Finding Food Instead of Football: 36 Hours of Holiday Relaxation (and How to Avoid the Covid Crowds) in Athens

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*This post is NOT about football. More properly, though, it’s about what to do when there ISN’T any football in a college town on a football weekend. The football game between the Vanderbilt Commodores and Georgia Bulldogs, scheduled for Saturday at 4:00 PM, was postponed due to Covid issues in the Vanderbilt program. What resulted for this writer was the opportunity to explore the treasures that Athens, GA, has to offer to a visitor, or even a native, when football leaves a big hole in your plans for the weekend. Spoiler Alert: It involves lots of good food and pleasant strolls in the crisp December weather.

Friday

6:00 PM. Enjoy a quiet meal at one of Athens’s premiere restaurants, DePalma’s Italian Café on Broad Street. It’s right across from the big University of Georgia sign on the northeast corner of campus, so it’s hard to miss. Parking in downtown Athens is metered and currently requires some planning, since a good bit of construction takes up a few lanes to the north of Broad Street. Come to DePalma’s at 6:00 to avoid the crowds, which won’t show up until after 7:00. Masks are required to enter, and when leaving your table. Social distancing doesn’t seem to be a priority, as we were seated in a booth between booths that were already occupied. They offer a wide range of traditional Italian foods, so this isn’t the place to go if you’re feeling risky. It might be risky for your wallet, however, as most meals start around $15. They offer a bar, for those who prefer dining alone. Otherwise, booths and longer free-standing tables are available for large parties. My friend Christopher and I created our own pasta dishes; I’ve never gone wrong with their alfredo sauce. Their marinara looks to be made from scratch, and the taste and aroma are heavenly. They also bake their own bread, which melts in your mouth when served with olive oil. If you dip it into the marinara, I dare you not to moan in pleasure. It’s exquisite. As Christopher said, “This might go down as one of the best meals I’ve had all year. It makes you feel kinda like the whole world isn’t on fire.” Everybody needs a little of that in 2020.

8:00 PM. Take a leisurely stroll around the downtown area. Athens just dedicated their annual Christmas tree on December 3^rd, so the lights and decorations are out in force.

8:30 PM. For dessert, pop by The Grill . It’s on College Street, and the block in front of this retro diner has been cordoned off for pedestrian access only. Do NOT take the easy way out and order dessert at the window of the Chick-Fil-A on the corner. As the host of the Grill proclaimed to the police officers who passed by right before us with Chick-Fil-A bags in their hands, Christopher and I were the “heroes” for choosing local. If you get here early enough, none of the hundreds of frat boys or sorority girls will be hanging all over the place, looking for a late-night snack to sober up after the bars close down (which is around 11:00 PM during this pandemic now, after the lockdowns ended). If you don’t try anything else here, go for a homemade milkshake ($5.75), which they serve in the metal blender cups they’re created in. Spoons are helpful, and the straw aids the need to slurp down the remnants at the bottom of the cup.

9:30 PM. Head west down Broad Street until it turns into Atlanta Highway. Just before you get to the GA-10 Loop that encircles Athens, stop in at the well-publicized Chick-Fil-A restaurant with all the lights. In normal years, this place is an extravaganza, rivaling the entire shopping center across the street in their electricity bill. They’ve scaled things back this year a bit, but it’s still fun to see. *No purchase necessary. Just pull into the parking lot and enjoy.

10:00 PM. Go home. The masses of college students, supposedly sent back home just before Thanksgiving, will only get larger after 10:00. And they will be maskless, because they are fearless. All of the best live-music venues are closed for the pandemic, anyway. Best to head back to your own residence and enjoy a nightcap with friends.

Saturday

8:30 AM. Warm caffeine and a chilly campus. Start your day downtown again with a warm cup of locally sourced coffee. Walker’s Pub is first on my list, but their doors were locked (despite claiming to open at 8:30, and we could see employees standing behind the bar at 8:45). Jittery Joe’s opens at 8:00 and is a more popular brand. It’s an Athens staple, being founded in the 1980s next to the famous 40 Watt Club in downtown Athens. Very little has changed at this place during the pandemic, aside from masks and contactless payment. My 12 oz. white chocolate mocha was under $4.They have indoor and outdoor seating, but on a cool morning like this one, a stroll around North Campus of UGA with a warm cup in your hand makes you feel alive. Plus it’s one of the quietest moments you’ll ever find on the campus, so enjoy it while you can. On game days in a normal year, the North Campus quad is bustling with activity starting before dawn. The pandemic has led to prohibitions on tailgating, at least formally, and the postponement of the day’s football game kept the potential rule-breakers away. Lucky us. Meander down the hill until you get to the impressive Sanford Stadium , where the game would have taken place. You can enter the stadium underneath the massive new scoreboard and have a look around. But don’t go past the locked gates, or alarms will sound and you’ll be rudely escorted out. Just take in the views of this cathedral of college football without having to worry whether the people around you are asymptomatic. While here, we had an elderly gentleman, also out for a stroll, stop, survey the empty stadium, and then comment, “It’s a shame. Everybody was ready to go except the team.”

