Smart Art

I saw these humanoid cellophane sculptures in the trees at school today and thought I'd share them.

Vote for the Future

I don't know how many friends I have out there reading this, but if you are then bless your heart! I have a task for you now friend, I need you to vote for a friend of mine, this could be a big step for his career so why not help a brother out and just click a button? you're on the computer already. Just do it!!

Ice Rays Intern Chris Reyes for the Win!!! Vote Now or forever Rot!

All the Kids get fly on a Saturday Night

Zen sushi ultra lounge is having it's grand opening this saturday january 30. They are going to have half price sushi, a live Dj and a fashion show! The fashion show starts at 10 so get there early and get your table. Also enjoy 2.50 domestic beer and a whole list of happy hour drinks. If you are looking for somewhere to go Saturday night, why not try Zen?!

Up to something fishy

I like it raw, I like it hot, spicy, or cold. I like them long, crunchy or so big I cant fit the whole thing in my mouth. But when they are small and plain, they deserve to pay me for putting up with it. Of course I'm talking about eating sushi! Sushi! Sushi! Suuuushi!!

I recently acquired the taste for sushi about 3 years ago, and haven't been able to feed the monster addiction I have for raw fish on rice. So with this constant need for sushi like a vampire to human neck, I have begun the search for the best sushi Corpus has to offer, and this is what I have so far. In order of most delicious

1. Yoshi- they give you complementary miso soup (the legit delicious kind with tofu!) like most great sushi, art takes time. But their rolls are fairly sizable and they are mega generous with their fish portions. Might I even suggest the Corpus Christi roll and the Godzilla roll. Yoshi provides the most wasabi for your wallet, so to speak.

2. Sakura Japanese Steak House- Don't let its size fool you, it may be half the size of its neighboring restaurant La Playa but it deffinately packs twice the flavor. Though usually people stop by for the hibachi cooking, they have quite a large selection of sushi, I tried the sakura special and the Corpus Christi roll and let me tell you there was a party in my mouth, recently acquired sushi lovers best friends Brad and Daniel agree the sushi was delicious.

3. Imperial Cafe- They serve sushi all day, but its at 5 pm when dinner starts that the place gets hoppin'. They have half price sushi on thursdays but they aren't half the fun. Their rolls are a good ten pieces and not skimpy on the fish portions. They also like to use caviar on their rolls which basically tastes like magic beads in your mouth. However if you don't get there right at five the wait is something of a damn shame!

4. Bistro D'Asia- for some time Bistro actually trumped most sushi in my eyes. However they take about 45 minutes to get your sushi and they have a few waiters working there that aren't exactly the most comfortable speaking english, not fun when you have questions.

5. Zen Ultra Sushi Lounge- Wonderful atmosphere, feels almost like being in a big city at some swanky downtown bar. However even their half-price sushi is a bit pricey. Their spirits are top notch and they do have a happy hour, of course you may not be too happy when the check comes.

6. Water Street Oyster Bar- you already know and love it (hopefully!) Great place to eat lunch with the ladies or have a late night romantic dinner. They have half-price sushi Monday through Thursday and although they only have about 8 rolls, each one has a distinct taste. Plus while you are down there you can even take a downtown beach side stroll. Let the lights inspire you, make you feel brand new.

7. Ichibon- OK OK their sushi is pretty weak, I'd say its about a notch above HEB sushi but if you are looking for quantity look no further. For fifteen bucks (I know not exactly wallet friendly) you can have all the seafood you can eat. They even hook it up hibachi style if you want it. Their sushi might be mediocre but their seafood is top notch!

8. Kobe Steak House- As far as sushi goes, pretty much worthless. The service was weak and the sushi chef was the pitts, he actually tried to sway me from ordering more sushi (jerk!) Their rolls have about 5-6 pieces and are way to heavy on the rice and too skimpy on the fish. Not even worth half price, don't waste your time on the sushi is my advice.

I know and hope there are more sushi places out there in Corpus just waiting to be discovered but for now this sushi lover will just have to dream of the perfect roll.

Ocean Avenue

As I was driving to school today I noticed how amazing the beach looks first thing in the morning. Corpus really is a diamond in the rough, I think all we need is more parks. We have maybe 2 that are large enough for anything great, but it seems all awesome cities have centerally located large walking parks. The dogs of corpus Christi could use atleast a dog run. How do I propose this to my city council? Let's work together to make corpus as awesome as it looks from the beach early in the morning!!

Lovely Lunch Spots

Café 517! Owned by the same people as Nuevo Café only better! I ordered the chicken bacon club and it was out of this world. Try the bread pudding for dessert it's the bomb. The place is small and pretty hard to find the entrance, my mom and my aunts all took different ways to get inside. Complete with sweet songs from around the world and an outdoor smoking patio café 517 could just be your new morning hip hangout!

