Grub Notes

More 'Cue, Please

originally published April 19, 2006

Barbecue Beat: Yet again, I remind you that the early spring might be a time of frenzied activity in town and on campus, but as far as restaurants opening, it’s a wasteland. This desertification of the scene results in trips afield, in search of grubberies I’ve neglected to visit thus far. Hot Thomas Bar-B-Que (3753 Hwy. 15, 706-769-6550), through downtown Watkinsville, past cows and hay bales and more cows, in a simple white building with a big sign on the front, was the latest in my quest to sample all the barbecue in the area. So it’s a little odd to see big-ass hunting knives for sale under the same counter where you place your order; we like to call that “atmosphere” around here. Ditto for the shelf of bottles and cans that spans the room, with Budwine and commemorative Coca-Cola represented, among many others.

The slow-moving white-haired fellow who takes your order prefers the ketchup-based sauce, but I like the vinegar-based, both in general and in specific. I’ve had hotter, but the 'cue itself has a little get-up to it in this case, a sort of sour, hot tang that resides deep in the meat. It’s too bad the texture isn’t up to par, alternating between patches of wet pork and patches that’ll suck all the moisture out of your mouth. The stew is on the thin rather than the chunky side, but it has a certain charm, and one can’t complain about the slaw.

The plastic menu with replaceable letters advertises mull (making for a total of four places in the greater Athens area that offer it, the other three being Gateway Café, Bill’s Barbecue in Hull and The Courtyard Café at the Georgia Center on campus), but apparently you need to speak up when you order it or it won’t make into the brown paper bag. Is it worth the (long, long) drive? It depends on what you’re looking for. I freely admit to being spoiled when it comes to 'cue, but if you’re not that picky or if you’re bowled over by cute pictures of pigs and children on the walls, it’ll satisfy your needs.

Taco Heaven?: I wish I weren’t so well trained as to leap into action every time The Taco Stand modifies its menu at a given location (in this case, the downtown one, at 247 E. Broad St., 706-549-1446), but if you ring the bell, I will start drooling. So, not only does the Cali-Mex joint have a shiny new menu board and what seems to be a fresh coat of paint inside (there’s something that seems redone), but they’ve added a tilapia taco to the line-up. If you read this column on a semi-regular basis, you may remember that the fish taco, when done well, is one of god’s greatest creations. T-Stand’s fish is fried in tater-tot-sized chunks, then wrapped in a flour tortilla with lettuce, jalapenos and about a pound of cheese. It may cost you $2.79, but it’s damn near the size of a burrito. I believe the sauce is listed as poblano-based, but either they got the spiciest lot of poblanos ever or there’s something else involved. I’m not a wuss when it comes to spices, and I enjoyed the taco much, but if you need to clean out your sinuses (and you may well, with the pollen raining from the sky every time the wind blows), it’s an option that’s cheaper than Claritin by a good bit. As far as the branching out is concerned, it’s a bit less tasty and well-crafted than the fried chicken taco, and the slow-roasted pork taco on the Eastside is still tops, but if you like Taco Stand and you like the spice, give it a try.

What Up?: The Southern Foodways Association Camp Athens, held Apr. 8, was a massive success. Matt and Ted Lee of The New York Times showed up; folks enjoyed bloody Marys and listening to talks by Terry Kay and Jim Cobb; the dinner out at Woodland Gardens was a hit and Farm 255 was more crowded than I’ve ever seen it, with foodies three and four deep around the bar. Here’s hoping they come back and do a day on mull. Bojangles is finally open on Atlanta Highway past the mall. Saving Grace in Comer is renovating itself into a full-service restaurant and expanding lunch service. Gandolfo’s downtown unexpectedly closed a couple of weeks ago, leaving Athens bereft of Yankee breakfast food. Locos is working on building its new location at the ex-Charlie Williams spot on Timothy Road. And, for all you readers who mourned the passing of Azucaa on Tallassee Road and then Pollo Criollo in Normaltown on Prince Avenue, weep not, for Bruno Rubio, Athens' favorite intrepid restaurant entrepreneur, has taken over the old Achim's K-bob location on Lumpkin Street. Rubio was seen redecorating and painting the restaurant last week, and in general getting it ready to open. The new place, called Calientitos as of presstime, will have the same menu of the old Azucaa. Calientitos is scheduled to open at the end of the month. Stay tuned! And if you didn't know it already, Jot ‘Em Down on Whitehall Road has begun taking credit cards, so now you have no excuse not to check 'em out.

Hillary Brown Where else do I need to go for 'cue? Email me food@flagpole.com.

Hillary Brown

Where else do I need to go for 'cue? Email me food@flagpole.com.