A Good Lunch is Hard to Find (Sandy Springs/Dunwoody Edition)

EL TACO VELOZ (Roswell Rd. location)

Someone created a Yammer network for my employer recently (it's a social network that connects you to other people within your company). It has functionality for status updates, sharing links, creating a profile, etc., etc., similar to Facebook.

Since I'm almost always thinking about food, I publicly posted the question, "Does anyone have any good food recommendations around here?" I got several good leads.

The first place I wanted to check out was El Taco Veloz on Roswell Road. The taqueria came highly recommended by a colleague of Hispanic descent, so I had a better feeling about it compared to your run-of-the-mill taco stand. I believe he described the joint as "authentic and cheap." Where do I sign up?

I'm pretty sure Taco Veloz was a Pizza Hut, Long John Silver or KFC 25 years ago, with the signage and booths painted over 14 years ago when Taco Veloz took over the space.

We approached the counter and Chad expressed his excitement that they had beef tongue on the menu. I was feeling a little less adventurous (but still open to a bite of Chad's) so I went with the carne asada (steak) burrito counterpart to his beef tongue.

I dug into the salsa bar (think like Willies') and also snagged a side of sour cream to slather on my handheld lunch. We apparently arrived just in time. As we were biting into our comida, the lines grew long with Taco Veloz believers. My steak had good flavor but was a teeny bit on the chewy side. My tortilla was also a little dry (I feared picking it up would = burrito juice on my dress) but all in all, the burrito was tasty and not too filling. The beans were actually really tasty — creamy and cheesy. (Gah, my sleepiness is inhibiting my ability to describe food very well tonight...). Chad reported that the beef tongue was very tender and well-seasoned, which was a pleasant surprise considering it's often overcooked.

The total for two burritos, two sides of beans and a coke? About $15. Score!

I enjoyed the meal and didn't mind the atmosphere, but I can't say Taco Veloz totally swept me off my feat on this first jaunt. Regardless, for the price and the interesting menu options, I'll be back to give this place another chance.

See what others are saying about Taco Veloz on Yelp!

Is Chad saying that Taco Veloz is number 1?

5670 Roswell Rd, Atlanta, GA 30342-1158(404) 252-5100 ‎

SUSHI HUKU

A few weeks ago, I was struggling to find a convenient location to meet a professional contact for lunch. She works off Delk Road in Marietta; I'm basically at 285 and 400 (Perimeter). When I landed on information for Sushi Huku off Powers Ferry, I thought I'd found something promising.

My fellow diner and I both chose bento boxes. We had a long list of combinations we could customize our bento boxes with. I chose veggie tempura and spicy tuna as my two "mains" and elected to have a side salad over soup. The box also came with sticky rice and a few french fries (?).

I don't want to spend a tremendous amount of time on this post, so I'll just say that the meal was very enjoyable and fresh-tasting. (1 bento box - $13). If you're a fan of Nakato but don't mind no-frills dining rooms, you ought to check out Sushi Huku. Or if you have a colleague or friend that loves Asian food but hasn't ventured far from home, knowing about this little gem may help you earn some points. I'd like to come back some night after work for sake and a variety of sushi.

I wouldn't know for sure, but I would think that having a Japanese language menu option gives them some points for authenticity.

See what [good things] people are saying about Sushi Huku on CitySearch.com.

6300 Powers Ferry Rd NW # 800
Atlanta, GA 30339-2961
(770) 956-9559

Wednesday night I will be checking out the Tin Can Fish House and Oyster Bar with my lovely lady friend Maria.