Through A Veil of Hickory Smoke: BBQ in Athens, GA

If you haven't already this Summer, then I suggest you start exploring some of the Southern cuisine Athens, Ga has to offer- it's wood smoked, covered in sauce, and goes by the name barbeque. And like most things in Athens, GA, our BBQ selection is certainly original and even a little bit quirky.  

White Tiger Gourmet puts a hip twist on some down-home classics with BBQ options for carnivores and vegans alike. The White Tiger BBQ Sandwich is wood-smoked and covered in a homemade sauce that draws a crowd from far beyond its quaint location. Barbeque isn't exclusive to the meat-eater at White Tiger either as they feature a very popular (and very delicious) Tofu-Q Sandwich which is made up of smoked tofu, organic field greens, homemade coleslaw and BBQ sauce. In addition to their famous sandwiches and burgers, White Tiger offers specialty handmade chocolate and fresh, seasonally rotating sides, but the menu is only part of the reason people keep coming back to visit.

Located in the heart of the Boulevard Historic District, White Tiger operates out of a century-old building once home to a grocery store run by the current owner's grandfather. Christmas lights illuminate a picnic area outdoors and colorful artwork for sale by local artists cover the walls inside the screen front door of the whimsically adorned old building. With an unconventional and fun 'Bring Your Own Beverage' policy, White Tiger gained the attention and praise of Travel & Leisure Magazine as they were named one of "America's Best BYO Restaurants." Owned and operated by a youthful couple with culinary backgrounds in gourmet cooking, the family and community friendly White Tiger Gourmet is a fresh and unique BBQ dining experience and more than just Athens residents are starting to notice. For more information regarding menu, location, press, or contact options, visit their website.

Athens is also home to a far more traditional, but no less unique, barbeque experience provided by the highly acclaimed Jot Em Down BBQ. With a reputation for unforgettable food straight from its authentically country kitchen, Jot Em Down BBQ captures the taste of Southern dining in the hickory smoked flavor of its pulled pork. The homemade, vinegar-based sauces, which compliment instead of overpower, are one of the many reasons www.VisitSouth.com  named Jot Em Down BBQ “The Best BBQ in Athens, GA for college students and families alike.” The menu might not surprise you with itss strictly BBQ classic options, but the affordable prices and remarkable tastes certainly will. Jot Em Down BBQ is Athens' purest, most delectable form of traditional Southern barbeque. Visit their website for menu, location, and contact information.

To the delight of resident and visiting barbeque lovers, the many locally run BBQ restaurants in Athens, GA make worthy competitors out of each other.

·         Harry's Pig Shop includes some innovative menu items, like BBQ Nachos & Quesadillas, Fried Pork & Scallion Won Tons, and a Spicy Sausage Philly Cheese Sandwich, to set itself apart from the rest. Due to the high number of BBQ restaurant openings in Athens, contenders have to create something special in order to stick around permanently.

Other commendable and enticing BBQ options come from:

·          Dawg Gone Good BBQ,

 ·         Fresh Air Bar-B-Que, and

 ·         Hollis Famous Ribs.

We want to know what sets apart the best from the rest, so help us out, foodies, what is the best BBQ in Athens, Ga?

I guarantee investigating what makes Athens BBQ so special will be an undoubtedly enjoyable experience.
So go ahead and get your hands dirty, sample the tastes of local barbeque and let us know which one deserves to be called the best. If you are already an expert, tell us what makes your #1 Athens pick so much better than the rest.

We'll be waiting for your responses with moist towellets in hand!

Teaching Old Dawgs New Tricks

Being at the homecoming game and seeing all the alumni come back to Athens to support the Bulldogs got me thinking about the traditions we have at the University. Some of the football traditions go all the way back to 1892 when the Bulldogs played their first game (and won, 50-0!) against Mercer on what is now known as Herty Field. Some traditions are just getting started today, and may continue to live on long after current students have graduated and left Athens.

