Mama Bear’s – A Conscious Cafe

30 04 2009
  • 1224 Turner Street
  • Lansing, MI 48906
  • (517) 485-6262
  • Website
  • Menu
Mama Bears - A Conscious Cafe in Old Town

Mama Bear's - A Conscious Cafe in Old Town

It’s the end of the month again which means J and I head to Delta Township to get her hair cut.  While she’s doing that, I drive around town, run errands, and of course, scout out new places to eat.  In City Pulse’s Top of the Town Awards, I noticed a cafe in Old Town that racked up a few awards.  I couldn’t find much other than a Myspace page on the place, but it sounded good to me.

Mama Bear’s Cafe is on Turner Street in Old Town half a block off of Grand River Avenue.  I drove by the building four times trying to find it.  It’s a big grey building with a black awning.  There is a logo on the awning, but it’s hard to see from the street.  I did finally find it and after I picked J up, headed back to Old Town for lunch.

We parked on the street a few doors down from the cafe and walked back.  The cafe is pretty small, but very cute.  The order counter is near the front.  The dining room are heavy wood tables which are scattered throughout the space.  Next to the counter on either side is a pastry case with all sorts of goodies including some that are vegan. 

We stopped in closer to 1:30 which would have been after the lunch rush.  The lady working told us they had a pretty busy lunch and they were out of a few things.  There was no turkey left and they didn’t have everything to make the creole wrap which I think is the menu item J was looking at.  Read the rest of this entry »

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Categories : Cafe, Lansing, Michigan, Old Town, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Handy’s Food Market

30 04 2009
  • 424 W. Willow Street
  • Lansing, MI 48906
  • (517) 482-1156
  • No Known Website
Handys Food Market on Willow Street in Lansing.

Handy's Food Market on Willow Street in Lansing.

Handy’s Food Market is on Willow Street at the corner of Chestnutt.  It’s a really small building with just a little bit of street parking.  There were already three or four cars parked out front, so I had to go down the street a little ways to find a spot. 

Like I already mentioned, there isn’t a lot of room in the store.  There’s one shelf that runs through the middle of the store and divides the space in to two.  With the aisles that are left, there’s not enough room for two people to pass by comfortably. 

I found the spice section I was looking for, but again, couldn’t find what I was looking for.  I found whole ancho chile’s, but no powder.  Before I left, I also noticed some hanging above the counter, but still, no ancho chile powder. 

I didn’t look around too much, but the rest of the store was filled with staples of the Mexican pantry.  There was also a case up front that had some prepared food that looks like it just needed to be heated up again.  I didn’t ask questions and there wasn’t a whole lot of room to move. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Grocery, Lansing, Mexican, Michigan

“I Love This Bar” Coming to Auburn Hills

29 04 2009

Yes, I’m a country music fan.  Yes, I’m a Toby Keith fan despite the fact he’s a closet liberal.  I’ve never been to Vegas or any of the other cities where one of his restaurants are, but I’m sure we’ll make a trip to Auburn Hills once “I Love This Bar” opens at Great Lakes Crossing.

Country music singer-songwriter Toby Keith will open a 650-seat restaurant and entertainment center called I LoveThis Bar & Grill at Great Lakes Crossing in Auburn Hills late this year, mall marketing director Melissa Morang announced today.

[snip]

The casual menu includes many of the home-style Southern dishes the ex-oil field worker from Oklahoma callshis favorites: pulled-pork sandwiches, chicken-fried steak, Honky Tonk meatloaf, Freedom Fries and fried-bologna sandwiches — a signature dish, along with Southern-fried Twinkies.


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Categories : Auburn Hills, Food News, Michigan

Speaker Dillon Wants Movement on Smoking Ban

29 04 2009

Got this statement from House Speaker Andy Dillon today.

“As I’ve said before, we want to move the smoking ban before summer. I trust my Chairman will move the smoking ban when it is ready.”

OK


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Categories : Michigan, Politics

Pepsi Throwback Now In Mid-Michigan

27 04 2009

When my dad showed up at my apartment this weekend, he had a surprise for me.  Before leaving, he found bottles of Pepsi and Mt. Dew Throwback..   I heard some time ago that Pepsi was going to do a limited run of the two with natural sugar to give drinkers a taste of what the product was pre 1980’s.

I hadn’t seen the bottles around here yet, so I was really excited to try them.  He brought two bottles of each and offered me one of them.  I tried the Pepsi first.  Man, was it good.  So much crisper.  I have been buying glass bottles of Pepsi manufactured for the Mexican market at Tony’s Party Store and American International Bulk Foods.  Those bottles are made with cane sugar, so the taste of the Pepsi Throwback wasn’t something totally new to me.  Still, it was nice to get it in a 20 oz. plastic bottle.  My dad, who doesn’t really like Pepsi, really likes the Throwback.  He says it doesn’t have the aftertaste that regular Pepsi does.

