OK, it’s a strong statement, but I believe it.

Unfortunately, I don’t have any pictures to document my wonderful experience at Farm 255, but I’m hoping I can paint pictures with words for you.

If you don’t know the history of Farm 255, its namesake is due to the restaurant’s farm right outside of Athens where little piggies, chickens, cows, veggies and other things are grown.  In other words, everything served in the restaurant is either grown on the “Farm” or another local Athens farm.

Such a cool concept.

Farm is located on West Washington Street, right behind Clocked.  I would really like to ask someone about the building it’s in.  The ceiling is lofted, and it almost has a barn-like feel.  The colors inside are warm; there are pictures of the farm; and the day’s harvest is drawn on a chalkboard to the right of the front door.

A side note: there is a picture of a pig that I could NOT take my eyes off when I was eating.  I swear. It’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen in my life. Look for it when you go.

I went to eat at Farm with my parents, Tom and Kelle.  We made reservations, so we were immediately seated when we came in.

It didn’t take long for a server to bring bread to our table and ask for drinks. The kind of bread (they have different varieties) we got is made from the leftover hops at Terrapin Brewery, so it’s kind of sweet. I think it’s the best bread I’ve ever had. Holy cow.

Mom and I ordered a wonderfully delicious cucumber and pomegranate martini, and Dad ordered a gin drink. Their cocktail menu is extremely interesting.  I think it’s the most diverse menu I’ve ever seen.  Take a look.

Since they raise everything on the farm, they serve what they’ve got.  That means it is a very seasonal restaurant with not as an extensive menu as, say, Applebees.  Never fear, Dawg Food fans.

There were about five entrees listed on our menu, but it was nice to know Mom’s chicken wasn’t shot full of steroids and hadn’t been in a freezer for a couple of months.  I wonder what the “animal turnaround” is.  Maybe one day from the farm to the table?  That’s a question I will have to ask them.

For an appetizer, we ordered a cast-iron raclette. It was a little cast iron skillet with a slice of melted, strong, oh-so-pungent-but-wonderful French cheese in the middle, and was accompanied by homemade pickled okra and green beans.  I had never had pickled green beans, but they were fabulous. The skillet also came with little toasties to put the cheese on.

If you partner the pickles with the cheese, the vegetable balances the pungency of the cheese.  You’ll like it. Trust me.

For dinner, I ordered the vegetable plate; Mom ordered the chicken, and Dad ordered the spaghetti bolognese (bow-long-ney-sey).

I’ll let them describe it to you:

veggie plate
Full Moon eggplant caponata, pink-eyed pea salad, grilled Full Moon okra,
hummus & lavash, heirloom sweet potato fries   15

Full Moon pork & lamb bolognese
cappellini, Grana Padano    16

Full Moon pasture-raised chicken
grilled half chicken, sweet potato purée, Alice’s green beans, grilled okra   21

Um, I will say it was the BEST veggie plate I’ve EVER had.  The hummus was a little garlicky, but everything else was so incredibly fabulous.

Mom said it was the best chicken she’s ever had. It seriously fell right off the bone. At one point, she wasn’t eating her food, and Dad and I went right for her plate at the same time. Apparently she wasn’t done, so she smacked both of our hands. I’ll never do that again.

Dad’s pasta was amazing.  I was so puzzled at the large amount of meat in the spaghetti, but it was very light in your mouth. Does that make sense?

It was so, incredibly full of flavor. You could taste each spice, and I don’t think it needed (or had) a sauce. The oil and juices from the meat were enough.

A comment on the service: they are sooo nice!  I’ve said before that it’s hard to get good, friendly people to serve you in Athens, but our waitress was, truly, the NICEST waitress I’ve had in Athens. You know those people who are just genuinely caring and, well, nice?  Yeah, that was her.  So, thank you for making our experience even better than it was!

Guys and gals, I will have pictures another time because I know I’ll go back to Farm. I have also heard from reliable sources that the Sundee (yes, I said Sundee) brunch is the best in town.

