etc.
Courthouse Bites
By Courthouse Bites
I
t is 12 noon at Powell’s Country Kitchen (116 W King St
Dalton, GA 30720 • 706-278-1545) in downtown Dalton. The
dining room is brimming with life as it has every lunch hour
for the past 30 years. Generous portions of meats and sides are
dished out to their loyal blue and white collar following of lawyers
and law enforcement officers, judges and jurors, construction
workers and retirees, all sharing conversation (and even tables)
as they await the day’s offerings. Here I sit, an Atlanta lawyer
amongst a sea of locals, wondering just how lucky I was that I
asked that bailiff for a restaurant recommendation on the way out
of court. A sociable meat-and-three like Powell’s is the epitome
of Southern courthouse dining and, with a simple tip from a
bailiff, I was able to have a memorable meal in Whitfield County.
Sometimes though, we are not so lucky.
On a recent visit to Butts County, I hit up an Assistant District
Attorney for a lunch recommendation. He asked what I was
interested in and I gave him my usual response, “Tell me about
a place I shouldn’t miss.” The ADA responded, “I highly
recommend Ingles.” (Yes, the grocery store chain.)
It is experiences like these that led to CourthouseBites--a blog
devoted to Georgia courthouse restaurants where lawyers can
learn about the Powell’s of our great State from the courthouse
diners who know them best. Locals can tout their hidden gems,
or we can report on a great find from one of our journeys, while
everyone can browse restaurant reviews by jurisdiction so that we
no longer have to hedge our bets on last second recommendations.
Just to show how lucky I was to find Powell’s, I have spoken
to several Atlanta lawyers who have frequented the Whitfield
County courthouse and not one of them had eaten there. Likely
because of the restaurant’s non-descript storefront, most of us
would walk right past the place if we did not know what was on
the other side.
This is Georgia, so it is no surprise that Southern cuisine and
barbecue account for the majority of our celebrated courthouse
haunts. Watershed (406 West Ponce De Leon Ave Decatur, GA
30030 • 404-378-4900) in DeKalb County and The Swanson (933
Carroll St Perry, GA 31069 • 478-987-1938) in Houston County
are far from historic but both have received national recognition
for their traditional Southern fare. Lucky for us lawyers, both
are within striking distance of the courthouse. A recent article in
Garden & Gun listed The Swanson as one of the best fried chicken
plates in the South. Watershed has won almost every “Best
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THE ATLANTA LAWYER
March/April 2011
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of…” award known to man and has been called “the restaurant
that defines the South.” Athens/Clarke County is home to not
one, but two legendary soul food joints both within reach of the
courthouse. Weaver D’s (1016 E. Broad St Athens, GA 30601
• 706-353-7797), of REM Automatic for the People fame, is in
its 25th year of dishing out its inspirational meat-and-three’s to
the college kids and courthouse crowd. Going on almost thirty
years, Wilson’s Soul Food (351 N. Hull St Athens, GA 30603
• 706-353-7289) was recently featured in O Magazine and sets
itself apart with its dedication to vegetarian sides. So while the
famous fried pork chops are the mainstay here, do not expect any
ham hock in the collards and green beans. In Fayette County,
there is a barbecue rivalry between Speedi-Pig (715 Glynn St
South Fayetteville, GA 30214 • 770-719-2720 ) and Melear’s (420
Glynn St South Fayetteville, GA 30214 • 770-461-7180)—sitting
just a few hundred yards from each other. If you ask around, the
locals typically love one and hate the other. Breakfast at Melear’s,
though, is the place to be if you want to rub elbows with the judges
and local lawmakers. With courthouse dining, that is sometimes
just as important as the food. Running into the judge at lunch lets
him or her know that you are one of them and not one of those
“snobby” Atlanta lawyers.
For a piece of American culinary history, a visit to Macon’s NuWay Wieners (430 Cotton Ave Macon, GA 31201 • 478-743-1368)
is a must. Founded by James Mallis in 1916, Nu-Way is one of
the oldest and most famous hot dog restaurants in the country.
Featured in The New York Times, on PBS, The Today Show, the
Travel Channel and even Oprah, those little dogs covered in
chili and slaw have received critical acclaim as well as historical
significance from food history buffs and hot dog connoisseurs
alike. While there are now several locations, courthouse goers
are just a couple short blocks from the Cotton Avenue original
underneath the famous neon sign.
Many courthouse squares are now host to a variety of international
eateries. An unlikely find in the dreadful surroundings of the
Fulton County courthouse is Pixels Cafe (30 Decatur St SE
Atlanta, GA 30303 • 404-659-1139). You certainly cannot find a
three or four star restaurant anywhere near the busiest courthouse
in Georgia (why is that?). But, in the heart of GSU proper, behind
a façade touting the standard wings and phillys that seem to
dominate the downtown lunch scene, lies surprisingly authentic
Korean cuisine. Try the bibimbap, a rice dish with vegetables and
meat in a spicy sauce, or the bulgogi, a Korean barbecue sandwich,
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