In case you didn’t know, I’m originally from Morristown, Tenn., about 45 minutes from Knoxville (UT).  So, that means on Friday and Saturday, all of my family (cousins, friends, parents, sister) and other UT students will be migrating down South to God’s country.

Now, I’m not going to talk about the football game because that would just be mean.  This post is to help visitors find their way around Athens and not look lost.  I wish a nice Gator would do this for the Georgia/Florida, but I know there’s no such thing as a nice Gator. So, I’ll just throw that wish away.

Where to Eat on Gameday:

There are many yummy places where you can grab some gameday grub, but I’ll just name a few.  Most of them are located in our downtown area (Broad, Clayton, Washington, College, Hancock, Jackson, Lumpkin, Hull and Thomas Streets).

• The Grill: This is a famous favorite for Dawg fans.  It’s a diner that’s open 24 hours, and they serve everything from pancakes to french fries with feta dressing to hamburgers to grilled cheeses.  It’s located on College Avenue right near the Arch.
• The Mayflower: If you like family style breakfast places, this is the place to go.  The Mayflower has been owned by the same family since my Dad was here in the 70s.  Go in there and get some homemade sausage, scrambled eggs, toast, biscuits and gravy, pancakes, or whatever you feel like eatin’.  It’s on Broad Street to the right of the Arch if you’re looking at the Arch from downtown.
• The Bluebird Cafe: This is also a town favorite. I will say it is vegetarian, but don’t let that scare you.  I think Bluebird has the best omlettes and biscuits in town.  It’s on the corner of Clayton and Thomas Streets, across from The Classic Center.
• Five Star Day Cafe: I actually had Sunday brunch here last week.  Five Star Day is so yummy. It very much reflects the character and personality of Athens. It’s on Broad Street right across from North Campus- near Starbucks (which also has breakfast stuff, but you can go there if you want to get a heart attack from a muffin).
• Mama’s Boy: This is a little farther from campus, but it’s worth it. Mama’s Boy is actually owned by my cousin’s friend, and it’s famous for the breakfast. I like to call it upscale soul food.  You can go and get biscuits and gravy, but it will no doubt have a fun garnish or something else culinary on the side.  Try it!
• Harry Bisset’s: Now we’re getting classy. Harry Bisset’s is a cajun/bayou restaurant that continues to be a crowd favorite. Many of my friends’ parents won’t come to Athens unless they promise to eat here. On Saturdays, they’re open for brunch at 11:30, but they reopen for dinner at 5:30.
• For dinner after the game, I’ll just make a list and link to the Web sites.  If you have a question about one, make a comment on this post, and I’ll try to answer it ASAP.

Transmetropolitan, La Dolce Vita, Porterhouse Grill, East West Bistro, Speakeasy, Casa Mia, The Last Resort, The Grit, Copper Creek, The Basil Press, Farm 255

Where to watch the Game if you don’t have tickets:

I know a bunch of you probably won’t have ticket, but no matter!  You could go to:

• Buffalo Wild Wings: I know you have one of these on the Strip, so I don’t need to explain it.  It’s on Hancock Avenue, towards the back of downtown and near the Hilton.
• This new Irish pub on the corner of College and Hancock.  I can’t remember the name of it, but it’s really cool!  Lots of TVs.
• Sideways bar: on Broad Street, near the corner of Broad and Jackson, has a cool upstairs porch
• Sand Bar: lots of TVs, Jack and Coke icees- can’t get much better than that.
• Honestly, I don’t know why I’m listing all of these.  Any bar you go to will have the game on, so just find one that looks fun.

Where to go at Night:

One of my favorite parts of Athens is its nightlife, and I want you to enjoy it, too.

**An important fact**

ALL the bars in Athens are 21 and up unlike Knoxville.  That means, it’s not 18 to enter, 21 to drink.  If you’re not 21, you’ll have to find something else to do.

However, if you are 21, you’ll be wonderfully entertained until 2 a.m. when the bars close.  I don’t want to make suggestions on where to go because there are so many options!  Click here to get a full listing of all the bars.

Where to Park:

• Unlike UT, Dawg fans don’t tailgate in parking decks.  That’s mostly because we don’t have a huge deck right beside the stadium, so we have to spread all over campus.  I’ve grown accustomed to this tradition, and I really like it!
• You cannot park in any of the campus decks.  Most of those are reserved for people who have a pass.
• Parking downtown is what most people do.  If you get up at the crack of dawn, you can get a parallel spot or a regular spot on one of the DT streets.
• There IS a deck available on College Avenue where you can park.  Lots are also available all over downtown (you’ll have to pay $15-$20 on average). There are some opportunities behind downtown where some big lots are.
• If you do decided to tailgate on North Campus, I would suggest dropping off your stuff first and then go park.
• Also, wear sunscreen. The away section faces the sun, and you’ll wake up Sunday “hurtin’ real bad” if you don’t lather up.  Sunglasses can help, too.

I hope all of this information helps!  It will be fun to see everyone this weekend, and I hope Athens and Dawg fans are nice to you.

Oh, and Go Dawgs.

I think for this post, I’ll let the pictures do the talking.

Last Sunday, Mom, Dad, Addie (my grandmother) and I asked Dr. Jones and her husband, Mr. Dr. Jones, to eat dinner with us at The Basil Press.  My parents had heard how absolutely wonderful they are, and I have always raved about their involvement in Grady and in PRSSA.

