THE GRIT COOKBOOK
World-Wise, Down-Home Recipes
Ted Hafer & Jessica Greene | Authors

• $18.95 paperback
• 192 pages | 26 illustrations | 100 recipes
• 1-58818-049-2
• Cookbooks | Vegetarian

Veggie Life on The Grit: “A hip and happening vegetarian eatery.”

“The Grit has a far-flung reputation as the indie-rock Moosewood.”—The New Yorker

the book

True to its Southern roots, the menu of Athens, Georgia, vegetarian eatery The Grit combines a soul-food sensibility with its meatless cuisine.

The Grit, housed in a nineteenth-century storefront in the quintessential boho college town of Athens, Georgia, is known wide and far as the indie musicians' restaurant of choice. The focus at The Grit is not on what is missing (the meat) but on what is abundantly present: the bounty of the well-stocked larder and the seasonal farmer's market. While there are enough Italian, Indian, Mexican, and Middle Eastern favorites to satisfy the well-traveled vegetarian, the heart of their cuisine maintains a down-home, soul-food feeling: big portions, simple foods, and classic combinations always guaranteed to please. Includes over 130 of The Grit's most requested recipes.

the authors

Jessica Greene and Ted Hafer are the husband-and-wife owners of The Grit. They live in Athens, Georgia.

the praise

"A hip and happening vegetarian eatery"—Veggie Life Magazine

"I've always been a fan of split pea soup and when I'm not dipping into my own pot, I'm in search of it every Thursday all over America. For some reason, Thursday is split pea soup day in most American eateries. Well, I have to tell you what a treat it was that The Grit serves split pea soup every day of the week and, even better, it was curried pea soup. What a unique idea! What a surprising taste treat!"—Spalding Gray

"What a find! A local vegetarian haunt [that] remains our favorite to this day."—The Vegetarian Traveler

"Fun and flavorful"—Creative Loafing

"A hip eatery that lets you fill up without emptying your pockets. Tempting vegetarian fare that even the most devout carnivores come to crave."—CNN.com

"A meal at the Grit is an experience not to be missed."—Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"A cult health food restaurant, this slightly kooky storefront is always a mob scene."—Atlanta Magazine

"The Grit is a great restaurant and a source of local pride. They have consummate taste."—Michael Stipe, R.E.M.

"I'm rarely as happy as I am when I'm at the Grit. And now that there's a cookbook, that happiness is portable."—Mark Mobley, National Public Radio

"Whenever I visit my old stomping grounds in Athens, Ga., my first stop is always The Grit! The food and the company at The Grit rule and that's a fact. Save me a seat."—Kate Pierson,The B-52's

"I eat at The Grit so often I can almost quote the menu. I think I'm obsessed."—Jennifer Nettles, Jennifer Nettles Band

"Very late at night after a Volcano Suns show in Athens, our friend Beverly Babb brought us to see the inside of The Grit while it was still under construction. We all spent the next few hours in there dancing our asses off to some loud Public Enemy. The first time I ate there wasn't until years later when I was working in Athens at David Barbe's studio. The restaurant looks a lot different than I remember it from that first night, though. I wish they served sweet tea in the north."—Bob Weston, Shellac

"I love the healthy and exquisite food after a long run of truck stop fare, and the cute waitresses are easy on the eyes. Sort of a Hooters for the indie rock set. Oops: was that out loud?"—Johnny Hickman, Cracker

"Where else in the world can you get split pea dal soup served by the singer/songwriter of Jucifer - life is beautiful."—Kevn Kinney, drivin n cryin

"Moonlight nights passed. Some things change. Some things stay the same. Great food. Great prices. Good folks work in there for good folks who care. Good friends still say, 'Let's just go to the Grit.'"—Jefferson Holt

"The Grit ... just the name makes me smile. The Grit is my favorite restaurant in America. I've spent weeks in anticipation on tour just counting down the days until we'd arrive in Athens home of the Grit, and then I'd try to make sure that I'd have a day off to fill myself with good food to starve off the inevitable culinary letdown brought on by the rest of the country."—Peter Stuart, Dog's Eye View

"The Grit's mushrooms--delightful, tasteful, and introspective."—Chet Weise, Quadra Jets

"When I am home I eat at The Grit, when I am away I look forward to being home so I can eat at The Grit. Rarely do you see the same special twice, although you often wish you could."—Bertis Downs (R.E.M. manager)

"Get your mits on the cheese grits!"—Dressy Bessy

"My favorite item at the Grit is the house salad, with tofu and cheddar cheese, with both feta and lemon tahini dressing. I usually split it with my wife Jo because it's enormous! If I'm feeling particularly decadent, I go for the vegetarian lasagna."—John Keane, John Keane Studio

"I always get something over rice--broccoli w/lemon and any kind of casserole with garlic toast and coffee."—Ross Shapiro, The Glands

"But my memories of the Grit are pleasant. I remember the air feeling cool, the coffee being delicious and whatever I ordered hitting the spot. I do like cheese grits."—Laura Ballance, Superchunk

"If I could bathe in the golden bowl I would...greatest invention EVER!"—DJ Hammond, Je Suis France

"The Grit is the last place I eat before I go tour and the first place I eat when I get back."—Orenda Fink, Little Red Rocket

"The Grit, besides simply being one of the finer enjoyments of life, is easily my greatest weapon to convince my more carnivorous friends that vegetarian food can be delicious. If I had a dozen or so disciples, I think that's what would be served at our last meal."—Brian Teasley, Man? Or Astroman?

