A couple of weeks back we were having dinner with my daughter and her boyfriend and talking about food.  What else would we discuss while we were eating?  He mentioned this place in downtown Buford, Rico’s World Kitchen, and asked me if I had ever been.  I had not.  Intrigued at the idea of a place, virtually in my back door at work, of which I’d never heard, I made a note to visit when possible.  When I was contemplating it and asking for directions from folks in the office who lived nearby, I got very detailed directions from one lady.  And about half  a minute later, she came back to where I was working and said, “And you have to try the watermelon cake!”

As “lone wolf” again today at lunch, I took the ten mile ride to downtown Buford and found a very small, very full parking lot.  Luckily, there was ample nearby street parking.  I parked about two doors down and walked back.  The hostess asked “how many” and when I told her “one” she said I could either wait a moment, sit outside or have a seat at the bar.  It was a little warm for outside, so I chose the bar.  There were write-ups on the wall from the AJC and USA Today in the small bar / carry-out area.  When I say “small”, to put the size in perspective, this would have formerly been the retail area when it was gas station. While I waited, I asked the hostess some questions.  I learned that:

• They’ve been open about three years;
• It was originally a car garage, then a gas station and then a series of food-related places (a pizza place and an ice cream shop, to name a couple);
  
• They don’t take reservations and they do quite a business on Friday and Saturday nights; 
• They make desserts “to die for”.
  

The hostess handed me a menu, then told me about the specials (today’s included- blackened chicken breast over dirty rice / cinnamon sweet potato wedges).  I decided on the mojo pork sandwich with guava barbecue sauce.  The only “complaints” that I could possibly have about the sandwich were 1) that there was so much meat that it overwhelmed the bun, making it impossible to lift and 2) that there wasn’t enough sauce.  I also ordered the hashbrown casserole as a side.I have never had a hashbrown casserole like this one – the top and bottom were both fried crisp, with a an inside of diced potatoes and a few onions with a massive amount of cheese.  It was an excellent lunch – I cleaned my plate, mopping up the last of the cheese from the hashbrowns with some pork that had fallen off the bun. 

It was  bit pricey ($15.00 and change for that lunch), but the specials may have been cheaper.  And I imagine that it would be a great spot for dinner.