Susan from work had her 60th birthday over the weekend so we went to Agave Grill on the corner of Shaw and Minnewawa today for lunch to celebrate. This location has had many different restaraunts take up shop there in the past, it was a couple of different chinese food places and way back it used to be a steakhouse. Unfortunately it doesnt seem like restaraunts have much luck at that location.
When we walked in the first thing I noticed was that it was very spacious and very clean. You could tell that it had just been rennovated and there were some cool decorative mexican touches but it also had a modern feel to it, especially in the bar which had a very nice full bar and 3 HD flat screen tvs, I could see myself hanging out there. There were also a couple of murals that were painted on wood that were beautiful and the owner told me that it was done by a local artist.
We were seated in a large dining room but it was pretty empty. The salsa they served with the chips was very good and they also served refried beans with the chips. The menu was pretty extensive and had some more adventorous items that I was tempted to try but was afraid of how my stomach would react. The Pina de Mariscos appetizer is a half a pineapple with shrimp, scallops, octopus, green olives, and pineapple covered with a layer of melted jack cheese. They also had a large seafood menu that included sea bass, octopus, crayfish and abalone.
I went with my standard mexican food choice of chicken fajitas. Fajitas are hard to screw up but when you find a place with a good marinade, they can be really good. They came out sizzling with fresh homemade corn tortillas that were very soft, a side of rice and beans, guacamole and a small salad with a refreshing cucumber dressing. The veggies consited of your standard green peppers, tomoato and onion. The marinade they used was excellent and had a lot of flavor. Usually chicken can be bland in fajitas and also greasy but these were neither. The guacamole was also fresh and cooled down the sizzling fajitas nicely. I very much enjoyed what I ate.
My dad got the Tacos Puntas Agave which are tacos made of charbroiled beef, crispy bacon, bell pepper and melted cheese and although they could have been filled a little more, the flavor was good according to him. Other people in our party ordered nachos (which by the way are huge) with pork,a carne asada burrito and chile verde. Everyone seemed to enjoy what they ordered and the service was fast and friendly. We also ordered flan for dessert but I didnt have any because the texture of flan grosses me out but it was presented very nicely with a chocolate and carmel sauce and Susan has yet to stop talking about how good it was.
On my way out I chatted with the owner and picked up a flier on their happy hour which is from 4-7 Monday-Thursday and from 3-6 on Friday. The owner showed me the drink specials and they dont look bad. Margarita Mondays have a variety of margaritas for 5.50, 16 0z draft beers for 2 bucks on Tuesdays, Well drinks are 5.50 on Wednesdays which is also ladies night, shots of tequilla are only 2 bucks on Thursdays and all happy hours include 2 bucks carne asada tacos.
I reccomend checking this place out. They have good mexican food with a bit of a modern influence and the service could not have been better. The atmosphere is nice, not overly done but nice enough to hang with the north Fresno restaraunts. The prices are pretty reasonable and range from a 6 dollar tortilla soup to 19 dollars for the Filete Relleno. Most dishes average about 10-12 bucks though. Since restaraunts notoriously fail at this location I wanted to get the word out because its a great place and I hope it does well. I would happily return.
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 22
Friday, January 25
The Spirit of The Marathon Review
Well, I loved it. The individuals they followed during their training and running of the Chicago Marathon were varied in their experience and personalities but all were very likeable and you really wanted them to do well. It also didn't focus exclusively on these individuals but in addition went into the history and progression of marathon running, the rise in popularity of marathons, the history of women and marathons and the very unique way this sport combines amateur and professional athletes in the same event. The film makers were also able to put it all together in a very cohesive and smooth manner that made it easy to watch.
They followed both a male and female elite runner who were predicted to be contenders to win the race. The female elite athlete Deena Kastor was the 2004 Olympic Bronze Metalist and was the tinest little thing I had ever seen but amazingly tough. During her training she broke her foot and had to stop running for 6 weeks while it healed. During the race she battled with the defending champion the entire way and despite her training setback ended up taking it by a mere seconds (I was on the edge of my seat, biting my nails). The elite male was a Kenyan, Daniel Njenga. He had a heartbreaking backstory and had run this race 3 times where he placed 3rd twice and 2nd once so you know everyone wanted him to take it and we were almost as heartbroken as he was when he placed 3rd (the following year he placed 2nd). It was, as always, amazing to see elite athletes race. Anyone who can run a 5 minute mile for 26.2 miles is awe inspiring and possibly a freak of nature in my opinion.
