The former New York Times’ food writer and cofounder of Food52 Amanda Hesser once wrote an essay espousing the beauty of solo dining. My own personal experience more often equates to sitting hunched over my computer, typing with one hand and shoving an Oscar Mayer turkey sandwich into my mouth with the other.
I’m embarrassed to say this is my norm. So, I decided it was time for a change.
I’d often heard my favorite radio station WAFJ 88.3 FM mention Sweet Azalea Gourmet Shop & Catering, but only recently discovered its location while driving up Central Avenue near the Monte Sano intersection. The Facebook gods must have noticed it, too, because I started getting notifications of the shop’s menu.
Tuesday to Friday, the shop serves up a limited menu for lunch or dinner. It’s only about two to three items, usually a mix of hot and cold options, including sandwiches, salads, blue plate specials or quiches. Inside its refrigerated case, there are also grab-and-go sandwiches or salads, as well as containers of their chicken salad and other cold salads, pimento cheese, Southern caviar (with black-eyed peas), family- and party-size casseroles and more.
If you happen to need a gift, the shop also offers home décor, figurines, pretty flowered dish towels, fancy gourmet items, pillows and more.
You do need to call and leave a message for your order the night before; the shop usually posts its lunch/dinner menu for the next day by the late afternoon or early evening. Its Take Home Gourmet menu of salads and nibbles and entrees and sides is also available on Facebook under Menu. (Note, you can take a chance and just see what’s available in the refrigerated case, but they do tend to sell out.)
It was my first time, so I was nervous calling at 11 p.m., which is when I finally got to see the menu. So, I waited and left my message at around 8 a.m. the next morning, for a pickup of about 11 a.m.
When I walked in, the cashier had my order ready, set aside in the refrigerated case with a sticky note. She was friendly and chatty, especially when she knew it was my first time dining with them. It was also fast and easy, which maximized the half-hour I’d set aside for my sublime solo dining experience.
Because of the heat wave, Sweet Azalea was offering only cold options that week, and its trio of chilled chicken salad, seafood salad and fruit salad was right up my alley.
At home, I placed the clear plastic box on top of one of my pretty blue-and-white Spode plates, grabbed a real fork, a napkin and a glass of ice water. I settled myself comfortably on my green sofa with a TV table and clicked on my favorite Jane Austen adaptation for some nice ambience.
With the fan whirring pleasantly overhead, I dug first into the pale pink shrimp salad, flecked with bits of green dill, daintily placing a scoop on the provided Lance crackers (in my view, the only choice for cold salads). The shrimp were soft and tender, and the dressing was light with the piquant flavor of the dill. In contrast, the chicken salad was mild and creamy. Together, they played well off each other as I sampled one, then the other, between bites of fresh grapes, cantaloupe, strawberries and blackberries.
I’m not sure it’s done, but after I finished my crackers and still had some salad, I wrapped up what was left to make a sort of “eggroll.” It made me smile.
I have to admit: At first, I was worried the lunch would be too light. But I felt comfortably full and refreshed after my little break from another busy workday.
The next day found me at the computer again, chomping on Doritos and yet another sandwich. Sad to say, these days, I don’t have much time for sublime solo lunches. But I’ve made a note: Solo lunch do-over, same time next month.
Make Your Reservation
Sweet Azalea Gourmet Shop & Catering
2569 Central Ave.
Open Tuesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Entrée cost: About $10
Danielle Wong Moores is a local freelance writer who’ll never turn down a shrimp cocktail, sushi or cheese dip. Her greatest food influences are her mom and writers MFK Fisher and Amanda Hesser. Her Dine and Dish column runs the second and fourth Fridays in The Augusta Press.
