Authors | Flagpole Magazine | Athens, GA News, Music, Arts, Restaurants

Blog posts by Hillary Brown

Five & Ten's Move Imminent, Botanas Opening on Broad

Blog: Grub Notes

Not that these two pieces of news have anything in common... Five & Ten, which has been working on its new location on Milledge over the past year, has announced a closing date in its current space in the heart of Five Points (June 30), but not yet an opening date in the former Hawthorne House (1073 Milledge).

By Hillary Brown | June 25, 2013
Farm 255 to Close July 19

Blog: Grub Notes

Despite recent assurances to the contrary, Farm 255 will indeed close and reopen as a new business. Juan and Vanessa Molina, of Broad Street Coffee, have bought the space and will be moving their vegan restaurant to 255 W. Washington St. Chef Whitney Otawka, as already reported, is moving on to other ventures, and Farm Cart (sniff) will be no more.

By Hillary Brown | June 24, 2013
Whitney Otawka Is Leaving Farm 255

Blog: Grub Notes

I probably hear a rumor about Farm 255 closing at least once a year. The restaurant industry is full of gossip, and much of it doesn't turn out to be true.

Those rumors have been swirling again, perhaps due to the fact that Chef Whitney Otawka is leaving, perhaps for Atlanta. Otawka confirmed that this is her last weekend at the restaurant and said that she has "two serious considerations on the table" as far as her next venture.

By Hillary Brown | June 22, 2013
Five Star Day Cafe Has Closed

Blog: Grub Notes

Photo via Athens Food Tours

Word was spreading around Athens yesterday that Five Star Day Cafe, longtime peddler of biscuits and meatloaf downtown and at times elsewhere, was no more, but confirmation came today from onetime owner and franchise manager Diana Fairbairn.

An Eastside location closed a few years ago, and a potential outpost on Milledge never materialized. Fairbairn posted a gracious statement on the restaurant's website thanking its many patrons and employees over the past 15 years and expanded further to Flagpole in an email:

By Hillary Brown | June 18, 2013
J's/Sam's on Prince Adding a Growler Shop

Blog: Grub Notes

After hearing rumors that there was a brand new set of beer taps going into Sam's Food Mart, next door to J's Bottle Shop at 1452 Prince Ave., we had to investigate. It turns out the convenience store (which is owned by the same folks as J's, so no worries about a blood feud) is about one step away from starting to fill up growlers.

By Hillary Brown | June 14, 2013
Tlaloc in Watkinsville, Al's Beef Downtown Close

Blog: Grub Notes

In addition to A Tavola's closing (and promised relocation, according to the sign in its former window, which doesn't say where), the second location of Tlaloc, on Hog Mountain Road, in Watkinsville, is no longer. Al's #1 Italian Beef downtown, which served big, wet sandwiches, has also been unable to make a go of it, and although its managers are still answering the phone, the restaurant is shuttered.

By Hillary Brown | May 31, 2013
A Tavola Closed; Hendershot's Has a New Home

Blog: Grub Notes

After hearing a rumor was flying around town that Hendershot's Coffee Bar had found a new home, we got Seth Hendershot himself on the horn to confirm, which he did. After being pushed from its current tenancy on Oglethorpe after some contentious negotiations, the beloved venue for local music is taking the place of A Tavola in the Bottleworks, which recently closed and is moving to an undisclosed new location in September, according to a sign posted on the door.

By Hillary Brown | May 30, 2013
Insomnia Cookies Aims to Move in a Stone's Throw from Always Baked

Blog: Grub Notes

Insomnia Cookies

The space formerly known as Athena Jewelers, at 228 E. Clayton, popped up recently in a Neighborhood Notification Initiative email as being subject to plans review for a renovation to house Insomnia Cookies. It turns out Insomnia is a college-town-based chain that does pretty much the same thing as local fellas Always Baked Cookies, around the corner on Jackson Street, sharing space and initials with Athens Bagel Co., i.e., late-night cookie baking and delivery. Apparently the sentiment "I'm drunk/whatever and it's 2 a.m. and I really want cookies" is more common than I realized. Are late-night cookie-delivery places the next frogurt?

By Hillary Brown | May 23, 2013
Journey Juice to Open in Normaltown

Blog: Grub Notes

If you've been wondering what might take over the space at Prince and Satula vacated by Honey B's, you may well have noticed a new sign appear on the building's exterior for Journey Juice. It's not open yet, but if all goes well (note: If you know anything about opening a business, you know it rarely does), the cold-pressed juicery should be open in about two weeks.

By Hillary Brown | May 22, 2013
Harris Street Locos Ends Day-to-Day Operations

Blog: Grub Notes

After 25 years, the Harris Street location of Locos will close for day-to-day business at the end of day this Sunday, May 19.