So, we went.  One thing I will say about The Basil Press is their staff is EXTREMELY well-trained.  Our waitress knew exactly where to stand, how to take orders and had a very pleasant demeanor.  I think it is hard to find a wait staff that is trained as well as them nowadays.

This is the tomato soup I ordered as an appetizer.  It think it was actually called the Tomato Basil Soup.  If you don’t like tomatoes, don’t get this.  There were wonderful chunks of tomato in the soup.  It wasn’t creamy; I honestly think the broth was mostly tomato puree.  You can see the cracked black pepper she put on it for me.  It was a great start to the meal!

For an entree, I ordered the blackened salmon.  I was really happy with the way this picture turned out because I think it portrays the deliciousness really well.  Since it was blackened, it was a little spicy but not overly so.  The fish was accompanied by some yummy whipped new potatoes and some vegetables.

This is the scallop marinara pasta Dad ordered.  Look at the size of the scallops!  I had a taste, and it was unbelievable.  The noodles weren’t too saucy, and you could definitely taste the olive oil they used.  It’s a hefty plate, but it sure was good!  Not too garlicy, either…

Next was Addie’s free range chicken.  I’m pretty sure it had a creamy mushroom sauce on top of it.  They gave her two hefty-sized chicken breasts, so she definitely couldn’t finish it all.  You won’t get jipped on portions at The Basil Press!

Finally, Mom ordered the crab cakes.  I’m pretty sure she is a crab cake coniosseur, much like chicken salad.  The cakes were meaty, not too bready, and the sauce on top was great! I can’t remember what spices were in it, but it went really well with the corn on the side, too.  Again, she got two cakes and couldn’t eat them all.  Moral of the story: when you go to The Basil Press, you get enough for two meals!

I didn’t get a chance to take a picture of the Jones’ dishes, but Dr. Jones ordered the apple and walnut salad.  She says that’s what she always gets.  Mr. Dr. Jones ordered the French onion soup and a side salad.  His soup looked fantastic.  It was cooked in one of those little crocks that look very European.

Overall, our experience at The Basil Press was fantastic.  Look at the presentation of the food!  The only other place in Athens that does something like that is the Five and Ten.  The staff is well-trained, and, best of all, it is not that expensive!  Like I said before, you may not be able to finish your meal, so you can take it home with you for lunch the next day.

I know they have a Prix Fixe night every Tuesday, so walk by and look at the menu.  It is on the corner of Lumpkin Street and Washington Street.  The Basil Press hosts large parties from college semi-formals to adult birthday gigs.  Try them out for yourself!

P.S. Sorry about the pictures.  I will keep fiddling with them to see if I can space out everything.

For all my new “Edelpeeps” and Athens visitors, I know many of you are looking for places to eat either tonight or tomorrow.

So, I decided to give you a few suggestions!

If you aren’t going to the reception at East West Bistro, here are some fun dinner places downtown:

• For pizza/Italian: Little Italy, Amici, Transmetropolitan, Basil Press (a little more expensive), La Dolce Vita (around $15 for dinner at least), Mellow Mushroom, DePalma’s
• For steak and yummyness: Porterhouse Grill
• For tapas: Casa Mia, Speakeasy, The National
• For soul food: 5 Star Day Cafe, Clocked
• For vegetarian: Farm 255, The Bluebird Cafe
• Sushi: Utage, Shokitini

If you’re looking for breakfast, these are good, too!

• Mom and Pop breakfast: The Mayflower, The Grill
• Fabulous brunch: The Last Resort, The Globe
• Vegetarian awesomeness: The Bluebird Cafe
• Coffee: Starbucks, Espresso Royale, Walker’s Pub

I hope everyone’s having a good time in Athens! Follow me on Twitter (katlady), and ask me a question if you want.

Onward, social media!

1. The Basil Press: downtown on the corner of Lumpkin and Washington- It’s a small little joint, but the food is fantastic. I’ve been there on a couple of occasions last year for dinner and Sunday brunch (heck yes to the eggs benedict). If you’re looking for a small Italian place where you’ll get a lot of one-on-one attention, go here.
2. DePalma’s: downtown on Broad Street- This is consistently a crowd favorite. They are open for lunch and dinner, and it’s not a cheap Italian place where they drown everything in garlic and salt. They have famous pizza, but my favorite dish is the Insalata Cecilia.
3. Bischero- on Prince Avenue on the right if you’re going downtown; they have wonderful pizza and pasta. It’s a dimly lit, romantic place, and they have a little patio with twinkle lights on the side. Every time I’ve been there, either for brunch, lunch or dinner, the food has been fantastic. The people who work there are really nice, too. Good prices. Good food.
4. La Dolce Vita- If you’re one of my avid fans, you would know that La Dolce Vita was my restaurant of the week last week. I’ve been there to eat, and I can tell you it’s amazing. Antonio, the owner, is straight from Italy, and he has a passion for his restaurant. It’s on the 2nd floor right above Hedges on Broad Street. If you come there with a party or a date, I promise he and his staff will do everything to make you feel at home. I’ve tried the vegetarian lasagna, the beef lasagna, the salmon bowtie pasta and the fettuccine. All were wonderful, but I think I liked the salmon the best!
5. If you want pizza, here’s a list of the places I know:

Amici, Transmetropolitan, Little Italy, Sons of Italy, Gumby’s, Snelling dining hall, Buck’s Pizza, Mama Sid’s Pizza and Stevi B’s Pizza

So, whether it’s for pizza or a nice meal, Athens is ready to cater to your craving for Italy. Go somewhere. Come back. Tell us what you think.