White Tiger Gourmet

By Grace Langella

When I hear the word “gourmet,” my mind instantly jumps to the priciest of meals. I’m thinking caviar, champagne and maybe some filet mignon. We’re talking fine dining, folks.

But if the restaurant you’re strolling into happens to be White Tiger Gourmet, be prepared to change your definition of the word to something more simple: good food.

White Tiger is located inside an old grocery store built in 1905 – a simple cash register sits on the counter where orders are written down with pen and paper.  Several large tables take up the scarce indoor space while outside under trees and string lights are picnic tables covered in a variety of plastic-coated tablecloths. It’s simple, almost hole-in-the-wall-like, but not quite that run down. It’s been renovated just enough that it gives a subtle reminder of its past life.

Ken Manring, who opened White Tiger in 2007, attended the New York Institute of Culinary Arts – and his mastery shows on the menu. Classic southern barbeque and other delicacies are elevated with ingredients like goat cheese, fresh mozzarella and organic field greens. Every item is claimed to be made to order, but also comes with the disclaimer that this isn’t fast food and that there’s no guarantee your food will quickly arrive.

But on a spring day in Athens, Georgia, no one’s complaining about the wait. The excess of outdoor seating makes it easy to grab a spot with friends to camp out and wait for your checkered paper lined tray to arrive. The sun shines, the birds sing and the surrounding residential neighborhood buzzes – it’s dreamy to say the least.

But during your wait, you might want to avoid the bathroom after you’ve sucked down your sweet tea. Behind the restaurant and tucked into a corner, the restroom is what you would expect from the joint – old and kind of dirty, although they do try to keep it upbeat with the flowery mural on the wall.

After a twenty-minute wait, the appetizer arrived, a $4 “pimento cheese and crackers.” A pleasant surprise, you get a lot more than the menu claimed – it comes with fresh cucumbers and slices of green apple and grapefruit as well, adding a refreshing twist to the pimento cheese. The pimento cheese itself was transformed from a heavier southern spread with the addition of pickles, adding a crisp vinegar flavor. The dish was simple and southern, but different from what you might expect from a BBQ joint.

Finally, the main events arrived. The BBQ plate came overflowing with food, the pulled pork glistening with sauce. Large scoops of mac and cheese and coleslaw sat on either side. The pork was excellent; it was the perfect combination of meat with bits of crispy skin. The slaw was tart and not soggy, and while the mac and cheese wasn’t as creamy as the menu claimed, it was reminiscent of something you’d get at a soul food restaurant.

Other menu items, such as the Goat Cheese burger, felt a little heavy with too much of the creamy cheese and a slightly over-cooked burger. The brown, slightly dry interior does give the burger a classic diner taste, but it also causes it to lose its gourmet, made to order claims.

The week’s special, the Barbarella tacos, feature pork barbeque topped with mozzarella and slaw, wrapped up in corn tortillas.  It tastes like the barbeque platter in a taco, but it’s still a gourmet twist on a classic idea.

Something that sets White Tiger apart from a typical BBQ joint are the many meat-free options, making it accessible to our vegetarian friends. And in a college town like Athens, with a younger and environmentally conscious market, being able to swap in tofu instead of chicken is a popular choice.

White Tiger Gourmet isn’t perfect, but that’s part of what makes it Athens in a restaurant – southern classics with a funky, upscale twist. So next time you crave an Athens experience, grab a burger, sit under the string lights, and enjoy a slow, Southern and gourmet meal.