Yankee Rebel Tavern

26 07 2009
  • 3 Astor Street
  • Mackinac Island, MI 49757
  • (906) 847-6249
  • Website
  • Menu
The Yankee Rebel Tavern on Astor Street on Mackinac Island.

The Yankee Rebel Tavern on Astor Street on Mackinac Island.

As soon as we got off the ferry from the mainland, we started looking for food.  Mackinac Island has a number of restaurants downtown and none of them are chains.  That makes choosing some place to eat when you’re only going to eat two meals on the Island a little difficult. 

Before we took the trip, I did my research online like I always do before out-of-town trips and one of the places that stood out to me was a colonial themed tavern.  We went looking for that on Main Street and just happened to look down one of the side streets to see the sign.

The Yankee Rebel Tavern is on Astor Street between Main and Market on Mackinac Island.  As the name implies, there is a little bit of a colonial theme to the place.  We got to the Island about 12:15 and this was stop #1.  Even though it seemed like there were quite a few people on the Island, I was a little surprised when we got in the door and didn’t see anyone. 

The hostess took  us to a booth along the wall and set down plastic place mats in front of us as well as the menus.  On the way to our table, we saw one other party at a booth near us.  That would change very quickly. 

The decor of the bar isn’t that much different from any other bar we’ve eaten in.  It’s a very comfortable family atmosphere.  It is non-smoking which always gains a place a few more points in my book.  There are a row of booths along one wall and the bar is on the other.  The space in between is filled with tables.  It’s not a huge building by any means, but it’s not tiny either. Read the rest of this entry »

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Categories : Burgers, Downtown, Mackinac Island, Michigan, Pub, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Mackinac Island

26 07 2009
  • 7274 Main Street
  • Mackinac Island, MI 49757
  • (906) 847-3783
  • Website
Mackinac Island

Mackinac Island

J and I finally feel like Michiganders (or is it Michiginians?).  It seems like every weekend, our friends who grew up here always say they’re “going up north.”  That’s it.  No specific place.  Just up north.  Since we don’t have family here or a cottage somewhere, there’s really no reason for us to “go north.” 

Since moving here, I’ve wanted to go to Mackinac Island.  J went when she was younger.  Her family did the circle tour one year and Mackinac Island was one of the stops.  I’ve never been.  We had plans to go for a couple days in June, but wedding plans made it impossible to take the trip.  A couple weeks ago, J and I were noticing our weekends off, alone together were slowly becoming more and more rare.  We looked at the calendar and figured out the last weekend in July could be the last chance until next spring for us to get away for a day, so we made plans.

Our day started early.  We got up around 7:30 and got on the road about 8:00.  We knew we couldn’t afford to stay on the Island and we knew we couldn’t afford to take the ferry two days in a row, so we decided just to make it a day trip.  Yes, it was a long day with a lot of driving, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.  Mackinac Island is abouta  3 1/2 hour drive from Lansing, but it’s all four lane highway which is really nice. 

We pulled into Mackinaw City at about 11:30.  We found our way to the Arnold Ferry.  When we pulled in, a guy pointed us to a parking lot across the street.  We parked and walked back to get our tickets.  Arnold was the one ferry company that had a AAA discount.  I showed my card and got a couple bucks off.  The tickets were $22 a piece for the round trip, so the ferry round cost us $44.  I was hit with sticker shock when I first saw the prices, but it’s the only way to get there. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Downtown, Entertainment Venues, Live Entertainment, Mackinac Island, Michigan

Ted-Dee’s Sandwich Shop

23 07 2009
  • 119 S. Washington Square
  • Lansing, MI 48933
  • (517) 374-2784
  • Website
  • Menu
Ted-Dees Sandwich Shop in downtown Lansing.

Ted-Dee's Sandwich Shop in downtown Lansing.

After spending a little time at the Select Michigan Capitol Lawn Farmer’s Market, J and I were in the market for lunch.  Since we were only a block from Washington Square, I suggested we take a walk and see what we could find.  It my mind, I was already leaning towards a deli, but if J saw something she would rather have, I wasn’t going to complain.

I’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating, I feel extremely sorry for the businesses that have to deal with the CSO Project.  We walked down Allegan from the Capitol and just walking in the area is a pain.  Imagine if you have to drive.  It’s not worth the hassle….and that pains me to say. 

As we rounded the corner on Washington Square, we followed the fence to a makeshift crosswalk in the middle of the street.  The good thing is the crosswalk leads right to the door of Ted-Dee’s Sandwich shop which sits near the intersection of Washington Square and Allegan Street. 

