Smokin’ Joe’s BBQ – Palos Park, IL

18 10 2008
  • 6523 W. 127th St.
  • Palos Park, IL 60463
  • (708) 489-1800
  • Website
  • Menu
The menu logo from Smokin Joes BBQ in Palos Park, IL on Chicagos south side

The menu logo from Smokin' Joe's BBQ in Palos Park, IL on Chicago's south side

Good BBQ is so hard to find in Mid-Michigan.  Not in Chicago.  J hasn’t used any vacation days since starting her new job and since we wanted to go see my niece, she decided to take a few days off which would give us a chance to catch up with both of our families and a number of friends in Illinois.  On our first night in town, we hung out at one of J’s friends in Crestwood.  They have a little one of their own so carry-out is one of their best friends.  We were hanging out in their living room when it started to get close to dinner time.  I haven’t known these people all that long yet, but they knew BBQ was a good way to earn a special place in my heart.

Smokin’ Joe’s is a little carry-out place in Palos Park.  I didn’t go pick up the food, but I’m told they’re in a strip mall.  The joint is strictly carry-out and since that’s what we were looking for, Smokin’ Joe’s was a good fit.  I didn’t want to eat ribs in front of people I still don’t know that well, so I ordered a pulled pork sandwich and fries.  When we were all putting in our orders, J’s friend asked me if I wanted coleslaw on my pulled pork.  Cole slaw?  That’s something I’ve never encountered before.  I know it’s a very Carolina concept and I see people doing it in the cooking shows I watch, but I’ve never actually eaten at a place that actually puts coleslaw on the sandwich.  I wasn’t really wanting to try it so I asked to leave it off.  J and her friend bothgot the pulled pork with the slaw and a side of jalapeno beans.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : BBQ, Chicago, Illinois, Palos Park, Restaurant, Reviews

Palermo’s 95th – Oak Lawn, IL

18 10 2008
  • 4849 W. 95th St.
  • Oak Lawn, IL 60435
  • (708) 425-6262
  • Website
  • Menu

Palermo's 95th in Oak Lawn, IL

This is a review I’ve been holding for a couple months.  Honestly, I forgot about it.  When I was in town for a job earlier in the year, my girlfriend’s parents took us out to dinner the night before.  We drove home this weekend to see my niece and whenever we head to my parents, we stop at J’s parents on the way.  We came in to Oak Lawn late Friday night and drove past Palermo’s 95th.  I remembered I never did a review so I got out and snapped a few pictures.

J has always said Palermo’s ruined her on pizza.  Nothing she’s had anywhere else has even come close to living up to the standard Palermo’s 95th set.  I thought she was being dramatic, but I’d give her the benefit of the doubt.  When her parents suggested we go to Palermo’s for dinner, I was up for the challenge.

Palermo’s is on 95th Street in Oak Lawn.  There’s parking behind the building, but if you’re not there early, good luck.  We stopped in for a late dinner on Saturday night.  We thought maybe we’d be ok since it was after 8:00, but we were wrong.  The wait was only about 15 minutes so it wasn’t bad.  Had we been earlier, we could have waited up to two hours for a table. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Chicago, Illinois, Italian, Local Flavor, Oak Lawn, Restaurant, Reviews

TGIFriday’s Abruptly Closes – UPDATED

16 10 2008

Got an e-mail in my inbox this morning saying TGIFriday’s on Saginaw closed abruptly last night.  Seems it was not their fault, but the Holiday Inn didn’t pay their taxes to the city, so the city shut them down.  I don’t know what it means for the hotel.  We were out there this morning and there were still quite a few cars in the parking lot, but the TGIFriday’s awnings and signs were gone.  Here’s a statement I got from TGIFriday’s corporate office.

 According to Amy Freshwater, vice president of communication and public relations for Carlson Restaurants Worldwide, parent of T.G.I. Friday’s, “Due to the non-payment of outstanding property taxes owed to the city by the Holiday Inn hotel property owner, the city advised us that they will involuntarily close and lock us out of the restaurant this week. Therefore, regretfully, at this time, we have been forced to close the restaurant located within the Holiday Inn at 7433 West Saginaw Highway in Lansing. This is an isolated closing, unrelated to the economy, and a unique situation where the restaurant was operated under a management contract with the owner. We will offer severance to our valued team members, who were impacted by the unfortunate actions of the hotel property owner. Lansing is a very important market for us, and we hope to bring Friday’s back to the community, at another location, in the future.

UPDATE – WILX went after the story and found out that the statement from TGIFriday’s may not be entirely true.  According to the Delta Township Finance Director (not the City of Lansing as the statement indicates), TGIFriday’s was not going to be forced out.  Anonymous employees also claim the business has been bouncing checks.  Check out the full story on WILX.com and kudos to Channel 10 for doing some digging and not accepting the corporate spin.


