Harry’s Pig Shop

Just came across these old pictures of Harry’s from a post I intended to make in 2010 (!). I freaking love Harry’s Pig Shop and have written several articles about the restaurant for Athens Food & Culture.

Manny Stone, the Executive Chef, makes everything from scratch: smoked meat, pickled vegetables, dressings, sauces and desserts are all house-made. He procures most of the produce from local farmers.

I usually mix up the excellent sauces.

My favorite menu items include: BBQ sliders, sweet potato fries, smoked wings (AMAZING!!!), Lebuznik salad, and pork wontons. Brunch at Harry’s is wonderful; my go-to item is the Harry’s breakfast burrito, with pulled pork, egg, salsa, and cilantro cream.

Field of Greens Festival 2010

This kind of festival represents, to me, the essence of “what it’s all about”–when it comes to food, anyway. This is what stokes my passion, what represents everything that’s exciting and rewarding about supporting local food and business. On October 3, 2010, a new festival called Field of Greens was held at Whippoorwill Hollow Farm in Covington, GA. Chefs, food artisans, farmers and educators came together to celebrate what happens when food is sourced locally, transactions between farmers and chefs are handled with care and responsibility, and dedicated artisans create the best ice cream, soaps, candles, or pickles money can buy. In other words, a bunch of people who do what they love got together and did it, and I got to have a taste.

The chef list was amazing. Ron Eyester (known for his acerbic rants as @theangrychef on Twitter), head chef at Rosebud in Atlanta, recruited some of Athens’ and Atlanta’s best-known talent to wow the crowd in the tasting tent, including Athens’ own Farm Cart and Ecco, Farm Burger, and Muss & Turner’s from Atlanta. (I particularly rejoice in any Athens/Atlanta mashup.)

There was a dedicated kids’ area with crafts, games and real animal interaction. My little one, Noah, got to milk a goat!

Noah’s favorite things included his strawberry and cream popsicle from the famed King of Pops, and seeing and hearing (a bevy of) roosters.

I can’t wait for next year already!

Athens Food Tours: Farm to Table

Mary Charles Jordan has brought something exciting with her to Athens.

Mary Charles moved here a few months ago from the Research Triangle area, where she worked as a tour guide for Taste Carolina. Newly engaged and eager to get to know her new city (again–she graduated from UGA with a degree in Landscape Architecture), Mary Charles founded Athens Food Tours earlier this year. I’m now working with her as a Guide for tours of Athens restaurants.

Athens residents as well as tourists are interested in learning about the city’s bourgeoning food culture. I’ve accompanied Mary Charles on several tours now, and I’ve noticed that people tend to be struck by the same thing as they experience what Athens has to offer: we have really high-end food and not a bit of snobbery. These tours allow diners to see firsthand how generous and passionate the chefs are in our town (The National and Farm 255 come immediately to mind). It’s sophisticated food offered unemcumbered by the ‘mystique’ thought necessary in the past.

In this spirit, Mary Charles offers a “Farm to Table” tour that begins at the Farmers Market in Bishop Park and ends by a traipse through downtown Athens, from the Jittery Joe’s Roasting House to the refreshing Yoguri.

This guy is the best: Mr. Johnston expanded his once-small family farm because his sons, now 6 and 10, talk about nothing but helping run it someday (they love milking the cows!). His business is booming now–so much that he can hardly meet demand from the likes of Whole Foods and high-end Atlanta restaurants! “People are calling to ask me why they didn’t get their full order! I’ve been called everything but a child of God!” he told us with a mixture of glee and consternation.

Jittery Joe’s Roasting House

Complete with passionate instruction from Charlie.

Pauley’s. Strawberry. Nutella. I don’t think I need to say more.

The National. Fresh cantaloupe w/ aged balsamic, cucumber gazpacho (my favorite), arugula, fig and ricotta salad.

The best part: really cool people like Winston, Anna, and Michael.

Yoguri. Chocolate, bananas, Oreos.

Downtown Jittery Joe’s Impromptu Tour

I swung by Jittery Joe’s on my way to work one fall morning. Nothing planned, just needed the morning breve, as usual.

Jittery Joe’s tasting room/roasting house is an Athens experience that’s not to be missed. If you catch Charlie there (and it shouldn’t be too hard–he’s there practically all the time!), you’re in for a treat. He’s always willing and very happy to show anyone the process behind making Jittery Joe’s delicious rich, perfectly executed coffee. Oh, and the prices can’t be beat.

The name Jittery Joe’s, by the way, comes from Thelma & Louise–early in the movie the women emerge from a diner with the same name. You can read more here.

