Dalmation Firehouse Grill

21 05 2008
  • 1107 S. Washington Ave.Dalmation Firehouse Grill
  • Lansing, MI 48910
  • (517) 485-7877
  • No Known Website
  • No Menu Online

I got an e-mail from a reader over the weekend that suggested I try the Dalmation Firehouse Grill on my quest for the perfect burger.  Lance, the reader, called Dalmation’s burgers the “best in Lansing” and “amazing.”  With an endoresment like that, how could I pass?

Dalmation Firehouse Grill is located in REO Town next to the Cadillac Club.  It’s a small diner with a lunch counter and only six tables.  We stopped in for lunch on a Wednesday afternoon and the place was about half full.  The waitress came over for drink orders while we looked over the menu.  They’re only open for breakfast and lunch.  They switch over to the lunch menu at 11 am.  The waitress came back with our Pepsi’s and we were ready to order.

My girlfriend went with the BLT.  The sandwich came piled with bacon, lettuce and a few slices of tomato on white toast with a light spreading of mayo.  The lunch baskets came with fries, a pickle spear and a brownie bite.  While her sandwich was filling, her complaint was the same as mine on the burger.  The bacon was really chewey and not very crispy.  A couple hours later, she said her stomach was rumbling.  She really prefers her bacon way overdone and crispy.  The structure of the sandwich was great as you really got a lot for your money and had the bacon been a little crispier, this would have been the perfect BLT.  The bread was buttered when it was toasted and she said that gave the sandwich even more flavor.  The fries were the out of the bag type and they mixed shoestring and crinkle cut fries for some reason.  They were crispy and cooked perfectly.  The brownie bite was a great addition to the meal for desert.  It wasn’t very big, but the flavor was huge.  It was very gooey, fudgy, and even had chocolate chips in it.

Since the burger was the reason we chose Dalmation Firehouse for lunch, that’s what I had to get.  They had a few different kinds of burgers on their menu, but I chose the bacon cheeseburger.  I finally got what I was looking for in flavor of the meat.  It was a classic diner burger.  It was juicy and cooked perfectly on the flattop.  The cheese was melted almost into the burger and it was topped with a ton of bacon.  Like I stated early, the bacon was really chewey.  The flavor of it was good, but it was hard to eat.  After biting into the sandwich, I had to rip the bacon with my teeth.  I really liked that they put an extra effort into the bun.  It wasn’t just the usual seasame seed bun.  This bun was soft and flaky.  They buttered the bottom of it then toasted it on the grill as well.  It makes for an extra layer of flavor that most places skip on.

The Dalmation Firehouse Grill is truly a neighborhood diner.  The small space makes it cozy and the staff seemed to know most of the people in there at the time.  A couple of the waitresses were sitting at the counter talking to a customer and our waitress was carrying on a conversation with two soldiers who were sitting behind us.  The grill is out in the open so you can watch you meal being cooked.  Thank you, Lance, for the recommendation.  I’m not sure I would have found this place on my own.  Is it the best burger in Lansing?  Well, it’s probably the best I had so far.  The individual components of the burger have by far been the best.  The bacon knocks off a lot of points, but the meat, cheese, and bun combo was incredibly tasty. 


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Categories : Burgers, Diner, Downtown, Lansing, Local Flavor, REO Town, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Bonnie’s Place

14 05 2008
  • 415 E. Saginaw St.Bonnie's Place
  • Lansing, MI 48906
  • (517) 372-1559
  • No Known Website
  • Menu

After winning practically every category in the Lansing City Pulse Best of…., I figured it was time to give Bonnie’s Place a try.  We had passed the quaint little bar on Saginaw a few times as we were trying to find our way to Old Town through the construction plagued streets of downtown Lansing.  Bonnie’s sits on the corner of Saginaw and Cedar Sts. just off of downtown.  We pulled into the parking lot on a pretty rainy day in Mid-Michigan and found a spot right up front.  We got there about one o’clock.  The lunch rush was just finishing up.  We were shown to a table in the non-smoking section of the bar….but I really don’t think it mattered.  The inside of Bonnie’s is pretty tiny.  There’s a bar on one side and on the other side of a half wall are two rows of booths.  My girlfriend described the dining room part of Bonnie’s as a little diner. 