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Categories : Chains, Food News, Lansing, Reviews

Meijer – Grand Ledge

16 10 2008
  • 730 E. Saginaw Hwy.
  • Grand Ledge, MI 48837
  • (517) 622-6800
  • Website
The Grand Ledge Meijer store located just on the edge of town on Saginaw Highway

The Grand Ledge Meijer store located just on the edge of town on Saginaw Highway

It’s October and I need charcoal.  Just because it’s fall and quickly becoming winter doesn’t mean I’m going to stop grilling.  According to most mega marts, I should be putting up tacky Christmas ornaments, not grilling a pork loin.  I’m also a charcoal snob, so that makes things a little bit tougher.  No briquettes for me.  The chemicals used to press them together annoy me.  If you don’t let it totally ash over, you’ll pick up the chemicals in your food.  I’m not that patient, so I use natural hardwood lump charcoal.  We looked at Wal-Mart, but all they had was the Kingsford crap.  I was just going to run to the Meijer by our place to see what they had, but since we were in Grand Ledge anyway for lunch, I decided to stop at the Grand Ledge store.

The Meijer in Grand Ledge is just on the edge of town on Saginaw Highway.  It’s a newer store with the newer facade.  It’s not quite the “main street” concept store they’re starting to roll out, but it’s in between that and the old boxy type like the store on Pennsylvania.  The inside of the store is a drastic difference too.  J made the comment that it’s much less overwhelming than the other stores around here we’ve been in.  My complain about Meijer is just that it’s so darn big.  It’s hard to find things and can be frustrating if you have to shop in a couple different departments. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Chains, Grand Ledge, Grocery, Michigan, Reviews

The Barn Tavern

16 10 2008
  • 207 S. Bridge St.
  • Grand Ledge, MI 48837
  • (517) 622-8686
  • No Known Website
  • Menu
The Barn Tavern in Downtown Grand Ledge

The Barn Tavern in Downtown Grand Ledge

We do so much shopping on the west side of Lansing that we’re starting to run out of places to eat.  We made our usual trip to Horrocks and Wal-Mart just before lunch time.  I was blanking on a new restaurant to eat at, so I said let’s make the short drive to Grand Ledge to see what they have to offer.  I keep hearing about Cugino’s, but I wasn’t in the mood for Italian.  We drove through the cute little downtown and saw a sign for The Barn.

The Barn Tavern doesn’t really look like it’s open when you drive in front on Bridge Street.  There are no windows and it kind of looks like it’s boarded up.  There was a lunch board outside advertising specials so I assumed that meant they were open for lunch.  We parked across the street then played Frogger to make it to the front.  The front door is in a little alcove and again, it feels like you’re doing something you shouldn’t be doing.  It’s a very cramped area, but once you open that door and walk in, you get a totally different impression.  Instead of feeling like you’re walking in to a speakeasy, you feel like you’re walking into a place you’d like to call your home bar.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Bar, Burgers, Downtown, Grand Ledge, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Tim Hortons – Holt

15 10 2008
  • 2350 Cedar St.
  • Holt, MI 48842
  • (517) 694-0129
  • Website
  • Menu
Tim Hortons on Cedar Street in Holt

Tim Hortons on Cedar Street in Holt

I never really think of Tim Hortons as a place to get a quick after dinner snack, but Monday night I was watching my favorite CBS show, How I Met Your Mother, and one of the characters actually threw out a Tim Hortons reference.  The character, Robin, is from Canada which is where Tim Hortons was founded.  She said something to the effect of ‘at least I didn’t say let’s go to Tim Hortons.’  Six months ago, I wouldn’t have had the slightest idea what she was talking about becuase there were no Tim Hortons in Illinois.  We found them for the first time when we moved to Lansing.

Around the time we moved here, I reviewed the Tim Hortons on South Cedar (review HERE) in Lansing after we stopped for lunch.  The Tim Hortons in Holt is a new store even since that review.  It sits in front of L & L Food Center on Cedar Street near Aurelius Road.  It’s not a very big building.  It’s about the perfect size for a coffee shop.  This trip was just for an after dinner snack.  I was still hungry, but we didn’t have anything to snack on, so I suggested we go get a cookie or something.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Bakery, Coffee, Holt, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews

Press Release – New Biggby Store

15 10 2008

From a press release….

BIGGBY COFFEE TO OPEN 24th GREATER LANSING LOCATION
Growing Hometown Brand Thriving Despite Economic Downturn

LANSING, Mich., October 15, 2008 – East-Lansing based BIGGBY COFFEE will open a new location in its hometown of Lansing on Tuesday, Oct 21st, across from Eastwood Town Center. The new store, located at 2250 Lake Lansing Road, marks the 24th greater Lansing location for the increasingly popular coffee retailer.

Long-time franchisee, Jane O’Connor, is the catalyst behind the new store, which is her fourth BIGGBY COFFEE location. O’Connor owns successful franchises in Okemos, Marshall and East Lansing.

