This Week in Athens: May 16th - May 23rd

Hey guys,

First off, I know it's week 8 and everyone is super busy, so good luck with all of your studies! I know it's hard when the sun is shining and the birds are singing, and virtually the rest of the college world is on summer break, but you can do it! We're all in this together.

Second, I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who has been keeping up with my posts over the past few weeks of this project. It has really meant a lot to me! I've had a really fun time with this blog, and I'm thinking of keeping it going through my last year here in Athens... what do you guys think? I would love to take any suggestions anyone has out there, and definitely keep the posts coming! I really do look forward to reading them each week. This will be my last post for awhile, but I always have my eye out for good deals in the area, and I look forward to letting you know about what I find in the future! Thanks again for everything, and keep checking back here because I still have plenty of ideas! Here's what I plan on tackling sometime soon....

* Places in Athens you've probably never been: The Purple Chopsticks, Dela Zona & Indian Star
* Fine dining experiences... which has the most worth for your money?
* The cutest (and most affordable) accessories on Court St.
* Coffeehouses... quality vs. price
* Online college dining resources Campusmenus.com and Eatcollege.com: Coupons, deals and more

But for now, I will leave you with a compilation of events taking place this week. So if you do have time to take a study break, you'll be able to have fun - as always - on a budget :)


Monday:
* Study day!

Tuesday:

*2010 Graphic Design BFA Exhibition Opening:
7pm to 9pm Seigfred Hall, Ohio University Art Gallery

Free show featuring projects designed and created by the graduating Graphic Design class of 2010. Check out their website if you're interested in viewing the artwork before the show!

The exhibition will remain open until Saturday, May 29th. Gallery hours are 10:00am-4:00pm.

(http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=124669447548145&ref=ts#!/event.php?eid=119785678045728&ref=ts)


* Ohio Men's Baseball vs. Xavier

Last home game of the 2010 season, 6pm Bob Wren Stadium
Tickets free for all Ohio University students, and $5 dollars for any single ticket!
(For more pictures of the team, go to my post Take Me Out to the Ball Game.)

* Sushi Tuesday's at Lui Lui Restaurant

* Retro Night at PigSkin: .50 cent drafts and DJ Aroc
Also, check out their online coupons here. Pigskin is known for having great deals!


Wednesday:
* $5 dollar Liquor Pitchers: Lucky's Sports Tavern

* .50 cent slice night at Courtside Pizza and Sports Bar, plus $1.00 shots & $1.50 wells; 9:00pm - Close


Thursday:

*First Annual Bark Fest, 2010: Hosted by OU's Association for Women in Communication; 3-7pm, Howard Hall Site

A philanthropy event for the Athens Humane Society. There will be raffles from local businesses, and dogs from the Humane Society will be present through the afternoon, so bring your dogs too!
(http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=124669447548145&ref=ts#!/event.php?eid=120318157985835&ref=ts)

Free Food. Cute Dogs. Sweet Prizes.
Can't get any better then that!

* Free Canoeing and Swimming trip: Outdoor Pursuits
Every Thursday in May 5:30pm-8:30pm

Trips depart from the Outdoor Pursuits Rental Center.

No registration is required, just show up! Transportation, instruction and all required gear will be provided at no cost.

(http://www.ohio.edu/recreation/op/SCHEDULETripsSpr10.html)

Next Week: May 27, Canoeing and Swimming at Dow Lake

* May Day OU 2010: 5 pm, McCracken Field
Featuring free performances by hip hop artists Clipse and Consequence

Check out the videos below for a sample of their music...


(Caution: may include explicit material)



Hosted by OU organizations: Backdrop Magazine, BSCPB, UPC, ImPRessions, SAC, and Vision Ohio.

* School of Dance Concert: Shirley Wimmer Theatre, Putnam Hall
Thursday and Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 2pm and 8pm

The Ohio University School of Dance presents their School of Dance Spring Concert. Come see performances by the Senior Class 2010, guest artists and students alike. I go to these performances every quarter, and they are always great! (Free ticket with a valid student Id)

* $2 Mega Mug Night at Red Brick Tavern; one of the most popular, and best, deals of the week.


