KFC – S. Cedar

9 06 2008
  • 6600 S. Cedar St.KFC
  • Lansing, MI 48911
  • (517) 882-9781
  • Website
  • Menu

I was all ready to fire up the grill and cook myself a nice, big T-Bone for dinner when, for the third night in a row, the Lansing area got pounded with heavy storms.  As I’ve mentioned in this blog before, I’m a former news photographer, so my girlfriend and I grabbed a camera and went storm and damage chasing.  Unfortunately for my T-Bone, the storm came during dinner time, so we needed a back-up plan.  We were on our way home, tired and wet when we remembered the KFC on the corner of Cedar and Pennsylvania.  A few days ago, we walked to Meijer to get some stuff and talked about trying the new Smoky Chipotle Crispy Chicken.  Since it was getting late and we were tired, this was as good a time as ever to give it a shot.

I’m not really a fan of Mexican food, but the one thing I use all the time in my own cooking is chile’s, dried chile’s and chile powder’s.  I have bags of Chili De Arbol and Ancho Chile Powder in my spice cabinet and there’s usually a can of chipotle’s in adobo in my fridge, so I was really looking forward to this chicken. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Chains, Chicken, Lansing, Restaurant, Reviews

Deluca’s Restaurant

8 06 2008
  • 2006 W. Willow St.Deluca's
  • Lansing, MI 48917
  • (517) 487-6087
  • Website
  • Menu

Taking my girlfriend out for pizza on a Saturday night….I know. That’s classy.  We were sitting around watching TV and both of us were hungry.  I didn’t want burgers anymore and neither of us wanted to get dressed up for a fancy night out, so I suggested pizza.  I kept reading that Deluca’s has won “Best Pizza….” many times, so we gave it a shot.

Not being really familiar with Lansing yet, Deluca’s took a little while to find.  GPS is seriously the best invention of the last ten years.  We weaved through the neighborhoods until we got back to Willow St.  I’m not sure what I was expecting, but Deluca’s is not what I was expecting.  It’s a really nice building located on the edge of a neighborhood.  The parking lot looked packed, so we got kind of nervous about getting a table.  We parked behind the building and walked back around front.  There’s a little waiting room when you walked in filled with autographs of mostly local celebrities who have eaten there.  After that, there’s a big counter for take out and a hostess station.  Our fears of not getting a table were unwarranted.  The place is huge.  The hostess took us back past the bar to a booth along the wall.  There’s a couple different rooms with booths and tables as well as a nice big bar. Read the rest of this entry »


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

Mancino’s Pizza and Grinders

5 06 2008
  • 6520 S. Cedar #4BMancino's Pizza and Grinders
  • Lansing, MI 48911
  • (517) 887-6300
  • Website
  • Menu

I’m going to try not to confuse you, but I’m still a little bit confused myself.  Growing up, my family would always eat at Mancino’s Pizza and Grinder’s in Bradley, IL.  I loved the sandwiches.  So, is this the same Mancino’s?  I’ve been searching the net for days and can’t come up with a good answer.  There’s no corporate website that links the two together.  I found another Mancino’s website that lists the Mancino’s on Clippert and that one is linked Samuel Mancino who is from St. Clair Shores, MI and started this concept for a store.  This website doesn’t list either the store on S. Cedar or the two in Bradley that I’ve always eaten at.  To make things even more confusing, there is a chain called Bellacino’s Pizza and Grinders which had stores in Peoria, IL where I lived the last five years.  Bellacino’s had the same menu and made the exact same sandwiches that Mancino’s did, but there is no Bradley store listed on their website either.  On their franchise info page, they say that the recipes are those of Samuel Mancino.  So, are all these stores related?  I still have no freakin clue………… Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Lansing, Pizza, Reviews, Sandwiches

Press Release – Cadillac Club Restaurant to Close for Summer

4 06 2008

Damn, I haven’t been able to make it there for a meal yet….but they’ll still be open for Sunday Brunch. 