Tucked away off the main drag but close enough to be convenient, the Harris Street location wasn't the very first (that was on Carr's Hill, back when it didn't just do food but also sold groceries and smokes), but it was fairly early, and it's a shame to see it shut down.

By Hillary Brown | May 17, 2013
I'll Have the Sloppy Ho: Tropical Grocery on Baxter

Blog: Grub Notes

When you do this job, you spend your time en route to one place or another scanning the businesses you pass for anything food-oriented and new. Fairly recently, the space at 1037 Baxter St., next door to where Taj Mahal used to be, put up a new sign reading "Bulldawgs Wings/Deli & Tropical Grocery." Also: "100% Halal Fresh Meats." Also "Te Te's Grocery Deli." And finally, "Buy a chicken from us and we will cook it for free!"

By Hillary Brown | May 13, 2013
Groucho's Deli is Moving Into Sudz on Baxter

Blog: Grub Notes

Groucho's Deli

The Sudz laundry at 396 Baxter St., with a primo location right across from UGA's dorms, has sat empty for a while now. When the Butt Hutt was up the street a bit, next to Jimbo's convenience store, its original plan was to renovate the building and move in, but that kept getting delayed and then Jot 'Em Down closed on Macon Highway, providing an easier and more suitable new home.

From what I understood, the plan was still for Butt Hutt to take over the Sudz building eventually, but now that seems to be over and done with and, instead, franchise Groucho's Deli is taking the space.

By Hillary Brown | May 3, 2013
Hunger Doc at Ciné, New Stuff at Stuffed Burger, Lunch at The World Famous

Blog: Grub Notes

A Place at the Table

Food events in Athens continue to come thick and fast, as everyone's all enthused about things growing out of the ground and not yet wearied by day after day of 90-degree weather. On Saturday, May 11, at Ciné, Wholesome Wave Georgia/Athens Farmers Market is hosting a screening of the documentary "A Place at the Table," which addresses hunger in the United States (click the link to see a trailer on Ciné's site). Admission is $20, but there's a reception at 6 p.m. before the screening at 7:30 p.m., and a panel discussion following the film, moderated by local journalist Andre Gallant and featuring Hugh Acheson, Paula Farmer (nutrition director for the school district), State Rep. Spencer Frye and Erin Barger (director of Our Daily Bread Kitchen and Action Ministries). Proceeds benefit the SNAP-doubling program at the farmers' market.

By Hillary Brown | May 2, 2013
Good Food Block Party on Saturday

Blog: Grub Notes

Do you prefer to eat your food on the street or in otherwise nontraditional contexts? Well, spring in the Athens area is all about that, too. Here are some of the upcoming events that offer you that opportunity:

By Hillary Brown | April 26, 2013
Taj Mahal is Relocating to West Broad Street

Blog: Grub Notes

The number of folks complaining about the quick shuttering of Taj Mahal on Baxter, which had been in business for some years retailing Indian, Afghan, English and other specialties, was significant, judging from my Facebook feed. And there was no word on when or, god forbid, if it might show up again. But it seems that it's a relocation, not a permanent closure.

By Hillary Brown | April 16, 2013
Zoe's, BBQ, Sr. Sol and the Return of JB

Blog: Grub Notes

Zoe's Kitchen

If you've driven down Alps Road lately and thought, "hey, what the heck happened to Wendy's," the answer is that Zoe's Kitchen, a health-oriented vaguely Greek quick-service franchise, is taking its place. Zoe's has a number of locations in the Atlanta area, and its food is pretty good, even if Alps is a nearly uninterrupted flow of chain businesses.

By Hillary Brown | April 11, 2013
Classic City Brew Fest is This Weekend

Blog: Grub Notes

Y'all, with all the other things going on in town this weekend (too many to list), it would be easy to overlook the Classic City Brew Fest, which happens on Sunday, April 7, from 2:30 to 6 p.m. at the Foundry Park Inn/Melting Point.

By Hillary Brown | April 4, 2013
Farmers Market Opens This Weekend and More...

Blog: Grub Notes

So it seems like (knock wood) spring is finally here for real, which doesn't mean no more cold snaps but warm days should outnumber icky ones for a while. That also means it's time for the return of the Athens Farmers Market, which kicks off this season this Saturday (Apr. 6), starting at 8 a.m. in Bishop Park.

By Hillary Brown | April 1, 2013
Menu Details for the Georgia Theatre Restaurant

Blog: Grub Notes

By Hillary Brown | March 20, 2013
The Branded Butcher Takes Over the Georgia Theatre Restaurant

Blog: Grub Notes

Yesterday, I managed to get Paul DeGeorge, one of the owners of The Branded Butcher (as well as Pauley's), on the phone to confirm that, indeed, White Tiger is no longer running the restaurant on the rooftop of the Georgia Theatre. Instead, Matt Palmerlee, chef of the abovementioned eatery, is doing the grub there.

By Hillary Brown | March 19, 2013