About Flagpole. (Athens, Ga.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (April 20, 2011)
m y * -IRONGRILL ARTS AT THE ARBOR SUMMER MUSIC SERIES Wednesday, April 20 Jhe 3 a cups Wednesday, April 27 Rachel O’Neal Wednesday, May 4 Rachel O’Neal Music Every Wednesday through the Summer Starts at 6:30pm SPONSORED BY v i» r t IRONGRILL 706.543.2418 THE ARBOR ON MITCHELL BRIDGE 1155 MITCHELL BRIDGE RD, ATHENS Restaurant "The Food is Our Reputation" For a Limited Time Only Happy Hour Alt bay Long! Domestic Beer S 1 Imported Beer s 2 7 bay Lunch Buffet OWE IN • 1*KE OUT * DELIVERY 706-549-0274 Major Credit Cards & Checks Accepted Green Acres Shopping Center • 1935 Barnett Shoals Rd. EARTH-FRIENDLY • WATER-WISE ORGANIC GARDENING fl SOME GROW AS AjHOBBY, WEDoTlTV F;OR A LIVINGl ra HYDROPONICS • GB5J? 2011 Open Pollinated Heirloom Organic Seeds • Earthboxes and Earthbox stackable planters Propagation lighting for seeds • Heatmats and thermostats for seed starting • Organic fertilizers and amendments for gardens • Composters and wormbins • Hobby greenhouses and accessories www.FloraHydroponics.com • Mon-Sat 10am-6pm Now Open in Atlanta’ 1239 Fowler St 404-532-0001 Athens • 195 Paradise Bivd Behind Terrapin Brewery 706-353-2223 THANKS FOP VOTING US (and 9D # s) ATHENS» FAVORITE PLACE TO DANCE.' flagpole ?:Sm mt. TUESDAYS ALL Borneo / 3 BB£R Si ("*%, IV£U OR/A/ACS X 3 WEDNESDAYS roeto DOMBST/C 8££R $ eoMBs ! £ H/eU DR/A/KS ^ V COLLEGE A//GNT A PfTCHERS Of ^X) '- p J VEUMGLWG. 3.\ BUD UGHT & f 2L®,) MfLLER LfTE X 5 2 well orwrs • 7 tequ/la shots (COLLEGE ID REQUIRED FOR THURSDAY DRINK SPECIALS! 120 E. WASHINGTON ST. DOWNTOWN ATHENS (NEXT TO COPPER CREEK) AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE PARTIES * THANKS * FOR VOTING FOR US! SERVING FINE AUTHENTIC MEXICAN FOOD ■ GREAT SERVICE • • FAMILY ATMOSPHERE • HOMEWOOD VILLAGE SHOPPING CENTER 706-549-4977 WATKSNSVILLE 706-310-9991 CRAB CAKES & CUPCAKES It Is What It Is, Pt. 1: East West Bistro (351 E. Broad St.) is the second restaurant at which I ever ate in Athens, after the now long departed Yudy's, which used to be where Starbucks is now. After Lamar Thomas, the long-time chef there, parted ways with the restaurant he helped to shape, I was curious how much it would change. The answer is: not a ton. As has been the case for a long time, the formei«divide between upstairs and downstairs, once reflected in different menus and price points, no longer exists. The food still mixes in Asian influences here and there and focuses mostly on the mildly adventurous—sweet potato fries once indicated some thing a bit more daring than they do now, but that doesn't mean they're not worth eating. Plenty of stuff remains the same. You can still get the basil poblano vinaigrette on your salad, and the restaurant still does a good burger, served on a nice onion roll and topped with cheese, slaw and bacon. There _..mint chimichurri are also some bright tweaks. The mint chimichurri sauce that Sauce... shows up on the side of the crab cakes is really good stuff, full of flavor and freshness. You might balk at the size of the dish for $10, especially if you're hungry, but it's welt executed and nicely presented. The chicken carbonara, on the other hand, is a plate of bland. You wouldn't think something that features bacon so prominently could be that way, but the mound of linguini with cubes of chicken, bacon and peas stagnates in its cream sauce. You'd do better to order the Sweet Georgia Brown, which takes its name and composition from the classic hot brown sandwich of Louisville but doesn't add anything particularly "Georgia." Still, it's substantial, and while it doesn't wow, it works. The descriptions often sound a bit ritzier than what arrives from the kitchen, as with the fish tacos ("fresh seasonal fish served on flour tortillas with shredded romaine, sriracha aioli and a sour orange criollo"), which turn out to be executed with tilapia. I have no problem with tilapia as a thoroughly sustain able and economical choice, but it's not exactly what's evoked by "fresh seasonal fish." I'd like to see East West's new kitchen team push the envelope a little more with their offerings, but for the moment it remains where it has been: a fine place for a slightly upscale experience, marked by generally good and attentive service and a wide variety of choices on the menu, friendly to vegetarians, pescatarians and meat-eaters alike. -fast West ts open for kmeh six days a week, -dinner seven and brunch on Sundays, has a full bar and takes credit cards. It Is What It Is, Pt. 2: The reason franchises succeed is predict ability. You can know what you're going to get every time, and sometimes that's what you want. There are many restaurants in Athens that I love and that nonetheless frustrate me with their mercurial execution of their menus. Gigi's Cupcakes (296 W. Broad St., next to Sweet Peppers Deli) is a thoroughly man aged experience, but damn if the pictures of the cupcakes on the website don't match up perfectly to the ones in the store's case. The cupcakes proffered by the company out of Nashville are baked fresh daily and are of the humongoid variety, with a giant swirl of icing and usually something cute poked into that (a candied lemon slice, a fondant star, chocolate chips). How anyone is supposed to eat them sans knife and fork is a mystery, but you do get a lot for your $3. Some seem always to be available (a devil's food cake called Midnight Magic, a very pinkly frosted Birthday Surprise, one called Wedding Cake) while others rotate daily and seasonally. I found them, on the whole, too sweet, and I don't care fo r the crystallized sugar that's sprinkled on many, but I was sur prised by the Kentucky Bourbon Pie, which has a cream cheese frosting that's better than the more frequently used butter- cream. The Lemon Dream Supreme may have a lemon filling, but the idea is better than the implementation, as the frosting goes sweet rather than tart. Still, your kids will be really into these, and so may you if your tooth is sweeter than mine. You can place orders a day in advance through the website, but the people who run the shop are extremely nice so I can't see why you wouldn't want to talk to them. Gigi's is open until 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. It accepts credit cards and also has lemon ade and other beverages for on-premises consumption. Hillary Brown (ood@flagpole.com 10 FLAGPOLE.COM APRIL 20,2011
