Athens, Georgia II

Part Two of my trip to Athens, included a restaurant called The Last Resort Grill. The restaurant got rave reviews, so perhaps my expectations were set too high. The food was just ok. It wasn't some forbidden experience. Everything was fairly run of the mill and in short, exactly what I would expect from a college town restaurant. Perfect to student who need a "nice" place for the their parents to drop a little cash taking them out while in town visiting. The best perk is the location and the lovely open air patio. I tried the pecan encrusted trout followed by a blueberry cheesecake.



My next adventure was a place called NONA, or New Orleans N' Athens. I was hesitant to go somewhere that was clearly advertising itself as a different (non-local) food culture. However, lunch was delightful. I didn't really to get explore much as I sat in the bar, but my Croche Madame was wonderful! It actually reminded me of a dish I'd sampled in France.

My last adventure in Athens started at a bar called the Mad Hatter. A junky college bar that reminds you of how much fun college was and how glad you are past that point in your life. This particular bar came with a quirky overalls wearing bartender, and a (I'm assuming) owner stuck in the throws of college life. We witnessed the owner smack the butt of the bartender, who at the very least was decades under than him. We turned a blind eye, as the bartender didn't seem to mind and carried on about her way. J turned to me and asked if that was acceptable in these big college towns. I shook my head, but understood the concern. We reveled too much at the $2 beers to cause a scene over 2 consenting individuals in a college bar.

Our last stop was Farm 255. To my dismay, it was owned by Farm Burger, but was not a chain. I was disappointed to hear it was owned by Farm Burger, but quickly lifted my spirits when we were told the large table next to us were a group of farmers and their friends. The restaurant allowed the farmers to bring in their crops and then prepared a gourmet meal for them as a thank you for supplying the restaurant with all the fresh produce, meat and cheeses.

The restaurant was large and open, with a bar. If I was a fraternity boy and wanted to impress a date, I'd take them there! We ordered a cheese board and a bottle of wine. I picked three cheeses I'd never heard of. They were all interesting and unique with strange pairings to bring out their flavors like nuts, honey or figs.  As you can see from our picture, I didn't snap one in time. This is the aftermath of our sampling.

The service was slow, but friendly. Since moving to Georgia I feel always remain J that the South has a slower pace of life than most places. We need to sip and enjoy our wine and be patient. I'm sure slow service is never deliberate.

I would return to Farm 255 without a doubt. This was the best, and also most expensive of my nights in Athens. There were no college pricing reprieves here.


For dinner I ordered the steak on the menu and J ordered the pork chop. I thought my steak was good, until I tried J's pork chop. It was without a doubt a best pork chop I'd ever had. It was melt in your mouth delicious. I know that my next order will be. We also shared a small dessert. J isn't really big on desserts, but is a sucker for creme brulee.

After leaving Farm 255 we had night cap at The Georgia Bar and then Whiskey Bent. The Georgia Bar was a sleepy dive bar. We hung out there and made friends with the bartenders for a bit. We went in search of something more lively and hit up Whiskey Bent. A fraternity bar with 2 underage bouncers playing on their cell phones in the entrance. A mosh pit of collared shirts, with out any females in sight. Ladies, I'd hit up this place. Again, as I've said repeatedly, it was so interesting to be an outsider observing these young men. I couldn't help but think, that used to be me. In college we stuck to the Greek bars and even some of the dive bars turned into Greek bars for when my preppy little friends and I wanted an adventure. J and I smiled at each and started our walk home. It was, after all, getting pretty close to midnight.

Stalking the Delta

No trip to Athens in complete without a twirl down Greek row. I don't even know if it's called Greek row in Athens, but the name seems to fit to me. My post-conference jaunt to UGA's new Delta Delta Delta house had me in awe. While I only got to see the outside of the house, I drooled over the parking. Officers had their own parking spots.

I was secretary of my own chapter (Delta Mu) at the University of Alabama. Parking spots were coveted on sorority row and to have spots open just for officers and the abundance of girls in the house seemed like a treat.

The place was desserted. Prestine, well manicured lawn, but not a soul in sight. Driving I had imagined ringing the doorbell and having a bubbly, but skeptical sorority girl crack the door. To which I planned to answer with the DDD handshake, assuring her I was a Delta alum and coaxing her to take me on a tour. No such luck however. I snapped a few picks, posted on Instagram and Facebook and went on my way.


I was also able to snap a pic of the Pi Kappa Phi house. My father was archon at the University of Alabama chapter for 2 years, so it seemed dutiful that I pay my respects even in Athens.