Moral of this culinary story: Try Farm. Come back. Tell us what you think.

To all my readers:

I truly apologize for the lack of posts in September.  My life has been unbelievably hectic, and I am finally getting back to my normal schedule. So, never fear! Dawg Food girl is back and ready to write.

Yesterday, I went to Five Star Day Cafe for brunch after church with my two friends Jaime and Marguerite.  I must admit.  I’ve never been to Five Star Day for Sunday brunch because it is usually unreasonably crowded and takes too long to get your food.

HOWEVER, yesterday was perfect.  We found a table for the three of us after placing our orders and were there for about an hour and a half.

Here’s what we got:

Kat (me): two scrambled eggs, wheatberry toast, fresh fruit and coffee

Jaime: the daily scrambler with fresh fruit and a DC

Marguerite: some sort of yummy egg concoction, fresh fruit and coffee

James and I were very excited to see all of us received a little chocolate chip muffin on our plates, too.  Marguerite doesn’t like chocolate (don’t ask me why), so she didn’t eat hers.

My meal was pretty good.  I was a little disappointed in my scrambled eggs because they were very much like McDonalds’ style.  That is, they were flat- like a patty.  I like my scrambled eggs chunky like they’ve been abused by an agressive spatula.  Don’t you?

The toast was nice and crunchy, but not too much.  We all loved our fruit: honeydew, apples, grapes, and cantaloupe.

I think Jaime and Marguerite liked their meals.  We all pretty much cleaned our plates.

It was pleasantly surprising to see the inside of the joint had gotten a minor facelift.  Some of the trim looked like it had been repainted, and the air conditioning was on!  I still came out of there smelling like greasy breakfast food, but I guess that was a sacrifice I had to make.

This also made me really happy: our waitresses and the cashier lady were SO friendly.  Like I said before, it’s difficult to find good, sincere, friendly service in Athens, despite the awesome food you find.  So, thanks, FSD workers!  You made my morning so much better.

So stay tuned, friends!  Never again will Dawg Food go so neglected.

Thank goodness, Big City Bread has come out from under its sketchy little hole.

I feel like they’ve been hiding under a rock since they stopped their commercial bakery, but I think they’re back in business now!

I found their new Web site: www.bigcitybreadcafe.com today, and it’s great!  The menu, bakery options and catering options are all listed- a huge upgrade from their last Web site.

So props to you, Bread people!  I will remember to use this the next time I’m looking for a fantastic breakfast.

After pancakes on Saturday, Dad and I decided to go for brunch after church to the Bluebird Cafe.

I’ve posted about it before, and I think my favorite part is still their biscuits. I’ve never had anything like them! Huge, whole wheat, thick…you can’t get much better.

I wanted quiche on Sunday morning, but the chefs were in the process of making them when we came. I don’t know why they didn’t make them before 10 o’clock on Sunday morning, but it wasn’t my decision.

So, I settled for a Greek egg white omelette. It was pretty good! I knew it had Feta cheese, but I wasn’t expecting it to have Feta and Monterrey Jack. It was a little too cheesy for me, so I picked some of it out. Otherwise, the black olives, tomatoes and pesto made a nice combo!

Dad decided to go with the veggie omelette (sans onions and garlic), and he ate all of his. He decided it needed a little ketchup, and I don’t blame him. I love ketchup with eggs.

Here’s one thing I don’t understand, though. The Bluebird Cafe is vegan and vegetarian friendly, yet they use Smucker’s jam and apple butter that contain high fructose corn syrup. One of my favorite parts of the Bluebird Cafe was their apple butter, but now that experience is bittersweet. I know that vegans and vegetarians don’t boycott high fructose corn syrup, but it seems to me that they would know how bad it is for you. I just thought that was interesting.

Again, the service was a little spotty, but I think it was better than the last time. They just don’t have their wits about them when it’s gameday.

I saw my friend, Victoria, there with her mom, and she told me today she wasn’t very impressed with her meal. “Well, I only got granola and fruit, but it still wasn’t that good. My mom and my friend got the French toast pancakes, and they loved them. I guess I’ll just have to get something different next time.”