The Cadillac Club, known for it’s delicious dinners and lunches, will be discontinuing that part of the business for the summer beginning the second week of June.  The Events, Banquets, and Catering divisions of the business will remain active, and there are many exciting events coming up. 

The Restaurant has not gotten the support from the community that it needs to sustain a daily food service operation.  Events and Banquets have become the mainstay of the business, proving to be highly successful, and the catering division of the business is booming, but the restaurant has fallen short on the day to day operations.  The Restaurant’s Sunday Brunch d’Elegance offering will remain intact, however, and is developing as a “weekly event”, providing an opportunity for the public to continue to enjoy the delectable dishes of Executive Chef Brett Telder.  Organizers are planning to feature a Summer Spirit Music Program, inviting the spiritual singers in our Greater Lansing Area Churches to perform on the Cadillac Club Stage during the 1o’clock hour during Sunday Brunch. 

           
The Gigantic Kitchen at the Cadillac Club will be offered for rent to catering groups, and the entire facility is available for banquets or events that would involve 50 or more attendees.  Persons holding Cadillac Club Gift Certificates can redeem them at the Sunday Brunch or order Take Out or Catering. 

           

Cadillac Club Owner, David Sheets, and Staff are disappointed that the restaurant endeavor did not get supported as needed to sustain, but are optimistic about the events that are coming.  This weekend will be the final Friday and Saturday night to enjoy the weekly dining and dancing at the club, and the restaurant will go out in style with the amazing Salsa band Ritmo, this Saturday, June 7th.  Pete Townsend will entertain during the Dinner hour Both Friday and Saturday night. 

             

“It would cost more to attempt to keep the restaurant business open over the summer than it will to simply shut down the operation for that period.  The restaurant business is tough in general, but in the summer, in Lansing, in a light traffic area like REO Town, it is a money losing operation.”, says Owner David Sheets. 

           

The Cadillac Club has played a major role in the community, helping dozens of organizations raise funds and awareness for their causes, and will continue to do so.  Also, the Restaurant has fed the homeless, and victims of tragedies, during the Holidays.  The Cadillac Club initiated many great programs for the community like:  The Miss Capital City Scholarship Pageant, The Cadillac Club Community Fundraising Program, Stuff the Cadillacs for the Food Bank, Cadillac Club Idol, The Battle of the High School Bands, etc.  The Club has also hosted many great events such as The Angel House Bachelor Auction, The Addy Awards,  and Breakin’ Bread with the Blues, …it has been all about community.  Club organizers were very involved in creating The REO Town Music Festival, and have produced many great local, Regional and National Concerts that have taken place on the Cadillac Club Stages.   “With the Cadillac Club I have attempted to give back to the community, and do something great for the community….It is a huge disappointment to me that we are going in the direction of scaling back at this time,”  Says David Sheets.

           

There are many great opportunities in June however to still take advantage of the Cadillac Club’s great ambience and delicious food. 

 

These are the upcoming dates that the Club will be offering events in June:

 

Open All June Sundays for Sunday Brunch d’Elegance, 11am – 3pm.

Restaurant will be open through Saturday, June 7th.

June 7th Ritmo

June 11, Miss Capital City Send-Off Reception and Wardrobe Showing 

June 14th The REO Town Custom Bike Show!  

June 18th Tim Barron’s March of Dimes Thank You Party

June 20th Money Ball Comedy Jam  

June 21st Moneyball  

June 24th Virgilitaville!  A Fundraiser for Mayor Virg Bernero

June 27th DeVille Banquet Hall, Michigan Pride Comedy Show

June 27th Sista Otis and the Wholly Rollers, Dining Room Stage

June 28 Elvis, (Ryan Pelton, Award Winning Elvis look/sound alike!)

Please see website for details! 

http://www.thecadillacclub.com

 

            With the exciting events of June, The Cadillac Club will make it’s morph into a Banquet/Event Center for the summer, now with the entire facility available for Special Events.  The Cadillac Club is taking bookings for events of 50 persons or more. 

Call 517 853-1912  Also The Cadillac Club is booking “Spirit Music” entertainment for the upcoming Summer Sunday Brunch Entertainment, call 517-853-1912 to inquire. 


