Stella's Back!

I got a text last night that devastated me.  It was from my good friend Roman Warmke and said that this New Years Eve both the Royales and Stella are playing Jackie O’s. Roman, who is a member of the Royales, often keeps me posted on their upcoming gigs.  I was devastated because I have a wedding to attend and cannot make the show.

The Royales are outstanding but the main reason that you cannot miss this gig is the reunion of Stella.  Stella is comprised of Laura Nadeau (vocals/guitar), John “Catfish” Juliano (guitar/fiddle), Mark Hellenberg (drums/percussion), and Dave Baer (bass). They released “Pony Girl” in 2002.  It’s a great album and it brings me back to Athens every time I hear it.

Roman Warmke of The Royales

Both my girlfriend and I are big Stella fans.  I would highly recommend attending the show (but snag a hot nut from Tonys) beforehand.  We’ll be in town this Wednesday so we’ll get our Athens nightlife fix.  Hopefully I’ll have some picks to post.

I may seem biased but this is one of my favorite times of the year to visit Athens, Ohio.  Ohio University is on winter break and Athens turns into a small town.  If you’ve only experienced Athens when school is in session you will be happy to find the same great restaurants, shops, and bars at only 1/3 of the foot traffic.  The town embraces the Holidays and uptown Athens gets decorated with holiday lights.  The city gives you free parking at the meters uptown as well.  If you are looking for a road trip in Ohio, I’d highly recommend getting away to Athens for an evening.

What are some of my favorite things to do in the wintertime in Athens, Ohio?  Here’s a list:

• Bowling at Rollerbowl - They’ve renovated the place in the last few years and it’s much nicer inside.
• Dinner or drinks at Casa Nueva
• Hot Nut at Tonys Tavern - Tonys is a great bar in uptown Athens. On of my favorite shots from that bar is called the “hot nut” which is made up of Frangelica and coffee. It’s also conveniently located directly across from Casa
• Hike at Strouds Run - Occassionally you’ll get a nice mild day. Those are the days I would drive out to Strouds and take a hike
• T-shirt Shop at Ski’s Teases & Collectibles - Ski’s has a great collection of t-shirts. Browse their diverse selection of t-shirts or have them make you a custom one.

I know I’m missing a few so let me know what you like to do in Athens on Winter Break.  Here’s a few shots of Athens Ohio I took when I lived there.  It was on a morning when it snowed quite a bit.

I have been away from Athens, Ohio for more than three weeks, and I currently live in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  Although I am appreciating city-living, the ‘Burgh seems to be missing so much of the Athens style that I love and miss.

Now I could go on for pages writing what I miss about Athens while simultaneously complaining about Pittsburgh.  I won’t though, because that would not provide enough insight to each missed quality.

Instead, I will dedicate a new post to every little Athens-esque longing that I have.  And maybe I’ll include a few things I don’t miss about Athens.  Only a few though, because there are not many anyways.

To whoever might come across this series: I hope you enjoy what I have to say, because Athens, Ohio is a special place to me.  And if you’re reading this, then it must be special to you as well.

Already getting emotional,

C

From everyone at Athenshub.com, I’d like to welcome back everyone.  Spring quarter is my favorite quarter of the year and I can’t wait til May for all the great street parties.  We are also your home for rentals in Athens Ohio.  Rental search 2009-2010 is right around the corner so stay tuned.

With less than four hours until the competition, I sit on my living room couch thinking about the past weeks.  There’s a good chance that I am the only entrant who has trained for the event.

Does this give me an advantage?  Does it place me on a higher platform from which to fall if I lose?  Does this prove that I have wasted my time and general health in the pursuit of a trivial prize?

Hell no!

I’m a 21-year-old college student with nothing to lose.  It would be sensational if I won, but a lose does not bring defeat.  I have met some incredible people during my training, and would never have done so without this gastronomical quest.

In fact, some of these people are making a documentary about me and PickleFest.  They taped one of my sparring sessions, interviewed me and some roommates and will be at Bagel Street Deli today for more footage.  Be on the lookout for a 10 - 15 minute video package of my recent shenanigans.

Eating some toast,

C

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!

So much has happened since my last post, that his entry will stick to the facts.  There’s no time to insert any puns or witticisms.

First, I was finally hit with a case of “pickle stomach” after one of my training sessions.  I sprinted from my desk at work and made it to the bathroom in just enough time to keep my boxers clean.  For the record, this over-share of information is meant to emphasize the torment that competitive eaters have to live with.  Also, it hit Nathan just as hard that night.

