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

Blog posts by Hillary Brown

RIP Koa Surf Bar, Eden's Cafe Coming to West Broad, The Expat Adds Lunch and More

Blog: Grub Notes

Photo Credit: Eden's Cafe/Facebook

College Avenue's Koa Surf Bar and Restaurant (reviewed here) has closed, probably making way for another bar. Around the corner, on Broad, the downtown branch of Einstein Bros. Bagels also appears to be no longer, although you can still get the chain's wares in UGA's Main Library and Science Learning Center. Magnolia Cafe, in Crawford, has also closed.

By Hillary Brown | January 31, 2019
Taste of India Is Open on the Eastside, Malinda's Is Closed, and More Food News

Blog: Grub Notes

Photo Credit: Taste of India/Facebook

After a brief hiatus—it closed downtown effective Nov. 25—Taste of India has completed its move to the Eastside, in the Ansonborough development on Gaines School Road, and is back open for dine-in for lunch (11 a.m.–2 p.m.) and dinner (5–10 p.m.) daily. Its popular lunch buffet, however, has been discontinued. The phone number is 706-850-6118 for the moment, but the restaurant hopes to get its old number back.

By Hillary Brown | December 12, 2018
Half-Shepherd Market & Cheese Shop Is Open

Blog: Grub Notes

Photo Credit: Half-Shepherd Market/Facebook

Hey, grilled cheese fans, do you need some good news? Half-Shepherd Market and Cheese Shop, which has had brown papered windows facing Prince Avenue in Normaltown for some months now, is open for business and serving lunch Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m.–2 p.m., as well as retailing fine cheeses.

By Hillary Brown | December 11, 2018
Athens' First Cookie Dough Café Will Give You the Chance to Eat Your Feels

Blog: Grub Notes

Photo Credit: Dawg Dough

As we creep ever closer to the world of Wall-E, Athens is getting its very own cookie dough café. Dawg Dough, owned by Mike and Jennifer Dollander, will open this fall at 480 N. Thomas St., across from 1000 Faces.

Jennifer Dollander visited New York with her daughter Stephanie in July, where they encountered the idea of an eatery that made it acceptable to eat raw cookie dough in public. Entrepreneurially minded folks, she and her husband thought it would be popular in Athens, especially with a Bulldog theme.

Jennifer developed the recipes, which are safe to eat raw, testing them with her five children.

By Hillary Brown | October 10, 2018
'TrueSouth' Watch Party Tuesday, Autumn Harvest, LatinxFest and More Food Events

Blog: Grub Notes

Photo Credit: SEC Network/Bluefoot Entertainment

A still from the Athens episode of "True South."

Fall events are starting to pop up on the calendar, and you can expect a busy October and end of September. Here are some of the food-related ones.

If you've been watching the SEC Network, it's likely you've caught the trailer for "TrueSouth," a new show from professional Southerner and food writer and one-time/sometime Athenian John T. Edge. The Athens episode premieres this Tuesday, Sept. 25 at 7 p.m., and there's a watch party that starts half an hour earlier at Normal Bar.

By Hillary Brown | September 24, 2018
Maepole and Koa Bowls Are Open, and More Food News

Blog: Grub Notes

Photo Credit: Maepole via Facebook

Peter Dale

Peter Dale's Maepole, a veggie-focused fast-casual place on Chase Street, between Boulevard and the Loop, is softly open, from 11 a.m.–9 p.m. Monday through Saturday (closed Sunday). You can see the menu here.

By Hillary Brown | July 19, 2018
Taste of India Is Moving to the Eastside

Blog: Grub Notes

Photo Credit: Taste of India/Facebook

Oh, whew, guys. Unlike many, many other restaurants faced with closing that have promised to reopen elsewhere and that almost never do, Taste of India will live on.

By Hillary Brown | June 21, 2018
86 Hate Pop-Up, Bug-Eating Conference and More Food Events

Blog: Grub Notes

Local nonprofit 86 Hate is hosting a pop-up dinner/benefit tonight (Monday, June 18) at 7 p.m. at The Old Pal, which is also launching its summer cocktail menu. 86 Hate focuses on helping service industry workers in Athens advocate for their rights, fight sexual assault and sexual harassment, deal with mental health issues and more. This pop-up specifically raises money for the organization's efforts to support service workers dealing with sexual assault and harassment in the workplace. Chef Garrett MacFalda (of Heirloom) is offering six small plates of local produce and ingredients priced at $7–$12.

By Hillary Brown | June 18, 2018
Pub on Main Is Open, Korean Coming to Baxter Street, and More Food News

Blog: Grub Notes

Photo Credit: Pub on Main/Facebook

Downtown Watkinsville's Pub on Main, which replaced Pour, is softly open, with lawn games, giant Jenga, a frosé machine and more. The hours will eventually include lunch Monday through Friday, brunch Saturday and Sunday and dinner Monday through Saturday, with the bar open a little later, but for now you can find updates on the restaurant's Facebook page. Its official website, complete with menu, is here.

By Hillary Brown | June 12, 2018
The Expat and Taqueria Mundos Are Open, and More Food News

Blog: Grub Notes

Photo Credit: The Expat via Facebook

The Expat, the fancy French-ish restaurant in the former Two Story Coffee space in Five Points, has been open for a few weeks now, with lunch Tuesday through Saturday, dinner Tuesday through Sunday and Sunday brunch. The Sunday supper menu changes weekly. The other one is here. Also: very serious cocktails.

Las Monarcas, at 645 Danielsville Road, has closed but was quickly replaced by Taqueria Mundos, which just opened and is cash only for the moment.