This goes to show, ladies and gentlemen, that you can go back to a restaurant another time and order something different. If you think the restaurant has potential, try it again! It seems to be that way with me with Bluebird.

The Grit, a local vegetarian hot spot, has been one of my favorite Athens restaurants since I came to school.

I think the word “vegetarian” scares a lot of people away, but I think the negative connotation will go away once you try their mac and cheese.

Here’s what you need to know before you go:
Location: On Prince Avenue, right after downtown on the left
Digits: (706) 543-6592
Web site: www.thegrit.com
Reservations: No
Price: You couldn’t go there every day on a college budget, but I think it’s reasonable. Plan on anywhere from $8-15 per meal
Best meal: I think dinner is the best. The menu is the same, but it’s more fun at night.
Open and close: Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. brunch and 5 p.m.-10 p.m. dinner
Group friendly: Kind of. They won’t be very nice to accommodate you, but I would go when they aren’t busy.
NOTE: THEY DO NOT SEPARATE CHECKS. I don’t know why, but just know that before you go.

I was really excited to re-visit The Grit. It had been a long time since my last visit. I met my friend, Jaime, for dinner, and we enjoyed our candlelit dinner thoroughly.

I decided to go with Kelly’s suggestion from my other post, and I ordered the Tabouli salad. It was definitely one of the biggest green salads I’ve ever eaten, but it was light and tasty.

The bulgur mixed with cilantro and some other fresh-tasting herbs was placed right on top of a huge bed of lettuce. It came with lemon tahini dressing on the side, and it was the perfect complement. I ate the whole thing guiltlessly.

Jaime ordered the noodle bowl of the day. If I can remember, I think it had tofu, squash, red onion, zucchini, peppers, noodles and some very spicy seasonings. If I’ve forgotten something in the bowl, maybe she can post what I left out.

I think Jaime was satisfied on her end, too! The noodle bowl was very spicy, so the waiter had to keep coming back to refill our drinks. Nonetheless, she ate everything.

In previous trips to The Grit, I’ve ordered pita pizza, grilled cheese smelt, veggie plate and a noodle bowl. ALL were original (honey mustard with the grilled cheese), fresh, well-portioned and filling. I would suggest trying something there you’ve never eaten before. Their vegetables of the day are wonderful, and each one has a zing to it that might make you lick your plate.

I have also been to The Grit for brunch. Please eat as many biscuits as they’ll give you. No disappointment there.

In addition to the main meal, they have a FANTASTIC looking dessert case. Vegan cakes are also made, but the light and bright colors from the cakes can be mesmerizing. You need to try one.

One last thing: I’ve come to a point where I think vegetarian restaurants are not known for their customer service. The staff wasn’t overly friendly, but I’m at a place in my life where I accept it. Different people have different ways of communicating, and my expectations are different than others.

No worries, though. The last time I checked, I wasn’t going to a restaurant to chit-chat with the waiter. It’s all about the friends and the food, and The Grit is a great place to go to make that combo even better.

P.S. Sorry there aren’t any pictures. They wouldn’t let me take any.

Ever need a good cup of coffee and some apple butter?

To some, this may seem like an odd combination. For me, it’s heaven.

My friends know I love toast. My friends know I love to put jelly on my toast. However, only my closest friends know that, above anything else, I love to put apple butter on my toast. I think it’s a, “I grew up in the hills of Tennessee” thing. There is nothing better than a perfectly crusty piece of toast topped with some good, cinnamony-sweet apple butter.

Ok, enough rambling. Let’s get to the point, shall we?

The Bluebird Cafe, located on the corner of Thomas and Clayton Streets downtown, serves apple butter. Saturday morning before the Georgia vs. Ole Miss game, my Dad and I got up and had brunch there.

