The Awesome Food of Gainesville, GA
As a follow-up to Mr. and Mrs. White's Wedding Extravaganza, I want to give a quick shout-out to a some of the amazing restaurants in and around Gainesville, GA that provided me with some superb meals while I was in town last weekend. For those of you who know me well, you may commence the eye-rolling. You knew this was coming...winkety-wink. I love to look for unique places to eat when I travel. I'll duck into a Ruby Tuesdays near an exit now and again if I want a bottomless salad bar, but I am strongly of the opinion that life is just too short to waste money at franchise joints. I would rather do a little extra driving and spend a little extra money to support local restauranteurs who are passionate about cooking delicious food. In that spirit, I chose my meals carefully, and Gainesville's culinary offerings did not disappoint!
My Gainesville eats:
2 Dog: A Local Restaurant - Friendliest staff and freshest ingredients I've had in a while. I ordered smoked pork shoulder with sides of asparagus and sautéed Swiss chard. The pork was unbelievably tender and flavorful--upon a single prod from my enthusiastic fork, Hoffa himself could not have paid that meat to hold itself together. Further props go to 2 Dog for their support of Gainesville's local farms and commitment to fresh, organic produce.
Avocados Restaurant - There is nothing better than a good omelet, and when I decided to order one at Avocados Restaurant off of Gainesville's historic downtown square, they knocked it squarely out of the park. I had been in the mood for chorizo for a few days, and I was elated to find that Avocados makes an omelet with chorizo, mushrooms, tomatoes. The cheddar cheese wasn't listed on the menu, but it added a nice touch. And, since I am an insufferable protein fiend, I ordered the "meat omelet" with a side of bacon. Delicious.
Redd's 'Que & Stew - No trip through Georgia or the Carolinas is rendered complete until you've eaten some local barbecue. Redd's was presented to me as a "hole in the wall with great ribs." And that sums it up pretty accurately, as it's barely more than a shed on the edge of a secondary highway far outside of Gainesville. Upon taking an especially eager bite of a baby back, I detected an unusual texture. It hit me then that not only had I taken a bite of tender meat, but the bone itself was so tender that I could eat that part as well! Smoke-flavored marrow made for a great treat in addition to some good meat.
The only downside to this trip was that I wasn't in Gainesville long enough to try some of the other delicious-looking places downtown. I also have a sneaking suspicion that there are more barbecue joint gems to be found in the surrounding area. Thankfully, I have reasons to go to Gainesville at least once or twice each year, so I can look forward to future opportunities for more culinary explorations...