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.

One of my readers asked if there was any place in Athens that served vegan carrot cake.  Immediately, my mind went to The Grit.

So, I called them right up (706-543-6592) and asked if they had any.

“Um, yeah.  In fact, we have some right now!”–straight from the horse’s mouth.

I also asked if they had it every week or intermittently, and he said he usually sees it in the case at least once a week.  So there you go!  You can eat yummy vegan carrot cake at The Grit.  Its location is extremely convenient, and the atmosphere is chill.  At night, it’s even candlelit!

Other restaurants that offer vegan options are the Bluebird Cafe, Mellow Mushroom, Barberito’s, Farm 255, The Globe, Transmetropolitan, Bombay Cafe and even the UGA Dining Halls!

I got a lot of this information from GoVeg.com, so you can check it out, too.

Hope this helps, readers.  As always, e-mail me at katherine@dawg-food.com, or post a comment with a question or suggestion.  Thanks for the input!

While this subject doesn’t really have to do with restaurants in Athens, I thought I’d share my experience interviewing the Dining Editor of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Meridith Ford.

I was assigned to interview some sort of media gatekeeper for one of my classes, so with some advice (Thanks, Bryan.), I decided to interview a reporter who likes what I like- food.

I won’t bore you with the PR jargon we talked about, but I want to touch on something interesting she said. Meridith commented that some of her favorite dining experiences didn’t come with a high price tag.

She told me the story of a Mexican vacation where she ate some sort of two-to-three foot long fish right off the grill on the beach. The atmosphere, the ambiance and the genuine quality made that meal ever so memorable to her.

This is where I turn our conversation to Athens.

I think most restaurants in our fun town, including its sidekick Watkinsville, do a nice job of creating an atmosphere that fits the culture and personality of their owners, staff and food.

When I say this, I don’t mean to glorify the Mexican restaurants who think they’re awesome because they have sombreros everywhere. Not only does the decoration count, but the wait staff, the music and the other diners in the restaurant have a significance influence.

Here are some of my favorite examples in Athens:

• Transmetropolitan- When you go in, you get this warehouse feeling. The ceilings are tall, and the chairs are old and heavy. It has a rustic feeling, but the food is always top-notch. I think Transmet is one restaurant where you could sit for hours and not even know it.
• Little Italy- If you’ve ever been to New York, just the smell of Little Italy makes you think you’re about to go see the Statue of Liberty. The pizza is authentic; the people aren’t naturally cheery, so I feel like I have to earn their love by enjoying the food. It is a different experience, but I love the buried treasure feeling I get when I go there.
• Casa Mia- The best part about Casa Mia is it’s the only restaurant of it’s kind in Athens. I have never met an unfriendly employee, and they are wonderful at translating the menu for you. The atmosphere mixes classic Latino with new age retro that I love. It’s classy, sleek and spicy!
• Jittery Joe’s at Five Points- I don’t care if you like coffee or not. Hanging out in an old car repair garage is fun. Everyone who works at Jittery Joes is really funky- kind of like the people I always wish I could be. The coffee is good (watch out for those Jitters!), but I love how cozy I feel when I’m crammed in a corner with a little lamp and a desk. It’s those kind of moments when I realize how much I love Athens.
• The Hot dog Man- This is the paramount experience of Athens life. For some reason, hot dogs always taste better from the Hot dog Man- whether you eat one at 3 a.m. or 12 p.m. I think this could relate to Meridith’s fish/beach/Mexico time.

I’ve touched on a few, but I’d love to hear about some of your favorite “experience” restaurants. It doesn’t matter if the food was mediocre. Some people don’t care anyway.

So let me and everyone else know what your favorite dining experiences in Athens have been. Like Meridith said, some of the most memorable dining experiences don’t have to have a high price tag.

I couldn’t live with myself if I made a blog about Athens restaurants and didn’t include Transmet.

Transmetropolitan, the real name of the restaurant, is located on the semi-West end of Clayton Street. It is on the same side of the road as the Red Zone- on your left if you’re driving on Clayton.

I have been there numerous times for different occasions- lunch, dates, group meetings, group “outings,” and other get-togethers that give me an excuse to eat Italian food.

They serve everything there: salads, appetizers, pizza, calzones, paninis, pasta, and other sandwiches. If it’s your first time going, here’s a hint: you order from the counter. That means you walk in, grab a menu, and tell the person what you want.

While there are so many aspects about Transmet I could focus on, I am going to stick to the food. I went there tonight with a group before a club meeting, and I took a video of a wide assortment of dining options. Check it out!

My meal isn’t in the video, but I ordered the Gigante Salad with blackened chicken. Every time I order a salad there, I can tell all the ingredients are fresh, fresh, fresh. They even have a build-your-own salad with an assortment of toppings: mushrooms, roasted red peppers, green peppers, potatoes, broccoli, cucumbers, tofu, sun dried tomatoes, different cheeses, different meats, olives, and even anchovies. The best part is you get to choose SEVEN different toppings. Talk about your filler-upper!

In case you didn’t catch it, there is also some “dos and don’ts” for going on a date at Transmet. My personal advice is to bring some gum or a peppermint. That blackened chicken is pretty potent!

Many people who go there don’t realize you can eat upstairs. I think it’s a lot cooler than downstairs, but it just gives a different view. I have also seen a group studying in a private room upstairs, so you might want to check into that!

While there is no website, here’s the phone number: (706) 613-8773