This Week
in Gwinnett.
Hey neighbor —
When we moved to Gwinnett from California in 2020, the whole world was shut down. New county, new house, and nowhere to meet anybody. No church potlucks. No cookouts. No small talk at the ball field.
If it wasn't for the handful of friends we moved with and a few people we knew through a local church community, those first few months probably would have been one of the hardest seasons for our family to process and navigate.
What I learned is that a place doesn't feel like home because of the address. It feels like home because of the people who know your name.
That's why I started Dinner Club. And today I get to tell you where the next table is.
It's in Suwanee.
Keep reading. I'll tell you the whole story, and how to grab a seat.
If you’re mew here, welcome! 👉 Catch up on any issue you missed
Let’s get into it,
DINNER CLUB IS COMING TO SUWANEE 🎉
Can I tell you why I really started Dinner Club?
I don't think Gwinnett has a things to do problem. You've seen this email. There's a festival every weekend. I think a lot of us have a who do I do it with problem.
We've got neighbors we wave at but don't really know. We've got friends we keep saying "we should get together" with, and then we never do. Grown-up friendships don't just happen anymore. Somebody has to set the table.
So that's what Dinner Club is. A table full of Gwinnett neighbors, good food, and no agenda except getting to know each other. No name tags. No sales pitch. Just dinner and real conversation with people who live ten minutes from you.
I believe God puts us in communities on purpose. Dinner Club is my way of helping us actually meet ours.
THIS WEEK IN GWINNETT
Saturday is already packed (the full list is down in Quick Hits). Here are two new ones for the days around it, plus a date night worth dressing up for.
Live Music: Marcy Playground at The Eagle Theatre — Sugar Hill
Friday, Oct. 2 · Doors about 7:00 PM, show about 8:00 PM The Eagle Theatre, 5029 W Broad St, Sugar Hill
Yes, that Marcy Playground. The band behind "Sex and Candy," which spent a record 15 weeks at #1 on Billboard's Modern Rock chart, is playing a small theater in downtown Sugar Hill.
Why I'd send you here: it's a '90s throwback in a room small enough to actually see the band. Get a babysitter, go early, and sing the chorus way too loud. Nobody will judge you.
For Families: Norcross Art Splash Festival — Norcross
Saturday, Oct. 3 · 10:00 AM–6:00 PM Sunday, Oct. 4 · 10:00 AM–5:00 PM · FREE Thrasher Park, 93 Park Dr, Norcross
About 100 artists fill Thrasher Park with ceramics, paintings, photography, metalwork, and jewelry. There's a Kidz Zone with face painting and sand art, live entertainment, food vendors, and leashed dogs are welcome.
Why I'd send you here: Saturday is stacked, so make this your Sunday plan. Go after church, let the kids make sand art, and walk downtown Norcross when you're done.
Date Night Alert: MERGE Caribbean Cuisine — Duluth
3505 Mall Blvd, Duluth · Call ahead or check their site for hours
Upscale Caribbean with a serious rum list. Dress it up a little. Order the Jamaican Braised Oxtail ($48), braised in port wine cherry and served with rice and peas, and share it over a Black Coral Old Fashioned ($19), made with dark rum and charred pineapple. Want to spend a little less? The Kingston Jerk Chicken is $30.
Heads-up: they add a 20% gratuity to every check, plus a 3% fee if you pay by card. Plan for it, and the night stays fun.
Why I'd send you here: it feels like a vacation without the airport. Book it for an anniversary, or for any Tuesday you need to remind each other you're still dating.
→ See more of the best of Gwinnett at gwinnettbest.com
GUS' HIDDEN GEM
Every week I find one place in Gwinnett that deserves more love.
This week it's U&ME Coffee, Bakery & Wine in Peachtree Corners.
Pablo and Paula Vicens didn't set out to open a trendy café. They wanted a safe, comfortable place where their kids and their kids' friends could do homework and hang out. So the family built it themselves. They did the construction, wrote the menu together, and opened the doors in October 2023.
The coffee is 100% Colombian. The pastries are baked right there. And later in the day it turns into a spot for empanadas, tapas, and a glass of wine. Their motto says it best: "From our family to yours."
What to order: the café con leche, made with their signature Colombian blend. Grab an empanada on the side.
Why I love it: this is what happens when a family builds something for their own kids and then opens the door to everyone else. Bring your teenager and their homework. That's literally what it's for.
📍 3425 Medlock Bridge Rd, Peachtree Corners · Open 7 days (Mon–Thu 7 AM–6 PM, Sat 8 AM–7 PM, Sun 8 AM–6 PM) 👉 uandme.coffee
QUICK HITS: STILL ON THIS SATURDAY
Everything from Tuesday's email is still happening on Saturday, Oct. 3. Here it is in one place.
🍖 Taste of BBQ & Music Festival, Sugar Hill · 10 AM–6 PM · FREE entry. The Bowl at Sugar Hill, 5039 W Broad St NE. Tasting tickets are $1 each, and you're the judge. · Details
🎨 African American Culture & Arts Festival, Suwanee · 12–8 PM · FREE. Suwanee Town Center Park, 330 Town Center Ave. Meet local artists, authors, and makers, with free performances all afternoon. · Details
🐶 Dogtoberfest, Duluth · 5–9 PM. Duluth Town Green, 3167 Main St. Dog stunt shows, a polka band, free Pup Cups (while they last), and free axe throwing. · Details
🏡 47th Annual Elisha Winn Fair, Dacula · Sat & Sun, Oct. 3–4 · FREE (donations welcome). Elisha Winn House, 908 Dacula Rd. Blacksmithing, 1812 reenactors, and a one-room schoolhouse. · Details
🚗 BBQ in Sugar Hill, art in Suwanee and Norcross, and dogs in Duluth, all on one Saturday. If you try to hit all four, pack napkins, a leash, and a little grace for the traffic on Peachtree Industrial.
BEFORE YOU GO
It's October 1. New month, fresh start.
Here's my challenge for you this month: invite one person to one table. It could be Dinner Club. It could be your kitchen table and a frozen pizza. It doesn't have to be fancy. It just has to happen.
The best friendships in my life didn't start with a big moment. They started with somebody saying, "Want to grab dinner?"
Thanks for being here. Gwinnett is better because you're in it.
— Gus