Overall I give café 517 a score of 4 cheers for delicious food and sweet ambiance. But their outside patio needs some help

Don't take My Word for It

517 A Cafe

517 Everhart rd.

Corpus Christi, Tx 78411

(361) 991-7828

An Idea Straight Out of Left Field

Looking for more activity? Maybe malls aren't your thing, why not try Corpus Christi's classic batting cages?! The Grand Slams is Corpus' oldest baseball/softball fields. Get some friends, form a team and come out! Grand Slams is nothing flashy, the benches creak and the concrete is almost sand at this point, but if you want some old fashion fun, get your feet on the field!

The batting cages are located way in the back of the complex just past the fields, they are open between 12 p.m and 4 p.m. and it's only about 25 cents per ball, talk about cheap thrills. Never a let down, get your lover into some shorts and invite them on a batting date, we are talking way cute and rarely seen. Then treat them to some 99 cent chilli cheese fries at your local weinerschnitzel and bam! perfect date for under five bucks. You're looking good!

Overall I give Grand Slams a score of 5 cheers! Parking is abundant, everyone working is way laid back, and its financially friendly!! what more do you need? Oh yeah, don't worry they have a snack bar with beer inside :)

The Grand Slams are located all the way down saratoga passed the freeway

Fun For Everyone

I was reading an interesting article in the C.C. Caller Times earlier, (thanks Marco) talking about economic times and how these tough times give people the chance to buckle down not only on their wallets but on their bellies.

This got me thinking about fun ways to get out in Corpus and get in the know. Instantly I think of our up and coming mall La Palmera. The mall is now enlarged and far more luxurious to walk around and see. With aquarium tanks carpet and bright beautiful lights, walking around La Palmera won't only get your blood pumping but also your motivation moving! I notice window displays being bigger and brighter! tell yourself you are working out for those new nikes, that new mini skirt or for one of those darn delicious Great American Cookies!! The food court is now twice its original size with flat screens and long boards as tables. I believe five laps around the mall equals a mile, that means you could get in a few miles and not even mind working up the sweat. They even have a mall walking club the Wave Walkers! Wave Walkers membership is free and includes a welcome kit and membership card providing shopping incentives and discounts from La Palmera merchants such as Trade Secret, Bourbon Street Candy Co. and Nine West. In addition to monthly events, members continue making their daily trek around the mall. To get enrolled simply talk to the concierge. Go get involved, let La Palmera help you lose that extra five pounds for free!

Overall La Palmera gets a total of 4 cheers, only due to the fact that its construction is not complete causing the parking lot and inside to be a bit hectic.

Don't Take My Word For It

La Palmera Shopping Mall

5488 S. Padre Island Dr.
Corpus Christi, TX 78411
P: 361.991.3755
F: 361.993.5631

Hours
Monday-Saturday 10am-9pm
Sunday Noon-6pm

Zen and art of Sushi Making

Sometimes when you go out to eat the restaurant is beautiful but their food is monstrous. Sometimes when you go out to eat, the restaurant is a hole in the wall, but their food is cooked by the Gods. However, sometimes, harmony is formed when the restaurant not only makes your mouth drop, but also makes taste buds sing. Brad and I were close to finding this harmony in Corpus at a semi-new swanky eatery ZEN Sushi Ultralounge.

We had already planned on watching a movie, but earlier that week I heard an advertisement for half-price sushi at ZEN, so we left the house an hour before the movie started in hopes of eating and making the 7:40 showing. (Youth in Revolt by the way was amazingly awesome! definitely a must see)

As we are parking I notice the lot is full! At least this means people are diggin' it. Thankfully Brad has parking skills and finds a pretty V.I.P spot so that we aren't out in the freezing night for too long. Inside ZEN the floor is wide and open, the bar is at my right and the building sort forms a semi-circle around the bar, fully out of windows. Elegant tables with multi-color flickering light faux candles and white leather chairs line the windows. The place is fairly packed but I find a place to sit near the bar at one of these plush tables. The bar is an octagon of stone structure supporting a glass counter top, and inside this counter of glass are stones of white and a few black and underneath them is a blueish light that makes all the rocks sparkle. I picture drinking at the bar would feel more like being in some fancy cabin in Colorado, or after a few drinks maybe the counter turns into some mystical river! Our server comes over from behind the bar, yes she was also the bartender (first mistake of the night). Asks us if we would like anything to drink, Brad and I make a few jokes about their huge top shelf bottles and suddenly have the waitress eating out of our hands, "we"ll start off with a water and sprite however, thanks."