This might the JJ’s secret: there is seriously a HUGE chess board under the stacks of coffee. Charlie says that when the floor isn’t completely covered in huge coffee bean sacks, the staff plays chess with the life-sized metal pieces.

Be warned, there’s no A/C. There is, however, plenty of seating, and lots of reminders of the character of Jittery Joe’s: bikes, local publications, locally-made cookies and muffins, local CDs. Did I mention they’re into local stuff?

Welcoming pineapples.

I’ll review the swank Baxter/Alps location another time–because it deserves it, and it’s so different from this gritty, beautiful location. Don’t miss Jittery Joe’s blog.

Athens Tour of Taverns: Trappeze

A friend and I recently dined at Trappeze and decided, spontaneously and based on the fabulous meal we had, to do a Tour of Taverns. We were going to call it a “Pub Crawl”–and I thought that was humorous–but since we’re technically not going to more than one place a week, perhaps that’s confusing. So to be clear, while we certainly plan on sampling the taverns’ fare AND brews, we’re sticking to ONE pub at a time. Thankyou.

All of the places we review are connected by the passion that each of the chefs and proprietors share. It’s the sparks of inspiration and innovation that set these local and unique places apart from stale chain restaurants.

Trappeze Pub’s commitment is to the finest craft beers in the world and providing an environment conducive to conversation and community. We believe that great craft beer is among the finest simple pleasures in life. We celebrate the art and beauty of a well-crafted pint and hope to share our passion with each person that we have the honor of serving.

Ratings are on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is heinous and nauseating, and 5 is fabulous and addictive.

AMBIANCE: 4.6
Trappeze is my idea of exactly what an Athens tavern should be: it’s clean, upscale yet unfussy, accessible, classy, roomy, and warm. I appreciate the choice of types of seating (booth, table, bar, elevated round tables with stools). Several reviewers commented on the lovely views available from many of the booths. The mural is quite nice, too.

PRICING: 4.1
As with many of the places we review, Trappeze isn’t the cheapest food in town, but the quality of the food is impressive and rare. Reviewers were pleased that all items were under $9 and averaged $7, including side. Drink pricing began at $3.50 (for a Terrapin) and averaged $5-6 (more for some picks).

FOOD: 4.9 (!!)
DUDE. I think there’s a misconception about Trappeze; I’ve heard more than one person say, “Oh, I thought that was a bar. They have food?” OHYES they do. My bratwurst (and the BBQ I had last week) were among the best I’ve tried. Seriously. “Food preparations were perfect,” wrote one reviewer, “and all the meals went well with a beer.” Another noted, “Not a huge selection, but everything I’ve tried here tastes wonderful.” It’s kid friendly; there’s a kids’ menu included with the main offerings. The food menu isn’t as extensive by ANY means as the drink menu, but every one I’ve seen so far knocks it out of the park and is perfect, as noted above, with beer (natch).

DRINKS: 5.0
Trappeze bills itself as a craft-beer aficionado heaven. It comes darn close to defining that. There’s a BINDER of TONS of beers available on each table. A BINDER. I personally enjoyed the New Belgium La Folie.

SERVICE: 4.25
Servers are friendly, fast, and knowledgeable. The single ladies also pointed out that the server was winningly handsome.

Parish Restaurant in Atlanta

A couple of friends came with me to Parish Restaurant near Inman Park in Atlanta last night. We were a little concerned about some semi-negative reviews we came across, which accused the chicken of being dry, the food inconsistent, and the bread mediocre. We approached, however, with an open mind; as Juliet said, “I look to like, if looking liking move.”

The restaurant is situated in a lovely part of Inman Park, in a clean, smart brick building; parking is by complimentary valet.

PARISH is located in the heart of Inman Park in a historical Terminal Building built in 1890. The only remaining structure from an old pipe factory building had been abandoned for some time. With respect to the building’s fundamental spirit, Concentrics’ Bob Amick and Todd Rushing have restored the building to its original grandeur allowing patrons to relish the antiquated structure as they take in the organically funky vibe found throughout PARISH. The space features fully-restored crown moldings, antique Parisian sconces, red murano chandeliers, vaulted interior brick arches, a walnut and zinc bar, the original tin ceiling, refurbished windows, original exposed brick, a classic raw bar and a Vermont slate roof.

The interior is a beautiful mix: kind of Anthropologie meets New Orleans. Rich wood, sumptuous chandeliers, shabby chic ceiling, warm colors.

There’s a lovely porch in back, downstairs, by the takeout/market. Prices down there were very reasonable, too.