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Categories : Food News, Lansing

Kelly’s Downtown

31 05 2008
  • 203 S. Washington Sq.Kelly's Downtown
  • Lansing, MI 48933
  • (517) 484-5007
  • Website
  • Menu

My girlfriend and I were checking out the city courtesy of the Greater Lansing Convention and Visitor’s Bureau “Be a Tourist in Your Own Town” (which is an incredible event and I would definately recommend you check it out next year.)  Around lunch time, we made it downtown and decided to hit up Washington Square for lunch.  At first, we stopped into Tavern on the Square, but the menu kind of sucked.  There were no sandwiches and it was pretty expensive.  We were just looking for a quick lunch so we could keep touring the town.

Across the street sat Kelly’s.  So we got up and left Tavern on the Square and crossed the street.  There was a patio outside, but we chose to go inside and found a table near the front of the shop.  There’s a huge bar in the middle of the space with seating all the way around.  We sat down and waited five to ten minutes for the lone waitress/bartender to even acknowledge us.  She yelled across the bar to get our drink orders then a bus boy actually brought them out.  After a few more minutes, she yelled across the bar to take our order as well.

My girlfriend got Kelly’s Thatsa Wrap which is listed as vegetarian, but offers options to add grilled chicken which she did.  The wrap comes standard with tomatos, cucumbers, peppers, onions, and mushrooms inside a flour tortilla.  Besides the chicken, she got ranch on the side and added fries to her order.  She seemed to really like the wrap and had some fries left over for me.  She said the cucumbers were a good addition changing the texture and the flavor of what you usually expect in a wrap like this.

I got the Bear Burger.  It was a 1/3 lb sirloin burger with crumbled bleu cheese and bacon.  The burger was obviously a frozen patty.  It was really greasy.  I picked the sandwich up and it was wet.  At first, I was afraid it wasn’t done.  There was a puddle of grease on the bottom that I almost mistook for blood.  I bit into it anyway and it was done, but it was really greasy.  Fortunately, the bleu cheese covered most of that up.  I did a double check just to make sure there was bacon on there.  It kind of got lost in all the wetness.

After the initial delay in getting to us, the waitress did a much better job.  Our drinks never got empty and she got the check to us pretty quickly.  For the two of us, it was about $20, but we ended up spending more time in the restaurant than we really wanted to.  Really it was only about forty minutes, so it’s not terrible and normally I wouldn’t complain.  I’ve read a lot of good reveiws about this place, but it didn’t do anything for me.  My burger wasn’t very good and places like this I usually expect more.  I just haven’t had much luck with the downtown restaurants yet.  I’m still looking for that place near the Capitol that is worth getting in the car and paying parking for.   Kelly’s would probably be a great night spot, but for lunch, it just didn’t do anything for me.


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Categories : Burgers, Dive Bar, Irish Bar, Lansing, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Celebration Cinema – Lansing

30 05 2008
  • 200 E. Edgewood Blvd.Celebration Cinema
  • Lansing, MI 48911
  • (517) 393-7469
  • No Menu Online
  • Website

So, like so many guys this weekend, I had the pleasure of seeing the Sex in the City movie with my girlfriend.  Unlike most guys, we had to go to the midnight showing Friday morning.  I actually suggested it because I didn’t want to waste a gorgeous weekend indoors at a movie.  She loved the idea and so did one of her co-workers so I picked her up from work and the three of us headed over the theater.  We ordered our tickets on-line earlier in the day and even went and picked them up on her dinner break, so once we got there, it was straight to the concession stand.

I had been hungry all night and was really looking forward to movie theater popcorn.  Not sure what they do differently, but there is nothing better than movie theater popcorn.  The menu was a little confusing.  The only thing they had listed behind the counter was combos.  Two pops and a popcorn, one pop and a popcorn, etc.  There was a video menu on the counter on the other side of their registers but it was moving so slow I didn’t want to sit there and wait to see what they had.  I just said screw it and went with the super combo which was a super bucket of popcorn and two large pops.  At first, it seems expensive at $13.50, but when you break it down, it’s really not all that bad.  There was a lot of popcorn and the pops were huge, so had I ordered them seperately, they probably would have all been over $4 if not $5.

