BY SARAH STEPHENS

OWNER OF ELMORE/AUTAUGA NEWS

I posted to my personal FB page asking for suggestions for a great dinner in Wetumpka. My friends did NOT disappoint. I was dining with the husband and EAN reporter Margie DiGiovanni. Margie recently returned to Elmore County from a time living in Florida. Prior to her moving, she covered events for us, particularly in Eclectic. Now that she is back, and living in Wetumpka, she will have plenty of events to cover.

I want to thank everyone who posted suggestions. We landed on the Coosa Cleaver, but I learned about many restaurants in Wetumpka I will be trying soon.

Coosa Cleaver recently had to close for a few days due to water damage repairs. The staff told me that has caused some confusion, as people thought they were still closed, or even permanently closed. They are not! We had great service with Brittnie and Kaitlyn. The food was spectacular. The vibe is very comfortable. And I love the original sign for Little Sam’s Cafe that was once in the building for many years and a customer favorite.

After dinner we walked around downtown, and I cannot say enough about the revitalization that is taking place . A lot of people give the credit to HGTV. While that helped, that was not what started the movement. It was started by city officials, business owners and residents who wanted to see the downtown area come back to life. It began before HGTV and has continued long after. Well done. Absolutely beautiful.

So, if you are in Wetumpka, drop by the Coosa Cleaver. Tell them the EAN recommended them.

You can dine upstairs in the bar area, or downstairs in the open seating. Try the loaded fries, or the fried tomatoes covered in remoulade. It rocked. I had the flat bread called Bovine. Superb. And we brought home dessert that did not disappoint.

Support our LOCAL businesses. It really does matter.