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Localism: The Local Jam (1650 S. Lumpkin St.) had a very
quiet opening this summer, sleepily setting up shop in the
space occupied for years by Five Points Deli. As compared to
the equally locally oriented Heirloom Cafe and Fresh Market
(review to come in the next column), it did little in the way
of marketing, even through social media. Its location is in the
middle of a bustling area with plenty of pedestrian and vehicu
lar traffic, which means a banner announcing you're open is
nearly all you need.
The restaurant is a project of Irina Cochran, of Terrapin
Brewery, and Drew French, of Your Pie, and it has the laid-back
charm of both those better-known businesses. It also draws
more specifically on them. One flavor of macaroni and cheese
skillet is known as "The Nat," just like the pizza at Your Pie,
and involves the same ingredients: mozzarella, sun-dried toma
toes, chicken, pesto, feta, etc. Many of the breads come from
Alfredo's Organic Breads and incorporate Terrapin products.
The Local Jam is a deli of sorts, which mostly means that it
serves breakfast and lunch, but not dinner, and will make you
a sandwich from the meats and cheeses in its case. Breakfast
runs all day and outranks lunch. The Jamrrito, for example, is
a delicious monster filled with black bean chili, eggs, Cheddar
and grits, then topped with sour cream and jalapeno jam; if
you must have meat, add sausage, chicken or corned beef.
Macaroni and cheese is a staple, available in many combina
tions, but I like the mac and eggs best. It comes in a skillet
with mushrooms and yet more cheese, to which you can add
bacon, sausage or tofu for a bit more. The chicken and waffle
sammy sounds like it would be wonderful (rosemary chicken,
goat cheese, hot pepper jam and honey, served between but
termilk waffles), but the execution falls short. The chicken is
dry, the cheese scant, and the seasoning absent. If the kitchen
can keep working on it, though, the idea is worth the effort.
The restaurant is not ter-
...sliced corned beef, rificall y ambitious in its aims,
but this relaxed attitude
plus sauerkraut... means it has a sandwich
(Preston's Sammy) in the
kids' section of the menu that consists of ham, cheese and
Doritos. At a mere $3, you can pair it with a side of macaroni
and cheese or perhaps a chicken pot pie for another $2 and
still get a great deal. The Reuben comes in two versions, a $17
open-faced one that consists of two pounds of sliced corned
beef, plus sauerkraut, Russian dressing and Swiss cheese, and
a more manageable non-competitive-eating-sized one. It, too,
could use a little tinkering, but the ingredients are solid.
The atmosphere is chill and pleasant, with lovely light
entering the two large rooms, attractive art on the walls and a
friendly, eager-to-please staff. The Local Jam is open for break
fast from 7 a.m. every day and lunch until 4 p.m., does not
serve alcohol but does offer a build-your-own-Bloody-Mary bar
(BYO vodka), and takes credit cards.
Farther Afield: Normally, "never trust a BBQ restaurant with
a jukebox" is on my list of rules—it implies a concern with
entertaining the customers that tends to mean less focus on
the food—but Big Al's BBQ Pit (1916 Railroad St., down
town Statham) is an exception. The interior, which owner
Alan Calhoun renovated from a former meat-and-three, looks
squeaky clean, and you're not exactly hit in the face with
smoke when you walk in, but damn if the cue isn't really tasty.
The pork is pulled, not chopped, with a lovely pink color from
the smoke, and although I find the sauce too sweet and would
prefer it on the side, the combination works. The stew is heavy
and sweet, and the baked beans are on the sugary side, too,
but they also taste like bacon, which is a point in their favor.
Best of all, and possibly worth the drive, are the ribs. The only
place in town that can match them is Butt Hutt Bar-B-Q. The
meat is tender and naturally smoky, and it pulls off the bone
gorgeously without going so far as to be half-dissolved.
Big Al's is open Thursday through Saturday for lunch and
dinner, takes credit cards and brews super-tasty iced tea. It
also posts regular specials on its Facebook page and has been
making smoked chicken wings of late.
What Up? A new froyo place is open on Baxter Street called
YoDawgs, as is Al's #1 Italian Beef on Clayton Street.
Hillary Brown food@llagpole.com
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