Former music venue provides cozy, trendy atmosphere

Last Resort Grill

174-184 W. Clayton St.

706-549-0810

By ANNA DOLIANITIS

If you’re looking to escape and unwind with a quiet meal, Last Resort Grill on East Clayton Street is not the place for you, but if you want a lively environment in which to enjoy great food and drink with friends, this quaint, tucked away eatery is the perfect venue.

Last Resort, a downtown Athens institution that began as a music venue in the 1960s, provides a surprisingly chic decor, a dimly-lit dining atmosphere with lively chatter, and the promise that you will absolutely run into someone you know.

The restaurant serves southern food with a modern twist, and whether you choose brunch, lunch or dinner, you won’t be disappointed.

By far the best meal, Last Resort’s lunch menu offers large-portion salads with a diverse mix of greens and other vegetables, as well as treats of nuts, rare cheeses and homemade hummus, all hovering around $7 each. The South by Southwest salad, the best lunch item, combines artichoke hearts, feta cheese, grilled chicken, capers and the diner’s choice of homemade dressing. Lunch is served Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Dinner at Last Resort should be planned in advance. If you’ve skipped lunch, the Last Resort Praline is worth a try. Even with the medley of cheeses the chicken breast is stuffed with and the honey nut glaze that coats it, this dish — served with grits and steamed vegetables — is just short of heavenly.

While the dishes — ranging from homemade pastas to stuffed pork chops and a variety of fish — seem to get more delicious by the forkful, there is a downside. The sweet sauces and cheesy fillings fill you up quickly, and if you don’t leave enough to fill a to-go box, you’ll be too full for dessert.

For a lighter dinner, try the Vegetable Patch, a mix of marinated Portabello mushrooms, grilled vegetables and homemade sweet mash and Yukon gold mashed potatoes. Add a couple small appetizer plates to share with your dinner companions for a satisfying experience.

The dinner menu is slightly more expensive than lunch - somewhere in the $12-$18 range, but the portion size and savory taste are worth it. Dinner is served Sunday-Thursday 5 to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 5 to 11 p.m.

If you’re dying for fish, call ahead to check the menu. While a bit of an inconvenience, the restaurant won’t order certain types of fish if the freshest isn’t available.

Even for the perpetual dieter, dessert at Last Resort is a must. Upon walking into the art-filled restaurant, glance to the left and pick out one of the restaurant’s cheesecakes to try. While the black and white chocolate cheesecake may be too rich for some diners’ tastes, the raspberry and New York Style cheesecakes - or a slice of layer cake - is the perfect way to end a great meal at this downtown eatery.

Brunching at Last Resort is a Sunday tradition for many, if you can wait until noon to have a mimosa with your omelette. The Very Vegetable omelet mixes squash, zucchini and onions and is stuffed with Pepper Jack cheese, and at about $7 to $9, is the perfect way to start a Sunday.

The restaurant’s host and waiters are attentive and knowledgeable about the food and plentiful wine options. The restaurant’s co-owner, Jamshad (Jaamy) Zarnegar, is a constant fixture at Last Resort, always stopping by to check on the food and make sure customers are enjoying the Last Resort experience. Often, Jaamy’s smile is the one that greets diners at the door.

While Last Resort doesn’t take reservations, calling ahead is always a good idea; Then, the wait will be about 15 minutes, regardless of the day of the week or time of day. Tables aren’t crowded together, but the claustrophobic diner might ask to be seated near the entrance or on the outdoor heated patio.

From the outside, Last Resort appears little more than a hole in the wall, but walking in, any diner can appreciate the cozy yet trendy atmosphere. Whether it is dinner for two on a Saturday night date or happy hour drinks for friends in need of a mid-week break, Last Resort is a go-to place for great dining and socializing in Athens.

