Looking for some newish dining options in metro Atlanta? Take your pick from a cheffy meal at a hidden lakeside retreat, a plant-forward menu, or European-style pastries and desserts that taste as good as they look.

Healthy fast food in Summerhill

As mealtime meetups with friends and co-workers resume with more regularity, Chattahoochee Food Works and the cluster of restaurants on Georgia Avenue in Summerhill are among my picks. Both offer a variety of fast, affordable dining options, plenty of outdoor seating and ample, free parking.

Joining the roster of Summerhill storefronts in late spring was Maepole, from Athens chef-restaurateur Peter Dale. Like the original Athens location, the new healthy-bowls spot offers the option to build your own creation, or pick from a handful of seasonal chef plates. Select greens or grains as a base, two sides from among salad or cooked-veggie options, a protein and a sauce. For more heft — with an upcharge — you can throw in a hard-boiled egg, half an avocado, chowchow or other nutritionally crunchy munchies.

Without paying attention to texture and flavor combinations, a self-designed bowl can taste like a jumbled mess. Pressed for time, I pointed to the already curated Heat Wave, a combination of quinoa, summer hash, braised red cabbage, tempeh, kimchi and a spicy, creamy avocado dressing. The $12.99 bowl brought heat, a balance of crisp and chewy bites, color contrast and enough sustenance to carry me snack-free until dinner.

Maepole
72 Georgia Ave. SE
Atlanta
404-907-4355, maepole.com.

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By Ligaya Figueras, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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