The Elegant Augusta Real Estate Blog

Lydia Taylor May 12th, 2008

To my husband’s chagrin, I love to eat lunch out! Yes, it is more economical to eat left overs or carry a sandwich, however there is just something about a great local lunch I just cannot get enough of. Combine that with good company that makes this midday meal my favorite. So to show my husband all of those lunches do mean something, I thought I would write a post to tell you about some of my favorite local eateries in Augusta.

• The Chef’s House - This restaurant is only open for lunch! It is in a tiny pink house at 1729 Walton Way next to the Glidden Paint store. You might just drive past it if you are not paying attention. This family owned and operated restaurant believes in good taste and healthy choices. They have a daily buffet that typically features chicken, fish, meat, 2 veggies, a starch, salad bar, and cobbler to absolutely die for.
• Cafe 209- Located downtown off of 10th street this eatery provides good old home cooking. The daily specials range anywhere from pot roast to fried pork chops and if you are in the mood for fried chicken you can choose that any day. If you are more of a veggie eater have no fear - here you can create a plate of veggies with collard greens, fried corn, green beans, fried okra, and more!
• Village Deli - Located in Daniel Village shopping center, off of Wrightsboro Road, this local hot spot offer a variety of sandwiches, soups, and pretty much all American fair. They offer an unusual lemon pepper french fry that should be tried! This place gets busy in a hurry so if you want to avoid a wait, either go early or try to snag a seat in the bar.
• RSVP- On 3626 Walton Way extension in the shopping center, you can find this little lunch delight. RSVP offers soups, salads, and sandwiches and is a great choice for the quick and light lunch. My favorite is their bacon tomato grilled cheese sandwich, chicken salad, and some of the best almost-as-good-as-home-cooking vegetable soup!
• Very Vera - This has a Washington Road address tucked behind a couple of buildings. If you turn by the Applebee’s you will find Very Vera on your right. This little eatery offers soups, salads, sandwiches, and quiche. The very best (or worst if you are on a diet) is the desert. They offer an array of home made goodies for dessert like brownies, rice krispies, and peanut butter bars - however as you gaze around the display cases you can’t help to notice their homemade cakes!
• My Friend’s Place- Located in the Surrey Center this little gem offers an array of sandwiches and wraps. My particular favorite is their chicken salad, however you pretty much cannot go wrong with anything they offer. The one thing that you cannot miss at My Friend’s Place is their cookies. The one particular cookie that I dream about is a chocolate chip cookie with a fudge center. Sounds sinful? Absolutely, but this little cookie is so worth it!

Augusta has a ton of other great local lunch spots that I have not added, primarily because I have not been there yet. If you know of one please tell me about it. Maybe I can get a free pass from my husband to go- after all I am doing local research…

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Austin Taylor May 4th, 2008

The Palmetto House is an upscale restaurant set in the beautifully restored Seven Gables lodge, and features wonderful ambience and excellent food.

Friday evening, the missus and I took dinner at the recently restored and re-opened Seven Gables, now known as the Palmetto House. The exterior is beautiful- the lodge has a English Georgian look to it, with exposed timbers and stucco, and a beautiful patio with lots of tables so you can enjoy the open air. The inside is even more delightful- rich wooden paneling on the walls, elegant wood detailing in the ceiling, and even those great wooden floors that ‘klunk’ delightfully as your heels drop down on them. Giant fireplaces and antique fixtures and fans tastefully finish out the decor. Even some of the windows still have the ropes inside for the window weights. I haven’t seen that in years. And if you look carefully, you can see that some of the older panes of glass have that rippled look from age. The tables and chairs are an eclectic match that don’t quite match each other but fit the character of the room right on. New owner Robin Dunn has done a magnificent job restoring and tastefully decorating the exterior and interior.

Now let’s get to the important part - the food. A sly glance in the kitchen revealed that it was sparkling clean, and the menu was simple with just enough variety to satisfy most and keep it easy on the chef. We were expecting big things, and weren’t disappointed.

Lydia opened with fried asparagus, a glass of the house Riesling, and I had a plate of steamed mussels with the house Merlot. Both of us were very pleased with the quality of the wine and the appetizers. I had two mussels that didn’t open, which did kind of surprise me since they were arranged in a circle pattern on the dish, so surely the kitchen had to notice.

For dinner, Lydia had the surf and turf special, which she again reported was delightful. Initially intending to have red meat, I instead chose to have the stuffed flounder, which absolutely blew me away! It was delicious! Why go to the Bonefish in Augusta when you can get fish like that? I’ve not had an entrè quite that good in recent memory.

For dessert, Lydia had the Key Lime Crush, and I had fun watching her rave about that too.

There were a few flaws, though. The table cloths on the tables weren’t ironed, a fixture by the doors had a light bulb out, and a utility closet by the bathrooms was just hanging open, with bric-a-brac stacked all over the place. The men’s bathroom looked like it was still stuck in the Buffalo Room days, with rusty fixtures and dingy tile. The wait staff too, weren’t quite dressed the part either, wearing khakis and golf shirts with aprons that looked out of character with the rest of the room. They need something just a touch more formal for evening dinner.

