Sharing a sweet suburb of Atlanta you never knew you needed to check out! With a full Dunwoody Georgia travel diary.
Starting off the week with a travel diary for a recent trip Joshua and I went on. Earlier this month we spent a long weekend discovering Dunwoody, Georgia. The sweet suburb outside of Atlanta that has a whole lot to offer! From great shopping to amazing restaurants, a day spa you’ll truly want to spend the full day at, and so much more! We had the best time in Dunwoody, even with rain almost 24/7 all three days we were there. Which I think further proves Dunwoody has a lot to offer!
I figured the best way to talk about Dunwoody was to share a Dunwoody Georgia travel diary with y’all plus a few additional places I wish we could have had the time to visit…
Friday
Travel to Dunwoody, GA: Lucky for us, Dunwoody, GA is a pretty easy, short drive from Charlotte, NC. Just under four hours – making it a perfect long weekend destination. If you’re coming from Raleigh the drive is just over six hours. From Asheville, just a little over three hours. Same for those coming from Columbia, SC or Knoxville, TN. For those of you in Chattanooga, the drive is under two hours. As you can see, it’s a very accessible destination for so many! And a really great spot to spend a weekend or long weekend if you can get away from work!
After arriving in Dunwoody, we checked into Le Meriden Atlanta Perimeter and decided to spend the evening in our room. We were tired from the week and the cozy bed plus the movies on tv were calling our names. It was the perfect way to relax before heading out Saturday to discover Dunwoody!
Le Meriden offers the perfect location as it is just steps away from the upscale shops and fine restaurants of Perimeter Mall. As well as several around the area. Everywhere we visited during our stay was under five miles away from the hotel. Making it very nice and easy. Especially with all the rain we had!
Saturday
9:00am: Breakfast at Alon’s Bakery & Market. This market perfectly emulates the authentic feel of a European Market. Joshua was in heaven with all of the cheese and the samples offered. While I was drooling the second I walked in and saw the full bakery spread – muffins, fresh baked bread, croissants, pastries, and everything carb you could ever want. So while Joshua made it to the back of the market to order a full breakfast – an omelet with grits and an english muffin, I stayed put with the fresh baked goods. After much thought, I finally decided on a muffin and y’all, it was amazing!
If you have several people in your group or have varying ideas of breakfast, I would highly recommend stopping into Alon’s Bakery & Market. Same goes to lunch. It’s a great quick spot if you’re wanting that or a spot you can spend the afternoon in. Whether you want to work on your laptop or slowly indulge in all of your favorites!
10:30am: Check-in for spa appointments at The Woodhouse Day Spa. Joshua and I were both incredibly excited for our first couples massage. Checking into the spa was also the perfect thing to do on that rainy Saturday. After checking in, we were both escorted to the back where we were given a tour of the relaxation room and shown to the men’s and women’s changing rooms. Once we were in our robes and sandals we met back in the relaxation room. This little spot may have been my favorite part of the experience. I loved that men and women were able to be in the same relaxation room (this isn’t the case most of the time). We were able to sit together, enjoy a cup of tea, and relax prior to our massages. The same was true following our massages, we returned to the relaxation room, snuggled up on the couch, and had another glass of tea each plus some sweet treats. It was a truly wonderful experience!
Aside from the relaxation room, the massages were quite amazing themselves! We both had wonderful massages and thought the masseuses tailored the massages perfectly to both of our personal preferences. Hands down, this would be my top recommendation when visiting Dunwoody, GA – especially if you’re looking for a relaxing weekend or have a day full of rain.
1:30pm: Lunch at E. 48th Street Market. Joshua and I had the opportunity to meet Charlie, the owner. He is by far the sweetest man ever and has created such a community with the customers of his market. He knew almost every single person by name when they walked in. Often times, knew their order as well! Charlie gave us a tour of the market as well as sat down and chatted with us a bit. If you pop into E. 48th Street Market you absolutely must ask if Charlie is there! You will feel right at home when talking with him!
After we toured and chatted, we spent a good 10 minutes figuring out what we wanted. Everything on the menu looked amazing, especially after Charlie explained where everything was from and how it was made. Finally we settled on pasta, for both of us. Neither of us could pass it up! Joshua went with bolognese and I opted for pesto sauce (oh my yum y’all). We also tasted from fresh olive oil and their famous meatballs. As well as ALL of the desserts! Charlie told me I needed to eat more, I listened and polished off every cookie on our plate. Get the butter cookies y’all, don’t ask questions, just get them! You will thank me later!
