Athens News Archive

Over the course of our lives, I think most of us have visited at least one drive-in restaurant. Much like diners, these small restaurants are ubiquitous across America’s shared culinary landscape.

When we think of “American food” or “American cuisine,” what sorts of images come to mind? Is it a warm hamburger patty or hot dog right off the grill, or perhaps a slice of apple pie topped with a scoop of plain vanilla ice cream?

Before I begin today’s column, I would like to thank all of my readers for sticking with me over these last couple of months.

Before getting into the restaurant review portion of this column, I would like to start off by congratulating all the Ohio University students who will be graduating at the end of spring semester.

For some of my readers, this column might represent a betrayal of my values. I’m sure someone will accuse me of running out of restaurants to review or worse yet, selling out.

As a child growing up in Upstate New York, my family would regularly visit the Finger Lakes during the spring and summer.

I would like to start out today’s column by wishing everyone a happy April Fools’ Day.

If you’re of a certain age or have relatives who were alive during the mid-1980s, you may be familiar with “The Mystery of Al Capone’s Vaults.”

I believe it was the Scottish poet Robert Burns who wrote: “The best-laid schemes of mice and men go oft awry.”

Despite being a journalist who has to keep tabs on what’s going on in the community as part of my job, there are times where I feel somewhat disconnected from it all.

Slowly but surely, we are drawing ever closer to spring. Soon, Athens will experience a reprieve from the winter weather we have endured over the past couple of months.

After what seemed like an eternity, things finally began to warm up here in Athens. Unfortunately, this warm spell proved to be short-lived and once again gave us snowy conditions and frigid temperatures, only to waver yet again.

Today’s column represents the first time I have traveled outside of Athens and Hocking County to review a restaurant, though if the meal I enjoyed was any indication, it certainly won’t be the last.

This week’s column is something of an experiment. Until now, my restaurant reviews have been of locations throughout Athens and neighboring communities that are traditional sit-down restaurants.

Before beginning today’s column, I would like to remind my readers to stay safe in light of the winter weather we’re experiencing.

After spending the past several months in Athens and doing a handful of restaurants up in Logan, I thought it was finally time to return to our neighbors in Nelsonville for a meal.

One thing I enjoy about writing restaurant reviews is that it gives me a chance to explore beyond my usual restaurant repertoire. As much fun as it is to reminisce and analyze old haunts with a critical eye, there’s something satisfying about trying something new.

For this week’s column, I would like to begin by wishing all my regular readers a Happy New Year. I know 2025 was a difficult year for many people, me included, so I’m hoping this year will be less trying for all of us.

One of the great things about living in Athens is the diversity of its food scene. Despite having a population of around 25,000, you can find a restaurant, food market or food truck that sells cuisine from wherever your heart desires — with one notable exception.

Because this edition of the ANews goes to print on Christmas Eve, I would like to start by wishing all our readers a Merry Christmas.

As I said in my review of the Union Street Diner back in October, the diner holds a special place in America’s collective culinary consciousness.

In the spirit of the holiday season, I would like to start off this week’s column off by acknowledging all the people who’ve sent me words of encouragement and told me they enjoy my restaurant reviews.

Despite living in Southeast Ohio for over a decade as of December of this year, I was largely unfamiliar with the restaurant scene in Logan until recently.

As a child, one of my favorite things about the holidays was that I got to be creative and express my Christmas spirit through arts and crafts. There’s nothing quite like taking everyday household items and transforming them into something magical.

With fall drawing to a close and winter fast approaching, things in Athens have gotten a bit gray and dreary ahead of the holidays. While there’s been some flurries and snowfall here and there, we’ve mostly experienced a lot of rain and gray skies, which is hardly the sort of atmosphere that…

After experiencing fine dining at Cutler’s Restaurant, I’ve decided to dine somewhere a bit more casual for this week’s restaurant review.

I’ve long had a fraught relationship with fine dining. As a food lover, I’ve found many fine dining establishments charge more for the atmosphere and the privilege of eating there than for the food they serve.

Monday marked the first snow in Athens County. With winter coming early this year thanks to La Niña, we’re going to see more snow in the next couple of months.

For this week’s review, I decided to revisit an old favorite of mine. When my family first moved to Athens, Kiser’s Barbecue was a favorite of ours.

There is perhaps no location in our collective culinary consciousness more synonymous with hearty, unpretentious food and shared experiences than the diner.

After spending the last few weeks highlighting restaurants in Nelsonville, Albany and The Plains, I’ve decided to go back into town to visit one of Athens’ most beloved eateries.

One of my favorite kinds of restaurants are those that are located in historic buildings. There’s something incredibly satisfying about seeing an old building get a new lease on life as a place where people can gather and make new memories together.

As a child, I found there were three categories of restaurant my family would go to when we dined out. Not in terms of the type of cuisine they served or even whether they were casual or formal, but more in terms of our dining experience and whether we dined there again.