Mother's, Yokonyu, Jim's watch - Day 28
Yo' mama
If you forget to send your mom a card for Mother's Day, forget the entire day, or even forget that you have a mother, I'm sure she won't mind. All that matters is that you're happy, dear; I'm sure her silly day-to-day activities would only bore you, with your career and everything. But if you were any kind of a son or daughter you would know that Azúca Nuevo Latino and Bar has got your back with a special Mother's Day lunch menu. Dishes include appetizers, a "Mom's Salad" with spicy shrimp and passion fruit vinaigrette, and "Flowers for Her" with zucchini flower cream, egg, and cotija cheese. Main courses include roast beef served with a wild mushroom cream, asparagus, and mashed potatoes, or chicken breast filled with shrimp and spinach ragout, topped by "Granny's Choco Cake." Azúca even provides a "thank you" gift consisting of a rose, a glass of champagne, and complimentary digital photo for your mother, who only slaved everyday so you could spend all afternoon with those no-neck friends of yours. Lunch hours are from 11 a.m.-4 p.m., and reservations are recommended but not required. Reservations: 225-5550.
Yokonyu, not to be confused with Yoko Ono
The brother-and-sister duo Jesus Hernandez and Leticia Smith have opened Yokonyu Sushi Bar at 301 E. Houston, offering sushi with a Latin twist. The Yokonyu menu includes traditional and breaded and fried sushi rolls, and others with fried shrimp or tilapia. Accoutrements include chipotle mayo sauce, tampico sauce, avocado, and other Latin condiments. A full bar is stocked with tequila, scotch, vodka, beer, and wine. There is smoking in the bar section, which is separated from the restaurant by glass doors.
Restaurant hours are 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Friday and 6-10:30 p.m. Saturday. It is closed Sunday. The bar has the same hours, except it is open until midnight on Friday and Saturday.
Jim's Watch, Day 28: The lights are on, but nobody's home
Late night at Jim's, Hildebrand and San Pedro, with only the smell of fresh asphalt and the grackles' exotic trill for company, we spotted shiny new pastry counters and an espresso machine, tell-tale signs of the impending café. The décor is leaning towards Southwest Ikea modern with the floor completed in what appeared to be limestone tile, track lighting curling through the room, and a central drink station - the coke machine still in bubble wrap - lit by a blond plywood, recessed-lighting sculpture that dropped from the ceiling. Will it work with the building's 1950s family-dining architecture? Only time will tell.
Compiled by Aaron Block and Susan Pagani
