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PLEASING PUB GRUB AND PASTA
Beerific: On a recent, wet, cold, early-spring
day, the still relatively new Trappeze (269 W.
Washington St., 706-543-8997) was a haven
of coziness. Many have no doubt already
discovered the establishment's impressive
selection of beers, the reason for which it
was founded. The beer menu, -selection on tap
(more than 30 options, without a Superbowl
advertiser among them, and including one
called "Collaboration, Not Litigation," pro
duced by pouring the products of two brewer
ies with the same name into one glass), and
the "Trapp-Eats" have their own charm.
The menu is small for now, sometimes even
smaller than it appears, when several items
turn out not to be available, but everything
the kitchen puts out is better than antici
pated, and careful little details abound.
The hummus plate not only contains a very
nice version of the Mediterranean spread sans
the occasional bitterness or excess of lemon
one can get in inferior renditions, but also
has a dish of olive oil, soft but not floppy
pita bread triangles and a cute arrangement
of sliced cucumbers and carrots. The turkey
sandwich sounds ho-hum, but the bread, from
Luna Bakery, is firm and good, the sprouts
fresh, the cheese zippy, the avocado fresh and
the dipping sauce is both unexpected and a
creative touch. The mushroom soup was ideal
for the chilling weather, with a deep, soft fla
vor, and the roast beef sandwich, prepared like
a French dip with a cup of jus for dunking,
warmed the inside just as well. A bratwurst
comes accompanied by a tasty, tangy sauer
kraut and a German-style potato salad with
sliced rounds of the tuber and nary a hint of
mayonnaise.
Many of the options incorporate fancy beer
in the cooking, including a beef stew and
a beer and Cheddar soup, neither of which,
sadly, was available at the time. Trappeze
plans to expand and tinker with the range
of menu options, which are currently served
Sunday-Thursday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and
Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., but it's
always a treat to see a bar that believes its
mission to provide food extends beyond rub
bery chicken wings and greasy nachos.
Multiplication: Mirko di Giacomantonio, the
entrepreneur behind Mirko Pasta, which
recently opened its second location on
Athens' Eastside (at 1040 Gaines School Rd.;
706-850-5641), is clearly burning with ambi
tion. Not only has he announced a third
Athens-area location in the works, to be built
on the west side, but he now appears to be
planning three more locations in Atlanta.
The Eastside location has the same empha
sis on warm yellows and plenty of light as the
Watkinsville one, the ordering set-up (step
up to the counter, pick your pasta and your
sauce) is the same and even many of the dec
orative items are identical. The major differ
ence is the bar. While downtown Watkinsville
and now the rest of Oconee County can now
do beer and wine, Athens still has the edge in
hard liquors, and a small bar near the entrance
provides a nice nook in which to sip a brandy.
Mirko has switched to its spring menu, and
while the execution of dishes isn't always clas
sic, they still have a great ratio of good taste
to fine prices. A primavera incorporates goat
cheese instead of parmesan, and the taglia-
telle points up the perils of house-made pasta,
as it clumps together, making it hard to get a
bite that includes both vegetables and pasta,
but the overall flavor remains good. A chicken
scaloppine really could benefit from thinner
slicing or more vigorous pounding, but the
sauteed spinach and mushrooms on the side
were bright and good. Bresaola (cured beef)
served with oil, arugula and parmesan was far
better than it needed to be. Is Mirko the be-
all, end-all of Italian food? No, but it is fast,
pleasant, inexpensive and does a better job
in the field than many another entrant. The
restaurant is open for lunch and dinner every
day, takes credit cards and offers take-out.
What Up? Oconee County's very own Taco
Stand is open in Butler's Crossing, and has a
BBQ joint coming near it. Moae, a sushi spot,
is in the works for the space formerly occupied
by The Mellow Mushroom on Broad Street
downtown.
Hillary Brown
Daily Special
by Donna L. Barstow
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www.FloraHydroponics.com • 706-353-2223 • Mon-Sat 11 am-7pm
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