Triple XXX Family Restaurant – West Lafayette, IN

1 10 2009
  • 2 N. Salisbury Street
  • West Lafayette, IN 47906
  • (765) 743-5373
  • Website
  • Menu
Triple XXX Family Restaurant on Salisbury Street in West Lafayette, IN

Triple XXX Family Restaurant on Salisbury Street in West Lafayette, IN

If you’ve figured out J and I, it should come as no surprise that we chose to take a honeymoon that revolves around food. After the wedding, we loaded up the car and headed to East Tennessee. It was too far to make in one night, so we decided to stop in Louisville for the night. Since we were in no hurry, the first stop on our culinary excursion was in West Lafayette, IN at a place we saw on Diner’s, Drive-In’s, and Dives.

The Triple XXX Family Restaurant is on the hill in West Lafayette just down the street from Purdue University. It’s a 24 hour place that serves good, cheap grub for those late “study breaks.” It’s been so long since I saw the segment on Triple D and the building we found was not what I was expecting for some reason.

Triple XXX (named after the Root Beer brand they serve) is an old drive in on the corner of State & Salisbury. The car stalls have turned into parking and the only business they do is inside. The building itself is not huge, but it’s bigger than you think. There are no tables, only lunch counters. They weave around the building so there are a lot more seats than I thought there would be. Read the rest of this entry »

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Categories : 24-Hour Diner, breakfast, Diner, Indiana, Local Flavor, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches, West Lafayette

Dam Site Inn

29 08 2009
  • 4095 Patterson Lake Road
  • Pinckney, MI 48169
  • (734) 878-9300
  • Website (not working)
  • No Online Menu
The Dam Site Inn in Hell, MI

The Dam Site Inn in Hell, MI

I made a lot of people happy today.  I can’t tell you how many times in my life I’ve been told, “Go to hell.”  Today, I did.  Sure, it was just Hell, MI, but I can still tell all those people who have given me that order over the years that I’ve been to Hell and back…and it was fun. 

J and I were stuck on Travel Channel’s “Extreme” shows last weekend.  During the “Extreme Roadside Attractions” I was reintroduced to Hell, MI.  I say reintroduced not because I’ve ever been there, but it was something I had heard about while I was growing up in Illinois. 

For many years, my brother and I delivered papers.  We lived in a small community and the daily newspaper in the area wasn’t huge.  One really hot day, the paper lead with the headline “It’s Hotter Than Hell (Michigan, That Is).”  We got a ton of phone calls from angry customers that thought it was inappropriate and yelled at us like we had something to do with content.  That’s the only newspaper headline I think I’ll ever remember word-for-word. 

So, J and I finally got to sleep in and we took advantage of it.  It was a little after noon before I stumbled into the living room already really hungry.  We figured out that Hell wasn’t all that far away and it would be fun just to say we’ve been there.  Since they had a bar/restaurant, we could make that a reason to go. 

The Dam Site Inn is on Patterson Lake Road in what is technically considered Pinckney.  Hell is actually an unincorporated part of Livingston County.  For USPS purposes, they have a Pinckney address and zip code.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Bar, Burgers, Dive Bar, Hell, Local Flavor, Michigan, Pinckney, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Sophia’s House of Pancakes

24 08 2009
  • 1010 Charlevoix Drive
  • Grand Ledge, MI 48837
  • (517) 627-3222
  • No Known Website
  • Menu
Sophias House of Pancakes just off M-43 in Grand Ledge.

Sophia's House of Pancakes just off M-43 in Grand Ledge.

Ah….lazy Sunday’s.  We didn’t have much to do other than grocery shop, so there wasn’t any hurry to get moving in the morning.  We needed to make a trip to Walmart and Horrocks, so I thought it was time to finally try a place in Grand Ledge that has been recommended several times in the past.

Sophia’s House of Pancakes is right on the edge of town if you’re coming from Lansing on M-43.  Even though we didn’t get there until a little before one o’clock, the parking lot was packed.  There was just one spot left which I beat another car to.  I figured a packed parking lot at one o’clock was probably a pretty good sign.

