Newspaper Page Text
SHINY. HAPPY AND ALL YOU CAN EAT
Shine On: Tne brand-new Jewel's Buffet All
You Can Eat (468 North Ave., in the Athens
Plaza shopping center, behind Hardee's,
706-338-7472) is a bit difficult to find, as it's
lacking a sign pasted up high on the exterior.
The space was previously a Salvation Army,
and it retains all the charm of that enterprise,
being essentially a huge, mostly empty room.
Slices of cake (lemon and chocolate, both
unexciting) are individually Saran-wrapped on
paper plates, and beverages (tea. Crystal Light
raspberry lemonade or a mix of both; no soft
drinks) sit to the left of the tables.
It might seem like only one table of
options isn't enough for an all-you-can-eat
buffet, but an impressive array resides therein:
fried chicken, catfish, baked chicken, beef ribs
(sadly mostly meatless), macaroni and cheese,
stewed okra and tomatoes (a really good
dish), mushy lima beans, black-eyed peas,
greens, fried corn, green beans and more. Even
when there are quibbles with the execution
of various items—the mac and cheese doesn't
cohere and needs more cheese; the beans and
peas have been cooked too long—nothing
tastes as though it came from a can. Each
offering has been home cooked, and whoever
is behind it all has a commendably adventur
ous spirit when it comes to spices and herbs.
Sometimes tasting turns into a guessing game
(is that cumin?), but it's nice to have some
thing a little different from the same old same
old. Jewel's is open for breakfast, lunch and
dinner (until 7 p.m.) most days and is closed
Saturday.
They've Got Wood: If I'd known the still
relatively new Mellow Mushroom at 320 E.
Clayton Street downtown (706-613-0892) was
jam-packed with weird, giant wood sculp
tures (a mushroom cop, a mushroom football
player, a bulldog Buddha at the entrance and
an Uncle Sam bust sizable enough for parade
use), maybe I would have ventured inside
sooner to experience the oddness, which
also includes a large mural featuring our own
Michael Stipe hoisting a brew.
The menu does differ these days from the
former Broad Street and Five Points locations.
which separated from the franchise over the
desire to expand orderable options, and even
the pizza is a little different—a less puffy and
floury crust, spicier tomato sauce. Still, it's
best to stick with the classics if you're plan
ning on a visit or ordering take-out. Mellow
Mushroom still offers an array of toppings,
including many that are vegetarian, and the
pretzels, made from the same dough as the
pizza crust, are still a tasty hot appetizer with
a beer (they have a nice selection of those,
too).
The sandwiches, while they also include
many a meat-free item, are just a lot less pre
dictable. One made with tempeh was fine, if
a bit sprout-heavy, and nearly the same sand
wich, made with tofu, was less than ideal. All
that said, the space is still one of the loveliest
in Athens, with those huge windows to watch
folks walk by, and the pizza ranks higher
rather than lower in the Athens pantheon.
What Up? Also open in the Athens Plaza shop
ping center on North Ave. is a Mexican restau
rant called Paizano's. Harry s Gospel Buffet,
serving breakfast, lunch and music with your
dinner, is open in Winder; further details can
be found at www.harrysgospelbuffet.com. At
long last. Little Italy, on Lumpkin St. down
town, has a credit card machine! No more
digging through your pockets. And Trappeze
will be adding food to its phenomenal selec
tion of beers. Emilee Greer, of The Daily
Neighborhood Deli, was victorious at this
year's Red Clay Chef competition at Taste of
Athens over Antonio Spadea of La Dolce Vita.
Le Maison Bleu came away with the award
for best food vendor, whi'e Terrapin snagged
best beverage vendor and The Foundry Park
Inn & Spa yoinked the People's Choice. If you
missed the event, Grady College of Journalism
students spent the evening filming, and the
product of their hard work will be available on
DVD at some point.
Hillary Brown
Send your hot and steamy restaurant news to food®
flagpole com
Daily Special by Donna L. Bar stow
edge.
exposure.
style.
service.
•dike no otherj*
Black & White Sale
March 1-8
Everything
Black & White is
20% Off
to make room for
bright spring colors
1260 South Mmedge Ave. Suite E
.'■ v Athens, GA 30605.
91nae(o
Ristorante ltafiano.
‘Authentic ftaCian Cuisine
Romemade Tastas, Doughs Sr' Sauces
WLTAMAHA COASTAL TOURS;
ALtAMAHAfCjOMI
TSiMnNSiis*
NOW OFFERING SUBSLHin
30 MOVIES for
$20/M0NTH
NEW THIS WEEK
• 101 Dalmations
• Into The Wild
• Kill Point
Mr. Magorium's
Wonder Emporium
Things We Lost In
The Fire
BOX SETS/TV SEASONS
s 5°°for5 DAYS
NEW RELEASE • CULT • FOREIGN
1 MILE FROM 5 POINTS!
S. MILLEDGE at BYPASS
in Save-A-Lot Shopping Center
706-543-2288
NEWS & FEATURES I CALENDAR I MOVIES I A&E I MUSIC I COMICS & ADVICE I CLASSIFIEDS
MARCH 5,2008 • FLAGPOLE.COM 11