10:30 AM. Brunch at Mama’s Boy at the Falls of Oconee . The original Mama’s Boy is just outside of downtown, but seating is extremely limited, especially during pandemic times. For the same food and a little more space (and a lot less waiting time), try their second location on Macon Highway, just outside the city limits. Even then, you should expect about a 15-minute wait time. They do offer outdoor seating, but in the cool December weather, it’s still underneath a plastic tent. The views of the creek and “falls” are nominally still there, but the plastic bubble takes a little away from it. Masks are required until you get to your table, and social distancing is virtually absent, unless the tables are spread further apart than before the pandemic. (This was my first time, so I can’t be sure.) My friend Nick suggested the cinnamon bun ($5.99) as a starter, and it did not disappoint. It was also huge, definitely made for sharing. I ordered the Bacon, Egg & Cheese Scrambler with potato hash and a biscuit ($8.99) and Nick got the Georgia Peach French Toast (also $8.99). My, oh my, you cannot go wrong with anything at this Southern style café. I was excited to get some protein in my system, so when the waitress brought our food, I said, “Here comes my protein!” Nick retorted, “Here comes my diabetes.” The French toast was larger than the cinnamon bun; in his words, “It should be illegal. … These are the biggest slices of bread I’ve ever seen.” The Cajun seasoning on my potato hash was an unexpected bonus that balanced all the sweetness of the cinnamon bun perfectly. Even on a busy Saturday morning, the “outdoor” seating is a perfect place to while away the day conversing with an old friend over some of the best sweet tea I’ve ever had.

12:30 PM. Unless you want to do some shopping, head back home and freshen up. After that, you’ve got a couple of options that involve either window shopping in the downtown area or enjoying the local sports culture at a local watering hole. One of the most laid-back places that gets little attention is The Pine Bar , on the bottom floor of the Sakura Hibachi and Sushi Bar in Five Points. Park in the back, and you can walk right in from the parking lot. The lighting is good, and they have typical bar food and several beers on tap. Soda is free. Several TVs play various football games during the season. It’s a great place to pre-game if you intend to go to the game later, or just enjoy the colorful characters you’ll see while you’re there.

3:00 PM. Find the Tree That Owns Itself . Yes, it’s weird, but it’s 2020 and it’s Athens, so why not embrace it all? It’s in a residential area off Broad Street, at an intersection of roads that go around the tree, due to its importance in local lore. The original owner of the tree deeded the property to the tree itself, and it has stood up in court. This isn’t the original tree, however, but a child of the original tree. Still, the legal claim apparently holds. The streets around the tree are made of brick, so be prepared for hearing the odd sound of driving on bricks if you choose to pay your respects. It’s free to do, and how many people outside of Athens can say they’ve seen anything remotely like this?

4:00 PM. Since there’s no game today, and you’ve feasted on far more calories than normal (and will continue to do so for another 24 hours), take some time and work out at Fitness at Five , a local gym in Five Points. It has 24-hour access for members, and members can even bring a guest for free. Several machines, treadmills, ellipticals, stationary bikes, weight stations, and even a room devoted entirely to free weights. Mirrors abound on the walls. I enjoy the rowing machine, personally, but there’s only one. Three TVs elevated at the front of the gym, with remotes to change to whichever station you’d like. Do shower when you finish working out (showers available at the gym, if you need them).

