Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Houston Sushi Restaurants

Eating sushi in Houston's sushi restaurants is just an extension of the fantastic tasting seafood that one can get in Houston on the Texas beaches. Several of these places offer some of the most delicious sushi in South Texas.

Miyako - 3910 Kirby Drive, Suite A, Houston, TX 77098 - 713-520-9797

This restaurant is serving fresh sushi for many years. But, it just recently became recognized by its customers to have the freshest sushi in the city. This restaurant has more than forty different servings of sushi as well as sashimi, which includes the choice of soy paper or seaweed wrap. Among other servings are tempuras along with teriyaki entrées.

Uptown Sushi - 1131 Uptown Park Blvd., Suite 14, Houston, TX 77056 - 713-871-1200

This self-service restaurant oozes ambiance and sophistication. Though Uptown Sushi offers more of the blending style of sushi, sushi fans will be in love with this place. The price range for entrées is $15-$28, and contains the blackened lobster along with shrimp fettuccine.

Azuma Rice Village - 5600 Kirby Drive, Houston, TX 77005 - 713-432-9649

This restaurant is best acknowledged for its sizzling rock beef. If you are unsure exactly what sizzling beef is, well it is just as it sounds. It is pieces of beef grilled on a hot rock at the table. Azuma Rice Village offers a great variety of sake with a number of different Japanese beers.

Blue Fish House - 2241 Richmond Ave., Houston, TX 77098 - 713-529-3100

This restaurant is actually a Japanese teashop. However the interior is a bit old-fashioned, the foodstuff and service make up for the lack of room. The price range for menu items is $2-$14.95.

Although none of these paces features buffets, the originality and innovation of their meals says it all. Furthermore, because the sushi and sashimi is freshly cooked, it appeals more than a mere buffet.

Houston Museum of Natural Science

Originally situated in the City Auditorium house in downtown, the Houston science museum was later shifted to another building inside Houston Zoo in the year 1929. The museum's major collection was obtained between 1914 and 1930. The existing flair in Hermann Park was constructed in the year 1969. In 1988, the science museum became the first partner site for the Challenger Center Association. The museum's high turnout levels have allowed the place to start plans to spread out and double its floor space in the coming years. The new displays are most likely to concentrate on dinosaurs and astronomy.

Burke Baker Planetarium displays a variety of science and astronomy illustrations. The planetarium is set with the SkySkan Digital Sky star field projector that can counterfeit stars, globes, comets, vague objects and other extraordinary effects. A digital stereo sound system also adds to planetarium's exceptional effects.

Cockrell Butterfly Center was opened in 1964, it's a butterfly zoo situated in museum complex. The center is accommodated in a triple story glass building full of tropical vegetation as well as butterflies. The center displays a huge range of live butterflies, and contains the wandering monarchs as well as their tropical cousins, show cases of some other live bugs. The center also features the Entomology lobby, demonstrating an extensive range of grown insects.

Isaac Arnold Hall of Space Science is full of artifacts and puts on display some of the manned and unmanned space tracks. The Challenger Learning Center offering a down-to-earth replication of Mission Control, is an adjoining part of this hall.

Evelyn and Herbert Frensley Hall of African Wildlife, showcases taxidermies, having one of only two jungle giraffes displayed in North America. It was opened in the year 1969; the hall allows visitors to walk around the 7 biomes of Africa. More than 120 samples counting forty two groups of birds and twenty eight groups of mammals are on display.

Houston Italian Restaurants

As said by the National Restaurant Association Italian food is among the top three cultural cuisines in America, and of course, there is nothing more American than the city Houston Texas. This city has 2.14 million people, the 4th largest city in the U.S., and there are literally more than one thousand Italian restaurants to provide room to all of them. Each one of these restaurants has some really good eats at incredible prices. Here are discussed a few famous Italian restaurants in Houston.