Five Star Day Café is the place to go for home cooking

Five Star Day Café
229 E. Broad St.
706-543-8552

By SHANESSA FAKOUR

Walking past Starbucks on Broad Street in downtown Athens, I almost missed the hole in the wall restaurant that is Five Star Day Café. Opening the door, I noticed red and white plaid tablecloths covering wooden tables, half of them taken by people dining in. Patrons placed their orders at the counter before seating themselves at a table. Considering the restaurant’s small size and casual style, the menu prices were higher than I expected. However, the foods’ portion sizes and taste made up for that.

After viewing the day’s specials colorfully written on a chalkboard, I decided to leave the beef stroganoff alone and order the Carolina BBQ with a side of collards, a cornbread muffin and sweet tea. It seemed to be a popular meal choice, as three people in front of me ordered it with different sides – macaroni and cheese and coleslaw. I sampled my friend’s macaroni and cheese and discovered the pale yellow seashells to taste cheesier than I expected. Next time, I will look for a vegetable entrée so I can enjoy those carb-filled sides.

Local artists’ paintings decorated the walls with symbols famous to the University of Georgia, such as the arch, the bulldog Uga and the insignia G. Incoming patrons desiring a late lunch crowded the entrance door and easily overpowered the soft music playing in the background, as they waited to place their orders at the counter.

Opened in 1998, the restaurant aims to serve the highest quality of “gourmet soul food,” according to its menu, with Southern favorites, such as stuffed meatloaf, pot roast, southern fried chicken and trout. The café serves breakfast with classic dishes such as eggs benedict. The lunch menu is boring to look at, however. Combinations of soup and salad along with PB&J, grilled cheese and BLT sandwiches make it easy to skip over to the meals listed under “Gourmet soul.” That is where I found my $8 BBQ sandwich placed on a large sesame seed bun.

The BBQ tasted great because it had a little kick at the end of each bite. The massive amount of pulled pork loaded onto the toasted buns was enough for two meals. In fact, I took about half of it off to set aside for later, and still was left with a full serving of tasty BBQ on the bun. The collards tasted fresh and seasoned. Again, the serving was plentiful, and I brought more than half of it home. While eating my sandwich with a fork - the BBQ was hard to pull apart- I sipped on delicious sweet tea. Other Southerners might find it lacking in sweetness, but I thought it contained just the right amount of sugar. In fact, I tasted more sugar in the cornbread muffin than in my drink. I considered the muffin to be my dessert after a satisfying meal.

With a friendly staff that served meals in less than 10 minutes, Five Star Day Café is definitely a place to go to satisfy a craving for home cooking set in a casual diner. Don’t let the small size of their kitchen or restaurant fool you – the meal easily meets the standards of hungry Southerners looking for quality “gourmet soul food.” For those desiring great tasting BBQ, make sure you don’t pass the restaurant while walking downtown. It’s easy to do, and you’ll be missing out on a delicious meal!

Trappeze embodies warm atmosphere, excellent beer

Trappeze Pub
269 N. Hull St.
706-543-8997

By MAGGIE SUMMERS

We arrived rather late, around 9 o’clock, maybe a little after. The unrelenting rain did its best to deter our visit, but we battled against its angst and managed to slip inside mostly dry. The warm wood welcomed us into the thrice-sectioned building and a sign enticed us to seat ourselves; dim lighting and soft music lured us to a round table in a corner by the window. A carafe of water greeted us there, ready to join in on a long night of good food and great conversation at Trappeze Pub, one of the best atmospheres to be found among restaurants in Athens, Ga.

Many people are unaware of the fact that Trappeze sells food, as it is known for its extensive selection of beer. They boast 39 beers on tap and have over 300 bottled beers available. The food menu can easily pail in comparison to the unprecedented offering of beer. Their simple 15-item menu offers 2 appetizers, 2 salads, 3 soups, and 8 sandwiches. It is classic pub food, an agreeable accessory to a delicious tasting beer. Trappeze knows their clientele will ask endless questions about which beer to pair with what, and they train their wait staff accordingly.