Athens, Georgia

On a recent trip to Athens for a GASFAA conference, I was able to enjoy the delectable and delightful local flavor. I was impressed with myself and how much my palate has changed in the mere 6 years since college graduation (it's not that long ago, right?!). Perhaps the draught of people was due to the summer time, but I couldn't help but think I was making more mature restaurant choices that avoided the staples of college life. There were after all people walking everywhere through out the city. I arrived Tuesday evening after a full day of work in the city.

Tired, hungry I pulled on jeans and walked to The Globe as recommended by Hotel Indigo. Void of Greek life, I noticed a couple on a first date, 2 hipster dudes and a solo guy with his computer -- whom I can only imagine to be a teacher. The Globe had tons of character. It was a great, seemingly authentic pub. I was shocked at the prices. A Kobe beef burger for only $12! I must be in a college town. Plus $2 10oz pours of Bells Heart. Sold.


It was prepared as wonderfully as you could expect a Kobe Beef burger in a college to be prepared. It certainly satisfied my hunger. I was slightly disappointed at first that the place wasn't crawling with college co-eds. Then I quickly rationalized, despite my age and maturity, I may have been embarrassed to be dining alone in a dining room full of judging students with ample friends to dine with in their college town.


Day Two, I ventured to The National. Foursquare posted that they opened at 11, though it was actually 11:30. However, an A++ for customer service they allowed me to sit at the bar until they opened with a cup of coffee, complete with fresh creamer and raw brown sugar.


I ordered the power lunch and it may be the best tasting purely healthy meal I've ever had. Their menus are printed on a daily basis which I have always taken to be a sign of a great restaurant. The power lunch included: heirloom bean and aromatic rice salad with feta, tomato, basil, and pecan, kale slaw with celery and mustard seed, grilled artichoke and fava salad with garlic, chili and sesame, roasted baby carrots with pumpkin seeds and sorrel for $12.

Stay tuned for Wednesday evening's dining choice and the remainder of Athen's dining choices.

Saturday Night and Jilly's Cupcakes

Saturday evening J and I decided to through a small dinner party. I made my speciality: chicken breast stuffed with goat cheese, spinach and wrapped in bacon. Dirty mashed potatoes and sister shubert rolls. But what to have for dessert?

J recommended a small cupcakery in Roswell called Jilly's Cupcakery. The cupcakes looked great! We bought six; cookies and cream, cookie dough, honey lavender, margarita, strawberry cream and caramel. The cupcakes were rich and fun to share. Everyone enjoyed tasting the different flavors and were happy to share. 

 J was able to use his decanter for the first time. We used our Malbec Bota Box to fill the decanter. We discovered that Bota Box is only $13.99 at Total Wine where as Publix and Kroger sell the wine for $23.99 each. We bought 3 boxes because the wine was $10 cheaper. We also learned an interesting tip. In the state of Georgia they cannot give coupons or discounts for alcohol. This is part of the reason there are so few happy hours in Atlanta. J and I had received a coupon for Total Wine Virginia for $15 off a purchase of $100 or more. If you live in Virginia, grab the coupon here.

All in all I think we had a great night! We even had 5 full sized adults at our little table. What's a little closeness among friends? I will be happy once we have a true dinning room, but for the time being, this is perfect for our needs. 

To find a similar recipe for goat cheese stuff chicken, check it out here. 

Crawfish Shack: Review

My sister convinced me to try a restaurant called the Crawfish Shack. She had heard through the grapevine about their excellent seafood. Her motive for going was missing Savannah and the quality of the seafood available.

I arrived and there was a line out the door. My sister and her friend were late due a mishaps at her apartment. I lingered outside for about 20 minutes and observed. People of all walks of life come to eat at this restaurant. There are 3 outside tables and several picnic tables pushed together inside. The seating arrangement is first come, first serve and you will sit next to a stranger.

We waited in line for about 35 minutes before we ordered. Once we hit 5th in line, the cashier announced there would be a 45 minute wait for all food orders placed. I thought to myself, this better be damn good. Once we approached the counter, I was dismayed to see the prices were higher than what was posted on the website. I'm not quite sure why, but a full meal for $7.99 sounds a lot better than a full meal than a $9.99 meal. I order Meal #2 which was 10 shrimp (steamed, boiled or fried) and 2 sides. I selected boiled with cole slaw and roasted red potatoes. My total meal was just under $20 (I ordered a side of hush puppies to go for a friend). My sister elected to order a pound of snow crab and a dozen oysters along with a side of french fries. Her friend ordered the same. There bill ran about $40 with tip.