Here are a few of my favorite old football traditions in Athens:

• Uga (see my last post) 
• Silver Britches.  An innovation of Coach Wally Butts (head coach in 1939), the pants make a great combination with the bright red jerseys the Bulldogs wear at home.  The Bulldogs' silver britches have been referred to over the years in chants an banners, but the phrase really caught on in the 1950's.  Coach Vince Dooley re-designed the uniform to have white pants, but the silver britches were re-instituted in 1980, the year the Bulldogs last won the National Championship.
• "Glory, Glory".  The school fight song is one of the oldest and most lasting traditions in school history.  It is sung to the tune of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," and has been sung at the games since the 1890's.  
• Georgia Bulldogs Cheer.  At some point during each game, the cheerleaders hold up signs on each half of the stadium to get everyone to change "Georgia" and "Bulldogs".  It's simple but everyone gets really into it! 
• Redcoat Band.  The University's 375-member marching band which dates back to 1905 and has won numerous awards over the years.
• The Chapel Bell.  In the 1890's, when the playing field was located only yards away, freshmen were ordered to ring the bell until midnight in celebration of a Bulldog victory.  Fans, students, and alumni still rush to ring the "victory bell" after a win to this day.  After last year's win against the rival Florida Gators, Georgia fans rang the bell with so much excitement that it actually broke.  
• "How 'Bout Them Dawgs".  This slogan become a popular battle cry of the Bulldogs in the 1970's, especially during the 1978 season when UGA had several remarkable, come-from-behind victories 
• "Between the Hedges".  This reference to UGA's Sanford Stadium dates back to the early 1930's when the now-famous hedges were only a foot high and had to be protected by a wooden fence.

Since I've been a student, I've witnessed the birth of a few new traditions.  While they may not be as long-lived as the above traditions, they have been fun to get into over the last few years.

Blackout. Starting at last year's Auburn game, Mark Richt requested that Bulldog fans unite to all wear black and transform Sanford Stadium's typical sea of red into a blackout.  In addition, the team came out in original black jersey's for the occasion.  The excitement of it all was enough to bring a 45-20 win against one of the University's biggest SEC rivals.  The jersey's were worn again at the Sugar Bowl, which resulted in a 41-10 victory against the previously undefeated Hawaii.  However, after the loss to Alabama a few weeks ago the Blackout tradition may not live on as long as intended.

"Soldier Boy".  This popular rap song and the ensuing dance craze were all over Athens last year.  When the Bulldogs needed a pick-me-up in the Auburn game, the song was blasted over the loudspeakers and students and athletes alike spontaneously broke into the dance both on the field and in the stands.  At several other games throughout the season, this song was played to pump up the crowd and the team.

"I Put On For My City".  Another popular rap song, this seems to be the Soldier Boy of 2008.  It has been played at all of the home games this season, and the stadium goes wild every time.

Who knows, maybe in 100 years students will talk about those oldies songs "Soldier Boy" and "I Put On For My City" that Bulldogs used to cheer to way back in 2008.  

A Pleasant Surprise on Gameday

Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of meeting one of Athens’ most famous local celebrities. I know what you’re thinking… Matthew Stafford, Knowshon Moreno, Corey Smith… no, I got to meet Uga VII.

I was tailgating on North Campus with friends and family when a woman came over to us and asked if we had met Uga yet – I’m pretty sure our response was more enthusiastic than it would have been if she had walked over and said Britney Spears was tailgating at the next tent.

We’ve all watched the new Uga strutting around on the field and relaxing in his air-conditioned dog house during the games, but Saturday he was driven around on a golf cart to the popular tailgating sites to meet the fans before the game. It might have been the highlight of my college career.

In the past 100 years of college football, Georgia’s Uga has become the nation’s most well-known mascot. The Frank W. “Sonny” Seiler family of Savannah, Ga., has owned the famous line of pure white English bulldogs that dates back to Uga I being first introduced to campus in 1956. Perhaps the most famous of the mascots was Uga V, who made appearances in the movie “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,” and was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Sadly, Uga VI (the winningest mascot in school history) passed away over the summer, ending his career with a record of 87-27. He was the biggest of the Ugas at over 60 pounds – 15 pounds heavier than his father was.

The current Uga, the seventh in the line of Georgia mascots, was introduced to Georgia fans on August 30, 2008, during pre-game ceremonies of the season opener against Georgia Southern.