Frank’s Press Box – Delta Township

23 11 2008
  • 7216 W. Saginaw Hwy.
  • Lansing, MI 48917
  • (517) 886-1330
  • No Known Website
  • Menu
Franks Press Box on Saginaw Highway in Lansing.

Frank's Press Box on Saginaw Highway in Lansing.

Time for the weekly shopping trip.  We got a little lazy today and slept in pretty late then had a hard time getting going, but we needed to run to Walmart and Horrocks to pick up just a few things before we head home for the Thanksgiving holiday.  Both of us were starving when we left so we decided to eat first. 

Every time we go out that way, we go by Frank’s Press Box on Saginaw Highway.  It always looks deserted, but we always go during the day during the week.  When we pulled into the parking lot today (on a Sunday), the parking lot was the opposite of deserted.  In fact, it was packed.  The inside of the restaurant was no different.  Most of the tables were full and all eyes were pointed at the TV’s.  We figured out later the Lions game was blacked out and the only way to see it was to have the NFL package which Frank’s obviously did. 

The restaurant/sports bar is divided into three rooms.  Near the front is a game room with a number of pool tables.  The bar area also has a large dining room designated as the smoking section then there’s another section separated by a tiny wall and a fireplace designated non-smoking by green paint on a mirror near the back of the space.  The wall did nothing.  My coat smells like cigar smoke which was painfully noticeable during the meal.  Each section has a number of TV’s.  From our table, I could see seven LCD TV’s and each of them had a different football game on, but the audio from the Lions game was pumped in via speakers. Read the rest of this entry »


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

Bloated Goat Saloon

22 11 2008
  • 141 E. Grand River Ave.
  • Fowlerville, MI 48836
  • (517) 223-8413
  • No Known Website
  • No Online Menu
The sign hanging from the Bloated Goat Saloon in downtown Fowlerville

The sign hanging from the Bloated Goat Saloon in downtown Fowlerville

The Bloated Goat Saloon is my kind of bar.  Not only is the name awesome, but the inside is the typical small town, turn of the century saloon with above average food. 

J and I were heading out to Howell to do some Christmas shopping.  Might as well get it out of the way early.  I hate people and you can’t have a crowd without people and you can’t Christmas shop in December without crowds, so we went to the Tanger Outlets the week before Thanksgiving instead of the week after.   We’re always on the lookout for new places and when I was searching for restaurants in and around Howell, I came upon a place called the Bloated Goat Saloon.  There were a couple reviews that said the place was really neat and the food was good, so we decided to give it a try.

The Bloated Goat Saloon is in downtown Fowlerville.  It’s not hard to find.  There’s a huge sign hangining on the side of the building.  The inside is dark, long, and narrow.  There isn’t much width to the place.  There’s a really neat bar running along one wall in the front of the space and tables along the other.  The back of the room is filled with more tables and the usual pub games.  Back to the bar for a second, it’s a really interesting design.  There’s the bar, but there’s also a boxed in shelf a few feet above the bar.  The whole thing is supported with steel pipe, so it looks like there are a bunch of “windows” when you’re sitting there.  About half of the bar stools are attached to the bar itself and then there’s a couple of the more traditional free standing stools. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Bar, Burgers, Fowlerville, Local Flavor, Michigan, Pub, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Jersey Giant Subs – South Lansing

20 11 2008
  • 6441 S. Cedar St.
  • Lansing, MI 48911
  • (517) 272-2300
  • No Known Website
  • Menu
Jersey Giant Subs on South Cedar in Lansing.

Jersey Giant Subs on South Cedar in Lansing.

The market is flooded with sub sandwich shops.  It seems like they all run together and I never know what’s a chain or what’s local.  We’ve passed over Jersey Giant Subs a number of times because we wer just tired of sub shops.  They’re all pretty much the same, right?

J wasn’t able to come home for dinner tonight and I had to go meet someone and pick up some gear for a job I have tomorrow in Grand Rapids.  Since I was out, I figured I’d just grab something for dinner instead of trying to scrounge something up for myself.  As I was driving back down Pennsylvania towards home, I thought of the non-descript sub shop we always pass up.

