Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Down at Transmet


Transmet stands for The Transmetropolitan, a restaurant located on clayton street between college avenue and lumpkin. I'm sure you can understand why Tranmetropolitan was shortened to Transmet, college kids are lazy. Either that or college kids are just more efficient. One of the two.

Now that we got that settled lets move on. Transmet is definitely an Athens dining attraction. Every person I talk to in Athens just visiting, even if just for the weekend, has been taken to Transmet to experience their italian inspired yet surprisingly diverse menu. I don't think I know many people who haven't been there, but there are always a few. Those are the people this blog is for, but that doesn't mean those of you that have been are off the hook. Let me know if you agree or disagree with my review.

The Transmetropolitan is a great place to go for all kinds of occasions, such as hanging out with friends, going to a quick lunch between classes, etc. My adventure to Transmet on this occasion was to have a nice lunch date with my girlfriend. It was a Sunday afternoon so finding a parking spot close to the restaurant wasn't that difficult, and we didn't have to pay the meter. Once we made it inside we grabbed a menu and waited in line to order up. This was the first time my girlfriend had been there, but it was certainly not my first. The waiting in line part was quite ridiculous on this occasion. I would rather have sat down and tipped, than wait in line for as long as we did. When we finally made it to the counter my girlfriend and I had decided on the same thing with minor differences, pepperoni calzones. Now these aren't you everyday run-of-the-mill calzones. These are your mouth-watering, made to your exact order calzones. I have to warn you though, there is a downside to them. It is the wait time. It usually takes about 25-30 minutes for a calzone to be made, but it is well worth it. The calzones are even fairly priced, about $6, and they are pretty big. I personally made mine into two meals. Transmet also delivers it with free marinara sauce for your dipping pleasure.

The calzones were absolutely delicious. A little hot at first, but once it cools down you can dig in all you want. I mean Transmet has all kinds of things on their menu if your not into calzones or don't have the time to wait, such as noodles, sandwiches, salads, pasta, pizza, but I just don't see myself ordering anything else. Anyway, the date went well and my girlfriend really enjoyed the experience and especially her calzone.

Pros:
Wide variety menu, excellent atmosphere for a casual lunch or dinner, and CALZONES!

Cons:
Standing in line to order, wait time for calzones, and just overall wait time. (Could be a pro if you want to hang out more and talk.)

Well, after this review I hope everyone that hasn't been to Transmet will try it out. Give the calzones a chance! Also, I would love to hear from people who have had other things on the menu there that are worth mentioning. Maybe if I don't have the time one day for a calzone I will give your suggestion a chance to prove itself!