Our waiter was patient with our inquires as we attempted to sort through the dense beer list; he suggested that a Pale Ale would go best with beef, and that if all else fails to turn to the Terrapin Rye, his favorite. I would have liked more help on choosing which beer would compliment my meal, but he was busy hustling about. He seemed to be the only person waiting on tables in the crowded pub, which was rather puzzling.

Our carefully chosen beer, a Bell’s Avery IPA, a Terrapin Reunion and a New Belgium Hoptober arrived at the table just as our mouths began to parch, and luckily our food arrived well in time to be enjoyed alongside.

I was grinning ear to ear as the waiter delivered my favorite sandwich in Athens, the inventive and original Vegetarian Rueben Sandwich. I would go back to Trappeze again and again for this sandwich alone. Made with avocados, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, tomatoes, spinach and homemade Thousand Island dressing, it was simply divine, and a steal as the cheapest sandwich on the menu. The combination of flavors is unique and incredible. The sauerkraut is the bulk of the sandwich, but the avocado flavor cannot be missed.

The California style Turkey and Swiss Sandwich stood in sharp contrast to my innovative Veggie Rueben; it was unimpressive and at $7.95, a sandwich that could easily have been made at home. My friend graciously hid her envy after trying the other dishes. Even with guacamole, it was ordinary and plain; the bacon was mostly absent in the taste. Luckily, the Weihenstephan honey mustard, a sweet, tangy aside saved it from complete disappointment.

As I took my first bite of the heavenly Vegetarian Rueben, my friend turned to me with a frown and asked me to try her Chimay Blue Beer Carbonade. I took a bite and realized instantly the reason for the frown: the dish was not warm enough. With some effort we tracked down the waiter and asked politely if he could warm it up. He kindly conceded, with a mouthful of apologies. When the dish was returned, it tasted infinitely better; it consisted of beef stewed in a Chimay Blue broth with sautéed onions served on a heap of garlic-mashed potatoes. It was delicious, perfect for a cold, rainy night. My friend had taken someone’s recommendation in trying the dish, and though she wasn’t instantly convinced of its quality, as she got to the end she remarked quietly, “Wow, I’m really into it now.”

We sat and relaxed after the meal, satisfied and full, and decided to order another round of beer. Therein lies Trappeze’s strength. The food may not be spectacular but it isn’t trying to be; the food is the afterthought. The warm atmosphere is inescapable and undeniable. Trappeze Pub embodies the great pleasure of a night filled with excellent beer, wonderful friends and an intimate environment where good food becomes great food simply because of the experience.

Fast food: Sushi style

Inoko Sushi Express
2301 College Station Road
706-546-5662

By CANDICE PHILLIPS

Hi-wa-shee! What did they say? Your guess is as good as mine.

As I walk into Inoko Sushi Express in Athens, Georgia, I am greeted with a shout from what appears to be about two or three sushi chefs standing at the far end of the room behind a sushi bar. The lights are dimmed and there were about 12 to 15 tables to choose from. I ran a quick scan of my surroundings attempting to locate the health inspection score, 96, the bathroom would concur. I recognized the faint music as being an older tone of Maroon 5.

I was then directed to a table in front of me equipped with golf pencils and paper menus where I was instructed to tally up my desired dinner, which I then gave to the cashier. There is a huge menu of hibachi style entrees and sushi rolls to choose from with items ranging from around $3.00 to $10.00.

I started off with self-serve and complimentary to all, onion soup with little brown “crunchies”, which I later came to discover were tempura-fried something-or-others. This perfectly salted warm broth is just the thing for a chilly fall evening. The warm broth reminds me of my younger days when my older brother would tease me with the thoughts that this traditional murky looking soup might be a remnant of leftover dish water.

My next dish was a bed of green lettuce covered in ginger dressing. Even after getting passed the look of the runny ginger, there was not anything exciting about this handful-sized salad.

