When Marie and I first began dating, we would probably most often eat in Athens at the restaurant that was nearest her house: the original location of Jot Em Down. The building was erected in the 1920s and, once upon a time, had been a small grocery store. Jot Em Down, for a time much beloved as the favorite barbecue in Athens of many writers, moved to the larger space on the old Macon Highway that had been the home of Parsons Restaurant, but it only lasted there a year or two. Continue reading “Sisters Creole Market, Athens GA (CLOSED)”
Category: goodbye
Curly’s Fried Chicken, Atlanta GA (CLOSED)
So, let’s get the obligatory mention of LeRoy’s out of the way. I liked LeRoy’s. It was pretty good, but pretty expensive, and it didn’t last long, and it closed and a family rented out the property and put their own recipes in the fry vats. Curly’s Chicken is even better than LeRoy’s and less expensive. Continue reading “Curly’s Fried Chicken, Atlanta GA (CLOSED)”
Brown’s BBQ, Atlanta GA (CLOSED)
Many years back, there was this terrific hole-in-the-wall barbecue place called Benny’s. It was located in that ramshackle strip mall right where Ashford-Dunwoody and Johnson Ferry have that obnoxious intersection, where so many restaurants have thrived for a year or three before vanishing. Once upon a time, French Quarter Too was here. So was this Golden-This-Happy-That Chinese delivery place that had a really curious and impossibly spicy dish called Zyu Cheng Chicken on the menu. And then there was Benny’s, one of the loudest and most wonderfully chaotic businesses that I’ve ever seen. The notion of ordering meat dry never occurred to these good people. You joined a line and a woman bellowed questions at you, ending in “HOT, MILD OR MIX?” I think that everybody who sat down with a plate of food had to wipe their brow, relieved that the interrogation had finally finished. Continue reading “Brown’s BBQ, Atlanta GA (CLOSED)”
Sweet House BBQ at Jaemor Farm, Alto GA (CLOSED)
It’s fair to say that I was not in the best mood that I’ve ever been on this trip to the Upstate and back. We were just getting ready to flex some legal muscle over some unpleasantness – since resolved, to about our 95% satisfaction – and Marie was about to go interview for a position in Ohio – stay tuned – and so I had some cobwebs and stress in my attic that needed a long drive and lots of barbecue to clear. And sometimes, you need the company of strangers more than friends. So when Matt phoned while I was in Clemson and invited me to swing back through Gainesville on my way home and get some barbecue with him, I was a little reluctant, because I knew that I wasn’t going to be good company, but I had been cheered up enough by Saturday morning’s drive to make my way his direction. Continue reading “Sweet House BBQ at Jaemor Farm, Alto GA (CLOSED)”
Farm 255, Athens GA (CLOSED)
Ah, Farm 255. At last we meet, if only fleetingly.
Readers with long memories and a habit of reading between the lines have probably realized that there has been some restaurant or other in downtown Athens where, for months, I have tried to have a meal. Well, not consistently; I only ever head to that great little city every six or eight weeks or so. Anyway, not knowing at first that the restaurant – which is only open for supper – has an outdoor “farm cart,” I thought that I might not ever get the chance to stop. Then I learned of the cart, and, in the winter, made two visits, found it shuttered and left, scratching my head. Eventually, I read that the cart is not open during the colder months. Then they delayed opening it this year. Then I stopped going to Athens during the week. Continue reading “Farm 255, Athens GA (CLOSED)”
Coco’s Chinese Restaurant, Chamblee GA (CLOSED)
I’ve said several times before that I’m not all that interested in celebrity chef culture. I like consistency and history, and places that serve a decent meal for years and years. Nevertheless, I do read many of my fellow bloggers in Atlanta, and once in a while, I see a report written with such enthusiasm that it overcomes my silly prejudice. Four months ago, Chow Down Atlanta wrote a rave report (since lost) about Chef Danny Ting’s work at a Buford Highway shop called Coco’s. Continue reading “Coco’s Chinese Restaurant, Chamblee GA (CLOSED)”
Atlanta Cheesecake Company, Kennesaw GA (CLOSED)
Every so often, dealing with teenagers, you hit a wall. A couple of Saturdays ago, we told our daughter to get ready, as we were going out to lunch. She asked where we were going, and Marie said that we were heading out for cheesecake. Continue reading “Atlanta Cheesecake Company, Kennesaw GA (CLOSED)”
Marie, Let's Eat! 