Another Illinois Weekend

21 08 2008

I apologize in advance for the lack of Mid-Michigan updates that will happen this weekend.  We’re heading back to my hometown in Illinois for the annual Homecoming celebration.  Along the way, we’ve got plans for a couple stops in Chicago, Kankakee, and we’ll see what else comes up.  Maybe on Sunday we’ll stop along the way for dinner.  I’ve been pushing for Redamak’s in New Buffalo for the past couple months, so we’ll see if that happens this time.  

I hope I’m not boring you too much with our travels.  I know it seems like we’ve been going to Illinois a lot this summer and we have.  That should slow down now that summer’s over.  I have to go to Champaign once for football and I’m going to Indianapolis next week…also for football, but other than that, we won’t be heading south again until the middle of October. 

I try to keep this blog kind of journal.  I think it’s important to tell stories and not just tell you what I think.  I like for you to see who we are even though I’m aware I’ve never used names or elaborated on what exactly we do or where we work.  I’ve provided just enough clues to hopefully keep you strung along.  I’ve always felt a good blog is one that updates everyday and tells a story, but those stories have to be interesting even if you don’t know the people involved so that’s why I also blog on trips like I do at home. 

If this bores you, come back Monday for regular updates.  If for some reason you’re intrigued, there will be some more travel updates probably starting tomorrow. 

For whatever reason you read and however you found this blog, thank you.  I appreciate those of you that keep coming back and giving us suggestions and you’re opinions on dining in Mid-Michigan.  That’s the reason I started this blog.  It’s not about me being vain.  It’s about an open dialogue of food and restaurants specifically targeting the Lansing area.


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Categories : Michigan

Panera Bread – Lansing Mall

21 08 2008
  • 5300 W. Saginaw Hwy
  • Lansing, MI 48917
  • (517) 703-9340
  • Website
  • Menu
Panera Bread located inside the Lansing Mall on Saginaw Highway in Lansing

Panera Bread located inside the Lansing Mall on Saginaw Highway in Lansing

I used to be scared of Panera Bread.  I always assumed there is nothing there I would like because they didn’t make greasy hamburgers and fries.  My girlfriend finally got me there one day while we were doing some extended work in Decatur, IL.  We had exhausted all of the downtown restaurant options and another lady we were working with had mentioned she was going to Panera Bread.  I decided not to argue and went along for the ride.  To my surprise, I actually found quite a bit there that sounded and looked good.  Panera has always been a standby for J.  She eats there pretty much every time she has to work in Kalamazoo or anytime she has to find someplace to eat and I’m not with her.

Today, we needed to run to Horrocks before heading back to Illinois for the weekend.  J just wanted a salad for lunch and asked if there was a Panera close.  The only one I could think of was the one at the Lansing Mall so after we grabbed what we needed from Horrocks, we headed down Saginaw Highway to the mall.  Read the rest of this entry »


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

The Peanut Barrel

19 08 2008
  • 521 E. Grand River Ave.
  • East Lansing, MI 48823
  • (517) 351-0608
  • Website
  • Menu
The Peanut Barrel on Grand River Ave. in East Lansing across the street from Michigan State University

The Peanut Barrel on Grand River Ave. in East Lansing across the street from Michigan State University

The Peanut Barrel is one of the restaurants that have been our list since we moved here.  One of our first weekends in Lansing, we went to check out East Lansing and MSU.  We walked by the Peanut Barrel and the patio area was full with a long wait, so we didn’t stop.  Every other time we’ve been down that way, the situation was the same, so we’ve always passed.  Those times were always weekends which makes sense.  Lots of students with families in town.  We finally made it to East Lansing on a Tuesday morning right before lunch and thought it would be the perfect time to try to get a seat outside. 

My girlfriend needed to go to the Secretary of State’s Office.  I asked her which one and she just said one near a restaurant we haven’t been to.  The Mason branch is the closest, but there’s not a lot of restaurants around there.  I thought I remembered seeing a branch in East Lansing and there are still a ton of restaurants in that area that we haven’t been to, so that’s where I went.  Like all trips to the SOS office, it never goes smoothly.  We had to drive all the way back home to get something and go back.  Same thing happened to me last time I went.  Why do they have to make it so damn hard? Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Burgers, Downtown, East Lansing, Michigan, Pub, Restaurant, Reviews

Save-A-Lot

18 08 2008
  • 3222 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
  • Lansing, MI 48910
  • (517) 394-0396
  • Website
The Save-A-Lot store on Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. in Lansing.

The Save-A-Lot store on Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. in Lansing.

We moved to Lansing about five months ago and in that time, I’ve never really gone down Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.  Today, I needed to run to the Walgreens out that way, so I decided to drive around a little and check it out.  Usually, I go to the Walgreens on the corner of Jolly and Cedar, but they were having problems with their photo equipment.  I also needed to make a quick grocery store run to get a few things for dinner.  As I was leaving the parking lot of the Walgreens on MLK, I noticed the Save-A-Lot across the street.

