Broad Street Coffee Menu

As you may have already heard, a new vegan/vegetarian coffee shop has opened up on West Broad Street early last month. If you haven't had a chance to drop by yet, here is a copy of their menu to get a good idea of what they have to offer. Click on the images for a larger view. You can get more information from the restaurant's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BroadStCoffee?ref=stream

Fresh Market

The Fresh Market opened today in the Alps shopping center where the Borders used to be. The free sample selection is unmatched by any opening I have ever attended. If you go, keep an eye out for free ribs, pork loin, chicken wings, coffee (two varieties), coffee scoops, deli salads, desserts, sushi, oils, smoked cheeses, and shopping bags. To get samples from the deli and prepared food sections, you have to request it from the counter. They make you work for the pork loin. This is a free food event you don't want to miss out on.

Dawgtoberfest

The University of Georgia College of Pharmacy is holding their annual Dawgtoberfest on Wednesday October 17th at Pharmacy South on South Campus. This matters to all food seekers because there is going to be free food for those that get their cards punched at the different health stations. Last year they gave visitors free sandwiches, brownies, fruit, and drinks. In addition to food, they are offering free dental supplies, condoms, and cheap flu shots. Treat yo self!

Free Stuff at Terry College of Business

The University of Georgia's Terry College of Business is holding a welcome back party for their students. They are offering free ice cream, popcorn, candy, soda, footballs, and posters. You don't have to be a student to partake. Just write your name on the name tag they provide, stick it on, and you're ready to go.

$1 Slices at Little Italy

Little Italy on North Lumpkin Street is celebrating their 15th anniversary by offering customers one dollar cheese slices, beers, and soda. They also have free t-shirts available while they last. The offer is good until 11pm tonight, so go get ya some.

Last Day For Peaches Fine Foods

Today is the last day to grab a meal at Peaches Fine Foods before they close down for good. The meat and three restaurants are disappearing fast in this town (Wilson's Soul Food closed last fall after 30 years of service), so go enjoy lunch on Broad Street today if you have the chance. Check out their Facebook page for more information.

Updates From Around Town

In downtown Vietnamese cuisine news, the Yummy Pho folks have placed a new sign above the entry and will probably open before the students come back into town. No word on the menu yet. We'll post something as soon as it turns up.

Over on the east side, the Stuffed Burger (or as a friend of ours has nicknamed it, Cram Burger) has opened up in the old Inoko Express space in the Publix shopping center off Barnett Shoals Rd.

Steak n Shake

Construction is set to begin on Athens' newest chain restaurant this month. The Steak n Shake will be located on West Broad Street across from the Red Lobster and is expected to open in October. This franchised restaurant will be different from other Steak n Shakes in that it will only be open until midnight (at least initially) and will include a large outdoor dining area. For more info, check out the story in the Athens Banner-Herald.

Dawg Gone Good BBQ reopens

If you like barbecue as much as I do, you'll be happy to hear that Dawg Gone Good BBQ on West Hancock resumed business last weekend. The owner, Mr. B.J., has recovered from hip surgery and is once again serving his smoky slabs to the masses. They're also now serving a new side, summer squash casserole. I highly recommend it. If you ask him, he'll let you sample it.

Sushi Mystery

not Myint Khaing

The Athens Banner-Herald's latest list of business licenses contains an entry for "Oi Shii Sushi Inc.," registered to Myint Khaing. Interestingly, the listed address - 1689 S. Lumpkin Street - is the same as Earth Fare grocery in Five Points.

A quick search on the net reveals nothing more than the modified name "Oishii Sushi Inc." which has been incorporated in Georgia since 2002 (same Khaing).

Earth Fare sells sushi. Do they contract the service out? Is this something new coming to the store, or a space near it? Any locals know about Oishii Sushi?

Free Doughnut

June 1st is National Doughnut Day. To celebrate, Krispy Kreme is offering customers one free doughnut of any variety (no purchase necessary). If you like free food or doughnuts (or both), today is your lucky day. Check out the Facebook event post here.

