Around Town: The Rail Already Nails it in Coosa Even Before Opening.

There’s something to be said when the retired matriarch of Coosa cooking joins the hundreds of people commenting on plans for a new restaurant on Alabama Highway.

Last week, GMC Value-Mart posted plans to open a spot in a vacant building across the highway (not the putt-putt place). Joining the chorus of comments was Martha Henry Benton, she of Martha’s Skillet, a community mainstay for decades until closing in late 2021.

“Yay. We need a good place to eat. Nobody in my house will cook,” wrote Martha, opening a flood of emojis amid pleas for her to share some of her classic recipes with the new guys.

A menu apparently is in the works. Here’s what we do know, courtesy of the GMC post:

“GMC Value-Mart, along with two other partners, will be opening The Rail in the summer of 2024. Rezoning, codes and such have taken a little longer than we would like but we are so excited to open this restaurant across from GMC as soon as we can for the Coosa and West Rome area.

“We will have daily specials; made-to-order food for breakfast, lunch, dinner; an outdoor area and bar at least six days a week. Golf simulators will also be added soon as well.”

GMC already is home to some great barbecue and other take-home meals in addition to groceries. The Coosa landmark recently celebrated its 52nd anniversary.

Differences at new Mexican spots

For all the grief Mexican restaurants get in Rome, the real foodies get a kick out of putting each new one to the test.

What guidelines are used vary from customer to customer. In addition to service and décor, they “grade” the spots on burritos, stuffed poblanos, tamales, house chips, guacamole and salsa.

We’ve seen a few comments posted on the latest entries, Tequilas Bar & Grill in West Rome as well as El Rancho in Armuchee. Tequilas especially scored well in the hundreds of comments posted as the closing of La Parrilla was announced.

So we did our own test visits. The results:

Tequilas is a vibrant, visual surprise from when it was a sports bar for about five minutes and, before that, M&J’s Home Cooking.

The food easily matches the vibe. We tried combo No. 1 (stuffed poblano, a burrito and a taco). All very good with the chips and salsa reminding us of East Rome favorite Antigua.

El Rancho recently opened in Armuchee Village, offering inside and outside dining. The menu isn’t as big as Tequilas but has most of the usuals.

The restaurant that promises “from scratch Mexican food” delivered. We ordered a large, single tamale with a cakey coating around a piece of chicken the size of what you’d get in a Chick-fil-A sandwich. It was served over a plantain with traditional fried beans and rice. Surprisingly good.

The damage: $11.72 (with water, before tip) at El Rancho; Tequilas, $11.76. Service at both spots was excellent even amid strong lunch turnouts.

Compare all that to the nearly four dozen other Mexican spots from Cave Spring to Armuchee, food trucks included.

Also new:

Rome India Multicuisine Restaurant♦ is headed for the Armuchee site that was home to Chef Chen for several years followed briefly by an Asian place. No updates yet when it will open or specific menu details. There have been frequent “hints” of Indian food off Martha Berry for several years.

Takeout from Wright’s Meat Market: Most recently, the shop at 4512 Martha Berry was home to Nan Selman’s♦ wonderful chocolates and to-go meals. Taking its place is Wright’s (offering “always the Wright cut”) that likewise features takeout meals such as spring bake chicken and French onion beef tips.

Popcorn & Politics

Veto victory: Gov. Brian Kemp this week wisely sent a bill deleting sales tax exemptions for data centers — such as the billion-dollar one in West Rome — to the trash.

Wrote Kemp: “Only two years ago, the legislature extended these tax exemptions for an additional three years, through 2031. The bill’s language would prevent the issuance of exemption certificates after an abrupt July 1, 2024, deadline for many customers of projects that are already in development — undermining the investments made by high-technology data center operators, customers, and other stakeholders in reliance on the recent extension, and inhibiting important infrastructure and job development.”

Underwhelming so far: We’re hoping this isn’t a trend. The first five days of advance voting in Floyd County saw a whopping 1,030 people cast ballots. Combined with absentee ballots, that rose to 1,133.

With 59,808 eligible voters for this primary, that’s a grim number. Sure, turnout will increase between now and May 17 but we have a ways to go.

We subscribe to the theory that almost half of those voting do so in advance or via absentee. Sure, this is a light primary ballot, but we’re also deciding who serves as sheriff and clerk of court starting in 2025 as the Republicans face no Democratic challengers.

With 18 days of advance voting, absentee ballots and 12 hours on May 21, we have every chance needed to help make the best decisions for our community.

Advance voting continues for the May 21 primary: You can vote from 7:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. through Friday at the elections office, Anthony Center or Thornton Center; through May 17. Saturday voting is from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the elections office as well as Sunday, from 1 until 5 p.m.

Peaks & Valleys

The highs and lows of Northwest Georgia

Peak to “graduate-level” customer service: With area college graduations last weekend and a few other special events as well, several area businesses expanded service hours and days to accommodate those staying at local accommodations. Sure, that’s extra sales for them but also it was a nice reflection on these special guests who might be swayed to return. Extra special: A few of those businesses added notes of thanks to the graduates for their longtime patronage.

Valley to the missing fact about many of these campus protests: Those of us who grew up in the 1960s easily recall campus unrest over the Vietnam war. Today, it is another war with both “sides” very charged. But what’s concerning is the number of non-campus participants joining students, faculty and staff. Free speech is vital but it doesn’t need outside “influencers” at on-campus events. It reminds us of all those arrested protesting “Cop City” in recent months with so many coming from outside the state.