Jersey Giant Sub sits in a small strip mall on Cedar Street near the Meijer.  There are a lot of food options along this stretch of Cedar St.  The strip mall is mostly other take out places.  There are two Mexican places close by and a number of national chains.  Jersey Giant Sub kind of gets lost in the mix.

I had a hard time finding a parking spot.  There’s something in that strip mall that people love because every time we go there (there’s also a Bigby), the parking lot is packed.  I found a spot on the other side of the complex and walked back to the store.  Read the rest of this entry »


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

Tony M’s Restaurant & Lounge

13 11 2008
  • 3420 S. Creyts Rd.
  • Lansing, MI 48917
  • (517) 322-2069
  • No Known Website
  • Menu
Tony Ms Restaurant & Lounge on Creyts Road in Lansing.

Tony M's Restaurant & Lounge on Creyts Road in Lansing.

We do a lot of shopping out in the Delta Township area and finding new places to eat is always hard.  We’ve found some good ones out there, but in our quest to eat at everyplace I keep sniffing out new ones.  I’m not exactly sure where I first heard of Tony M’s.  While J was at her monthly hair appointment, I was running errands.  After picking up a few things at Walmart, I turned on the GPS and started looking for restaurants in the area.  The usual suspects showed up, but Tony M’s also popped up so while I was waiting on J, I went and did a little scouting.  After finding out it was still there, I picked J up and we headed back for lunch.

Tony M’s is located on the corner of Creyts Road and Millet Highway just across the street from the Meijer Distribution Center.  We pulled up a little after 11:00 and found a good number of cars in the parking lot. I figured it was lunch time or something at the Meijer and since this is the only place around, it’s where everyone went.  There are two sections to Tony M’s.  In the back is the restaurant and lounge.  The front of the building is a party store and deli.  The entrances are clearly marked and we made our way to the restaurant for lunch. Read the rest of this entry »


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

Hobie’s Cafe & Pub

3 11 2008
  • 930 Trowbridge Rd.
  • East Lansing, MI 48823
  • (517) 351-3800
  • Website
  • Menu

Hobie's Cafe and Pub in the Trowbridge Plaza in East Lansing.

I do love me a good sandwich. After reviewing Menna’s Joint (review HERE), frequent commenter Corky suggested we check out Hobie’s in the Trowbridge Plaza in East Lansing.  I got lazy and uninspired when dinner time rolled around.  I e-mailed J to see what she wanted to do and she said we should just go out.  Since it was recommended, looked cheap, and looked good, we decided to check Hobie’s out for ourselves.

Hobie’s is in a pretty interesting location.  It’s sandwiched between Goodrich’s Shop-Rite and a Subway.  We made our way inside and found a huge menu chalkboard right away.  After deciding on sandwiches, we walked up to the “Place Orders Here” sign.  It didnt’ really look right, but we did what the sign said anyway.  After a few minutes, a very hesitant employee came over to take our orders.  My guess is he is pretty new.  He didn’t seem to sure of himself taking our orders. 

J ordered the Chicken Breast which came with their special “South of the Border” sauce, cheddar cheese, lettuce, and tomato on wheat bread.  She asked to keep the tomato off, but they put it on anyway.  She loved the sandwich.  Neither of us could really pinpoint what was in the sauce, but she said it was delicious.  Getting the tomato on the sandwich is a little disappointing, but not that big of a deal.  They were small enough that they didn’t leave a lot of residue on the sandwich. Read the rest of this entry »


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

Mark’s Watershed

1 11 2008
  • 5965 Marsh Rd.
  • Haslett, MI 48840
  • (517) 339-4877
  • Website
  • Menu
Marks Watershed on the corner of Lake Lansing and Marsh Roads in Haslett.

Mark's Watershed on the corner of Lake Lansing and Marsh Roads in Haslett.

This was our second attempt at Mark’s Watershed.  A few months ago, we tried to stop in for lunch on a Saturday afternoon only to find the building locked up.  We were laying around watching college football (yes, J likes to watch football and we got a double header today with MSU playing early and U of Illinois playing late) and kind of lost track of time.  A little after 7:00, I asked what she wanted to do for dinner.  We had a late lunch at Menna’s Joint downtown (review HERE), so a dinner after 8:00 didn’t seem that bad.

