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JASON CROSBY
Just in from marietta?
L et's be blunt: would you rather shop at
Wal-Mart or at Junkman's Daughter's
Brother? You don't have to be embar
rassed by either choice. Some prefer one;
others prefer the other. De gustibus non est
disputandum, as Prof. Rick LaFleur would say,
except that he would pronounce it correctly.
Some are delighted with the chaotic range of
bizarre and fascinating choices in Junkman's,
while their cousins are repelled and run flee
ing to the sanctity of their SUVs. Some find
reassurance in knowing they'll find the same,
familiar merchandise in every Wal-Mart in the
Confederate states, while others find their
very life juices sapped by the sameness.
There are no right answers to this quiz.
The only purpose is to remind you, if you
shop at Wal-Mart by habit or because there
has always been one wherever you have lived,
that Athens is a different place. If you just
arrived in Athens at this time of year, there's
find just about any restaurant ever advertised
on TV. The one here tastes just like the one
in Peachtree City and the one in Peoria. Not
to worry. But if you like something cooked to
the specs of a real cook with a local spin on it
in surroundings that look like somebody built
them by hand, you're in luck. Athens is not
just anyplace when it comes to food. There are
a lot of places here where you can eat stuff
you can't find in Atlanta, because there's only
one restaurant in the chain, and it's here. And
the owner is usually somewhere behind the
counter; if you want to tell her you'd like more
garlic in the sauce, she'll listen, even if she
only smiles and shakes her head. Eating out in
Athens is an endless festival. If you kick the
chain habit, you'll no doubt find a restaurant
or two where you become a regular, but there
are always new ones to try. (Keep an eye on
Flagpole's "Grub Notes" column for hints about
where to go.)
And the same can be said for
bars. Something for everybody here:
places with their own eccentric
personalities; clean, well-lighted
places; dark, funky places; outdoors
in the sun; inside in the cool. It's
all good, and it's all different and
interesting, because it's real.
Taste
a good chance that you're here because of the
University of Georgia. This means you didn't
choose to live in Athens because it's Athens
but because it's UGA's hometown.
Chain, Chain, Chain
You may figure a town is a town is a town,
and just like every town, you can find in this
town whatever you need at Wal-Mart, Target,
Home Depot, Starbuck's, the mall and what
ever franchised flavor suits your taste tonight.
And that is absolutely true. There was a time
back in the day when Athens was deficient
in national chains, but today you'd be hard-
pressed to know you weren't back home in
Marietta, except for there being no Steak 'n
Shake.
In fact, you're also right in suspecting that
most towns are just alike. That has been the
great achievement of our franchised economy:
to give us thd same, reliable things wherever
we are.
The same thing is true about restaurants. If
your taste buds are set for "generic," you can
The point to the whole thing
is that at all of these local busi
nesses—shops, stores, restaurants,
bars, music venues—you enjoy
the owners' tastes. Or you may not
enjoy them, in which case you can
move on to another joint. But the
point is that there's an owner, with
taste, right here, not in some cor
poration in Arkansas or Texarkana.
Here.
So, if the only learning you've
got room for is on campus, then
hit the books and stay with your
beloved old familiar friends, where
you never have to be surprised, and every
thing's good and nothing's great. But if you
want a real hamburger, a handmade beer, a
locally grown meal, a shirt that proclaims your
personality, shoes solely for you, a dress guar
anteed by the shop owner, and music: wait,
don't get me started on music. See p. 26 for
that.
One more thing: most, not all, but most
of these local businesses are very near the
campus that brought you here in the first
place. Convenience, accessibility, friendliness,
taste, satisfaction: that's what local means.
And as an added bonus, the money you spend
at these businesses stays in Athens and helps
jnake things better here through jobs and
services that enhance your stay here. The
money you spend in local businesses helps
keep Athens pretty and charming and enjoy
able for you and for everybody else. Be care
ful, though: the more you spend, the better
Athens becomes, and the more likely it is that
you'll fall in love with Athens and never want
to leave.
Pete McCommons
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Fresh Deli Sandwiches
Salads and More.
You Know You Want It.
395 Pi. rinley SI. off Prince Ave. • 706-353-0029
www.bigcitybreadcafe.com
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FIVE POINTS
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1650 S. Lumpkin St.
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Athens, GA • 706-546-8915
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AUGUST 12,2009 • FLAGPOLE.COM 9