I’ve never really been in a Save-A-Lot, so I didn’t know what to expect.  The only store in my old town was near a college, so I avoided it.  Today’s adventure is the first time I went in to shop.  The store is set up a lot like Aldi’s.  All the products are shipped in custom cartons that allow them to be product displays.  There’s not a whole lot of people stocking shelves.  They stores are also much smaller than most grocery stores.  The selection isn’t quite as big either.  There’s pretty much only one option for each product and there’s not a whole lot of sizes.  This is how they claim they can save you up to 40% on your grocery bill. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Chains, Grocery, Lansing, Michigan, Reviews

Buffalo Barbeque Wings

18 08 2008
  • 1085 N. Wisner St.
  • Jackson, MI 49202
  • (517) 782-4344
  • Website
  • Menu
Buffalo Barbeque Wings in Jackson

Buffalo Barbeque Wings in Jackson

I first heard about Buffalo Barbeque Wings (yes, Barbeque, not Wild) a few months ago when the Jackson Citizen-Patriot ran a blurb about it’s opening.  I blogged about (here) and I have gotten hundreds of hits for that post.  When you type “Buffalo Barbecue (sic) Wings” in Google, that post is the first hit you get.  Seems there are a lot of people wanting to know more about this place but since they don’t have a website, they keep getting directed to my site.

My girlfriend and I were down in Brooklyn for the Sprint Cup race.  I was doing some work and we both had garage passes.  The concession stands in the pits suck and the media lunch was at noon, so by the time 6:00 rolled around, we were both starving.  As we were waiting for Carl Edwards to make his way to the conference room, J asked about dinner.  Since we were already going through Jackson, I asked her if she was up for some wings.  I figured if people are going to come to this blog looking for information, I might as well give it to them.

We avoided the mess on US 127 by staying on US 12 after leaving the track and cutting through the country on Jackson Rd.  We ended up only sitting in traffic for 20 minutes instead of the hour plus we did last time.  Since we took Jackson Rd, we ended up going all the way through town to get to where we were going.  That’s not necessary on a normal day.  We found on the way home Buffalo Barbecue Wings is less than a mile from I-94 and US 127.  We found the shop in a strip mall.  There was just a sign that marked the spot.  Had we not been looking for it, it would have been easy to miss.  It’s behind Biggby and that’s how I knew to start looking.  I saw the Biggby and turned into the parking lot.  After a quick scan of the storefronts, we found Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Bar, Chicken, Jackson, Local Flavor, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews, Sports Bar, Wings

City Market Plans Need More Work

15 08 2008

The City held a work session with developer Pat Gillespie yesterday trying to come to a consensus on a new City Market.  The State-Journal  has the recap.

Gillespie hopes ultimately to get the six votes he needs to replace the old market building at Cedar and Shiawassee streets with Market Place, a $24 million to $30 million retail, office and residential development on the downtown riverfront.

“It’s a work in progress,” (Councilman Eric) Hewitt said of the agreement. “I’m very encouraged by the fact that Pat Gillespie has been willing to sit down, listen to our comments and include them in the buy/sell agreement.”

Council members unanimously agreed Thursday to vote on the sale at Monday’s full session. Yet they’ve stated lingering concerns about the agreement’s language regarding incentives, a clean-up loan and Gillespie’s commitment to hiring local labor.

Local labor?  Fine.  If they bid competitively then give them the job, but you can’t just give people work because of where they live.  For example, I live five miles from Spartan Stadium.  I do freelance work for the Big Ten Network.  MSU has a home game on Sept. 6 that will air on BTN.  I’m driving 340 miles one way to Champaign to work for the same network instead of working the MSU game.  In my case, it’s not price because I’m probably cheaper than some guys who work here, but it has more to do with seniority.  I would love to be able to stay here and work instead of going to Illinois, but it’s not going to happen, so I go where the work is.  It happens…it’s part of life and it shouldn’t hold up the City Market.  Something needs to be done to revitalize the property.  As I’ve said many times, I’m a recent transplant to Lansing.  I was really looking forward to the City Market.  When we got here, I’ve been nothing but disappointed.  I would rather go to some of the once a week farmer’s markets and do most of my shopping at Horrocks.  Something needs to be done.  The historic building isn’t enough.  Sometimes, you have to start over to make progress.  Take a lot of pictures and save signs.  That’s what museums are for.


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Categories : Food News, Lansing, Michigan

BBQ Shack

15 08 2008
  • 3491 Page Ave.
  • Jackson, MI 49203
  • (517) 764-5648
  • Website
  • Menu
The BBQ Shack in Jackson just off of US 127

The BBQ Shack in Jackson just off of US 127

FYI, the BBQ Shack has moved since this review.  Click on the website link to get the new location.

What a find!  I actually read a review from another blogger about a week ago.  I’m doing some freelance work again this weekend at Michigan International Speedway and figured one of the days, I should have some time to stop on the way home and check it out.  J and I headed down to the Irish Hills for media availabilities on Friday morning.  We sat in on Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Burton’s press conferences and the Stewart-Haas Racing announcement of Ryan Newman joining the team next year.  After that, we did a quick lap through the pits as guys were getting ready to practice.  All that worked up an appetite so we decided today was the day for BBQ.