The waitress came back for drink orders and we were ready to order.  Since Bonnie’s had been voted “Best Burger” I had to try the burger.  I got the Bonnie Burger.  A 1/2 lb burger was topped with 1/4 lb of shaved ham, Swiss and American cheese.  The sandwich was served in a plastic basket with a pickle spear and an order of fresh cut fries came in another basket.  Now remember, these burgers were voted best in Lansing.  My burger was huge.  The ham added a salty layer to the sandwich.  Could I call it the best burger in Lansing?  Well, that depends on the criteria for best burger.  The extra’s on the burge were unique and creative.  The actual burger patty wasn’t anything to write home about.  The sandwich as a whole was definately the best burger I’ve had since moving to Lansing, but like every other burger I’ve had, the meat didn’t stand out on it’s own.

Bonnie's PlaceMy girlfriend got the Buffalo Chicken Wrap.  The tortilla for the wrap was the really interesting thing about this sandwich.  It looked like it may have been toasted after the wrap was put together…almost pressed.  The wrap came filled with spicy buffalo chicken pieces, lettuce, tomatos, and a mayo.  The wrap only came with a pickle spear on the side, so she got an order of fries as well.  The spicyness was definately there.  On the car ride home, she was still talking about the heat.  Half of the sandwich is sitting in our fridge right now so she has lunch tomorrow.  The size of the wrap was overwhelming and more than enough for one meal.  Usually, she’ll pick most of the tomatos out of a wrap like this, but with this one, I only noticed a few pieces on her plate so the wrap must have been put together real well.

The fries were also voted best in Lansing.  We both had an order with our meal and I think we both agreed they were good.  She said many times that the fries were good.  With fresh cut fries, she feels most places under cook them.  Not the case with these fries.  They were golden brown and crispy.  I felt they needed a little something to make them the best in town.  I’ve been to a few places that have served fresh cut fries and they were all about the same.  Some kind of unique season was needed to make them stand out.

As an overall review, I loved Bonnie’s.  The small atmosphere was comfortable and the menu offered some unique, interesting items.  I would definately call Bonnie’s the best when it comes to burger combinations.  I would say they may even have the best overall burgers when you consider the condiments and add-ons.  The actual burger patty is nothing special though.  It’s the kind of place that I would love to take my parents.  The food is comforting and not so far out there that they’d be afraid to try something new.  Bonnie’s is absolutely a recommendation for dining out in Lansing.


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Categories : Burgers, Lansing, Local Flavor, Pub, Reviews

Michigan Brewing Company in Downtown Lansing?

12 05 2008

I missed this when I read the on-line edition of Noise this past week, but I noticed it in the print copy.  The Michigan Brewing Company based in Webberville, MI is looking to open a micro-brewery in Downtown Lansing.

The Michigan Brewing Company plans to open another microbrewery and pub at 402 Washington Square in downtown Lansing this year. Owner Bobby Mason said a microbrewery license is “in the works” and plans to lease the building that housed the former Greenhouse Bistro.

We ate the Michigan Brewing Company (review HERE) back on April 12 on our way to Howell to shop at the Tanger Outlets.  The food was alright, the beer was good, but the atmosphere wasn’t all that great.  A Downtown Lansing location would really add a lot the micro-brew.

 


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Clara’s Lansing Station – Brunch

11 05 2008
  • 637 E. Michigan AveClara's
  • Lansing, MI 48912
  • (517) 372-7120
  • Website
  • Menu

I originally reviewed Clara’s Lansing Station on April 14 (review HERE) after my girlfriend I and stopped in for dinner on a Sunday night.  We liked the place so much, we decided to get Mother’s Day Brunch reservations since her parents were going to be in town.  The atmosphere is what sold us on the return the visit.  The old train station is just beautifully restored that she wanted to show her parents.

Reservations were a good thing.  The place was packed and there were people waiting. We got there about 10 minutes before our reservation, but were shown to a table right away.  This time, we were up in the balcony.  The buffet is on the main floor and takes up space where there are tables the rest of the time.  The trip up the stairs was probably good for us to burn a few calories before hitting the line. 

Right by the door, the buffet started with an omelet station and a carving station.  I passed on both, but my girlfriends mom stopped and got an omelet that was loaded with two kinds of cheese.  Next came the buffet line.  It started with breakfast favorites like biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs, bacon, and sausage then transitioned into lunch food like cheesy potatos (which my girlfriend LOVED), ham steaks, and chicken wings.   I, of course, loaded my plate with meats.  The bacon was crispy, but pretty generic.  The ham was good and the chicken wings were hot.  Nothing would have been fabulous had I ordered it off a menu, but for a brunch buffet, this stuff was good.

There was also a salad bar to the back and a huge spread of desserts.  I just grabbed a piece of chocolate chip cheesecake with an oreo crust.  My girlfriend got a huge sampler platter to share with her mom and her stepdad came back with his own assortment of goodies.  The desserts were all top notch.