The Mt. Dew took a little while to grow on both of us.  At first, I thought it tasted water down, but that was because it didn’t have the aftertaste that the HFCS version does.  The only chance you have to savor the drink is as it’s passing through.  It doesn’t stick around.  After I started drinking a whole bottle, it really started to grow on me.  My dad, who only drinks Mt. Dew, said the same thing.  At first, it wasn’t great, but the taste grew and now he’s only drinking the Throwback.

Unfortunately, the Pepsi Throwback is only set for a limited run.  Sales are supposed to halt on June 13 then only the HFCS that we all know and are forced to love will be the only choice.

This morning, my dad wanted one for the road, so we ran over to Meijer on Pennsylvania to see if they had them.  I hadn’t seen them yet in Mid-Michigan, but I haven’t been looking either.  I figured Meijer would have them if anyone would and I needed a few other things anyway.  We found a 12 pack of cans in the pop aisle, but no bottles.  As we went to check out, we found a cooler full of 20 oz. singles.  He got a Mt. Dew for the drive back to Illinois and I got a Pepsi just because I love Pepsi.  Every place my dad has found them they have been sold for $.99.  Meijer had them at full price…$1.39 plus deposit.  Still, I’ve only got a month and a half to enjoy the true taste of Pepsi.  I hope it goes over well and Pepsico changes their mind about the limited run.


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The Henry Ford Museum

27 04 2009
  • 20900 Oakwood Blvd.
  • Dearborn, MI 48124
  • (313) 982-6001
  • Website
The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn Michigan

The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn Michigan

I’m weird when it comes to museum’s.  I don’t know why, but I like them.  When my eighth grade class took a class trip to Washington DC, I was really mad we didn’t go to the history museum at the Smithsonian.  The only place we went was the Air and Space Museum which was great, but not my thing.

My parents came to town and we needed something to do.  Like I explained in an earlier post, our plan was to go to Canada to gamble, but they forgot theirbirth certificates.  As we were walking through Target Saturday night, I asked J what the heck we were going to do to entertain them the next day.  She mentioned the RE Olds Museum in Lansing and that eventually led to The Henry Ford in Dearborn.   I still want to take my dad to the Olds Museum, but that’s something we can do another time. 

The Henry Ford is a huge complex in Dearborn that consist of a museum, IMAX theater, the Rouge factory tour and the 90 acre Greenfield Village.  That’s just the attractions open to the public.  There is also a research center, the Ford convention center and probably more things I don’t know about.  The complex is located on Oakwood Boulevard just a mile or so off Southfield Freeway.

We entered the complex off Oakwood Boulevard.  At first, the whole thing is a little confusing.  It looks like a college campus and it’s not really marked all that well.  We knew we were looking to go to the museum and we never saw a sign or anything that really showed where it was.  We spotted the IMAX and the Greenfield Village.  I figured we could just park and start walking around.  It had to be in between the two.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Dearborn, Entertainment Venues, Michigan, Reviews

Sweetie-Licious Wins Grand Prize

27 04 2009

I saw this little tidbit on Sweetie-Licious’ Facebook page.

THE BEST POSSIBLE NEWS! Linda won the $5,000 grand prize at the National Pie Championship in Florida. Her winning pie was Tom’s Cherry Cherry Berry Pie. Be sure to stop into the shop an congratulate her! Way to go Linda!!!!!

Congrats on the win!  Still haven’t made it to DeWitt, but hope to soon.  J got a pie from them at last spring’s Capitol Farmer’s Market and loved it.


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Cheli’s Chili Bar & Restaurant – Dearborn

27 04 2009
  • 21918 Michigan Avenue
  • Dearborn, MI 49124
  • (313) 274-9700
  • Website
  • Menu
Chelis Chili Bar & Restaurant in Dearborn.

Cheli's Chili Bar & Restaurant in Dearborn.

Since moving here, I’ve been wanting to eat at Cheli’s Chili in downtown Detroit.  I’ve always been a huge Chris Chelios fan and a #7 Blackhawks jersey still hangs in my closet.  When I started looking at restaurants in Detroit, Cheli’s Chili on the corner of Michigan and Oakwood came up.  I knew my parents would like a sports bar.

J had a great idea when it came to entertaining my parents.  Our original plan was to go gambling in Windsor, but my parents forgot their birth certificates so we couldn’t do that.  I offered Detroit, but neither were really interested.  They usually stop in New Buffalo when they come see me, but mom wants to say she gambled in Canada before the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative goes in to effect in June.  Since they forgot their documents, we needed a plan B. I had no ideas, but J suggested The Henry Ford Museum in Detroit.  First, we needed lunch.

