After buying dessert for later during the day at the Buttersweet bakery, I wandered to Maritza & Frank's, a meat-and-two-sides southern diner on N. Central Street. I had no trouble finding a table in the large dining room, where the tables are covered in red and white checkerboard plastic. It has the charm of a slightly worn, comfortable diner. Several people waited to pay their bills. I found myself a seat in the corner.
View Larger Map // Inside of the restaurant
I checked the day's specials before the waitress brought over the lunch menu. Being Friday and being I don't eat meat on Friday during Lent, I selected the tilipia. Given the option for fried or grilled, I went with fried. A Foursquare recommendation praised the green beans, so that was my first side, my second, mashed potatoes, gravy on the side. And to wash it down, a cup of coffee.
All in all, a solid meal. The fish was done right and I am someone who doesn't embrace seafood. There were two pieces of the freshwater fish on the dish. The white meat was tender, nicely battered. I feared a fried fish would be greasy, but this was not. It was tasty. I did pick bones out of my mouth.
The sides. Green beans were good. If you can describe beans as al dente, these would be them. These kept their bite, instead of mushy beans that had been kept in hot water to long. The mashed potatoes were better with the gravy than by themselves.
Also, the meal came with two warm corn muffins. Baked to just right color of a muffin, they had the classic flavor that makes them a southern favorite.
Coffee. Good, standard java.
All in all, the meal came out to about $12, including tip.
On Urban Spoon, customers give it 85 percent approval rating. And Foursquare, 5.7 out of 10 recommended it, or "mixed feelings."
If you're in the mood for southern food before exploring this stretch of Hapeville, with its unique shops, Maritza & Frank's would be a place to start. It is closed Saturdays.