The brunch price was around $17 per person, so it did end up being pretty expensive, but it’s one of the better brunches.  I’ve definately paid more and gotten less.  Clara’s was really packed which is always a good sign when it comes brunch.  I’ve heard it was the best in town and I have no reason to doubt that.  Clara’s was the first repeat visit for us since moving to Lansing and we’ve been really happy with both meals.


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

Smoking Ban Reactions

9 05 2008

I’ve gathered some reaction from Senators on the smoking ban vote yesterday.  Most of them are in favor…having a hard time getting quotes from those who voted against.  Again, if I get them, I’ll update this post…

Senate Democratic Leader Mark Schauer (D-Battle Creek):

“Creating smokefree workplaces in Michigan may be the most important public health issue we address this year. It will help protect workers and families from harmful secondhand smoke and reduce long-term health care costs to the state and to businesses. Research has also shown that in other places that have gone smoke free the economy does not suffer as some have argued. I hope this legislation moves forward swiftly and the Governor has the opportunity to sign it into law as soon as possible.”

Sen. Ray Basham (D-Taylor)

“I have been advocating for the health and well-being of Michigan families for more than ten years, and this is a major victory today in ensuring they have a safe, smokefree environment to dine, work and play,” said Sen. Basham. “This is one of the biggest health concerns of our generation and a massive burden to state and commercial healthcare resources, and I urge my colleagues in the House to continue their support and act quickly to protect the people of Michigan.”

Senator Glenn S. Anderson (D-Westland)

“This is one of the most important issues we will debate this year, in terms of protecting public health and reducing preventable smoking-related illnesses here in Michigan,” said Sen. Anderson. “Workers in service industries shouldn’t be forced to choose between their health and their job.”

Sen. Hansen Clarke (D-Detroit)

“I first decided to support this legislation after hearing about a woman in her 20’s who never smoked, but died of lung cancer because she lived with her father, who was a smoker,” said Sen. Clarke. “We need to protect non-smokers from second-hand smoke, which numerous studies have linked to cancer, asthma, emphysema and other diseases.”

Sen. Ron Jelinek (R-Three Oaks)

“Michigan residents have been asking for this and it is time we acted to protect the health of everyone, including business patrons and employees. I am pleased to tell the residents of the 21st Senate District that very soon they will be able to enjoy a meal out with their families and not be subjected to the dangers of secondhand smoke.”

Sen. Alan Cropsey (R -Dewitt ) from Senate Floor Debate

I have the largest Indian casino or Native American casino in the state of Michigan in my district, and what’s going to happen? Just recently, I had a restaurant that had been a local landmark in Mount Pleasant. It’s been a landmark there for 50 years and has closed down, for whatever reason. Competition is tough in the restaurant business. What we are going to be doing by telling folks that, you know, all the restaurants and bars in Isabella County are going to be going smoke-free. However, the one at the Native American casino is not going to be regulated at all by the state. So guess where all the smokers are going to go when they want a nice meal or when they want a drink? They are going to go to the Native America casino. Now what is that going to do?

We are sending a currently tax-paying citizen of the state of Michigan and telling them, “You go to the casino where no taxes are being paid—no sales tax.” No property tax, no taxes are being paid-and we are going to be telling all the other restaurants in Mount Pleasant, “Sorry, you’re at a competitive disadvantage,” and more of them will go out of business. And what will happen then? Property values become depressed. Fewer sales taxes. And then you are going be coming back and asking me, as one of the members of Appropriations, we’re spending too much on the Department of Corrections because we don’t have enough money.

Sen. Valde Garcia (R-Marion Township ) from Senate Floor Debate

I opposed this bill not because I smoke because I don’t, but I believe this is a business decision best made by the business owners. People have a choice as to whether or not to frequent an establishment that allows smoking. They can choose to spend their money there. They can choose to work there. I’ve heard it said that we have a duty to protect the public health, but if it is our constitutional duty to protect the public health, then where do we stop? Let’s ban fast food. Let’s ban smoking. Let’s ban the use of alcohol. We have proof that all of these items harm the health of people. So why don’t we ban them? We don’t. We all know the answer to that. Just follow the money.

Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishiop (R- Rochester ) from Senate Floor Debate

Government, in this case, began with regulation of smoking. Then in its infinite wisdom began to mercilessly tax the product, and now government moves to ban its use entirely. This is a consistent pattern of government. It slowly intrudes into the private lives of individuals and businesses and ultimately attempts to govern every aspect of our lives. In effect, government is trying to protect us from ourselves.