3:00pm: Browse the Spruill Art Gallery. Again, the perfect rainy day activity! We popped into Spruill Art Gallery after lunch and had a little fun in their shop. Unfortunately, the exhibits were closed at the time due to the fact they were installing new ones. We however had a blast in the shop and picked up some really fun goodies for family members – an Everything Will Be Okay embossed leather notebook for my dad and an adorable Hippo print for my niece.
Spruill Art Gallery also has some pieces of work outside, including Jason Kofke’s popular “EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY” mural. It is such a fun spot – I definitely recommend making a point to stop in here. Especially if you’re in the need for any unique gifts. It is the perfect place to find some!
5:30pm: Small plates & drinks at Portico Global Cuisine at Le Meriden Atlanta Perimeter. After taking a nap – you know we had a hard afternoon – eating, spa treatment, eating again, and gallery touring – we headed downstairs to Portico Global Cuisine. It was time for some cocktails and a little more eating! Portico Global Cuisine features a fresh menu of eclectic, globally inspired cuisine. Chef Alejandro Rojas focuses on fresh, seasonal ingredients sourced from farms and artisanal produces, both local and abroad. A dish that expemlified this perfectly, the cheese board. The board was full of seasonal fruit, fresh jams, local honey, and artisan bread – along with several delicious cheeses.
Portico Global Cuisine is a full service restaurant that offers both lunch and dinner.
Oh, and don’t forget the cocktails! Joshua had a Kentucky Mule while I tried their Tell It Like It Is Margarita. It was AMAZING y’all – you must order it!
7:30pm: Dinner at Fogo de Chão. We had mentioned to a few people throughout the day that we would be dining at Fogo de Chão that evening and oh boy did they make us excited! Everyone said we were in for quite the treat and to come hungry. Hence why we went very light at Portico Global Cuisine for small plates. For those that don’t know about Fogo de Chão (it was new to both of us), it is an upscale Brazilian Steakhouse that offers the full Churrasco experience. What that means is you have continual service of fire-roasted meats carved table side by Brazilian trained gaucho chefs – who happen to be the sweetest guys ever! These fire-roasted meats include signature sirloin, filet mignon, ribeye, Brazilian sirloin, lamb, and more! You also have unlimited access to the gourmet Market Table & Feigoada Bar. I was in heaven with all of the couscous dishes, giant white beans, isarelian salad, and so many more delicious dishes. Oh AND side dishes plus warm cheese bread are also delivered to your table. Come hungry is a very good tip!
Dining at Fogo de Chão was truly such a fun experience! Not only was the food incredible but the staff was out of this world. They were so kind, catering, and professional while also having amazing personalities. It is very apparent that everyone that works at Fogo de Chão loves their job and has a good time doing it!
If you’re wondering what are favorites were, signature sirloin, filet mignon, and Brazilian sirloin for me. While Joshua loved the signature sirloin, filet mignon, ribeye, and lamb. To finish off our meal, because we absolutely needed more (not!), we had fresh vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce.
If you’re in the Dunwoody area and want to Fogo de Chão be sure to mention LOUELLA REESE for 10% off your dinner.
Sunday
9:00am: Hit up the Le Meriden Atlanta Perimeter gym. After all of our indulging Saturday we felt a little time at the gym was necessary. Luckily, Le Meriden Atlanta Perimeter has a really nice gym full of windows and great equipment. The best part, I’m 99% sure that Monte from Say Yes to the Dress was beside me on the treadmill.
1:00pm: Brunch at Café Intermezzo. Before I say anything else, oh my heart their waffles! One, are those not the prettiest waffles you’ve ever seen? Two, they were the yummiest waffles I’ve ever had! Café Intermezzo has the most decadent brunch menu – filled with waffles, French toast, avocado toast, eggs benedict, omelets and so much more! Joshua opted for the French toast and was also VERY happy with his choice! Aside from the amazing food, the atmosphere of Café Intermezzo is quite charming. The cafe embodies the essence of the 300-year-old European coffeehouse. Stepping into their cafe is like stepping into another time and another place. And the outdoor patio is no different – filled with bistro tables and chairs the charm exudes outside and you feel as though your sipping tea and coffee in Europe.
