My girlfriend, Patty Morrison, and I celebrated our birthdays on Feb. 24, 2026, and Feb. 26, 2026, as we have done for years – go somewhere pretty and have fun. Our successful formula helped make my turning eighty as sweet as an apple strudel from Kurt’s Euro Bistro in Duluth, GA, where we celebrated my birthday.
Birthdays for me after childhood brought mixed feelings. My grandfather, Albert Heller, died at age 38. My father, Bernard Heller, died at age 39 a month before his 40th. This coincidental history forced me to wonder if a curse hung over me.
When I finally reached forty, my late wife, Sue, organized what might be the best 40th Birthday Party in history. A four-piece musical combo entertained 65 family members and friends and a caterer outdid herself in feeding them. You decide for yourself.
https://arnoldheller.org/arnie-heller-s-memorable-40th-birthday-party/
https://arnoldheller.org/photo-album-9-arnold-sue-heller-most-treasured-family-photos/
My life may be described as a tale of two women. My pretty wife, Sue, who passed in 2009, was a super-mom; great mother and career and was the wind beneath my wings. Patty has enriched my long retirement with her beauty, friendship, and wonderful family.
Sue honored my turning fifty with a traditional party at the Perimeter Embassy Inn – see above link. I passed on a sixtieth as we opted for a vacation of a lifetime instead. Patty and I celebrated my 70th and her 69th in Cancun, Mexico, which was memorable.
https://arnoldheller.org/arnie-heller-turns-70-at-secret-s-maroma-in-cancun-mexico-part-i/
Patty and I, on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, headed up GA 400 to Dahlonega, located about forty miles north of Atlanta. Dahlonega is considered the first mountain town in north Georgia and an attractive destination for day-trippers seeking antique stores to explore and pubs to imbibe and nosh.
Which is what we did for a couple of hours. Patty found a large colorful serving plate and proudly displays it on her living room coffee table.
We enjoyed a light lunch at Gustavo’s. https://www.yelp.com/biz/gustavos-dahlonega
The tavern, famous for its garlic rolls and Italian fare-like meatballs, is welcoming, well located, and popular with locals.
Dahlonega’s recent growth has led to the opening of many new impressive hotels. Therefore, when I used an online booking service and Forrest Hills Resort was at the top of their list, I assumed that it was located just to the east of town in the Winery District.
There’s an old saying; “It’s better to be lucky than good.” The resort is located 13.5 miles west of the Square and closer to Amicalola Falls than the venerable Smith House.
It didn’t matter – the ride was easy and we meandered through lovely land in the Etowah River Watershed District. Forrest Hills’ concept is a retreat for corporate and management groups to bond in a rustic, natural, and beautiful 150 acres of wilderness, meadows, trails, and streams. Their link is provided – check it out.
https://forresthillsresort.com/index.htm
Management encourages guests to hike, ride horses, engage in archery and other sports. The office assigned us a room located in the Wilderness Lodge at the end of the main road.
Example of natural amenities with access provided by the Forrest Hills Resort.
Our room was comfortable and spacious. Patty and I were discovering that we had stumbled into a very nice experience.
We enjoyed a lovely dinner in the Secret Dining Room. The surprising ambience, attentive service, and tasty food well made our celebration of her 79th birthday special.
We marked her day with a picture.
Patty and I have long enjoyed driving to Lake Allatoona in Acworth. The Little River Grill was a favorite hangout. It’s now JD’s BBQ thanks to Netflix and the Ozark series. We drove to Woodstock through Lumpkin, Pickens, and Cherokee Counties and recommend the route and ride.
The Comfort Inn located in the 575 Interstate Commercial Park is well managed and works for us. After checking in, we headed to downtown Woodstock, a charming destination area filled with restaurants and shops.
We selected Reel, a seafood joint that had good clam chowder. The owner and his son were so warm to us that we returned for dinner which was excellent.
We drove home from Woodstock Thursday morning to relax a bit and catch up on things before heading out to a very special restaurant, Kurt’s Euro Bistro, to celebrate my 80th with Patty and son, Sasha. It was a stormy evening and tough drive and we were relieved to arrive and be quickly seated. Within minutes, we were transported into a calm atmosphere with a true old-world kitchen. Please access the following link to learn about Kurt’s.
Forty years ago, my late friend, Moshe Shemtov, a warm generous Israeli gentleman who had worked in Germany for three years, his wife, Sherry, and my wife, Sue, and I traveled from Dunwoody out to Duluth, about ten miles. One building located in a then empty, failed industrial park in the middle of nowhere stood out like a roadside stand in the American West. We walked inside and stepped into a great German restaurant.
Moshe and owner, Kurt Eisele, were already friends. Kurt always sent drinks to the table or appeared from the kitchen with something he wanted Moshe and I to try. Whatever he gave us was scrumptious and I loved going there and continued for four decades.
After our dinner, I addressed Vinnie, Kurt’s long-time partner, to express my appreciation. I observed a portrait of Kurt and learned that he passed in 2025. Kurt left a foundation dedicated to teaching European cuisine and training chefs. Both Moshe and Kurt have passed and I honor their memory.
Kurt’s was a superb choice for celebrating. The house Cabernet (Avalon) is marvelous.
Patty loves vegetables and ordered a spectacular salad – a full head of lettuce was quartered and stuffed with chopped vegetables, feta, and dressing – she loved it.
Sasha and I developed a web page describing our sampling of Perimeter’s many steakhouses’ cheeseburgers.
https://arnoldheller.org/a-sampling-of-upscale-perimeter-area-steakhouses-supreme-cheeseburgers/
Sasha ordered a cheeseburger that was so outstanding we’re considering adding it to the other exceptional burgers that we included. The Gruyere cheese melted down over the sides with onion straws adorning it – beautiful.
Kurt’s typically ended our meal on a perfect note – they produced a gorgeous slice of cake that was happily shared by the three of us.
Kurt’s dessert is a symbol and proof that turning 80 can be very sweet indeed. Our trip and wonderful memories from the birthday celebrations are a comfort and blessing.