Damian's Cucina Italian

Let's start the list with Damian's that is considered by lots of people to be the top Italian restaurant found in Houston. As you go by under the green sunshade of Damian's midtown scene you feel like you're being swept into the ancient Tuscany. You're welcomed by wonderful wall paintings and the open dining area is broken up by tactically placed doorways to make sure every table is as private and dreamy as the next. They have a stunning granite bar operated by some most considerate bartenders.

Carmelo's Restaurant
In the year 1998, Carmelo's was awarded an International Illumination Design medal. The restaurant has a contemporary Mediterranean ambience, and it always feels like sitting in the twilight in Italy. Carmelo's is the just right place for a passionate dinner. They have an extraordinary range of wines and have got the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for four years consecutively. Service is always flawless for both a quick meals and the occasional comfortable dinner. The bone-in rib eye with grappa is a remarkable dish and is among the finest steaks in Texas and it comes from Carmelo's!

Spanky's

A staple established for more than twenty years in the downtown Houston in the southeast area. If you would like just great Italian cuisine then Spanky's has a table for you. Enter, take a fine wine glass, and have some basic Italian food with classic seasoning. Regardless of its sports bar like ambiance their cooking is just Italian and no one is questioning its genuineness. This is an awesome place for all occasions.

How Wine Helps Your Health

Before considering the good effects of wine on our health, let us first discuss what wine actually is. Wine is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of grape juice. At the highest end rare, super-premium wines are the most expensive of all food items. The rich and sophisticated class considers buying the most expensive wines as their status symbol. The wine which is stored for the longest period of time is considered the best.

Now let us come to the point that what is the relationship of wine with our health problems. It is scientifically proven that the intake of wine, one or two glasses per day can actually be good for our health. (Moderate wine consumption and health: A scientific perspective).

Wine can play an important part in improving our health in various ways.
Wine has been recommended by doctors for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia.
It helps vegetarians to increase their mineral absorption.
It reduces the incidences of troublesome sleeping disorders.
Wines provide benefits such as aiding the digestive process.
It stimulates the intake of nutrients and helps in reducing the risk of coronary heart disease by reducing cholesterol.
It may help lower the risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

These facts can be proven by the researches which show that the per capita alcohol consumption in form of wine is very high in France but levels of coronary heart diseases are relatively low. Chemical and food experts all around the world agrees to the fact that wine contain rich deposits of vitamins, minerals and natural sugars that are often beneficial for good health and living.

Wine is also very rich in potassium and low in sodium content. Red wine contains a larger percentage of these elements; it also contains Vitamin B which comes from the skin of the grapes. Anthelme Brillat-Savarin has very rightly said that “A meal without wine is like a day without sunshine” because most of the doctors say that wine aids in production and flow of gastric juices which helps in digestion by breaking down the food in a better and more effective manner.

Many studies conducted all around the world prove that wine lowers the risk of heart attack for middle aged people by 30 to 50 percent. But wine also has its disadvantages as it contains a lot of calories. Sweeter wines that contain residual sugar as well as alcohol has more calories. But ignoring this fact, we can say that wine is very beneficial because it has flavonoids and antioxidants which other juices does not have.

According to me a glass of wine can both be pleasurable and relaxing, it has all the ingredients of our well being. For better health and lifestyle we should indulge in a lot of green vegetables, fruits, low fat diet and regular exercise, but a glass of good wine will surely add on to these in improving our health to a much greater extent.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

610 Houston

Having lived in Houston area for so long, my lot of memories is associated with 610 loop in Houston. For the outsiders, 610 is the ring rode encircling Houston. If you want to roam around in Houston, just enter into 610, take any exit, drive around, come back on 610 and you will be back home.

During my teenage days, when we just got our license to drive, we used to have a competition whoever completes the circle first. Now I get scared even to think about how fast we used to drive. Well those are the teen days. Once cops caught us speeding (we were 20 miles above the limit). Despite our pleas, we were almost to get the ticket. However, luckily at the same time, cop’s wireless buzzed informing him a gun shooting on near-by. He has to rush away immediately. That was the luck.

