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setting. Macon's growing downtown also has the Tic Toc Room featuring contemporary, creative continental cuisine, Market City Cafe with an innovative, expansive menu and desserts to die for, and Downtown Grill known for its great steaks while offering a cigar bar and a "Mad Men" vibe. You'll find restaurants serving Indian, Greek, Thai, Japanese, Mexican, French, Italian, Chinese and American. And what could be more American than hot dogs? Macon's Nu-Way Weiners (sic) have been serving their famous hot dogs since 1916 and was rated as one of the top 10 hot dog joints in America by Gourmet magazine. Ingleside Village Pizza is another local legend in Macon with its New York- style hand-tossed pizza and the largest selection of imported beers in the area. The Rookery is a downtown landmark that combines the best of a bar with a family-friendly atmosphere during the day and early evening. Ginger Stir Fry & Grill serves up a mind-boggling variety of ways to pick and choose your personal stir fry, while one of the newest arrivals, Brasserie Circa, has become a big hit in north Macon. And the list keeps growing. The only problem with dining here is trying to make up your mind where to go. That's true with entertainment options as well. The Grand Opera House has a full season of nationally touring Broadway shows and concerts. The Macon City Auditorium and the Macon Coliseum are the venues for popular entertainers. The Cox Capitol Theatre's entertainment bill is ever expanding, giving music lovers a wide choice. The Macon Symphony and Macon Pops both have loyal followings, and Bragg Jam has become a huge summer music event of rock/folk/alternative music played at venues all over the city. Mercer's Townsend School and the McDuffie School for Strings offer the jazz and classical devotee even more choices during the academic term. And Theatre Macon and Macon Little Theatre offer a broad spectrum of plays as do many colleges in the area. SPORTS AND LEISURE There are more than enough outdoor activities that keep the doors of our Bass Pro Shops swinging open for fishermen, boaters, hikers, campers and hunters. The Ocmulgee River flows through the heart of the city. It's a short drive to Lake Juliette, Lake Tobesofkee or Milledgeville's Lake Sinclair. Hikers enjoy the Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge in Jones County and the fascinating trails to the top of prehistoric Native American mounds at Ocmulgee National Monument in Macon-Bibb County. The Ocmulgee Heritage Trail is the only riverside trail and park system in Middle Georgia with green spaces totaling nearly 1,500 acres, which is almost double the size 34 l MACON MAGAZINE JUNE/JULY 2014