Claddagh Irish Pub

14 07 2008
  • 2900 Town Centre Blvd.
  • Lansing, MI 48912
  • (517) 484-2523
  • Website
  • Menu
The Claddagh Irish Pub in Eastwood Towne Centre

The Claddagh Irish Pub in Eastwood Towne Centre

My parents had come to town for the final day of Common Ground to see Trace Adkins.  After a four hour drive, they were a little hungry and it was still way to early to head to Riverfront Park, so we decided to find a place for dinner.  One of our first weeks in Lansing, we went and found Edgewood Towne Centre and noticed an Irish pub on one end.  Since pub food is usually a sure bet with everybody in my family, we headed out to Lake Lansing Road for some grub.

Claddagh is a chain of fifteen Irish Pubs located in the midwest with the home office in Solon, OH (you know, “we’re going bowling, so don’t leave her in Solon.  Moon over Parma, tonight!”  I love Drew Carey 🙂 )There are only two locations in Michigan with the other being in Livonia.  It was a beautiful day so we opted for the patio over the dining room.  We got a quick look at the inside and it’s a gorgeaous pub.  Very typical of what you expect.  Lots of dark woods with a huge horseshoe shaped bar in the middle.  The really interesting feature was the pub tables located near the bar.  They took old whiskey barrels and put a table top on them.  I noticed it when we were walking out and I actually went back to take a closer look.  It was a really cool idea and added nicely to the overall theme. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Burgers, Chains, Irish Bar, Lansing, Pub, Restaurant, Reviews

Chuck’s Southern Comforts Cafe – Burbank, IL

13 07 2008
  • 5557 W. 79th St.
  • Burbank, IL 60459
  • (708 ) 229-8700
  • Website
  • Menu
Chucks Southern Comforts Cafe on 79th and Central in Burbank, IL

Chuck's Southern Comforts Cafe on 79th and Central in Burbank, IL

I ended up back in Chicago again this weekend for work.  I picked up another job working at Toyota Park in Bridgeview.  Initially, I was supposed to get a hotel room by Midway which is a stone’s throw from Bridgeview, so I got on-line to start looking to see if there were any 24-hour restaurants nearby.  My search brought to a dining out in Chicago message board.  It didn’t really answer the question I was looking for, but this thread introduced me to Chuck’s Southern Comfrots.

I was worried about construction in Indiana so I left much ealier than I needed to.  I ended up geting to Bridgeview about three hours before my 1:30 CST call time.  I drove around the area for a while hitting up malls, Best Buy’s and Circuit City’s looking for Mario Kart.  Finally, I got hungry and remembered there was a BBQ joint on 79th and Central and I was pretty close to there. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : BBQ, Big Ten Tour, Chicago, Illinois, Restaurant, Reviews

Leo’s Outpost

11 07 2008
  • 600 S. Pennsylvania
  • Lansing, MI 48912
  • (517) 367-7755
  • Website
  • Menu
Leos Outpost on S. Pennsylvania Ave.

Leo's Outpost on S. Pennsylvania Ave. in Lansing

It’s time to go grocery shopping again and I didn’t feel like doing it today, so I picked my girlfriend up from work and took her out for a Friday night dinner.  We both really liked Leo’s Lodge when we ate there a week or so ago, so we decided to give Leo’s Outpost a try. 

As we pulled up to the log cabin style building on south Pennsylvania, we were concerned we weren’t going to be able to get a table.  The parking lot alongside the building was packed.  We turned down a side street next to Leo’s and found another parking lot which wasn’t as full.  There are two entrances to the building.  There’s one off of Pennsylvania and another on the side of the building.  We entered through the side door which brought us to the bar.  Just like Leo’s Lodge, the interior is decorated like a rustic cabin you’d like to find in the Upper Pennisula.  There are deer heads mounted on the wall alongside birds that have been stuffed.  The entire interior is sided with the same log cabin look that dominates the outside.  Just like it’s sister restaurant, the chairs had the wicker weave for the seat and back.  The bar and dining room was seperated by a decorative brick half wall.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Salmonella Scare Continues..

11 07 2008

..and now they’re calling the Saintpaul Outbreak.  Is it tomatos?  Is it something else?  Who knows?  No one yet.  Local officials say that it’s hard to figure out.

“Going back to figuring out the origin is so complex given that tomatoes are used for so many different things,” said Michigan Department of Community Health spokesman, James McCurtis Jr.

Health officials are warning consumers jalepeno and serrano peppers along with cilantro may also be included in the outbreak. Read the rest of this entry »


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Common Ground Festival

11 07 2008
  • N. Grand Ave. & Saginaw St.
  • Lansing, MI 48933
  • (517) 267-1502
  • Website

When I moved to Lansing three months ago, everyone kept saying, “You have to go to Common Ground.”  The Thursday night line-up offered three artists I really like, so I got my first taste of what Common Ground is all about.  I have to say, I was impressed.  It was a great atmosphere.  There was a lot to do and the music was fantastic.  I spent most of the night over at the West Main Stage where Julianne Hough, James Otto, and Kellie Pickler were performing.

