Smokey Bones Barbeque & Grill

10 08 2009
  • 2401 Lake Lansing Road
  • Lansing, MI 48912
  • (517) 316-9973
  • Website
  • Menu
Smokey Bones Barbeque and Grill on Lake Lansing Road in Lansing.

Smokey Bones Barbeque and Grill on Lake Lansing Road in Lansing.

My curiosity finally won out.  Is it possible for a large chain restaurant to make good BBQ?  I’ve tried in the past.  I’ve eaten at a Corky’s franchise hoping for the best, but leaving feeling disappointed.  In my experience, the best BBQ joints are always locally owned, they smoke on site, and they serve Memphis style BBQ. 

Saturday was a pretty crappy day.  J and I both overslept due to the rain.  Our bedroom looked dark all morning and neither of us were motivated enough to actually look at a clock to see what time it was.  When we did finally roll out of bed, we started our Saturday ritual of debating eateries and activities to fill our afternoon before I had to go to work.  I had the BBQ craving and J had a GAP Rewards card, so Eastwood Towne Center seemed like the best option.

Smokey Bones Barbeque & Grill is just off of Lake Lansing Road in front of the Eastwood Towne Centre near the other chain restaurants that dominate the area.  It was a miserable rainy day when we pulled into the parking lot and fortunately, we found a parking spot near the door.  The main entrance does not face Lake Lansing Road like you’d expect it to.  It actually faces the access road for the mall.  Read the rest of this entry »


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

Press Release – Grub Crawl

7 08 2009

Sounds like a cool event.  It’s a weeknight though so J and I won’t be able to go.  From a LSJ Media press release (sorry about the formatting.  I got the release in a .doc file so I did my best to copy and paste)….

A Capitol Affair Grub Crawl
Get acquainted or re-acquaintedwith the Eastwood Towne Center for eats and drinks! Join us for the second Lansing Grub Crawl.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009
5 p.m. – 10 p.m.

Pre-sale: $20 per person; $35 per couple
Night of: $25 per person; $40 per couple
Tickets available for purchase at LansingChamber.org;
or, by calling 517-853-6455 Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Lansing, Michigan, Press Releases

MBC Lansing Location Opening Soon

7 08 2009

The “coming soon” sign has been in the window for over a year and a half, but according to the LSJ, the Michigan Brewing Company will open their downtown Lansing location in just a few weeks. 

Crews are putting the final touches on the Lansing location, MBC, at 402 S. Washington Square. The 4,000 square-foot facility formerly housed the Greenhouse Bistro, but has been mostly vacant for a couple of years, St. Pierre said.

 The pub will be non-smoking and feature 16 kinds of beer and a full menu.

Non-smoking.  Awesome.


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Categories : Michigan

Sammy’s Lounge – Holt

6 08 2009
  • 1957 Cedar Street
  • Holt, MI 48842
  • (517) 268-0820
  • No Known Website
  • No Online Menu
Sammys Lounge on Cedar Street in Holt.

Sammy's Lounge on Cedar Street in Holt.

I haven’t felt very well the last few days.  Nothing serious.  Just a summer cold.  Probably had the air conditioning blowing on me too much while I was sleeping.  Because of that, I wasn’t really in the mood to cook dinner.  I looked through the freezer, the cupboards, the fridge…nothing looked good, so I told J I’d pick her up from work and we’d just go out. 

I didn’t want to go to far from home and about the only thing that sounded good to me was a greasy burger.  We seem to always drive by Sammy’s Lounge but we’ve never stopped.  Since it’s fairly close to both J’s work and our home, I thought it would be a good choice. 

Sammy’s Lounge is on Cedar Street in Holt just past the downtown area.  The entrance is actually in the middle of the parking lot.  They have a great outdoor bar and beer garden that you have to walk through in order to get inside.  We headed inside where we ran into a hostess station.  One of the waitresses saw us and showed us to a table in the non-smoking side of the restaurant. 

The dining room is divided into two sections.  It’s a bi-level space with the bar/smoking section on the higher section.  The main dining room sits on the lower area.  The decor is very old school.  It looks like it hasn’t been updated since the place originally opened.  There are green vinyl seat backs on the booths and the furniture is classic 70’s restaurant.  The bar was the most interesting thing to me.  It wasn’t a regular size bar.  Instead of bar stools, they had what looked more like chairs that you would put around your kitchen table.  The height was about half the height of a normal bar.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Burgers, Holt, Michigan, Pub, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Press Release – Crosby Mint Farm at Eastern Market

6 08 2009

From a Crosby Mint Farm Press Release……

PEPPERMINT JIM WILL BE SELLING PRODUCTS AT THE DETROIT EASTERN MARKET ON SATURDAY AUGUST 8TH 2009.

HELP PRESERVE THE OLDEST, CONTINIOUSLY FAMILY OPERATED MINT FARM IN THE U.S. BY SUPPORTING THE CROSBY MINT FARM, ST JOHNS, MICHIGAN.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

(MINT CITY, USA/St. Johns, MI) August 5, 2009 – All Michigan Made costumers, supporters, community members, new and old costumers are invited to come to the Eastern Market in Detroit on Saturday August 8th 2009. Peppermint Jim Crosby will be at the Detroit Eastern Market on Saturday selling his mint oil products. This will be an opportunity to support the oldest continuously family owned and operated mint farm in the country that is facing foreclosure. There will be a wide variety of mint products produced directly on the farm for sale. Peppermint Jim will be sharing his passion and knowledge of the healing properties of mint.

WHAT: Peppermint Jim Crosby will be at the Detroit Eastern Market.

WHO: Community members and supporters of the Crosby Mint Farm.

