July 2009 - Posts

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Sherry Heyl

• Manuel's 'Meeting' Tavern

  In the heart of VA Highland sits Manuel's Tavern. Manuel's has a very rich history of being the place to be for discussion about news, politics, and technology trends. I was first introduced to Manuel's Tavern in 2005 when I attended a bloggers meeting. 

  While I was working on some projects that focused on building an online community focused on Atlanta activities I found myself going to Manuel's for lunch and inspiration. 

  Last night I attended the July Social Media Club event where two of my clients discussed their online community building efforts. It was appropriately held at the place that has been my source of inspiration during these projects, Manuel's Tavern. 

  Jeannie Ericson Director of Lens on Atlanta, a project that is being sponsored by Public Broadcasting of Atlanta discussed the vision of creating a site that brings the many various communities within metro Atlanta together to discuss arts and entertainment, neighborhood and city improvements or to simply stay connected with our neighbors. The site will be launching soon, but you can follow the development progress at their Twitter account, @lensonatlanta.

  Tony Conway from the Atlanta Children's Shelter discussed the amazing work that they do in the basement of a church on Peachtree. Children of displaced families are cared for and educated in a NAEYC accredited program, a program that holds the highest standards of quality for child care centers. While the children are getting the best in quality education, their parents are going through programs that help them get back on their feet. I had the opportunity to develop a plan for the Shelter to leverage social media to connect with the local community about their different programs and fundraising opportunities. I learned last night that through our social media outreach efforts their 5K run exceeded expectation by more than 100%!

  It was a great meeting and Manuel's provided wonderful service. The only challenge with meetings like this at Manuel's is that the place gets busy, which means it gets loud and the rooms are not sound proof. But it is a place where members of the community continues to come together.
  

    
  

  Posted Jul 17 2009, 10:59 AM by sheyl with no comments

  Filed under: restaurants, Manuel's Tavern, va highlands

• Taqueria del Sol - NOT Atlanta's Best Kept Secret

  I grew up in a era and an area where the best restaurants where the chain restaurants. We would dine at Denny's - alright more like hang out after a late night or grab a bite at Bennigan's or TGI Friday's.

  Metro Atlanta has no shortage of chain restaurants, but the city of Atlanta is well know for their unique restaurants. Whenever I have the opportunity to meet someone for lunch in-town I often try to get someone to make a recommendation for a restaurant I have not been to yet.

  Today I met  a friend at Taqueria del Sol on Howell Mill Rd. We were to meet a little after noon, but my morning meeting ended early so I got there around 11:30 thinking I would grab a table and get a little work done before meeting my friend. Taqueria del Sol is a restaurant where you order at the counter first and then grab a table where your food is served, so I was not able to grab a table yet. I would have sat at the bar area and had a beverage while I waited, but by 11:30am the bar area was already full.

   

  I sat at the bench in the front of the restaurant and began to write notes for my ongoing to-do list. As the time ticked away the line to order food grew out the door and into the parking lot. I called my friend to inquire if we REALLY wanted to deal with this growing crowd. She assured me the food was worth it, that this was why the line was growing. As I sat there I saw someone who I know worked a good 30 minutes away from the restaurant come in. 

   My friend arrived and we stood in line for about 15 minutes. I ordered two tacos and the guacamole. The service was fast and friendly and the food was incredibly fresh. I understand how Taqueria del Sol, is NOT one of Atlanta's best kept secrets.

   Tip - the line was not long from 11:30-11:45 but it stretched out the door until after 2:00. 
  

  Posted Jul 14 2009, 02:03 PM by sheyl with no comments

  Filed under: lunch, restaurants, mexican