Hankook Taqueria: The Best of Two Worlds

By: Maggie Siu

     It’s the perfect marriage of two polar opposites: Korean and Mexican. Ever since the surge of food trucks hit Atlanta, Ga. in 2010, food fans have been chasing down Yumbii, a mobile Korean taco stand. Hankook Taqueria is the hole-in-the-wall headquarters of Yumbii, serving up affordable and delectable Asian-inspired tacos and snacks for crowds lining up outside its door.

     Sitting on the west end of town near The Georgia Institute of Technology, Hankook Taqueria is a short rectangular building housed in a tiny, but crowded, parking lot. The building is by no means glamorous. There are hard, mismatched wooden booths and wobbly tables with a staticky radio played in the background. Even though the tastes of two cultures collide, the room is absent of any diversity or color. It didn’t seem like a very welcoming place, but the winding line criss-crossing the front lobby and the spicy ginger aromas drew me in.

     It may not seem like much since the menu is limited to one page and there’s no table service. However, the menu is simple yet deliciously creative, and the self-service helps keep prices low. Tacos are priced at $2.25 and range from spicy marinated pulled pork to crispy, sweet and tangy calamari. Burritos are available too, which consist of the same ingredients as the tacos but include a larger portion and homemade kimchee fried rice. Generously portioned “street snacks” satisfy the appetizer or side dish craving, but they’re meant to be shared since the baskets are overflowing with food.

All tacos at Hankook come with lettuce, green onion, green cabbage tossed in soy sesame vinaigrette and onions, cilantro, lime and jack cheese.

     Once my best friend and I opened the door to Hankook, we were immediately handed a small paper copy of the menu. A medley of guests crowded each of the wooden tables. Everyone from a group of Georgia Tech frat guys to a well-suited group of businessmen chowed down on baskets of tacos. After hearing so much about the famous Korean tacos, we decided to share one of each – chicken, pork, beef, fish, tofu, calamari and shrimp. We also shared some sesame fries since the $2 deal was too much of a bargain to pass up.

     After finally scoping out an empty table, our fries arrived within minutes. Unlike most fries, these were cooked in sesame oil and seasoned with red pepper flakes and sea salt. The side of ketchup was mixed with sriracha, a popular Asian chili sauce, which gave it a savory kick. Our tacos were swiftly delivered by one of the cashiers about ten minutes after we started filling up on the sesame fries.

     The meat tacos were succulent and juicy– and the soy-sesame vinaigrette paired with green onions and pepper jack cheese was an oddly palatable combination. Where Hankook really shined was their seafood. The calamari and shrimp were both fried to light, crispy perfection and the panko-crusted tilapia was flavorful and fresh. Each taco was accompanied with lime slices, which adequately woke up each ingredient in the overstuffed tacos. We washed each taco down with water since the only other drink options available were sodas.

An atypical food item at a taqueria, Hankook's sliders.

     Roaming around the packed dining room were owner Chef Lee and his wife Mackenzie. They were busy mingling with customers and helping out employees with the rush of orders. Chef Lee briefly stopped by and asked if we needed anything. We assured him that everything was wonderful and having already paid at the counter, we prepared to leave so other waiting customers could occupy our table.

     While Hankook Taqueria focuses mainly on the quality of their dishes, I enjoyed visiting a laidback environment filled with a wide spectrum of guests. It’s a departure from other Atlanta restaurants and remains one of the best secrets in town. The Korean tacos are a rarity in the South, so I was overjoyed I’ve found a place that sells this new food truck staple. Now instead of hunting down Yumbii, I can grab a quick and affordable lunch or dinner in the heart of Atlanta without worrying about what I’m wearing.

Hankook Taqueria 
1341 Collier Road
Atlanta, GA 30318
404.352.8881

Mama's Boy: A Slice of Southern Hospitality Done Right

By: Lilly Workneh
Girls, don’t take heed to Mama’s Boy’s title because this Athens-based restaurant of southern cuisine dishes satisfies all hungry customers, both boys and girls alike.

The locally-owned modern diner’s slogan is “Southern Fun Dining” and if you’re a fan of pure hot, out-of-the-oven biscuits, home-fried chicken and fresh fruits and vegetables, look no further than 197 Oak Street.

The notorious Mama's Boy biscuit and Salmon Cakes Benedict.

And the place sure is fun! Take a seat on the 80’s inspired décor, sip sweet strawberry lemonade out of jars and chatter away in this laid-back and comfortable setting.

The restaurant specializes in serving an array of breakfast items and often finds its busiest hours to be from 8 to 11 a.m., which also seemed to fall around the times I decided to go one busy Saturday Morning.

A decadent serving of French Toast.

