#Cultivate2012 Local Love

Local Love: Supporting local business cultivates your community. Tell us about a local business you discovered this year. What makes them stand out from the crowd?

I can’t pick between two great places — The Terminal Brewhouse in downtown Chattanooga and Dari Dip in downtown La Fayette, GA. Both were delicious finds this year. The Terminal is across the street from the Chattanooga Choo Choo, they brew their own beers and root beer, and they serve locally grown and raised food, including bison burgers. They’ve got a few good gluten free items on their menu, and they serve something called “Chuck Norris slaw.” No, it doesn’t roundhouse kick you in the mouth, but it’s got just the right hint of delightful spiciness to it. Their root beer is some of the tastiest root beer I’ve ever drank. My husband can attest that their beers are delicious — I never acquired the taste for beer, nor do I plan to.

The Dari Dip (pronounced “Dairy”) serves good Southern cooking, although we haven’t tried their meals yet. We’ve been too busy sampling their ice cream the past two times we’ve visited (the only two times we’ve visited, actually). The offer soft-serve, scoops, cups, cones, waffle cones, shakes, malts, smoothies, floats, and even banana splits. They’re a great little throwback hidden in Northwest Georgia.

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#Reverb11: Local Love

Local Love: Tell us about a local business you discovered this year. What makes them stand out from the crowd?

Admittedly, I’m terrified to be sharing the love with this cute little local business I discovered in September. I’ve posted about them once before, but now the uptick in traffic proves great enough to turn my best-kept-secret into a bustling hub of chocolaty pleasure. However, the selfless need to see their business thrive outweighs the selfish need to keep them all to myself. This year I discovered Chocolate Therapy Cafe, a cozy little place that exudes Southern hospitality, warmth, and charm. What makes them stand out? Why, the chocolate cobbler, of course! I never knew you could do that with chocolate or a cobbler until I read the reviews. Gooey, warm, and chocolaty, this delectable treat is almost better than you-know-what. They brew up these delicious little “chocolate au laits,” which are basically half coffee and half hot chocolate. The hot chocolate will ruin even Swiss Miss’ dark chocolate sensation powdered mix. And their chai? Smooth, fragrant, and not at all buttery — all wonderful qualities for this chai-snob. They also offer light lunches because they’ve got their priorities straight. They expect you to save plenty of room for a tasty dessert, and they’ve got plenty of it! The women there know how to make their customers feel welcomed again and again. It’s so homey and comfortable, perfect for tutoring, writing, or just enjoying the company of someone you love. I hope to be doing more business remotely from the sanctuary they provide next year.

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