Omnivore Atlanta

Varsity love

By Molly Spruill

When co-workers ask where I am from and I tell them “Atlanta”, they say, “That’s a rarity!” As the hub of the Southeast, Atlanta seems to have far more out-of-towners than native Atlantans. As a result, many of the people that I work with don’t have the history or memories of our fair city that I do.

These memories often come up when people want to know why I have an affinity for places like the Varsity. Just take a glance at the reviews for the Varsity on Yelp. Many of the negative ones are from people who went to the Varsity because it’s an “Atlanta institution”. That’s like a vegan telling a hardcore meat eater that tofu tastes just like chicken. People who haven’t gone to the Varsity all their lives probably won’t appreciate it in the same way that native Atlantans do.

Okay, yes, it is greasy — incredibly greasy — and don’t even think about going there if you have a rigorous day planned. But, if you grew up in Atlanta like me, you probably have a soft spot for The Varsity, too. Early memories of trips to there include always getting a trademark Varsity paper hat!
My Mom would often drive my sister and me there to meet our Dad after work for a special dinner out. It was such a treat because we rarely went out to dinner and I loved coming into the city from the suburbs. I still remember how much that part of the city seemed like a foreign country — now I work just up the street! I remember one summer outing in particular: my Mom and I went to the High Museum and afterward, accompanied by a book purchased from the museum, we had lunch at the Varsity. As always, I ate one chili dog, one order of onion rings, and a frosted orange (oh, those frosted oranges!). My parents would have the same thing, plus some chopped Vidalia onions piled on a small square of waxed paper with the corners drawn up and twisted at the top to hold the onions.

Now, I rarely touch fried food and my restaurant hot-spots tend to be healthy with a vegetarian bent. But, I will always hold a certain fondness for the Varsity. As Jaye J. puts it on Yelp, “In all honesty, were this place not rooted in my DNA, in my family history, I don’t know if I’d love it as much.”

While the Varsity might be a landmark to everyone else, to us Atlanta natives, it truly is a treasured institution.

The Varsity celebrates its 80th anniversary this Saturday with an outdoor bash on the upper deck from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you’re interested in being a guest blogger for Omnivore, please email your ideas to besha.rodell@creativeloafing.com.

(photo by Joeff Davis)

Bookmark to:

Posted in Events, Food & Life, Restaurants | Leave a comment

Tags: guest blogger, the-Varsity.