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

Green River Cafe Closing

14 06 2009

Sad news from The State News today.

After three years of serving East Lansing a selection of vegan, vegetarian and organic food, the Green River Cafe, 211 MAC Ave., will close its doors for good today.

Their menu didn’t really interest me because I’m a meat eater, but it’s still sad to see any local business go under.  For those that do prefer the vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, there’s not many choices.  Still, there is some good news.

Green River Cafe opened in September 2006, and the owners Jim and Josephine Jabara opened a second location at the Lansing City Market in May 2008.

The Lansing location will remain open and will continue to serve the same menu, (employee Grace) O’Connor said.


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Categories : East Lansing, Food News, Michigan

Downtown Dog House

12 06 2009
  • 107 E. Allegan Street
  • Lansing, MI 48933
  • (517) 316-2312
  • No Known Website
  • Menu
The Downtown Dog House on Allegan Street in downtown Lansing.

The Downtown Dog House on Allegan Street in downtown Lansing.

I’m last to the party on this one too.  Earlier this week, Runs With Spatula Twittered about a place called the Downtown Dog House.  I asked what is was and a few hours later, there was a blog post.  Yesterday, I get an e-mail from City Pulse about a new article online about…you guessed it…the Downtown Dog House.  Heck, I even got five or six replies on Twitter myself about the place.  With all this buzz, I had to check it out.

The Downtown Dog House is on Allegan Street in downtown Lansing just off Washington Square.  Right now, it’s a horrible location.  The entire street is tore up due to the CSO project and Allegan Street is completely closed.  If you didn’t already know about it, there’s very little chance you would see the place.  I have to say, it takes guts to open a new business under those conditions.

I had to run some errands in the area and J tagged along so we could hit up the place for lunch.  We made it downtown just before eleven and found a parking spot on Washington Square.  We walked back a block or so to get to the front doors which is even somewhat of a challenge with all the construction. 

I think we were both surprised when we walked in.  At least in my mind, I had pictured a quick service, order at the counter, find a place to sit hot dog place like I’m used to seeing in Chicago.  Instead, we found a very welcoming sit down restaurant.  We were shown to a booth along the windows.  While we looked over the menus, the man who seated us brought us our Pepsi’s.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Coney Dog, Downtown, Lansing, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews

McDonald’s – South Cedar

12 06 2009
  • 4700 S. Cedar Street
  • Lansing, MI 48910
  • (517) 393-8678
  • Website
  • Menu
McDonalds on South Cedar near Jolly Road in Lansing.

McDonald's on South Cedar near Jolly Road in Lansing.

I know I haven’t blogged all week and I always feel bad when the only thing I have to blog about is a chain restaurant, but I left Oldsmobile Park after a heartbreaking Lugnuts loss and I was starving.  The game went longer than I had anticipated due to yet another extra inning game.  When I started heading home a little after ten o’clock, my choices were limited.  I knew there was some fast food along the way, so I waited until I got a little bit closer to home.

The McDonald’s on South Cedar Street sits just north of Jolly Road.  Being late, the drive-thru was the only option.  As I was heading south, I pulled in to the second drive.  I always think if you pull in the one farther to the north, it gives you a bad angle at the drive thru. 

I’m not a very adventurous eater when it comes to the Golden Arches.  I always get the same thing.  It’s a good thing I looked at the menu board as I pulled up to the speaker though.  It must have been a while since I’ve eaten a burger McD’s because they moved the Double Quarter Pounder w/cheese meal to #3 instead of #4.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Burgers, Chains, Fast Food, Lansing, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Press Release – St. Johns “Taste of the Town”

10 06 2009

From a Downtown St. Johns press release.

TASTE OF THE TOWN FESTIVAL

Downtown St. Johns, Michigan will be host the fourth annual Taste of the Town celebration on Friday and Saturday, June 26-27, 2009 on the Grand Trunk Railroad Depot lawn at 107 E. Railroad Street from 4:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. each night. Various vendors will be on hand, with radio personalities from “Classic Rock 94.9” and “Z92.5 The Castle” conducting live radio feeds on Friday and Saturday.

Live entertainment will be featured in the Beverage Tent, and Vegas style gaming is offered in our CASINO tent, both from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. each night. The crowd favorite BBQ contest occurs on Saturday at 4 p.m., with the public casting ballots to determine the winner. A Classis Car “Cruise In” also begins on Saturday at 4:00 p.m.

To participate as a vendor, contact the St. Johns Downtown Management Board at (989) 227-1717 or visit http://www.DowntownStJohns.org. There is a $10 vendor registration cost. To participate as a BBQ contestant, contact Jessie at (989) 327-4885. There is a BBQ contestant registration cost. Proceeds from this event benefit Downtown St. Johns projects and improvements.

