Summer Stay-Cation Athens Food Tour: Cali -N- Tito's

Cali -N- Tito's was a great place to start our Athens summer food tour.  Doing a stay-cation food adventure in Athens is always probably done best during the summer and/or holidays.  Athens is after all a college town so when school is in session the streets are typically bustling during the semester.

We had heard a great deal about Cali -N- Tito's but never had a chance to get by there.  Unless you are just on or around campus it's kinda out of the way.  None the less locals were always flabbergasted when they heard we hadn't been there.  So needless to say there was a lot of build up for this joint.  Initially I was doubtful that it would live up to all the hype I have been hearing, but gladly it did not disappoint.  The place is literally a little hole in the wall kind of place.  It's nothing fancy, there are no big flashing signs, parking isn't a premium, the decor is cheap Latin throw back with espresso cans serving as lampshades and vases, coffee bean bags hanging from the ceiling, and plywood bottom chairs with their logo seemingly hand burned with a kit.  It's totally a jeans and t-shirt, serve yourself, kind of place.  The staff is friendly and helpful but typically the only time you see anyone at your table is when they bring out your food.  There are recycle bins beside the trashcan, always great to know a place likes to keep it green, and a sign at the trashcan asking that you be sure not to toss their plates into the trash.

There are a few things you need to know before you go.  They only accept cash or checks, NO CREDIT CARDS.  There is an ATM at the BP next door to procure your cash if necessary.  If you are someone who drinks a lot during a meal and you prefer soda, grab your own while you're there.  You generally get a drink with your meal, but if you get soda it's a can with a cup of ice.  Not sure if you can get extras and their choices are limited.  It's worth noting that they do however offer a few Latin/Hispanic soda drinks but you can often get these at grocery stores as well.  If you order tea or lemonade you're golden as they have a serve yourself station set up to get as much as you please.

The perfect lunch date.
That's not a can on his head,
it's the can shading the light.

For my differently-abled and handi-capable friends, it is accessible.  Know that parking is kinds strange but manageable and they have 2 designated spaces.  The accessible entrance is in the rear, and it is the only accessible entrance/exit.  The walk up entrance from the sidewalk leads you through the picnic table area with narrow walkways between the tables and the water feature/old boat through a river rock garden.  When you enter from the rear, you'll come through the side door and place your order at the counter.  The inside seating area has large accessible isles that would be no problem for chairs of any type.  There are a few picnic tables outside near the side door that have enough space to be accommodating for a wheelchair but the tables around the front are a bit crowded in terms of the isles between them.  I didn't have an opportunity to check out the restrooms so I can't speak to that, but will point out that to access those you again have to go out the back entrance that you can into around to the backside of the building.  Also know that to leave you have to go back around the counter, excuse yourself through the line of people waiting to order, out the side door, to get to the wheelchair ramp that leads out the back entrance.  There is a door that you could easily slip out the other side if you're sitting inside, but it has no ramp, so if you're dependent on a chair it's restrictive in that manner.  For those with service dogs or service dogs in training, we had no issues concerning LD Austin.  There were other people there with their dogs sitting outside so it's seemingly encouraged.  We chose to sit inside and the only comments received were from customers talking about how awesome he was and wishing their dogs were so well trained.  The tables are a variety of types, some with four outer legs and others have the center pole with 4 feet which makes it a little difficult for service dogs to sit under which is where we sat without thinking, but since we were sitting at a 2-seater table he sat on the outside of the table in the isle.  Again, the isles on the inside are large, accommodating, and had plenty of space for him to lay and not be an obstruction.


R. had the steak quesadilla with sweet potato chips.  It came with a sauce on the side that was too hot for our pallets.  One dip of a fork to taste and I was reaching for an ice cube.  The mix of spice and cheese with the steak in the quesadilla was wonderful all their own, so not having the sauce for it was not a problem. The sweet potato chips were tasty and crunchy in a way you can only get from a deep fryer. I ordered the chicken empanadas with fried sweet plantains.  It was quite flavorful with a mix of peppers, green onions and the sauce in which it was cooked.  Yum.  It also came with a side of sauce that married quite well, lending a little sweetness to the mix.  Good stuff!  The fried sweet plantains were a desert all their own.  Total cost of the two meals were a little less than $15.  We both left full, satisfied, and as always, with a little to bring home.  They have carryout plates at the ready for anyone to grab on the shelf under the tea station.  The cardboard carryout plates no less.  Once R. finishes it off for a snack later we can rip off the top to recycle and the bottom to be used as fodder to start up the fire pit.  Definitely a place to check out and become a regular.  Without a doubt, we will be back.

