Corey’s Restaurant & Lounge

31 12 2008
  • 1513 S. Cedar St.
  • Lansing, MI 4891
  • (517) 484-7060
  • No Known Website
  • Menu
Coreys Restaurat & Lounge on South Cedar Street in Lansing.

Corey's Restaurat & Lounge on South Cedar Street in Lansing.

Since we found out our bar of choice wasn’t going to be open past 10:00 on New Year’s Eve, we decided to go out for dinner.  We had driven by a very uninviting building on Cedar Street with a old sign hanging off the building that simply said “Corey’s Coktails.”  We never gave the place much thought until a co-worker of J’s recommended it during a discussion of local eateries.   J e-mailed me and asked if I just wanted to go out for dinner and I said, yes and suggested Corey’s, so that’s where we ended up for dinner on New Year’s Eve. 

Corey’s Restaurant & Lounge sits on Cedar Street not too far from downtown.  From the outside, you’d never guess what was inside.  We pulled up to the building around 7:30 to find a packed parking lot.  We entered the lot off of Cedar Street and found a place to park, but we had no idea where the door was.  It definitely wasn’t on the Cedar Street side, so I assumed it was around back.  As we were walking towards the building, we saw someone walk out solving the mystery of the front door.

When you walk in, you take a step down and enter in the lounge part of the space.  There were no signs about seating or a hostess.  I noticed a pub table along the wall not too far from the entrance so that’s where we went.  There are two rooms  to the space.  Had we kept going, we would have found a more traditional dining room separated from the bar.  We climbed up the chairs and waited.  And waited.  And waited.  And waited for a waitress to see us.  After a five to ten minute wait, we were finally noticed and a waitress came over for drink orders and left a couple menus.  Read the rest of this entry »


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

More on New Year’s Eve….

31 12 2008

One station does a story on how places are struggling and another does a story on how everything’s ok.  Last night, WLAJ did this story on how places are targeting a little older for New Year’s.

Some local entertainment venues are finding success this New Year’s Eve… but often only with a certain audience.

Local hot spots have found the audience that is willing to spend for entertainment, even in this recession. The age sweet spot is somewhere between 25 and 45. 

“Occasionally we’ll see some older clientele come in, but the bulk of what we’re marketing for is that younger group… who seems to come out, not really afraid of what the current economy situation looks like,” says Patrick Wisema, manager at Club X-Cel in Lansing.

Eh.  Who cares.  Found out I’m not going out at all.  Barley’s is closing at 10 PM tonight.  10 PM!  On New Year’s!  Things must really be bad if bars are closing early.  So, J and I will spend New Year’s watching Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve in the right time zone for the first time ever.  In the Central time zone, they play it live so the ball drops at 11:00 and then we’d turn to a Chicago station for a countdown to Midnight….this year, midnight in New York will actually be our Midnight…yay!


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Categories : Food News, Lansing, Michigan

New Years Eve Plans?

30 12 2008

Ugh.  It’s that time of year again.  I’ve never understood why people actually go out on New Year’s.  I usually spend it just like I do any other night.  No crowded bars for me.  Last year, J and I played Trivial Pursuit while watching Dick Clark’s Rockin New Year’s Eve.  I can’t even remember how I spent the year before that.  J has to work until 11:30 this year and it looks like we’ll probably stop in to Barley’s for a couple beers.

It looks like we’re not the only ones planning a low key New Year’s this year.  I found this story on WILX pretty interesting. 

As the ball drops this year, fewer people will be ringing in the New Year at a prime-time party.

“Our ticket sales are about half what they have been the past four years at this time,” says Dave Sheets, who owns Lansing’s Cadillac Club. “Normally by now we’re pretty much sold-out but now we’ve got a few hundred tickets left.”

For years, Sheets has been hosting what he calls a New Year’s Eve Extravaganza–a sold-out soiree that, this year, is slumping. Sheets blames the economy for slow sales.

I never got these big parties that you paid $100+ for.  Why do you want to spend your New Year’s Eve with strangers making small talk.  That sounds like something my grandparents did in the 1940’s…not something that people would do today.  I’m guessing this may be the end of these big New Year’s Parties.  It’s not a tradition that I’ll be sorry that goes, but there are better ways to spend your hard earned money than on some mass prepared meal, some cheap booze, and swing music.  I feel bad for the places that count on these shindigs like the Cadillac Club and The Radisson, but it seems like an outdated tradition.


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Categories : Food News, Lansing, Michigan

Fazoli’s – South Lansing

23 12 2008
  • 5705 S. Cedar St.
  • Lansing, MI 48911
  • (517) 394-0539
  • Website
  • Menu
Fazolis in South Lansing

Fazoli's in South Lansing....sorry about the focus...it was snowing really hard.

