Try this recipe for hot liaisons before summer ends: Start at Alon’s Bakery & Market with an Asian BBQ salmon sandwich or roasted portobello on rosemary focaccia, with sauteed spinach, swiss cheese and basil pesto. Next add curried couscous salad or chickpea and feta salad and indulge with a big soft chocolate chunk pecan cookie.

Then grab a big quilt, some chilled pinot grigio, and citronella candles and head to Emory’s Lullwater Park with your date or partner to have a splendid twilight meal by the lake. But be careful: The impressive food, rising summer moon, chirping crickets, sparkling fire flies and candlelight might cause feelings of love to blossom. My best friend Alison did this and she and Ellie were together for two years.

Another 90-degree day, another burger joint opens. Last month saw the opening of 5 Napkin Burger at 10th and Piedmont. In July, Smashburger opened on Piedmont Road, and while a filling burger isn’t always crave worthy in the heat, Smash also has some very tasty salads.

We split the basic burger that is smashed on a hot flat griddle so you get thin char on the outside with a juicy interior. It’s the opposite of the backyard flame grill but still delicious. Ours came with melty American cheese and we added a zippy chipotle mayonnaise.

Each Smash location has a regional burger and the Atlanta burger sounded sinfully good with “Wicked Pimena cheese” and Vidalia coleslaw. I’ll wait for winter for that indulgence. A cobb salad is my go to summer salad and Smash makes a good one with chicken, bacon, and egg pulled together with a creamy buttermilk ranch. We also sampled the addictive sweet potato rosemary fries.

You’ve been good with salads and sandwiches, so now it’s dessert time. For ice cream, head to Morelli’s take out but beware of the long line. It’s worth it for Atlanta’s largest unusual selection of artisanal ice cream, with popular flavors including salted caramel or banana Moon Pie. I also sampled the coconut jalapeño which exploded like a tropical firework in my mouth. For something lighter they have excellent sorbets like pear and blackberry.

A newcomer on the block is Pie Shop located on Roswell Road, offering a constantly changing menu of classic and new fusion sweet and savory Southern pies. What does this mean? You can have a cool coconut cream pie or a savory bacon cheddar vidalia quiche or honeydew cheesecake with graham cracker crust – fierce! Go to Pie Shop and leave the oven off.

Alon’s Bakery & Market
1394 N. Highland Ave.
Atlanta, GA 30306
www.alons.com

Smashburger
2625 Piedmont Rd.
Atlanta, GA 30324
www.smashburger.com

Morelli’s Ice Cream
749 Moreland Ave., Ste. B-102
Atlanta, GA 30316
www.morellisicecream.com

The Pie Shop
3210E Roswell Road
Atlanta, GA 30305
www.the-pie-shop.com

Top photo: Whether you prefer hearty fruit pies or cool meringue and cream, Pie Shop offers desserts to make your late summer meals complete. (via Facebook)