Everything at Parish is made with ingredients from local farms; one of my friends knows the owner of Jenny Jack Sun farms and was pleased to see their grits on the menu. The bread and butter were amazing: freshly-baked, thick-sliced wheat bread with soft butter that was sprinkled with sea salt…um, yes, thank you.

We chose to get several appetizers and one entree; we shared the sausage sampler plate (my favorite), a “picnic plate” (ham, pickled okra, pimento cheese, biscuits), a savory cheesecake (was NOT dessert–it was quichelike), and a HUGE plate of fried chicken with peas, beans and grits.

There was NOTHING to argue with in any of the dishes. We were all in agreement: taste, quality, portion size, presentation were all amazing. The sausage sampler, comprised of three good-sized, hand-formed patties with entirely different flavors and accompanied by chutney, was a standout to me. One of my companions didn’t care for the breading on the fried chicken (too thick for her), but I liked it–it was tasty and not greasy.

Drinks were off the chain, as well. One of the ladies and I had the Bee’s Knees and the Pimm’s Cup and were vastly pleased.

Dessert was lovely; we sampled a s’more-inspired dish and a bread pudding with an AMAZING sweet potato homemade ice cream–my favorite part.

Downstairs is a coffeehouse-like seating area and market/takeout counter that serves sandwiches, coffee, homemade ice cream, chips, wine and some fresh farm products like honey and fruit.

Service was extremely prompt, friendly and informative; our server knew all about the dishes and was able to make recommendations.

I’d absolutely make a trip to Atlanta for this place, and I’d have no reservations about the chicken, bread, butter or anything else!

Athens Tour of Burgers: Allen’s

Allen’s is nothing short of an Athens institution, in my opinion. Its place in the annals of Athenian history has been solidified by both the B-52s (“going down to Allen’s/for a 25 cent beer”) and my Dad (“Kristen, I hope you’re not going to Allen’s for the same reasons I did in college!”). That’s enough for me.

AMBIANCE: 4.1
Once again the atmosphere for the Burger Tour is the same–college/beer paraphernalia decor, a few video games. Allen’s actually has a couple of pool tables in the back and a nice patio that faces Hawthorne Avenue. One reviewer described Allen’s as “cozy for a burger place.” Perhaps its older clientele (we 30somethings were the youngest people there) contributed to the comfy ethos. It’s a place you could bring your grandpa who likes a cold beer with his burger and onion rings. They have other offerings, too, like chicken sandwiches and salads.

PRICING: 4.5
Bottom line: at Allen’s you can get the Allen’s Burger, which is moderately-sized (think McD’s or Wendy’s as opposed to Blind Pig or Burger Factory), for $3.50, and a side of fries or onion rings for an additional cost ($1.50-2.99) that still keeps you in the $5-6 range. Reviewers mentioned their satisfaction with the cost in relation to “the amount of food.”

FOOD: 4.6
In some ways, comparing Allen’s to, say, White Tiger just isn’t an apples-to-apples comparison. Allen’s turns out an excellent burger, and I’d go back in a heartbeat (especially for the brownie a la mode!), but of course no one’s in the back grinding the sustainably-farmed meat from fresh beef. Both are excellent choices, but the yield is different by definition of the restaurants’ presentation and practices. Plenty of room for both.

Reviewers were happy with management’s eagerness to comply with special requests (extra cheese!) and with the quality of the fries and onion rings. “Classic American burger,” commented one reviewer. “Not gourmet…classic.”

DRINKS: 4.3
Coke fountain accessible to customers, Terrapin beer (and others) on tap, full bar. Honestly, my margarita was not the best, but that’s what I get. Should have ordered a Terrapin Golden Ale like last time…lesson learned.

Two pleas to Allen’s–PLEASE get Coke Zero and offer hard cider (Woodchuck’s fine)!

SERVICE: 4.5
One of the things I love to see is that Allen’s is savvy with social media. You can follow them on Twitter, and their feed is active and lively. Whenever I’ve visited, they’ve made me feel right at home (you know, that must contribute to that “cozy” feeling, too). The day of our last visit was a bit of an anomaly–it took longer than usual to get our dessert and checks–but I was glad to see the full dining room. Management and wait staff checked with us several times to make sure we had what we needed, and apologized for delays. No big deal.

This was the last stop on the Burger Tour, though we could have added more destinations, from what I hear! I keep hearing amazing things about The Royal Peasant, and apparently they have a burger–but we’re going to place them on the “Miscellaneous Tour” (gotta think of a better name for that one) that’s going to take place in January, after the Athens Tour of BBQ.