Taste of the Town is made possible by the generous corporate sponsorship of the following businesses: Major summer events sponsorship by the City of St. Johns – Mint City USA, Firstbank of St. Johns and Z92.5 The Castle radio station. Other funding has been provided by Allaby and Brewbaker Insurance, Michigan Graphics & Signs; along with Abraham & Gaffney, Account Receivable Solutions, The Alibi Bar, Bruno’s Bar, the Clinton County Chamber of Commerce, Custom Embroidery Plus, Fifth Third Bank, Jackson, Jackson & Associates, Jet Speed Printing, Katren Industries, Sirrine & Associates, the St. Johns Independent Informer and Swany’s Pub & Grub. Additional funding has been provided by the Clinton County Arts Council, Dershey’s Café, Gill-Roy’s Commercial & Industrial Supply, Hungry Howie’s Pizza, Kurt’s Appliance Center and T. Snow Customs.


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Categories : Michigan, Press Releases, St. Johns

Girls Gone Wild in Lansing

10 06 2009

Nothing says classy nightclub or responsible businessman like Girls Gone Wild (I hope you picked up the sarcasm).  From a press release…

The Original Girls Gone Wild Live at the Venue Live NightClub.
Girls Gone Wild will be Searching for the Hottest Girl and Wildest Bar in America, here in Lansing, MI.

Tonight, Wednesday, June 10, 2009

9p – 2am

The original Girls Gone Wild will appear and perform live at the Venue Live Nightclub tonight, June 10, 2009 at 9pm. The Girls Gone Wild Tour Bus will be on site. There will be filming live on location. Also, Girls Gone Wild will be searching for the Hottest Girl and Wildest Bar in America, here in Lansing, MI. The event is for ages 18 and up.

The Venue Live Nightclub is located 6810 South Cedar Street, Lansing, (517) 889-5205


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Categories : Food News, Lansing, Michigan

Pizza Delivery To Your Boat

8 06 2009

Have you ever been out on the lake, got hungry, but didn’t want to drive back to shore to get food.  If you’re on Lake St. Clair, that’s no longer a problem.

The Sam’s Sorrento Pizza chain is launching the SS Pizza, with an oven and fully equipped kitchen. It will use dingy-size boats to make weekend deliveries of pizza, chicken wings, hamburgers and other foods to vessels on the popular lake, northwest of Detroit.

Owner Al Marino tells the Detroit Free Press boaters can visit the SS Pizza or phone in orders and have food brought to them.

Awesome.


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Categories : Food News, Michigan

Fiesta Vallarta

7 06 2009
  • 6724 S. Cedar Street
  • Lansing, MI 48911
  • (517) 699-3691
  • Website
  • Menu
Fiesta Vallarta on South Cedar Street in Lansing.

Fiesta Vallarta on South Cedar Street in Lansing.

I always thought it would be great if there was a sit down restaurant that J and I could easily walk to.  When we moved here, the only choices were Ponderosa or Charlie Kang’s II.  We put off Ponderosa for a long time (and with good reason) and we’re not into any Asian cuisine.  When I saw work at the closed Charlie Kang’s, I had hopes that it would be someplace we might like.  When I saw the building being painted orange, there was no doubt a Mexican restaurant was moving in. 

For the last several weeks, we passed by hoping to see signs of life inside or at least a “coming soon” side.  On Thursday, we saw the “open” sign lighted up and by the time we finished running errands, there was a huge “now open” banner on the side of the road.   It was just a matter of time before we stopped in for lunch.

Fiesta Vallarta is on South Cedar Street almost underneath I-94.  It takes the spot that used to be Charlie Kang’s II.  I never went in that business, but  I never saw cars out front.  I’ve seen more cars in the last four days at Fiesta Vallarta than I did in almost a year at Charlie Kang’s.

I’m not 100% on the story behind the business.  When I got home, I typed http://www.fiestavallarta.cominto my browser.  What popped up was a website for a Fiesta Vallarta in California.  The menu was nothing like this one in Lansing, but the logo’s were very, very close.  Turns out, I typed the address wrong.  It’s actually a .mx address, but it’s http://www.fiestavallarta.com.mx.  So, I don’t know if there’s a relationship, coincidence, or an homage to the California restaurant.

