Munchies

30 08 2008
  • 4100 S. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
  • Lansing, MI 48910
  • (517) 887-2500
  • No Known Website
  • Menu
Munchies on MLK in Lansing. Serving up the Cheapest Wings in Town....Period!

Munchies on MLK in Lansing. Serving up the "Cheapest Wings in Town....Period!"

A few weeks ago I had to run to the Walgreens on MLK instead of the one I usually go to on Cedar.  As I’m driving down MLK, a small restaurant with a big banner out front catches my eye.  A lot of times, you’ll see stuff like “Best Wings in Town” or something similar boasting about the taste.  Not this banner.  It read “Cheapest Wings in Town.”  There’s something to be proud of….I guess.  When I got home, I told J about it.  She looked at me a little funny and said I was on my own for that one.  If all they can advertise is the cheapest wings in town, she wanted no part of it.

J had to work in Kalamazoo today so I waited until she left to get a late lunch.  I pulled into the parking lot and parked up front.  There was only one other guy there and he was leaving.  I went inside looking for a menu and didn’t see anything about wings.  When I got to the register, I noticed a piece of paper taped to the counter.  That’s where the wing prices were.  There were serveral options, but I went with six wings and wedges.  They weren’t kidding.  These probably ARE the cheapest wings in town.  The whole deal cost me about $4.50.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Chicken, Lansing, Local Flavor, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews

Finley’s American Restaurant – South Lansing

29 08 2008
  • 6300 S. Cedar St.
  • Lansing, MI 48911
  • (517) 882-7530
  • Website
  • Menu
Finleys American Restaurant on S. Cedar St in Lansing.

Finley's American Restaurant on S. Cedar St in Lansing.

I was bad.  I got home from Indianapolis at 4 AM after leaving Lansing at 7 AM the previous today.  I was a little tired.  Phone calls woke me up and I only got about six hours of sleep.  After my girlfriend went to work, I decided to take a nap.  Usually when I take afternoon naps, I sleep for an hour or so.  Not today.  I slept almost three hours.  I woke up about ten minutes before J usually comes home for dinner.  There was no way I could put anything together in that time other than a salad, so I swallowed my pride and sent her a text message letting her know there would be no dinner ready in time.  She called me back and said we could just go out, but she wanted to go to a restaurant where she wouldn’t be tempted to order something greasy. 

Finley’s sits about a mile down the road from us, but since we’ve moved here, we haven’t tried.  It has the appearance of a chain restaurant so we kind of stayed away.  It is a chain, but it’s a small local chain with five Finley’s all located in Michigan.  However, there are more restaurants in the system.  They are owned by a company called River City Food Company which owns six restaurant brands including BD’s Mongolian BBQ which also has locations in Mid-Michigan. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Chains, Lansing, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews

Great Lakes Chocolate & Coffee Co. – Lansing

26 08 2008
  • 500 E. Michigan Ave.
  • Suite 190
  • Lansing, MI 48912
  • (517) 999-3405
  • Website
  • Menu
Great Lakes Chocolate & Coffee Company in the Stadium District near Downtown Lansing

Great Lakes Chocolate & Coffee Company in the Stadium District near Downtown Lansing

If you’ve ever looked at my sidebar, you’ve noticed I have RSS feeds from the local media outlets here in town.  This story on WLAJ.com really jumped out at me today.

About a dozen mid-Michigan workers are employed today with the help of the Great Lakes Chocolate and Coffee Company.

YAY!  Chocolate!  When my girlfriend came home for dinner tonight, I suggested making a run downtown to get a couple pieces of gourmet chocolate for dessert before I took she had to go back. 

The Great Lakes Chocolate & Coffee Co. opened up shop on the corner of Michigan Ave. and Larch St. on the first floor of the Stadium District building across from Oldsmobile Park.  Parking is limited out front to a few meters, but behind the building is a massive parking lot for the businesses and the residents of the Stadium District.  We were going the wrong way down Michigan to get a spot at a meter, so we went around to the back parking lot.  For those coffee lovers in a hurry, there’s also a drive-thru behind the building.  The main entrance is off Michigan Ave, but there is a back entrance from the back lot and an entrance on the Larch St. side.  Since we parked in back, we entered from the back.  There an open sign and there are hours on the door, but when we walked in, we second guessed ourselves.  The only two doors you see are for the men’s room and an employee entrance to the kitchen.  There is a hallway that leads back into the shop, but it took us a second to get our bearings and realize that. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Cafe, Chocolate, Coffee, Lansing, Local Flavor, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews

Panera Bread – Lansing Mall

21 08 2008
  • 5300 W. Saginaw Hwy
  • Lansing, MI 48917
  • (517) 703-9340
  • Website
  • Menu
Panera Bread located inside the Lansing Mall on Saginaw Highway in Lansing

Panera Bread located inside the Lansing Mall on Saginaw Highway in Lansing

I used to be scared of Panera Bread.  I always assumed there is nothing there I would like because they didn’t make greasy hamburgers and fries.  My girlfriend finally got me there one day while we were doing some extended work in Decatur, IL.  We had exhausted all of the downtown restaurant options and another lady we were working with had mentioned she was going to Panera Bread.  I decided not to argue and went along for the ride.  To my surprise, I actually found quite a bit there that sounded and looked good.  Panera has always been a standby for J.  She eats there pretty much every time she has to work in Kalamazoo or anytime she has to find someplace to eat and I’m not with her.