Second, I met last year’s champion while buying some training pickles.  Although he boasted 13 as his record, other sources have cited 11 as the winning number.  Discrepancies aside, the guy did have some decent advice for a rising hopeful.  Why didn’t I think of chewing bubble gum to strengthen my mandible?

Third, there are more people signed up for PickleFest than I ever expected.  Even the workers at Bagel Street Deli are astounded.  The current number of entrants is 70.  70!  70?!?  Yes, friends, 70 people have signed up to eat free pickles.  It doesn’t take an economics major to explain the mass quantity of bagels needed to turn a profit.  Enjoy the publicity Bagel Street.

Lastly, PicklFest is this Friday!  In a few days, I will be publicly gorging myself on a food that some people gag upon smelling.  Come glory or embarrassment, because I’m expecting one and ready for the other.

Calmed after posting,

C

I want to start by apologizing for this article’s tardiness.  Twenty credit hours, a part-time job and a girlfriend have kept me away from the Hub.

So early last week, Nathan came over for our sparring match.  Although I knew what he was gastronomically capable of, I still needed someone to challenge.  That garbage disposal of a man certainly sparked my competitive nature.

The outcome of the match is not important, because the sparring technique worked.  I ate seven whole pickles!  Simply having some competition allowed me to eat one whole pickle more than my personal best.

With less than a month left to train, I am confident that improvements like this will continue.

Embarrassment occurs in public,

C

No, this entry’s title is not referring to the Steelers’ record-setting sixth Super Bowl win yesterday.  Although they are not the only ones to reach a record setting sixth.

Saturday was my second individual training session, and improvements have been made.  I easily finished six pickles.  I could have forced another chunk from a seventh, but there was no need to ruin a pickle.  A college student buying pickles in bulk needs to think frugally.

Now to that historic date. As much as I’d enjoy writing about all the glorious moments from the Steelers victory, I have a more important date on my mind.

When I walked into Bagel Street Deli this afternoon to buy enough pickles for my first sparring match, I had no idea of what terrific news I would receive.  Side note: Imagine the girl’s reaction when I asked for 16 pickles.

While I waited for them to bag my pickles, and gossip about my possible pickle fetish, I asked the cashier if a date had been picked for PickleFest.

Friday, March 13, 2009.

That’s right, my day of judgement will be on Friday the 13th.  Superstitions aside, having it the weekend before finals is sure to keep me academically focused.  Oh well, I guess that’s the kind of sacrifice a competitive eater has to make.  Sorry Mom and Dad.

Black and Gold,

C

For those of you who thought I was joking about a trainer, you can stop laughing.  My roommate Jack has climbed aboard the Reckspress and will remain on board until the next stop, Victory Town.

…

I know I said you can stop laughing,  but I’m sure that last sentence just made things worse.  If I had any dignity after posting those pictures in the last entry, it’s all gone now.  But that’s the kind of sacrifice a man makes when he enters a competitive eating challenge.

Back to Jack.  He has already challenged me to pickle-offs, where we race to eat one pickle.  I’ve won them all so far.  I’m guessing this “exercise” is to lower my per-pickle speed.

In other pickle-eating news, someone else has joined my team.  My buddy Nathan mentioned the idea of practicing with me in order to heighten my competitiveness.  Ingenious!  Now I have a sparring partner.

Before he joins, I need to have another training session.  If he beats me in his first attempt, I will halt all pickle-eating propaganda and not even enter the competition.

Hold me to it,

C

I would like to start by thanking the special someone who provided me with ten Bagel Street Deli pickles. I did not expect such support already, but your generosity allowed me to have an authentic training session.

Pleasantries aside, last night was my first serious attempt. With ten pickles in front of me, I set my goal at seven. This seemed like an attainable goal for my 6′ 190 pound frame.

Wrong.

The lucky people that happened to be at the house that night gathered around the kitchen for the spectacle. Their excitement did not last long. Motivating cheers for me slowly became mild conversations among themselves. They left the room before I could share the fact that my sense of taste was gone. Damn acidic pickles.

For the record, after an exhausting ten minutes there were still four pickles on the plate and a nub in my hand. I was completely deflated and ashamed of my poor showing.

Last year’s champion inhaled eleven in ten minutes. I guess it’s time to take out a personal ad for a trainer.

Cue the Rocky theme,

C

I, Craig Reck, am officially announcing my intention of entering the pickle-eating competition at Bagel Street Deli in Athens, Ohio.

