Graze Burgers

One of my favorite things about Athens GA is that is has so many unique restaurants! If you’re in search of a new place to eat in town, check out Graze Burgers on Prince Avenue right across the alley from The Grit. This burger joint is unlike any place I’ve ever seen. They have an extensive menu with every kind of burger you can dream, ranging from traditional beef to bison, duck, and alligator! All of their burgers are only 3 ounces (it’s bigger than a slider, but smaller than a regular burger). This small size means that you can try a few at a time so don’t worry about choosing just one! For most people, one or two burgers and a side is a good portion. Graze has already put together several sandwiches and salads like The Taco and Southwestern Black Bean burgers, and N'awlins BBQ Pork salad, but if you'd like to be more creative you can build your own with burger or salad with lots of toppings to choose from. It's not very expensive, and its got a fun and unique vibe. Definitely check this out next time you're looking for some place new!

Visit their website at http://www.grazeburgers.com/ or take a look at our list of more Athens restaurants to find your favorite Athens Georgia restaurant from among our dining scene!

Athens This Weekend: March 25 - 27

There is SO much going on this weekend in Athens GA!

1. Breastfest is Saturday at Terrapin Brewery with live music and good food! Join in as Athens "Rocks to Stop Breast Cancer" from noon to 7:30. The performance list is amazingly long: Sara O'Brien, Betsy Franck, Alvetta Newby Jones, Kimberly Morgan, The Heap, Chris Moore, Fiction, Clay Leverett and Friends, Welfare Liners, Clarke Central High Step Team, Ms. Kelly's Drag Show, Lefty Hathaway Band, Charlie Garrett Band, Boderhop Trio, 90 Acre Farm and more to be announced. In addition, Outback Steakhouse is providing full meals and City Salon & Spa is offering $15 haircuts, Locks of Love, and $10 pink hair extensions. Tickets are on sale now for $30 and at the door for $35 and kids are free! Proceeds go to St. Mary's Women's Diagnostic Center for early detection, awareness and prevention of breast cancer and promotion of breast health for Athens' women.
For more information visit our event listing or the event's Facebook page.

2. The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra will be in Athens Sunday at 3 p.m. in the Hodgson Concert Hall at the UGA Performing Arts Center. Metropolitan Opera soprano Dawn Upshaw joins the award winning orchestra for an afternoon of great music. The pairing includes Schubert's Symphony No. 8, commonly known as the "Unfinished" Symphony, is She Was Here, a new arrangement by Osvaldo Golijov, the Fifth Symphony of Sibelius, and Lunnotar (Daughter of Nature), a symphonic poem for soprano and orchestra completed by Sibelius in 1913. Don't miss this night of talented Georgia musicians!
For more information visit our event listing.

3. The Beards of Comedy are ready to make you laugh Sunday at 8 p.m. Four great comedians will spice up Athens entertainment in Hotel Indigo's Rialto Room. The group, composed of Andy Sandford, Joe Zimmerman, TJ Young, and Dave Stone, blends stand-up with improvisation, sketch, and music for what is sure to be a fun evening! Tickets are $8 in advance or $10 at the door, and doors open at 6:30 p.m.
For more event information visit our listing or check out http://indigoathens.com/comedy.html

For more weekend events and ideas visit the Athens Georgia weekend calendar!

5 and 10 Chef Hugh Acheson on Bravo TV's Top Chef Masters

Of course everyone in Athens, GA has heard about how amazing the local restaurant Five and Ten is, but now it's time for the whole world to find out! Five and Ten chef Hugh Acheson will compete on Season 3 of Bravo TV's culinary competition show Top Chef Masters.

Originally from Ottawa, Canada, Acheson is chef/partner of Athens Five and Ten, The National, and Gosford Wine, and Atlanta's Empire State South. His experience working under Chef Rob MacDonald taught him the delicacy of French cooking, Ottawa's Henri Burger Restaurant trained him in wine and etiquette, and his time as opening sous-chef for Chef Gary Danko exposed him to simplistic and disciplined culinary techniques. Since opening Five and Ten in 2000, Acheson has honed his skills and perfected his style of southern beauty blended with European flavor.

Although Athens is a small town, Acheson's talent has brought him big accolades including James Beard's Best Chef Southeast Award nominee for the past five years, one of Food and Wine magazine's America's Best New Chefs, and winner of Gourmet magazine's Most Appropriate Chef's Tattoo!

As a contestant on Top Chef Masters, Acheson will be competing on behalf of his chosen charity, Wholesome Wave. For each challenge Acheson wins, Wholesome Wave will receive money (either $5,000 or $10,000 depending on the challenge!) Wholesome Wave's three goals are to "Nourish family farmers, Nourish communities, and Nourish the health of America," a very appropriate charity choice for Acheson who fuses local produce with high-class style. The winner of the competition will receive $100,000 for their charity.

This season on the show, challenges will be elimination style, following the format of the original Top Chef. Celebrity chef Curtis Stone will be the host, and the 12 world-renown contestants will cook for celebrities such as Maroon 5, Mad Men's Christina Hendricks, and singer Kelis.

For more information about the show visit http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef-masters where you can also check out Hugh Acheson's bio.

