Five & Ten

Five & Ten is a great neighborhood restaurant.

Tom and I recently had the pleasure of having Sunday brunch at Hugh Acheson’s restaurant Five & Ten in Athens.  It is a bit of a drive from Lawrenceville but most certainly worth it.

The restaurant is housed in what used to be a Five & Ten store, hence the name.  Parking can be an issue, so be prepared to park and then walk a bit.  It was raining the day we went but we were lucky and got a spot right next to the restaurant.

Once inside, we found the restaurant to be cozy and casual.  The decor is relaxed and slightly random.  Not deliberately random like a TGI Fridays, random in a way that suggests things were acquired over time.  On one wall there was a beautiful handmade quilt, another held Audubon prints and another had unusual stylized wall sconces.  I counted at least 4 different types of lighting fixtures.   All of this gave the room a relaxed, homey feel.

The place has a warm, friendly environment

The crowd that morning was a mix of all ages and types.  There were several family groups, most of whom were enjoying a post-church Bloody Mary or glass of wine.  Babies were being passed from lap to lap while all the adult family members got caught up.  There were a couple of tables of UGA students, probably fraternity and sorority members.  Rounding out the crowd were couples like me and Tom.  Several of the people were obviously regulars given the way they were familiarly interacting with the staff.  It is clear that Five & Ten is a popular, community gathering place.

World's best Bloody Mary!  Note the small plate of biscuits and coffeecake.

We had reservations so we were seated pretty quickly.  Given the crowd, I would not try to come without a reservation. The hostess and the wait staff were friendly and very helpful.  We were immediately brought a plate with small biscuits, coffee cake, butter and jam.  The hostess circulated the room offering more biscuits throughout the meal.

Charcuterie refers to the art of preserving or processing meats.  This
includes but is not limited to pates, terrines, galantines and sausages.

Yummy!

Our first course was a charcuterie plate featuring a duck terrine and a pork pate.  These were served with house made mustards, pickled radishes and wonderfully fresh bread.   So delicious and kind of a genius offering from the kitchen, I must say.  It is a make-ahead dish that eases the burden on the kitchen while still impressing the diners.  I washed this down with easily the best Bloody Mary I have ever had in my whole life.  No Bloody Mary mix here, my friend.  If this is the Bloody Mary recipe from his book, it is made with fresh heirloom tomatoes and just the right amount of horseradish and hot sauce.  Delicious!!  Writing this makes me want another one.

For our main course, I got the 5 & 10 Eggs Benedict.  This is served with a potato latke, bacon, dill Hollandaise and lettuces.  The beautifully poached egg tasted so fresh with a bright yellow yolk and Hollandaise laced with fresh dill.  The creaminess of the eggs was countered by the crispy bacon and latke and clean taste of the undressed baby lettuce.  The portion size was perfect; I was full but not stuffed.



Amazing Short Ribs

Tom ordered the braised short rib with a leek-hominy stew.  The beef was fork tender and beautifully braised.  It was served atop the savory hominy stew that had a smoky flavor from roasted chilies.  I have made this at home from the recipe in Hugh’s book and I came pretty darn close to replicating the dish at home on my first try.  I think this is a testament to how well his cookbook is written.

Our experience at Five & Ten was relaxed, satisfying and worth repeating.  We will be making the drive to Athens more often.  I suggest you do too.