Umezono – a taste of japan in cobb

Despite the never-ending craze for all things Japanese, there are surprisingly very few authentic and affordable Japanese restaurants in the metro-Atlanta area. One very pleasant exception is Umezono.

My first visit to Umezono was at the recommendation of a former co-worker – an older American fellow who was married to a native Japanese woman. This guy, though generally likeable, was certainly no charmer. He was the salty dog type that responded to most people with short, harsh grunts. I managed to build something of a rapport with him when I let on that I knew a little Japanese. This of course led to us talking about Japanese restaurants, and ended up with him agreeing to take me and another colleague to his favorite Japanese eatery for lunch one day. On the day of the outing, I noticed that his eyes had taken on a youngish look, and he’d suddenly become quite garrulous – explaining the proper way to drink ocha and sharing all kinds of tidbits about the different dishes he’d tried. If ‘Old Guns’ (our endearing nickname for him) was this excited about something, I knew I was in for a treat.

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debate’s on! now, where to watch?

 

Assuming you actually have gas in your car and can go further than your driveway, here’s some places you can catch tonight’s presidential debate in the Atlanta area.  Read more

interview with jon goode from cnn’s black in america

Jon Goode is many things: an ex-Marine, a former accountant, Emmy-nominee, and entrepreneur. What’s most significant is that he’s a veteran of Atlanta’s underground spoken word scene. Most recently, Jon appeared on CNN’s documentary, Black in America, introducing each of the program’s segments with his poetic flair. I sat down to chat with Jon recently about his experience with the genre and his involvement with the show.

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poetry politics and the polls – 9/26

Kicking off the final week of voter registration, Poetry, Politics and the Polls is a FREE event that will include voter registration, a presentation from representatives from both political camps, door prizes, and a live concert. Drinks and food will be available.

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wknd edition: so much to do, so little time

  

 

 

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vickery’s glenwood

 

Despite the fact that I live pretty close to Vickery’s and Glenwood Park, I’ve never done more than drive past both of them on a few occasions. Recently, a friend of mine suggested we have lunch there, so I finally got a chance to check it out.

As soon as I entered Vickery’s, I fell in love with the décor. Vinyl, art-deco style chairs in burnt orange and cream nestle up against dark wood tables surrounded by natural stone accents and exposed ductwork. The space feels equally warm and modern – the kind of place you want to linger in not only ‘cause it feels good but also ‘cause it looks good. The space was surprisingly small, but since it was lunch, the crowd was probably much lighter than what is usually is. Strangely enough, so was my appetite that day. As you might have heard, I’m not usually a salad eater when I go out, but this time I opted for one – the Southern Pecan Salad – which featured mixed greens with golden raisins, cucumbers, bleu cheese and candied pecans. Not really sure what makes it ‘southern’ other than the pecans. Hmm…on second thought, it could be quite Southern depending on how you pronounce it. PEE-can = Southern; puh-CAHN = regular old salad. Anyhow, no matter how you say it, it was still right tasty.

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the 15 project – atlanta gets its own talk show

I hear the wait for Oprah Winfrey show tickets is at least a couple of months. Tyra’s show? There’s nothing available ’til October (please don’t ask me why I know that).

Forget waiting. Be a part of a live studio audience this weekend and in your own back yard.

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warrior skull boots – scary enough for ya?

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