Athens Tour of Burgers: Blind Pig Tavern

I was dragged reluctantly to Blind Pig Tavern, but it was actually one of the best burger deals in Athens! Just as a reminder, all Tours are the same: 1 is nasty, 5 is awesome. We’re coming to the conclusion of the Burger Tour, but because only a couple of us made it to Allen’s, we’ll return there this week; I’ll give a comprehensive review after that visit. I’ll also announce the Burger Tour winner at that time!

AMBIANCE: 3.5
Nothing fancy; the Blind Pig is “your typical burger joint.” It’s a college bar–posters, beer signs. even a modern jukebox. I appreciated the 80s music (Asia!) that played while we dined, and I heard from both male and female sources that the restrooms were clean.

PRICING: 4.4
Really excellent, especially comparatively. The burgers rival some of the gourmets in town, and you get your burger AND a side (good fries!) for $8. Beer is also reasonably priced–$1.50 to $4 for a pint, $3.50 cider. Average selection for a full bar in Athens.

FOOD: 3.8
One reviewer found her food “too hot, too dry, too overcooked,” and one didn’t get his BBQ sauce on his BBQ burger, but everyone else was extremely satisfied with their food. “Sixteen different burger choices!” raved Chris, who ordered the ONE POUNDER pictured above…and ate every bite. I was extremely happy with a lovely fried egg sitting on top of mine–if you haven’t tried it, you should. An egg slapped on top of almost anything makes it better, I’m convinced.

SERVICE: 3.6
Absolutely average–nothing to complain about. Our order was taken and food arrived in a timely manner. Our server checked on us often.

DRINKS: 4.25
Coke products and an average selection for a full bar in Athens (13 beers on tap). It’s no Mellow Mushroom, but you should be able to find something you’ll like. The glasses are HUGE, which probably accounted for a slight rating boost from the reviewers!

Athens Tour of Burgers: Broad St. Bar & Grill

I’d never been to Broad Street Bar & Grill, a classic Athens bar, before; usually people are smoking outside of it (a sure deterrent for me), and I never thought to drop in. When we began this Tour, a friend suggested it as a must-stop, and every time I mentioned it to someone, they were almost guaranteed to reply, “Oh, yeah! Their burgers are good!”

I found out something that may interest the community at large: the owner told me that Broad Street Bar & Grill will be closing soon for renovations, and EVERY piece of memorabilia (that’s a LOT of stuff) is for sale. “Just make an offer,” he said. And he meant it. I got my dad’s Christmas presents in one fell swoop! YESSSS! I’m not kidding.

Anyway, on to the review. As usual, ratings are 1=nasty and 5=awesome.

AMBIANCE: 3.75
BSB&G is a college bar…period. LOTS of UGA memorabilia, older-looking chairs and tables that have seen their day, a video game, a cigarette machine. The latter was actually what sparked the conversation with the owner. “Um, why did you just take a picture of my cigarette machine?” he asked. I replied that it’s old, and I hadn’t seen one in a while. “There are four just like it on this street alone.” Guess I don’t go to bars much. Reviewers commented, “I definitely know I’m at UGA,” and “great if you love the Dawgs.” We also noted the clientele were all male. Um, except for three reviewers.

PRICING: 4.6
Especially after dining at some of the more gourmet outlets in town, we were pleasantly surprised that a 1/2 lb burger and side are $7.99.

FOOD: 4.25
The burgers were juicy, well-cooked and huge; not as amazing as White Tiger, obviously, nor as perfect as the Burger Factory, but darn good. There is a vegetarian option (a Boca Burger), but I doubt they sell a lot of those. The primary offerings have names like “Big Mama” (ahem, my choice) and “Big Dawg.” Manly! Options for sides: fries, coleslaw, vegetable medley (sauteed), and for an additional .50, lovely beer-battered onion rings.

DRINKS: 4.6
Coke products, full bar to include cider. There’s a “101 Shots” menu and a huge plaque on the wall with the names of people who have downed all 101.

SERVICE: 4.0
Our waitress checked on us several times and was super quick to check on specialty items (spicy mustard) or to fulfill requests (ranch on the side). One funny note: one of our diners got two top buns and the other two bottoms! Hee hee! They exchanged. No big deal.

This was supposed to be the Burger Tour’s last stop, but I have been goaded into going to Blind Pig Tavern next week. After that, we’re starting a mini-BBQ tour that will take us through the end of the year!

Athens Tour of Burgers: White Tiger Gourmet

White Tiger Gourmet is one of Athens’ best kept secrets, but it should be shouted from the rooftops.

