Blog Topic: Restaurant News

Grub Notes: Athens Is Getting a Filipino Food Truck

By Hillary Brown | April 13, 2017 4:00pm

Praise the Lord, Athenians (and engaged couple) Rachel Barnes and Alfredo Lapuz Jr. are just a few steps away from launching their food truck, Manila Express, which should start serving at various locations very soon. You might have seen the truck, with its temporary sign, parked next to Holy Crepe at Boulevard and Park.

Barnes says Manila Express gets its name from Lapuz's dad's band, and will likely set up shop on East Clayton next to Atomic or on Hancock at Creature Comforts, as well as elsewhere. She points out that Filipino street food goes well with brews, and describes the truck's offerings as "pulutan-esque items," which translates as "to pair with beer."

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Grub Notes: Mama's Boy to Increase Parking, Space at Second Location in New Shopping Center

By Hillary Brown | April 7, 2017 10:40am

Photo Credit: The Falls of Oconee

If you've ever tried to park at Mama's Boy during a busy time of day (i.e., basically all of them) and ended up giving up, with a flood of profanity, you'll be pleased to hear about the restaurant's upcoming second location.

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In the Loop: Turnout Light for Watkinsville Alcohol Referendum

By Lee Becker | March 21, 2017 11:41am

Photo Credit: Lee Becker

Only 63 of Watkinsville’s 2,117 eligible voters participated in the three weeks of early voting leading up to todays ’s election on whether Sunday sales of alcohol should be allowed at the city’s restaurants and convenience stores.

The turnout of less than 3 percent of the city’s voters suggests that only a small number of the city’s voters will decide the issue.

In the Mar. 17, 2015 special election in the city on liquor by the drink, only 265 voters cast a ballot, representing just a little more than 15 percent of the 1,759 registered voters. Positive votes were cast by 216 of those voters.

Voting on Sunday sales will take place from 7 a.m.–7 p.m. today at the city’s two precincts, City Hall and Annex.

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Grub Notes: Meal Kits From The National, Cinnaholic's 'Grand Opening' and More Tidbits

By Hillary Brown | March 15, 2017 10:20am

As part of her fundraising for Project Safe's Dancing With the Athens Stars, Airee Edwards (seen above with her Team 6 partner) has teamed up with Peter Dale of The National to offer Blue Apron-type meal kits, available for a limited time. As the saying goes, give the man a fish cooked by Peter Dale, he'll eat for a day; buy the man a meal kit that teaches him how to cook like Peter Dale, and he might actually learn something.

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Grub Notes: Athens Is Getting Some More Chain Restaurants

By Hillary Brown | February 28, 2017 11:35am

Charlie Graingers

Chains!

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Grub Notes: Clarke's Standard Is Open Downtown

By Hillary Brown | February 25, 2017 2:11pm

Photo Credit: Clarke's Standard

After a couple of months of revamping, the restaurant that was previously The Branded Butcher (charcuterie, adventurous more high-end dining), next to the Georgia Theatre on Lumpkin Street downtown, is open in its new version, as Clarke's Standard.

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Grub Notes: Five & Ten Is Nominated for a James Beard Award Again

By Hillary Brown | February 17, 2017 11:24am

The James Beard Foundation released its scroll of semifinalists for restaurant awards across the country on Wednesday, and Five & Ten is among the "Outstanding Restaurant" nominees again.

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Grub Notes: The Fish Shack to Open on West Broad in February

By Hillary Brown | January 27, 2017 2:00pm

Photo Credit: Hillary Brown

Monica Huff

The cute little building at Hancock and Broad that most recently housed Preserve is about to get a new tenant. Monica Huff will open The Fish Shack with her son, Julius, in February, although they're waiting on inspections to have an official date.

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Grub Notes: Cafe Istanbul and Takorea Open Downtown; RIP Ryan's and The Savory Spoon

By Hillary Brown | January 4, 2017 9:45am

Photo Credit: Cafe Istanbul via Facebook.

Cafe Istanbul's Decatur location has had a couple of famous guests.

It took a little while, and it wasn't met with much hoopla, but the Athens location of Cafe Istanbul is open, next to Utage on Clayton Street. It still isn't listed on the Atlanta-based restaurant's website, which does include the Decatur, Kennesaw and Alpharetta locations, but you can at least take a look at the menu there. It features meze, kebabs, zatar bread and wonderful Turkish pizza, topped with everything that will give you terrible breath but tastes amazing.

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Grub Notes: Buffalo's to Close at End of Year

By Hillary Brown | December 20, 2016 12:45pm

Buffalo's Southwest Café, in the Beechwood Shopping Center, may technically be a chain, but the folks who own it locally (Rick and Sharon Roberts) have always run it more like a small business than like a franchise. Come Jan. 1, it (and the location of Fatburger just inside the door) will close permanently.

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