Then they followed a couple who were both training to qualify for Boston. For those of you who don't know, to qualify for the Boston Marathon, athletes must meet the designated time standard which corresponds to their age group and sex. So I would need to run a 3:40 marathon to qualify (about an hour off my last time). The man hurt his knee during training and was unable to run but his wife did and she qualified. They were a funny couple and the parents of a young baby so I am even more impressed that the wife and mother was able to accomplish that so soon after giving birth.
Next they followed two first time marathoners, both were female and both had different approaches to their training. One trained alone and the other trained with a group . I could completely relate to both of them, their struggles and the roller coaster ride that you experience when training for your first time. My favorite individual though was 70 year old Gerald Meyers who was running his 4th marathon (he ran his first when he was 65). He was a hilarious and I fell in love with him when the frist thing he said was that he runs marathons for "the free t-shirt of course".
What I really loved about this film is that it did a great job of showcasing why marathons are so wonderful and unique. There really isn't any other sporting event where amateur athletes compete with elite athletes at the same time on the same course. The runners in the back of pack literally follow the in the footsteps of the elite athletes that came before them. It is also something that almost anyone can do if they put the time and the hard work into it. Most people don't think they can ever run 26.2 miles and when they do it is one of the most incredible feelings in the world. You see a lot of tears at the finish line but you shouldn't assume those are tears of pain. Often times they are tears of joy and pride and of accomplishment. The film captured those moments wonderfully.
When this film is reeased it is certainly going into my (somewhat odd and eclectic) collection of dvds. It really has pysched me up to run the Train of Two Cities Marathon in November. I have only run marathons and half marathons in large cities where there are a lot of specators and I am unfamilar with the course and the area so I am excited to run something in my own backyard. Hopefully this becomes an annual event for me.
They followed both a male and female elite runner who were predicted to be contenders to win the race. The female elite athlete Deena Kastor was the 2004 Olympic Bronze Metalist and was the tinest little thing I had ever seen but amazingly tough. During her training she broke her foot and had to stop running for 6 weeks while it healed. During the race she battled with the defending champion the entire way and despite her training setback ended up taking it by a mere seconds (I was on the edge of my seat, biting my nails). The elite male was a Kenyan, Daniel Njenga. He had a heartbreaking backstory and had run this race 3 times where he placed 3rd twice and 2nd once so you know everyone wanted him to take it and we were almost as heartbroken as he was when he placed 3rd (the following year he placed 2nd). It was, as always, amazing to see elite athletes race. Anyone who can run a 5 minute mile for 26.2 miles is awe inspiring and possibly a freak of nature in my opinion.
Then they followed a couple who were both training to qualify for Boston. For those of you who don't know, to qualify for the Boston Marathon, athletes must meet the designated time standard which corresponds to their age group and sex. So I would need to run a 3:40 marathon to qualify (about an hour off my last time). The man hurt his knee during training and was unable to run but his wife did and she qualified. They were a funny couple and the parents of a young baby so I am even more impressed that the wife and mother was able to accomplish that so soon after giving birth.
Next they followed two first time marathoners, both were female and both had different approaches to their training. One trained alone and the other trained with a group . I could completely relate to both of them, their struggles and the roller coaster ride that you experience when training for your first time. My favorite individual though was 70 year old Gerald Meyers who was running his 4th marathon (he ran his first when he was 65). He was a hilarious and I fell in love with him when the frist thing he said was that he runs marathons for "the free t-shirt of course".
What I really loved about this film is that it did a great job of showcasing why marathons are so wonderful and unique. There really isn't any other sporting event where amateur athletes compete with elite athletes at the same time on the same course. The runners in the back of pack literally follow the in the footsteps of the elite athletes that came before them. It is also something that almost anyone can do if they put the time and the hard work into it. Most people don't think they can ever run 26.2 miles and when they do it is one of the most incredible feelings in the world. You see a lot of tears at the finish line but you shouldn't assume those are tears of pain. Often times they are tears of joy and pride and of accomplishment. The film captured those moments wonderfully.
When this film is reeased it is certainly going into my (somewhat odd and eclectic) collection of dvds. It really has pysched me up to run the Train of Two Cities Marathon in November. I have only run marathons and half marathons in large cities where there are a lot of specators and I am unfamilar with the course and the area so I am excited to run something in my own backyard. Hopefully this becomes an annual event for me.
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