Today, we needed to run to Horrocks before heading back to Illinois for the weekend.  J just wanted a salad for lunch and asked if there was a Panera close.  The only one I could think of was the one at the Lansing Mall so after we grabbed what we needed from Horrocks, we headed down Saginaw Highway to the mall.  Read the rest of this entry »


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

City Market Vote – Liveblogging – Market Approved!

18 08 2008

The City Council is taking up the issue of the City Market at tonight’s City Council Meeting…I got the TIVO going on this one, but it’s going to be a long, long night.  There are almost 70 people signed up for public comment on legislative matters and general matters.  The Council did vote to limit public comment to 2 minutes instead of 3, but if everyone speaks, that’s still 2 hours and 20 minutes of public comment.

Before that though, Mayor Bernero made a few comments about the project.

He said it will create jobs for 100’s of skilled trades people and opportunities for citizens.  It will grow the city’s taxbase and help pay for essential services.  It will also clean up historic environmental contamination along the riverfront. The new building will be a $1.6 million new facility that is energy efficient and more spacious. 

“This is the plan that will catapult the Lansing City Market to new heights of success”

Update 7:51 PM – There were some updates to the final development agreement over the weekend. 

  1. Added definition to not include strip malls.  No single story commercial structure
  2. Defined expected economic tools from city.  Struck Dept. of Environ. Quality loan.
  3. Developer may make application for incentives that will require approval from City.
  4. Developer has agreed to make good faith efforts to hire diverse Mid-Michigan workforce.  Developer agree to put in contract with construction manager language that reads “All contractors must adhere to the City of Lansing’s taxing regulations which include reporting income tax and wage detail information.”
  5. Some dates have been tweaked a little bit to bring in to unity time to complete the project. 
  6. Closing date was moved up by a month from May1 to April 1 to fit new payment schedule.  Full payment for property due April 1 so construction cannot be started before property is sold
  7. Prepayments will not returned if developer decides not to build before closing
  8. In a scenario in the future, if he were to sell the building or piece of property to any non tax paying entity, he would agree to pay the full millage rate on the property 63.63 mills for 15 years starting with the date of the occupancy permit being issued on whatever that project is.

Update 8:00 PM – Public comment starts and one of the first guys up come out yelling about historical buildings and bashing the mayor and threatens that everyone up there can be replaced. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Food News, Lansing

Save-A-Lot

18 08 2008
  • 3222 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
  • Lansing, MI 48910
  • (517) 394-0396
  • Website
The Save-A-Lot store on Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. in Lansing.

The Save-A-Lot store on Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. in Lansing.

We moved to Lansing about five months ago and in that time, I’ve never really gone down Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.  Today, I needed to run to the Walgreens out that way, so I decided to drive around a little and check it out.  Usually, I go to the Walgreens on the corner of Jolly and Cedar, but they were having problems with their photo equipment.  I also needed to make a quick grocery store run to get a few things for dinner.  As I was leaving the parking lot of the Walgreens on MLK, I noticed the Save-A-Lot across the street.

I’ve never really been in a Save-A-Lot, so I didn’t know what to expect.  The only store in my old town was near a college, so I avoided it.  Today’s adventure is the first time I went in to shop.  The store is set up a lot like Aldi’s.  All the products are shipped in custom cartons that allow them to be product displays.  There’s not a whole lot of people stocking shelves.  They stores are also much smaller than most grocery stores.  The selection isn’t quite as big either.  There’s pretty much only one option for each product and there’s not a whole lot of sizes.  This is how they claim they can save you up to 40% on your grocery bill. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Chains, Grocery, Lansing, Michigan, Reviews

City Market Plans Need More Work

15 08 2008

The City held a work session with developer Pat Gillespie yesterday trying to come to a consensus on a new City Market.  The State-Journal  has the recap.

Gillespie hopes ultimately to get the six votes he needs to replace the old market building at Cedar and Shiawassee streets with Market Place, a $24 million to $30 million retail, office and residential development on the downtown riverfront.

“It’s a work in progress,” (Councilman Eric) Hewitt said of the agreement. “I’m very encouraged by the fact that Pat Gillespie has been willing to sit down, listen to our comments and include them in the buy/sell agreement.”

Council members unanimously agreed Thursday to vote on the sale at Monday’s full session. Yet they’ve stated lingering concerns about the agreement’s language regarding incentives, a clean-up loan and Gillespie’s commitment to hiring local labor.