When we got inside, we found a short wait for a table.  The entire restaurant was hopping.  There was a group of seven waiting and another couple.  The couple was seated first then we got the next smaller table that opened up.  They had a lot of seating for two, but seating for large groups was limited which seemed weird to me at a place like this.  Sophia’s is definitely one of those places you take the whole family after church. 

We were taken to a table for three near the back of the restaurant.  There are a lot of booths, but not many tables.  J and I got what was probably one of the few tables that were not intended for large groups.  We started looking over the big menu and looking around us to see what everyone else was eating.  Everything that came out of the kitchen looked delicious and most of it was still breakfast.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : breakfast, Grand Ledge, Local Flavor, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews

Tony’s I-75 Restaurant

22 08 2009
  • 8781 Main Street
  • Birch Run, MI 48415
  • (989) 624-5860
  • No Known Website
  • Menu
Tonys I-75 Restaurant on Main Street in Birch Run.

Tony's I-75 Restaurant on Main Street in Birch Run.

I love bacon.  So much so, my favorite comedy routine is Jim Gaffigan’s King Baby show where he keeps talking about bacon (Is he still talking about bacon?). 

A few weeks ago, I was watching Sandwich Paradise on The Travel Channel and one of the places featured was a diner in Birch Run.  Sure, I’ve had a few people tell me I needed to check out and try their BLT that comes with a pound of bacon.  I thought they were just over hyping the place…..like the fish that gets bigger every time they tell the story.  I was wrong.

Tony’s I-75 Restaurant is on Main Street in Birch Run just a block or so from Interstate 75.  The restaurant has the distinction of being the only local joint in a sea of chains.  This particular area of Birch Run is very highly developed.  They have the Prime Outlets (which we of course checked out) and just about every type of chain cuisine you can imagine. 

We showed up just before noon on a Saturday.  The parking lot was packed.  There is a large lot behind the restaurant and that’s where we eventually found a spot.  When we opened the door to enter the restaurant, we were greeted with a line ten people deep.  The waiting area is actually outside the actual restaurant in a long, narrow hallway that looks like it was added on after the fact so people wouldn’t have to wait outside in the cold.  

Not long after getting in line, an employee stuck her head out and asked how big each of our parties were.  There was a group of seven, two and three in front of us.  Still, we waited in line only about five minutes.  We were asked if we would like a seat at the lunch counter.  Initially, we said no, but after reconsidering it, we took the two seats at the counter which proved to be entertaining.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Birch Run, Diner, Local Flavor, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Fresh Fish & Fry

16 08 2009
  • 3140 S. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
  • Lansing, MI 48910
  • (517) 882-7007
  • No Known Website
  • Menu
Fresh Fish & Fry on S. MLK, Jr. Blvd in Lansing.

Fresh Fish & Fry on S. MLK, Jr. Blvd in Lansing.

Another Sunday.  Another day at work.  That’s been pretty much my whole summer.  I’ve been without J this weekend.  She was back in Chicago for her wedding shower.  I was originally supposed to at least go back to Chicago with her, but I got some work, so I stayed here.  That means I was on my own for dinner. 

Sometime in the past, I saw an article in City Pulse about the best wings in town (sorry, I haven’t had any luck finding the article in their archives).  For some reason, I thought it was best Buffalo wing, but I guess they just did best wing and mixed both Buffalo wings and regular chicken wings.  Still, chicken’s chicken and it doesn’t really matter to me if it has hot sauce on it. 

Fresh Fish & Fry is on South Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard right in front of the Logan Square shopping center.  It’s a small joint, but it was packed on the Sunday evening I was in there.  There were a couple of tables stuffed into the corner, but they seem to be more for waiting than actually eating at.  There were a couple other people waiting for their food when I got there and there were two guys on the phone taking orders from a constantly ringing phone.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Chicken, Deep Fried Food, Lansing, Local Flavor, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews

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

Quality Dairy – W. Saginaw Hwy & Migaldi Ln.

