‘Plenty of love’: Son brings mother’s cooking to Marietta

By Annie Mayne

amayne@mdjonline.com

MARIETTA — Growing up, Chris Foster’s mother, Phyllis Pressley, was known neighborhood- wide for her cooking.

“I used to go outside and play with a lot of my friends. Two blocks down the road, my mom would be making biscuits and you could smell them down the street. People would scream ‘Hey man, your mom is making food again, can I come over?’” Foster said.

A few lucky people were welcomed into their Anniston, Alabama home then. Now, anyone can come try Pressley’s recipes at the restaurant Foster runs in her honor.

Phyllis opened in February on Cherokee Street, across from Wellstar Kennestone Hospital. It’s a brunch, lunch and early dinner spot that takes all Pressley’s best recipes to the next level.

Foster and Pressley worked together to perfect her recipes and make them “restaurant- ready.” “The hardest part, when we decided to open up the restaurant, was for my mom to take all her recipes and make them restaurant-ready ... we’ve gotta make them consistent, with that taste and that flavor,” Foster said. “But we still make the food with plenty of love.”

That love is tasted in “Mama’s Honey Biscuit,” two soft biscuits served with a side of honey butter; the collard greens and smoked turkey, which blends spiced greens with pieces of braised smoked turkey; and the shrimp skillet that serves red potatoes, sautéed peppers, jumbo shrimp tails and chicken sausage smothered in a special creole sauce.

There’s a little something for everyone at Phyllis, whether you’re looking for southern staples or more refined takes on brunch classics. Everything — down to the orange juice in your glass — is fresh, with no frozen ingredients and not even a microwave in the building.

“I think that’s what makes us unique,” Foster said.

To Parker Smith, a fan of Phyllis, the restaurant is unique because of its design. Smith began visiting the space when it was a Your Pie, the pizza joint Foster ran from

See PHYLLIS, A3

Chris Foster opened Phyllis in February, bringing his mother’s home cooking to Marietta. Here, he carries the shrimp skillet which has sautéed peppers, red potatoes and chicken sausage covered in a creole sauce.

Annie Mayne

From A1

2019 to 2023.

“The atmosphere here is awesome. I love what they did with the place. It was Your Pie before and they have changed it to be night and day different. It looks beautiful in here. It’s a good vibe,” Smith said.

Foster hopes to bring good energy to the community through Phyllis’ catering services, at their full bar, and with events like “Wine Down Wednesday,” where bottles of wine are $20 and karaoke starts at 5:30 p.m.

“I started a restaurant because I wanted something to be part of the community. I feel like restaurants bring you closer to the community because you provide a service and you’re also providing tasty food,” Foster said. “It’s less about (serving) a lot of people, and more about making sure we provide excellent service, and making sure we’re delivering consistent, tasty, quality food that emulates my mother’s recipes ... She is the namesake.”

Phyllis is open Wednesday through Monday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Phyllis Pressley, above, is the namesake for Phyllis, the restaurant her son, Chris Foster, right, opened to share her recipes with the masses.

Thomas Swofford

Above left: “Mama’s Honey Biscuit” are served with a side of honey butter. Above right: The shrimp skillet comes with red potatoes, sautéed peppers, chicken sausage and jumbo shrimp tails, all covered in a creole sauce.

The chef at Phyllis plates the shrimp skillet.

Chris Foster opened Phyllis in February, bringing his mother’s home cooking to Marietta.

Annie Mayne