To check out what else Athens has to offer or to plan your next trip check out the FlagPole's Guide to Athens.  Feel free to offer suggestions, thoughts, comments, and such for our next adventure, or share one of your own.  

Bathroom Mini Makeover

This isn't my typical blog post.  But since I haven't posted in over a year and I felt like sitting down and writing I thought I'd share something a little different. Thus far 2014 has been thankfully calm and, within the usual chaos we call life, we have managed to do a few things here and there so that we may be able to enjoy our environment a little more.  We are big supporters of doing the little things so that the bigger things don't stack up.  This applies both to relationships and things around the house.  So when we find something around the house we would like to improve in some way we usually make an effort to make those changes together.  The only exceptions to this are the rooms that we consider our own.  For me it is my office/crafting space and for R. it is his loft/game room.  We help each other to achieve the desired look, hang items, and provide an alternate perspective or idea, but the set up is person specific. 

As many of you know, we moved house Aug. 1, 2013 and the next day football camp started.  Needless to say we still have things to do.  Slowly but surely we are getting things around the house unpacked, cleaned, and organized the way we want.  Now that football and wrestling seasons are over, and I have an entire month of being able to leave work after final bell and weekends free, I should be able to devote more time to getting things settled and organized in a manner that is suited for us both.  I know those who are local are ready for me to have a party or some sort of gathering, but we are not there yet but I'm hopeful for the summer.  Those of you who are distant have gotten glimpses through pictures posted on Facebook or Twitter through Instagram, and some of you have actually been by to visit.  For those of you who I don't know personally, I figure you are probably like me and just enjoy seeing what other people do with their spaces so that you can gather your own ideas.  So as we get spaces done and up to snuff I will try to post the pictures. 

One of the things we, or should I say I, have been wanting to do was frame around the mirror in the master bathroom.  Having the mirror bare just made it seem unfinished and stark.  It's a small thing but gives a nice finished look with a personal touch.  So of course, thanks to Pinterest, I found an idea I liked and thought easy to implement.  However, since we are renting the house, we were told we could not make any permanent changes to the house, that included framing the mirror (yes I called and asked specifically).  With this knowledge I began searching for ways to frame out the mirror that would be easy to remove if/when we move again.  Beyond just framing it though, I also wanted some shelving between the sinks to control the chaos while still keeping in mind the need to be not permanent. 

While helping R. hang things in the loft/gamer cave/geek haven, I discovered just what I was looking for.  Command Strips!  DUH!  Why didn't I think of this before.  They pop right off with a snap, leaving no sticky mess behind, meaning things are NOT PERMANENT!  Just what I needed!   Finally I knew how I was going to achieve that finished look I wanted.

So it was with this revelation we went to Lowe's and purchased everything we would need.  Excited and determined I had my plan.  We bought the white molding and corner squares and knowing there would be a gap between the molding and the wall next to the light switch, we also purchased a 1/2 inch 1/4 round strip.  Since the strips were already white, no painting was required.  Believe it or not, the most expensive part of the purchase was the Command Strips.  Everything totaled out to be around $30.  R. was kind enough to cut and hang them while I was at work as a surprise.  It was a wonderful thing to come home and discover.  This weekend we went to S. GA and happened to stop in Alco where I found a wonderful Closetmaid© mini storage cubical.  The shelf was $15 and the baskets were $8 for a pack of two.  It was exactly what I was looking for.  It fit perfectly between the sinks without making it feel like there was a wall between them. I think the finished look makes it a warmer, more inviting environment, well worth the cost.  R. likes that he can, and plans to, arrange the baskets into various Tetris shapes.  So it's a little something for the both of us.  

We both liked the over all effect enough to go back and spend another $5 for another strip of molding and using the leftovers from the master bath we were able to do the same to the guest bath. (Now if only I could do something about that wallpaper.) Plus, should we want to redo something or move, all we have to do it snap it off with no damage to the property.  So the total cost of framing both bathroom mirrors was about $35, adding in the shelf in the master bath grand total would be approximately $65.  Cost efficient, not permanent, is reusable, creates organization and beauty - I'd say all together well worth the cost.  Not to mention the organization and ease it created makes for more sanity and easy mornings for me -- that my friend, is priceless.