Looks like I can squeeze in one more Mid-Michigan review before Christmas.  I made it back to Lansing Monday morning at 3 AM after a 12 hour ride on an Amtrak that is only supposed to take 4 1/2 hours.  I’m not going to bitch as much as I want to, but let me just say, it was awful.  What makes it even more awful, is we’re supposed to hop on another train tomorrow morning to head back to Chicago.  We’re both a little stressed out wondering if we’re gonna make it home by Christmas. 

Since I’m just back in Lansing for a few days, we didn’t do any grocery shopping this week therefore, we have no food in the house.  Let me take that back, we have food, but it’s only to make cookies which I’ve been doing for two straight days now.  So, the only option was to eat out.  Last night, we hit up Steak ‘n Shake to take advantage of their 4 meals under $4 menu.  Tonight, it was Fazoli’s.

Strangely, my family has a history with Fazoli’s.  When I lived in Joliet, the only place, other than Chicken-n-Spice (review HERE), I took my parents to eat when they came to visit was Fazoli’s.  At that time, I had never heard of the chain and didn’t even realize it was a chain until I saw one on one of my “party visits” to the University of Illinois.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Chains, Fast Food, Italian, Lansing, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews

Taco John’s – Bradley, IL

20 12 2008
  • 484 S. Kennedy Drive
  • Bradley, IL 60915
  • (815) 939-3064
  • Website
  • Menu
Taco Johns on Kennedy Drive in Bradley, IL

Taco John's on Kennedy Drive in Bradley, IL

There aren’t many chain restaurants that I miss, but Taco John’s is one of them.  Everyone always thought I was crazy for preferring Taco John’s over Taco Bell, but I loved Taco John’s. 

When I was growing up, they used to give free tacos for A’s on your report card.  You’d bring in the report card, they’d give you a taco then mark the report card so you couldn’t try to use it again.  As stupid as it sounds, it was always an incentive to get A’s.  We knew if we did, we get a trip for tacos.

Once we got too old for that, we would always hit up the store on Tuesday for “Taco Tuesday”  All tacos were half price and my mom could feed two growing boys for half price.  Not a bad deal.

Taco John’s kind of fell out of my life until I moved to Peoria.  I worked in one of Peoria’s suburbs and right down the street was a Taco John.  I know this is going to surprise most people, but folks working in small town television news make about the same as fast food employees who don’t have thousands of dollars in student loans to pay off, so anytime I could pick up a cheap meal, I did.  Every Tuesday, you could find me at the Taco John’s where I could get six hardshell tacos for under $4. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Michigan

Press Release – Bottle Bill Sent to Governor

19 12 2008

From a Michigan Senate press release –

Bills to stop bottle deposit fraud sent to governor

LANSING — Legislation to help prevent Michigan from losing more than $10 million annually in fraudulent bottle deposit refunds is on its way to the governor, said bill sponsors Sens. Ron Jelinek and Cameron S. Brown.

The bipartisan, bicameral package of legislation requires reverse vending machines (RVM) to be retrofitted with new technology to prevent out-of-state bottles and cans from being returned in Michigan for the 10-cent deposit.

“Today is a great day for the state and for our retailers along the border who are taking the brunt of the fraud and will now have a means of preventing it from happening,” said Jelinek, R-Three Oaks. “This new technology will do wonders to keep out-of-state containers from being redeemed in Michigan and to keep state money in the state.”

The legislation:

> Requires unique markings on returnable beverage containers sold in Michigan designating them  as Michigan-only;

> Requires reverse vending machines used in Michigan to correctly identify and reject non-Michigan bought beverage containers;

> Establishes a fund to help reimburse manufacturers for the costs of the RVM retrofits in the two tiers of counties along Michigan’s southern border as required by the new law; and

> Revises and adds new penalties for consumers who return and dealers who accept out-of-state containers.

“This problem has been neglected for far too long and is especially acute along the border counties,” said Brown, R-Fawn River Twp. “As chair of the Michigan Beverage Container and Recycling Task Force, I am pleased to see this legislative package advance to the governor. Addressing fraudulent redemptions was a key component of the task force’s 2003 report and these bills will help collect revenue the state is currently losing. They will also help retailers who administer the bottle returns by paying for the cost of the upgrades to their reverse vending machines.”

The bills in the package are Senate Bills 1532 and 1648 and House Bills 5147, 6441 and 6442.


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Categories : Food News, Michigan, Politics, Press Releases

Press Release – “Michigan Legislature Delivers Lump of Coal”

19 12 2008

From a Campaign for Smoke Free Michigan press release –

Michigan Legislature delivers lump of coal – no smokefree air for state residents
CSA frustrated with disregard for public health

Lansing, Mich. – Unable to work on a final compromise for smokefree air in Michigan, the state Legislature wrapped up Lame Duck this week and left the legislation to die.

Since both the House and Senate had passed different versions of House Bill 4163, the bill was sent to a conference committee to work out the differences. (The House had passed a version with exemptions in 2007; the Senate passed a version with no exemptions earlier this year). But leadership from each chamber was unable to work together on a final bill, and have left Lansing for the year.