Despite the crowd, the wait didn’t last very long and hosts and hostesses all acted swiftly and politely. In a matter of minutes, we were seated at our table, delivered our menus and as expected, ordered a round of their famous sweet strawberry lemonade.

After arriving on a hungry stomach, the wait for the food was excruciatingly long. I ordered the Mama’s Boy Biscuit Sandwich, which the menu described to be a hot, out-of-the-oven biscuit with scrambled eggs, thick cut bacon and smoked cheddar. I also ordered a side of their potato hash to add to my breakfast combo.

What seemed to be hours ticked by and eventually, our steaming hot plates were delivered to the table and my eyes widened in excitement. My biscuit was fluffy, the bacon was thick and crispy, my eggs were scrambled well and the side of potato hash were diced and seasoned perfectly.

The smell of the food made it even more enticing and made my taste buds salivate out of eagerness. It was almost too much and after I dug in for my first bite, I immediately dug in for several more.

I broke apart the sandwich to examine each ingredient individually. The biscuit was sweet and warm and the sausage gravy drizzled over it was a perfect combination. The bacon seemed to still sizzle on the plate and was slightly chewy with a touch of crisp. Two eggs were scrambled and tasted great – I mean, you can hardly ever go wrong when making eggs, and the potato hash had a hard exterior doused in southern seasonings that soon gave way to a warm and mushy center.

Those around my table ordered an array of dishes. One friend of mine chose the salmon cake benedict; two homemade fresh Atlantic salmon cakes topped with poached eggs, fried capers, chive hollandaise, and a biscuit. The salmon cakes were not much to my liking; they were a little too soft and probably needed a few more minutes in the fryer.

Another gal ordered the two biscuits and gravy, which came with two large biscuits with sizable cuts of bacons slapped on topped and drizzled in gravy. Her order was similar to mine, except that she asked for her gravy on the side, which resulted in her plate looking a little bare and dry. While the diner is an expert in breakfast foods, lunch is also served between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. However, I advise you to try their breakfast dishes first as they were voted Best Breakfast in Athens for 5 years in a row.

Overall, the place has a great homestyle feel. The vintage style décor, the young and hip crowd and delicious, warm meals are a pleasure to experience.Boys and gals, Mama’s Boy exudes southern hospitality to the core and it would be a frightful shame for you to not enjoy a true down-south meal here someday.


197 OAK STREET
ATHENS, GA 30601
(706) 548-6249 

The Local Jam : "E.njoy A.thens T.ogether"

By: Deanna Heibeck

As soon as you cross the threshold into The Local Jam your nostrils will be overwhelmed with the sweet smell of bacon, pancakes, and biscuits. That is, if you visit at breakfast time. Personally, breakfast is a big deal to me and from the first scents to the last bite I fell in love!

Located in the heart of Five Points in Athens, Georgia, The Local Jam has been serving the community awesome food for almost a year. It prides itself on being apart of the neighborhood by using fresh and locally grown products, serving Jittery Joe’s coffee, and incorporating Terrapin spent grain across their menu. Also, its signature “Jam of the Day” always entices guests to come back and try something new.

The Local Jam’s menu has a variety of items for breakfast and lunch with an ample amount of options for vegetarians as well. Since I’m a carnivore, myself, I ordered the French Toast meal with a side of thick cut bacon. Minutes later, three thick slices of toasted bread covered with what looked like a snowfall of powdered sugar appeared in front of me. With every bite you could taste hints of cinnamon amongst the soft, sweet bread. The taste and smell alone reminded me of my grandmother’s homemade French Toast in her country kitchen. Everything at The Local Jam is made to order so my bacon was perfectly cooked extra crispy just the way I like it. There were several other options for breakfast including pancakes, granola and yogurt, biscuits, and eggs. The menu includes some specialty meals like Mac N Eggs and Black Bean Chili Jammarito. And that’s just for breakfast. The lunch menu seems just as yummy with several different sandwiches like Grilled Cheese and The New York Reuben. Also, several soups and salads appease the anti-meaty lovers. Can’t wait to visit again and try some of their appetizing lunch meals, as well.


The location of The Local Jam is ideal. The inside is actually much more spacious than you might expect from the outside appearance. A wrap around bar counter and deli-style glass display makes up the center of the establishment. It’s perfect for people eating solo or ordering to-go and the display window offers jams, sweets, and a selection of organic breads they sell. I thought the spacious environment made the restaurant feel very homey. Each table had floral centerpieces and brown craft paper table coverings for children to color on. Its open environment makes The Local Jam a perfect place for large and small parties, college students and families. Enjoy the outdoor patio on nice days or sit at a table inside to beat the heat. It truly fits well in this small college town and I hope it will become a staple Athens restaurant to visit.

