Zuma Sushi & Sake Bar (Highlands)

Last night I had the pleasure of dinning at Zuma Sushi and it was amazing! I have a co-worker that has been raving about this place for the longest and I finally decided to try it for myself. I must warn you the parking is crazy in the Highlands but it is worth the trip down there. They also have another locatio, which maybe lest troublesome near Druid Hills.
On any account, the atmosphere is wonderful due to it being very open and appealing to the eyes. In addition, you have the option of sitting inside or outside, which is always a plus. There was also light music playing in the background and the chatter amongst the dinners were not over bearing and noisy as in most restaurants.

The sushi is by far the best I have had in Atlanta. There are a few places in Atlanta that have  pretty good sushi as well but Zuma has the best selection and most creative sushi rolls that I have seen. When I lived in Arizona, I was introduced to sushi via the California roll and Vegas roll. The Vegas roll was my favorite because it was lightly fried on the outside and it had everything I loved to eat on the inside. Since leaving Arizona, I have not been able to find a good fried roll because most places just add that crunch stuff on there and claim it to be "lightly fried".

Well last night I found my fried sushi roll spot!! Zuma has a great selection of fried rolls that range from a lobster roll to the basic California roll. Being that this is my staple starter roll I had to try one and...... OMG!!! My friend that went to dinner with be laughed because I said " I saw my life flash before my eyes" because it was sooooooooo good and I was soooooooo serious. I do not know how they fried it but it was fried perfectly on the outside and everything in the middle was fresh as can be. I nearly hurt myself trying to finish it all.

In addition to my signature roll, I had the Super Crunch roll that is always delicious with smoked salmon, steamed shrimp and avocado on top. On the inside was shrimp tempura and a few other vegetables. Also on the menu was a Calamari roll, which was delicious as well.

By the end of the night I was pleasantly satisfied with my dinning experience and could not wait to write about my new discovery. If you are ever in ATL and are in need of sushi stop by Zuma and I am sure you will enjoy it!

Happy Dinning!

Oregano's

Continuing with my Arizona visit.....Saturday night and well into Sunday was visitation day with my friends in Phoenix and Tucson. So, on Saturday night, I met a few people at one of my favorite restaurants in Arizona, Oregano's!!!! I am getting excited just thinking about it! I know living in Arizona you may think Mexican food would be the way to go, which in some cases it is but when I think of Arizona food I crave Oregano's pizza, salad and hot cookies......mmmmmm!

On this particular Saturday night when I was dog tired from my day in Sedona and from driving, I still found the strength to drive 30 minutes to the restaurant and I am glad I did! As usual, I knew I was getting the thin crust peperoni pizza ( yes, I am simple when it comes to pizza), a anti-pasta salad and a hot cookie!! All of these deserve their own section so here it is.....

The Pizza

Oregano's pizza is some of the best pizza that I have ever had. I have never tried the Chicago style they offer because it takes 45 minutes to get and that is just to long for me to wait. So, I go with the thin crust which is perfect. Normally, I do not like thin crust because it is not filling (sorry carb haters) but I love bread and pizza crust. Anyway, the thin crust is perfect because they cut them in perfect squares and the combination of sauce, cheese and pepperoni is amazing! Best of all, they allow you to split the pizza if you are with someone who wants something else.

The Salad

Oregano's also have some of the best salads that I have tasted. Again, they have the right blend of indigents to make the salad memorable. My favorite salad is the anti-pasta salad (yes!). This salad has just about every Italian ingredient in it but pasta, hence the name :). The salad has peperoni, salami, artichokes, olive oil, onions, tomatoes and a few other items but it is mouth watering!!! A word to the wise........never go and not order a salad! Oh, the cesar is great as well!
The Cookie......mmmmm!

So, the hot chocolate chip cookie is my all time favorite dessert! It takes 15 minutes to make and once you get it you will see why. The cookie comes in a skillet with several scoops of ice cream on the top, big enough to share! Once I tasted it I was in heaven and so was the rest of the table. The perfect lend of hot and cold gets me everytime. If you do not like chocolate chips, they also have one with macadamia nuts, but you already know my preference :).

Sorry folks, its only an Arizona chain :(, but I kow you were there in spirit!

Sedona, AZ

The adventure continues.....! Following my Grand Canyon experience and scenic drive back down the mountain, I decided to follow the GPS to Sedona, AZ and take the scenic route rather than the interstate, which proved to be a wise choice and breath taking experience none the less.

