Last Saturday, my friend Sandy Zitkus and I, along with my daughter Anne McLachlan, made an annual trip to Atlanta where we usually hit IKEA for our household needs and some Christmas gifts, as well as Trader Joe’s where we pick up a heft supply of Charles Shaw wine, lovingly known as Two-Buck Chuck for it’s extremely low price of $2.49 per bottle. In the past, we’ve had lunch in the cafeteria at IKEA, but this year, we made a full day of things by spending more time in the exciting lifestyle center of Atlantic Station, where IKEA is located.

The neighborhood, just a few years old, is filled with residences, shops and restaurants, and one of the best is Rosa Mexicano, where guacamole is prepared at your table and the menu is full of south-of-the-border offerings, some expected, others, such as my Mexican Club Tora, a sandwich served with sweet potato fries. The sandwich is huge and layered with ham, grilled chicken, bacon, avocado and Chihuahua cheese with a black bean-chipotle spread. It’s then pressed and grilled. One half is all I could eat, bringing home the other half for lunch the next day.

One thing that impressed me greatly was that all we’ve been hearing about the bad economy, how stores and restaurants are hurting, it didn’t appear that way on this day. Atlantic Station was packed. And people were doing more than window shopping. Restaurant tables were filled and cash registers in the retail establishments were ringing. Maybe there’s still hope.

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