Spring Fling Pampering in Alpharetta with L'Occitane and South Main Kitchen

Hello Spring! I am soooooo happy to see you. Enough with the cold weather, brown lawns, and hanging out inside. It's time for a new season that ushers in beautiful, warmer days and investing in some rejuvenation and self-care.
Last weekend, the season really kicked off for me at a delightful "Bloggers and Bubbles" Spring Fling in Alpharetta with the Atlanta Food Bloggers Society. We were invited to indulge in a morning of pampering at L'Occitane at Avalon, followed by brunch at downtown Alpharetta restaurant South Main Kitchen.

I'm a fan of L'Occitane en Provence. It's a lovely place to experience high-quality bath and beauty products. Seems like I am always picking out gifts for others in there...this time it was so nice to be pampered with some mini-beauty treatments. If you aren't familiar with L'Occitane - they originated in Provence in 1976. Known for their skin care, lavender, shea products, and being one of the first companies to feature Braille on their products. They have over 2000 stores worldwide and the L'Occitane Foundation was developed in 2006 with a mission to support the blind and the economic emancipation of women. Brilliant, good stuff. 
Cheers to that!

One of the highlights of the day was the care and attention from the wonderful staff at L'Occitane. They are friendly, knowledgeable, and proud of their products and services. They greeted all of us with a glass of bubbly and treated our group like VIP's all morning. I'm betting this is how they treat anyone that visits their store.
In a time where retail customer service seems to be lacking, these folks clearly are on point. Thank you all for such a great time!

I didn't have the time for a chair massage, but my fellow bloggers were obviously in heaven here!

Beautiful music always sets the tone!

The facial was amazing....here's Toby getting her glow on! 

My skin looked and felt amazing after my facial.

Need a quick gift for a your mom, wife, or mother-in-law? 
You could easily put together something really special at L'Occitane for Mother's Day. My mom likes the lemony verbena fragrance. They even have a skin care, fragrance, and shaving line for men {my hubby's fav is the "Cade" after-shave products}.

L'Occitane en Provence
2200 Avalon Blvd.
Alpharetta, GA 30009
678-248-5237

Onto lunch y'all! Our group split up and headed over to South Main Kitchen and Butcher & Brew in downtown Alpharetta.
I've eaten at both restaurants, but this was my first trip for brunch. 
I went to South Main Kitchen and was happy to sit at a cozy table right by the front window. You know we were all snap, snap, snapping pics of everything....so we were giddy about that natural light!
Chef Christy Stone is at the helm of South Main Kitchen and she puts a creative and beautiful touch into the food and its presentation. We shared a variety of items off the brunch menu and it was hard to pick a favorite {but I will try....keep reading!}

Kale and Brussel Sprout Salad with almond, pecorino, dried cranberry, ginger & blood orange dressing

We started by trying two salads, the Kale and Brussel Sprout Salad and the Quinoa Salad. Both were tasty, but the Kale had my winning flavor combo. Loved the crunch and the dressing too.

Brussels Sprouts with feta, bacon, ginger & blood orange vinaigrette

See these brussel sprouts above? Pure heaven. They are probably one of the most recommended dishes, and they are a crave-worthy starter. So so good!

Parmesan Gnocchi with marinara and wild mushrooms

Another delicious dish we tried was the Parmesan gnocchi. 

Little pillows of tender, crispy goodness. 

Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

Off the brunch plates menu, we sampled the Biscuits and Gravy. Whenever I have biscuits and gravy, it takes me back to college. Growing up in Florida, I never even heard of biscuits and gravy till I went to North Carolina for college. It was definitely a taste sensation at first bite and I've been a fan ever since. 
These were a good version for sure.

Garden Omelette with cauliflower, tomato, arugula, mushrooms, pecorino, and red pepper cream sauce

This lovely is the Garden Omelette. How about an omelette chock full of veggies and even cauliflower? Even carnivorous folks will want to get their veggies in with this one!

Short Rib Crepes with rosemary pan sauce, caramelized onion, bacon, spinach, red bell pepper, goat cheese, and pickled jalapenos

And finally, my favorite dish of the day....Short Rib Crepes. Succulent and unique. This was a great way to finish up brunch and I will go straight for this one on my next visit.
A big thank you to South Main and Butcher & Brew for hosting our group - it was all so good! 

If you are looking for a new favorite dining destination, head straight over the South Main Kitchen or Butcher & Brew. They do a fantastic job and there is something for everyone on the menu.
{P.S. I am a big fan of the Paleo bowls at Butcher & Brew!}

South Main Kitchen
No.9
S. Main Street
Alpharetta, GA 30009
678-691-4622

Hours:

Monday - Saturday
11:00 am - 2:30 pm
Monday - Saturday
4:30 pm - 10:00 pm
Sunday Brunch
11:00 am - 2:30 pm
Sunday
4:30 pm - 9:00 pm

A big thank you to Melissa Pelkey Hass, who did an amazing job organizing our Blogger and Bubbles event. 
It was such a pleasure to enjoy the morning with my fellow food and lifestyle bloggers from Atlanta Food Bloggers Society. 
Our event was sponsored by the fine folks from:

L'Occitane
Butcher & Brew
South Main Kitchen
Stirrings
Scout & Molly's {they open in April in Avalon - can't wait to check them out!}

Thank you to everyone for hosting our group and for the goodie bag that included treats from L'Occitane, Stirrings, and Scout & Molly's.

Disclosure: this event was complimentary, but the thoughts & opinions here are genuinely my own.