Dining
Acheson— well the second child, but who’s counting? If
T
he charming thing about The National,
a Mediterranean/Spanish-inspired fine-
dining establishment in downtown
Athens, is that the feel and décor of the
restaurant are suggestive of both a sea-
side resort in southern Spain and, somehow simultane-
ously, the bedroom of an 11-year-old boy with a crush
on airplanes. The surprising thing about The National is
the innovative, creative and still ultimately simple
approach to delicious food.
Located at 232 West Hancock, right next to the
Chamber of Commerce Building, The National is the
new baby in the family for restaurateur Hugh
Southern Distinction
popularity and substance count for experience,
Acheson’s an old pro at nurturing establishments of fine
dining, and The National is no red-headed stepchild.
Open since August 2006, The National is fast becoming
Athens go-to restaurant for the young hipster about
town, although the more-refined diner (no disrespect to
hipsters intended) will find something to love in the
small space with the understated yet enormous attitude.
Case in point: On the wall opposite the very full
bar—a space stocked with more than 25 wines served by
the glass as well as draught beer, seasonally changing
cocktails, a Victoria Arduino Italian Espresso machine
and a Cruvinet wine preservation system—is a huge,
July 2008 19

compelling photograph of two men
having their shoes shined.
Doubtless, the eyes of all who enter
this room are drawn there, and
some see just an interesting photo
with beautiful women holding
glowing orbs and two handsome
young African-American men.
Upon closer inspection, those
familiar will recognize Outkast, the
Atlanta hip-hop artists responsible
for bringing the Dirty South into
the mainstream. According to
kitchen manager Peter Dale, the
print was provided by local award-
winning photographer Jim Fiscus,
who promotionally photographed
the artists and then got the go-
20 July 2008
ahead to let the print sit on the
smooth, gray walls of the little
restaurant on Hancock Street.
It is this kind of dichotomy—
one that is easily taken for grant-
ed—that makes The National
worth the time, especially because
it shows up everywhere, not least in
the food.
As mentioned, the fare is both
Mediterranean- and Spanish-
inspired owing to Peter Dale’s
“research” trip to Spain where he
studied of sorts in restaurants in
Madrid and Zaragoza. Dale, who is
The National’s kitchen manager
and co-owner with Acheson and
beverage manager Chris Luken,
says he began to appreciate the “tra-
ditional” approach to food.
“Not to diminish that other
school of thought,” he says, refer-
ring to the flash and glamour of
some fine dining, “but our empha-
sis is on the quality of the food.“
The menu and the décor of
the restaurant are in step with each
other—both are slightly Etruscan
and still spicy-Spanish. For exam-
ple, one can start a dinner with a
simple appetizer of marinated olives
and move on from there to mari-
nated mussels with orange chili
vinaigrette and then a main course
of grilled New Zealand lamb loin
chops with local Red Mule polenta,
tagine of egglant, winter squash and
tomato and chermoula sauce. This
writer can personally vouch for one
of the flatbreads (essentially a puffy
pizza without the sauce) topped
with salumi toscano, mozzarella,
caramelized onion, pine nuts and
arugula. Dale suggests rolling the
large slices to ensure a portion of
every ingredient with every bite.
The flatbread is served warm with
chilled arugula on top, drizzled
with balsamic vinaigrette, a blend-
ing of ingredients that seamlessly
becomes a salad and sandwich con-
coction in one easy dish.
Another fantastic lunch dish
is the roasted chicken sandwich, a
perfect-sized rustic bread sandwich
teeming with chicken breast, toma-
to, watercress, caper aioli and herb
sauce. The ingredients are fresh,
dressed down, seasoned lightly and
completely reliant on their inherent
flavors to carry the dish, something
Dale says is the prime objective.
“The emphasis is on the qual-
ity of the food,” he says simply and
without a hint of pretension indi-
cating that The National really is
about nothing more than serving
Southern Distinction

patrons delicious food and drink
using ingredients in a natural, non-
fussy way.
And, according to Dale, the
formula seems to be working.
“We’ve had a really good reception
so far. Five & Ten has a loyal fol-
lowing so we get a lot of those
return customers here,” he says.
The added bonus is that The
22 July 2008
National offers a slightly lower
price point than its sister establish-
ment and a promotional offer
involving the art-house cinema
next door, Cine. For a reasonable
price, patrons looking for a night
out off the traditional path can dine
on a choice of entrees at The
National and then slip next door
for a film one is unlikely to find at
the local cineplex.
“Monday and Tuesday we
offer dinner and a movie where a
table is served tapas, their choice of
entrée and their choice of dessert
plus a movie ticket,” says Dale. “We
wanted a place where people are
comfortable coming and having
some tapas and a beer and then
going to see a movie, or they
can stay and have a multi-
course meal.”
And with that Dale proves
that the dichotomy, whether
intentional or not, exists not
only in who might be drawn to
The National because of the
style of dining, the simplistical-
ly innovative cuisine and the
elegantly minimalist ambience,
but also in what they do once
they get there and where they
go once they leave. And that goes,
too, for where The National is
headed herself.
Dale’s experience has taught
him that time is a key element in
the evolution of an establishment,
and he is excited to see “where we
take the food.”
The Athens community can
sit back and enjoy the flight.
The National is located at 232
W. Hancock Ave. in Downtown
Athens. For more information
call 706.549.3450.
Southern Distinction