• Location: on the corner of Thomas and Clayton Streets
• Phone number: 706-549-3663
• Website: nope, surprising
• Reservations: probably not
• Price: reasonable, for brunch maybe $8 per person
• Best meal to eat there: I’ve eaten lunch there before, and it’s really good. However, if you want some apple butter, go for brunch.
• Open and close: I’m not sure. Still checking.
• Group-friendly: yeah right.

On accident, I told him it is a vegetarian restaurant, so he was a little hesitant about eating there. It’s a, “seat yourself,” place, so we walked in at 9:30 a.m. and immediately found a little two-person table by the window.

Although they offered pancakes and French toast on the menu, the both of us were in an omelette mood. Dad ordered the special Denver omelette: eggs with cheese, homefries and peppers, and I ordered the special squash and onion omelette with egg whites and no cheese. We needed a pick-me-up, so we ordered some Jittery Joe’s coffee. They make a special brew solely for the Bluebird Cafe. That’s pretty cool.

About the service: I don’t know what the problem was with their staff, but they were not friendly at all. They did what they were supposed to do- nothing more. It made me sad. When they brought out our food, my omelette was not made with egg whites, and it had cheese on it. The woman reluctantly took it back, but it took over ten minutes for me to get my new one. I have cooked omelettes before, and I know it doesn’t take more than ten minutes.

Once I got my order right, it was wonderful! We definitely got our money’s worth. The omelettes were huge. Dad was tactically trying to eat his, but it was a very chunky omelette. Apparently my Dad likes his omelettes smooth and symmetrical, but I think it’s OK as long as it tastes good.

To the toast: their homemade bread was perfect with the apple butter. They even have the apple butter out on the table ready for use. I think Dad and I used about half of the bottle.

Overall, the food was good, but the service was less than mediocre. It made me sad that the service downplayed how good the food was. Prices were reasonable, and I’d like to go back again to give it another shot.

To many, the word, “vegetarian,” may either bring forth a feeling of disgust, a feeling of anxiety or a feeling disbelief. To those who have been to The Grit, however, feelings like those never exist.

Located on Prince Avenue near downtown, The Grit is the home to many famous meals: Grilled Cheese Smelt, Tabouli salad, hummus, pasta and Macaroni and Cheese. You might leave the restaurant thanking God for vegetarians.

Throughout my past 2 years in Athens, I have been to The Grit countless times. I went there for a different surprise this past Sunday, though. My favorite word: brunch. Yes, The Grit serves an amazing Sunday brunch. I decided to go with the traditional 2 eggs any way you’d like, but I made it a platter. Platters come with your choice of potatoes or grits, and biscuits and toast. I opted for the grits and toast. If there’s one breakfast food I can’t live without, it’s toast. Even though it’s a simple meal, good toast can give anyone a good start to the day.

Made on their homemade bread, this toast exceeded my expectations by far. It was pretty thick, and it had just the right amount of crunch. Owning up to the restaurant name, the grits I ate were awesome. They were yellow. I guess that’s a little different, but they were hot, creamy and smooth. Grits don’t get much better than that.

My friend Caroline had the Border Patrol. They brought her a plate with a crispy tortilla filled in the middle with beans, salsa, scrambled eggs (or tofu), and cheese. As if that wasn’t heavenly enough, they gave her a dollop of sour cream on top. She couldn’t finish it all, but she admitted to me it’s the only thing she’s ever gotten for brunch there. It’s just too good!

The Sunday crowd was pretty busy, but the table turnover was surprisingly fast. A note to newcomers: they DO NOT separate checks. You have to pay together. I always forget that before I come, but I’m starting to remember.

To girls, it’s always cold in there, so bring a jacket. However, the inside of the restaurant is super cool: fun art, retro t-shirts, chalkboard menu specials, the list goes on.

If you can save room for any of the dessert, you won’t be disappointed either. Any of their cakes or pies are to die for. Honestly, I don’t have a favorite. Do you?

For those of you who have been to The Grit before,what’s been the best meal you’ve had? Any Sunday Brunch veterans?

So, for those of you who think vegetarians don’t know good food when they see it, think again. This restaurant is sure to surprise you! GRIT IT!