Mark’s Watershed sits on the corner of Marsh and Lake Lansing Road.  Lake Lansing is just over a block away.  We came from Lake Lansing road which is where the parking lot actually is.  There was no doubt that they were open this time.  The parking lot was packed.  We made our way inside to the waiting area.  There was a sign on the hostess station to seat yourself, so we stepped into the dining room to find a table.  It’s not a huge space.  There are less than 20 tables.  There are booths along each wall.  The booths are made out of wood planks and they are really high backed.  There’s no worry about not having enough privacy.

After a few minutes, a waitress notices us and brings over menus.  The menu isn’t quite as big as the one I could find on-line (and linked to at the top of this review), but most of the items are there.  We started with an order of Shed Chips.  The menu describes them as “sliced russet potatoes, seasoned, fried and served with chunky bleu cheese dressing.”  I assumed they would be more like fries, but really, they were homemade potato chips and they were delicious.  The bleu cheese was served on the side, wasn’t really chunky, and there wasn’t a whole lot there.  The chips stood on their own.  Good starter. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Bar, Burgers, Haslett, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Menna’s Joint – Lansing

1 11 2008
  • 208 S. Washington Sq.
  • Lansing, MI 48933
  • (517) 316-3827
  • Website
  • Menu
Mennas Joints new location in downtown Lansing on Washing Square.

Menna's Joint's new location in downtown Lansing on Washing Square.

“The only legal joint in town.”  Nice.  And what the hell is a “dub” anyway?  J and I got up and went for a walk on the River Walk from the Lansing City Market to Old Town.  After a walk and a quick trip through the Market, we went to Washington Square in search of lunch.  As we drove by, I happened to notice the new restaurant tucked in between Tavern on the Square and Brannigan Brothers, so we found a parking spot and stopped in for lunch.

Menna’s Joint is way too nice for a typical sub shop.  Put a table cloth on the table and you would think you were in a fine dining establishment.  The wood panelled walls are covered with artsy posters.  There’s a faux cement block motif running throughout and a couple of alcoves that offer a little bit of privacy.  The chairs and tables are much nicer than you would expect.  There are a number of LCD TV’s hanging on the walls and there’s even a waterfall and fireplace to make you feel like you’re not in a fast food joint.

The order counter is near the back of the space.  We made our way back to order.  First off, I should explain that I finally figured out what a “dub” was and I was intrigued.  Apparently, it’s a grilled wrap with no beans or rice filler.  Sounds good to me.  I ordered the Chicken Parm Dub without the mushrooms.  The grilled tortilla came filled with chicken tenders, Parmesan, mozzarella, and marinara.  I was a little surprised by the size and just how filled it was.  I got chicken in every bite.  There was no filler and fancy folding of the tortilla to make it look bigger than it actually was.  I’ve never had anything like a dub before.  The dub was really filling and really good. Read the rest of this entry »


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

Tripper’s Sports Bar & Grill

30 10 2008
  • 350 Frandor Ave.
  • Lansing, MI 48912
  • (517) 336-0717
  • No Known Website
  • Menu
Trippers Sports Bar and Grill in the Frandor Shopping Center

Tripper's Sports Bar and Grill in the Frandor Shopping Center

I’m a little surprised I had never heard of Tripper’s before this past weekend.  On Saturday, we were at Frandor to check out the Linens ‘n Things going out of business sale and I noticed a sports bar on the other side of Frandor.  This afternoon, J and I realized we haven’t eaten out since Saturday, so we decided to go for lunch.  I had a hard time getting out of bed and by the time J pushed me out, it was afternoon.  I was a little worried we’d be pushing it to get her back in time to get ready for work, but it turned out not to be an issue.

Tripper’s is located in the Frandor Shopping Center right next to Olga’s kitchen.  For a Thursday afternoon, Frandor was packed.  I was surprised at just how many people there were.  The traffic was bad and it was hard to find a parking spot.  I finally found one somewhat near where we were going.  We walked back to Tripper’s.  When we entered the building, we were met with a long hallway back to the bar.  The host met us about halfway and asked if we wanted smoking or non-smoking.  We, of course, didn’t want to sit in a smokey bar.  The host took us the rest of the way down this long hallway, past the pool room and poker room to the non-smoking dining room.  Once you get to the back of the bar, there are two rooms.  One is the actual bar area which is set up and lit like a normal bar.  To the right of the hallway is the non-smoking dining room which is more like a typical restaurant with regular tables and more lighting. 