New Restaurant Signage

The revived Engine Room (occupying the old RPM space on Washington Street) put up a new sign above their door last week in anticipation of their opening:

Last Resort Grill on Clayton Street repainted the wall facing their parking lot. The design is similar, but the bright new colors add real flair to the building:

A quick update on RPM -- soon to return as the Engine Room (Again)!

In RPM news... Just saw via Facebook that DJ Mahogany will be throwing the first dance party on Friday to celebrate the re-opening of the former RPM space...as the Engine Room! For those inclined to dance like it's 2004 again, the event will be Friday, May 25, 2012 from 11:00pm until 2:00am at the Engine Room, 235 West Washington Street, Athens, GA 30606

This Might Have Been Made in the 706

These fake menus were distributed at some point during The Great GoogaMooga live music festival/food happening held in Brooklyn, N.Y.'s Prospect Park last weekend. Ticket holders got to see performances that included (but were not limited to) The Roots, Peelander-Z, Hall and Oates, and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, while they sampled food from more than 100 vendors that included Crif Dogs, the Spotted Pig, Big Gay Ice Cream, Frankies 457 Spuntino, Momofuku Milk Bar, a reappearance of M. Wells, and others.

But the luckiest attendees were the ones who were handed copies of this masterpiece from a "restaurant" called "FUDS."

LOOK AT THE MENU.

How is this relevant to Athens? Well, besides the commingling of music, food, hipsters, and  booze, one of my more observant fellow ninjas pointed out that the telephone number listed on the menu actually includes a 706 area code.* 

We salute you, FUDS. Thanks for making us proud here in the 706, but more importantly, for creating THE GREATEST MENU EVER. 

 H/T to Fucked in Park Slope for the post that included the original images. 

 *(well, yes of course it could be a fake number.)

RPM Bar Closed?

The RPM bar on Washington Street has had its logo stripped off of the front window and construction is going on inside. Is it closed or just being remodeled? More to come...

Quickly menu

Their summer hours are 1-8pm. Opening as the students leave, with no marketing push, no website, no nothing...good luck, Quickly.

"Babo" tea at Quickly

Into the third week of its Grand Opening and Quickly has managed to evade all mention on the intertubes, not a single testimonial. I've yet to see a person entering or leaving. It is not affiliated with Quickly USA. "Boba" is misspelled on the restaurant's sign.

I've got bupkis. Anyone?

Graduation Food

Today is graduation day at the University of Georgia, which means graduation parties and receptions will be taking place on campus, which in turn means free food for those who are brave enough to partake. A little birdie told me that the Department of Religion will be having a reception out in front of Peabody Hall on north campus this afternoon. Keep your eye out today. The possibilities are endless.

A food ninja ain't too proud to dumpster dive for some awesome food graphics

Behold the graphics on this magnificent box, picked out of a magic dumpster here in our beloved Classic City on Thursday.

Whomever designed the box knew how to get a bang out of one-color printing. The large wavy type reads "GREENS" in green ink (natch)." But the way "GREENS" is rendered also manages to say more than "there are greens in this box." Nope, this box says "greens are the alpha and the omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end."

The content list printed on the side of the box which displays the possible varieties of greens that might be inside is great, too. The possibilities include Bunched Turnips, Mustard, Cress, Kale, Collard, Spinach, Turnip, "Other," and Salad Onions. I can think of a few people I'd like to call "bunched turnips." Wonder if I can make fetch happen with that one.

I confess, I've never heard of a "salad onion" before. Is it a regional or antiquated term? Some quick research reveals that it's another word for scallion or green onion, but I'm still curious to learn more. Do any of you folks call them salad onions?

Anyway, it's pretty pleasing that a few moments of dumpster time on a Thursday afternoon rewarded me not only with some fine commercial graphics, but also a new insult that can be used in polite company, and a new (to me) name for a scallion. Can't beat that.

