Texas Roadhouse – Lansing

19 02 2009
  • 208 E. Edgewood Blvd.
  • Lansing, MI 48911
  • (517) 887-8181
  • Website
  • Menu
Texas Roadhouse on Lansings south side

Texas Roadhouse on Lansing's south side

Finally!  Home!  I left Illinois this morning not knowing how long it was actually going to take me to get back to Lansing, but I hit things just right and didn’t see more than a few flurries on the way home.  Didn’t slow me down at all and I actually made it home before dinner.  Unfortunately, I haven’t been home in over a week, so there’s no food in the house.  I didn’t feel like going shopping, so I asked J if she wanted me to pick her up and we’d just go out for dinner.  We’re starting to run out of places to go on the south side of Lansing.  All that’s really left are a handful of chains.  I didn’t feel like thinking, so I suggested Texas Roadhouse.  I honestly don’t know if I’ve ever been to one before.  I always get Texas Roadhouse and Lonestar Steakhouse confused.  I know I’ve been to at least one Lonestar, but after that, it’s anybody’s guess.  This may well have been my first time at a Texas Roadhouse.

Texas Roadhouse is on Edgewood Boulevard near the Target and Sam’s Club.  We pulled up on a Thursday night and were really surprised by the number of cars in the parking lot.  Don’t let anyone tell you restaurants are struggling during these tough economic times.  I’m convinced no one knows how to cook anymore, so if they want a decent meal they HAVE to eat out.

We found a parking spot and went inside.  When J said we’d like a table for two in non-smoking, we were told there would be a little wait, so we made our way to the peanut barrel and starting eating.  I love places that put peanuts out.  I always eat too many though.

A few minutes later, the hostess said our table was ready and our waitress showed us the way.  The walk to our table went right by the kitchen, so the waitress grabbed a basket of rolls and some butter so we didn’t have to wait for it once we were seated.  J told me before we got there that she loved the butter at Texas Roadhouse.  How many places do you know of where someone actually craves the butter?  Once we were seated, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about, so I buttered up a roll.  I see know why she likes it so much.  It’s a cinnamon butter.  It was sooooo good.  After we polished off one basket of rolls, the waitress brought a second.  Uh-oh.  We’re going to fill up on rolls.  We polished that one off to and the waitress said she would come back with more, but we stopped her.  If she brought it, we would eat it and we didn’t need anymore…no matter how much we wanted it. Read the rest of this entry »

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Categories : BBQ, Burgers, Chains, Lansing, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

McDonald’s – South Holland, IL

19 02 2009
  • 700 E. Tri State Tollway
  • I-80/294 Milepost 1 – Lincoln Oasis
  • South Holland, IL 60473
  • (708) 596-3195
  • Website
  • Menu
The business listing for the Lincoln Oasis on the Tri-State Tollway

The business listing for the Lincoln Oasis on the Tri-State Tollway

OK, this is my last Illinois review for….two weeks.  Finally, after a week back in Illinois for a family emergency and then work, I was heading back to Lansing.  I like my family and miss them a lot, but I was really, really ready to get back to Michigan.  J and I had been watching the radar for the last two days wondering if I was even going to make.  It never fails, if we have to drive through southwest Michigan and Northwest Indiana, it’s guaranteed to snow.  Guaranteed.  Today didn’t look much better, but I decided to chance, so after a quick phone call to J to let her know I was on the way, I packed up my truck and headed north.

I left my parents right around 11:30 and sort of ran out in a hurry wanting to be on the road in between snow storms, so I didn’t get lunch with them.  I was on the road about an hour when I started to get hungry.  I knew I was coming up on the Lincoln Oasis, so I decided just to wait.  For those of you that aren’t regulars on the toll roads, the Oases are stops along the toll road where you don’t actually get off the highway, so you don’t have to pay to get off and get back on.  On I-294 (the Tri-State tollway), the Oases are suspended over the road.  In other places, they usually look more like rest stops with gas stations off on either side of the road, but around Chicago, there’s not much room, so they built a parking lot on either side then built the actual building across.  We used to stop at one of the other Oasis’s near O’Hare when we went to shows at The Rosemont Horizon (later called Allstate Arena).  They always have some sort of fast food.  Some have Wendy’s.  Some have McDonald’s.  This one has McDonald’s.

