JOE TACO (Advertorial)

Mexican restaurant provides fresh dining experience

By: Rachel Nelson

http://www.amarilloscene.com/

If you spend a lot of time in northwest Amarillo, you have probably noticed a new and unique Mexican restaurant that is exclusive to our city. The doors at Joe Taco opened on September 17, and co-owner Kyle Johnson said business has been booming ever since.

"The public's response has been overwhelmingly positive," Johnson said.

Upon entering Joe Taco, customers will first notice the aroma of real Mexican dishes filling their nostrils. After looking around, they will see an atmosphere filled with a classy, Mexican decor. The paint and decorations are bright and fresh, but not tacky or cluttered, Johnson said. According to Johnson, Joe Taco strives to be different from other "cookie cutter" Mexican restaurants.

"We are anti Tex-Mex," Johnson said. "We make everything from scratch. Everything's fresh."

The new dining sensation, Located at 7312 Wallace Blvd., provides Santa Fe dishes, steaks, seafood and other traditional Mexican food. Johnson said that even the traditional selections are different from other Mexican restaurants because the customer can mix things up by choosing from six different meats and sauces.

"So you can create whatever you want," Johnson said. "I just wanted to create a menu that was a little different."

Johnson recommends that guests try the chile relleno. Joe Taco makes them with a pablano pepper stuffed with asadero cheese and a choice of meat, covered with a light, crispy batter and choice of sauce. He also thinks the green chile chicken fried steak and chicken fried chicken are worth tasting. They are covered with Hatch green chile sauce and asadero cheese, which is a melted smooth and creamy cheese with a medium bite to it, Johnson said.

Joe Taco also serves an assortment of fresh fruit margaritas. Choices include mango, peach, pomegranate, rasberry and strawberry. "We also make our own sangria," Johnson said.

Joe Taco is a great place to unwind after a long day's work with happy hour taking place from 4-7 p.m. every week day. Pints of draft beer are available for $1.50 during this time as well as cheladas and micheladas. Those specials are available all day Saturday and Sunday.

Summer is heating up, and Joe Taco's outdoor patio is a relaxing place to enjoy it. There is a refreshing fountain and a bar right on the patio. An enclosed patio can be enjoyed as well, if that is what the customer prefers. Expect live music on the outdoor patio Thursday through Saturday nights.

Johnson said the prices at Joe Taco are very affordable.

"We're probably the least expensive full service Mexican restaurant in town," he said. "The average ticket is usually $10 to $10.50, and that includes the drink."

Those looking for a great place to work are encouraged to go to Joe Taco and fill out an application.

"We are always accepting applications," Johnson said. "Business is growing so we always need good people."

Paul Huddleson has been working at Joe Taco since a couple of months after they opened.

"I love my job here," he said. "It's a fun and exciting atmosphere to work in and there are good people to work with including good management."

The mixture of fresh, delicious food and drinks accented with an exceptional dining atmosphere and an even tastier price are sure to make any dining experience one to remember and more than likely one that will keep you coming back for more.

Seeking out bargains is key for thrifty shopping

Photo from amarillo.com

By: Rachel Nelson

http://www.ac-ranger.com/

Budgeting money is something most college students struggle with, but knowing where to shop can help.

"Everyone is looking for a good deal no matter how much money they have," said Joseph Ramirez, owner of Got Junk Thrift Store, located at 522 SW 16th Avenue.

Ramirez understands first hand that one man's trash can be another man's treasure. "I grew up really poor," he said. "Thrift stores were a way for me to get the things I needed and some of the things I wanted."

Ramirez said he will box up people's junk free of charge to sale in Got Junk. He tries to keep his one of a kind store fun by appealing to a younger crowd.

"We get a lot of younger people," he said.

Besides Got Junk's every day bargains, each Monday the store offers all items for half price. "I found this is more of a hobby for people. It's an outlet. It's therapy," Ramirez said.

By shopping at thrift stores, college students can quench their shopping habits without putting a huge dent in their savings account. Thrift stores provide a variety of items including books, shoes, appliances, furniture, clothing, jewelry and toys.

People go thrift store shopping for different reasons. Local shopper Candace Campbell chose to browse through the clothing racks at America's Best Thrift & Discount, located at 1600 Washington Street, when looking for a pair of white hospital scrubs.

"I start my CNA class on Monday so I have to find white scrubs," she said. Although she doesn't usually shop at thrift stores, Campbell found what she was looking for. "I come here when I don't want to spend a lot of money," she said.

Local resident Patty Brown frequents thrift stores in Amarillo. She referred to herself as the "thrift store queen" while scavenging through the aisles of Thrift Town at 10th and Monroe. Brown shops at thrift stores for a different reason than most.

"This is my job and I resale things on the Internet," she said. Brown said she collects $700 to $1,000 per week reselling items she finds at bargain prices.

Not only can college students save big while shopping at thrift stores, they also can earn extra cash by starting an online business reselling used items. Brown hits garage sales on the weekends in search of resalable items, keeping an observant eye out for anything Italian. "Italian brands sell really well," she said.

Surgical Technology major Carlee Garst buys groceries at Panhandle Salvage Grocery Store, located at 5811 S. Western Street. "Panhandle Salvage is the best for cheap food," she said. "Everything's on a budget. We pay our bills and we have $80 left over for gas and groceries so we have to split that to make sure we get everything covered."

