FIVE AND TEN
1073 S. Milledge Ave., Athens. 706-546-7300, fiveandten.com. $$$-$$$$
Nearly a year ago, Hugh Acheson moved his flagship Athens restaurant to an early 20th century Colonial Revival residence known as the Hawthorne House that stands tall and proud on Fraternity Row. Since the remodeling, it has given off a comfortable “best restaurant in town” vibe.
Jason Zygmont, an Alpharetta native with a seriously kick-posterior resume, took over the kitchen in January and has since made it more his own. After a stint at New York’s Per Se (and a stage at Copenhagen’s Noma before that), he brings a lot of finesse to a menu that reads homey and friendly.
He whips up a creamy, buttermilk-tart butterbean soup to pour tableside over a country ham custard. It sounds rib-sticking but tastes playful and surprising, thanks to the shaved radish, peanuts and sorrel popping colorfully in the bowl. Thick slices of crusty, dry-aged rib-eye arrive with a painterly assortment of spring vegetables and a high, feathery twist of fried beef tendon that add lots of visual flair, if also a mouth-coating greasiness.
But kudos to Zygmont for taking chances: It will be interesting to see where he takes this maturing and now classic Georgia restaurant.