The half-price selection is limited to three rolls... lame. Thankfully it's their most popular rolls, and coincidentally the most pricey. We order all three half-price rolls and some salmon and white tail on the side. (6 bills just for two pieces of fish, highway robbery) The second bartender actually takes our orders disappears and comes back 5 seconds later to say the sushi will take some time, "like 45 minutes?" I question, "Oh no, like 30" he says. Thirty minute wait for sushi is about the norm on a very good day. At this point we settle in and decide to chat up our original waitress/bartender.

Few more jokes, and bam! Brad and I are tasting their many house wines, all fantastic by the way, and settle with two glasses of pinot grigio after being told they are all out of white zinfandel. Now I can fully say I was having fun, our wine is superb, the people sitting at the tables around us, are well dressed socialites and my date is more than entertaining. The feng shui in ZEN can be felt, with lights lining the ceiling with deep purples, bright blues and soft greens, looking up almost feels like seeing the northern lights. Unfortunately an hour later the waiters present the sushi to our now growling bellies. It only takes Brad and I five minutes to devour the small rolls. Though they were rather small and over priced (even at half-price) we still left with wide smiles.

Overall I give ZEN the score of 3 cheers. The atmosphere and the drinks were top notch but if you are looking for sushi, you can mark ZEN off of that list.

Don't Take My Word for it

ZEN Sushi Ultralounge

on the corner of saratoga and staples in the Kohl's shopping center

(361)994-7940

half-price sushi every Friday, and they have a happy hour but its a bit obscure.

Nuevo places, not on your radar

There are places in Corpus you dare not go. They are dirty and scary and are developing slow. But if you seek the places rarely known, you might just realize how much Corpus Christi has grown.

My mom and I decided to check out this hip cafe that we have been hearing so much about, only problem is its not exactly in the best part of town. Like I said though, no good explorer shies away from possibility! We arrived at the Nuevo Cafe at around 12:30 and it was definitely hoppin'. The building inside has a sort of metal storage place feeling. Very Austin Texas. Soft music floods my senses as I look around and realize they have large metal stars hanging from the ceiling and Elvis memorabilia over a lot of the walls. I notice paintings hanging on the back wall all painted by independent artists around Corpus and a yummy dessert counter to my right. Despite the crowd we were seated right away, and our drinks came out equally as quick. We were told the poblano Soup was the bees knees, so needless to say we ordered it along with their most popular sandwich, the nuevo club. We got seated way in the back and it had to have been negative degrees back there because neither I nor my momma wanted to remove our coats! But the soup came out speedy and good thing it was hot hot hot! First taste... spicy prickles roll down my throat. Delicious! But as I continue eating I realize the spice is becoming a bit unbearable and causing me to drink my water like a camel which is leading me to FREEZE!! Then my sandwich came and to my surprise it was the two tiniest little triangle slices of sandwich my eyes have ever beheld. Needless to say I inhale my food using my soup as more of a dipping sauce rather, which works out splendid. Our meal cost about 20 dollars and we were feeling a bit like our wallets, empty!

Overall I give the Nuevo Cafe a score of 3 cheers. What they lack in food size and flavor they make up for in ultra hipness, and places like this might be just what Corpus needs to give the city some life! Make Corpus Weird!! who's with me?

Don't Take My Word For It!

Nuevo Cafe

1124 Ayers St. (way down by sound vibrations in 6 points)

Corpus Christi, TX, 78404

(361) 904-0425

What are you waiting for?!

"Alexis... wake up dude...wake up I need you ..." This is what I hear from the black

nothingness that is my dreams. I finally gain enough conciousness to lift my

heavy eye lids, light floods in and I see my brother Marco, through blurred eyes,

standing at my feet shaking me. "I need a ride to the bus station" he says, shaking me some

more "hurry there isn't much time." I feel heavy, grungy and groggy. What happened last

night? I'm still fully clothed minus my shoes and pants. Hah isn't it odd how drunk

people always lose their pants?

We finally plop into my car and race to the Greyhound Bus Station. The station looks a

little run down, but inside there are arcades along the wall and plenty of places to sit and

wait. Travel by Grey hound seems a bit prehistoric but a good explorer never turns down

the chance for adventure! This station is especially nice because its right down the street from

the ever beautiful two-story WHATABURGER! Now listen even if you aren't a fan of fast food,

or maybe you think you'd rather have it your way at mcburger makers, but Whataburger

on the bay is the ONLY way. Go there at least once! they have a nice outside upstairs eating patio

complete with ocean views and the downtown sounds. And the workers here seem to be rather

chipper. Nothing cures a hangover like Whataburger hashbrowns... yeah I said it.