That New Place’s baked goods and breakfast bites are brilliant

By GABRIELLE LAWRENCE

In the early years of my marriage, before our shared Google Calendar became filled with soccer practices, dance classes, piano lessons, county commission meetings and all of the other activities that color the Lawrence life, Mr. She Ate and I used to visit Williamston regularly. We liked the restaurants, the movie theater, the specialty shops and the farmers market. We still do, but priorities have inevitably shifted as our family has changed, and we no longer find ourselves in Williamston as frequently as we would like. (Although we did take the kids to see “The Wild Robot” at the movie theater, and it was wonderful.)

The business hours at That New Place are tricky, and the restaurant was a bit challenging for me to locate in the first place. It’s only open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. We took advantage of a weekend morning and loaded the kids up, along with a doll who travels with her own pillow, several small dinosaur figurines and an “Elephant and Piggie” book to read while we waited for our food. I read over the menu before our visit and was concerned at the lack of particularly kid-friendly choices, but we decided to make the best of it.

Immediately upon entry, we were met with a large bakery case full of pastries. Fair enough — even if the kids didn’t get any protein, they could fill up on muffins and cookies while Mr. She Ate and I enjoyed our breakfast. My son became heavily interested in hot chocolate this year (Cracker Barrel has his favorite version) and was excited to try the offering at That New Place. It was presented to him in an oversized mug with a large dollop of whipped cream, and he spent the next 20 minutes slurping happily.

I debated between the quiche special ($20), which included lobster meat, sweet potato and gruyere, and the succotash ($15). A slice of quiche with a green salad is one of my all-time favorite meals, and it won the day. This was the largest, puffiest slice of quiche I’ve ever seen in my life, flan-like in its jiggliness and swoon-worthy in its flavor. I wanted to save room to eat half of my kids’ breakfasts, so I packed up the rest for lunch the next day.

Our dancing queen loves a waffle, so we ordered the whole-grain waffle ($13) for her to try. The order comes with three vegan waffles, made with flaxseed, whole-wheat and oat flours. I regularly see Instagram posts of people sneaking healthy ingredients into their kids’ favorite foods and have always told myself that my children would certainly taste a difference and reject the pasta sauce with spinach in it (or whatever), but damned if homegirl didn’t polish off an entire waffle before coming up for air. Granted, it was swimming in maple syrup, but I felt like an accomplished parent that day.

My son, the pickier of the two, chose the baked French toast ($15), which came with candied bacon on the side. Unfortunately, he doesn’t love blueberries, and they were baked right into the bread. We let him get away with hot chocolate and a chocolate-zucchini mini bundt cake (again with the hidden health food!) while I ate most of his French toast. The bacon, on the other hand, had multi-generational appeal, in no small part due to the addition of finely chopped rosemary.

Mr. She Ate had the biscuits and gravy ($15), having ridden his bicycle 30 miles that morning and needing something that would stick to his bones. While the menu boasts that the biscuits are made with scallions and parmesan, he didn’t notice the presence of either flavor. The biscuits were remarkably dense, and the gravy had a rich, hearty flavor.

We took home a molasses cookie, a house cookie (essentially a chocolate chip cookie with nuts) and a muffin stuffed with more healthy grains and dried cherries ($5 each). The muffin was good the next morning with a cup of coffee, but the molasses cookie was incredible that night with an episode of “The White Lotus” on the couch after bedtime. Here’s to a moment of zen and trying to get back to Williamston more than twice a year.

 

By BRYAN BEVERLY

I’ve found Williamston’s main street, a section of Grand River Avenue, to be endearing and active every time I’ve visited — which, because of my daughter’s athletics, has been a lot recently. Shops, eateries and public parks make the space walkable and consumer friendly. The Sun Theatre, an old-school movie theater, brings entertainment to the community, as does Williamston Theatre, a fine attraction for those seeking live comedies, romances or thrillers. The town’s vibe is equal parts nostalgic and familiar, like a Hallmark Channel holiday special in living color.

Such is the vibe that this month’s subject of review, That New Place, revels in. From the lunch counter seating options to the tables decorated with ceramic miniatures to the deli case filled with delectable pastries, the eatery is simultaneously fresh and reminiscent of past eras. The staff welcomes you in unison and ushers you out the door with well wishes for your return. If you visit on the weekend, be prepared to wait, since this has become a popular destination for the Williamston community and surrounding locales alike.

The restaurant was opened in 2023 by delightful and warm owners Carrie Ballou and Ray Priebe. They took over the space from a bakery, and the tradition of scratch-baked treats serves as a foundation for That New Place’s breakfast and brunch flavors. The menu options are abundant, and the daily specials offer something for everyone.

What’s good

I visited That New Place on a Friday afternoon with one of my best friends, who was in town from Atlanta to visit family. It was busy, and Ballou expressed her apologies for the delay in the delicious blueberry-peach crumble cake’s ($8) arriving at our table. She was so sincere that I couldn’t help but offer grace. The cake was scrumptious and light but could have been just a touch warmer.

My bestie ordered the mixed-greens salad with mojito chicken ($15). The tender cuts of chicken thigh were sweet, having been soaked in an orange-based marinade, and the lemon vinaigrette provided a citrusy bite of sourness. The only drawback was that the mixed greens were nearly all spinach.

I had the same protein on the mojito chicken sandwich ($15), which was served open faced atop garlic toast with a spread of hot honey ranch and house-made coleslaw. This sandwich was a hit. All of the components complemented each other in terms of flavor and texture.

What’s really good

My first visit was mid-week, and I sat at the counter. At first, it seemed like I was the only one who didn’t know anyone because the conversations between staff and guests were boisterous and gleeful. Then I realized that’s just the culture of That New Place — no one leaves as a stranger.

I ordered several items à la carte: two eggs ($4), chicken breakfast sausage ($5), pork bo ssam ($6) and hot potatoes ($5). Every bite was a triumph over the previous. The eggs were fluffy and cheesy. The chicken sausage was flavorful, savory and perfectly crispy when I bit into it. The bo ssam — shredded pork shoulder prepared in a traditional Korean fashion with notes of ginger, star anise, garlic, onion and black tea — was awesome. It’s not the first thing that comes to mind when you think about breakfast, but maybe it should be. Still, the potatoes were even better, spiced with red pepper flakes, garlic, onion and fresh herbs and slathered with the same hot honey ranch that cuddled the chicken sandwich. I’ll be trying to recreate that dressing in my own kitchen soon enough.

Best bite

The pastries. Period. They’re worth braving the construction-induced detour around Grand River Avenue. I mentioned the crumble cake before, but on another visit, I ordered two scones ($5) and wish I’d had the courage to take some home. The first, a peach and candied ginger flavor, was soft and sweet in all the ways a breakfast pastry should be. Its blueberry-thyme counterpart was also soft, but the savory thyme played so perfectly with the fruit that I could picture this scone starring on a stage in town as the crowd chants for an encore. Bravo!