Ted's Most Best has become one of Athens most coveted staple restaurants despite the fact that as of Athfest this last year it has only been open for two years. If you take the time to experience this quaint and comfortable eatery you will understand exactly why. When you first walk onto the front porch entrance of this mint green building you feel immediately welcomed by the accommodating outdoor seating and beautiful planted greenery that surrounds the outdoor dining area. Because of this available outdoor seating, this eatery is very conducive to the presence of our furry friends such as Jackie the Sharpei mix pictured below.
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| Jackie Ted's Front Porch |
Once inside the glass front door my eyes could not get enough of the mix of modern and rustic notes in the interior restaurant creating a comfortable yet upscale ambiance. With a completely exposed kitchen with a visual brick oven and lit counter top the customer is able to experience the visual of the care put into the production of the food. When you reach the counter there is a glass case full of an assortment of in house made fresh desserts as well as displayed bottles of house wines. The customer is given counter order service from a serving staff that is friendly and professional. Then you may pick the table of your choosing where your food will be brought to you when ready.
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| Ted's Kitchen |
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| Ted's Dining Room |
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| Ted's counter |
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| Ted's Baked Goods & Beverages |
When ordering from local hotspots like this I always am sure to ask a server what their favorite menu items are, of course taking into consideration my poor just out-of-college budget. With prices starting at six dollars and up to twenty, depending on how extravagant you want to go with your order, the price point of this restaurant is very reasonable. According to the server, the two most popular pizza items for the average customer are the Perrella pizza, and the Margherita pizza. The Margherita pizza here is made with the traditional ingredients including tomato sauce, fresh basil, and fresh mozzarella slices priced at 7.95 a pizza. With that pizza purchase you will notice you are definitely getting your money's worth in regards to amount of food as well as combination of fresh ingredients (pictured below). I, however, decided to go with the Perrella pizza made with tomato sauce, mozzarella, goat cheese, prosciutto, fresh garlic and fresh herbs. This pizza I will tell you right now was out of this world. Named after Chef Perrella, the chef who taught the employees how to make this delectable thin crust pizza, this pie is close to the restaurants heart. I also elected to have the spinach and beet starter salad which was filled with beets so fresh I truly believe they were harvested locally this morning. The most appealing thing I found about this restaurant is the variety in the menu that provides something for everyone. Aside from pizza which we all know is always the kids fan favorite they also provide some basic pastas to accommodate family patrons. On the Ted's menu, there are also many vegetarian options including the very popular white rabbit pizza as well as the veggie panini which my roommate selected. Additionally on the menu there is the option to custom make your own items such as the arugula pizza pictured below which makes the Ted's menu extremely flexible.
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| Perrella Pizza |
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| Custom Arugula pizza |
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| Side view Veggie Panini |
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| Veggie Panini |
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| Spinach & Beet Salad |
And last but not least my favorite part of any restaurant is getting to know the real heart and soul of the staff, what I like to call the local legend. Here at Ted's the local legend is the general manager, a guy from southern Mississippi named Hall. This full bearded man is as amicable and friendly as anyone you could ever talk to, he knows the restaurant inside and out and has a story behind many of his favorite dishes some of which include the Muffaletta Sandwich, the baked goat cheese salad and the Perrella pizza. After hearing this from him I was even more thankful for selecting that pie for my meal. While speaking with him he informed me of some of the steps of preparation in presenting the baked goat cheese salad and the background on one of the ingredients in the Muffaletta Sandwich. When preparing the goat cheese salad he informed me the chefs slice the cheese into small medallions that they then cover in their pizza bread crumbs and then bake which leads to the crispy outer shell that adds variety to the texture of this starter salad. As far as the Muffaletta sandwich is concerned, the key to the deliciousness lies in the house made olive salad. Inspired by Sicilian traditional cuisine this olive salad is prepared with the same care that would have made the Italians proud. To browse more of this menu please see pictures below.
Overall the verdict from this foodie is that this sister restaurant of one of Athens' favorites "The Grit" is nothing short of exceptional. With the friendly service, fresh ingredients, flexible menu and welcoming ambiance Ted's Most Best is truly a restaurant where you can't go wrong. ... Don't believe me? Check out their awards won listed below. Just stating the facts from your foodie.
Restaurant Awards:
-Flagpole's 2013 Reader's pick runner up for Best Local Pizza
-Flagpole's 2013 Reader's pick winner for Outdoor Dining
-Flagpole's 2013 Reader's pick winner for Kid-Friendly Local Restaurant
Weekly Specials:
- Happy Hour 3-6
$1 off of drafts and glasses of wine
$5 off of bottles of wine
$1PBR
- Food specials daily