We made it to Dearborn just before noon.  The building is on the corner, but the entrance is actually in the back.  There’s a parking lot there with a few spaces, a public lot right next to it and street parking all along Oakwood.  We parked the car and walked towards the door to find another couple standing there waiting.  The restaurant didn’t open until noon.  No big deal because it was 11:55.  We ended up walking across the street to Westborn Market (review HERE) to kill time. 

When we made it back, we walked in and saw a sign that the deck was open so we headed up there.  Like the downtown location, the Dearborn location has a party deck on the roof.  There’s an elevator right next to a staircase.  If it’s not a nice day or you don’t like sun, there’s also a huge dining room in the bar.  We didn’t really go in to far.  We found a display case with autographed memorabilia and Chelios jersey’s, but that’s as far as we made it. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Burgers, Dearborn, Downtown, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches, Sports Bar

Westborn Market – Dearborn

27 04 2009
  • 21755 Michigan Avenue
  • Dearborn, MI 48124
  • (313) 274-6100
  • Website
Westborn Market in downtown Dearborn.

Westborn Market in downtown Dearborn.

 We had no intention of shopping in downtown Dearborn on Sunday.  My parents were in town and we were looking for something to do.  My dad is a car fan and J thought a trip to The Henry Ford Musuem could be interesting.  After a quick Google search, I remembered there was a Cheli’s Chili in Dearborn and even though Chelios is a Red Wing now, he’s a Chicago boy first, so I’ve been wanting to go to his restaurant.  We got there about five minutes before the restaurant opened.  My mom noticed a flower shop across the street which led us to see a Fruit Market across the street from that.  So, to kill a little time, we headed across Michigan Avenue. 

Westborn Market is a small group of stores in the Detroit area.  Besides the one in Dearborn, there are stores in Berkely and Livonia.  The Dearborn store is on Michigan Avenue at Oakwood  Boulevard.  From the street, it looks like any neighborhood grocery store, but that impression quickly changes you walk inside. 

The first area of the store is an open air fruit market.  It’s covered by a permanent structure, but there are no window or doors….at least when it’s nice like it was the day we stopped.  They have a huge variety of fresh produce.  When we walked in, J called it a cross between Whole Foods and Horrocks.  They had the variety and nice displays of a Whole Foods, but they didn’t have the Whole Foods prices.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Dearborn, Downtown, Grocery, Michigan, Reviews

Press Release – Don’s Windmill Truckstop Closing

27 04 2009

I heard a while ago this might happen.  Still, a sad day.  Don’s was one of the first restaurants that was recommended to J and I when we moved here.  The restaurant will close Friday.  From a press release…..

DON’S THANKS VISITORS FOR 54 YEARS OF BUSINESS

Dimondale, MI – (April 27, 2009) Don’s Windmill Truck Stop of Dimondale announced today that it will close its doors after its 54 year run as travelers’ one-stop-shop. Don’s Windmill Family Restaurant started in 1955 as a ten tables diner named after the late Donald Millisor, who passed summer of 2006. Don and his wife Shirley saw their business grow rapidly as the Interstate-96 and Interstate-69 was built around Lansing, and their customer-base became predominately truck drivers and travelers. The 24 hours restaurant/travel center/fuel station today services hundreds of truckers and travelers a week, as well as many locals.

Due to the failing Michigan economy and the current U.S. recession the third and forth generation family business has no choice but to shut down operations. The Windmill Restaurant, which has become known for its friendly service and its delicious breakfast buffets, will close Friday, May 1, 2009 as well as the Diesel Center. The Travel Center and Gas Station will remain open until the business completes final closing procedures.

According General Manager, Daniel Millisor, son of Don and Shirley, “Our family is heartbroken to have to close the family Business. It has been a vital part of our entire lives, as well as a local icon to our many loyal customers”

The Millisor Family would like to thank their valued employees, many of them who have served the business for as long as 45 years. The family would also like to recognize the number of loyal customers who have been the heart of keeping the business open for 54 years. It’s disappointing to the community to see another ‘mom n’ pops’ business come to an end, but the years of memories it holds will not be forgotten.

Don’s Windmill would like to announce an invitation to everyone for one last meal at the nostalgic diner. Whether its the first time or the 10,000th time, come in for homemade soups and pies, all-you-can-eat spaghetti and meatballs, super-sized chopped steak dinner, build-your-own omelet, hot biscuits and gravy, or come in to finally conquer the one pound Monster Burger!
 


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Categories : Dimondale, Food News, Michigan, Press Releases

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