"When a band comes into town, one naturally wants to take them to The Grit either for dinner or for the weekend brunch. After that first experience their hooked!"—Velena Vego, 40 Watt Club booking agent, pitch-a-tent records

"Everybody I know that's on tour or from out of town wants to go straight to the Grit. It's world renowned!"—Bill Doss, Olivia Tremor Control

"I have had many obsessions in my life, but none so overwhelming as my obsession with the Grit Tofu. Over the six years I lived in Athens, I spent days trying to perfect that taste and that texture in my own kitchen. But nothing worked, so I finally gave up and accepted that only a chosen few will ever know the secret recipe. That way, every Sunday brunch I end up drooling in anticipation while I wait, and it's more fun that way."—Kitty Snyder

"The reason I love The Grit? One can't do better than the Golden Bowl, the old stand-by, yes, add the veggies, add the cheese...it's culinary nirvana."—Bill Mallonee, Vigilantes of Love

"Whenever I'm in Athens, I try to have the Mid-E Sampler at the Grit before I leave town. I feel incomplete and unfulfilled otherwise."—Duane Denison, former Jesus Lizard member, Hank III sideman, and current Tomahawk founder

"If every town had a vegetarian restaurant as good as The Grit there would be alot more cows, pigs and chickens running around."—Dave Schools, Widespread Panic

"We've eaten at The Grit every time we've passed through town, every time enjoying the food and the hang, always made to feel right at home. Bring on the vegan desserts and bring back the poetry dances!"—Ian MacKaye, Fugazi

"We're always trying to figure out in our kitchen at home what makes this Grit dish or that one soooo killer. Now you don't have to wonder. It is my favorite restaurant in North America (because in Europe, there's Italy)."—Vic Chesnutt

"How cool is it that our drummer's girlfriend works at the grit?!"—Adam Duritz, Counting Crowes

"While wandering I met a wild Beast, Upon me he wanted to feast, Instead to the Grit, I convinced him to sit, Now tofu is all that he eats."—Andrew Rieger, elf power

"Even if I was blessed with the culinary skills to create some of the dishes found on The Grit menu, I would still frequent the Grit for the atmosphere. It serves as a port for my social life when I come home from tour or recording."—Ben Mize, Counting Crows

"The Grit is our club, our kitchen away from home where the people and the food are familiar, but always a pleasant surprise, because you never know which will be there tonight. The Grit is the nourishing essence of Athens. People marvel at our town and say, 'There must be something in the water.' We know it's in The Grit."—Pete McCommons, Flagpole

"When on tour, we usually don't get up until we're already out of town. Hence we never eat until the next town. Unless we're in Athens. Then we set our alarms and get our asses out of bed. Or just stay up all night. All because of The Grit. We're all about The Grit."—Marc Perlman

"I eat at The Grit every time I visit Athens, without fail. In my opinion, The Grit is quite simply the best inexpensive vegetarian restaurant in the country (and I believe I've tried most of them)."—John Strohm, Blake Babies

"I like to get vegetables from the board and color coordinate them. It doesn't matter which dish, they are always delicious. I also go to the Grit not only for the vitamins but I always see somebody I'm glad to see, customer or employee."—Armistead Wellford, Love Tractor

"The Grit is like Mecca on tour. When I come to Athens I look forward more to eating at The Grit than I do to playing the gig."—Juliana Hatfield

"The pancakes are so big you can use them to sleep on, especially good when you have to sleep on someones hard kitchen floor."—Magic Brian, Bindlestiff Family Cirkus

"The top of my list of things to do in Athens is hit The Grit."—Travis McNabb, Better than Ezra

"There is so much love inside The Grit we believe there is going to be an explosion."—Macha

"The Grit has rocked for a long time. Their support for art is second only to the food. I had a show there once at the original location, and traded a drawing for $35 credit. That drawing--of a cup of coffee--is still hanging at the Grit today. Spalding Gray ate there earlier this year; I know, because when I waited on him at the Globe, he mentioned that the Grit didn't take American Express either."—Michael Lachowski, Pylon

"Oh, for an ocean of yeast gravy."—Dottie Alexander, Of Montreal

"I've never been one to let my canines go to waste, but The Grit brings out the herbivore in me! The Loaded Nachos make me feel like Pop Eye on a spinach binge."—Jon Croxton, The Wee Turtles/Bugs Eat Books

"Whenever touring bands come to play (at the 40 Watt Club) and ask about a good place to eat I ALWAYS send them to the Grit. Anyone who's been there once can't wait to mention that they're off to the Grit as soon as sound check is over."—Barrie Buck, 40 Watt club

"My favorite thing about the Grit is that the menu is so expansive and that it is frequented by truly nice and interesting people. One of my favorite restaurants in the country."—Amber Valentine, Jucifer

"The Grit has always been one of my favorite restaurants in Athens, I am so happy to now have a wonderful cookbook with all their great recipes."—Marianne Rogers, Hee-Haw star

"I can hardly count the number of times The Grit has saved my life: perfect vittles in a sea of scary tour 'food.'"—Kristin Hersh, Throwing Muses