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CLOSET
in tHE BEECHUIOOD SHOPPinG CERfcEH,
19b ALPS BO., RbHEnS Gfl, 70b 3b9 0920
tio Dining
Really
ood Orange
Juice
Jittery Jo
’s Coffee
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Cheese
Certified Ko
ox and
Capers
Monday-
am Friday
Marti’sK/l
at Midday M
1280 Prince Ave. • Normaltown
^706.543.3541
www.martisatmidday.com
R8I0 YQUR CLQS6T!
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...fragrant with
rosemary and
tarragon
LONDON CALLING
Callooh Caltlay: It is rare that I will go back to a restau
rant three times before writing it up, but I kept thinking I
must have been mistaken about The Royal Peasant (1675
S. Lumpkin St.), which recently opened in the heavily reno
vated space once occupied by the Mean Bean. Could it really
have been as good as I thought it was? Surely such a humble
little location couldn't have some of the best food I've had
in Athens. I wasn't wrong. The menu consists of a mere 14
items—seven lighter ones ("peasant food"), five heartier
entrees ("royal food") and two desserts—and I've tried nearly
everything, all of it cooked by chef Luke Harvey, who mans a
tiny open kitchen all by himself (you can see him juggling pots
and pans on your way to the restroom). He's not afraid to cook
your burger medium rare, even if it's only a little pub slider,
and the taste of those tiny beauties (served as a trio, one
topped with caramelized shallots, one with sharp cheddar and
one with roasted habanero mayo) unexpectedly bloomed in the
mouth. The lamb stew, served in a cup with a garlicky hunk of
baguette, is fragrant with rosemary and tarragon but not in the
depressingly sinus-wrinkling way that comes from a heavy hand
with dried herbs. The lamb vindaloo curry, served over basmati
with a piece of naan that might be authentic for England but
is less so for India, tingles with turmeric and mustard, each
ingredient in a delicate interplay
with the others, putting what usually
passes for a decent curry to shame.
And It gets better.
What's listed as a London Broil
in the peasant section is actually
a salad, with tender slices of beef
fanned over a pile of peppery, fresh arugula, which itself is
topped with roasted peppers; cute slices of radish rim one side
of the plate, and the whole thing not only is tossed with a vin
aigrette but hides tiny crystals of salt. I know. It's a salad. But
what a lovely salad. The fish and chips is wonderfully simple,
consisting of cod battered, fried and accompanied by a lemon
dill mayo, and, yet again, the execution is marvelous. I have
nojt had better fish and chips in Athens or, perhaps, anywhere.
The bubble and squeak—thick, tender ham steak; soft, fried
egg with crispy bottom; potatoes mixed with cabbage—and
the bangers and mash—sausages, mashed potatoes, tomato
gravy, cabbage and thinly sliced brussels sprouts—may be the
two best things on the menu, both managing to be substantial
without getting to the point of heaviness at which you might
have second thoughts. The mashed potatoes on the latter
plate nearly brought tears to my eyes, they were so like my
mom's. And that's the important thing here. I don't know why
Luke Harvey loves you all, but apparently he does. The comfort
food trend is dilute by now, having resulted in an excuse to
eat fried balls of macaroni and cheese, but this kind of food is
what it was supposed to be: a return to what you were fed as a
child, ;/your parents knew how to feed you properly and tried
to push your palate in the right direction, toward traditional
cooking that wasn't stodgy and toward a love of ingredients.
Are there imperfections? Sure. The pastry of the samosas is
too thin and flaky; the house potato chips with blue cheese
and bacon, while tasty, could be chewier; the basmati with
the vindaloo needs butter; but they're minor flaws, and none
of them is reason enough not to order a dish. Vegetarians will
have a very difficult time. There's a nice selection of beers and
other drinks at the bar, which is an attraction in its own right.
The Royal Peasant serves lunch and dinner every day, with a
small break in between, but the bar is open continually. It, of
course, takes credit cards.
What Up? The Southeastern Chop House, which has a fairly
Southern menu, is open in the Georgian on Washington Street
downtown. Rosario's Trattoria, an Italian restaurant, is open .
on Hog Mountain Road in Watkinsville. Kelly's on Lumpkin
Street now serves beer and wine, and the new location of
Your Pie nearby is making progress on renovating the Subway
space. Saladworks, a franchise that does customizable salads,
is redoing what was Jimmy John's on Clayton Street down
town, and Angelo's, next door, has completely redone its
inside and menu, with a tilt toward the upscale. Make sure to
keep checking Flagpole.com for the Grub Notes blog, which
updates several times a week.
Hillary Frown