One thing I need to mention here is that the Palmetto House is up-scale, fine-dining, and the wait staff needs to be more formal. I hate when a waitress has to write down the orders for only two people, but when she leans over and uses your table to write on the ticket, that’s going too far. And my wife isn’t doll, we aren’t guys, and we don’t need you to interrupt to ask how are we doing in the middle of eating. That’s fine for a casual place like Outback, but then again Outback doesn’t charge $35 for a steak either.

The total bill for dinner for two came to just over $100 before gratuity, which is a bit steep for North Augusta, but I think it’s a fair price for the ambiance and the food, both of which are difficult to be matched in the Augusta area.

Owner Robin Dunn really needs to get the word out. I think if she could hire away a popular bartender from downtown and maybe get some of the young yuppie crowd in there she could really crank up the business. The bar looks like it would be one of the finest watering holes in the area but it was empty Friday night. Here is hoping she succeeds because the Palmetto House is definitely worth a visit.

The Good:

• The historic building is delightful and tastefully decorated
• The food is outstanding, and with a new menu, should only get better

The Bad:

• The wait staff needs some polish
• Work on the bathrooms and hide the utility rooms
• Get the wrinkles out of the tablecloths!
• You probably haven’t gone there and should!

If it sounds like this is a negative review, it’s not my intent. The restaurant has just opened, so you expect a few start-up problems. The negatives are all small touches that I am sure will get smoothed out over time. It’s incredibly hard to get a restaurant started, and seeing what a great job she did with the building -and is doing with the food- I am very confident Robin will get it sorted out.

Last word: I will definitely be going back to the Seven Gables, I mean Palmetto House, again.

For more information, and pictures, you can check out their website: Palmetto House at 7 Gables

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Lydia Taylor May 1st, 2008

Hey Tiffany, we saw your note on Edgefield Daily.com’s Wandering Minds, found your video, and we think you have some talent! Good luck.

Everyone, Tiffany is a young lady from Edgefield SC who submitted a video of herself singing ‘Love can build a bridge’ by the Judds for a WRDW.com & KICKS 99 talent contest. There are a number of very talented competitors competing for a trip to the Academy of Country Music Awards. All of the videos are worth a listen. If you think Tiffany is good, please give her a vote. Thanks!!

EDIT: Tiffany, if you are out there, check this out. If you search for ‘Edgefield Tiffany‘ on Google, this post is the #1 result. You’re famous now.

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Lydia Taylor April 29th, 2008

Aiken was founded in 1833 by William Aiken, president of the South Carolina Canal and Railroad Company. The Railroad was just completing a rail line from the port of Charleston to Hamburg (now North Augusta) SC, and the newly minted town was a stop along the way. At that time, the railroad was the longest in the world. Aiken is one of the few ‘engineered’ cities in SC, having been laid out by Alfred Dexter and C. O. Pascalis. The town proved popular as a resort for wealthy residents of Charleston wanting an escape from the humidity and malaria of lowland SC.

Aiken did play a role in the Civil War, as a sharp cavalry engagement took place between a small force commanded by Confederate General Joseph ‘Fighting Joe’ Wheeler and raiding elements of U.S. General Sherman’s army during his march through Georgia and the Carolinas. As a result of this battle, Sherman’s advance was halted for a time. The Battle of Aiken is re-enacted every year.

The horse community got it’s start in the 1890’s with the arrival of Thomas Hitchcock and his wife Louise. They founded the Palmetto Golf Club, the Aiken Hounds fox hunting society, and Aiken Preparatory Day School. They also set aside the land now known as ‘Hitchcock Woods.’

Fast forwarding to today, Aiken is now the seat of Aiken County. The city is home to a large population of horse breeders and sportsmen and the Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame. Two major steeplechase races are held there, the Imperial Cup every March, and the Holiday Cup in October. Equestrian Polo also is a popular sport. Horse riders will find it interesting that many of the stoplights in town have signal change buttons mounted high on the street corners, so riders can change the lights!! If you are an equestrian enthusiast, Aiken is the town for you.

For many years the city boasted the highest income per capita in the United States. It is still a very wealthy town today. Famous residents or former residents include Senator Strom Thurmond, the wrestler Paul Wight, and William ‘The Refrigerator’ Perry and his brother Michael Dean Perry. My husband went to school with Paul at the former St. Angela Academy, which is now a horse stable(!) next to Hopeland Gardens.

If you are interested in Real Estate in Aiken, SC…

The City of Aiken has it’s own MLS system and as a result most real estate for sale in the city appears within that system. The GAAR-MLS, which is where NorthoftheSavannah.com’s MLS Search pulls it’s listings from, shows some homes for sale in Aiken, but that list is far from comprehensive. Since I can not adequately service my clients interested in Aiken, I provide referrals to excellent Realtors who have access to the Aiken-MLS. Unfortunately, I typically do not handle the area.