Local labor?  Fine.  If they bid competitively then give them the job, but you can’t just give people work because of where they live.  For example, I live five miles from Spartan Stadium.  I do freelance work for the Big Ten Network.  MSU has a home game on Sept. 6 that will air on BTN.  I’m driving 340 miles one way to Champaign to work for the same network instead of working the MSU game.  In my case, it’s not price because I’m probably cheaper than some guys who work here, but it has more to do with seniority.  I would love to be able to stay here and work instead of going to Illinois, but it’s not going to happen, so I go where the work is.  It happens…it’s part of life and it shouldn’t hold up the City Market.  Something needs to be done to revitalize the property.  As I’ve said many times, I’m a recent transplant to Lansing.  I was really looking forward to the City Market.  When we got here, I’ve been nothing but disappointed.  I would rather go to some of the once a week farmer’s markets and do most of my shopping at Horrocks.  Something needs to be done.  The historic building isn’t enough.  Sometimes, you have to start over to make progress.  Take a lot of pictures and save signs.  That’s what museums are for.


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Categories : Food News, Lansing, Michigan

El Oasis – Tony’s Party Store

12 08 2008
  • 6100 S. Cedar St.
  • Lansing, MI 48911
  • (517) 882-2311
  • No Known Website
  • No Menu Online
Three chicken tacos from El Oasis inside Tonys Party Store in Lansing.

Three chicken tacos from El Oasis inside Tony's Party Store in Lansing.

We don’t usually do Mexican.  I can handle tacos and I make them at home all the time, but other than that, I’m not really into a lot of the traditional Mexican food.  My girlfriend’s not a huge fan either, but she does like more than I do.  We’ve both read at Runs With Spatula, about the little taco stand inside Tony’s Party Store on Cedar.  We made our weekly shopping trip to Wal-Mart (review HERE) and Horrock’s (review HERE) and wanted to stop somewhere for lunch.  We had milk this time, so stopping for a sit down meal wasn’t an option.  El Oasis is close to home and not that far off the Interstate, so that’s what we decided on.

El Oasis used to have a trailer in the parking lot of Tony’s, but this year, they moved inside.  Their space is really small right when you walk in the door.  The menu is plastered on the plexi glass separating you from the cashier and below it as well.  I knew I just wanted a taco, but that proved to be not an easy choice.  El Oasis has a wide variety of meat ranging from the usual ground beef and chicken to tongue and tripe.  The menu said all tacos were made with cilantro and onions.  It didn’t say anything about tomatoes and cheese, but that was there also.  The tortilla is a corn tortilla.  I ordered three tacos which were a $1.50 each.  I’m gonna hold off for a second on what I thought….you’ll see why in a second. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Lansing, Local Flavor, Mexican, Restaurant, Reviews

Aldi – S. Pennsylvania

11 08 2008
  • 655 S. Pennsylvania
  • Lansing, MI 48911
  • No Phone Number
  • Website
The Aldi store on South Pennsylvania in Lansing.

The Aldi store on South Pennsylvania in Lansing.

A few weeks ago, I decided to give Aldi a shot for the first time in many years.  I went to the store on Saginaw Highway (review HERE).  The only thing I picked up was a bag of frozen chicken.  We finally ran out of that chicken and I needed something for dinner, so I headed to the Aldi on S. Pennsylvania to pick up the same thing.  I said in my last review that chicken was a test.  It totally passed the test.  It was just as good as chicken we’ve gotten from somewhere else and it was much cheaper.

The Aldi on S. Pennsylvania is set up like all Aldi stores.  Since I was just going for chicken again, I didn’t grab a cart.  It took me a little while to find what I was looking for this time.  I went to the fresh meat case first hoping to find some ribs.  There wasn’t a whole lot left there.  Just a few pieces of chicken and some ground beef.  I didn’t find the ribs, so I went looking for the frozen chicken breasts.  I finally found the bag I was looking for after doing some digging in the freezer.  Someone had put some flavored frozen chicken breasts in the box for the regular ones. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Grocery, Lansing, Michigan, Reviews

City Market Vote Delayed

8 08 2008

This is actually pretty common city politics when it comes to hot button issues.

Council members agreed at Thursday’s Committee of the Whole session – their first opportunity to grill Gillespie since Monday’s public hearing – that Aug. 18 is the earliest they will vote on the change in ownership.

Gillespie requested the extension to be more accessible and accommodating with feedback, city officials said.

It would help if city council members were getting in touch with Gillespie ahead of time, but this is probably the best step in the process. 

Despite the hundreds of jobs and the new year-round, indoor-outdoor market that Market Place promises, council members said Thursday they want more information about several things. That includes a business plan for the market, the construction schedule and the amount of local laborers that would be hired to work on Market Place. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Food News, Lansing

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