Less then ten minutes go by and my number is called. After fighting the impulse to yell “bingo” I raised my hand and my food is placed on the table in front of me. The special of the day and from what I hear pretty much every day, teriyaki chicken and fried rice with vegetables. My first bite consisted of a flavorful quarter-sized piece of chicken covered in teriyaki sauce. Not satisfied with the separated piles of food my plate, I mixed the chicken, fried rice and vegetables all into one large pile of hibachi goodness and cover it in “yellow sauce”. The “yellow sauce”, also known as “shrimp sauce” and “seafood sauce”, is a robust, peach colored, creamy-based sauce that contains what I assume to be mayonnaise and paprika among other things.

My guest ordered the Yum-Yum Roll. And yum-yum it was. This tempura fried roll consists of spicy tuna, cream cheese and the usual seaweed and rice. This delectable roll contains just the right amount of spice without dominating the pallet. When soaked in the right amount of teriyaki or soy sauce the flash fried, slightly breaded outside absorbs the sauce making for a “yum-yum” texture.

The expectations of an “express” sushi restaurant were somewhat modest, however, I found it to be absolutely satisfying in terms of its food as well as its environment.

Next time you are looking for an express sushi fix, be sure to check out Inoko Sushi Express. Fast food in a Japanese fashion. You are sure to have a yum-yum experience.

Easy dining Italian style

Mirko Pasta
1040 Gaines School Rd.
706-850-5641

By MARONA GRAHAM-BAILEY

For those who love good food but welcome simplicity, East Athens’ Mirko Pasta is the place. Nestled in a half-residential, half-commercial complex with a large parking lot, there’s no digging for quarters and the most you’ll ever walk is a row or two of cars.

At the entrance to the spacious and bright restaurant, fine-dining lovers may find themselves turned off by ordering their food at a counter. But Mirko has its system down pat and the line moves along fluidly. The secret? The menu separates its dishes into pasta and sauce selections.

Do you want filled, long, or short pasta? The Granny Smith apples and sage sausage stuffed raviolis are a definite must. An unlikely partnership, the hints of apple are only strong enough to remind you the sausage-filled ravioli couldn’t do without her. Make sure to peel open the ravioli like a Christmas gift and appreciate the savory, ground meat.

All pastas are cut and made fresh in the open kitchen and are available for purchase. After your first bite, you’ll know instinctively the difference between homemade and store-bought pasta. The tagliolini, a long pasta boasting the perfect consistency, will interrupt your dinner conversation as you pause to reflect on its delicacy. You’ll even find yourself grateful for the occasional clumps. At Mirko nothing is tastier than pasta on top of more pasta.

Pasta is only half the dish. The sauces range from the standard Italian meat sauce to spins on the traditional, like the caprino e pinoli, a goat cheese sauce with tomato and roasted pine nuts. The succulence of caprino e pinoli makes up for its uninviting, orange color. Stay away from the pollo e pepperoni, a chicken, roasted red bell peppers, and spicy tomato sauce that lacks the success promised by its ingredients. It’s probably the pasta’s fault for being so delicious, becuase the chicken’s texture and taste are dwarfed in comparison.

After ordering, look around, walk toward the table that moves you the most, and take your seat. There’s no waiting to be seated. Don’t worry, good serving staff is also part of the Mirko experience. Fresh, warm bread is delivered after you ease into your seats, a white cannelloni bean dip, mixed with rosemary and olive oil accompanying it. Vegetarians be wary, hiding in the meatless-looking bean dip are miniscule bits of ham. But if the bean dip doesn’t cut it, Mirko also has an array of salads and appetizers. Save room for dessert and check out the selection imported straight from Italy. Although its priciness reflects its airfare, the robust flavor of the coffee balanced against the sweet cream makes Mirko’s tiramisu classico worth every dollar.