“In the end, political gamesmanship is the only winner here,” said Susan Schechter, spokesperson for CSA and director of advocacy for the American Lung Association of Michigan. “Michigan workers are holding their breathe waiting for this law to pass. The leaders of these chambers know the public wants smokefree air, they have seen the science and economic numbers behind the movement, but instead they are listening to the dollars from Big Tobacco, casino and restaurant industries that flow into their campaign coffers.

“We have worked hard to educate lawmakers on the benefits of going smokefree and despite Michigan residents’ support on this issue, a select few legislators have chose to disregarded the public’s health and kill the bill. It’s an utter shame and a waste of time and money to start over this legislative process again in 2009, but that’s exactly what we have to do.”

Schecter did thank Reps. Brenda Clack, D-Flint, Andy Meisner, D-Ferndale and Dave Hildenbrand, R-Lowell and Sens. Ray Basham, D-Taylor, Alan Sanborn, R-Richmond and Alan Cropsey, R-DeWitt for their hard work and dedication to smokefree legislation during the conference committee.

Currently, more than half of Americans live in a city or state with smokefree workplace protection laws (34 states have smokefree workplace laws in effect). Gov. Jennifer Granholm has called on legislators to pass statewide smokefree legislation and vowed to sign the bill if it crossed her desk. CSA plans to continue to fight for smokefree air in 2009.


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Categories : Food News, Michigan, Politics, Press Releases

Christmas Time…

16 12 2008

Just like Thanksgiving weekend, I’m going to be spending a good chunk of time in Illinois.  I leave tomorrow (Wednesday) to head to DeKalb, IL (Northern Illinois University) for work.  I’m going to my parents for a couple days then to Champaign, IL (Univeristy of Illinois) for another job.  I’ll be back in Lansing Sunday to pick J up and head back to Chicago late Tuesday night…since I have another job in Champaign the Sunday after Christmas, we won’t be back until late Sunday or early Monday…which means Mid-Michigan reviews will probably drop off until the last few days in December.

As always, I’ll blog about where I eat while I’m gone and I’ll try to keep up to date on the Michigan smoking ban and any other Mid-Michigan news that pops up.

In the meantime, I just want to say thanks for following along in 2008.  Things have slowed down in recent weeks because we’re feeling the effect of the weak economy like everyone else.  When we moved here in April, I never thought I’d be out of a full time job this long.  Things have worked out for us due to my freelance work which used to be a supplemental income instead of a primary.  Hopefully things work out in 2009 and we can continue exploring everything Michigan has to offer.  We’ve had a lot of fun traveling and exploring our new home.  I hope you’ve enjoyed following along and continue to visit Mid-Michigan Dining


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Categories : Michigan

Free Food For a Year?

16 12 2008

I get an e-mail this afternoon that was forwarded to me by a source. 

Toppers Pizza at 1219 E Grand River Ave, East Lansing is giving away free
food for a year to the first 50 walk in customers this Saturday. They open
at 10:30am.

And of course, I thought, “no way.”  Free food for a year?  For 50 people?  I did a little digging.  There was a phone number attached and the area code of that phone number was for the Madison, WI area.  I found the Topper’s website and they are based in Madison.  While I’m at the website, I click on the “news” link to see if they have anything and what do you know?  They do!  Free food for a year for the first 50 walk in customers starting at 10:30 AM on Saturday morning. 

I’m heading to Illinois this weekend for work, but maybe I can convince J to freeze her ass off for free food 🙂


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Categories : East Lansing, Food News, Michigan, Pizza

Press Release – MDCH Director Urges Smoking Ban Passage

15 12 2008

From an Michigan Department of Community Health press release –

MDCH Director Urges State Legislature to pass Smoke-Free Law

The Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) is once again
strongly encouraging the Michigan State Legislature to pass a law
banning second hand smoking in public places including restaurants and
bars. While attempting to reach a compromise, the state Legislature
recently pondered the idea of allowing businesses to avoid the ban by
buying a special permit.

“While compromise may be needed, the state Legislature must protect
its citizens from second hand smoke,” said MDCH Director Janet
Olszewski. “Michigan needs a strong, firm, concrete law that outright
bans smoking in public places. Allowing businesses to buy their way out
of the law would be unacceptable and unfair to Michigan residents.”

Second hand smoke is the third leading preventable cause of death and
when smoking occurs in the workplace, employees find they are exposed to
cancer causing substances all day long. Research has shown that tobacco
smoke has more than 4,000 chemicals of which 60 are known carcinogens.
Contrary to popular belief, separating smokers from nonsmokers, cleaning
the air, and ventilating buildings cannot eliminate exposures to
secondhand smoke.

MDCH understands the urgency of passing a smoke-free law during the
lame duck session, which officially ends Dec. 30. The department is
asking state legislators to put aside political gamesmanship and do what
is appropriate for Michigan residents.


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Categories : Food News, Michigan, Politics, Press Releases

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