Celebration CinemaThe cool thing about this particular theater is a lot of it is self serve.  There is another room just off the concession area.  There are a couple large fountain machines…but even better, there are a couple butter dispensers for the popcorn so you can actually determine how much or how little butter you want with the popcorn.  I don’t do movie theaters that often, so I definately took advantage of that one drenching my super sized bucket of popcorn in butter.  There are also shakers of powdered cheese on the counter.  I added some sharp cheddar to my popcorn.  My girlfriend liked it, but I couldn’t wait to get down a little farther in the bucket to get passed it. 

That large bucket lasted the two of probably a half hour or so…and I was really hungry so I wasn’t eating very slow.  The pop lasted me an hour into the movie then I had to get up and make a quick trip to the bathroom.  There was another fountain outside the theater we were in so I’m assuming that means free refills, but it was one in the morning and there was still an hour and a half left in the movie.  I didn’t want to have to get up again, so I passed on the refill.

I really liked the self service part of Celebration Cinemas’ concession.  It gives the consumer control over the amount of butter in the popcorn and ice in the drinks and it makes drink refills easier.  I’ve been to a lot of theaters and lot of different theater chains and this was the first time I had ever seen this.  A nice to touch.


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Categories : Entertainment Venues, Lansing, Reviews

Turkeyman Deli & Catering

29 05 2008
  • 5021 W. Saginaw HwyTurkeyman
  • Lansing, MI 48917
  • (517) 327-8300
  • No Known Website
  • Menu

My girlfriend gets her hair cut at Etc. Salon & Spa near the Lansing Mall on Saginaw Highway.  I usually go with her then go shopping to kill time.  After she’s done, we’ll grab lunch and enjoy the rest of the afternoon together until she needs to go to work.  Last time she got her hair cut, I drove into Turkeyman Deli & Catering’s parking lot to turn around.  I thought then it looked like a neat place but didn’t want to eat without her, so I kept going.  We didn’t have time for lunch that day because she had to go to work earlier than usual.  This time, we had time so we made the stop.

Turkeyman is located in a small strip mall kitty corner from the Mall.  Inside the store are about five booths and a small deli counter.  You order at the counter and they get your food up pretty much right away.  We both went with the house special.  The Turkeyman Sandwich is very similar to a pulled pork sandwich.  They take all white meat turkey that has been smoked and pulled off the bone then marinate it in a BBQ sauce.  The pile the pulled turkey onto a whole wheat hoagie bun.  My girlfriend had them add lettuce and shredded cheese while I got my with just the meat.  For another $1.50 each we added a bag of chips and a fountain drink. Our total was just over $15, but our total time in the store was less than fifteen minutes. They were efficient in getting our food and it was so good we plowed through it.

TurkeymanThe turkey was delicious.  The texture was just like pulled pork, but the white turkey meat made it a completely different sandwich.  The bbq sauce was sweet, but not overpowering.  The whole wheat bun was another unique feature.  My girlfriend loved that, but I probably would have been happier with a white roll. This sandwich, even though it was a BBQ deli sandwich, was pretty healthy and it was healthier food that was incredibly delicious.  My girlfriend kept saying over and over that Turkeyman was a “good choice” for lunch.  I just got a bag of Lays, but she got a bag of baked Pita chips.  Something different.

Turkeyman is found all over the area.  In the parking lot they had two giant smokers that are used for fairs and carnivals.  They also have a permanent presence at Spartan Stadium, the Breslin Center, and Oldsmobile Park.  Sandwiches aren’t the only thing on the menu.  You can also find turkey drumsticks, soups, salads, and grilled sandwiches.

If you don’t know it’s there, you’ll probably drive right by Turkeyman.  Slow down, open your eyes and stop.  Turkeyman has taken a unique concept and ran with it.  Everyone can do pork or chicken, but a whole restaurant that survives on it’s turkey is something worth stopping in to.


