendar is beginning to fill. We’d encourage you to book soon in order to nab the day of your choice.

As always, we’re pleased to be part of your community and honored to share in you important occasions. What’s your next big event? How can we help you?

I recently had an opportunity to defend our coveted OTP (outside the perimeter) status in GO! Magazine. With over 2 million monthly readers, you can bet I heard people weighing in for weeks—from tons of OTP supporters to those who vow to live and die ITP (inside the perimeter).

It’s been an interesting argument, but having been on both sides of the fence, I truly do enjoy all of the conveniences of being close to “downtown” but with cleaner air, fresh expanses of green space, and that touch of serenity that gets lost in the hustle and bustle of Midtown and Buckhead.

To further my position about how living OTP brings the best of both world, I’d like to point out that grace 1720 has been recognized as one of the top five places in America to close a business deal. More than a few businessmen and women have found it important enough to go out of their way and travel OTP to experience our ambiance, service, and fresh, authentic cuisine. The absence of club-hopping kids, congested parking, and frequent raging sirens only adds to the quaint serenity grown ups wish to experience after they’ve outlived their flashy years ITP.

Our little corner in Norcross is quickly becoming recognized as an amazing place to host a wedding, create a family celebration, hold an engagement dinner, gather people for a work or holiday party, or simply polish off a day after time at the spa or an afternoon of shopping.

If you’re ready to take it to the next level—that of refinement, sophistication, and simple elegance without the haute couture overload, we’d like to invite you to experience grace.  Please come in and share with us why you like to live or visit OTP.

The Forum in Norcross is bustling with back-to-school shoppers as parents look for savings and kids look for fashion in one of the hottest outdoor shopping malls in North Georgia. We’d like to remind our dining guests that even though grace 1720’s atmosphere appears formal, we are a come-as-you-are restaurant and will make your experience delightful whether you are in flip-flops or an evening gown.

Keep Enjoying Summer-fresh Foods

Now that you’ve experienced a bounty of fresh garden vegetables and succulent fruits this summer, don’t let your appetite for those bright, delicious flavors fade with the summer sun. Instead of a menu laden with fried foods and side items, grace 1720 complements your dinner with tantalizing pairings such as Jicama and Green Apple Salad, Sweet Potato Chips, Watermelon and Feta Salad, French Green Beans, or Logan Valley Turnpike Grits. Our meals won’t leave you feeling like you’ve got a brick in your stomach or that uncomfortable feeling you get after eating a fried meal.

Food you can Feel Good About

We pride ourselves on offering more nutritional value than chain restaurants that are heavy on processed and fried foods. As a chef trained in multiple disciplines, I use whole foods from our local farmers markets to create many of our signature dishes and specials. I find that using whole or minimally processed foods results in richer flavors on the dish, which is why we never bury our entrees in heavy sauces or creams.

I invest the extra time to hand-select many of our ingredients and prepare them in-house instead of ordering cartons, cans, and frozen foods off a wholesale truck. I know you’ll taste the difference. I’ve made sure that every aspect of your experience from the staff, to your view, and even the last morsel on your plate is the best of the best.

Tell Us about your Experience!

What’s your favorite meal at grace 1720? Have you tried to make a similar dish at home? Many people tell us that by the time they purchase all of the ingredients and invest time to shop, prepare, cook, and clean up the meal, they feel more inclined to eat with us where it ultimately costs less, saves time and hassle, and allows them to enjoy their food in comfort.

Stop in Anytime or Plan your Special Event

After you’ve had your fill of back to school shopping, please come in and take a load off.  We offer ½ off bottles of wine on Tuesdays and a complete, sumptuous 3-course meal on Saturdays for only $29.

We’ll help you relax or restore your energy after a day of running around for the kids. Don’t forget, we’re happy to help you plan your next celebration, from bridal showers and weddings to corporate meetings and birthday parties, grace 1720 will help you make your event unforgettable!

How was your Thanksgiving? If you were the host or hostess, perhaps it left a lot to be desired. Do you know how many hours the average household prepares when they host Thanksgiving? Suffice it to say it’s longer than the average workday and leaves us a lot more exhausted!

Here are some tips to help make your December holiday dinners a little easier on you:

1. Develop your menu ahead of time, sticking with recipes that are tried and true.  Choose a theme-oriented dinner to make planning easier.
2. Accept offers from your guests when they suggest a dish they’d like to bring. It will give everyone a chance to receive props at the dinner table and take some of the expense and burden off of you!
3. Plan oven times and mark them on paper, for instance, ham goes in at 9 a.m., veggie casserole at 11:30, rolls at 12:40.
4. Pull out all of the dishes you’ll need to bake and serve and put a little sticky note and the proper serving utensil inside each one so kitchen helpers will know for instance, where to transfer the mashed potatoes and which serving spoon to use.
5. Decide on buffet-style, family style, or pre-dished plates based on your number of guests, seating arrangements and desired “traffic flow.”
6. Prepare as much as you can ahead of time, working several days in advance on pies and the day before with marinades or soaking uncooked ham.
7. Give yourself a break. Remember, you don’t have to do it all. Oftentimes it costs less in time and ingredients to simply order out certain items or pick them up pre-made at the grocers.
8. Remember, if you want to quit while you’re ahead and keep yourself out of the grocery store and kitchen this year, we’re here for you. We’ve got a few prime reservations spots left for your holiday meal!