While driving down AZ 89A I experienced a vast change in the environment and mountains. The mountains went from their regular brownish/tan color to a beautiful red rock formation, something that I have never seen in my life. I thought the Grand Canyon was something to see but Sedona is something else to see as well. Thankfully, the drive was a means to getting back to Phoenix and the detour was not so bad. Again, another life lesson came back to me that sometimes we rush through life/things and do not appreciate the journey.

Well, on this day I took the journey back down the mountain and I must admit, it was a little nerve wrecking trying to look at the scenery and drive down the mountain and around the curves, lol ! During the drive, I saw the most unique pull-out spots like a water fall and a small river bed that cars were crossing to make it to a wooded picnic area. Then there was the Sliding Rock National Park that I would have loved to spend the day at. Again, the weather was beautiful and the scenery was something that you would have had to see for yourself.

During my Sedona visit, I was told  " you must go and see the church on the hill!". So, I am thinking to myself, okay.....I will go and see the church on the hill. Considering it was Easter weekend and I was not going to be in church I figured why not. Come to find out, this was another unforgettable experience that I will never forget. The Chapel of the Holy Cross was once a catholic church that has since been turned into a popular tourist and meditation site. While at the church, I had the opportunity to admire its beauty from outside and within. Inside is a sanctuary where visitors have the chance to sit, pray and reflect on whatever they are feeling at the moment and that is as simple as it gets. Of course some will say "it's just a church" but in my opinion it is one of the most amazing structures that I have ever seen (yes, I took these pictures!).

Now, Sedona itself is a cute little town that is hidden amidst the red rocks of Arizona. On this Saturday, the weather was perfect and it was a great opportunity to walk around, visit the art galleries and sip wine in  a restaurant garden.

So, when you decide to visit the Grand Canyon, be sure to take some time to stop by Sedona to see "the church" and admire the natural beauty of the red rocks. I learned this weekend, that sometimes doing the unpopular thing can be one of the most life changing experiences that you will ever have!

The Grand Canyon

Greetings dear followers and Happy Tuesday! I just returned from an amazing mini-vacation that spanned my old stomping grounds in Arizona. However, on this trip I ventured to parts unknown to me during my 6 year stay in Tucson, AZ. During my 5 day trip, I was reminded that sometimes you have to go back to appreciate what you once had. Over the next two blogs I will tell and show you some of the beauty I discovered in Arizona but I think this is something you must see for yourself.

My trip began with a flight to Phoenix, which is always breath taking because you can see the changes in the country's landscape from green to the formation of brownish mountains (awesome!). A little word to the wise if you decided to visit one day, the best time to go to AZ is between October and early May, anything after that it is hotter than hell, lol! Anyway, once arriving, the weather was beautiful, the sun was out and the view was perfect to see the mountains in the distant.

After my one night stay in Phoenix, I drove to the south rim of the Grand Canyon. The 4 hour drive up is so scenic that it looks like a beautifully painted picture as you climb from 1000 elevation to over 7000 elevation up the  side of a mountain. Of course, as you climb the temperature begins to drop and everything turns green and it starts to fill like you are not in Arizona. It was so cool that I had to purchase extra clothing, which was a life saver!

Once I arrived and entered the National Park I saw what could only be described as breath taking. So much so that I cannot find the words to describe what I saw and the only words come to mind are "natural beauty" and "God's awesomeness". Seeing what most people merely describe as "a big hole in the ground" made me wonder, how can a person see just that? When I took the below pictures I got chills. These chills were not from the cold weather but from the vast beauty that was in front of me. At every lookout point I saw something different in the form, color and depth of the canyon. Two of the coolest and unique experiences during my trip was being able to sit on the edge of one of the cliffs while I snacked on a luncahble  and watched my feet dangle below; and the second was looking at birds fly beneath me while I was 7000 + feet above sea level.

During this time all I could do was just sit there and say a silent prayer thanking God that my eyes had the opportunity to finally see one of the 7 great wonders of the world. In short, this is a summary of my first experience at the Grand Canyon. Sad to say I lived in AZ for 6 years and never took the time or opportunity to appreciate what the state had to offer but now I am proud to say that I did, better late then never. That box has been checked!!

To be continued.........