This McDonald’s is located in the Lincoln Oasis which is near South Holland, IL on the Tri-State tollway.  There are are other restaurants and services.  The McDonald’s only takes up a small part of the space yet they are pretty much the main attraction since they are open 24/7.  I was northbound on I-294 when I stopped.  The McDonald’s is near the south bound side, so I had to walk all the way through to find McDonald’s tucked in to a little corner.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : 24-Hour Diner, Chains, Fast Food, Illinois, Restaurant, Reviews, South Holland

Press Release – Old Town Mardi Gras

19 02 2009

From a press release…

Mardi Gras in Old Town!
An Evening of Jazz and New Orleans Cuisine
This Saturday from 7-11pm! (doors at 6:30)

PUT ON YOUR PARTY BEADS and transport yourself to New Orleans right here in Old Town. Enjoy a fantastic evening of live Jazz with the Wess Anderson Quartet and New Orleans jazz vocalist Germaine Bazzle and feast on delectable Mardi Gras favorites prepared by East Lansing’s own Gumbo & Jazz Restaurant. Sample delicacies such as Crawfish Etouffee, Gumbo, Jambalaya, Shrimp Creole and Bread Pudding.

$75 per person, $130 per couple
$250 per table of four, $360 per table of six

limited seating by reservation only
For Tickets Call: Gumbo & Jazz at 517-664-8626
For TicketsCall: Perspective2 at 517-853-5880
(5% discount to all P2 members)


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Categories : Festivals, Food News, Lansing, Old Town, Press Releases

Press Release – Culver’s Bucks The Trend

19 02 2009

From a press release…

Culver’s® Restaurants Defies Sluggish Economy
Confidence and commitment to growth lead to increased sales and bold new marketing campaign

Prairie Du Sac, WI (Grassroots Newswire) February 19, 2009 – Bucking the trend of a down economy, Culver’s® Restaurants is on the move. The company’s confidence and commitment to growth has led to increased sales, new restaurant openings, and an aggressive marketing campaign launching nationally around this year’s Academy Awards®.

Known for its ButterBurgers®, fresh frozen custard and commitment to treating guests with unexpected kindness, Culver’s is proof that good companies grow even in challenging times. Culver’s, celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, ended 2008 with nearly a 10 percent increase in overall sales. While its roots are in the Midwest, the company is spreading across the country with 23 new stores in 2008 – two of which opened in Phoenix, a new market for Culver’s – and 20 more planned for 2009.

Now, Culver’s is pulling out all the stops with a new marketing effort chronicling the “Culverization of the Nation.” Culverization began a year ago as the story of irresistible goodness and warm hospitality you’ll always find at every Culver’s restaurant was told. The company’s new marketing push seeks to extend Culverization across the nation, converting millions with delicious food and extraordinary hospitality.

The new campaign launches with Culver’s first-ever national TV ad, a 60-second commercial that will air Feb. 22 during the live “red carpet” show on E! preceding the Academy Awards. The 60-second commercial will also be shown during the Oscars broadcast on ABC affiliates in select markets, after which a series of 30-second spots will extend the campaign throughout 2009.

“We’re making a strong statement that Culver’s refuses to participate in the current economic downturn,” said Chris Contino, Culver’s vice president of marketing. “We honor our guests by doing what’s right for them. That’s something we’re proud of and believe helps us continue to grow despite challenges.

“With our first national TV commercial airing this Sunday, we believe that we are demonstrating Culver’s confidence. People will see us in markets we haven’t yet entered, but may be expanding to soon.”

In the new TV campaign, created by the Chicago office of MARC USA, there’s a lone skeptic – a fellow who hasn’t yet been Culverized. Mystified by what he’s seeing at Culver’s, he decides to investigate. To him, tasty food cooked to order and brought to your table or your car with a friendly smile is against the natural order of the universe.

The TV spots follow the mystified investigator as he observes Culverization. He sees it with his own eyes, but he doesn’t believe it. In one spot, he sees his grouchy neighbor become a model citizen once he has been Culverized. In another, he finds that the one thing you can’t get at Culver’s is a frown. In yet another, he’s so unnerved by the niceness all around that he runs off with a fresh, hot order. Convinced there’s something unnatural going on, he’s desperately trying to disrupt the experience. Of course, he fails every time.

In addition to the new TV spots, the campaign will include radio, a new crop of Culverisms (the quirky sayings on all point-of-sale and packaging), social media and grassroots events. Culver’s also has a growing following on Twitter (@getculverized) and a Facebook fan page.


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Categories : Chains, Food News, Press Releases

Antonio’s Pizza – Champaign, IL

19 02 2009
  • 619 E. Green Street
  • Champaign, IL 61820
  • (217) 365-9500
  • No Known Website
  • Menu
Antonios Pizza on Green Street in Champaign, IL

Antonio's Pizza on Green Street in Champaign, IL

You should know me by now.  When I’m on the campus of a large university, I go looking for pizza-by-the-slice.  I was in Champaign to witness one of the worst basketball games I have ever seen.  If you happened to watch the Penn State vs. Illinois basketball game, you know what I’m talking about.  Before that atrocity, I needed to find dinner.  Most of my co-workers went to a Mexican place, but I wanted pizza, so I headed to Green Street and started walking.

