1, 2, 3, 4 Rivers!

4 Rivers Smokehouse might seem a little similar to one of my earlier posts about Adam's Rib Company, but they have their differences. Both places have amazing barbecue and even though 4 Rivers is not as much of a local joint as Adam's, it is still worth the visit. The 4 Rivers Smokehouse in Gainesville is the fifth smokehouse but the first in a college town. You'll have to make hard choices about the menu items; you can either go with the pulled pork, the Texas sausage, or the Signature Angus Brisket. No choice is a bad one!

Taste bud heaven!

Some nights you are just really feel in' sushi. If you are in the mood for top of the line sushi and a cool environment to sit down and have a meal in, then you have to try Dragonfly Sushi. There is a variety of rolls to choose from and you can never go wrong. Sushi rolls such as the Black Dragon and the Mango Tango are some fan favorites. For an appetizer you can choose between the delicious crab wontons or the tiger shrimp, both are hard to beat. There are also many different Japanese beers to choose from and a Sake Sampler. This place definitely puts up a fight against one of the previous restaurants that I blogged about called Chopsticks. The Dragonfly is a Gainesville token and everyone should give it a try!

Welcome to The Jones side

If you are looking for a trendy dining experience The Jones  is the place to be. The Jones serves breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as an assortment of beverage options. A delicious starter to choose from is the Brie Plate14. Brie is an excellent type of cheese and is complemented well with selected fruit. A dinner favorite is the Jones Eggplant Parm. Last but not least, The Jones is particular popular for their delectable Bloody Mary's that one can not resist. It is well worth it to check out The Jones and there is no doubt that you won't be completely satisfied!

OLAY OLAY!!!

Sometimes real authentic Mexican food is the answer!! Everything is fresh and homemade at La Fiesta. They have many specials throughout the week and a very welcoming festive environment for everyone! The owner, Ms. Castro, was taught everything she knows from her mother and she loves sharing what she has learned and delicious Mexican cuisine with her customers!

GoOoOo Gators!

Feelin' festive! The best place to be for Saturday college football is The Swamp Restaurant! The Swamp has outdoor seating on a patio and on a second floor deck. There is tons of room for all of your friends and family! For a few hours many people rent swamp out for a private party. The Swamp has spectacular wings, wraps, sandwiches and more. Some of my personal favorites at Swamp include, the Ahi Tuna appetizer, Buffalo chicken wrap and the Hawaiian Pork Quesadilla. The Swamp Restaurant is located in Midtown on University and definitely worth the experience!

Ciao Bella

Italian food really hits home for me. My family is italian and I love when we all get together and share great memories and eat good home cooked italian food. When I'm in Gainesville though that home-cooked italian food is not accessible. However, Leonardo's on University Ave satisfies my taste buds. With a delicious pizza selection and many different kinds of pasta and salads, Leonardo's is the place to go for a homesick Italian college student.

BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse

If you're in the mood for some food and beer while you are watching the LSU game this weekend, hit up BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse on West Newberry Road!!

Great read: "Don't Make Me Think, Revisited"- Steve Krug

All of the tips and guidelines that Steve Krug presents us in his book, “Don’t Make Me Think, Revisited” are very helpful and will lead to website success if correctly followed. This books definitely opened my eyes to what actually makes a great website. Something that Krug said that really stuck with me was, “Don’t make me think!” Do not let a viewer of your website be confused. Nothing should be confusing about a website, the viewer should be able to easily access and understand what the website is trying to accomplish.

Krug also makes a great point about how we believe people use web sites and how they actually use them. When I am browsing a web page, I am not looking at every single detail and page. I am looking at what I opened the web site for in the first place and once I find it, I leave the page.

Another concept that really struck me by surprise is a quote from Krug’s Third Law of Usability, “Get rid of half the words on each page, then get rid of half of what’s left.” This is pretty interesting and definitely was news to me. I always feel like people try and write tons of words and it has always seemed so repetitive to me. As a reader, a website is definitely more appealing to my eyes when there is very limited writing. There is no need for unnecessary words and sentences. This is a concept that publishers of websites should take into consideration more often. Following the concept of not including unnecessary words, Krug discusses in chapter four that it should never take more than three, four or five clicks to get to any page in the site. He includes that, “the rule of thumb might be something like three mindless, unambiguous clicks equal one click that requires thought.” A website should be easy to access and if guidance is needed, Krug says its best to keep it brief, timely and unavoidable.

When it comes to usability testing, Krug recommends to keep it simple and often. There is too much pressure to wait until the site is close to being launched to do extensive usability testing. It just makes everything difficult and can be avoided. Something that I struggle with is procrastination, which is something that cannot happen when it comes to a web site. After reading Krug’s book I have realized that it is always best to stay one step ahead of the game to avoid problems and stress with your website.

Krug discusses what an employee can do to better a web site’s usability and how to approach the situation with your boss and their boss too. When your businesses website has a low usability level it is your responsibility as the owner or employee to make it better and to keep it simple. In my opinion, I would definitely want to make changes to make my businesses website the best it could be and if that takes a few uncomfortable conversations and questioning someone’s judgment of the site, then so be it.

All in all, Krug provided me with some very important concepts and guidelines that I will keep with me from here on out when creating websites. Technology is continuous developing and online web sites are surely booming.