Travel back to Charlotte: Sadly after brunch it was time to hit the road. There was so much more I wanted to explore in Dunwoody, especially on a sunny day – which Sunday seemed to be turning into as we headed out. Spots like Dunwoody Nature Center, Novo Cucina for gelato, and Moondog Growlers for a mini-keg growler. We also wouldn’t have minded another trip to Woodhouse Day Spa! Dunwoody is truly a great town to spend a weekend in discovering all of the local gems! There is a little something for everyone!
Thank you to Discover Dunwoody and all of the partners for making this trip possible and sponsoring today’s post! All views and opinions are of course my own!
If you want to explore more travel content you can view my travel page, travel guides & diaries, and/ or travel style page.
You perfectly captured this fantastic town. Steve and I fell in love with Dunwoody.
Aw thank you so much Kathy! I really appreciate that. Dunwoody truly is one of the sweetest little spots!
xo Laura Leigh
Any morning that starts off at market with cheese and baked goods is a good one!! Maybe the rain forced you to explore more of the indoor stuff since y’all are usually spending most time outdoors? Either way, they really do have a lot to offer!
-Morgan
How 2 Wear It [] http://how2wearit.com
Haha right? We were both in heaven for sure. Yes, definitely agree with you on that – also forced us to relax a little more which was very nice!
xo Laura Leigh
Loved that you explored Dunwoody. I don’t live far at all from there and never heard of E 48th street. I already added it to my restaurant list. Can’t wait to check it out!
xo Jessica
My Style Vita
Oh you definitely have to go – you will absolutely love it! The food is amazing and the neighborhood market they’ve created is the sweetest!
xo Laura Leigh
Oh this looks so beautiful!
x Lisa | lisaautumn.com
It is a very awesome little town!
xo Laura Leigh
This looks like such a quaint, little place! Definitely my kind of place. Also omg those waffles in the last picture… I NEED! Thanks for sharing this travel diary! Xx
Definitely the perfect way to describe it! A quaint little escape right out of Atlanta. GIRL they were SO good!!!!!
xo Laura Leigh
Your photos are always so gorgeous, and this trip looked amazing! I LOLd at your guy being so excited over his food, that was too funny!
Aw thank you so much Annie! I really appreciate that gal 🙂 Oh he was pumped haha.
xo Laura Leigh
oooh what a fun weekend away! I love exploring new places w my husband – always a good time.
xx rebecca // http://www.rebeccapiersol.me
It absolutely was and completely agree with you – one of my favorite things to do!
xo Laura Leigh
Wow! I can’t believe you’re highlighting Dunwoody. I’m actually in Chamblee/Dunwoody right now. I live in Atlanta but my b/f lives here in Chamblee so I’m over in this area all the time. Now I want to go check out the Spruill gallery!
http://www.ohtobeamuse.com
Oh that is too funny!! It is such a neat spot – so many great restaurants and things to do!
xo Laura Leigh
This looks like so much fun! Definitely going on my must travel list!
Absolutely was! Highly recommend!
xo Laura Leigh
What a quaint little town! Love that y’all got to relax and get pampered on your weekend away!
Thank you gal! We absolutely did too 🙂 it was so nice. Couldn’t recommend a weekend there more!
xo Laura Leigh
Looks and sounds like such a fun filled trip! & oh, those waffles!! They look AMAZING!
Kileen
cute & little
Oh absolutely was! OMG they were the BEST – think about them daily!
xo Laura Leigh
It looks and sounds like you had a really nice trip together. Dunwoody really seems like a fantastic place to visit. I’ve been all over Georgia, but haven’t been here yet. Maybe it’ll be my next trip!
For sure! It truly is, you should definitely make a stop next time.
xo Laura Leigh
Oh my gosh this looks like the best trip! I haven’t been to Dunwoody, but it’s now on my list!
It really was so much fun – we truly enjoyed ourselves. You’ll definitely have to plan a weekend there soon!
xo Laura Leigh
I love that you highlighted Dunwoody! The Atlanta burbs have really evolved over the past few years and have so many cool spots to check out!
It is such a cool little suburb! We really enjoyed it!
xo Laura Leigh