7:00 PM. Time for a real greasy spoon in downtown Athens. On the west side, Clocked! specializes in burgers, with an outrageous selection of toppings (try the peanut butter and bacon combination for an unexpected delight). They also offer a number of homemade sauces, and I cannot recommend the chipotle sauce highly enough. It’s just sweet enough to make your taste buds crave more. With Covid restrictions, the indoor seating has moved outside, not only in the patio next door but also into the street—remember that construction I mentioned earlier?—where the nearest 2 lanes of the road have been fenced off to allow tables out front. It is a confusing setup, so don’t be afraid to ask where to order, and where to pick up. A maskless frat boy will serve as an example: talking loudly on the phone to his “bud” who claimed to be at the restaurant already, he gestured with his free hand that there were several seats outside but none inside. In frustration, he broke down: “Are you f---ing kidding me? Come outside. Now.” His colorful language caught the attention of a masked waitress, who approached and commiserated with him: “I think your friend is in here. Sorry, it’s a little confusing.” Indeed it is. Still, it’s one of the juiciest burgers you’ll ever taste, and their secret sauce has just enough tang to let you know it’s there without overwhelming. All bussing is self-service, so be kind to the people that come after you and throw all your trash into the proper receptacles. I passed a cozy hour at a table on the patio as I read "The Uncensored Picture of Dorian Gray" and enjoyed my sweet tea, scrumptious burger and tater tots ($14.56). Yes, get the tater tots. You won’t regret it.

8:30 PM. Enjoy a walk on the west side of downtown. Few shops will still be open, but you can find some good bargains at those that are. Junkman’s Daughter’s Brother is a personal favorite, and I managed to score a political placard designed by a local artist for $8.00, along with a free button for those candidates. The lady at the register insisted on taking my picture with the sign, ostensibly for documentary purposes. The record store next to Clocked!, Low Yo Yo Stuff Records , is chock full of vinyl records, if you’re into that sort of thing. Saturday will see more people downtown, so make sure to avoid any sidewalks in front of bars. Seriously, cross the street if you see a line in front of any establishment. The college students will not care about infecting you with Covid. Seriously, get the F out of downtown by 9:00.

9:30 PM. Take a slow drive down Milledge Avenue, from Broad Street to Lumpkin Street. These few blocks contain a majority of the fraternity and sorority houses for the University of Georgia that now occupy beautiful (or at least formerly beautiful) antebellum homes. In December, they all exude the Christmas spirit and decorate to varying degrees. The sorority houses are the best to see, since you can expect symmetry and care in the designs. Fraternity houses generally don’t bother as much, though there are some exceptions.

Sunday

8:30 AM. Take a walk along Milledge Avenue to Five Points. A good number of local restaurants and shops are in this chic neighborhood, as are some of the swankiest houses in all of Athens. The sidewalk only extends down one side of the street, so make sure you’re walking on that side. Also make sure to dress properly, as temperatures in the 30’s are common on December mornings. Stop in at Independent Baking Company for a morning roll ($3.00). They open at 8:00 AM and use locally sourced ingredients to make a variety of pastries and breads. If you like what they have, stock up on Sunday, because they do not open on Mondays. They’ve remained open for the entire pandemic, allowing only 2 customers at a time. There’s no indoor seating, so grab all the yumminess you want and take it with you.

11:30 AM. One cannot leave Athens without eating at one of the several Barberitos locations in town. Though it has franchised to at least 7 states as of this writing, Barberitos was founded in downtown Athens. This Tex-Mex chain offers a variety of burritos, nachos, tacos, salads, and other tasty dishes made to order, right in front of you. Protein options include steak, chicken, ground turkey, and tofu. One thing that sets them apart is their chipotle ranch sauce, which I was told today they are in the process of packaging as a standalone product for supermarkets. And everything tastes a little better with their queso drizzled on top of it. Try it spicy or regular. The most food for your buck is the nachos ($7.29 and up). Their sweet tea is the best you’ll find in Athens, by the way. That’s coming from an acknowledged sweet tea connoisseur.

1:00 PM. Take a walk down Lumpkin Street and do some window shopping. Avid Bookshop is the local bookseller, though its floor is closed (but they do offer online pickup). Before you leave the area, stop by Condor Chocolates for a drink. The hot chocolate ($4.75) on a cool afternoon is the best, with the nibs of the cocoa beans mixed in with the drink for an authentic flavor. They also do coffees, and I'm told the mocha is amazing. They source all of their beans from Ecuador (you can even visit their factory in another part of Athens and see how they create their products, from chocolate bars to drinks and everything in between).

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Comments

[Mel Allen]

service writing
Will, you knew all about service writing from the start

[Will Abney]

Service Wriring
Thanks, Mel! This blog post is actually doubling as my final essay for the Travel and Food Writing Course