I became a fan of Hough the same way most guys have.  I actually started watching Dancing With The Stars the year Hough became one of the dancers.  My girlfriend, who wasn’t my girlfriend at the time, loved the show and it gave us something to talk about.  That year, she danced with Apollo Anton Ono who I’ve never been a fan of, but I rooted for them all season long.  She was just fun to watch and had such a great Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Entertainment Venues, Lansing, Reviews

East Lansing Coffee Shop Set to Open 100th Store

10 07 2008

East Lansing’s own Biggby Coffee is gearing up for the grand opening of it’s 100th store.  The grand opening of the Biggby Coffee in Bloomfield will be next Tuesday, July 15th.  As an added bonus, the 100th customer at every Biggby store will get a free cup of coffee.Biggby Coffee

How crazy is it that a small coffee shop from East Lansing is expanding and competing in a market that was flooded with specialty coffee shops?  There’s a funny story on Bob Fish’s (CEO and Co-Founder) blog about a store in Davison that just opened and the next day, the McDonald’s across the street gave away free coffee. 

The company is not planning on stopping at 100.  According to the State News, they plan to double their franchises every two years with a planned 250 by 2010.

Biggby Coffee plans to open 73 more stores in the next two years, and to have more than 250 stores by 2010. Read the rest of this entry »


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Food Pantry Cancels Visit Due to Lack of Food

9 07 2008

I’ve been reading a lot of these types of stories of the last few days.  Food Pantries are hurting because demand is up and donations are down.  The LSJ did a story today on a mobile food pantry cancelling a visit to Owosso because of lack of food.

The Mid-Michigan Food Bank, operated by the Mid-Michigan Chapter of the American Red Cross, has canceled a mobile food pantry visit to the Life in Christ Christian Church in Owosso that was scheduled for Saturday. About 400 families were expected to visit the pantry for food. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Michigan

Because You Can Never Get Enough…

8 07 2008

WILX is reporting tonight that Walmart is going to expand their store out near Eastwood Town Center to an “upscale” Super Center.

“Wal-mart’s proposing a revised concept from what they have, geared towards upscale shopping experience,” says Lansing Township’s director of development Steve Hayward.

Hayward says the Wal-Mart expansion would feature a new upscale grocery section, as well as a home furnishings area. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Food News, Lansing

Russian Dairy Farmer’s Tour US Plants

8 07 2008

I like this story.  A company right here in Michigan helps foreign companies set up shop  here in the U.S. instead of the other way around.  Last week, officials from the Russian Department of Agriculture and several dairy farmer’s were shown around U.S. dairy operations by Vreba-Hoff Dairy Development which is based in Hudson, MI.  From a press release…..

The group toured both Vreba-Hoff dairy farms located in Hudson, Michigan – home to more than 5,500 dairy cows that produce more than 20 million gallons of whole milk per year.

This was such a great experience for our Russian guests,” said Cecilia Conway, Vreba-Hoff spokeswomen. “It was a remarkable opportunity to show our international visitors the modern milk production techniques that are utilized at our farms.”  Read the rest of this entry »


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Red Robin Gourmet Burgers

8 07 2008
  • 6524 W. Saginaw Hwy.
  • Lansing, MI 48917
  • (517) 886-7440
  • Website
  • Menu
Red Robin

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers in Delta Township

Why is the Wii so dang popular?  We spent all morning going from store to store looking for Mario Kart.  We were told a few days ago that because the dollar is so worthless right now, Nintendo is investing most it’s efforts in Japan where the yen is strong.  We went or called almost every store along Saginaw Highway that carries video games. Striking out at every one of them really worked up an appetite.  The original plan was to go to Art’s Pizza & Italian Oven for lunch, but when we got there, there was a sign in the window that said they were closed for the summer due to losing their liquor license and they’re searching for new owners.  What a bummer.  I had been wanting to eat there for a while and now that we had the chance, it was closed.

We didn’t really want to piss around looking for another place and neither of us have ever eaten at a Red Robin, so we headed back down Saginaw.  Red Robin sits in front of Kohls near Kroger.  The building is not hard to spot with a lot of red trim and a huge sign.  We got there just before the lunch rush so there weren’t a whole lot of people in side.  The first thing that jumps out when you walk in is the TV in the floor.  There was caution tape around it the day we were in there, so I’m not sure if it was new or if someone jumped on it and broke, but it was still funny to see a TV in the floor.  We were greated by a host who took us through the dining room to a booth near the back.  The set up of the store is really interesting and not like anything else I’ve ever seen.  When you first come in, to your left is a full bar with a small dining area.  The back wall of the bar is glass that looks into the dining room.  To the right is the kitchen and waitress station.  It has the feel of a lunch counter without the counter.  There’s a big stainless steel counter where the orders come up for the waitress.  There are a lot of booths.  They created half walls throughout the space to make more walspace for them.  Every third booth or so along this half wall is a double wide booth where this is no wall.  If you bring a big group, you won’t be forced to push tables together to get everyone in.  These large booths could easily seat eight.  The walls are covered with movie posters and other art work leaving very little of the faux wood panel showing. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Burgers, Chains, Lansing, Restaurant, Reviews

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