Lateness: Perhaps in this case, it is less about the early bird and the worm than about the tortoise and the hare. In either case, whichever animal we’re talking about here ended up with a pizza, as I finally made it out to the Athens branch of Buck’s Pizza (3579 Atlanta Hwy., in the old Target shopping center, behind Captain D’s, 706-546-5353), a franchise operation that’s trying to compete with your bigger pie delivery chains. Buck’s might feature soothing backdrops of piney woods and the city of Rome on its takeout menus, but the atmosphere is pretty much “get in, get your food and get out in a hurry,” with furniture consisting of two benches not of an appropriate size for anything but squirming while you wait. Don’t plan on eating in despite the several lunch specials, which, incidentally, are a decent deal. You can walk out with a personal-sized pizza bigger than at a lot of places and a 20-oz. Coke product for around $6, and you may have leftovers, depending on your capacity. Buck’s has a lot of specialty pizzas with various combinations of meats, veggies and cheeses and a pretty wide range of sizes, from 9” small to “bellybuster” (larger than the 16” extra large, but unspecified in diameter), and the menu also includes hoagies, stromboli, wings, salads and the usual assortment of breadsticks, cheese sticks and so on. So how does the pizza stack up against its larger competitors, like Papa John’s and Domino’s? It holds its own. One of the things most delivery places fail in is the crust, which tends to be soft, white and, while suited for dunking in garlic sauce, generally flavorless on its own. The crust is precisely where Buck’s does a good job. I’m not saying it’s up to the level of a non-delivery pizza joint, but said edge has a pleasing chewiness and the quality almost of a pan-type pizza. Toppings are acceptable, but not exciting, and both cheese and sauce manage to equal those of the chains. The stromboli may be a slightly better option, as its crust-to-topping ratio is larger than the regular pie, and it, too, is remembered somewhat fondly once polished off. Is Buck’s in the league of Transmetropolitan or Mellow Mushroom? Not really, but considering the delivery area and the frequent specials (Mondays and the more usual Tuesdays), it’s certainly a possibility to add to your list. Buck’s is open for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday and for dinner on Sunday and does not accept personal checks, although they do take credit cards.

Laziness: Athens has a new prepared foods option, and conveniently enough, it’s in the same location as one of the others. Mary Songster has begun offering frozen entrées at Donderos' Kitchen (584 N. Milledge Ave., just off Prince Ave., 706-543-5520), which continues to retail its own dinners in the refrigerated case and will have added breakfast items by the time the paper hits the street, including quiche and coffee cake. Songster’s foods require a little more work from you and include serving suggestions with ingredients you may not have in the house (and considering you’re picking up dinner instead of going to the grocery store, chances are you don’t have a lot in the house), but despite the expense ($18 to $20), with a bit of effort they can easily feed two people and well. If you make a pot of rice, her cauliflower curry could stretch even further, and it’s got serious zing to it. One could wish for slightly more al dente cauliflower, but as far as Indian and frozen go, you might not be able to do better. The cup of peach chutney it comes with both cools the heat and impresses the tastebuds. Other choices include shrimp and grits, gnocchi, beef with red wine sauce and more. Donderos' is open six days a week and gives discounts to alternative transportation users.

What Up?: Rumors were flying around town all last week that Rouge had closed. Multiple unanswered phone calls and a drive-by seemed to confirm that the bistro had indeed shut it doors. No confirmed info on why it closed so suddenly was available at press time. Mark Bell’s Dagger Lounge is open in the spot opposite the police station on Washington Street downtown. Music is "customer dictated, if we have it, we play it" and atmosphere is vaguely goth. He’s also working on Detour, another spot in the ex-Fox Appliance building on Dougherty, due to open with the Wired Music Festival during AthFest. Clocked has switched to more counter-based service (order there, have your food brought to you, get your own soda), in an effort to improve things in that area. Servers are missing their tips, but presumably are being paid minimum wage now. The space across from Taste of India on Broad Street that used to be Midtown Market is undergoing yet another set of renovations to become Athens Teriyaki, a not exactly traditional Japanese restaurant. The Ansonborough development on Gaines School Road (near Cedar Shoals Drive) is getting a location of the Atlanta-based Johnny’s Pizza. Bruno Rubio’s Calientito’s on Lumpkin Street in the ex-Achim’s K-Bob location looks like it has a good shot of being open by press time, and Mama’s Boy on Oconee Street in the former Fuel building seems to be coming along similarly, with a brand-new coat of paint on both roof (silver) and bricks (white). The old Guthrie’s location on Baxter Street should be serving chicken fingers at some point again plus Texas toast, once Raising Cane’s, a Louisiana-based company, moves in.