Customer service is important at The Local Jam. Don’t worry about being treated less than awesome at this establishment. My waitress was very attentive to my order and as a first-timer she was very helpful in assisting me in what to order. They are just regular people who aim to make sure customers are taken care of. If its not cooked the way you like, they’ll make it for you again. (But, no worries they cook it right!) There wasn’t along wait for my order or my check and there was no rush to ever leave. It could be a nice place to grab a bite to eat between studying or a relaxing brunch. Other patrons seemed happy with their service, as well. No complaints here!

Check in to see what the specials for the day are, you might just be in for a treat! The Local Jam is open daily from 7am to 4pm. With such great service, atmosphere, and (most importantly) food, you have to check out the next hot spot in Athens.

1650 South Lumpkin St 
Athens, GA 30605
706-850-7232

Mama Mia! Mama Lucia's..

By:Allison Kwan
I’m going to shamelessly admit that I’m a food snob when it comes to Italian. I love Italian food. I love powerful espresso shots, creamy gelato that drips off its cone, and hearty helpings of pasta. I love how buffalo mozzarella melts in your mouth and how everything is covered in cheese.

All this food love stems from spending a summer in Italy, filling my belly full of authentic Italian food cooked up by authentic Italian mamas and papas. Since then, Italian food has never been the same. But even before my ventures in Italy when I needed to appease my Italian cravings, chain restaurants like Olive Garden or Carrabba’s would never do. Small, locally owned places with quant Italian names always seemed like the more “authentic” choice to satisfy my hunger.

And so to fill my most recent Italian cravings over the weekend, I decided to revisit a family owned restaurant called Mama Lucia’s down in Newnan, Georgia.

Opened in 2005, Mama Lucia’s is run by the Guillaume family. Father, Leonard, and son, Leo, run the kitchen as executive chefs with Leonard’s wife, Barbara, as wine connoisseur. Mama Lucia’s was inspired from mama Guillaume’s traditional Italian recipes. I had been there once, about three years ago and remember it being oh-so-delicious and always wanting to return.

But either my memory served me wrong, the cooking had gone downhill, or my Italian acquainted palate has become too hard to please. And while I admit I have much higher expectations now, I am positive even my pre-Italian, ordinary taste buds would have found Mama Lucia’s remarkably horrible and depressingly disappointing.

Starting off with an Italian classic, Mozzarella Caprese, I was surprised at how one could take something so simple and make it so bad. While the mozzarella was smooth and glistening white when it came out, it looked better than it tasted; in fact, it didn’t have much taste. The only time it did have any flavor was when hints of basil graced its presence or if it was topped with too much salt. The tomatoes didn’t add anything pleasant either; they weren’t sweet but watery and bland. And while the appetizer looked cute on the plate, the entire first course was very unexciting. The only thing keeping me hopeful was my glass of Chianti, which was full-bodied without being too overpowering and carrying a hint of fruitiness—just how I love my reds.

Second course came—an order of Eggplant Parmigiana over marinara sauce and bowtie pasta—and it didn’t get any better. After a first bite of cold pasta and a second bite of steaming hot eggplant, I got angry. I started to question why I was wasting my time, money, and unnecessary calories on food like this? I ended up burning my mouth with that first bite of eggplant, not only ruining my hopes for something better but also my tongue. This caused the red wine I found previous comfort in to become displeasing; it wasn't tasty with a numb tongue. Plus, the eggplant on my plate was so heavily breaded I could barely find the actual eggplant. After shredding and digging through the breaded-ness, burnt cheese, and marinara, I finally gave up. My plate looked like a food massacre had just taken place. A mound of Eggplant Parmigiana guts laid beaten over cold bow-tie pasta and red sauce that was so dull, it made Ragu more preferable.

One of Mama Lucia's renowned Lasagna dishes  

Defeated and perplexed at how wrong this meal was, I decided to give Mama Lucia’s one more chance in the desert course. Mama Lucia’s Tiramisu (another Italian classic) consisted of ladyfingers soaked in espresso and marsala wine and layered with mascarpone cheese. And how wrong I was to keep hoping for better. Too much mascarpone and not enough actual ladyfinger layering. There was no consistency to the cake because of all the mascarpone. And while the menu described the ladyfingers as “soaked,” mine present on the plate were just plain soggy. While I find most tiramisus to be heavily flavored with coffee, I didn’t have to worry about that here since there was no coffee flavor at all. It was just a heaping slab of mascarpone cheese that wasn’t appetizing with watery cookies slapped in the middle. And as I sit here, now I wonder what those ladyfingers were really being soaked in because it surely wasn’t espresso or wine.

Mama Lucia's trademark dessert dish-- looks good, but just plain soggy. 

