Cheap Eat of the Week - Thaicoon and Sushi Bar
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
In my previous career, I traveled almost every week, often by myself. Quickly tiring of room service, I got comfortable eating in restaurants alone. While I occasionally would eat at a steakhouse or a French cafe’, I always felt the most comfortable dining alone at a sushi bar. And since sushi is normally not an inexpensive meal, I took full advantage of my previous employer’s expense account and feasted on sushi several times each month. Once I left their employ, sushi became less and less a staple in my life for shear budgetary reasons. Lately, I’ve also been left disappointed by some of my local sushi favorites regarding the quality and freshness of the fish. Well, I have a new favorite sushi restaurant.
On a recent Tuesday evening, craving sushi and unable to find a partner in crime, I did a quick search online for sushi deals in Atlanta on Tuesday nights. A few places popped up, but after reading reviews, I settled on Thaicoon and Sushi Bar (http://www.thaicoonsushiatlanta.com) at 1799 Briarcliff Road in the Kroger shopping center where Johnson Road meets Briarcliff Road. I walked in and asked for a solo-seat at the sushi bar. I was promptly seated and given a hot towel to clean my hands. The server gave me a regular menu that also features many Thai favorites, as well as a separate sushi nigiri and mini-roll menu on paper with a pencil to complete my order. The paper list constitutes their $1 sushi list for Monday and Tuesday nights. This was the list that I ordered from.
I had six pieces of nigiri, two 4-piece rolls and a Singha beer (Thai and my favorite) for a whopping $14.18 plus tip. That’s it. It was a lot of sushi. And the quality was incredible. For most people, tuna is their favorite. I love salmon. I actually don’t like cooked salmon much, but love it raw. I originally ordered 2 pieces of salmon nigiri and a 2 pieces of white tuna nigiri thinking I might order a couple more pieces of salmon. No sir. The salmon was great, but the white tuna was “butter”. Amazing. I had to have more.
I also ordered a J.B. Roll mini-roll that was salmon, cream cheese and scallion. Fantastic! But the biggest surprise was the shrimp tempura roll. I don’t even know why I ordered it. I don’t generally like shrimp tempura rolls, because it seems like they just throw some loose tempura in with the shrimp half the time and it isn’t very good. This was good quality shrimp, nicely tempura fried and served with complementary ingredients, including a sweet glaze on top. Again, normally not a sweet glaze sushi roll eater, but delicious! And all for less than $15. I will be going back soon… even if it is by myself.
- Ashlee Heath, REALTOR
Posted in: Intown Living
Cheap Eat of the Week - Taqueria los Rayos
Thursday, June 10, 2010
I discovered Taqueria los Rayos a while back, but thankfully, not while I worked near its Clairmont Road location, or I would have been feasting there daily. Recently, I introduced one of my former co-workers, who still works nearby, to this authentic Mexican taqueria and he too was impressed with the fresh, flavorful ingredients and inexpensive options. In general when visiting a restaurant featuring ethnic cuisine, I consider it a good sign when the number of patrons of that particular ethnicity, outweigh the number of any other patrons. This has always been the case on my many visits to Taqueria los Rayos.
For lunch, I had my standby ‘al pastor tacos’ (2), and decided to try the chicken taco this time as well. Previously, I had tried the brisket and chorizo and decided that the al pastor was my favorite. While still a good contender, I’m in love with the chicken taco now. The tacos are served in wonderfully fresh corn tortillas, and I top mine with the green tomatillo sauce. They also have red tomatillo sauce, but the green is by far the best. My lunch companion had the al pastor burrito special, which was served in a wheat tortilla and loaded with fresh ingredients including several avocado slices. I was a little envious.
When we first arrived, we ordered chips and salsa, because we were starving. Sadly, the chips and salsa were not delivered to the table until our meal was delivered. So, remember to ask for them to come before the meal if you go that route. However, honestly the salsa is the only disappointing thing I’ve tried on the menu so far. I’d forgo it altogether and just focus on the tacos, burritos, etc. I think next time I am going to try their ceviche.
Tacos are $1.75 -to- $1.95, and nothing on the menu is over $9. The menu is in Spanish with English translations, and the staff is very friendly and accommodating. My understanding is that they are open to the wee hours of the morning on weekends, if you should find yourself searching for a relatively healthy alternative to Waffle House. I’ve been multiple times, and I don’t plan to stop going anytime soon.