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Categories : Lansing, Local Flavor, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches, Turkey

Jon’s Country Burgers

28 05 2008
  • 3109 S. Cedar St.Jon's Country Burger
  • Lansing, MI 48910
  • (517) 393-1627
  • No Known Website
  • Menu

I’ve driven by Jon’s Country Burgers quite a few times on my way to some other restaurant downtown and always wondered, “What the heck is a country burger?”  Well, I found Jon’s menu on-line and answered that question.  It’s “two patties of fresh ground meat, melted cheese, pickle, lettuce, and salad dressing on a toasted bun.”  OK, so that really doesn’t sound appetizing to me (it’s the salad dressing part), but I needed a place to eat a quick dinner one night because I didn’t feel like cooking.

I picked my girlfriend up from work and we headed down Cedar to Jon’s which was obviously a drive-in back in the day.  There’s still an awning for curbside service, but there’s also a dining room…which USED to actually be the drive-in.  It looks like they just put up four walls and added some furniture.  You can still see the wall that used to be the exterior wall.  The door to “go inside” is still there and the waitresses use still use the small counter to pick up orders behind the glass wall.

Jon's Country BurgerJon’s was a little confusing for us first-timers.  When we walked in, we really didn’t know what to do.  A waitress came out and said to just find a seat so we did.  We pulled out the menus on the table and began to look them over.  A different waitress came over with water and told us when we were ready to order to just pick up the phone.  Yes, there are phones at every table that connect you right to the kitchen.  That’s how you place your order.  The waitress doesn’t take it. 

After a few minutes of looking over the menu, my girlfriend picked up the phone and placed our order.  She got the chicken stips which came with an order of fries.  They were the standard deep fried chicken strips, but they were soft and moist.  She got honey mustard on the side and asked for a couple sides of barbecue sauce as well.  The five strips and out of the bag fries were more than enough for her. 

I got the Bacon Burger with Cheese basket.  My sandwich came with fries and applesauce which I passed over to my g/f.  They also brought out a shaker of cinnamon to the table for the applesauce.  My burger was, again, your standard drive-in burger.  There were two strips of crispy bacon a slice of cheese on a juicy burger.  It’s the kind of meal that just begs for me to oversalt the fries then wipe the plate with the burger just to make it a little more salty.  I’m not sure why, but it’s one of those wierd things that I’ve just been doing forever with cheap burgers.

I finished my burger and fries long before my girlfriend did.  I really didn’t feel like there was a whole lot there.  Either that or I was really hungry.  The waitress came and took my plate while my girlfriend finished then seemed to forget about us.   I don’t want to be too tough on her because she was in training and she was a little timid it seemed like.  My g/f finished her meal then we sat there for 10-15 minutes waiting for a check.  The waitress finally came over and asked if we needed anything else and we ended up just asking for the check just to make sure we got it then.  She went back into the kitchen area and came out a few minutes later.  The total for the two of us was $20.  Stupid me, I thought I had a $20 in my wallet, but to my surprise when I opened my wallet, there was only $10.  I felt a little stupid having to ask my girlfriend to spot me $10, but she did and I’ll make it up to her with lunch tomorrow.

Jon’s is a really unique place.  The ordering system is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.  It lets you talk directly to the cook, so you take the middle man out and make sure you get exactly what you order.  Some of the other things were a little wierd.  The waitresses uniforms looked too much like nurses uniforms and they were always carrying around trays which really made things feel more like a hospital than a restaurant.  The food was classic comfort food which met, but didn’t exceed my expectations.  It’s another one of those places I’m glad we went to just because of the uniqueness of the building and the expeience, but not sure if we’ll go back.  It probably wasn’t a good thing that on our first trip there we had a waitress in training since we didn’t really know how things worked.  It was almost so confusing that it really took away from the dining experience.