After a night of lifeless food, an array of frustrating moods, and a check that was unfitting for this meal, I left the restaurant feeling robbed. Robbed of a week’s paycheck, a healthy tongue, and a lovely dinner. I should have been suspicious when my date and I walked in and found the place less than 25% filled on a Saturday. As a result, the meal had me praying for the day I could eat great Italian food again and vowing to never return to Mama Lucia’s.

Contact:
236 Newnan Crossing Bypass
Newnan, GA 30265
770-253-2501
http://www.mama-lucias.net/Home.html

Come Hungry, Leave Full...An Outdated Lifestyle

The dining area at Lunacy Black Market

By: Mei Brasel


Let me just start off by saying this: I enjoy my salad and healthy grub just as much as the next college health-obsessed female.Okay, I lied. Rather, I enjoy it only when I start reading all the health and fitness articles that warn me that my eating habits could be disastrous at an older age. Instead of taking cheat days off of a healthy diet to indulge in some good eats, I take cheat days off of my hamburger and fries to help ease my troubled subconscious that screams and tells me to be more healthy. 

This is who I am. This is who entered Lunacy Black Market- a place in the heart of Atlanta that is revered for its organic cousine. Oh, and another problem- I came hungry. The Atlanta Braves were having their home opener on this particular day which pushed my travel time from a regular 30 minutes to close to 2 hours. Not acceptable. When my stomach starts to sputter and growl , it is like an angry toddler that craves attention.

"Oh , but you will be fed soon! I am going to a fancy restuarant." 

LBM has been given the title of Best of Atlanta since 2010 and has rave reviews on Yelp and other leading websites. I had read about their quirky set up of having couches instead of the conventional table and chair arrangement- although that was offered as well. I entered the dim-lit room and was romantically cliche yet still

refreshing as well. I opted for the couches simply for the thrill of it.

The menus, written on two slabs of cardboard, were presented to me. The first thing I noticed was the prices were fairly low- all under $5. I did a backtrack and tried to figure out why this supposedly fancy restuarant was so cheap. That's when my eyes fell on the plates. They were maybe half a foot in diameter. Oh. It's one of those places- where you believe you're ordering an awesome dish that is brimming over the edges with delicious food. Then you have to hide your disbelief as the plate contains two quarter-size portions of the selected dish. At least LBM would not cost me an arm and a leg to eat at their establishment. 

With the portion-size dilemma fresh in my mind, I decided to make up for it by ordering more than one dish. That's  when I hit yet another brick wall. I had no idea exactly what to order. I chose the "braised beef dish" for my meat portion and a "mozzarella with tomatoes" for my vegetables. Seeing as this might not exactly fill up my impatient stomach, I ordered another dish- "steamed flash cauliflower" . 

Fifteen minutes drag by and the first plate is served. The Calliflour. My recollection of this particular steamed vegetable was that it is supposed to be white. Had I become such a carnivore that vegetables had already slipped my 21-year-young mind? Nope. As I took my first bite, soy sauce seeped through all my taste buds and 

I instinctively had to open my mouth to let some air in my stifled calliflour- filled jaw.After the third bite, I thought I was swimming in soy sauce. I put down my fork and let my companion finish up the plate. The next dish was the mozzarella cheese mixed with tomatos. Again, another dissappointment. This dish was simply lots of tomatoes piled sky high with two blobs of mozzarella cheese sitting on top like a king and queen upon their thrones. Excuse me if I'm being frank here, but how are these two pieces of cheese, both a little bit bigger than a quarter and with unappetizing craters enveloping them, supposed to fill up my stomach? Are we, as a culture, supposed to have a pre-meal before dining out? Had I become such a fast-food junkie in college that I had not noticed the change in times? 

Mozzarella & Tomato Dish.  

My stomach raged on as I tried to ease the pain by gulping down massive amounts of water (sidenote: LBM charges for water as well). My last dish was due up at any moment and I could not help put sound a little prayer that this dish would put away my frustrations and make me love the establishment. My braised beef was placed before my eyes. I gave a polite "thank you!" and stared down at the tiny plate carrying my tiny portion of tiny pieces of braised beef. I decided this was now or never telling myself that they make up for size with taste. This time, I was partly right. The dish was fantastic at mixing different herbs and spices to harmonize beautifully as the meat melted in my mouth. I could see fireworks. I had finally hit the jackpot. Unfortunately for me, that jackpot vanished four forkfuls later. 

I really have no idea what it was- but I did not click with this restaurant. Maybe I'm not classy enough and can not appreciate the delicacy of this food. Maybe I was just too hungry to start with. I loved the atmosphere with smooth jazz playing the background , coupled with the couches, it provides for a relaxing night and a great place to unwind from a stressful day with your significant other. Personally, however, I would trade all of this in for a foot-long meal combo from Subway. For food, I would choose quantity over quality any day. 

