New Puerto Rican Restaurant on Broad Street

Grilled Teriyaki (259 E. Broad Street) has closed down, making it the second short-lived Japanese restaurant (remember Tokyo Sushi Rock?) in that space since Mellow Mushroom moved over to Clayton nearly a decade ago. Renovations have already begun to make room for a new Puerto Rican restaurant. I spoke with the owners and they told me that the new venture should be open in about a month. I don't believe Puerto Rican cuisine is currently offered in Athens, so this restaurant should be a nice addition to the downtown lineup.

So Long and Thanks For All the Meatloaf

Surprisingly, Five Star Day Cafe closed its doors this week. Until yesterday, there hadn't been a hint that the restaurant planned to shut down after 15 years of service. The decline of southern food in downtown Athens has been a troubling trend over the past few years with the closings of Peaches Fine Foods and Wilson's Soul Food, along with the perilous status of Weaver D's. The space occupied by Five Star is one that receives heavy foot traffic and it will be interesting to see who moves in this fall. I fear that yet another generic chain restaurant will take its place. Regardless, Five Star will be missed. Below are images of the restaurant and their farewell sign. To read more about the closing, check out Flagpole's article at http://www.flagpole.com/blogs/grub-notes/posts/five-star-day-cafe-closing