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Lydia Taylor April 5th, 2008

I am pretty new to the Keller Williams Realty office- however I have to give them some raves. When I sit in their team meetings, sometimes it is like listening to a different language. They use a lot of acronyms, just like the military (MREA , 80/20, and 4-1-1!) but I am learning what some of them mean. They also use a lot of odd terms like an ‘aha’ and ‘fill someone’s bucket.’ That leads to my first rave:

Rave #1: ‘Fill someone’s bucket’

I have to give the office a rave about the fill someone’s bucket term. It’s a term used for an opportunity when individuals can compliment or thank one another for something great they did. This can range anywhere from passing a test, to helping someone with a contract. Never have I sat in a room of Realtors and seen people actually congratulate someone for something (other than making the most money!) It is such a nice and welcome atmosphere. So to the person who created the idea of filling someone’s bucket, I tip my hat to you and give you a big blog rave!

Rave #2: ‘The Chair-a-van’

Another rave is the chair-a-van. Most agencies participate in a Realtor caravan where they leave the office and go to actual homes. Well, at Keller Williams Augusta we do the same thing. However, we also do a chair-a-van where we actually never leave the office. What good does that do? Well, this is a way to promote our listings to each other, but it is also a way for agents to get constructive criticism on how to make their descriptions & photos more effective on the MLS system. Getting several sets of eyes to look at the pictures and make suggestions on how they can be taken, or how to write a more enticing description, may get people to convert from internet viewing to an actual viewing of the home. This mutual criticism is a huge help to home sellers and agents alike. Not only does it get a little promotion for a home listing, but it also helps sellers get more effective advertising for their property. So to the chair-a-van I give a big blog rave.

Rave #3: Team Spirit

Finally, to the friendliness and exchange of ideas present in the Keller Williams Realty office. From the moment I moved my stuff into my desk, I was greeted with smiles and tons of warm words. I was expecting to go through a fair amount of time dealing with people explaining the way things work at the office. I was not bombarded with, “That is not how we do things around here!” Instead, I was asked for my suggestions and ideas and they were shared back with me. I was met with, “We like when new people arrive - it keeps us from becoming stagnant.” Wow.

I do not know if all Keller Williams offices are like this, but I have to say that so far my experience with Keller Williams Realty Augusta Partners has been great!

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Lydias Assistant January 30th, 2008

• Country Music Hall of Famer Brenda Lee attended North Augusta Elementary School.

• Martintown Road follows the path of an Indian trail leading from Fort Moore to the Saluda Ridge. Traders took this route on their way to the Cherokee Nation.

• Jim Nabors, famous for his vocal recordings and roles on the Andy Griffith Show and Gomer Pyle, once lived in North Augusta. He was a member of the Grace United Methodist Church choir, and his aunt owned an establishment on Georgia Avenue called the White Midget Restaurant.

• North Augusta once boasted a stop on the longest urban trolley in the world. It started in Augusta, crossed the 13th Street Bridge into North Augusta, and continued on to Aiken. The fare from North Augusta to Augusta was 5 cents, but it took a quarter to ride from North Augusta to Aiken. The trolley made it’s last stop on July 8th, 1929. The motorman took a job as the North Augusta Police Chief, retiring in the early 1950’s.

• The man at the top of the Confederate Monument on Broad Street in Augusta is Barry Benson, who was captured as a POW, escaped Federal custody, returned home, and never surrendered his rifle at war’s end. He spent his life after the war as an accountant and is buried in Sunset Hills Cemetery.

• The land on which North Augusta now sits once belonged to the Chikasaw tribe. The Indians received 21,774 acres as part of a land grant in 1723.

• Ty Cobb stayed in North Augusta during spring practice in the 1920’s. He boarded at Rosemary Hall at the center of Carolina and Georgia Avenues; and Pine Heights, on Georgia Avenue.

• Former North Augustan Lt. Colonel Jimmy Dyess was the only American to win both the Carnegie Medal and the Medal of Honor. He lived on West Avenue from 1909 to 1926.

• Charlie Britt, who appeared on local TV for many years as a news anchorman, had some other careers. He played NFL Football for the Los Angeles Rams, the Minnesota Vikings, and the San Francisco 49ers; and was also on the Ozzie and Harriet TV show.

• Frank Wills, the guard who discovered the Watergate break-in that ruined the career of a US President, lived in North Augusta.

• Charlie Waters graduated from North Augusta High School and went on to earn 5 Super Bowl rings playing in the NFL.

• H.G. Rosier was a local resident who enjoyed stock car racing. He raced a car several times at Darlington and even competed in the Daytona 500.

• John D. Rockefeller and Harvey Firestone spent much of their time vacationing in North Augusta at the Hampton Terrace Hotel. On the weekends they would travel by buggy to the Beech Island Agricultural Club for barbeque lunches. The Club still meets today.

• Marshal Watson was the first policeman in North Augusta, hired at the 2nd City Council meeting ever held in 1906. The City provided him a badge- Watson had to provide his own uniform, a gun, and a horse. At the 3rd Council meeting that same year, he was fired for being drunk on duty. At the 5th meeting he was rehired, on the provision that if any city resident observed him drinking alcohol he would be fired again.

Source: Selected items taken from a list of trivia questions distributed at ‘Centennial Trivia Night’, held 1/18/2006 at the North Augusta Community Center.

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