As a non-smoker, I understand and appreciate the concern about the smoke and its hazardous impact. I sincerely do, and my heart goes out to all of you who have had relatives who have been impacted directly. But I want you to know that even though I respect the sponsor’s intent, he is a dear friend and I have been on the receiving end of a lot of his internal lobbying—as we would like to call it—over the years, having had the opportunity to sit next to him for so many years. I want you to know, I, as a father, as a husband, over the years make choices every day—personal choices. It is my responsibility to take control of my own life. In this case, I oftentimes choose smoke-free environments if my family chooses to go out. There are plenty out there—plenty. In fact, if you go to smokefreemichigan.org, you will see that there are over 5,000 smoke-free establishments—bars and restaurants—out there for you to choose from, and that list continues to grow at a rapid rate


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Categories : Food News, Lansing, Michigan, Politics

Smoking Ban Vote!

8 05 2008

It seems Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop will allow a vote on HB 4163.  There was some movement on the bill today as it was place on Order of General Orders.  A vote could come as early as today. 

I’ll update this post as more information becomes available.

UPDATE – WOOD-TV is reporting via the Associated Press that the smoking ban has passed in the Senate by a vote of 25-12.  The bill now goes back to the House where they will decide if they will carry out the full ban or come up with some exceptions.  Governor Granholm has said in the past she will sign it. 

UPDATE – Governor Granhom released the following statement HB 4136

“I congratulate the State Senate for approving legislation that bans smoking in public places.  Their action sends a strong message across Michigan – and the nation – that we place a high priority on the health of our citizens.  It will go a long way toward influencing the actions of our young people, too.  I urge the House to act as quickly as possible.”

UPDATE – Reaction from the American Cancer Society and Campaign for Smoke Free Air.

“The Senate has been a major hurdle on this issue for many months and today we are very excited to clear that hurdle and continue moving forward,” said Judy Stewart, spokesperson for the Campaign for Smokefree Air (CSA) and government relations manager for the American Cancer Society Great Lakes Division.  “We appreciate Senate Majority Leader Bishop allowing a vote on this important issue, even though he is still opposed.  It shows that he has heard our concerns about the greater good for all Michigan residents.”

I agree with the comments about Sen. Bishop.  I have e-mailed him and told him the same thing.  In Illinois, this never would have happened.  If the leaders don’t plan on voting for something, they won’t call it…unless they can use it for political reasons.

I’m working on getting a comment from the Michigan Restaurant Association.  If they reply to my e-mails, I will post their reply as well.

One thing I overlooked when I originally posted this is the Senate took away all exemptions.  The House version of the bill gave casinos an exception.  The reasoning behind this is because the State of Michigan can’t regulate Indian casinos, so in order to level the playing field for the casino’s in Detroit and other non-Indian casinos, they made the exemption.  This could be a hold up when it goes back to the house.  The House has adjourned for the day, so hopefully they will tackle this soon, but it looks like the fight isn’t over and this isn’t a done deal yet.


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Categories : Food News, Lansing, Politics

City Pulse’s Best of….

8 05 2008

The Lansing City Pulse has released their Best of Greater Lansing.  The reader’s have voted on everything from best burger to best pawn shop.  The one place that popped up a lot in the list was Bonnie’s Place in Lansing.  They won for best burger, weeknight hangout, place to play pool, for 20-somethings’s, place to be seen, happy hour, wi-fi spot, bar food, family restaurant, fries, chili, appetizer’s, cocktails, chef, atmosphere, best looking bartender’s/waitstaff, waitstaff, and public bathroom. 

I’ve passed by Bonnie’s a few times, but haven’t been there yet.  It’s now on the short list.

Check out the rest of City Pulse’s Best of….. by clicking on this link


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More People Shopping at Markets

6 05 2008

I’ve been tough on the Lansing City Market recently on this blog, but WLNS ran a story over the weekend on how more people are shopping at the market due to high grocery prices.

Nancy Tucker, Lansing City Market Shopper: “Well gosh, i just bought some potatoes and a cucumber and he gave me the price and I thought he didn’t add the cucumber in because it was less than I was expecting.”

Cheaper, because she’s used to paying grocery store prices.

And with those prices on the rise, vendors here expect more people will be turning to local markets for their summer produce.  

Lee Purdy, Lansing City Market Vendor: “Everytime there’s a transaction takes place somebody has to make some money. So if I sell it myself and I produce it myself I can sell it at a lower price.”