We self-served ourselves water and sweet tea and hunkered down for our wait. It didn't take 45 minutes. I would estimate more like 18 minutes. The food was clearly fresh and wonderful. The oysters were huge and wonderful. Everything had a cajun kick. Coming from someone who doesn't like spicy, I was happy with my order. If you are a spicy person you can always kick it up a notch with some of their homemade sauces.

I would recommend this restaurant so long as you have your expectations set straight before you head over. This place is what I would call a joint. Expect great food, friendly employees and a long wait time with big crowds.

Must haves: Peach Mango tea, oysters, shrimp.

I must say, my biggest mistake was not ordering the crawfish, as it is there namesake. I just don't like to work that hard for such a little piece of meat.

Savings Tip: They participate in Local. On your 6th check-in, you can take $5 off your purchase. Download the app on Apple App Store.

A Punch of Red

After painting the desk my next project was to use some punchy colors to jazz up some of J and I's furniture. The record holder was a piece that I got from my grandfather's house. I hope he would approve. Once my peers who I showed the pictures too, told me painted wood just seemed like a trajedy. Little does he know, it's all the rage and retails for hundreds on sites like Etsy.com.

 The first thing I did with these piece was to prime them. I didn't waste time on sanding anything, I just bought a binding primer and went to town. I used a large paint brush and completed 2 coats. By the time I'd finished with the primer, I was over the paint brush and switched to a roller, leaving the brushes for touch up jobs and hard to reach places. 

After examining the coffee table, I determined it was too hard to get in between the metal detailing on the side. I left the center portion of the piece exposed, so that the true wood was visable. J and I also polished all the brass and changed out the knobs on each piece to match.

Ta da! The finished project! We let it dry outside for a few hours and then brought them inside and placed them on grocery bags to finish drying. It had been quite dewy outside and I didn't want the pieces to warp. The only issue I had was that the drawers didn't quite fit back into the record keeper/ side table. I've been working on sanding them so they fit better, but it's still tight.

Returning the Visit

 We decided to take a quick trip down to Atlanta. It was Lexa's birthday a couple of weeks ago. Her husband, Tristan had emailed me to come down and surprise her in Atlanta. Jason and I were on board and even tried out Norfolk's newest airline, Southwest. We were both slammed at work, so magically, the flight left at 6:50 after work on Friday and we returned about 1:30 on Sunday. Once we arrived in Atlanta we embarked on the scariest cab ride I've ever been on with a fellow Greek. The guy talked non-stop and seemed to think it was necessary to make eye contact with Jason in the backseat while driving. Terrifying. Once we arrived at Erin and Walker's house we partically pulled into the driveway. I could see there was some frusteration at the house, as the party seemed to be upset that an unknown car was parking in their driveway. Erin quickly ushered Lexa inside and Jason and I paid the cabbie and snagged our luggage. I had Jason walk inside first, thinking that Lexa wouldn't recognize him immediately and then I peaked my head out from behind him.

Lexa was surprised to say the least and super excited! She didn't have a clue! That night we got to see Dusty and his roommate, Lauren, Caleb and even my sister Elise in addition to Erin, Walker, Lexa and Tristan. It was quite the reunion, as we haven't all been together since January! We enjoyed the rest of the night sitting on the porch and talking, catching up. Elise spent the night too.

The next morning, Elise took us on a mini-tour of Atlanta. She had moved to the area 9 days prior and wanted to show up her new diggs in Buckhead. We grabbed brunch in between the Highlands and Buckhead at a place called The Flying Biscuit. The food was great. I remembered how much I miss Southern cooking.

Elise's apartment was adorable. She has no pictures on the wall yet, but has at least her furniture together and is working on the details. She showered and changed and we returned to Erin's for a Low Country Boil. Jason had never experienced a Low Country Boil, so I was excited for him to interrupt his game of corn hole and have a taste!

We never made it out the entire weekend, save brunch Sunday morning. It was perfect. I loved catching up with friends and even 1 family member and having everyone get to know Jason better as well. I can't wait for the next time we are all able to gather. Jason and I might be planning a return trip to Atlanta sooner than we thought. We absolutely loved the city and were shocked to see all the tree lined streets in the highlands amidst over 5 million people. Atlanta knows how to retain its Southern charm and still get down to business.