What the heck is jicama?

A month between updates went by entirely too fast!  I said I would write a blog, not consistently write a blog…  I will do better.  Wesleyan College is working on an Admissions blog, and a key component will be polling prospective students regarding their favorite places to eat in their cities that the Admission Counselors will visit.  Sweet.  Keep your eyes peeled for that one!  That should pretty much force me to stay on top of my internet presence.

Back to business, and how to mix business with pleasure.  As a college fair traveler, it can be very lonely on the road.  One easy fix is to find fun places to eat.  Fast food gets old, well, fast.  Any decent sized city should offer local fare, whole in the wall gems, and unique joints that you can’t find at home.  Welcome to Athens, little grasshoppers.  Since most people don’t know where Watkinsville is, I usually call Athens home by default.  Although, I don’t claim UGA as the home team.  Woof.  Traveling to Athens for work can easily turn into a foodie’s fun house.  With Annabel in tow, let the misadventures begin!

Our first stop for lunch was Chango’s Noodle House, where we devoured enormous steaming bowls of miso soup, as well as veggie spring rolls and fuzzy edamame.  This is a favorite stop of mine in Athens.  It’s a communal style seating room where people gather for just about any occasion.  All of the noodle bowls are great, and can be made with tofu upon request.  My two other favorite dishes are Spicy Thai Basil and Garlic Eggplant.  

Checking in at the Hotel Indigo was a snap, and I returned a few weeks later to stay again for my high school reunion weekend.  The Madison Bar and Bistro offered a great dinner menu that was very reasonably priced for the basic traveler.  If you’re looking for a “green” place to stay with plenty of modern flare, it’s a very hip choice.  Annabel chose the Southern classic shrimp and grits, with a side of iphone.  I nearly drank every last drop of the curried zucchini soup special.  

Our next luncheon out was with a few near and dear Alumnae at the Last Resort Grill.  Another staple of the Downtown dining scene, LRG is always bustling, and always delicious.  Offering fried green tomatos, sweet potato pasta, the veggie grill, and homemade desserts…to quote Reverend Lovejoy regarding the Bible - “It’s all good”.

Dinnertime again?  For the most best meal, we suited up for Ted’s Most Best.  Growing up, I remember this joint as a downtown Michelin tire shop and repair garage.  Well, the Michelin sign is still there, but the garage area and front sidewalk have been converted into patio seating for the pizza goers.  Huge criss-crossing country Christmas bulbs, a rosemary and wild flower garden, and a bright green sign all indicate you’ve arrived at Ted’s.  For $15 Annabel and I split the White Rabbit pizza with artichoke, arugula, bell peppers, onions and bechamel sauce.  I also hummed aloud as I nibbled on a spinach and golden beet salad, my favorite food.

Finally, you can’t leave town without an obligatory breakfast, not necessarily during the breakfast hours, at The Grill.  24 hours of food, all day, every day.  The menu is too extensive to highlight here.  Just go.  Eat breakfast, or a burger, or apple pie since you can’t go wrong.  To start your day, or sober up, the booths are comfortable just the same.  You stay classy, The Grill.  See you next time.