231 Mitchell St. SW

Atlanta, GA 30303

(404) 736-6164

East West Bistro: Delicious Dinners, Debatable Service

by: Natalie Wirtz

Located on Broad Street in downtown Athens, East West Bistro has the optimal location for Athenians to meet for a quality meal.

With different menu options for brunch, lunch and dinner, East West Bistro has quality choices for all price ranges. With tapas costing $6-$12 and main courses between $9-$28, the restaurant can be easily affordable for the collegians of Athens or for the more affluent crowd.

The bistro has two floors with downstairs seating for smaller groups of 2-8, and the upstairs boasting two banquet rooms with enough seating for receptions. Our group of 16 made reservations the day before and was promptly seated in the upstairs dining area overlooking Broad Street.  We had two and a half hours to eat before heading to a concert, which normally would be sufficient. Not in this case.

We were surprised to be the only party upstairs because the hostess was very insistent that we could not change the size of our party because they were booked to capacity.

My dining companions and I got settled and immediately ordered house cocktails and appetizers. My “Dixie” drink was not what I expected. The sprig of rosemary mixed with champagne and pomegranate juice was not a refreshing combination. One member of the group ended up sending it back. However, the mimosas were good with the surprising addition of strawberries. 

East West has an expansive drink menu offering many different choices.

The table split appetizers of fresh bruschetta (a delicious addition of oil and vinegar makes this dish stand out), fried calamari rings and crisp sweet potato chips with feta dressing. Our table seemed to be forgotten after receiving appetizers and some of my dining companions were still waiting for their drinks 30 minutes later.

After an hour wait, the waitress returned to get our food order. Starving, we quickly ordered in hopes that our meals would be served promptly. However, another hour later the dishes started to arrive sporadically.

My alfredo chicken pasta was one of the first dishes to arrive at the table. The aroma instantly made me want to dig in but I decided to wait until the rest of the table received their food.

The dishes were brought out to us randomly within a thirty-minute time frame. My meal was room temperature by this time, but I ate it anyway. This was not the case for others at the table and two plates were sent back to be re-heated.

Definitely go for the food, but pray it arrives in a timely manner.

The lack of prompt service put a damper on the dinner, but the food was still delicious. The chicken alfredo with carrots and broccoli was rich and creamy with flavors that worked together and did not overpower each other. With large helpings, it is a pasta dish that can easily be shared. Same can be said for the shrimp pesto linguini.  With a surprisingly large amount of capers and a very salty yet lemon taste the dish is not for everyone. However, it is delicious if you like the ingredients.

The special of the day was a shark fillet with brussels sprouts which one of my adventurous dining companions decided to try. There was some confusion because the waitress initially insisted that he was served shark, however the plate in front of him was chicken. Any amateur foodie knew something was fishy (pun intended) and the waitress soon saw the error. He was given the correct meal and was satisfied by his bold choice of entrée.

After eating like a starving pack of dogs, which by that time we were, the waitress asked if we were interested in desert. Normally I am not one to pass up on the after-dinner treat, however, seeing that the dinner had already taken so long we were 30 minutes late for the concert.

Even though the poor service overshadowed the good food, I thought East West Bistro deserved a second chance. I returned two days later for brunch and was surprised by the change.  Our service was excellent and our waiter attentive. If you have the time to dine at East West Bistro I would give it a shot for simply the food, but I would not make reservations again. 

351 East Broad Street Athens, GA 30601 (706) 546-9378

The Royal Peasant: Your Neighborhood English Pub

By Jonathan Shealy

The Royal Peasant is a British style pub right next to Five Points in Athens, Georgia. At first glance to many Athens residents it may appear to be just another bar, but once you go inside you discover that it doubles as a restaurant as well, serving classic British dishes. The inside is small and cozy, with soccer jerseys and memorabilia coating all of the walls, and there is plenty of outdoor seating on a patio at the front. A Real Madrid soccer game was on the TV in the background.

A listing of the "Footie" being showed for the week.

It was a lively place, even for 8:00 pm, and most of the tables were filled, as well as the stools along the bar. On the beer list they had many British imports, and I decided to try something random, which turned out to be decent. It didn't quite go with my food, but it was on its own, it had a solid distinctive taste. The menu is not huge, but they seem to go for quality over quantity. The kitchen must have been very small, and tucked away in the back because I couldn't see any signs of it. The girls working the bar were also the waitresses, and they did a great job going back and forth and running everything. The room was slightly noisy, with many different conversations going on between people, but this was hardly noticeable, and I felt it really added to the pub feel.

Try one of "The Royal Peasant"'s selection of British imports.