Five and Ten's new home

What is next for Hugh Acheson, after being introduced to the nation via Top Chef, after writing a James Beard award winning cookbook, and after winning a James Beard award for himself-as-chef? Moving...to 1073 S. Milledge Ave., future home of Five and Ten.

You can examine the site plan yourself, if you're curious: http://tiny.cc/yet1dw (pdf).

And here is the new home via google maps:

Chipotle Under Construction in Athens

A Chipotle Mexican Grill is under construction on Alps Road between Chili's and Inoko. The restaurant chain is one of the fastest growing in the country and has gotten attention for their "food with integrity" approach, which involves purchasing organic food and humanely-raised animals. You might have seen their animated commercial that includes a Willie Nelson cover of Coldplay's 'The Scientist.' Based on the progress made so far, the restaurant in Athens should be up and running by the end of the summer. Here is a photograph of the construction on Alps Road:

Additional Branded Butcher Menus

The Branded Butcher recently posted Happy Hour and Brunch menus for passers by. Looks very promising. Check them out below.

 

Update: Another Branded Butcher menu was previously posted here: http://athensfoodninja.blogspot.com/search?q=branded+butcher

Hugh Acheson wins a James Beard Award

Athens chef Hugh Acheson won the prestigious James Beard Award in the Best Chef: Southeast category tonight in New York City. Acheson is the chef and owner of both the Five and Ten and the National here in town. Congratulations Hugh!

Spring now official: Farm Cart returns

Finally, our favorite food cart is fixed! The new cart, with a new menu - under the influence of new chef Whitney Otawka - rolls out today on Farm 255's patio. No prices available, but the menu is expanded and looks tasty:

MAY 7 menu
Farm 255 patio, 11am-2.30pm
{ Cart Burger }
grassfed moonshine beef, roasted tomato jam, griddled red onion, cheddar cheese, iceburg lettuce
{ Farm Egg Salad }
shaved asparagus, pea shoots
{ Fried Chicken Salad }
little gem lettuce, fried white oak pastures chicken, shaved radish, butter milk vinaigrette
{ Sides }
simple salad w/ lettuces, radish, sherry-honey vinaigrette
new potato salad w/ red onion & fennel
route 11 potato chips
{ Sweets }
peanut butter & sea salt cookies
old fashioned fudge brownie
{ Drinks }
cheerwine

Farm has also offered a discount today: "mention Farmer Jake's favorite boar, Elroy, to save $1 on your entree."

The Branded Butcher Menu

As you have probably already heard, the Branded Butcher recently opened on North Lumpkin Street near the Georgia Theater. The owners of Pauley's and head chef Matt Palmerlee (one of the Four Coursemen and former head chef at Farm 255) have teamed up to provide diners with an upscale farm-to-table experience. In case you haven't seen the menu, here is a peek:

 

Update: Additional Branded Butcher menus were posted here:  http://athensfoodninja.blogspot.com/2012/05/additional-branded-butcher-menus.html

Can you please pass the bagels, please?

I don't want to be the dude that hates on the upstart bagel shop. This town needs a bagel shop, and I want it to do well. I want it to survive. But I have tried twice now to purchase a sack of a dozen bagels for my hungry co-workers, and have been unsuccessful on both occasions. I won't name the place I'm talking about here, but you all know it.

The first failure took place last week amidst a bum-rush of college students milling around the counter; I lost confidence after standing five minutes in a still-unqueued mass that things would improve, or that I might get a bagel in a reasonable amount of time before getting into work. So I moved on. This morning, the staff had not  made enough bagels to serve three people in line who wanted to purchase a dozen apiece. This was at 8 am. Actually, they didn't know that I was the third person in line for a dozen bagels; I just heard the manager tell the woman in front of me that she would not be able to get her dozen. This was after I noticed that the man in front of her who managed to secure his dozen still had to jump through a few hoops. At that point, I just got frustrated and left.