The restaurant is named after Chef Mirko Di Giacomantonio, an Italian born chef who got his start with fast, casual Italian dining in 2001 at Figo Pasta in Atlanta. Recently franchised by the same owners of the Barberitos franchise, Mirko Pasta will soon begin popping up all over Athens. When that time comes, the cooking staff at the Eastside location will be one of the few Mirko Pastas holding bragging rights to being trained by Chef Mirko himself. So find some time, head over to Mirko Pasta, and enjoy simplicity at its tastiest.

Restaurant blends Southern dishes, flavorful creations

The White Tiger
217 Hiawassee Ave.
706-353-6847

By BRITTNEY HAYNES

In Athens, Ga., where tourist traps like The Varsity and acclaimed spots like Speakeasy dominate the food scene, it’s easy for The White Tiger go unnoticed. Nestled at the corner of Boulevard and Hiawassee Avenue, The White Tiger blends in with the Normaltown neighborhood homes – some well kept from their Antebellum days, others dilapidated. The restaurant falls into the latter category with the diner housed in a small white shack on a patchy grass lot. Passing by, one would expect to find an elderly cat-lady living in a mothball-scented house dimly lit by her cherished analog television. (Maybe it’s the tall rusted figurines in the front yard or the porch weighted with fruit-themed tablecloths.) But in this case, the look would deceive. This characteristically eccentric sandwich shop boasts a menu of savory gourmet versions of this simple lunch staple.

Chef Ken Manring, who co-owns The White Tiger with wife Amanda Crouse, brings together down-home Southern dishes and flavorful creations – some classics, and some one-of-a-kind. The menu offers breakfast items, vegetarian fare, “meaty lunches,” ice cream and homemade chocolates. Menu items like the pecan wood-smoked pulled pork sandwich, half-pound onion-smothered “happytop burger” and smoked chicken salad with apple chunks on a toasted croissant live together in the same happy family. Here, all of the sandwiches get along – there’s no boundary between the classic, the indulgent, and the down-right sinful.

One of the restaurants’ boldest creations, the seared salmon ciabatta, is a cacophony of tastes but is everything a salmon salad wishes it was. Served on a fresh-baked ciabatta roll, the salmon is seared and topped with a cream-cheese-and-capers sauce, then topped with a zesty citrus vinaigrette dressing that serves the freshest spinach greens well. Between this ciabatta, the spinach salad meets the seared main course of salmon and crème sauce and the result is decadent. This full-course sandwich will let you forget you’re not at a dinner spot, that is until you check the menu prices or smell the barbeque cooking through the open doors. All sandwiches are under $10 – a bargain deal for the filling plates.

The restaurant also serves fresh fruit, mostly grown organically and picked locally. If you’re lucky enough and owner Ken likes you, you may see some magically appear on the side of your order, “on the house,” and served with a wink. Seasonal sides include macaroni and cheese, carrot ginger soup, roasted beets, peas, okra, grilled asparagus, and other fresh veggies to compliment their dishes. And although a meal of cheese-stuffed portobello mushroom “burger” or pulled pork sandwich and veggies sounds like it’d be poorly followed by chocolate candies, consider taking the challenge. If not, try some while you wait. In the 10 minutes it takes to cook your order fresh, you can sit agonizing in hunger and anticipation or you can try some of Amanda’s delectable chocolates.

The homemade chocolates, as quirky as everything else in this restaurant, include pecan clusters, turtles, chocolate-and-sprinkle covered candied apples, basil truffles and green tea truffles. The green tea truffles and chocolate-covered Oreos are the perfect end (or beginning) to a White Tiger Meal. In a restaurant where nothing matches or flows, it seems that part of the experience is trying a bit of everything – sometimes all together.

Mama's Boy, the perfect hangover cure

Mama's Boy
197 Oak St.
706-548-6249

By SARA GOODMAN

Curing a hangover has never been easier than eating at Mama’s Boy for Sunday brunch. Self-described as “Southern fun dining,” the restaurant cooks up regional favorites that evoke a nostalgic feeling of Southern charm. The restaurant opened its doors three years ago and in its short time has become an Athens weekend ritual for both college students and locals. And like most of the college students waiting for a table, I, too, was hungover.