Don't miss the premiere April 6th at 11/10c on Bravo and in the meantime, if you haven't already, head to Five & Ten and get a taste of the famous Athens food from Chef Hugh Acheson!

Five and Ten

1653 S. Lumpkin Street Athens, Georgia 30606

(706) 546-7300

http://www.fiveandten.com/

Athens This Weekend: March 11-13

It's almost the weekend again! And for those of you looking for fun things to do while staying close to home, Athens has amazing options!

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1. The Dalton Gang is performing Saturday night at Terrapin Beer Co. for your entertainment while you sample some of Athens favorite unique beers! Georgia's own Dalton Gang is a country/southern rock band with inspirations ranging from Johnny Cash to Lynard Skynard whose music is sure to complement award winning Terrapin beer. The show starts at 5:30 p.m.

2. If you're up for something a little more dramatic, an Irish musical group is performing Friday night at 8 p.m. Danu blends traditional Irish music and instruments with local music from the four corners of Ireland. The Irish Times has called Danu "A spirit-raising concoction." You won't want to miss this evening of history, theatre, culture, and music. For more information check out the event listing.

3. For something more relaxing, visit the Lyndon House Art Center's 36th Annual Juried Exhibition. This professionally-oriented art competition has already been judged and now you have a chance to take a look at 160 works from Athens area artists. The exhibit includes all types of art including paintings, sculptures, jewelry, photographs, and more chosen by internationally know curator Carla Hanzal from Charlotte's Mint Museum. The exhibit will be open Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Also, don't miss out on the 40 Watt Club's lineup for Saturday-- help Drivin' n' Cryin's Kevn Kinney celebrate his 50th birthday! If you haven't caught his all-star side gig with the Baseball Project, they'll be there too, so keep your eyes peeled for superstar guests!

Athens This Weekend: March 4 - 6

There is a lot going on this weekend in Athens! We've got great UGA sporting events, dance performances, and much more:

1. Benefit for the Georgia Theatre Rehabilitation Fund at the 40 Watt: This great concert Saturday night will feature Don Chambers and GOAT, Athens singer/songwriter Lera Lynn who will be celebrating the local release of her solo debut, and The K-Macks, and bluegrass BorderHop Trio. There will also be door prizes including Georgia Theatre Merchandise, artist CD's, and 1 pair of tickets to the sold out Avett Brothers concert March 29. Doors open at 8:30, music starts at 9 and tickets are only $6. Come out for a night of fun Athens music and support the rebuilding of the beloved Georgia Theatre! For more ways to help rebuild the Georgia Theatre visit www.georgiatheatre.com

2. Closing Events for ATHICA's Taking Part Exhibition: The Athens Institute for Contemporary Art has spent the last 6 weeks focusing on Taking Part: An Exhibit of Participatory Art Projects. This exciting exhibition concludes with its closing events on Sunday. Show your support at the curator and artist panel discussion, Localized Noise-Induced Transitions: The Athens Survey, and closing reception. Events begin at 3:30 and end at 6 p.m. All closing events are free of charge. For more information about the exhibit go to http://www.athica.org/

3. Mardi Gras 10k Race: Bigger Vision Community Shelter and The Stable Foundation have come together to create an exciting Mardi Gras themed 10k race in Athens Saturday starting at 10 a.m. The race will start and end at Terrapin Brewing Company and will be followed with an awards ceremony, brewery tours, and live music. Race registration includes a t-shirt, tour of the brewery, and a Terrapin glass featuring the race's logo. This is one of the few 10k races in Athens and with a fun Mardi Gras theme and proceeds benefiting local charities it is sure to be a great experience! For more information visit http://www.mardigras10kathens.org/

For a full list of events in Athens this weekend check out our event calendar.

The NEW Georgia Museum of Art

One of the most relaxing and enjoyable activities that I love is one that also makes me more cultured and appreciative of my world: strolling around museums. I love that it's laid back, quiet and a year-round experience that is always changing! For years, the Georgia Museum of Art has been top-notch, but the new addition makes a visit to the museum so much more of an event! Take a look at what Jenny Williams from the GMOA has to say about everything new:

The Georgia Museum of Art, located on the East Campus of the University of Georgia in Athens, Ga., has long offered its audiences a world-class art experience. As both an academic museum and the state’s official art museum, this treasure in Georgia's Historic Heartland serves not only the University of Georgia population, but also the owners of its permanent collection and the citizens of Georgia, through award-winning exhibitions, publications and programming.

A newly designed 16,000-square-foot expansion of the museum’s galleries by Gluckman Mayner Architects (New York) allows for continual display of works from the museum’s permanent collection. Visitors to the Georgia Museum of Art can now come back time after time not only to see temporary special exhibitions, but to visit old favorites from the permanent collection. Teachers can take advantage of the long-term display of important historical works and corresponding educational materials from the Louis T. Griffith Teacher Resource Center and development curricula that will remain pertinent year after year.

The experience continues in the new Jane and Harry Willson Sculpture Garden, which is dedicated to the display of works by women artists and provides visitors with a quiet spot to visit, eat lunch or meditate. Children and families will soon be able to unleash their creativity in a new interactive classroom, and scholars and students will have access to the Louis T. Griffith Library and the new Study Centers in the Humanities.

Experience the new Georgia Museum of Art!