There are numerous details about Picklefest, so I will keep this initial entry simple (over stimulation is a competitive eating no-no).

When the time comes, I will be devouring as many jumbo, deli-style pickles as possible in ten minutes.  All without vomiting, of course.

Sure, this promotion of gluttony is absurd, but the prize justifies any self-inflicted bodily harm.

Every year the Picklefest champion names and creates a signature Bagel Street Deli sandwich.  It is then sold in BSD for one year.  If the sandwich gains a large enough following, it is added to the menu FOREVER.

So keep checking in for the latest updates on the conception of the Reckwich.

Cheers,

C

Danny Cox

The following is the first of the Athens: Ghost Town commentary series.

The first place you notice it is the lines. Running late for work, I ducked into Wendy’s to grab a sandwich or two and to my utter amazement, there was no line. I was actually going to make it on time to work, despite my snack stop.

Then comes the parking. I pulled into my lot today to find it completely empty. I was literally the only car in the lot.

Finally, it’s the lack of pedestrians. Where are those sweat-pants clad, flip-flop-wearing young folks to walk in front of my bike while I try not to ruin my brakes going down Morton Hill.

What happened? Was there some virus that I happen to be immune to? Did aliens come in and abduct the entire campus, leaving me behind?

Though equally possible, the cold, heartless truth to this phenomenon is that the religious folks with the big signs were right: the end is here. The end of the quarter, that is.

That’s right, finals are over and students are back home taking showers without shoes, eating meals outside the Ramen, Mac & Cheese, and pseudo-edible (think dining halls) food groups.

But while you sit comfortably back home, having groceries bought for you, what is going on back in Athens?

That’s where I come in. Over the next few weeks, I’ll help you keep in touch with the campus you love so much, providing a running commentary of life spent in a town gone home.

Enjoy.

The end of the quarter is never fun and I’m picking up a vibe that this quarter has been tougher on people that previous quarters. At least that is the vibe I’m getting on facebook. I remember last fall quarter I pretty much worked non stop on two website projects for about a week and a half ( the VICO web class was a major pain in the butt). As much as I complained about it I battled through it and learned a lot. Luckily, I did not have to cram at the end.

However, some people make cramming and all nighters an art form. What types of things are you guys doing this year to cram? Running on redbull all night? Let’s hear about it!

There are several thoughts running through your mind as you finish your last final exam at Ohio University in a quarter. Thoughts that have previously ran through my head include:

1. What is the closest bar to this classroom?
2. If I fill in “C” for every answer will I pass the test?
3. I’m screwed. F*** this class!
4. If the bookstore offers me 5 dollars for the book I paid 90 dollars for, I’m going to crack!

We’ve all been there. Selling your books at Ohio University is a frustrating experience. You walk into the bookstore, drop the books on the counter and anxiously await for the clerk to tell you what it’s worth. You only hope and pray the edition of the book is not being upgraded for next quarter. Most of the time the end result has you walking out of the bookstore cursing and muttering to yourself at how much they took you for.

Before you rush to the bookstore, consider your options. One option is to sell and buy your books on Athenshub.com in our new book exchange section. It’s absolutely free and the goal is to sell your books to other students on campus. So instead of losing money to the bookstore, you are ideally gaining some cash. Check it out and hopefully you’ll save a few bucks.

The Ohio University Bobcats, 2-5, defeated MAC opponents Kent State 26-19 on Saturday.

More coming soon.

Ahhhh the last meal. Perhaps the toughest decision facing a graduate of Ohio University. Sure there should be other things on my mind, such as when the cable man is coming to my new place, if my dog will use the new apartment as a latrine or impending tasks of the new job. However, knowing I won’t be back in Athens until homecoming, I need to make this critical decision.

With so many great places to eat in Athens, what do you choose. Facing this crisis, let me break down my top 5 choices in random order:

1. Bagel Street Deli - Steamed Bagels and great music and atmosphere

The Bagel Street Deli - Athens Ohio

My favorites:

• You can’t go wrong with Tom’s Turkey or the Chris Farley (banana’s, honey, and peanut butter.
• I also enjoy the smoked tofu on wheat - marinated tofu with honey mustard sauce

My favorite story about the place was from a alumnus who came back for homecoming. She ate at the place 3 times in one day

2. Avalanche Pizza
The greatest thing in coming back to OU in 07 was that all the delivery places would take your credit card number over the phone. So if you didn’t care to fight the long lines at Wendy’s at 2:30 am and were coherent enough to read your credit card, you had food. The best thing was that if you passed out, they’d leave the pizza on your doorstep for you (cause it’s paid baby!!!). What a great early morning surprise.