The BBQ Shack is located right off of US 127 right across the street from McDonald’s. I felt sorry for all those poor saps that were getting Big Mac’s instead of BBQ.  Amy warned me that if we weren’t looking, we might miss the place, so I had my eyes open.  She was right.  There’s not sign out front that really identifies the place.  The building is, well, a little shack.  There’s a patio in front and off to the side that make up the only dining room the BBQ Shack has.  When you walk inside, you come right to the counter.  There were three people inside working and all three greeted us as we looked over the menu.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : BBQ, Jackson, Local Flavor, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Aldi – S. Pennsylvania

11 08 2008
  • 655 S. Pennsylvania
  • Lansing, MI 48911
  • No Phone Number
  • Website
The Aldi store on South Pennsylvania in Lansing.

The Aldi store on South Pennsylvania in Lansing.

A few weeks ago, I decided to give Aldi a shot for the first time in many years.  I went to the store on Saginaw Highway (review HERE).  The only thing I picked up was a bag of frozen chicken.  We finally ran out of that chicken and I needed something for dinner, so I headed to the Aldi on S. Pennsylvania to pick up the same thing.  I said in my last review that chicken was a test.  It totally passed the test.  It was just as good as chicken we’ve gotten from somewhere else and it was much cheaper.

The Aldi on S. Pennsylvania is set up like all Aldi stores.  Since I was just going for chicken again, I didn’t grab a cart.  It took me a little while to find what I was looking for this time.  I went to the fresh meat case first hoping to find some ribs.  There wasn’t a whole lot left there.  Just a few pieces of chicken and some ground beef.  I didn’t find the ribs, so I went looking for the frozen chicken breasts.  I finally found the bag I was looking for after doing some digging in the freezer.  Someone had put some flavored frozen chicken breasts in the box for the regular ones. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Grocery, Lansing, Michigan, Reviews

Election Day BBQ – Final Update

5 08 2008

I hope everyone did their civic duty today and voted in all the non-races in the Lansing area.  I haven’t yet, but I do plan on it before the polls close.  It’s a little wierd.  I haven’t voted on Election Day in a few years.  Illinois has early voting or what the Reform Michigan Government Now (which I strongly oppose) calls No Excuse Absentee Voting.  Our polls were also automated, so I figured I’ll use today as a practice vote for November since I hear Michigan still use paper ballets or optical scan maybe?

Anyway, since it is Election Day, it’s a good day for a BBQ, huh?  I know that’s bad logic, but everyday is a good day for a BBQ.  My girlfriend actually isn’t going to be able to leave work for dinner, so we’re being nice and smoking some pork butts for the whole office.  I’ve never blogged about my cooking, but I thought I’d share the journey since I know some people at her office read this, it’ll just get them hungrier and then, as a negative side effect, hype up my pulled pork and give me expecatations I can’t possibly achieve.

Anyway, we got two Levandowski pork butts from L & L last night.  We went with two smaller ones instead of one big one hoping to cut the cooking time down some.  I put my rub on last night and threw them in the fridge.  I used a Bobby Flay rub and this is one of the few I don’t stray from.  It is so freakin good.  I used to use my own brown sugar based rub, but this one is so much better.  Just a little bit of heat.  I cut down the measurements so I only make what I was going to use today.

4 teaspoons Ancho Chile Powder
2 teaspoons Spanish Paprika
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground corriander
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon Chile de Arbol powder

45

This is what my two pork butts looked like when I threw them on the grill at about 1:45

I used this on a pork tenderloin one time and thought I had died and gone to heaven.  I pulled the meat out of the fridge and fired the grill up about 1:30.  I use natural hardwood lump charcoal instead of briquettes so the fire got going pretty quickly.  I added some hickory chunks and chips to the coals and threw the butts on the grill.  I’m trying to keep the temperature down around 250, but it’s not always easy with a Weber Kettle grill. 

Keep checking back between now and 6:00 or so.  I’ll update with pictures as we go along.  It’s so sad that Lansing doesn’t have a real BBQ joint.  This stuff is so easy to do with a little patience and the result is incredible!

Make sure to click on the READ MORE link every hour or so for updates Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Food News, Lansing, Michigan, Politics

Press Release – Mason Aviation Day

3 08 2008

From a press release.

Mason Aviation Day

Sunday, August 17, 2008
at Mason Jewell Airport (TEW)

Eden & Kipp Road, Mason, MI
(across from Fairgrounds)

Fly In or Drive In

Pancacke Breakfast ~ 7 AM to 11:30 AM

Grilled Steak Dinner  ~ Noon to 4:00 PM
    (Pork BBQ, Hot Dogs, Brats also available)

Antique Aircraft ~ Classic Aircraft ~ Vintage Aircraft ~ Homebuilt Aircraft ~ Military Aircraft

FREE ADMISSION to Mason Jewett Airport

Hosted by Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 55

Contact Bill Bezdek 517-351-0448 or Bill Purosky 517-655-1432
for additional information or visit http://www.eaa55.org

EAA Chapter 55….member of the Mason Area Chamber of Commerce


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Categories : Food News, Mason, Michigan

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