Eat your way along the Cherry Blossom Trail

It’s finally time to celebrate the Cherry Blossom Festival! One tradition is to follow the Cherry Blossom Trail (provided at maconga.org) to see our gorgeous flora in full bloom. Along the way, you might just get hungry, so here are some stops worth making.

Don’t forget to bring your out-of-town friends, because all of these are perfect for large groups. So follow those cherry trees to some wonderful food and make the most of our “Pinkest Party on Earth!”

Jeneane’s at Pinebrook

If you want your guests to experience real Southern food as you peruse the pinkness, nothing tops Jeneane’s at Pinebrook, located on Forsyth Road. Check their website to find the day your favorite dishes are offered, from Meatloaf Mondays to Catfish Fridays, plus lunch on Sunday. Their desserts are homemade, too, so leave room for banana pudding, pecan pie or strawberry shortcake.

Casserole Shop and Bakery

If you’re checking out the Trail during the morning hours, you may need a little snack to tide you over. The Casserole Shop and Bakery on Forsyth Road has some of the best doughnuts you’ve ever had, from traditional glazed yeast doughnuts to maple bacon cake ones. They also have the best apple fritters you’ve ever tasted. If it’s afternoon, you may opt for the cookies, petit fours, or cheese straws for a taste of the South in your mouth.

Ingleside Village Pizza

If you’re buying food for a big group, pizza is always a good bet, and you won’t find any better than at Ingleside Village Pizza on Ingleside Avenue. Their loyal following has kept them in business for more than 20 years and the friendly atmosphere is a big part of that. Eclectic decor hangs from the ceiling, fun music plays overhead, and the food is filling, economical and delicious. Make sure to order the cheesy breadsticks and get some dough to play with for the little ones.

Brasserie Circa

Brasserie Circa on Forsyth Road is for your fancy friends, but it’s worth every penny. It’s quiet, elegant but still casual, and has a menu to suit even the most finicky of eaters. Lunch offerings include sushi, a steak burger, a lobster club and a burrata caprese salad. Dinner includes those items plus hamachi crudo, shrimp and grits croquettes, smoked salmon farfalle and candied bacon-wrapped pork loin.

Dovetail

When you’re downtown at the end of your tour, you can’t go wrong by choosing any of the restaurants you see. But if you want in on a secret place, find the Rookery on Cherry Street, which has crazy good burgers and shakes, and take the stairs to the right when you enter. You’ll find Dovetail, an elegant space with sophisticated staff and incredibly good food. Three of us recently dined for about $100 but it was more than just the food — it was an experience.

Read more reviews of local restaurants

This story was originally published March 22, 2017 at 7:12 AM with the headline "Eat your way along the Cherry Blossom Trail."