We found a parking spot in front of the building, but there’s also parking in back and along the side.  The door is accessible from both the front and back lots.  When we got inside, we came to a waiting area with a cash register.  There was a waiter who handed us two menus and told us to find a seat.  That seemed odd.  The next party that came in was shown to a table.  The party after that was treated like we were.  There was a pattern I’m not going to mention and just believe it was coincidence.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Lansing, Mexican, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews

Press Release – BWL Chili Cook-Off Sees Record Crowd

5 06 2009

I guess this is why the lines were ridiculously long.  Great for the charities, but it made for an unpleasant experience.  From a press release….

 Sunny Skies Bring Record Crowd to 14th Annual Chili Cook-Off
More than 12,000 attendants and 2,000 gallons of chili served

LANSING, Mich. – Superb weather and an true love of chili attracted thousands of chiliheads to Adado Riverfront Park in downtown Lansing this evening for the 14th Annual BWL Chili Cook-Off. More than 12,000 people attended the annual event, which benefits the Sparrow Foundation, the Hope Scholars Connections Program and Impression 5 Science Center/Adopt-A-River.

“A combination of perfect weather, fabulous turnout and the fact that there were more vendors than ever before made this year’s Cook-Off one of the best yet,” said BWL Communications Director Mark Nixon. “It was really great to see so many people come out to support three great charities.”

Fifty different Lansing-area restaurants, non-profits, businesses and amateur chefs combined to make approximately 2,000 gallons of chili. Vendors competed in nine different categories in hopes of being awarded “People’s Choice Best Overall Chili.” The People’s Choice award is determined via ballots given to event attendees. For all other chili categories, local celebrity judges determined the winners.

This year’s judges included: Lansing Police Chief Mark Alley, Lansing City Council Member Kathie Dunbar and City Council President Derrick Quinney, Lansing City Clerk Chris Swope, radio personality Walt Sorg, Impression 5 Science Center Board President Jeff Maloney, as well as Andrea Price and Elizabeth Hernandez of Sparrow Healthcare.

This year’s winners are as follows:

People’s Choice – Best Overall Chili
Gold Ladle: Lansing Lugnuts

Silver Ladle: Lansing Fire Department

Bronze Ladle: Harrison Road House

Best Restaurant Chili
Gold Ladle: Red Robin

Silver Ladle: Harrison Road House

Bronze Ladle: Applebee’s

Best Corporate Chili
Gold Ladle: The Gallery at MSU

Silver Ladle: Balloon’s Galore

Bronze Ladle: Marine Corps League

Best Meatless Chili
Gold Ladle: Soup to Nuts Bistro

Silver Ladle: Texas Road House

Bronze Ladle: The Firm

Best Amateur Chili
Gold Ladle: Shannon Shavers

Mo’ Hotter, Mo’ Better – Hottest Chili Award
Gold Ladle: Mayfair Bar

Silver Ladle: Lansing Teen Challenge

Bronze Ladle: Paramount Coffee

The Greater Lansing Convention & Visitors Bureau awarded the Red Hot Hospitality Award to the CVB member organization that was most fun and welcoming.

Red Hot Hospitality Award:

Gold Ladle: Dublin Square

Silver Ladle: Jackson National Life

Bronze Ladle: Beggar’s Banquet

Most Creative Chili Booth
Gold Ladle: Jackson National Life

Silver Ladle: Harrison Road House

Bronze Ladle: The State Room

Most Creative Chili Name
Gold Ladle: The Firm

Silver Ladle: Radisson Hotel

Bronze Ladle: The State Room

In addition to the chili, this year’s Cook-Off included live performances from Lansing bands 496 West and La Inspiracion. Attendees were also able to burn off their chili calories on a mechanical bull and an inflatable obstacle course and climbing wall.

The BWL would like to thank participating restaurants, businesses, sponsors and thousands of Chili Cook-Off attendees for another great year!


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Categories : Cook offs, Lansing, Michigan, Press Releases

BWL Chili Cook-Off

5 06 2009
Lines for chili at the 2009 BWL Chili Cook-Off

Lines for chili at the 2009 BWL Chili Cook-Off

I’m not going to elaborate too much, but the BWL Chili Cook-Off was kind of a disappointment.  I don’t know if it was the change in location, the nicer weather, or something else.  About half of the booths were empty by the time we got there at 7:30 and the lines were so long, we only had two samples in the 20 minutes we were there.  On top of that, we couldn’t figure out where to buy a Pepsi.  I’m not angry that I pretty much wasted the $10.  Really, I’m sad.  I’ve been looking forward to this day for a year….and I was so excited I couldn’t sleep last night. 

What I’m really interested in, and why I’m even posting this,  is your experience…especially those of you that have been going for many years.  Were things different this year?   Good or bad?


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Categories : Lansing, Michigan

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