Friday:

* Relay for Life at the Athens County Fairgrounds, 286 West Union Street!

Whether you camp out with a team, or just come out and walk around the track, you'll be helping a great cause.

Takes place 5p.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturday.



Saturday:

* If you have the extra money to splurge ($20)... 7 Fest, the seventh installment of the premier college campus outdoor music festival is taking place at 7755 Williams Road from 11am to 11pm Saturday, May 22nd. Tickets can be purchased uptown at Courtside, Yannis or Sundries.



(http://www.athens6fest.com/SixFest.WeRunOU/images/stories/5fest030.jpg)

Set list includes: Bourbon Kings, iPhonic, The Forties, Fam Fresh, DJ Edski, Mt Carmel, The One Eyed Show, Downplay, L.e, Jesty Beatz, B. YONEST, Mike Posner.

For more information go to the 7 Fest site.


Sunday

Take a day to relax :)


By the way, if you're interested in more restaurant and bar promotions, check out campusmenus.com for a full list of nightly and monthly specials, and happy hour promotions.

I tend to check this daily. They have so many great deals!



Anyway, that's all for now Athens. Thanks for everything!


Julie

Sushi Tuesdays at Lui Lui Restaurant

Ever get the craving for some good, local sushi? No, not that overpriced packaged Okami shit at Baker's West 82. I mean fresh, hand rolled stuff. I've tried the California Rolls at Baker multiple times hoping it might be better each time, but it never was and it never will because it's packaged. Packaged sushi tends to be very dry, and never fails to crumble apart in your hand. Nobody wants to sit in the cafeteria scooping rice chunks out of their soy sauce. Sushi on campus is important, but not that important.

Okay, so back to good sushi. My roommate Laura Baskin was walking to the HDL center for work one afternoon and a huge sign reading 'Tuesday Sushi Special' caught her eye in a nearby window. This is when she discovered Lui Lui Restaurant next to the Oak Room on Station Street. Soon after, we decided to check it out.


Every Tuesday night they offer a wide range of sushi combinations at super low prices. Anything from salmon, tuna, eel, scallops, shrimp and even crab - they've got it. Unfortunately though, it's only on Tuesday nights. On a regular basis they serve the California and New York Rolls, but they're more expensive during the rest of the week.

But on Tuesday, the Lui Lui basic California Roll is priced at 4.50, a dollar less than West 82's 5.25 and Kroger's whopping 5.86. And all rolls on the menu are between 4 and 8 bucks, depending on what's in them.

Laura and I both took forever to decide what to get - everything looked so good! I finally decided on the Shrimp Tempura (battered and lightly fried shrimp, with green onion) and Laura got the New York Roll (smoked salmon rolled with avacado, cream cheese and wasabi). We also ordered the Dragon Roll to split (crab and avacado rolled inside out topped with eel). They brought it all out on a plate and everything was presented so nicely. Not to mention, the food itself was just incredible...

(left: NY roll, right: shrimp tempura, furthest back: dragon roll)

The Dragon Roll was by far the best, but it was all really good. And what's great about Lui Lui is that it's so close to campus. Only a short walking distance from Bromley, Baker and uptown, it's the perfect spot for lunch on a Tuesday afternoon! With good food, low prices, and a comfortable atmosphere, what more could anyone ask for?



Take a look at their complete sushi menu if you're interested, and check it out for yourself. Trust, me you won't be disappointed. And if you become a fan of theirs on Facebook, you can receive even more discounts. It says right at the bottom of their Sushi 101 post that they'll give anyone a free sushi a la carte order by simply mentioning the post! And guys, if you're not a big fan of sushi, Lui Lui also has a full menu including wok items, seafood, pasta, pizza and even vegetarian entrees. Their general lunch menu is also very reasonable with all items costing under 7 dollars. See Athens, I've got your back :)

Happy eating!