I decided to go out on a limb and try something I had never heard of before, so I ordered Bangers and Mash. I didn't know what to expect, but it sounded interesting. When they brought it out, I could smell a strong smoky aroma, and my appetite grew exponentially. The dish contained the two large sausages on top of a pile of mashed potatoes, with cabbage and turmeric gravy on top of everything. It looked like a pile of pure deliciousness, and I couldn't wait to take a bite.

I cut off a piece of the plump dark red sausage, breaking through the tough outer skin with my knife and cutting through the juicy interior with ease. I placed it in my mouth and discovered the sausage was sweet, not what I had expected, but pleasantly surprising. The mashed potatoes were a perfect complement to the sausages, and I wondered why I had never through to eat the two of them together before. The cabbage I suppose was there to make it a little more healthy, and it was good too, especially when mixed with the mashed potatoes.

I finished the meal quickly, because of my great hunger, and was thoroughly satisfied. The portion size was perfect, as I didn't have trouble finishing it, and was full afterwards. My friend got the shepherds' pie, which was the special that night, and it was good, though I still have no idea what was in it. It was basically a lot of vegetables, meat, and bread all mashed together into one big, tasty clump.

The pub's house made English Blue Chips, with blue cheese, bacon, and garlic oil.

Overall I enjoyed the experience, and this would definitely be a place I would consider going back to. I liked the pub atmosphere, and the food was exceptional. It's open a lot later than most restaurants would be, and has good options for both food and drinks. I've never been much of a soccer fan, but if there was ever a match I was interested in watching, this would be the place to go. A great, fun, casual place to eat.

The Royal Peasant 

1675 S. Lumpkin Street 30606

Athens, Ga

(706) 549-7920

Mirko Pasta: Fine Dining on a Student Budget

  Mirko Pasta on Athens’ Eastside offers patrons a multitude of dining and beverage options in a laid-back atmosphere. From their specialty entrees to a build-it-yourself pasta menu and an extensive drink list, Mirko’s affordable, yet first-class dining experience is suitable for a date or a relaxing night out with friends and family.  

            Restaurant founder and chef Mirko de Giacomantonio is a native of a small coastal Italian town.  He has lived a life surrounded by food, and learned very early how to cook.  More importantly, however, he learned how to prepare a dish with love and care from his grandmother.  It’s this meticulous and careful nature that allows his restaurants to cater to the even the pickiest of patrons.

            After working at restaurants in five countries, then moving to Atlanta, Mirko coveted the relaxed feel of Athens and wanted to share that intimate, laid-back feeling through food.  He wanted it to feel just like his grandmother’s house.  He succeeded.

            Upon first walking into the restaurant, you can smell the cheeses and sauces just begging to melt in your mouth.  You’ll also notice how clean everything looks.  Surrounding you are clean, empty tabletops ready for dining. 

            At first glance, the menu might appear a bit overwhelming:  There are plenty of hard to recognize Italian words.  But don’t fear ­– each menu option is followed by a detailed description and the cashiers are friendly and happy to answer questions.  For pasta fans, there is also a large plate at the front which labels each kind of pasta so patrons can know the length and thickness prior to ordering. 

            There is quite a bit of information crammed into one front-and-back menu, but Mirko wants to offer nearly unlimited dining options, just like his grandmother offered him.  For fans of appetizers, Mirko offers six unique types of salads and seven distinct appetizers with varying breads, sauces or soups.

            The restaurant offers five different kinds of pre-selected filled pasta, as well as eight types of Italian entrees, but the real fun comes in creating your own affordable dish – between $9 and $12 depending on the type (although expect your bill to be a bit more pricy if you opt for one of the larger entrees). First, you choose from one of six short or long pasta types. Then you can top it with any one of 13 delicious sauce options.  I’d recommend something thick – perhaps their Funghi sauce, rich with mushrooms and cream and coating the pasta beautifully like paint on a canvas.

            As if a traditional Italian dinner isn’t enough, Mirko offers six desserts which they display in a clear, glass case in the front counter – each appearing more decadent than the last – and an extensive beverage list including coffee, wine and beer. You can expect no fewer than 12-15 beer options, both bottle and draft (beer selection will vary by location). They will also offer you a wine to match the food dish you have chosen, but they list six to eight different wines available by the glass, ½ liter or liter. 

            Perhaps more impressive than their food though, is the atmosphere and what happens after you order.  Those same smiling, friendly cashiers that you’ve already spoken to will bring you drinking glasses and fill them for you.  They also bring out a plate of complimentary bread with oil and bean dipping sauces.  Once they bring your food to you, they’ll continue to fill your glasses as needed and bring as much bread as you desire. While I eat, I see them continue to clean tables and prepare a wonderful dining experience for the next person. 

