Mapping: Future Plans

This week, I thought I would focus on general ideas for this blog. Below is a map that I created (imagine that!) that shows fifteen Bowling Green restaurants of note. I chose these based on online reviews from my research, word of mouth from my peers, their proximity to campus, and of course, the price. To access information about each place, click on the marker. You'll see a street address and the title of the restaurant. Over the next few months, I will be visiting restaurants on this map, and some others, and letting you know what I think. If you feel that I've left an important restaurant off the list or have your own thoughts about the restaurants I chose, please comment below! Thanks.

Kyoto Gardens: Japanese for the Monetarily Challenged

Sorry for the long absence, folks. Contrary to what you may think, I have not abandoned you. Freak snowstorms, emergency trips home to fix my car, and other messy events have delayed some of my plans, including updating this blog. Nevertheless, I am back with a new banner (photo courtesy of my lovely roommate, Ashley) and a lot of good eating ideas.

This weekend, I had the pleasure of going out to eat with two girlfriends to Kyoto Gardens on Campbell Lane. When my friends suggested this place, I confronted them with the, "Hey, now. I'm poor," speech. They promptly rolled their eyes and told me not to worry; this place won't break the bank.

Even though we arrived well after the Saturday night dinner rush, we were promptly seated and given drinks and soup. Soup was hot, drinks were cold, no problems there. For dinner, I ordered the hibachi chicken and vegetables, which comes with fried rice and some sort of ginger cream sauce. Now, I've never been a big fan of ginger, but after I was persuaded to try it by one of my table mates, I had to conclude that this sauce was awesome. Most of the dishes are set up the same way. It's simple, but it works. The food was fresh and warm, with good flavor, and the service was great. The experience was a good one, and definitely worth more than the price of the food.

Soda, soup, entrée, fortune cookie and all, I paid seven dollars. Kyoto's Garden, with their fast service, hot food, close proximity to campus, and their WKU Student Discount (yes! I know!) makes a good night out, that won't empty your wallet.

Beginnings.

This semester, I’m enrolled in an Electronic Technologies for Journalism course, in which every student is required to find some sort of topic, and blog regularly about it. Upon hearing this in my first class last Wednesday, I immediately thought, “Blog?! Wait, BLOG?” As someone who loves to write, I’m perfectly comfortable composing class assignments and I keep a regular journal. A blog, so unlike class assignments, and much less private than a journal, seemed intimidating and a little out of my league. I remember saying to a friend the next day, “I mean, I’m just not exciting enough to blog! No one will read it.”

After wrestling with this “blog” idea for a few days, I surrendered. I decided to stop searching, and let my blog topic find me. Little did I know that my niche, as they say in the blogging arena, would find me sooner than I could have hoped. One morning, I was in the library drinking coffee with my boyfriend, pondering my blog, when I saw a friend. When she stopped to say hello, we caught up, and I mentioned my blog in passing. During our chat, we started talking about how hard it was for her to find a decent place to eat on campus, especially someone with unique eating habits and food allergies. She joked, “You should write your blog about how I can’t eat anywhere on campus. It’s ridiculous!”

This moment, though wrought with sarcasm and desperation, was the beginning. This seed grew throughout the day, and by late afternoon I had my niche. What if, instead of using my blog to rail against campus eating and highlight the trials of picky college students, I wrote about how to find the best food on campus and the Bowling Green area? I could possibly become the go-to girl for dining around WKU by reviewing local restaurants and interviewing students, finding the very best quality cuisine for reasonable, college budgeted prices. So, join me on my quest and bear with me through this blogging experience. I’m new to this too. Enjoy!