Call grace 1720 at (678) 421-1720 to set up your holiday party!

grace 1720 at The Forum

5155 Peachtree Pkwy
Suite 320
Norcross, GA 30092

Hello November! Gosh, this year went by fast and the holidays are speeding toward us. Just a few more weeks until Thanksgiving, and then the holiday parties are ON!

I notice a lot of signs for holiday help in the North Fulton and Forsyth county area. I am thrilled that the end of the year brings about so many jobs, but also dismayed by how some companies handle the transition. So many good people seeking work are thrown into the fold with stunted training and are left to deal with the largest crowds the stores see all year long.

This leaves me exasperated as a consumer and feeling very empathetic for the new hires. They take the brunt of a lot of frustrated customers and I can sense the annoyance on both ends.

As an entrepreneur myself, I am acutely sensitive to this fact and work hard to make the experience for both grace’s guests and our kitchen and wait staff a pleasant one as we see an influx of people coming through our doors in November and December.

After six years in operation, I am happy to say we have the formula down pat. We have a seasoned wait staff used to grace under pressure. The last thing we want to hear is our customers complain about inattentive service because we are in the weeds and they’re not getting the level of service they’ve come to expect from us.  I believe this attention to detail and our experience with anticipating large parties over the holiday season is what sets us apart from other restaurants. We are proactive and prepared, not reactive and frenzied.

As much as we are ready to serve you, I’d still like to encourage you to call ahead to book your large party seating early. We are quickly filling up for family gatherings, office parties, and holiday celebrations, but I can tell you after a quick look at the reservation book this morning, there are still some great dates and spaces available. We will reserve the Chef’s Table, Upper Room, or main restaurant for your party, so call our reservation desk and let us know which dates you are looking at for your gathering and we’ll be happy to reserve you space and provide your party with attentive, professional service.

Let us help you make this season’s celebrations spectacular. With grace, great food, atmosphere, and service should never come as a surprise.

What’s your best and worst holiday gathering story? Care not to share? We know. Stress, anxiety, and a houseful of relatives whom you only see at select times of year is enough to drive even a saint batty.

If it’s your turn to host the extended family in your home, we can offer you a reprieve, a way to take the pressure off completely. Just use a simple invitation like one you’ll find on www.evite.com, enter in the date and time of your gathering, and point the directions to grace 1720. When you arrive, we’ll treat you like a special guest, (even though your role is technically the host). We’ll pull off even the smallest of details to make your party both seamless and effortless on your part.

Call us to reserve the Chef’s Table, which is a private room that holds up to 10 seated guests, the Upper Room, which is also private and seats up to 35 guests, or the entire main restaurant and patio, which we can configure any way you desire.  We’ll even place name cards at the tables so you can pre-plan a way to “manage the relatives” in a way that pleases you.

Grace’s staff is expert and event planning and will work with you to create a special menu, incorporating your traditional family favorites as well as a few new ones that we’re sure will quickly make the list.

It’s okay to step outside the box and start a new family tradition by hosting somewhere other than your home. The only caveat? You may find yourself “volunteered” to host next year’s gathering. Don’t sweat it—we’ll be here for you!

We are currently taking reservations for all events including wedding showers, rehearsal dinners, wedding ceremonies and receptions, business meetings, holiday work parties, family or holiday gatherings, anniversaries, and reunions.

We are singing Mother Nature’s praises here at grace because we can finally open the patio doors and let the fresh air flow through the restaurant. The patio has become the favored hot spot among guests once again now that we are steering clear of temps in the high 90s in favor of this refreshing autumn weather.

Would you like to refresh mid-workday by getting out of the office and enjoying some of this glorious weather and some delicious, light lunch cuisine? We’ve got a spot reserved on the patio just for you and offer some spectacular new menu items made with all of your favorite fall ingredients. We’ve also got your favorite standbys that never seem to work their way off our menu due to their popularity.

You can order light and savory items like grace’s Spicy Chopped Chicken & Sweet Slaw Spring Rolls complete with Pumpkin Seeds, Jack Cheese, and topped with our own Roasted Jalapeno & Honey drizzle. Or we’ll fill you up on thick, rich fall favorites like our Black & Black Chili Soup Bowl made with Black Angus Beef, Pork Sausage, Black Beans, Pickled Jalapenos, Tequila Sour Crème, and White Cheddar Cheese.

You’ll return to the office feeling revived after you enjoy the lush foliage, cool breeze, calming fountain sounds, delicious meal, and attentive service for which grace has become known.

Would you like to add a little bit of magic to your evening? We have strings of twinkling lights above the patio, an outdoor fireplace with vibrant flames that lick the night air and offer our guests warmth and ambiance, and a flowing water fountain that gently trickles throughout the evening. We’ve covered sight, touch, and sound, but wait until you smell and taste your dinner selection. It’s worthy of any “dining in the dark” experience (where you eliminate your sight in order to concentrate on the smell and taste of your food), but why would we do that to you?