Some thoughts on this sad state of affairs. I realize that it's not my place to tell people how to run their business, but now after having been on two failed missions just to get a bagel (or dozen bagels), I'm just going to point out a red flag or two.

First, I see a business that is built like a bar, not a bagel shop. The outlay for supplies, staff, and workflow to run a working bar all seem to be there, but the systems that need to be resolved to run a successful bagel shop, unfortunately, are not.The wire baker's shelves are stocked with liquor, not coffee or flour sacks, and the refrigerators are full of beer, not juice. I don't have a beef with late-in-the-day bagel fans, or people who want to booze with their bagels. And I can live with the ersatz thermos of coffee and carafe of cream rather than a functional coffee counter if the bagels are good. But if you're going to commit to selling bagels, maybe you should make your place look like it -wants- to sell bagels. Don't make the bagels look like an afterthought to a space that you've envisioned as a bar.

It won't hurt to maybe let your customers get their hands on  a bagel, either.During both bagel connection failures, I saw at least five, possibly six staff people behind the counter. The line was not moving this morning, either. They were milling about in the kitchen and behind the counter, rather than breaking up clots in the workflow (e.g getting the queue moving), but instead, they look like they are waiting for instructions on what to do. Meanwhile, people wait in a line (or something less structured than a line) that isn't moving efficiently, and they lose patience. Some of them leave, like I did. I mean, I'll wait around in a crowd huddled around a bar for a drink, but not for a bagel.

Maybe if I started adding a splash of Maker's Mark to my breakfast drinks, I'd be a bit more chill about all of this.

Again, I want these guys to succeed. Someone please bring these people to a functioning bagel shop and show them how it runs so they can figure out what they need to do to make things work.

Is this less of a white-whine if I say that I'm feelin' for bagels like Andre Williams does for biscuits? Probably not; actually, it might even make it worse. But it's a good song that should be played often.

More %$@#!*^ yogurt?

Blood for vampires. Yogurt for assholes. Not sure yet if this brand of yogurt is served in a bucket or a pony keg, but Bobalicious (also a pre-teen lipstick) is coming to Athens. You can see the pending development on this map (corner of Broad and Finley).

And what is Bobalicious about..."each location offers some of the best in amenities. You’ll find anything from high tech entertainment to flat screens lined up along the yogurt machines, and even an interactive Xbox/Wii station." Tired of your non-interactive Wii? Well get your yogurt starved ass down to Bobalicious and don't forget the shovel-cum-towel device required to front load their served-on-a-palett treats.

New Firehouse Subs

A new Firehouse Subs just opened up on the east side near the corner of Gaines School Road and Barnett Shoals Rd. in the Publix shopping center. It's located in half of what used to be the Hollywood Video. They were giving out free samples yesterday and may be again today if you are so inclined.

Free Snack Alert

On the front steps of the UGA Main Library, representatives from Landmark Properties are giving away free cookies, energy drinks, snack cakes, and candy bars. All you have to do is take one of their fliers. Hurry, the free stuff is going fast!

President Adams to announce retirment at UGA Chapel. One last snack?

Events at the UGA Chapel have a 35% probability of being snack-tackable (with proper snack-tactics, of course). The normal probability will be suspended, due to President Adam's involvement, and the actual chance of there being free food to pilfer is zero. Still, even a food ninja requires practice. My advice: walk by, check the Demosthenian Hall for reception preparations.

Starts at 11am.

Farm 255 Cart and Mama Goldberg's Deli News

Just saw Farm 255 Chef Whitney Otawka (of Top Chef fame) and found out their food cart will be open for lunch starting this Monday. No news yet as to whether the menu has changed. It's been a long winter without you Farm Cart!

Mama Goldberg's Deli is now open on North Lumpkin Street. Their sign says they are staying open until 3am. Yet another option in the growing late night downtown food fare, joining the ranks of the Grill, Dawg Gone Good Barbecue, Waffle House, and Pauley's.