            I leave wishing it could have lasted longer.  Mirko offers a unique experience of letting you choose exactly what you want, sort of a walk through his own kitchen and selecting items as you go.  The restaurant offers a high-end menu with a laid-back, down to earth cost, and you can bet I’ll be back again soon to see what other fantastic dish I can create.

Food and Beverage: A

Affordability: B

Atmosphere: A+

Overall Experience: A

             

Antico Pizzeria: Your Mini-Italian Vacation

by: Meg Goggans

My stomach seems to be gnawing at my insides, yelling at me for not feeding it nearly all day. It’s 7 o’clock on a Wednesday night and I’ve made the drive to Atlanta to see a few old friends at the last minute. As we discuss places to eat dinner, one of our crowd’s favorite activities, a friend mentions Antico pizzeria. Everyone seems to jump out of their seats, immediately ready to get in the car and make the quick trip to Midtown Atlanta. I groan. 

I don’t dislike pizza. I like it, I have some Italian in me after all. It’s just that pizza can be so underdone, making it easy to order a large hot and ready for $5 and scarf the whole thing down without letting your taste buds have a chance to think. Antico, however, is not that kind of pizza place. 

Though the outside of the pizzeria is small and modest, the atmosphere and the pizza at Antico are far from either of those things. Walking in at 7 p.m. on a Wednesday evening, there is already a crowd lining up at the door. As we wait in line to the walk up counter to place our order, there is a glass enclosed seated area with rustic wood community seating to our right. Some people are even standing as they hold large, drooping triangles dripping with cheese. 

The Pomodorini Pizza: refreshing with cherry tomatoes, fresh basil and buffala mozzarella 

There is a large refrigerator on the left, filled with an assortment of desserts (including homemade canolis) and beverage choices from canned Coke products to bottles of Perrier, small boxes of wine, and beer. My friends have been to Antico before and know to bring their own bottle of wine or beer from home for the table, a casual option I’m always a fan of. 

The owner of Antico, Giovanni Di Palma, was inspired to open his own place after visiting his grandparents’ village outside Naples, Italy five years ago. “Antico” means “ancient” in Italian, alluding to the traditional preparation of the pizza and the natural ingredients used, which Giovanni has shipped from Napoli and Campania.

The menu is displayed on large panels behind the cash register, describing the 10 different pizzas and 3 calzones. Prices range from $18-$21 per pizza. After we mull over the menu, we decide on 2 pizzas for the 4 of us: the Pomodorini with fresh cherry tomatoes, bufala mozzarella, garlic, and basil, and the San Gennaro with salsiccia sausage, sweet red peppers, bufala mozzarella, and cipolline onions. 

Mouths already watering, we take our order number and walk around to the seat yourself dining area in the back of the restaurant. Walking through the doorway from the register is like a passport to Italy. You can see everything: three brick ovens that have been imported directly from Italy roaring with open flames in the back as the cooks openly twirl fresh pizza dough in the back. 

There’s not a seat in the house and I feel uneasy, but after 5 minutes of patient standing a space clears up in the middle of one of the long, farm tables. We sit, uncork our bottle of cheap Merlot, and wait. The room is full of chatter and the atmosphere is warm and unpretentious. The smell of olive oil and basil is pungent. Extra pizza toppings line a table that separates the dining area from the kitchen. Everything from salt, fresh ground pepper, silver tin cans with infused olive oil, dried and marinated assorted peppers, and fresh basil you can pluck from the stem. 

All the Italian fixings: garlic, basil, olive oil, and fresh cherry tomatoes.

After fifteen minutes of conversation (mostly about how casual and great the ambiance is) our pizzas arrive atop a tin pizza pan lined with brown butcher paper. Eyes wide, the chatter ceases and everyone reaches for a slice. 

I analyze the two pizzas, both enticing with their bubbling bufala cheese and shiny cherry tomatoes and red peppers. I go for the San Gennaro first. I recognize the flavor of the peppers, sweet, almost caramelized. They remind me exactly of the homemade marinated peppers my grandfather used to send home with my mom in mason jars, but these are fresh and crisp. The Pomodorini is next. The cherry tomatoes pop in my mouth with warm salty, sweet juices and the bright green basil is a refreshing counter to the spicy sausage of the San Gennaro. 

The San Gennaro Pizza with salsiccia sausage, sweet red peppers, bufala mozzarella, and cipolline onions.

It’s not long before only crumbs are left. Two pizzas and a bottle of wine later, I’m stuffed and happy. Happy to be in good company, happy to have good (albeit cheap) wine, and happy to have found such a unique place to enjoy amazing food. 