My favorite is the meatball pizza but they have all kinds of different speciality pizzas that you can try.

3. D.P. Dough - Calzones
This is a must have if anything for the memories. I think this was my first place I ordered from when I came to Athens in 2000 for my undergrad. And I’m very happy to see that my favorite, the Chicken Parmzone (a calzone with cheese, friend chicken bits that comes with pizza dipping sauce). And yes I enjoy eating it when I’m sober.

4. Goodfellas Pizza
With multiple locations uptown, how can you not grab a slice of pizza on the way home from an evening uptown. I enjoy the thick soft crust and usually opt for the pepperoni. If anything, the conversations and people that you run into in line there late at night are worth it.

5. Burrito Buggy
Who doesn’t enjoy a burrito with some local zest. It’s hard to miss the yellow and orange buggy located right in front of the college bookstore. I’ll have to admit that I didn’t frequent the buggy but I did enjoy the chicken and chili burrito. I think I went on a streak where I got it 2 or 3 days in a row. I believe it was also around halloween…it figures.

Other places considered: Big Mama’s Burritos, Pita Pit, Slovaki’s, and Chipolte and I know I’m gonna get crap for not including O’Betty’s which I admit to not trying.

I haven’t come to a decision yet but be sure to enjoy these great places when you’re visiting Athens, Ohio or before your time is up at OU.

I thought it was proper to throw together my top 5 “sit down” restaurants in Athens, Ohio after writing my other post about top 5 local fast food places in Athens, Ohio. After 5 great years of living in Athens, here’s where the sit down restaurants stand:

1. Stephen’s

Stephen's Restaurant

This is a fantastic place to get all kinds of great food in Athens. It’s located right off Court street and has a variety of menu items that change quite frequently.  I’d recommend the steak or the shrimp alfredo.   Their bread is outstanding as well.  What’s great about this place is that they don’t have a liquior license.  So they allow you to bring beer or wine in with you.  It’s a great place to take the folks when they come into town or a hot date.  It can be a little pricey but is surely worth it.

2. Casa Nueva

Another great local place with a lot of character located right across from Tony’s.   The Casa primarily serves local food and focuses on using only fresh and local Athens products.  Their salsa is also great and I recommend the mild or the verde.  My favorite menu item there is the Enchilada Verde.  This place can be crowded as it is a local favorite so be sure to get there early.  If you do have to wait, you can grab a Margarita at the bar.  I recommend the Frank Norton Margarita.  Make sure to make it there for breakfast as well.

3. Toscano’s Italian

The best italian restaurant in Athens.  They constantly have great specials on every night of the week.  Make sure to sign up for their email list as you get constant updates on what things are on special for lunch and dinner that week. I usually stick with the Spaghetti and meatballs or the ravioli.  They have a pretty good dessert tray that they bring around as well.

4. The Union Street Diner

A late night favorite for students at OU.  The union street diner is located on West Union just a few blocks away from court street.  It’s pretty much open 24 hours and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner at any time.  I’m a big fan of breakfast there as their French Toast is probably the best I’ve ever had.  Make sure to get the bacon and eggs with it as well.  If you are an early riser, they have great early morning specials.  A personal late night favorite of the Fridays Live cast and crew

5. The Blue Gator

This is another good place in Athens to eat.  It’s got a great “blues bar” feel to it and is a very unique restaurant for Athens.  I personally enjoy the Jambalaya.  They usually have a lot of different bands playing in there on any given night.

Hey Everybody,

The search for Athens Ohio Rentals is on.  Most are looking for housing for the 2009-2010 school year.  Our traffic has been at an all time high for the past few days due to big search and we thank you for that.

Because of this, we’ve added a new feature to the Athens City Rental List.  If you go here: http://www.athenshub.com/athens-ohio-city-rentals-list/, you’ll see that we’ve integrated Google Maps into our pages. Now you can see all properties available for rent in Athens and where they are located in relation to campus and all your favorite places uptown.

Athens Ohio Rentals

On Friday, Governor Strickland visited the Athens community to discuss the vital role of the individual in this election.

Speaking to a crowd of nearly 200, Governor Strickland spoke of the importance of Ohio voters, especially in the rural areas where former presidential candidate John Kerry failed to garner enough support to carry the state.

Governor Strickland stressed the importance of rural voters to elect representatives to the Ohio General Assembly.