2 months ago
When you think of high class meals and dozens of culinary choices, you probably think of a big city. But here in Central Georgia, one small community has a big appetite for diversity in dining. Chef Michael Falduti Jr. gets things sizzling at the Red Tomato. A look at his surf 'n turf plate may make your mouth water, but your head could spin when you find out where it's located. "I was actually scared to open up a restaurant in Bolingbroke at first," Falduti admitted. Falduti opened the Red Tomato five years ago, in a little house tucked away in rural Monroe County. He says he's found great support from locals and travelers. "I got them driving from Dublin, Stockbridge, Atlanta, McDonough..." Things heat-up every day at Jonah's on Johnston, just up the interstate in Forsyth. It's a little bistro where everything is hand-made and hand-tossed, and cooked in a 500 degree brick oven. Jonah Munson opened Jonah's two years ago. Even with a down economy, business and pizza pies are looking up. He expanded his menu to include fresh baked bread and desserts. He recently added more seating in back. He credits his success partly to a local taste for authentic food. "We've got a lot of independent owners here, too. We don't have too many chains. Which, to me, you get a better product and a better feel," said Munson. Jane Jossey has eaten at Gracey's, a southern home cooking restaurant, several times since it opened just a few months ago under local owners. "We know the people. They're good Christian people. They're home folks and we love them," she said as she cleaned her plate of turnip greens. Grits Cafe has stood as a staple in the Forsyth food scene for 10 years. The restaurant has won several awards, including two 2009 Foodies from Macon Food and Culture Magazine. Monroe County has 34 restaurants, 22 of them locally owned. Karen Manus-Pennings, Director of Tourism for Forsyth and Monroe County, says independent owners thrive because they bring their meals full circle. "They support local vendors, they support the people here to give them employment and it's a great opportunity for all of us to come together as a community through our food," she said. Falduti says forget fine dining in the big city. He's found more success in Monroe County than he ever imagined. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm located in Bolingbroke now for good." To get your fork in some food from Monroe, you can attend the First Annual Taste of Monroe. It's Thursday September 24th from 5:30 until 8:30 p.m. You can get a nibble of food from more than a dozen Monroe County restaurants, as well as live music. The event will be held at the Central Georgia Convention Complex at 480 Holiday Circle in Forsyth. Ticket price at the door is $15 for adults and $8 for children up to the age of 10.
