The old Arnold Drug Co. building will reopen as an Italian restaurant

The transformation of the old Arnold Drug Co. in Cornelia is now complete. The historic drugstore will reopen to the public as an Italian restaurant on Tuesday. It's the latest project from local restaurant owners Jay and Melissa Reeder and co-owner and chef Jason Vullo.

Attending a weekend soft opening event was like leaving the Blue Ridge Mountains and entering the hills of Tuscany.

The food was fresh and the service attentive as the wait staff and kitchen staff, including Vullo, conducted the last of several dry runs in preparation for the official opening on August 27.

Experience gastronomy

FarmaciaTrattoria, located at 639 Irvin Street, is a nod to the dining experience of Northeast Georgia. The Reeders own Fender's and Community Brew and Tap in Cornelia. Anyone intrigued by Main Street Clayton's dining offerings – from Fortify's farm-to-table ingredients to the Caribbean-inspired delights of The Hush Cuban Kitchen – will appreciate FarmaciaTrattoria's variety of flavors and unique experience.

The owners have achieved impressive results in the former space that once sold bloat pills and wheelchairs. From the muted tones, chandeliers and stemware to the custom-tiled wood-fired pizza ovens from Naples, FarmaciaTrattoria is a passport to an elegant yet affordable fine dining experience in the heart of Habersham.

Yet the space is a tribute to its history that goes beyond its appealing name (farmacia means “pharmacy” in Italian and “trattoria” means dining establishment).

LED monitors hang on the walls, showing images of old Arnold Drug medicine bottles. Above the entrance door hangs a large collection of relic bottles, which the waiter says were found during renovations in the basement.

Excited to see the results of the renovations and curious about Cornelia's latest culinary offering, our family of seven tried out FarmaciaTrattoria.

We liked it.

Menu options

We indulged in various dishes at our table and spent the evening sharing and sampling each other's choices from the limited soft launch menu. There were no main courses on the night we were there, but there was plenty of choice in the antipasti, pizza and primi.

The crispy artichokes were a wonderful blend of crunchiness and flavor. The freshly baked focaccia bread was the perfect edible base for the tangy juices of the burrata salad with roasted plums. Even the pizza, which may seem a little disappointing to those accustomed to American-style feasts overloaded with cheese and meat, was delicious. Our favorite was the DoP Margherita.

Our menu also included truffle wagyu beef ravioli and hand-rolled cecamariti cacao e pepe. Of course there is a fine wine selection to match any menu choice. The orange wine was interesting, but the chardonnay was lovely.

To top it all off, our table was served tiramisu and chocolate cake, both of which were nice but not the most important thing.

Passport to Italy

FarmaciaTrattoria is not the kind of restaurant you want to visit with young children. It has an upscale feel and the prices are accordingly, but the quality of the food and the ambience are worth it.

Many were sad when the old Arnold Drug Co. closed: another cornerstone of the community was lost. But seeing the place become a gathering place where meals and memories are shared brings back nostalgia and ushers in a new era for this historic spot in the heart of downtown Cornelia.

Not everyone in our family was overly impressed – one member said, “It just doesn't fit.” But that's exactly why I think FarmaciaTrattoria works. It's more than a restaurant – it's a ticket to Italy without leaving the house.