by Audra Anders for The Aha! Connection
We kicked off our new 2024 Monthly Lunch and Learn series with Mayor Lynn Deutsch at Seasons 52 Perimeter. Thanks to our lovely Mayor for taking time out of her crazy schedule to dine with us! First let’s talk about the food….
Obviously we chose to eat in Dunwoody! Lynn suggested we meet somewhere near the Perimeter so I chose one of my faves and we were NOT disappointed. We were all surprised at the hustle and bustle on a Thursday afternoon! The restaurant was crowded and full of lively conversation. We ran into a couple of friends while there and were shocked to see people still coming in for lunch after 2 PM! Business is booming at Seasons 52 Perimeter!
Peggy ordered the Sesame Grilled Salmon Salad – Peggy asked for the salmon to be cooked well done which was done perfectly to her liking. The dressing was light and she loved finding the pieces of mango throughout. She described her salad as “a lighter lunch that was tasty and filling.”
There are many Gluten Sensitive options on the Season’s 52 menu…I chose the Wood Grilled Tenderloin salad and it was delicious. The steak was seasoned perfectly.
Lynn ordered the Rainbow Trout with Brussel Sprouts which I’ve had before and LOVE…the lunch portion was huge and Lynn took home a to go box!
Season’s 52 is known for their “shot glass” desserts and Lynn and Peggy couldn’t help but try two … the S’Mores and the Cookies ‘N’ Cream. Maybe next time they’ll have something gluten free for me!
Now for the conversation….It was great catching up with Lynn and spending some time in person with Peggy! Lynn’s youngest child and my youngest child are one year apart so we got to know each other awhile ago as DHS Parents. We gave full reports on all of our kids but her oldest child trumped all the stories…Lynn is now a grandmother! Lynn has three grown children all out in the working world…two in Texas and one in Atlanta. I have one working in Arizona and the other studying at Auburn University while Peggy’s bringing up the rear with 5th and 8th graders!
We discussed how Lynn became the Mayor a few weeks before the pandemic hit and how her next four-year term should be very different! I didn’t realize this but the Mayor of Dunwoody can serve only two terms, so 2024 is the first of her last four years. In addition she spent 8 years on Council! We discussed a variety of topics from how much we love DHS to Lynn’s presence on social media to her heart for the homeless, especially in the cold weather. Did you know that Lynn and her husband (Barry) ride around on the coldest nights of the year seeking out the homeless in Dunwoody to make sure they know how to get to a warming center? I told her I was going to start calling her Mama Lynn instead of Mayor Lynn 🙂
Peggy and I told Lynn how frazzled we were just to imagine being the Mayor for a day! Just the social media component alone would make me insane. Lynn seems to calmly handle it all in stride and does her best to respond to social media commentary whenever she can. In fact, I asked her what her favorite thing about being Mayor is and she said…”Problem Solving”. Us Dunwoodians are really lucky to have her…
A few fun facts we learned from Lynn…Perimeter Mall is performing better, if not the best, of all the malls in the Southeast. High Street is coming along nicely and maybe we will get a tour soon (stay tuned!). Innova Solutions, a multi-billion dollar corporation, just purchased 1455 Lincoln Parkway and will relocate its 300 corporate employees this summer to Dunwoody.
Follow Mayor Lynn on Facebook to get her weekly updates. Who should we invite to lunch next? Well – we already have our February guests lined up but are looking to fill a spot every month of the year! Suggestions welcomed via email or simply comment on this post!
I love Mayor Lynn. I got to know her when her son was the manger of the DHS football team and my younger son was on the team. I think Lynn is awesome. We are fortunate to have her as our mayor for a second term. Especially after the Covid years.