Taqueria los Rayos, 3473 Clairmont Rd. NE, Atlanta
- Ashlee Heath, REALTOR
Posted in: Intown Living
Dealing With STRESS
Friday, June 04, 2010
First of all - a little stress is good… It does motivate us to get out of bed and go to work.
However - when you feel “stressed out”, you perceive the demands on you outweigh your perceived capabilities.
Along with the emotional toll, prolonged stress can drastically affect your physical health. Preoccupation with responsibilities often leads to erratic eating habits and not enough exercise, resulting in weight problems, high blood pressure, and elevated cholesterol levels.
Stress can also cause ‘burnout’, a condition marked by emotional exhaustion, and negative or cynical attitudes toward others (and yourself). Stress can lead to depression, which, in turn, has been linked to heart disease and stroke, obesity and eating disorders, diabetes, lung ailments, cirrhosis of the liver, some forms of cancer, accidents, and in extreme cases, even suicide. In addition, chronic depression reduces your immunity to other illnesses.
Stress can cause you to lack emotion, or be slow to react/think, and/or be argumentative. And these ‘issues’ can run off friends, family and clients.
So what can you do when you think you may be stressing?
First, give yourself a break. Nobody is perfect. While we strive to do everything in our power to do the best we can in order to protect ourselves, our friends, family, and our clients, mistakes will happen. So do not expect perfection every time.
Take a mind break. Even 10 minutes of meditation/prayer will refresh your mental outlook. Try this:
Sit comfortably. Close your eyes. Start with your feet… flex/relax Then move up to your calves… flex/relax. Then go to your thighs… flex/relax. Your butt… flex/relax. Your abs… flex/relax. Fists… flex/relax. Forearms… flex/relax. Biceps… flex/relax. Shoulders… flex/relax. Face… contort/relax.
Each time you relax, say to yourself - “Let it go”.
Take a physical break. A brief walk works wonders.
Talk about it with me or anyone else you trust who will keep your private matters private.
Eat, good, balanced meals, and take vitamins and other supplements. Remember, your immune system is stressed to the max when you are stressed. Help it fight stress!
Stop with the negative self-talk. Increase the positive self-talk! (Damn, I’m good! I know so much more than other people I compete against. Therefore I AM better than everyone else!) REMEMBER - What we say to ourselves [repeatedly] will lead to reality!
And finally———-
Exercise. Exercise. Exercise.
- Scott Askew
Posted in: Intown Living
Energy Savings TIps - Home Star Retrofit Rebate
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Homeowners need to be proactive in making energy-efficient home renovations in order to receive the rebates outlined in President Obama’s new “Home Star Retrofit Rebate” program that was recently introduced in Congress. If passed, the proposed $6 billion program could reduce energy costs for middle-class families by hundreds of dollars a year.
HouseMaster, a home inspection company, provides the following easy projects most every homeowner can do to optimize the energy efficiency of their home:
Windows and Doors
Holes in windows and doors allow conditioned air to leak from your home and allow outdoor air to infiltrate, which can tax your heating and cooling systems and raise your energy bills. Caulk around windows and doors where there are gaps. Also caulk areas where plumbing lines or electrical wiring penetrate exterior walls
Floor and Wall Insulation
Insulation acts as a barrier to heat movement and helps keep any home cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter…all while using less energy. Making sure insulation is used at potential gaps such as around an attic stairway or over the attic access door is important as well.
Shedding a Little Light on a Simple Solution
By replacing traditional incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents, you can use up to 75% less energy on lighting alone. A wide assortment of CFLs are now available for almost any type fixture found in a home.
Appliances and HVAC Systems
Your major household appliances are a good place to focus on to make your home more eco-friendly. Start by changing the filters of your HVAC systems regularly and consider upgrading older appliances to take advantage of newer, more efficient designs.
Buy a Programmable Thermostat
This energy-saving step can have a positive and noticeable impact right away. Programmable thermostats are fairly easy to install and once they are set up a homeowner can adjust them as the weather changes. For every degree that a thermostat is set back, you may realize a savings between 1 and 3% on your heating and cooling bills.
- Scott Askew
Posted in: Intown Atlanta Real Estate News
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