Thyme Matters

Most restaurants know that presentation is everything, and, last evening, I was quite impressed by the "presentation" given by Thyme Matters, a restaurant located on the westside of El Paso. From the folded napkins - an art in and of itself - to the hot tea set, Thyme Matters knows how to please the customer's eye. Even the entrees were presented artistically; the food provided all the colors of an artist's palette and was arranged on lovely, modern place settings.

An equally important consideration in a restaurant is ambience, and I found that Thyme Matters had a lovely one. The music provided a nice background. It seemed like a quieter and classier version of house music. The music also was set at the perfect sound level; I could easily converse with my friends. The restaurant had a wonderful design - a lot of open space created by the high ceiling and second-story loft area. The restaurant also featured an outdoor patio, which would have been tempting if it hadn't been windy yesterday. The artistic pieces in the restaurant were what I call "muted contemporary" and placed in strategic places to heighten the space's effect.

Of course, even with ambience and presentation, no restaurant is complete without a good menu. Thyme Matters did not disappoint. I ordered the eggplant parmesan, which came with a side salad. It was very palatable, but what I enjoyed most was trying my friend's tilapia. I'm not that fond of seafood, but I was pleasantly surprised by the fish. It had a wonderful flavor due to the chipotle spices, and it was very tender. I think the next time I visit Thyme Matters, I may have to order it.

Little Ladybug Jewelry

I love finding unique jewelry, and, fortunately, many of my friends have been blessed with artistic talent. One of these friends has her own business, littleladybugjewelry. Each of the pieces she designs is unique since she only purchases charms and beads in small quantities. Recently, she has begun to work with sterling silver and has developed a new sterling silver line of earrings. I hope you'll check out her website and purchase some jewelry or become a fan of her work. I think we need to support independent business owners as much as possible in our current economy.