Sonny's BBQ on Atlanta Highway is closing as of tonight after 37 years in business, as its franchise license is not being renewed by its parent company. It will reopen as Malinda's Country Kitchen and Catering, which does not appear to be a franchise. The sign on the door describes it as, "an a la carte buffet featuring home cooking with a wide selection of proteins and vegetables that will change throughout the week... It will also feature a menu of sandwiches and side items for those who prefer a lighter meal." The management team and staff will remain.

By Hillary Brown | May 31, 2018
Buvez is Open on Barber, The Falls on Macon Highway and WNB on Williams Street

Blog: Grub Notes

Buvez, Bain Mattox and Amanda Kapousouz's Euro-style cafe on Barber Street, in the former 1000 Faces space, had a soft opening this past weekend and is now open regular hours (approximately 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.). Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, fancy sodas and pastries from The Comerian are available in the a.m., and sandwiches on baguettes take over a bit later. You can also get soft pretzels, bulk snacks, hard-boiled eggs, beer, wine, aperitivos (and cocktails based on such), sno-balls (boozy and nonalcoholic).

By Hillary Brown | April 18, 2018
Chef Dan Barber Is Speaking at UGA, and Way More April Food Events

Blog: Grub Notes

Dan Barber

Dear Athens, please stop scheduling more events in April. Love, me and everyone else.

By Hillary Brown | April 5, 2018
Sakura's Five Points Location Has Arrived, and More Restaurant Openings

Blog: Grub Notes

Photo Credit: Andrea Williams/Facebook

Sakura

Sakura's second location, in Five Points, next to The Pine, is open! Yay! It does not appear to have a Facebook page or be reflected on the original location's website, but it's doing lunch and dinner business. Woo!

By Hillary Brown | February 13, 2018
Four Fat Cows Ice Cream Is Opening on Baxter; Franklin House and Lindsey's Are Open Downtown

Blog: Grub Notes

Photo Credit: Four Fat Cows via Facebook

Four Fat Cows, an ice cream place out of Alpharetta, is officially open at 723 Baxter St., near the intersection with Harris Street, in the space that previously housed Always Baked. The Athens location (which is only the second to open) has its own Facebook page and will start regular hours Friday of 7 a.m.–10 p.m.

Owner Robyn Rowles says she picked Athens because "one of our employees that has been with us for years goes to school here and is going to run this location for us.... We also love Athens and the UGA football team." She plans to open a couple more locations in Atlanta this year.

By Hillary Brown | February 1, 2018
Rashe's Cuisine Is Closed But Still Delivering

Blog: Grub Notes

Photo Credit: Rashe's Cuisine/Facebook

Rashe's Cuisine, at 211 Tallassee Road, is unfortunately closed at that location. Last week, pipes froze and burst, resulting in a flooded restaurant. Then the owner of the building sold it to another restaurant. It's a bit of a bummer, as Rashe's has been perhaps the most successful tenant in the space since it housed Cali N Tito's, years ago.

By Hillary Brown | January 9, 2018
J.R. Crickets Is Open, Koyla Is Closed, and More Restaurant News

Blog: Grub Notes

Photo Credit: Joshua L. Jones/file

RIP, Koyla: We Barely Knew Ya.

The Athens location of Atlanta's J.R. Crickets is open on Hawthorne Avenue, in what has been a Dickey's, Big Daddy Mike's and Allen's (post-Normaltown). The place focuses on wings but also does burgers, sandwiches, wraps, salads, ribs and more, plus it has a full bar.

By Hillary Brown | November 27, 2017
The Treehouse Market Is Open in the Falls of Oconee

Blog: Grub Notes

Photo Credit: The Treehouse Market Facebook

Once you get over the name it shares with our local toys and crafts store (in a sort of Office Lounge/Office Bar & Grill situation), The Treehouse Market, in the Falls of Oconee shopping center on Macon Highway, is kind of neat. It's a bit of a convenience store, with gum and magazines and beverages, but it also has fancy pickles (house-branded), sippy cups designed for wine, some kind of amazing milkshake/smoothie machine, nice beer and wine, good chocolate and more.

By Hillary Brown | November 24, 2017
The Lil' Ice Cream Dude Is Getting His Own Store

Blog: Grub Notes

Photo Credit: file

Beau Shell in 2014.

Unlike most kids, who tend to be interested in something for about five minutes after you've paid for it, Beau Shell (aka the Lil' Ice Cream Dude) has spent the past five-and-a-half years building his small business.

He started off with a little cart, out of which he sold popsicles and frozen novelties at events around town, eventually becoming the youngest member of the Athens Chamber of Commerce. More recently, he upgraded to a heavy-duty food-truck-style trailer after a successful crowd-funding campaign. He works nearly every weekend in the hot months and fairly frequently even in the cold ones. He's also only 13 years old.

On Small Business Saturday, he'll open Cool World, a proper brick-and-mortar store, in the Shops of Ansonborough, on Gaines School Road on the Eastside.

By Hillary Brown | November 22, 2017
Copper Creek Is Closing, and Heirloom Has a New Chef

Blog: Grub Notes

Photo Credit: Copper Creek via Facebook

Before the craft beer explosion, Copper Creek Brewing Co., on Washington Street, had a lot less competition. Lately, it's been overshadowed, and now it's shutting its doors, with Saturday, Nov. 18 set as its last day in business. A nice statement posted on its Facebook page reads, in part:

By Hillary Brown | November 13, 2017
1000 Faces to Open New Location Downtown Next Monday

Blog: Grub Notes

Photo Credit: Hillary Brown

Back in May, we reported on local coffee roaster 1000 Faces' plans to renovate and move into the building at 510 N. Thomas St. downtown that used to house Good Dirt. Work has moved along fairly quickly, and although 1000 Faces didn't meet its original goal of being open by September, the space is looking good, and it'll begin serving coffee next Monday, Nov. 13, with a soft-open week.

By Hillary Brown | November 6, 2017