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Categories : Burgers, Lansing, Local Flavor, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Wendy’s – S. Lansing

26 05 2008
  • 6620 S. Cedar St.Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburegers
  • Lansing, MI 48911
  • (517) 394-1341
  • Website
  • Menu

I know…Wendy’s is fast food.  What the heck am I doing stopping at Wendy’s.  I have a good excuse…really.  I had family come in to town for the Memorial Day weekend.  They drove four hours straight not wanting to stop for lunch, so when they got here, everyone was really hungry.  Since there’s a Wendy’s right around the corner, I suggested we stop there for a quick lunch before heading out to the malls.

It has actually been a really long time since I have eaten at a Wendy’s.  We used to go all the time for the salad bar (which I’m pretty sure they don’t do anymore) and Frosty’s (which they’ve upgraded..more later).  I remember Wendy’s as being super greasy burgers.  The last time I remember eating at a Wendy’s (about four years ago), the grease had soaked through the wrapper almost making the wrapper clear.  It was good, but it was messy and I know I probably knocked at least six hours off my life by eating that burger.

The Wendy’s on South Cedar Street has been undergoing some renovations recently.  I drive by it almost everyday and I’m never sure if it’s open as there is always work trucks there.  My girlfriend says she sees people inside at night when she comes home from work.  The interior clean and obviously new and the facade has been upgraded to the newer style Wendy’s getting away from the glass dining rooms near the front.

There were seven of us that needed lunch and we were putting it all on one order.   I got the Baconator combo.  Two fresh cooked burger patties, cheese and a mound of bacon were piled on the bun.  Unlike most burger places, Wendy’s does square burgers instead of round and to my surprise, this burger is NOT how I remembered Wendy’s burgers.  It wasn’t super greasy and it was really quite delicious.  They definately didn’t skimp on the bacon either.  The combo comes with fries and a drink.  The fries are just your average fast food fries and were a little on the salty side, but good. 

Pretty much everyone else I was with got some kind of burger as well. My aunt got a baked potato  which is what she gets quite often.  I’m not sure which one she got but ther are three options..sour cream and chives, bacon and cheese, and brocoli and cheese.  My dad and brother both got Frosty’s instead of drinks with their meals.  My brother just got the original chocolate Frosty.  It’s a little bit thicker than a milkshake, but made with real milk.  It’s kind of a cross between soft serve and a milkshake.  You still need a spoon, but it’s thinned out just a little.  My dad got one of the new Frosty shakes.  I’m guessing he got the Chocolate Fudge Frosty Shake.  They take the original Frosty and add a little fudge to it for a handspun Frosty shake.

While fast food is never my first option, I was really happy with Wendy’s food this time.  It wasn’t a greasy mess which is what I was afraid it was going to be.  It’s nice that it’s so close and it’s nice to know that there is a decent option if I’m ever hungry and just not in the mood to sit down in a restaurant for a meal.


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Categories : Burgers, Fast Food, Lansing, Reviews

New City Market

22 05 2008

The Lansing State-Journal is reporting today that the city has struck a deal with East Lansing developer Pat Gillespie to sell the current Lansing City Market site and turn the site into shops, offices, and residential.  Gillespie is also responsible for the Stadium District building on Michigan Ave. not far from this site.

But what does this mean for the City Market?  A new building which is about four thousand square feet SMALLER than the current City Market.  On top of that, vendors will now have to pay for their utilities. 

This doesn’t sound like a good deal to me.  The time I was at the Market, space wasn’t an issue, so loosing four thousand square feet may not be a big deal, but charging vendors more will surely drive people away.  Of course, not everyone is totally on board with the plan.

It’s unclear what kind of reception the plan will get from market vendors and users.

Some want a new building, but there’s a contingent that wants to keep the existing market, said Diane Thompson, president of the Friends of the Market, a group of market supporters.

Advocates for the market also are pushing for a new business plan and management structure for the facility.

“We feel there’s a lot of issues that still need to be addressed,” Thompson said, urging city officials to hold off on selling the market.

The city council has to approve the sale before this becomes final.  The deal will be on file at with the city clerk soon and it will be 30 days after that before the Council can vote.  The current building, built in 1938, would not be razed until the new market is built.  The hope is to have the new building open by summer of 2009


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Categories : Farmer's Market, Food News, Lansing

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