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SCULL SH0ALS.1
This is good work you're doing here. here.
Railey ("Ghost Town on the Oconee." Jan. 17]!
For those who’d like to explore more of the
Oconee National Forest around Scull Shoals, know
that it rewards patience and attention. Also
know that the roads there are tangly; the trails
are faint, if you can find tnem; and the mosqui
toes and poison ivy get real touchy-feely in the
summertime.
But be not afraid. The Oconee is the largest
section of public land near Athens, much closer
than our mountain National Forests, and if you
go exploring there, you'll likely have its quiet
charm alt to yourself.
W.T.C.
from Flagpole.com
SCULL SH0ALS.2
Please tell folks that Scull Shoals periodi
cally comes alive again when the Friends of Scull
Shoals show up to work in the area or to cele
brate its existence. Our next festival is scheduled
for Apr. 14. It should be a great time to come
learn more about the area and life in the early
19th century.
Peggy Sommer
from Flagpole.com
SAVING GRACE.l
I have been an avid reader and fan of the
Flagpole since I came to Georgia almost 20 years
ago. As a musician it has been my press mother-
ship. You have usually done an excellent job
bridging gaps between bohemian and conven
tional. ultraliberal and conservative, giving voice
to ideas that would otherwise have no place to
be heard locally. I have always been proud of
the mag and the community it represents (never
being able to get even one Where's Anita? CO
reviewed, notwithstanding!).
I am also an advertiser. Even though you
don't yet deliver to Madison County, since my
restaurant opened last September I have made
it a point to have a new stack of Flagpoles avail
able to my customers weekly. I consider it an
important public service which will continue.
I had really been looking forward to the time
when Saving Grace would be reviewed by the
Flagpole. I always turn to Grub Notes first, and
enjoy reading about what my fellow restaurateurs
are embarking upon. Imagine my disappoint
ment. Hillary's piece (Grub Notes, Jan. 17] was
not a review; it was a thoughtless, careless slap.
I question why you let it go to press. Believe me,
I have no issue with having negative things writ
ten about Saving Grace when they are merited.
But she never actually said the food or service
was bad, the decor was offensive or that it was
otherwise an unpleasant experience. So how is it
that the whole piece ended with a bad taste in
so many people's mouths?
The City of Comer, along with business owners
and the Oowntown Development Authority, have
been working diligently for years to imorove our
little town. We have received grants in excess of
SI.3 million. Speaking as a Comerian, we are all
pretty pissed off at how difficult Hillary made it
sound to get here. She's the food critic, right?
Yet it took her several months to "contemplate”
coming to SG, then finally "bit the bullet... and
embarked upon the journey.”
It's a 20-mile drive from downtown Athens,
and a straight shot down Highway 72. It sounded
like she was trekking into wild tundra ("And a
journey it certainly is... through multiple small
towns (two, and having to] stop at a conve
nience store to make sure we were going in the
right direction...").
Jeez!
Aside from her
nasty, condescending
tone, some of what
Hillary wrote was
totally irresponsible.
Comparing SG to a
fictitious diner where
the patrons often ex
perience "intestinal discomfort" really upsets me.
SG is as much like a diner as Harry Bissett's is
like a truck stop. Far worse, she made reference
to food poisoning in a review about my restau
rant. Why? Where the hell did that come from?
No matter that it wasn't directed at SG, sublimi-
nally, it's in there!
Additionally, saying that my staff would hap
pily run to the convenience store for beer for
customers is completely not true! She just made
this part up!
We do BYOB as a courtesy to our patrons,
but my lawyer made it very clear that to protect
ourselves, we are not to touch whatever alcoholic
beverages diners bring in—not even to ope;,
a bottle of wine. We provide the glasses and a
corkscrew. Going out to actually buy alcohol is
out of the question. It probably won't, but this
could potentially buy us lots of trouble with
the local law and jeopardize my city beer/ wine
license.
At this point, the damage has been done.