A waitress came over for drinks.  We ordered our Cokes and I actually got a regular Coke this time.  That hasn’t happened in a while even though I keep ordering it.  When it came time for lunch orders, I spotted my sandwich right away.  Even though Tripper’s has a really big menu that would satisfy any palette, I barely looked it because I found a Black and Bleu burger on the menu.  My burger came with bleu cheese piled on top.  There was no missing it and I got a good chunk of cheese in every bite.  The sandwich also came with lettuce and tomato which I pulled off.  The bleu cheese is the only flavor I want on this particular burger.  A mound of steak fries were served on the side.  Not usually a fan because steak fries get really potato-y tasting.  However, Tripper’s seasoned these fries really well with what I believe was just salt and pepper, but it added a really great taste to the fries. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Bar, Burgers, Lansing, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches, Sports Bar

1-800-LOU-TO-GO

29 10 2008
A box of authentic Chicago-style eats from Lou Malnatis

A box of authentic Chicago-style eats from Lou Malnati's

I got a package from UPS today that could quite possibly the most absolutely perfect gift ever!  I know I bitch a lot on this blog about not being able to find some of the foods I love the most in Mid-Michigan.  I also realize I made the choice to move to Michigan, so I really should just keep my mouth shut and enjoy the regional cuisines that Lansing has to offer.

My girlfriend’s mom (who lives in the south suburbs of Chicago) noticed I have to get an Italian beef everytime I go to Chicago, so she decided to make sure I could have that taste of Chicago right here in Lansing. 

If you’re at all familiar with the Chicago pizza scene, you’ve probably heard of Lou Malnati’s.  Lou’s is one of the big Chicago pizza places.  It’s not my favorite of the Chicago pizza joints, but I do enjoy their take on the Chicago-style pizza. 

Not only is Lou Malnati’s a pizza joint, but they are a retail hub for some of Chicago’s biggest names in food.  Their website, Tastes of Chicago, offers “nationwide shipping of all your Windy City favorites.”  Just opening the catalog makes my mouth water.  They offer their pizzas, Portillos Italian beef, Vienna Beef hot dogs, Carson’s Ribs, Eli’s Cheesecakes, Garrett Popcorn, Manny’s Corned Beef, Hackney’s Hamburgers and Wildfire Steaks.  That list is a who’s who of Chicago greats. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Chicago, Pizza, Reviews, Sandwiches

Rookies

23 10 2008
  • 16460 S. US Highway 27
  • Lansing, MI 48906
  • (517) 487-8686
  • No Known Website
  • Menu
Rookies on US 27 in North Lansing

Rookies on US 27 in North Lansing

If you remember from a few months ago, I mentioned how much J liked karaoke.  When she lived in Idaho Falls, she found a karaoke bar.  When we lived in Peoria, we found a karaoke bar.  When we moved to Lansing, we never found a karaoke bar.  When we were in Chicago last weekend, she wanted to go find a bar, but we got watching Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live and never made it out.  That itch never went away, so she got on Google and again started looking for karaoke in Lansing.  She found Rookies and after a phone call to see what time it started, she had her mind set on singing, so we pushed dinner back to 8:30 then went looking for Rookies.

We looked for a long time to try and figure out where exactly Rookies was at.  For most of you that have lived here all your lives, it’s not hard.  For us newbies who rely on Google Maps and a GPS to get around, it was a pain in the ass.  Google Maps puts the bar out near Flint for some reason.  Even though the listing says Lansing, it puts a mark on the map far east of the city.  After striking out on Google, we pulled out the GPS.  Daniel (that’s what we call our Garmin due to the voice file we use being called Daniel) couldn’t find the street in Lansing.  This is a really common problem with both J’s and my GPS.  I have a Nextar and she has a Garmin.  A co-worker of hers has a Garmin also and runs into the same problem.  It’s a problem we never have anywhere outside of Michigan.  Michigan’s prominent use of Townships as addresses screw the computers up.  Finally, we found the correct address in Dewitt Township, but it was incredibly frustrating just trying to find a bar. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Lansing, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches, St. Johns

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