Since my visit, I’ve recommended Antico to nearly everyone I know who is visiting Atlanta, longing for them to enjoy the same experience I had and also to give business to a locally owned place that deserves more credit than a cheap, unsatisfying hot and ready. Get there early though since the crowds can be a bit overwhelming, but well worth it. Antico is a place that feels like home, only the home you dream about having in Naples, Italy: warm, inviting, and unassuming. 

Antico is located at 1093 Hemphill Avenue in Atlanta, Georgia

Tel: 404-724-2333

Monday-Saturday: Noon until "Out of Dough!"

Closed Sundays

Last Resort Grill: Athens' Most Popular Place

          Last Resort Grill, nestled on a corner of Clayton Street just a few short steps away from the famous Georgia Theatre and the bar lined streets of downtown, is arguably the most famous restaurant in Athens, Georgia. On any given night, outside you will find diners spilling out onto the sidewalks waiting for a table, and inside standing room only at the cramped bar area.

            There seems to be no limit to Last Resort’s patronage. There were elderly couples nursing wine, young professionals, college students with their parents, and even a gaggle of drunken twenty-somethings there for a bachelorette party. Inside, it is dim and noisy with conversation. The exposed brick walls and light fixtures that resemble beehives made of sticks give off an underground bodega kind of vibe.

            My favorite dining companion, my Mom, a friend and I arrived around 8:15, a little early for our 8:30 call ahead [Last Resort does not take reservations] hoping to get seated a little earlier. As it turns out, the “call ahead” was completely futile and we could not have been more wrong. We crammed in at the bar and ordered a couple of beers for the wait. By the time our table was called at 9:40 we were slumped over on a bench in the bar, already three beers in and ravenous.

            Once at the table, a four top tucked into a quaint alcove, we eagerly consumed the menu. We settled on two “small plates” [I told you we were hungry, right?], the shrimp quesadilla topped with jalapenos, Monterey jack cheese, and pineapple salsa [$6.95], and the Carolina crab cakes [$8.95]. The appetizers arrive after about 15 minutes and we dive in.

Both apps were good, but I’ll admit, we devoured them like angry vultures so that could just be the hunger talking. The pineapple on the quesadilla offered a sweet contrast to the jalapeños, and the shrimp were perfectly cooked. The crab cakes were simple, and not too mayonnaise-y, which is often my biggest complaint about crab cakes. At one point my friend, Morgan, looked up and said guiltily, “I think I just ate half of a crab cake in a single bite.” Amen, sister.

            For the entrée I select the Praline Chicken, a Last Resort classic. It is stuffed with a “medley of cheeses,” drizzled with walnut honey sauce, and served with creamy grits and green beans. At $14.50, its one of the cheaper items on the menu. My Mom settled on the Pecan Crusted Blue Trout, served with lentil rice and veggies, priced at $16.95.

Last Resort's Praline Chicken

            Our food arrived in about 30 minutes. The presentation fit the feel of the restaurant- not overly fancy but still impressive. I started with the sides first, as I always do. The beans were nothing special, just your average green beans that your mom could have made for dinner on a school night. The grits were creamy and quite good, and the texture felt more like mashed potatoes. The chicken was juicy and plump, although it was more like a medley of cheeses with a side of chicken than the other way around. Luckily, the medley was good.

            My Mom’s trout, however, was overdone. The pecan flour, cornmeal and walnut “dusting” was really more of a smothering, and she had to scrape off most of the topping just to taste the fish. No complaints about the rice and veggies, but no ravings either.

            We were pretty full after the marathon of food shoveling we did [really, one would think we were contest eaters], but the dessert choice was an easy one- Red Velvet cake, my all time favorite. As a disclaimer, I am picky about my Red Velvet due to my inability to pass it up under any circumstances, and therefore having tasted an embarrassingly large number of variations. The cake was good, moist and not smothered in gobs of icing. My only complaint is that the icing was not the cream cheese variety, the traditional companion to Red Velvet cake.

Last Resort's Red Velvet Cake

            When all was said and done, the bill came around 11:30 and we were all certifiably in a food coma, barely short of asking someone to simply roll us home. The place had emptied out by then, and we shared the dining room with only one other couple on a date. While I didn’t have any major complaints about the food, I wasn’t completely blown away either. When weighing the food against the trouble of the lengthy wait time and the constant jostling of the crowds, it just doesn’t stack up. In the future, I think I’d steer clear of the dinner crowd and give it a second try at lunch.

            So why is Last Resort such an Athens legend? The price range is a little outside the realm of the average college student’s budget, although you do see a few couples there on dates, and the food is good but not exceptional, especially compared to some of the other restaurants in Athens. The best answer I can offer is simply that it’s trendy. It’s a good place to go and be seen and its reputation as an Athens classic has diners scrambling for a table. Everyone should try it just once, but beware; it might not live up to the hype.