Dining & Drink Guide

Latest restaurant inspection scores> Click

MullinsMania entertain report, Thursdays-Saturdays> Click

New Ole Tymer barbecue to open  Feb. 15:

-The new location is scheduled to open Feb. 15. Located at 4534 Martha Berry Highway in the former Owen's BBQ spot, owner Julie Spansell is adding a few things to their menu.“We’ll be adding a salad bar with all fresh produce, no bagged lettuce, and all homemade dressings,” she says. “We have a great homemade Catalina dressing from an old family recipe that I think people will just love.” Also, Ole Tymer will be serving baked potatoes and hamburger steaks. Ice cream will also be added in the future. The same breakfast menu will be available at both locations. Ole Tymer BBQ in Armuchee will be open Monday-Saturday from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more: 706-622-2388. --Update and photo/Natalie Simms.

-Jefferson's opens on Main Street in Cartersville: The wings, burgers and oysters restaurant is now open at 28 W. Main St. in the former home of D Morgan's. The shop is operated by Chad and Noreen Hullander, who also have the Jefferson's on Broad Street in Rome. The Cartersville's store's hours: Sunday to Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Thursdays to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Facebook / Web page.

-Etowah cookin' again; El Toro almost ready

-By Natalie Simms/The Etowah Restaurant in Armuchee has reopened under new owner Kristen Funk. “Business has been going real well,” she says. “We have a lot of business for breakfast and lunch…we’re pretty excited about it.” The restaurant, at 3766 Martha Berry Blvd., is open seven days a week, with hours Monday-Wednesday from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Thursday-Saturday from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.; and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The menu includes homemade breakfast items and a $6.95 all-inclusive plate with meat, two veggies, bread and drink. Sunday features a brunch menu. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday, from 7-11 p.m., it becomes The Etowah Steakhouse, serving hand-cut steaks, potatoes and salad bar. “If our customers want to bring their own bottle of wine, they can do that on Thursday, Friday or Saturday evening,” she says. “It’s like the old DiPrima’s.” Details: 706-378-8777.

-El Toro Tex-Mex Grille just about open on Shorter Avenue: The former West Rome Pizza Hut (photo, right) is almost converted and the sign was going up late Tuesday evening.

Feb. 12/Wine-matched dinner planned a popular new barbecue: Where's one of the last restaurants you'd expect to find a wine dinner? Try barbecue. But one of our new favorites, Johnny Mitchell's Smokehouse barbecue near the covered bridge in Euharlee, is cooking up a special wine-matched dinner on Friday, Feb. 12. It's $35 per person from 7 to 9 that night and the courses include beef filet, seared scallop and shrimp and chocolate cherry cobbler for dessert> Click

Wine News Vine> Click

-Three Sisters reopens; Wolf Mountain back on Feb. 7. Plus: Valentine's Day brunches, dinners matching wines, courses.

Latest regional public health restaurant inspection scores:
Each Friday, the Dining Guide lists the scores for area restaurants as reported by the public health departments in Bartow, Chattooga, Floyd, Gordon and Polk counties. Each county name below is hot linked to a specific county's recent inspection scores. Updated Feb. 4:

Where Kids Eat Free Guide (or at least at a discount)

By Natalie Simms
natsimms76@gmail.com

Now that the kids are going back to school, all those busy afterschool activities will be starting up. As most parents stay on the road shuttling children from one activity to the next, many don’t have time to prepare a home-cooked meal.

Dining out is a staple for many families but in this tough economy, families are cutting back and looking for ways to eat cheap.

Many local eateries offer weeknight and weekend deals where families can eat and not “break the bank”. Kids can eat free almost every night of the week somewhere in town. Plus there are several new restaurants offering discounts where the entire family can eat on a budget.

We’ve published this guide before but we’ve updated it with lots of new deals at more than 20 local restaurants. So here’s your new guide to eating cheap with the kids!

Sunday

-Buffalo's, kids eat free.

-Gametime, Cartersville: One free child's meal with adult order.

Monday
-Moe’s Southwest Grill, 110 Shorter Ave. Kids eat free on Mondays from 5-9 p.m. Deal is one child’s menu item free with purchase of adult entrée and drink.
-Bella Roma, 3403 Martha Berry Highway. Kids 12 and under can eat free on Mondays after 5 p.m. Kids meal is free with purchase of adult meal. Limit of 2 children per family.
-Deano’s Pizza, 1800 Dean Ave. Family night with 20% off the entire menu for the entire family.

Tuesday
-Las Palmas, 246 Shorter Ave. All day on Tuesday, kids 12 and under can eat free. One free kids meal with purchase of adult meal.
-Golden China Chinese Restaurant, 1505 Shorter Ave. One free kids meal with one adult meal. Limit one free meal per family.
-WOW Café & Wingery, 2817 Martha Berry Highway. $1.99 Kids Meal.
-El Nopal in Cedartown offers kids-eat-free on Tuesdays.

Wednesday
-Provino’s Italian Restaurant, 288 Shorter Ave. Kids 12 and under can eat free. One kids meal with purchase of each adult meal. Don’t forget that Provino’s offers a free meal on your birthday- for both kids and adults. You will have to show proof of your birthday.
-Gondolier Pizza Italian Restaurant, 152 Shorter Ave. All day on Wednesday. One free kids meal with purchase of one adult meal.

Thursday
-Fuddruckers, 595 Riverside Parkway. Kids 12 and under can eat free from 5-8 p.m. One kids meal per one adult meal.
-333 on Broad: Kids eat free (one per adult entree)

Also:
- Pasquale's Pizza & Pasta at 4011 Martha Berry Highway: Every night of the week is kids night.  Every day of the week children under 5 eat free with an adult purchase and children under 10 can eat the food bar for a discounted price. 

-Sante Fe Cattle Co. Kids eat for $1.99 all the time. (Thanks, AM)
-Los Amigos, East 12th St. Kids eat free on Saturdays (Thanks JB)