9 07 2009
  • 8512 W. Saginaw Highway
  • Lansing, MI 48917
  • (517) 622-1533
  • Website
Quality Dairy on W. Saginaw Highway in Delta Township

Quality Dairy on W. Saginaw Highway in Delta Township

It’s been another five weeks, so while J was at the salon, I was running errands.  For once, I actually had a lot that I needed to do.  I’ve been putting off a lot just so I could keep busy.  My route today was Walmart, Game Stop, Cartridge World, Target, Meijer then off to lunch.  After my first two stops, I started to get thirsty.  It was 12:30 and I had yet to have my morning Pepsi.  As I was leaving the Walmart area, I remembered there was a QD just down the street so I took a left instead of a right and went to get my Pepsi.

This Quality Dairy is on West Saginaw Highway west of I-69.  It’s near the Art Van on that side of the road across from where Menard’s and Walmart are.  This store is one of the Quality Dairy’s that have a gas station out front. 

The parking lot is pretty large and I just took a spot kind of far away.  While it’s a huge area, the gas pumps are jammed up against the building, so there’s not much room to maneuver after leaving the pumps.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Chains, Lansing, Local Flavor, Michigan

Spagnuolo’s Chocolate

21 06 2009
  • 115 E. Main Street
  • Owosso, MI 48867
  • (989) 729-9590
  • No Known Website
Spagnuolos Chocolate in downtown Owosso.

Spagnuolo's Chocolate in downtown Owosso.

Leave it to us to find the chocolate shop in town.  On our way to Owosso, we saw billboards for “historic downtown Owosso.”  After eating lunch at the Wrought Iron Grill, we decided to find downtown and see what the billboards were all about.  On our first pass through town, we saw a little candy store that still had an “open” sign lit up.  We went around the block to find a parking spot then headed back for some dessert.

Spagnuolo’s Chocolate has a tiny store front on Main Street.  We parked around the corner where there is some angled parking.  In front of the store, there are some parallel spots, but I didn’t realize that and the walk didn’t hurt us any. 

We walked into the chocolate shop at 3:45…about fifteen minutes before they were set to close.  There was one lady who was already gearing up to close.  We started looking around.  We saw a sign for fudge, but didn’t see any in the case.  The lady noticed we looked a little lost and asked if there was anything in particular we were looking for.  She pointed out the fudge in a basket behind us.  It was already cut and wrapped.  They only had two flavors but one of them was peanut butter.  I grabbed a chunk of fudge and J kept looking. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Candy, Downtown, Ice Cream, Local Flavor, Michigan, Owosso, Reviews

Wrought Iron Grill

21 06 2009
  • 317 S. Elm Street #201
  • Owosso, MI 48867
  • (989) 472-9025
  • Website
  • Menu
The Wrought Iron Grill on South Elm Street in Owosso

The Wrought Iron Grill on South Elm Street in Owosso

I know it sounds stupid, but J and I just aren’t back on Eastern Time yet.  We had a nice vacation that didn’t involve a lot of getting up early, but sleeping in unfamiliar beds all week really took a toll on us.  We made it back to Lansing just as the storms were rolling in Friday night and J went almost right to bed.  I stayed up and caught up on some Tivo’d shows.  When I rolled over Saturday morning and the clock said 11:50, I have to admit, I was a little shocked.  That’s not all that unusual for me, but it is for J.  By the time we got up and got moving, it was a little after 1:00.  We didn’t have plans today, but needed to go somewhere for lunch.  J asked if there was any place I’ve been wanting to go…even if it was a little bit of a drive.  I mean, we are still in vacation mode.  Owosso’s not that far and there’s a restaurant just on the edge of town I’ve heard good things about.

The Wrought Iron Grill is on South Elm Street in an old warehouse that is now a mixed use building.  The Wrought Iron Grill takes up the bottom floor of the front of the space.  Around the corner there’s a cute looking coffee shop and there are lofts on the second floor.  We pulled in a little after 2:00 on a Saturday afternoon.  There were a few cars in the parking lot and one family dining on the patio so we knew we wouldn’t be the only people in the place.

We walked in the front door where we were met by a hostess.  She showed us to a booth in a room that is just off the bar.  She set down the “dinner” menus which was a little bit of a worry to me, but they had sandwiches, so we were ok.  The hostess said the waitress would be with us in a second so we started to look over the menu. Read the rest of this entry »


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

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