Five and Ten - Athens, GA - June 5, 2007

Dining from 5:30p - 7:30p
Health Rating: 100/94
Average Cost per person: $48.30 (including appetizers, alcoholic drinks and dessert)

Overall EATS Tour Rating

Food: A-
Atmosphere: B+
Service: B+

Meals ordered

Taylor Little
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Dish: Berkshire Pork Porterhouse
Food: A
Atmosphere: B
Service: B
Review:I had eaten at Five and Ten twice before and enjoyed it although I questioned whether or not the quality of the experience was worth the cost. Since we got there early I ordered from the Prix Fixe menu and I think the $24 price made a difference in my impression as that was reasonable for the amount and quality of the food. Stephanie and I shared the tiny Gulf shrimp appetizer. I love shrimp and the texture was excellent and they were of a good size considering they were "tiny". The shrimp were good but I thought they could've had a more distinct taste–more butter less oil and a little more spice.

My Prix Fixe choice consisted of an arugula salad, a Berkshire Pork Porterhouse (fancy name for a big pork chop) and a dessert that was essentially fig preserves. I traded my arugula salad for Virna's sweet corn soup. The soup was good but also a little bland. On to the pork.
The Berkshire hog is from fine stock indeed–the breed's roots go back 300 years and are a favorite of the Royal Family. I understand why.
This was the single best piece of pork I have ever had in any restaurant anywhere. It was cooked to perfection and the taste was unrivaled by any pig I've ever had the pleasure to eat. The pork alone accounts for my high marks on the food, were it not for that I would have rated it B- instead of A. The dessert portion was a small helping of fig preserves and was pretty tasty.

As Virna mentioned, the acoustics are not good and it is hard to carry on a conversation. There is quiet a bit of noise coming from the kitchen so this accounts for a lower mark for atmosphere.

Service was a little off. In our server's defense we did have one person in our party come in 15 minutes then another come after that so he was trying to keep everything straight. He made a mistake on my drink order but I attribute that to the inability to hear much amongst the din of other diners and clanging pots. We did present him with a challenging task concerning our bill splitting request (which he managed to pull off even when he thought he couldn't) and for that I give him credit.

Overall a nice meal but that is based almost solely on the little piggy that went to market and ended up on my plate.


Virna Mendoza
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Dish: Roasted Irish Salmon
Food: A-
Atmosphere: B+
Service: B+
Review:
Overall the evening was good. Nothing spectacular but still considered the meal very good. If you are there before 6pm, they do offer a Prix Fixe menu with 2 options of an appetizer, entree and dessert for $24. The 2 choices change weekly. This week I ordered the corn chowder soup, grilled salmon and vanilla bean ice cream.

Taylor selected the other prix fixe option with came with an arugula salad, and we switched between ourselves the appetizers as they do not allow substitutions. The arugula salad came with red and yellow grape tomatoes, cucumbers and green goddess dressing with a lemony zing to it. I enjoyed the salad with everything tasting very fresh and crisp.

For the the salmon entree, it was grilled with the skin left on one side and served with some roasted potatoes. The portion for me was just right especially since dessert was included. The salmon was very moist and cooked perfectly.

My dessert consisted of vanilla bean ice cream served over a polenta cake drizzled with honey. The ice cream was wonderful but I was not a fan of the polenta cake. It was a bit dry to eat with ice cream and even when the ice cream had melted over the cake, it still did not help the consistency of the cake itself.< style="font-weight: bold;">

Stephanie Sharp
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Dish: Roasted Atlantic Hake
Food: A-
Atmosphere: B+
Service: B+
Review: This visit being only my second visit to Five & Ten, I will definitely remember it more fondly than my first visit over 4 years ago. You have to understand I was 8 months pregnant on my first visit and the small wooden chairs aren't made for the overly impregnated, and to top it off, indulging heavily in the Frogmore stew isn't recommended with so little room left with an almost 8lb baby inside! Nonetheless, that affliction is no longer a problem for me so my second experience was an splendid change!

I started off my meal with the Tiny Gulf Shrimp appetizer. I tasted a hint of what I thought was Sesame Oil, a favorite addition to many of the sauces I prepare at home. The shrimp were a perfect texture, and the sauce they were sauteed in was very tasty. The actual shrimp were a little bland when taken without much sauce but I lathered mine in the sauce.

For my entree I tried the Roasted Atlantic Hake. I love all kinds of fish, and this meal did not disappoint. It was extremely moist and was served with leek mashed potatoes and okra. I do not particulary like okra, more because of the texture than the taste, so I passed them on to one of my companions, who commented I wasn't a good southerner because I don't like okra. He loved the preparation and flavor of the okra.

The high point of any meal for me, and anyone that knows me will confirm this, is the dessert. I chose the creme brulee. I order the creme brulee at any restaurant that serves it. It has surpassed Key Lime pie as my favorite dessert. Five & Ten prepared it with perfect texture, perfect temperature, perfect taste. A++.

I'll definitely visit Five & Ten again, and hopefully it won't be another 4 years!

Trent Allen
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Dish: Anchovies and Grapefruit
Food: A-
Atmosphere: B+
Service: B
Review:

Natalie Rittle
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Dish: Handcut Pasta Ribbons
Food: A
Atmosphere: B
Service: B+
Review:How perfect that the first "appearance" I am able to make on the restaurant tour is Five & Ten...one of Athens' best! Each time I've patroned in the past has proved to be a great experience and it's always top of the list when friends and family are in town. This visit proved to be no exception.

I started with a glass of a Slovenian Pinot Grigio and it was wonderful. We had razor clams in a citrus glaze for an appetizer. It was different and interesting and the fresh parsley and basil made it very tasty.,For my entree, I ordered the ribbon pasta, a dish I've had before and will get again. Admittedly, I'm a pasta addict, especially when there are tomatoes involved so it was hard to resist. I love that this dish offers an unusual pasta - almost lasagna noodles but thinner, it makes it a little difficult to eat but still delicious. The fresh mozzarella found throughout is a nice touch and the sauce is just tomato-y enough with fresh tomatoes as well as a thick broth-type sauce. Now, for the jewel of the evening....I ordered the sorbet and it didn't disappoint. One scoop each of spicy watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew sorbet came expertly presented in a frozen martini glass sprinkled with fresh and delicious blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and raspberries. I will be back for that treat for sure.

The atmosphere was nice and the service was good. An eclectic mix of music lingered in the background and our server did a nice job especially considering both Allen boys came in late at different times. I will continue to recommend Five & Ten and hope to be back very soon.