My girlfriend and I have been doing about 95% of our shopping at Horrock’s.  The first time we went in that store, we were shocked by the low prices.  I’ve always made fun of the “hippies” that shop at farmer’s markets, but I’m quickly becoming one of those.  The food is just so much fresher and it’s hard to argue with the prices.  Before moving here, we did about 95% of our shopping at Wal-Mart because it was right across the street.  Now, the only reason we go to Wal-Mart is because they’re the only one that carries the flavor of Propel that I like….and we’ve only been there twice in six weeks.


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Smoking Ban may SIGNIFICANTLY Lower Youth Smoking

5 05 2008

I’ve already made it clear where I stand on a public smoking ban.  This new data from Boston University published in this months edition of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Minds really makes a strong argument to outright banning smoking in public places.

Results  Youths living in towns with a strong restaurant smoking regulation at baseline had significantly lower odds of progressing to established smoking (odds ratio, 0.60; 95% confidence interval, 0.42-0.85) compared with those living in towns with weak regulations. The observed association between strong restaurant smoking regulations and impeded progression to established smoking was entirely due to an effect on the transition from experimentation to established smoking (odds ratio, 0.53; 95% confidence interval, 0.33-0.86).

Conclusion  Local smoke-free restaurant laws may significantly lower youth smoking initiation by impeding the progression from cigarette experimentation to established smoking.

You can read the entire study HERE.  More importantly, contact your local legislators and encourage them to ammend HB 4136 to ban smoking in all workplaces including bars and restaurants.  Contact Senators that sit on the Government Operations and Reform Committee (Senators Bishop, Patterson, Cassis, Kuipers, Schauer , Clarke, and Olshove, which hasn’t met since Nov. 2007) where the bill is sitting now and encourage them to call the bill and pass it on to the full Senate.


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Red Cedar Grill

5 05 2008
  • 5114 W. Saginaw HwyRed Cedar Grill
  • Lanisng, MI 48917
  • (517) 323-6300
  • Website
  • Menu

I first noticed Red Cedar Grill my first week in Lansing.  We found Lansing Mall looking for Younkers and Red Cedar Grill has a very prominent store front on the outside of the building.  Regular commenter John recommended Red Cedar, so we decided to make it a point to check it out.  My girlfriend needed to go to Younkers, so we made a pre-work trip with enough time to grab lunch.

There are two entrances to Red Cedar.  There is an entrance inside the mall, but the main entrance is the outside door.  We entered through the mall entrance and there was a sign that told us to go to the hostess station at the front of the store.  That’s a little weird considering you have to walk all the through the dining room to get to the front.  The space is gorgeous.  The dining room is dimly lit.  There are booths on a little platform that run the whole length of the wall plus there are tables between the booths and the bar.  There’s a patio out front and a sun room type space next to that.  The bar is also beautiful.  It’s a long L-shape made out of a dark wood.  The low lighting and dark colors make the place really cozy and relaxing.

Red Cedar GrillUsually at malls, you expect places like TGIFriday’s or Ruby Tuesday.  Red Cedar Grill is definately not one of those places.  The menu is much more upscale.  We stopped in for lunch and even the lunch menu was better than burgers and salads….but they did have both on the menu.

I ordered the BBQ, Bacon and Bleu burger.  Crumbled bleu cheese topped a juicy burger.  Bacon was layered on top of that then BBQ sauce was put on the onion roll.  The burger was nice and juicy.  The BBQ sauce sort of cancelled out the bleu cheese taste, but you could still get just a hint of it….and there was a lot of bleu cheese.  I don’t really like onion rolls, but I knew that when I ordered, so I’m not holding that against the sandwich.  The sandwich was good.  It was served with shoestring fries on the side and there was also some hot rolls and butter brought to the table before.  With all that food, for the first time in a long time, I was defeated.  I couldn’t finish everything on my plate….which is a good thing because I’m a big eater. 

My girlfriend ordered the Smoked Turkey Grill….which I almost ordered myself it looked so good.  Smoked turkey was stacked on rye bread with bacon, tomato, aged cheddar, and dijon mustard.  Her meal also came with a side of cracked pepper kettle chips.  For the first time, I almost wished my meal came with chips instead of fries.  These were really good.  The cracked pepper made the chips a little spicy.  The smoked turkey was delicious.  She didn’t say a whole lot about the sandwich other than it was good.  She did remark more than once that the chips were delicious.

Our bill with pop was $25, so it’s not a cheap meal, but the food is quality and the service was pretty good.  For a while, we were the only ones in the restaurant, but we hit them right as they opened.  The server disappeared come check time, but during the meal, he was always there when we needed another Coke.  The food came out pretty quickly and we probably weren’t there more than a half hour. 

Thanks, John, for the suggestion.  We’ll have to go back and try the dinner menu now.


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

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