Where to stay
Hotel Indigo — A contemporary boutique hotel, with a bar, restaurant, music venue and art gallery. 500 College Avenue, 706-546-0430, www.hotelindigoathens.com.
Foundry Park Inn & Spa — A refurbished motel-style property with a restaurant, music venue and spa. 295 E Dougherty Street, 706-549-7020, www.foundryparkinn.com.
What to do
40 Watt Club — One of the most famous rock clubs in the U.S. with a history that includes R.E.M. and the B-52's. 285 West Washington Street 706-549-7871, www.40watt.com.
Georgia Theatre — Gutted by fire in 2009, rebuilt and reopened in 2011, the theatre presents a wide variety of music. 215 North Lumpkin Street, 706-850-7670, www.georgiatheatre.com.
Manhattan Cafe — A classic dive bar that's home to hipsters and cheap drinks, like the signature Maker's Mark and Blenheim spicy ginger ale. 337 North Hull Street, 706-369-9767.
Terrapin Beer Company — Athens iconic craft brewery offers tours, tastings and live music, Wednesdays- Saturdays at 5:30 p.m. 265 Newton Bridge Road, 706-549-3377, www.terrapinbeer.com.
Athens may only be 70 miles northeast of Atlanta, but its small town charms make it seem a world away. Once best known for Georgia football and alt music bands like R.E.M. and the B-52’s, nowadays, Athens is home to a surprisingly sophisticated dining scene, rooted in homegrown ingredients and casual Southern style.
How Athens came to be a dining destination can easily be summed up in one name: Hugh Acheson. Since opening 5&10 in 2000, Canadian-born Acheson has become known as one America’s brightest star chefs, with Food & Wine magazine and James Beard Foundation awards, TV appearances on Bravo, and a recent cookbook.
In 2007, Acheson opened his second Athens restaurant, The National, with chef Peter Dale, giving fans another reason to take a road trip to the Classic City.
But a weekend food tour can include plenty more places to eat and drink, too — from funky international eateries to lively dive bars.
Sadly, Farm 255 the pioneering Athens restaurant that served food sourced from its farm cooperative and spawned Farm Burger, is closing on July 19.
Around the same time, Acheson will close the original 5&10 in Five Points and move it around the corner to the historic house he’s been remodeling on South Milledge Avenue.
5&10
Before he was a TV star and cookbook author, Hugh Acheson opened this eccentric Five Points gem that put Athens on the fine dining map. Here, familiar Southern dishes get re-imagined with a touch of fun and a devotion to regional producers and seasonal vegetables. Think boiled peanut hummus with Georgia olive oil, poached Tybee Island shrimp with braised ham hock and field peas, and cornmeal crusted catfish with chanterelles and brown butter chow chow. The atmosphere is decidedly casual and social — which begs the question, what will 5&10 feel like in a few weeks, when it moves a few blocks away to is new home in a historic house. 1073 South Milledge Avenue, 706-546-7300, www.fiveandten.com.
The National
The big idea behind Acheson's second Athens restaurant was to conjure the casual neighborhood bars and cafés of Europe. Chef Peter Dale's Mediterranean-inspired menu is served in the dining room at lunch and dinner and the convivial bar stays open all day for drinks and snacks. Like 5&10, local farmers and changing seasons are reflected in dishes that range from a pizzette with roasted Vidalia onions, gorgonzola, pecans and arugula to crispy local pork milanesa served with red rice and an array of green beans, radishes, piquillo peppers and peanuts. 232 West Hancock Avenue., Athens, 706-549-3450, www.thenationalrestaurant.com.
The Branded Butcher
The newest darling of the Athens dining scene has been open a little over a year, focusing on local and organic produce, pastured meats, and charcuterie. Chef Matt Palmerlee, formerly of Farm 255, keeps the menu focused on meaty bites like a roasted pork chop with smoked pork jus and ribeye steak frites. But there's apt to be a daily veggie plate, along with a selection of raw oysters, and fun snacks like salt and vinegar fried hominy and pimento goat cheese. Recently, the Branded Butcher took over the Rooftop bar and grill at the Georgia Theatre, serving burgers, sandwiches and tacos. 225 North Lumpkin Street, 706-850-5152, www.facebook.com/thebrandedbutcher.
Cali N Tito’s
This lively open air restaurant with lots of outdoor seating serves up a budget-priced mix of Latin American cuisine in a fast casual setting. Funky decorative art and a playground for the kids make it a destination for both students and families. The menu features Cuban and Mexican favorites, including yucca fries, plantains, Cuban-style sandwiches, chorizo, chicken or steak tacos, and chicken or pork tamales, plus veggie burritos, tacos and tamales. 1427 South Lumpkin Street, 706-227-997, www.facebook.com/pages/Cali-N-Titos/120455551300008.
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