There was an article in The Post earlier this month about a new restaurant (The Corner) going into the space where "Starting Gates Bier Halle " was.

Just wondering if anyone out there who lives in Athens knows if it opened yet.

My wife and I are coming out to Athens for the Varsity Show and were gonna check it out,if its open.

Right now Salaam will be your best choice for dinner other than Casa. Rumors are still swirling about a possible rustic Italian place on East State Street. Stay tuned.

Just curious, what about the Thai restaurant that is on Union down toward the train station? Any good? It had a nice looking outdoor eating area any way.

Several folks I know who like Thai food in general say Thai Paradise is good.

Since I don't like Thai food (but I do like Chinese), I would call it the worst Thai restaurant in Athens! 

Good authentic Thai food - as good as any I have had anywhere that was not Thailand. "Thai" food - not some other "Thai-Fusion", "Thai Inspired", "Whatever the Chef likes that's not really Thai"

Apologize for the double post. My wife and I went to check out "The Corner" last Monday. Depending on how old you are and how long removed you are from OU, you'll have different remembrances of the location. It's at 120 West Union. For those of you from the '60's you'll remember the location as the "Star Bar." The '70's will remember the "Roaring 20's" run by "Black Julie" Abraham. By the late 80's or early 90's (or even later) the original building was torn down and a new building was built to house Lam's Chinese restaurant. Lam's later moved out to E. State Street where it remains today. 120 W. Union was "Grinders" for a time and then the German themed place before it became "The Corner."

It's owned by Rick Wasserman. He's a really good guy. He's originally from the East Coast. He also owns the Pigskin and the specialty wine/beer shop on Stimpson. It's not cheap by Athens standards, but the food is good. It's upscale southern cuisine and cocktails. I had the short ribs and sweet potatoes. They were really, really good. The Brussel sprout appetizer was outstanding.

It's not a place most folks are going to be able to go to frequently because of the price, but it is excellent quality. For those times when when you feel you're going to spend money and its important to get a really good meal, you'll get that at "The Corner." Main dishes can run around $25 and appetizers can be up to $10.

While I'm at it, I should add that work is progressing on the old Little Ritz (Cat's Den) that is across the street (Depot Street) from "The Corner." That's a complete rehab that is looking really good. I think the new name is going to be "Cat's Corner."

My wife and I went on our last trip to Athens and had a similar positive experience. I got a perfectly prepared fish dish. The quality was on par with big-city offerings, service was attentive and cocktails were made with care. My only concern about the viability of the place is that it comes dangerously close to big-city pricing. It fills a niche in Athens so I hope it succeeds. Having an experienced restaurateur running it should help a lot.

I thought portions were perfectly adequate, but I do think they're below the supersized average of most American restaurants. I was sated after my meal, which included a shared starter with my wife.

Tried to take my wife to The Corner last night, but they were closed. I think it might have been a weather-related closure, because they are supposed to be open on Sunday evenings. Interesting about the gas station. I know at one time there was a gas station across the street, also. You are right about the interesting history of that area. Do you know the little street that goes up the hill to Washington Street used to be called "African Alley"? There are all kinds of stories as how it got its name.

One of the stories has to do with the Underground Railroad. This story never made any sense to me. It goes that escaping slaves would go up the street from the terminus of the Hocking Canal (in front of what's now the old train station) and go up that alley where they could find shelter. What makes no sense about this story is that this was the southern most section of the Hocking Canal. If a escaping slave was on the canal, he or she would have gotten on north of Athens and would be heading south. Since the goal of the UGRR was to get folks to Canada, this would be going the wrong way. Now it is true that some slaves were able to stop off short of Canada at various points and take on a new identity and put down roots, but this whole story seems dubious to me.

That part of Washington Street was the "black neighbor" when I was growing up. It had a number of African American families that had roots on that street dating back into the 19th Century. In the 1990s (or late '80s) The Post had an interesting article about an old woman who lived on that street. She was the last member of the last native Athenian black family who still lived on the street. As I recall, she was living upstairs in her house and renting the bottom section to students.

If you haven't seen it, you should go up to Washington Street and read the plaque in front the house on Washington Street where Booker T. Washington married his second wife, Olivia Davidson. The back side of the plaque gives some general historical information about the African American community in that part of town.

We'll try again this weekend. If successful, I'll come back and post a mini-review.

From The Post article linked above, The Corner owner states that the over 40 crowd never sets foot in Chipotle. Is that true, over 40 BA posters?

Not a fan means you've never been to Chipotle? I'm not a fan either and I'm over 40 (just a little). However, my two children like Chipotle so I've eaten at Chipotle once or twice.