It was lunch time and there were a lot of people walking the streets looking for lunch.  We entered Ted-Dee’s to find a cafeteria style set up.  Along the back wall is an order counter with a very high counter.  There are menu boards on the walls, but the fare is pretty standard for a deli.  There are a list of meats, breads, and salads.  There aren’t a lot of choices like a New York style deli, so it didn’t take long for us to decide on a sandwich. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Deli, Downtown, Lansing, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Select Michigan Capitol Lawn Farmers Market

23 07 2009
The Select Michigan Capitol Lawn Farmers Market in the shadow of the Capitol Building.

The Select Michigan Capitol Lawn Farmer's Market in the shadow of the Capitol Building.

We’ve been a little bad so far this year.  J and I haven’t really taken advantage of the countless number of Farmer’s Markets in the area.  I work most weekends now, so the time we have together in the morning is usually spent searching out new restaurants. 

Last year, we trekked downtown for both Select Michigan Capitol Lawn Farmer’s Market’s and when I saw some Twitter activity about the event yesterday, I asked J to set the alarm clock so we could get up and go to the Capitol.

When the alarm went off, we both had a hard time moving.  It was morning, but it was still so dark.  We finally did roll out of bed and got moving. 

We made it downtown just before noon and found a parking spot about a block away.  I grabbed the reusable shopping bag out of the back and we started working our way around the sidewalk in front of the Capitol.  The first thing I noticed is that there was a lot more packaged products this year.  There were multiple stands selling honey, BBQ sauces, jams, and spice rubs.  There were also a lot of potted plants.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Farmer's Market, Lansing, Michigan

Sweetie-licious Bakery Cafe

20 07 2009
  • 108 N. Bridge Street
  • DeWitt, MI 48820
  • (517) 669-9300
  • Website
  • Menu
Sweetie-licious Bakery Cafe in downtown DeWitt.

Sweetie-licious Bakery Cafe in downtown DeWitt.

Since moving to Lansing, I’ve been looking for an excuse to take a trip to DeWitt so we could check out Sweetie-licious.  Finally, I stopped looking for an excuse and just made my own.  We found a place to eat lunch and then planned on heading to Sweetie-licious for dessert.  After a quick lunch at Relli’s, we made the one block trip to with the hopes of sampling the best pie in the country.

Sweetie-licious Bakery Cafe is on Bridge Street in downtown DeWitt.  It’s a colorful storefront  with a few red tables outside.  The store itself is tiny and pretty popular.  We showed up about 1:00 on a Saturday and we had to weave our way around other people. 

There are two pastry cases that take up a bulk of the public space.  In the remaining space, there are a few tables.  They do have a savory menu that consists of sandwiches and salads, but we were in the market for sweets. 

I’m not a pie person, so I started looking in the cases to see what they had.  There wasn’t a whole lot left, but there were some cookies and brownies that both looked good to me.  I was just going to let J order and then throw in a cookie or two. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Bakery, Dewitt, Michigan, Reviews

Relli’s

18 07 2009
  • 202 E. Main Street
  • DeWitt, MI 48820
  • (517) 669-9243
  • No Known Webite
  • Menu
Rellis on Main Street in DeWitt.

Relli's on Main Street in DeWitt.

Saturday’s have sort of become a exploration day.  We’ve eaten at most of the restaurants we wanted to eat at in Lansing, so we’ve been looking more at the surrounding communities.  Ever since moving here, there’s been a pastry shop in DeWitt that I’ve wanted to go to, but we’ve never had a reason to go to DeWitt.  Last night when J told me to find someplace for lunch, I started to look at places north of Lansing, so we could hit up DeWitt for dessert.  What I ended up finding was a sports bar..and you know how much we love sports bars.

Relli’s is near downtown DeWitt on Main Street just a block from Bridge Street.  It’s a big corner building that really sticks out.  The exterior looks like wood slats and it really sticks out in the bedroom community.  There is a parking lot on the side of the building and an entrance near that lot, but we found some street parking right in front, so I pulled across the bike lane into the parking spot.

We used the front door which brings you right into an arcade area.  I tried to get J to play a game of Golden Tee, but we kept moving to find a table.  The building is rather large.  There’s a dining room behind the bar that is separated from the bar area.  There are also a few tables near the bar and another connected dining room  as part of the same room.  Even though it was probably the smoking section, I took a seat near the bar.  When we eat lunch at places like this, I always like to sit where we can be seen by the bartender.  At least I know then that we won’t go totally unnoticed. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Burgers, Dewitt, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

McAlister’s Deli – Okemos

15 07 2009
  • 4760 Marsh Road
  • Okemos, MI 48864
  • (517) 381-3100
  • Website
  • Menu
McAlisters Deli on Marsh Road in Okemos

McAlister's Deli on Marsh Road in Okemos

It’s not very often that J and I make appointments for the early afternoon, but today, we had something to do in Okemos around one o’clock.  Our appointment wasn’t going to take long, so we decided we could squeeze lunch in after what we needed to do and before she needed to go to work.

Since we didn’t have a whole lot of time, I asked the question, bar food or deli.  She chose deli which narrowed the choices to Panera or McAlister’s.  Since I’ve only eaten at a McAlister’s once and she never had, I chose the latter. 