“I’ve been with the Big ‘B’ a long time now, so I’m an oldie but a goodie,” said O’Connor, in reference to her first store opening in Okemos more than seven years ago, when just a few stores existed in the region. “The truth is, the brand has become a local legend before my very eyes, and that’s extremely fulfilling on a professional level. Of course, I’m a huge fan myself so I can’t wait to bring the experience to the residents of Groesbeck and the shoppers across the street at Eastwood.”

The store is open 6 a.m. – 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 7 a.m. – 9 p.m. on Sundays. Soft seating and free wireless access will be paired with a fun, inviting atmosphere—all standard options at BIGGBY COFFEE.

The new location marks the 104th for the rapidly expanding coffee retailer. BIGGBY COFFEE currently operates in eight states, and has another 66 locations under contract to open over the next 24 months.

The new Lansing store will bring nearly 20 new full-and part-time jobs to the area.


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Categories : Food News, Lansing, Michigan, Press Releases

Press Release – 11th Annual Finlandia Vodka Cup Regional

14 10 2008

From a press release….

MICHIGAN-AREA MIXOLOGISTS COMPETE FOR CHANCE TO
REPRESENT THE U.S. IN INTERNATIONAL FINALS

WHAT:
Michigan’s 11th Annual Finlandia Vodka Cup regional competition

WHO:
Master mixologists, media and guests

WHEN:
October 27
7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

WHERE:
Club 131 @ Harpers, 131 Albert Avenue, East Lansing

WHY:
The best mixologists in Michigan will compete for one-coveted spot in the U.S. Finlandia Shake Off on November 10 in Colorado Springs. The mixologist that wins the Shake Off will represent the U.S. in the 11th Annual International Finlandia Vodka Cup Finals in Finland in early February. During the Finals, the U.S. representative will compete against more than 25 bartenders from around the globe in Finlandia’s arctic homeland.


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Categories : East Lansing, Food News, Michigan

7-Eleven – Okemos

13 10 2008
  • 3500 Okemos Rd.
  • Okemos, MI 48864
  • (517) 349-5711
  • Website
The 7-Eleven store near I-96 in Okemos.

The 7-Eleven store near I-96 in Okemos.

It was about a month ago that I first reviewed a 7-Eleven in this area when I took an unscheduled trip to the Holt 7-Eleven (review HERE) to get a Slurpee.  In that review, I remarked how clean the store was which is something I’ve never seen at a 7-Eleven before.  I wondered if it was just that store or if 7-Eleven was working on cleaning up it’s image.

J and I were leaving Meridian Mall after a full day of shopping.  As we were heading back towards the Interstate, J asked if there was a 7-Eleven on the way.  She’s been craving Slurpee’s recently.  Even though they’re technically not Slurpee’s, we stop quite a bit at the Speedway near our house to get their version of the frozen cola drink.

I thought there was a 7-Eleven near the Interstate and I was right.  The building sits on the corner of Okemos and Jolly Roads.  THIS is the 7-Eleven I remember.  This particular store is nothing like the shop in Holt.  It’s the dirty, cramped convenience store that I remember from my childhood.  I don’t mean dirty like disgusting, but just not sparkling clean like the Holt store was. 

They were running a sale on 44 oz Slurpee’s, but that was just way too much sugar.  We both ended up grabbing a 22 oz. cup which cost more than the 44 oz, but neither of us could trust ourselves to not drink the whole thing if we bought the bigger one.  No wonder America’s so fat.  Six months ago, I would have bought the 44 oz. and drank the whole thing just because it was cheaper. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Chains, Michigan, Okemos, Reviews, Specialty Shop

Travelers Club International Restaurant and Tuba Museum

13 10 2008
  • 2138 Hamilton Rd.
  • Okemos, MI 48864
  • (517) 349-1701
  • Website
  • Menu
The Travelers Club International Restaurant and Tuba Museum in Okemos

The Travelers Club International Restaurant and Tuba Museum in Okemos

I had no idea what to expect dining at a tuba museum.  The Travelers Club is one of the first places that jumped out at us when we moved to Mid-Michigan.  It just sounded and looked like an interesting place.  We kept putting off dining there because we don’t make it to Okemos very often.  Now that Younkers is done remodeling, that may change. 

The Travelers Club is at the intersection of Hamilton Road and Okemos Road.  It’s hard to miss on your way to Meridan Mall.  The little corner building doesn’t look like a very big restaurant from the outside.  We found parking along Hamilton Road and walked to the red doors that open into quaint dining room with a row of booths and an number or tables crammed into the space.  When we walked in, we heard a voice from somewhere in the back tell us to find a seat wherever we liked.  We made our way to the back of the dining room where we took a table along the back wall.  For being a Sunday afternoon at three o’clock, the Travelers Club was doing pretty good business.  All the booths were full and there were quite a few tables being used as well. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Local Flavor, Michigan, Okemos, Restaurant, Reviews

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