My typical antidote after a night drinking is grease; large and vast amounts of greasy cuisine. Whether it’s Waffle House, McDonald’s or just a bowl of lard, grease instantly cures me. However, the process of healing a hangover at Mama’s Boy is different. Not only because of the lack of grease in the food, but also because the restaurant is your mother’s 1950’s kitchen. Entering the restaurant, everything seems familiar. The dining room is straight out of Pleasantville. Think robin’s egg blue walls, white billowy curtains and retro black Formica dinette sets. It felt cozy without feeling cheesy, homey but not gimmicky.

Drinks are served in glass mason jars, including the house favorite strawberry lemonade. The electric pink drink, which was too sugary to quench my severe dehydration, reminded me of the juice from lemonade stands of my youth. This juice, though, was a little more grown up. The sugary and acidic combination creates a vibrant flavor, reminiscent of a tropical drink, umbrella included, sipped poolside. Although it was too sweet for my impaired taste buds, the pink drink was visible on all the surrounding tables.

Eating at Mama’s Boy felt like eating at home, with the added pleasure of being served and cooked for. The brunch menu, which is served Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., ranges from dessert for breakfast to oyster sandwiches. In between is the vegetable and egg scrambler with spinach, onion, goat cheese and tomato with a familiar appeal mixed with sophistication. The key element in this dish is the goat cheese. The creamy consistency of the tart cheese combined with the ultimate hangover cure, scrambled eggs, makes for a mature version of cheesy egg.

Served with a homemade buttermilk biscuit and cheese grits, the sides are the perfect chasers. The biscuit is the type of biscuit that would make Paula Deen proud: flakey, fluffy and best prepared in the creamy butter and fresh strawberry jam served with it. The grits are thicker than a true Southern accent and are covered in a layer of shredded cheddar cheese and butter. With each bite, these grits silently reaffirm why I live in the South, and make me instantly forget about my menacing stomachache.

But it’s not just the vegetable and egg scrambler saving the day. The corned beef and potato hash with its two poached eggs and chive hollandaise makes for a convincing remedy, as well. The salty corned beef mixes with perfectly seasoned potato hash to create the traditional breakfast dish. The dish, though, could have used more meat and an additional sprinkling of hollandaise sauce. The mill town breakfast plate is the standard two eggs your way and thick cut bacon. Mama’s Boy serves only the real thing when it comes to bacon. I’m talking about generous slices, freshly sizzled— not microwaved. The breakfast taco plate provides a surge of creative energy, with the dish requiring eaters to choose from a variety of fillings, ranging from beans and pico de gallo to tofu and bacon. If sugar is your thing, sample the Georgia peach stuffed toast. Topped off with powdered sugar, pecans, whipped cream and maple syrup, the gooey mounds of bread taste like peach cobbler for breakfast. And trust me, you don’t need the syrup.

If you’re feeling especially queasy from your night downtown, avoid the fried chicken biscuit, which tastes like the deep fryer zapped the entire flavor out of the chicken. Ditto for the fried oyster sandwich. The small fried oysters were further shrunken by the frying process and ended up tasting dry, chewy and overcooked. A drawback to the Sunday brunch is the large crowd, which causes the kitchen to work overtime with not enough hands to keep up. Also, be prepared for the noise. The small restaurant echoes throughout with the packed-to-capacity dining crowd, which is not ideal for a spinning head. And don’t be scared away by the approximate wait-time the hostess gives you. Typically, she’s off by at least 30 minutes. Prices, though, won’t cause your head to pound as all brunch items are under $9. After a night out on the town, it’s safe to reopen your wallet on Sundays at Mama’s Boy. Your hangover will thank you later.