When someone Googles Saving Grace, this "re
view” will come up. You can't unring a bell. But I
would like to ask you to send another anonymous
writer to do a second review.
I understand that you have to support your
staff, but you also have an obligation to your
readers, advertisers and business owners to be
fair and objective.
In the future, I hope you will be more careful
about what goes to press. It can really be harm
ful. With much respect—really!
Anita Blaschak
Owner, Saving Grace Cafe
SAVING GRACE.2
I'd like to respond to your article about
Saving Grace in Comer. I live in Comer and I love
having Saving Grace there, and I love the differ
ent ethnic dishes. I wouldn't care if the dishes
on the menu were all she knew how to cook, they
are good and I enjoy the variety. Your article
made it sound as if having those different ethnic
dishes was a bad thing, but they simply add to
the surprise of having such a place in Comer.
I also work at Saving Grace part-time. It is
a joy to work there even though we work hard.
It is usually quite busy. We've even had a short
waiting list, especially when there is entertain
ment. I've never heard
one single complaint
about the food—not
one. The only thing
that comes close to
a complaint that I've
heard regularly is that
we should charge
more. The desserts are
scrumptious. While
pumpkin cheesecake does not appeal to me,
the chocolate truffle tort is to die for. We have
regular customers from around the area and some
that drive a good distance, such as from Athens,
and they always seem to bring someone new with
them. When people walk in they are pleasantly
surprised that it is so pretty, and once they have
eaten, they usually cannot believe such a placr
exists there! It is a charming treasure that we
cherish. While I think you realized that, it did
not come across in your critique.
Linda Edge
Email
SAVING GRACE.3
I read your restaurant review of Saving Grace,
and, if that wasn't bad enough, your comments
on Comer were even more insulting. What part of
the country are you from?
I realize you have a right to your own opin
ion of things, but this seemed a bit slandering
to Saving Grace and the town of Comer. As a
resident of this small town, I am very proud of
Comer, its people, heritage, etc. and there is
something comforting about living in a small
town. I was glad to see Saving Grace open its
doors in Comer and no, the food would not be
pleasing to everyone, but it has a great atmo
sphere and to me the food is good, so that's
my opinion. I have never quite understood why
people like yourself think you can write anything
you want to just because you have an opinion
about something and it's supposed to be fact to
people that read stuff like this, but in the future
you need to be a little less critical of things
and watch the way in which you word it. People
are offended very easily by words and from the
emails that I have received, your article didn't
make the popular list with the residents of Comer
and I'm sure the owners of Saving Grace. In your
future articles, you might consider being a little
less critical of things and more positive, at least
give people a second chance before you criticize
them so.
Pat Hancock
Comer
SAVING GRACE.4
I went to Saving Grace in Comer for the first
time this Sunday with my husband and I can't
believe Hillary Brown went to the same restau
rant we did. The "road trip" must have affected
her senses. It was a classy, welcoming, homey
jewel of a restaurant. Everything was beautifully
thought out and presented with funky charm
and casual sophistication. I know the Flagpole
is not Zagat's, but I expect more from you than
to hire someone who judges a restaurant poorly
simply because it's located outside the Loop.
And guess what: it's not Al's Pancake House, it's
Al's Pancake WORLD. I'll bet even in Comer they
know that.
Madison Gray
Email
SAVING GRACE.5
It is not often that I write in response to
any article, or idiocy that young, inexperienced,
looking-for-something-to-write journalists or
wannabe writers want others to read about, but
in this case, and since I feel this does not have
that much of a culinary background or experi
enced good cuisine in numerous cities IN THE
WORLD, I figured I'd throw my two or three cents
in and comment on this:
The article did not have much of a foundation
and it seems she just wanted to "dog" someone
that day and so she did. What was entertaining
is what she actually found she liked from the
menu, which is. what: potatoes? Please, what
exquisite discerning taste have we here... and
I won't go as far as to inquire as to this young
lady's place of origin...
I am leaving it there... and Young Miss: find
something worthwhile, do your homework, be
sure to have good background regarding your
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