Great, cheap lunch in Athens at Cali n Titos...

Great little lunch spot. This a a Latin restaurant, and really has a nice little vibe, with a lot of little kitsch items around and some modern Latin pop music playing. It looks like something you would find in an ethnic Miami neighborhood, or even in Cuba. The menu seemed geared toward quick service things, and the sandwich items all looked awesome. They have tacos, traditional Cuban sandwiches, as well as other items that I didn't really have a chance to review. I should have stolen a menu, but you can see an older one here. Many of the items are the same.

I went with the Cubano sandwich. They offer it with steak, chicken, or chorizo and eggs. It comes with lettuce, tomato, mayo, jalapenos, onions and a little cilantro. The bread was great, with a nice, crisp crust that gave a good texture on the bit. The steak appeared to be a marinated flank steak, and there was plenty of meat in the sandwich.

For my side, I chose the tostones (fried green plantains smashed into small wafers similar to thick potato chips). Those tostones were off the hook! They were not greasy at all, and were not overly salty. They were also dusted with what appeared to be a small amount of parmesan cheese. Other sides offered were fries, maduros (fried sweet plantain {I really want to try these next time}), and yuca frita (fried yuca {cassava}).

The sandwiches were all sold as combos for around $7, which was the sandwich, a side, and a canned drink. The sandwiches are a very good size and are plenty of food for a lunch or dinner. The drinks are canned drinks, but they do offer some fresh juices as well, I believe. the selection of drinks is pretty varied, as well. In addition to the standard Coke/Diet Coke/Sprite/Tea, they offer common Latin soft drinks like Postobon (an apple soft drink), Colombiana (made by Postobon, more of a cream soda type), Inka Cola, and other popular Latin brands.

Sadly, I was so consumed by eating a damn good sandwich that I didn't remember to take any pictures until I had already eaten half of it. The photos are bad and do not do justice to the food.

A few things to note:
They don't take credit/debit cards.Lunch crowds can create long lines, but the food wait is minimal.The patio is covered and there are fans, but it could be uncomfortable during summer. They don't have a liquor license, but for $2.00 per person you can BYOB. Parking can be an issue when busy (he bought the car wash next door to help with this). This restaurant is a must visit in Athens, IMO. I am definitely going back to try some of the other combos. And for the guys--the ambient scenery is fantastic!

Heart attack goodness on a plate...

I had this for lunch Friday afternoon from Max's Ricas in Lawrenceville. It is a Colombian restaurant with traditional Colombian fare.

The plate is a Bandeja Paisa, a very traditional large meal found throughout Colombia. While there are many regional variations, the true Bandeja Paisa was started in the paisa regions of Colombia, which traditionally encompasses the state of Antioquia (city of Medellin) and Valle de Cacua (city of Cali).

This particular bandeja was a regional variation. It had red beans (cooked with pork), rice, Chicharrón (fried pork rinds), Colombian chorizo, carne asada (marinated/grilled thin flank steak), fried plaintain (oh, so sweet and good!), an arepa (think of an unleavened biscuit), a nice big slice of avocado, all topped with a fried egg.

I washed it down with jugo de lulo (Lulo Juice). Lulo is a tropical fruit that I have never been able to find here because the restaurants buy them up so quickly. It is also known as a naranjilla in some areas. It has a sweet taste with a slightly tart aftertaste, and is very refreshing.

Bandeja Paisa has been featured on No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain recently. IF you get the opportunity, I would highly encourage you to try one. Max's Ricas in Lawrenceville and La Casona in Doraville are two very good, authentic Colombian restaurants. Also try the sancocho, which is available on the weekends. I will review sancocho next week.