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

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

Ann Arbor Chef to be on Top Chef: Las Vegas

8 07 2009

I saw this story in the Detroit Free Press.

Chef Eve Aronoff — chef-owner of eve restaurant in Ann Arbor’s Kerrytown district — will compete this fall on Bravo’s “Top Chef: Las Vegas,” the sixth season of the top-rated cable series, the network announced today.

[snip]

Contestants are not allowed to discuss how they fared in the series, which has already been taped.

The season will begin at 9 p.m. Aug. 26, with 17 professional chefs from all over the country. Aronoff is the only current Michigan chef to win a spot on the show.


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Categories : Ann Arbor, Food News, Michigan

Press Release – Buy Michigan Now Week

8 07 2009

From a Buy Michigan Now press release….

GOVERNOR PROCLAIMS BUY MICHIGAN WEEK FOR JULY 27, 2009
Buy Michigan Now Campaign Initiates Statewide Celebrations

Livonia, MI (July 9, 2008) – Buy Michigan Now (www.BuyMichiganNow.com), a campaign designed to promote and restore Michigan’s economy, requested and received an official proclamation from Governor Jennifer M. Granholm pronouncing the week of July 27th as Buy Michigan Week across the state. The campaign is now urging businesses, residents, and media throughout the state to celebrate by showcasing and supporting Michigan-based companies and Michigan-made products during that week.

According to Buy Michigan Now campaign founder, Lisa Diggs, “While we would like to see every week be Buy Michigan Week, we felt our current economic situation warranted a special spotlight on what is going well in this great state. We have amazing agriculture, terrific beers and wines, numerous independently-owned retailers and restaurants that all deserve some special attention.” Diggs continued, “Michigan is still manufacturing more products than people realize, while simultaneously carving out a leading role in the film, medical, and renewable energy industries. Our citizens need to hear about, celebrate, and support these positive developments.”

To help businesses capitalize on the opportunity, Buy Michigan Now has created flyers, posters, and shelf tags that may be downloaded for free by local communities and businesses to help them highlight Buy Michigan Week. “We recognize that not every business has the budget to create special signage for an event like this,” said Diggs, “so we are offering several designs at no cost to make it more affordable for companies to participate.”

In addition, Buy Michigan Now and Downtown Northville are hosting a festival that runs from Monday, July 27th – Sunday. August 2nd. The event will include several seminars, panel discussions, and entertainment, in addition to active participation by local merchants and numerous vendors/exhibitors that will be on hand from around the state.


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Categories : Food News, Michigan

Press Release – Girl Scouts and DQ

8 07 2009

From a Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan press release….

Girl Scouts Learn Business Skills at Okemos Dairy Queen

(Lansing –) Girl Scouts in the Heart of Michigan are learning how to run a successful business with the help of their local Dairy Queen owner during the second annual DQ Girl Scout Appreciation Week from July 20 – 26. Girl Scout Appreciation Week is part of a two-month promotion with Dairy Queen that includes the introduction of the new Girl Scouts Tagalong Peanut Butter Patties Blizzard Treat as the July Blizzard of the Month and the return of the Girl Scouts Thin Mint Cookie Blizzard in August.

Locally, the Dairy Queen store at Meridian Mall, 982 W. Grand River in Okemos, will host Girl Scouts on July 22 from 11 am – 3 pm and 5 pm – 8 pm. During that time, girls will have the opportunity to develop their entrepreneurial and leadership skills with a behind-the-scenes tour of the DQ store. Girls will receive tips on running a successful business, see how products are developed, and increase their financial literacy by learning how a restaurant makes a profit. The free event is open to current Girl Scouts and to girls and adults interested in joining or volunteering with Girls Scouts. For more information on this event, contact Elizabeth Duran at 517-699-9400 or email eduran@gshom.org.

DQ Girl Scout Appreciation Week reflects the Girl Scouts’ strategy to develop alliances that show girls how their hometown businesses work. “Girl Scout Appreciation Week is a great way to expose girls to savvy business leaders in their own communities,” said Jan Barker, CEO of Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan. “Our girls are seeing firsthand how community involvement can help them shape their futures.”

Community events such as these help raise awareness for local Girl Scout troops. Troop membership is on the rise and volunteers are needed to lead troops or share their talents through programs for girls. Girls and adults interested in joining Girls Scouts can learn more at http://www.gshom.org or by calling Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan Lansing Regional Center at 517-699-9400 to speak directly with a membership or adult recruitment specialist.


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Categories : Food News, Michigan, Okemos

Subway – Saginaw & Creyts

6 07 2009
  • 6334 W. Saginaw Highway, Suite G
  • Lansing, MI 48917
  • (517) 323-2003
  • Website
  • Menu
Subway on West Saginaw Highway and Creyts Road in Delta Township

Subway on West Saginaw Highway and Creyts Road in Delta Township

Last summer, our Horrocks/Walmart trip was a weekly event.  So far this year, we’ve been pretty bad about getting out to Delta Township.  Over the winter, we’ve preferred the produce at Meijer, but with local stuff starting to come in season, we wanted to make the effort to get out to Horrocks. 

After I got home from the Lugnuts game on Sunday, I asked J if she wanted to make the run.  We needed some groceries anyway, so why not.  I hadn’t eaten all day and was starving, but neither of us really wanted to do to the sit down restaurant thing.  We hoped in the car and just started driving.  I knew there was enough out that way that we could find something.  On the trip though, I came up with Subway.  It’s always a fairly cheap, good meal….and most of the time, it’s pretty quick.

We chose the Subway on the corner of Saginaw Highway and Creyts Road in Delta Township mostly because it was the first one we came across after getting off the highway.  The store sits in a little strip mall that I guess you coule say is “anchored” by a Baryames Cleaners. Read the rest of this entry »


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

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