We believe that all five of your senses should be lavishly bathed, which is why we created the environment we did at grace.

Tell us, what is your favorite part of dining at grace? What would you like to see me conjure up on our fall menu?

Cheers!
Chef Barbara DiJames

Atmosphere and experience. It’s something that gets little thought when you’re ravenous and thinking with your growling stomach. In that hungry state, people usually try to pinpoint a restaurant that’s close and fast. With that can come poor quality food and an atmosphere that just sort of blends into your day.

At grace, we strive to wake up all of your senses, not just your taste buds. Our décor is designed with your dining experience in mind. Fresh, simple, yet warm and inviting…much like our food. We’re also pleased to add another dimension to your dining experience with live entertainment each Friday evening. Have you heard Atlanta’s own Stephen Lee perform live yet? It’s a real treat to watch how he connects with our guests and unifies the room with his magnificent voice. Best of all, the live music isn’t overwhelming. You won’t have to shout to your dining companions or sit miserably without conversation because you can’t comfortably communicate.

We think atmosphere is everything here at grace. We are all dealing with the hustle and bustle of life and it’s important to stop and smell the roses on a pretty regular basis if we want to recharge and be at our best.

Calm your senses, wake up your taste buds, and let the stress melt from your body in our atmosphere. If your appetite is light, join us for refreshing specialty drinks, delicious bar bites, appetizer dishes, and sumptuous desserts. We have a bar, outdoor patio, main dining room, and two private engagement rooms.

There’s a reason why grace was voted as one of the number one places in America to close a business deal and why so many engagements (and weddings!) happen here—and it’s the pride and care we take in making your experience with us one you won’t soon forget.

Don’t you owe it to yourself to slow down and enjoy bits of life whenever you get a chance? What do you do to “get away” or unwind?

grace uses only the freshest ingredients and offers unique seasonal specials alongside their core menu. grace offers a lunch, dinner, children’s, and Sunday brunch menu in addition to specialty dishes prepared for your celebratory gatherings and parties.

As a chef, I have a creative outlet that I can share with my family, friends, and guests on a regular basis. With a kitchen full of restaurant-quality equipment and a fresh farmer’s market nearby, I revel in the colors, textures, and flavors that are at my disposal to create beautiful, vivid, and tantalizing dishes.

I think you’ll notice a lot of signatures on the dishes we serve at grace. Everything you find on your plate is meant to be eaten. Whether it’s a colorful drizzle that complements your dish or a flower chosen for the depth, texture, and color it lends as a final touch, if it’s on your plate at grace, it is edible and most often a rare culinary treat!

I draw a lot of my inspiration from the world around me. I might see something in a culinary magazine or notice a fresh catch at the market and cultivate an idea for something new. Now, I don’t create something new in the kitchen just to appear avant-garde or different. Everything we serve has to be the right blend of texture and flavor to make it onto your plate at grace. We experiment in the kitchen until it is perfection, and what fun we have coming up with seasonal creations!

Perhaps I am fortunate in that regard. My work is often play to me. I love what I do, my job is constantly evolving, and I take great pride in the creative freedom that goes along with running my own restaurant by my own culinary rules. Each plate that leaves the kitchen is a source of pride and personal expression that I hope you’ll enjoy.

How do you express yourself? Do you find that the places you frequent and the things you do are a fair representation of who you are? What does it say when you bring a special date to grace, host a family event or wedding reception here, or plan a business meeting with us? How do we reflect on you, and when is it important for you to select an upscale dining experience like the one you receive here?

We just hosted another wedding ceremony here at grace and couldn’t be happier. The bride was stunning, the guests were happy, and my staff was spot on.

It can be a lot of pressure knowing that every day is someone’s special day here. We all like to keep things flowing smoothly, passing along a helping hand to fellow staff where needed. It’s important that the guests receive nothing short of impeccable service coupled with exquisitely prepared plates.

Our guests don’t always just find us for celebrations. Did you know that we were also voted one of top five places in America to “Close a Business Deal” by Best Life magazine? It’s exciting to think of what is going on right in our very own private rooms—mergers, acquisitions, and a lot of hand shakes and smiling faces. We’re excited to be the destination for pharmaceutical representatives’ meetings and chamber events.

But that’s not all our private rooms are used for. We regularly host client meetings, sales presentations, board meetings, non-profit organizations, and church gatherings. Of course our staff knows precisely when to serve and always keep mum on what they hear, even with the other staff members. Our customers’ privacy is of the utmost importance to us.

While people are here with another function through church, clubs, or their business, many of them stop by our hostess desk to book for their upcoming functions and holiday parties—already! It’s sure not too early to book with us. Our calendar reaches all the way through the year, of course, and there are still plenty of prime spots left for office parties and social gatherings big and small.

Who’s in charge of your office functions or club meetings? Are you ready to host a special celebration? Call us up or stop on by to discuss your private function. We’ll be ready for you!