Antonio’s Pizza is in the 600 Block of Green Street which is U of I’s big restaurant district.  They’ve got everything from Asian to chains to bars to pizza.  I walked by a few places that looked good, but didn’t do anything for me.  From the corner of 6th and Green, I could see a green, white, and red striped awning.  I knew it had to be a pizza place, soI crossed the street and kept walking. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Champaign, Champaign/Urbana, Illinois, Pizza, Restaurant, Reviews

Press Release – Joan Bauer Introduces Smoke Free Bill

19 02 2009

I’m confused and it’s late, so I’m not going to dive into this as much as I should just yet.  Apparently, Rep Joan Bauer has introduced a Smoke Free Michigan Bill.  I thought there was already one introduced.  I’ll get to the bottom of it in the next couple days…or I know there’s a reader/commentor who will know what’s going on and fill me in.  The bill is HB 4341.  It was introduced on February 18 and referred to the Committee on Regulatory Reform.

 Campaign for Smokefree Air Reignites Legislative Effort To Make all Workplaces Smokefree

LANSING, Mich. – The battle for smokefree air continued today as Rep. Joan Bauer (D-Lansing) introduced House Bill 4341, an effort to make all workplaces in Michigan smokefree.

The Campaign for Smokefree Air supports Bauer’s bill, which would protect all Michigan workers from secondhand smoked exposure, including those at restaurants, bars and the three Detroit casinos. Bauer also is a leader in the newly formed Smokefree Air Caucus, a bipartisan, bicameral organization asking lawmakers to sign a pledge to work on smokefree legislation during this term.

“Michigan workers have waited long enough,” said Susan Schechter, CSA spokesperson and director of advocacy at the American Lung Association of Michigan. “We made progress last year, but not enough. It is time for measures such as Rep. Bauer’s bill to be passed and signed into law. Protecting the health of all workers needs to be a priority in the legislature.”

Smokefree legislation has received a groundswell of support lately, including in Gov. Granholm’s State of the State speech on Feb. 4 and from lawmakers who heard from constituents during the November 2008 election that this was an important issue to be resolved. Bauer is dedicated to the passing of smokefree legislation and hopes her fellow lawmakers will focus on the health of Michigan residents this term.

“Protecting all workers from inhaling secondhand smoke in order to bring home a paycheck is the priority here,” Bauer said. “No one should have to choose between their health and their job. As many as 2,400 Michigan residents die each year from secondhand smoke exposure. It is time for us to do our part in the legislature and protect our constituents.”

Polling sponsored by CSA in April 2005 and January 2008 consistently showed overwhelming support for smokefree workplaces across Michigan. In 2006, the U.S. Surgeon General released a report concluding that the only way to protect workers and residents from deadly secondhand smoke exposure is through comprehensive smokefree air laws. Currently, more than 30 states have adopted protective smokefree air laws.


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Categories : Food News, Michigan, Press Releases

Press Release – Bath Middle School Family Fun Night

19 02 2009

Got this from a press release.  Lots of restaurants participating…

On Friday, February 20, 2009, from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., Bath Middle School will host a Family Fun Night. A silent auction, featuring themed baskets and a variety of items donated by area businesses, will go on throughout the event. Businesses donating silent auction items include: Stillwater Grill, The State Room Restaurant, The English Inn Restaurant & Pub, Mitchell’s Fish Market, Bravo Cucina Italina, Eagle Eye Athletic Club, Eagle Eye Golf Club, Hawk Hollow, Royal Scot, Powerhouse Gym, Caruso’s Candy & Ice Cream, Jimmy’s Pub, Playmakers, Munn Ice Arena, Dublin Square, Portrait Innovations, Burgdorf’s Winery, Michigan Athletic Club, McAlister’s Deli, Hair Plus, Caribbean Cabana Tanning, CMU Bookstore, DeWitt Family Golf Center, Cork & Bottle Winery LLC, Gringos, NCG Eastwood Cinemas, Lansing Lugnuts, Quiznos, The Teacher Store, Grand Traverse Pie Company, Jumpin’ Jax, Max & Erma’s, Johnny Rockets, Panera, Impression Five Science Center, The East Lansing Aquatic
Center, Abrams Planetarium, Douglas J Salon, B/A Florist, Hair and Body Elements.

Free activities include inflatable fun by Wacky Zone, interactions with crazy critters, a CSI lab activity, dancing with DJ J.D. Larner, karaoke, a game room, arts and crafts and cookie decorating. Student organizations are sponsoring several of these free activities. Pizza, pop, and baked goods will be available to purchase during the event. All proceeds from the event will be used to enhance the educational experience of Bath Middle School students.


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Categories : Food News, Michigan, Press Releases