Food & Drink in Palm River-Clair Mel

The same love for pizza and beer that fueled three college students in 1974 transformed their lives as they expanded their business from one rundown building in Atlanta to 100 Mellow Mushroom restaurants across 15 states today. Each eatery owes its individual style to each location's being locally owned and operated, much like impressionist painters owed their individual style to their number of ears. In the kitchens, chefs assemble grilled and deli-style hoagies and bake calzones and pizzas in stone hearths using dough made with natural spring water. Though many of the restaurant's dishes have remained on the menu since its inception, the culinary crew frequently devises new, often gluten-free, dishes to keep senior-ranking pepperonis from becoming too powerful. Servers pair dishes with their location's own set of local brews, which fit into a collection of up to 100 microbrewed and imported beers on tap and in bottles. Brewers such as Bell's, Abita, and Dogfish Head are also featured in regular beer events.

Booth's Brewing outfits customers with quality beer- and wine-making supplies, from Briess dry malts to brew kettles by Blichmann Engineering. Hops-savvy staffers also guide students through the basics of crafting custom beers at home with beer-brewing classes. The sessions familiarize students with standard brewing equipment and ingredients, arming them with the theoretical and practical knowledge to successfully make beer at home without fitting their bathtub with a blowoff hose.

Five growing boys equals five hungry mouths to feed. This is how Moe Elkasri got his start: cooking healthy food for himself and his brothers. Later, in 1990, this experience served him well when he opened the original Pita's Republic, which has since bloomed into 16 locations. His eateries focus on crafting food on-site that is flavorful and nutritious, unlike mints made from seaweed. To this end, most dishes start with whole grain pita bread, made from Moe's secret recipe, which wrap around protein such as fresh, marinated chicken. Low-fat yogurt forms the base of the tzaziki sauce, and gyro meat is broiled to rid it of excess fat. Vegetarians also find satisfaction here with pitas brimming with hummus, veggies, and tabouli.

The professional pie'd pipers at Wize Guyz Pizzeria craft a full menu of Italian delights using premium ingredients, freshly grated cheeses, and local produce in the warm, family-run eatery. Hand-tossed, brick-oven pizzas run the gamut from a rustic, traditional cheese pie ($10.98–$13.97) to a stuffed meat pizza, which is packed shoulder-to-shoulder with pepperoni, sausage, ham, and mozzarella in a standing room-only crust ($19.75). Philly cheesesteaks ($6.76+) and hot subs ($6.78+) nestle between rolls, while traditional pasta dishes, heaped in sauces, harmonize with toasty warm garlic bread.

Every night is different at Zapps Live Entertainment. Local acts set the tune of the night with rock and roll jams, creating a lively atmosphere for guests sipping drinks and chatting with friends. To take an edge off the drinks, guests can order up kitchen specialties such as the clam basket with fries and slaw or eight-ounce angus beef burgers topped with cheddar and slices of bacon. Chefs also makesweets for those looking for dessert or something to make their dentist angry, baking up both blonde and chocolate brownies served with a dollop of ice cream.