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justin brogdon
l * friday niglit m
tyler reeve
& karaoke night
312 I, Washington Street
706-227-WiNG (9464)
wildwingcafe.com
Real New York Style
Still
Serving
lueberry
Muffins
tio Dining
Really
ood Orange
Juice
Jittery Jo
’s Coffee
Cream
Cheese
Certified Ko
ox and
Capers
her
Monday-
am Friday
A.
Marti’sK/|
at Midday IT 1
1280 Prince Ave. • Normaltown
706.543.3541
www.martisatmidday.com
FUEL THE FIRE
It's All Relative: George W. may have spoken about the soft
bigotry of low expectations, but sometimes those preconcep
tions result in something far better than when you're anticipat
ing awesomeness and end up disappointed. Believe it or not,
I still could stand to eat a burger after filing my last column,
and while I hadn't heard anything good yet about Fuel (1194
Prince Ave.), it was still my duty to go there and report back.
I'm not saying you're in for culinary delights of a high order,
either, but, sitting on the big patio of the converted gas sta
tion, happily munching on some quality onion rings, I felt like
the restaurant could be a really pleasant place to wander over'
to for some simple grub, a beer,, perhaps conversation with
one's neighbors over a sporting event inside. The Fuel burger,
topped with jalapenos and bacon, among other things, was
by far the best main dish I sampled, and while it's not revo
lutionary or thick or, God forbid, medium rare, it's at least on
par with the average burger in this town, and Mike Bolen and
Curtis Winsted, who own the place, have been smart enough
to order Luna bread to put it on. The bread is about the only
thing they don't make in-house, an effort that's admirable
but doesn't always work out. A BBQ chicken sandwich, for
example, should really consist of more than hunks of chicken
with BBQ sauce. And the BBQ sliders, while adorable and made
with house-smoked pork, need a little rethinking; the chunks
of pork are on the large side, and there's something about the
taste as a whole that's kind of odd. Still, the fried pickles are
tasty, the menu is plenty large (including a section for kids),
the staff is exceedingly willing to please, and the atmosphere,
while somewhat noisy outside, is genuinely pleasant. Fuel
is open every day for lunch and dinner and may be open for
breakfast as well by press time. The restaurant takes credit
cards and, last I heard, plans to deliver in the area.
Express Yourself: Inoko Sushi Express (2301 College Station
Rd., next to Kroger) was likewise unpromising, in the space
that had once housed Radio Shack and was filled with memo
ries of a/v components unobtained, but a friend (Luke Powell)
promised that the sushi was pretty good, despite his own
initial misgivings, and so it was. The interior is now unrec
ognizable, and while it's a bit generic, it at least feels like a
restaurant, complete with
traditional shouts by the
chefs when you enter. The
ordering system (fill out one
paper slip for sushi, another
for cooked items, and bring both to the registers up front) is
a little confusing, even with the aid of helpful signs, but your
food will arrive extremely quickly and you can call in a to-go
order for pick-up. There's little that's extremely exciting on the
menu, and some of the pieces of nigiri sushi are better than
others. The yellowtail is pretty tasty, for example, and plenty
simple, while the clam is less good. There are, of course, the.
usual complement of fried rolls or rolls involving cream chefte,
and you can certainly order those if you so desire, but I can't
guarantee your results. The big bowl of udon is a great deal
and tasty, while the tempura is heavy on the batter and the
chicken teriyaki is unimpressive. The real appeal, here, is that
it's all very inexpensive and yet a cut above grocery-store
sushi, as well as some of your other options in town. The
atmosphere, for example, is a lot less party central than the
one at Ru San's, which may or may not be what you're looking
for. It's not going to replace Utage, downtown, any time soon,
but if you want a beer or a glass of wine and some non-gross
sushi fast, it's worth going. Inoko Sushi Express is open every
day for lunch and dinner and takes credit cards.
What Up? The Royal Peasant, an English pub with some
Indian-influenced items on the menu, is open in what was
the Mean Bean in Five Points. The European Deli, retailing
sandwiches made with meats and cheeses and a selection of
gourmet foods, is open on the Atlanta Highway near the inter
section with Timothy/Mitchell Bridge Road. El Sol, the wonder
ful tiny Mexican restaurant on Tallassee Road, next to the gas
station, has changed its name to Sr. Sol, which should help
avoid some confusion with Taqueria del Sol. Marti's at Midday
now serves New York-style bagels. Antojitos Salvadorenos, on
Chase Street, has closed, much to my chagrin.
Hillary Brown
The big bowl of udon
is a great deal...
12 FLAGPOLE.COM-JUNE 10, 2009