Restaurant: Marti’s at Midday

Food Review ーMarti’s at Midday

Critic: Sarah Freund

Marti’s is one of those places in town that I don’t just go to on a whim; it’s usually a deep craving that brings me to the colorful doorstep of the locally owned lunch eatery. After a long morning of sitting for hours in my sunroom to finish an article, the need for a chicken salad and crunchy pita chips was strong. Despite the plans I had made to go elsewhere, I found myself on Prince Avenue headed toward the turquoise cafe set right off the side of the road. 

Walking in, I was immediately uplifted by the quaint yet stimulating array of decorations around the space. I’ve never been to this spot alone, having not really been that much in general. Normally with a friend, I was more aware of my surroundings this visit. I never realized how happy and warm the interior of the store was, how whimsical the feel was.

I lingered a little before I ordered, pretending to not know what I wanted but instead watching the way the women behind the bakery case interacted with the customers. One customer in particular, an older woman with an elegant purple scarf draped around her neck and silver ginkgo leaf earrings, they knew by name. The woman called Diane leaned against the counter to chat with another woman behind it as if they were old friends. 

I’ve always envisioned my truest self as a bit of a small town girl at heart. I have never actually lived in one, but through the little interactions I was watching, I was reminded of how much I appreciate that feeling of being known ー even if it wasn’t me experiencing it in that moment. 

I smiled to myself before stepping a little closer to the counter to signal that I was ready to order my meal.

With some help from one of the women behind the counter, I decided to stay simple and order a scoop of their regular chicken salad on top of a bed of lettuce with cucumber and tomatoes with balsamic vinaigrette on the side. It took about five minutes for them to call my name and bring out my order; out of habit, I checked through the lid of the clear plastic container: fork, check. Dressing, check. Pita chips, check. I took my order to-go and headed back to my car. Later, when I had situated myself to eat it safely without the risk of spilling the contents all over myself, I opened to the lid and was greeted with the aroma of the fresh greens and warm pita chips. 

In line with my previous visits, Marti’s didn’t disappoint me that day. My simple meal satisfied my hunger, but the atmosphere inside satisfied another need ー one that will ensure I will probably never use third-party meal delivery services. There’s an irreplaceable warmth to engage with people in a place like Marti’s, in which there’s an awareness of the mutual investment between the ones who own and the ones who come in to purchase. To the Athens locals and visitors alike, I couldn’t recommend Marti’s more.