Garst also turns to the Sunday paper to cut out coupons.

"I probably save about $50 every two weeks with coupons and shopping at thrift stores," she said.

When shopping at any store, looking at the bargain racks first is a helpful hint when it comes to being resourceful.

Business Administration major Sabina Domagala said she makes the clearance racks a priority when shopping.

"I shop on the clearance racks first then I look at the more expensive items," she said.

Domagala has another piece of advice for ladies who like to shop.

"Take a guy and have him pay for it," she said.

Shopping online is another way to save money. There are many bargains to be found in cyber space, it just takes browsing to find them.

English major Staci Hayes is a frequent online shopper.

"That's pretty much the only way I shop besides clearance racks," she said.

Hayes takes advantage of Web sites that offer free shipping.

"The other day I bought a three dollar bikini top with free shipping," Hayes said. "Wal-Mart online is really cool because you can look at the stuff they don't have at their store. They ship it to the store and then you can pick it up there, so it's always free shipping."

Some of Hayes' other favorite online shopping spots include Old Navy and American Eagle.

"I shop at Old Navy because they have $5 shipping and they have clearance stuff that you can't find in the stores," she said. "American Eagle sends you coupons in your email so you can get all their clearance shirts for three to six dollars."

Regardless of a student's financial situation, Crown Financial Ministries recommends slating a budget because it can be a beneficial strategy to staying out of debt. Students can figure up what they spend on rent, utilities, car payment, insurance, gasoline, laundry, savings and other expenses.

"I always write everything down. I figure how much each check is going to be and how much we have to spend on bills and then how much we're going to have left for anything else," Garst said. "If you budget everything it's a lot easier I found out. You don't get your account overdrawn."

By comparing what is spent each month on bills and other necessities to the student's total income, what's left can be used to treat oneself to a shopping spree at their favorite store.

Theatre expands, welcomes local talent

By: Rachel Nelson

http://www.amarilloscene.com/

Among the explosion of the local art scene is the Amarillo Repertory Theatre, located in Sunset Center. The theatre, commonly called "The Rep," was started one year ago by Shawn Martin and David Burton, and since then it has produced 13 shows, a majority of which have been written by local playwrights.

"The theatre itself has been going through a lot of growth," said artistic director Sirc Michaels.

The current show that The Rep is running is "Faust," which began on Halloween night and will repeat November 2, 3, 9 and 10 at 8 p.m.

"This is the beginning of the first full-on season where we will be doing shows for adults and families," Michaels said.

Admission to the show is $5 for students and seniors and $10 for everyone else. Tickets can be purchased at the door."

"'Faust' is the classic story about a man who sells his soul to the devil for a chance to relive his youth, only to realize the folly of his actions all too late," said Michaels, who wrote the script.

Those who come to the production will enter the theatre through a creative set-up that appears to be the mouth of hell.

Another show running in November will be D Fever and Hank Robey on the 14th at 8 p.m.

According to Michaels, The Rep puts on a diverse selection of thought-invoking shows. He described some plays as family friendly fairy tales, while others "push the envelope."

"We're not just doing one type of show," he said. "We're trying to do provocative theatre … stuff that you wouldn't just see around town. Our whole thrust is to help cultivate performing arts in the Panhandle."

Michaels believes that theatre is "the common man's art."

"Our goal is to reach people who normally wouldn't go to the theatre," he said. "There's something very magical about the theatre. This is something that everyone should experience."

Going to the movies and attending live theatre are two completely different experiences according to Martin, who is the managing producer of The Rep.

"The country is currently enthralled with electronic stimulation," he said. "The medium of film has completely overtaken the entertainment industry so currently people don't even realize that they can be entertained enjoyably by live human beings."

Martin encourages people to give live theatre a chance.

"It's fun to be entertained by live people," he said. "Every theatre experience is brand new. If you come see the same show ten times, you will see ten different shows because of the human factor."

Contrary to popular belief, Michaels said theatre isn't just the stereotypical men in tights.

"It's varied, it's exciting and it can really charge a person in terms of their emotions," he said.

Because of lacking funds, the arts are commonly the first thing to be cut from public schools. Michaels said that one of the future goals of The Amarillo Repertory Theatre is to go into schools and tie shows into the curriculum. They also will host the Panhandle Playwrights Festival where writers in the area will have an opportunity to submit their work to be produced at The Rep. The deadline for submissions will be at the end of January. Six finalists will be chosen for live stage readings, one of which will get a production at the Repertory Theatre in May.

For more information, visit the group's Web site at http://www.art-in-amarillo.com/.

The Amarillo Repertory Theatre desires to work with local talent.

"We're really keen on working with groups," Michaels said.

The theatre invites those with an interest in acting to audition for shows and welcomes scripts from local writers. They also are willing to provide a venue to people in search of one.

Slamarillo, a group of slam poets in Amarillo, have made the theater their home venue for the past six months and perform on the last Saturday of every month at 8 p.m.

The Amarillo Repertory Theatre has a full season slated. To stay up-to-date with shows, visit the groups Web site or check out Myspace.com/amarep.