McAlister’s Deli is a chain of restaurants founded in the late nineties in Oxford, Mississippi.  There are three locations in the Lansing area.  Since we were in Okemos, we went to the Marsh Road location which is near the intersection with Grand River Avenue in a small strip mall. 

When we walked in, J’s first thought it was a sit down restaurant, but the aisle from the door leads you right to the order counter.  The decor is made to resemble the original restaurant which was in a gas station.  The lighting is pretty dark and the tables are sectioned off with dark wood dividers Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Chains, Deli, Michigan, Okemos, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Buddy’s Pizza – Conant Street

13 07 2009
  • 17125 Conant Street
  • Detroit, MI 48212
  • (313) 892-9001
  • Website
  • Menu
Buddys Pizza on Conant Street in Detroit.

Buddy's Pizza on Conant Street in Detroit.

Finally!  This weekend finally got here.  It’s a weekend that J and I have been looking forward to for quite a while.  My family, including my 9 month old niece, was coming to see us.  The purpose behind the trip was to take in a ballgame at Comerica Park.  It was unfortunate that we couldn’t pick a weekend that the White Sox were in town, but my brother and sister-in-law already had vacations planned for this week and since the Tigers were home, we got tickets and planned on enjoying a long weekend in Michigan.

Before we could go to the game, we had to find food.  As I’ve mentioned on this blog before, pizza is the easiest thing for us all to agree on.  Most people recommended Pizza Papalis in Greektown which, up until a few weeks ago, was the plan.  As I was surfing the Chow.com boards, I kept reading about Buddy’s Pizza. 

I’ve eaten at the Pizza Papalis in Southfield and loved it, but, it was Chicago-style pizza.  My family is from Chicago, so I wanted to give them a uniquely Detroit experience.  When I posted a thread on Chow.com, I got several replies that Buddy’s would give them the uniquely Detroit experience and it was some of the best pizza in the country. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Detroit, Dive Bar, Local Flavor, Michigan, Pizza, Restaurant, Reviews

Frank’s Press Box East

10 07 2009
  • 2314 Woodlake Drive
  • Okemos, MI 48864
  • (517) 347-8810
  • Website
  • Menu
Franks Press Box East near the I-96 exit in Okemos.

Frank's Press Box East near the I-96 exit in Okemos.

Yup, it’s Friday again.  For some reason, I get lazy on Friday and don’t feel like cooking.  Today, I had another reason though.  My family is coming to town late tonight and J and I spent all morning cleaning.  I’m a pretty messy cook.  It’s not unusual to find flour or a little bit of cheese on the floor after dinner.  Instead of taking that chance, J suggested we go out. 

A few weeks ago, we went to Applebees in Okemos for dinner.  I chose that location because we J wanted to go to a chain, but being Friday night, it was a good idea to have a back up option just in case.  Tonight, that back up became the main attraction.

Frank’s Press Box East is on Woodlake Road just off of I-96 in Okemos.  Like so many businesses in that area, they don’t have a store front on Okemos Road.  There is a little sign on the road, but it’s easy to miss.  It was a long time before I even knew Frank’s had a second restaurant in Okemos.

We pulled into the parking a little after seven and there were a lot more cars than I expected.  I almost had doubts that we wouldn’t get a table.  I don’t know what I was expecting, but I was expecting what we found. Read the rest of this entry »


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

Honeybaked Ham Cafe – Lansing

9 07 2009
  • 5601 W. Saginaw Highway
  • Lansing, MI 48917
  • (517) 327-5008
  • Website
  • Menu
The Honeybaked Ham Company and Cafe on W. Saginaw Highway in Lansing.

The Honeybaked Ham Company and Cafe on W. Saginaw Highway in Lansing.

Merry Christmas!  Yes, I know it’s July, but J and I finally cashed in her Christmas present from work.  We were out in Delta Township with a number of errands to run.  Before we left the house, I suggested we finally use the $50 gift certificate from Honeybaked Ham for lunch.  I think we both almost forgot about it and since it’s good until next Christmas, we just kept putting it off.  My family is coming to town this weekend, so picking up some extra lunch meat sounded like a good idea.

The Honeybaked Ham Company and Cafe is in one of the many little strip malls across the street from the Lansing Mall on West Saginaw Highway.  I have had the boxed lunches from Honeybaked Ham before, but I’ve never been in a store.  J said her mom used to stop and pick up a whole ham, but she hadn’t eaten lunch there either. 

The store is pretty small with an order counter, a couple tables, and some displays of gourmet pantry items.  The menu board is above the coolers behind the counter.  Since we had a gift certificate, we had to spend the whole thing.  The plan was to get lunch for both of us today and get some sliced meat to take home for the weekend.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Cafe, Chains, Deli, Lansing, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

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