Chef/owner Ken Manring and chocolatier/co-owner Amanda Crouse run this amazing mom-and-pop (um, literally) gem. Amanda, a UGA grad in Fine Arts, was “introduced to chocolate making while working at the Chocolate Shoppe (now closed) in downtown Athens.” She creates exquisite, creamy dark and milk chocolates you simply can’t find anywhere else, especially in the Athens area. Ken trained at the Culinary Institute of America in New York and worked in Vermont, Washington, California and Mexico before settling in his native Georgia. Usually you can spot their toddler horsing around the restaurant (mine would be busy breaking their artwork, but I digress). Everyone’s family here.

White Tiger used to be open for lunch only, but recently began serving Friday and Saturday night dinners. I haven’t been and am dying to go; they usually have a band or musician playing, too. You can follow White Tiger on Facebook here.

We had a great crowd for this stop; seven foodies rated this week’s burgers. As usual, the scale is 1-5, where 1 = horrid and 5 = amazing.

AMBIANCE: 4.0
“Relaxed and inviting.” There’s plenty of seating in this homey, laid-back eatery. It’s not fancy; it’s comfortable, artsy, unique–three things that, combined, characterize Athens “fine dining” to me. Fine dining is about the FOOD, not the cloth napkins. “My kind of place,” one reviewer remarked. “The building has a great history that is discussed in the menu,” wrote another. Here’s that history, quoted here because it’s another thing that makes Athens special:

White Tiger makes its home in the 100-plus year old structure on Hiawassee Avenue, in the Historic Boulevard District. Built in 1905, the space originally housed a grocery store called Davis House and served the needs of the then mill neighborhood. In the sixties, it became a restaurant called Thrashers, famous for their sausage biscuits; and more recently was home to The Green Scene and then Rooster’s BBQ.

PRICING: 3.3
This rating reflects some reviewers’ opinion that the dishes are “expensive for only a burger”–but the menu’s pricing is comparable to Clocked and Burger Factory. You get what you pay for; some reviewers felt “the prices are reasonable for the kind of food offered.” There’s a difference betweem McDonald’s ‘beef’ and fresh-ground, handmade all-beef patties and local, organic vegetables. It’s very easy to make a nice plate there for under $10, so ultimately I find it extremely reasonable. The chocolates are weighed, and you’ll get a wonderful deal compared to costly Godiva nastiness.

FOOD: 4.2
White Tiger’s food is seasonally-focused and inspired by Southern comfort food, with a healthy bent. Staples on their menu include pecan wood-smoked pulled pork BBQ (the “White Tiger” sauce is a wonderful and vinegar-based), smoked chicken salad, huge burgers, several appetizing vegetarian/vegan options, and eggs and pancakes (served ALL DAY!). The burgers were perfectly cooked–one was a bit overcooked, but others were medium well. Juicy, well-seasoned beef; substantial bun. “You hardly need condiments!” one reviewer said.

The chocolate is nothing short of incredible. Seriously. I was one happy camper yesterday when I saw the selection: dark chocolate lemon truffle, dark chocolate basil truffle (don’t knock it), milk chocolate creams, chocolate-covered Oreos and Zapp’s potato chips. Amanda outdid herself.

DRINKS: 4
“A vast array of interesting drinks…different sodas and uncommon specialty bottles,” wrote a reviewer. There’s sweet tea and usually a flavored green tea or lemonade. There’s a huge selection of sodas refrigerated in the back; you pay one price and select your own. Amanda told me that you can BYOB anytime (I had no idea!!). 1,000 Faces coffee is served, as well. Some of the diners wanted fountain sodas, but…can’t you get that anywhere? I think it’s more fun to have special drinks I can’t get many other places. And the sweet tea is excellent.

SERVICE: 4.2
I love how friendly and interested Ken and Amanda are. Every time I’ve visited there’s been some banter from the kitchen, a friendly hello–an experience that was repeated today, even though the restaurant was the busiest I’ve seen it (yay!). I called ahead to let them know we had a group coming, knowing that Ken doesn’t have a full staff in the kitchen.
Service was rapid, especially compared to other visits I’ve had. Again, though, this isn’t McDonald’s, and sometimes a bit of a wait is the tradeoff for amazing food at a lovely, intimate locale.

Reviewers all wanted to return sometime. I’m thinking date night with Brett, who will love the BBQ and burgers!

One note: White Tiger doesn’t take credit/debit cards. They’re cash only, which has proven inconvenient on more than one occasion. I hope they remedy this, because I do think it will ultimately hurt the business.

Bottom line: I’ll be back, and I hope White Tiger is a permanent Athens fixture.

This is the best, most random thing:

Don’t mess with Sutherland’s food.