If you are Rocket’s fan, Sports Radio 610 is home to Rockets.

The places inside the loop are called inner loop or inside the city. Places outside the loop are outer loop. Indeed I-610 being a circle, name gets changed from East to North to West to South in the same road.

So this is to long live 610 and long live Houston.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

What to do in Houston ? Top 10 things to do in Houston

1. Go outdoors: Come on you are in South and in Texas. Think big. Load your SUV with camping gear and go out for hunting, a trip to a nearby village, rent a cabin at a forest, do camping at national park, catch fishes overnight, live in a tent, grill and wine all night.

2. Visit local events and festivals: When was the last time you saw cowboys and horses. If it is time for the Rodeo, visit Rodeo. Also almost through out the year you will have some festival going on in Houston area.

3. Board on a spaceship: You are in Houston, the world’s capital of space journey. Visit NASA as often as you can.

4. Go local outdoors: Houston got plenty of parks and local outdoor places. Visit Houston Zoo, Hermann Park, Memorial Park, Sam Houston Park etc. List is endless.

5. Visit Galveston: Time to go to beach. Go to Galveston. Just 35 minutes drive from Houston. Galveston got some good beaches and excellent food. Galveston also has Moody Garden.

6. Visit Museums: Houston has got lot many museums. If you are looking for an intellectual time pass visit San Jacinto Museum, Holocaust Museum, Heritage Society Museum, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Museum of Natural Science and lot many other museums.

7. Go Shopping: Enjoy shopping at Galleria, Rice Village, River Oaks center. Also visit Harwin Drive to see some excellent hand made carpets sold exclusive by small retailers.

8. Dining: Houston is a diner’s paradise. You can get food of all cuisines in all possible rates. I think Houston is the only place in whole country where you can get buffet for as low as $4.95 Enjoy grilled food. You are in south.

9. Live Shows: Visit The Houston Ballets. Go to Houston’s Theater District. You can catch live shows at The Miller Outdoor Theater as well.

10. Night Life: Houston got an excellent night life. A drive on Westheimer Drive or Richmond and you will come across lot many night clubs, pubs and bars.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Seawall Galveston

Where is Galveston?

Galveston is an island in Galveston County in Gulf Coast region in the state of Texas. Galveston is 30 minutes drive away from Houston. Galveston is a very popular tourist destination in Texas. Its Victorian houses are favorite retirement destinations for Texans. Galveston is a historic city and it is well famous for its history, buildings, culture, museum and music. Every year Galveston hosts an excellent Mardi Gras festival party.

What is Seawall Galveston?

Seawall Galveston is the most popular tourist destination in island of Galveston. The Galveston Seawall is a 10 mile wall stretch along the coast. It prevents the city and the Seawall Boulevard from high tide and storm. Galveston faced a major hurricane in 1900. The hurricane changed the geography of city of Galveston. It caused huge number of deaths along with heavy economic losses. The seawall was constructed in year 1902 to prevent further similar tragedies.

Places to visit

The best beach area along the Seawall is between 37th street and 61st street. There are various lifeguards on duty at different intersections. The water is not very clear still the scene is excellent for family and regular audience. You may also visit Galveston Island State Park nearby.

Things to do

It is the longest public beach stretch in city of Galveston. You can park free across the road, rent an umbrella and watch grey water while sipping margarita. If you are a sailor, you may sail from 29th Street launch. You may also rent personal watercraft. If you prefer, you can go for horse riding on the coast.

So if you want a beach vacation at very affordable cost, Galveston beaches are the place to be. If you are living in nearby area, you can drive to Seawall, enjoy the day and return by evening.

If you want to be notified the next time I write something, sign up for email alerts or subscribe to the RSS feed. Thanks for reading.