WHERE: Detroit Eastern Market
                     2934 Russell Street
                     Detroit, MI 48207

                     PH: 313.833.9300

                     FAX: 313.833.9309

WHEN: Saturday August 8th, 2009
                   5AM-5PM

About Crosby Mint Farm
Our mission is to preserve the heritage of the nation’s oldest sustainable mint producer, live as an independent American farmer producing the highest quality point of origin essential mint oil available, while honoring the land with sustainable farming management plans, renewable energy sources, and green growing practices, build relationships through education and

outreach, health & wellness, and personal ecological accountability.


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Categories : Michigan, Press Releases, St. Johns

Press Release – Dow Gardens Garden Party

5 08 2009

From a Dow Gardens press release…..

I’m hoping you can help me get the word out about our Dow Gardens Garden Party on Friday, August 21 from 6-11 p.m.

The unique night will include: Beer, wine, Local Bands, Damon’s Grill, and an auction of the 26 copper pieces by Jim Ardis which have been on display throughout the gardens (only six will have minimum bids!).

It’s going to be a great time!

Proceeds from the auction will benefit future Dow Gardens art events!


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Sonic Drive In – Oregon, OH

3 08 2009
  • 2925 Navarre Avenue
  • Oregon, OH 43616
  • (419) 691-6600
  • Website
  • Menu
The Sonic Drive In in Oregon, OH

The Sonic Drive In in Oregon, OH

So, I’m sure many of you were expecting a review of one of Michael Symon’s restaurants in this spot.  I mean, if I’m going to Cleveland, you’d think I’d check out one of my favorite chef’s places, right?  Normally, you would be right, but this time, I was tired and already promised J we’d find a Sonic on the way home.  In addition to that, neither of us were really dressed for dinner at a fancy restaurant.  We would have been ok for lunch, but would have felt out of place at dinner.

We left Cleveland at about 5:30.  Had we used the GPS to look, we could have found a Sonic in Cleveland, but I already wrote down an address for one near Toledo.  Our original plan was just to go to Sandusky and Toledo was the closest one that was on the way home.  I had been planning that stop for days.

There are two Sonic’s in the Toledo area and both are in suburbs.  We chose the one in Oregon because it wasn’t that far off the Interstate and on the northwest side of the city.  On the way from Cleveland, I missed my turn to stay on I-90, so we ended up taking OH-2 until it turned into a two lane road.  We had about a half hour drive through the Ohio countryside which was fine with me.  When we got into town, OH-2 turned into Navarre Avenue.  A few blocks later, it ran into the Interstate we needed to head home. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Burgers, Chains, Fast Food, Ohio, Oregon, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum – Cleveland, OH

3 08 2009
  • 1100 Rock and Roll Boulevard
  • Cleveland, OH 44114
  • (216) 781-7625
  • Website
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Clevealand, OH

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Clevealand, OH

Who doesn’t like impromptu trips?  J and I were in Sandusky, OH where we met some friends for lunch.  After hanging out on the shore of Lake Erie for a while, we parted ways.  They had another engagement and we were looking for something else to do.  Sure, Cedar Point was an option, but that’s freakin expensive…especially since we were only looking to kill a few hours before driving home.  J suggested Kelleys Island, but I wasn’t super excited about that.  Again, a $20 ferry ride to walk around for an hour or so.  She then asked how far Cleveland was.

Since moving to Lansing, I’ve wanted to go to Cleveland for three things.  A baseball game at Progessive Field, a meal at one or both of Michael Symon’s restaurants, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  The baseball game was almost over and we weren’t dressed for dinner at Lola or Lolita, but the Rock Hall was still an option.  Since it was only an hour or so drive and we’d have two hours once we got there, we headed east.  As J likes to say, “Why not?”

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is located on Cleveland’s waterfront in the North Coast Harbor area.  The building, designed by I.M Pei, sits right next to the Great Lakes Science Center and Cleveland Browns Stadium.  We weren’t really sure about parking.  I took a wrong turn because I got into a turn lane so I had to go down by the football stadium and turn around which brought us right back in front of the Rock Hall.  If I had gotten lucky there was street parking, but I never get that lucky.  We found a small municipal about a block away that charged $10 for the day. 

We walked back to the iconic glass pyramid building where I snapped a few pictures.  You’ll notice these are the only pictures I’m posting of the Hall of Fame.  That’s because it was the only ones I could take.  There are signs all over the building demanding that you check all cameras and video cameras.  There is not photography or video recording allowed inside the building which I think sucks.  The official reason is…. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Cleveland, Entertainment Venues, Ohio

Danny Boys Italian Eatery – Sandusky, OH

3 08 2009
  • 6207 Milan Road
  • Sandusky, OH 44870
  • (419) 621-1000
  • Website
  • Menu
Danny Boys Italian Eatery near Cedar Point in Sandusky, OH

Danny Boys Italian Eatery near Cedar Point in Sandusky, OH

Road trip!  I got a phone call from my buddy (I’ll call him Ja from here on) a few weeks ago wanting to know if we were busy on August 2.  He was going to be in Sandusky for work and wondered if we wanted to meet up.  Ja and his wife (Je from now on) were friends of both J and I when we lived in Peoria.  All four of us worked at the same place.  Ja is from Ohio and went back to school.  His girlfriend, who later became his wife, eventually followed him to Athens and the only time the four of us would see each other was at weddings. 

Ja and Je now live in Columbus, OH which would still be a pretty good haul for either of us to make a social visit.  Sandusky seemed a little more doable since it would be just a short three hour drive from Lansing. 

After the trip was planned, I started scouring foodie boards for places to eat.  There’s got to be some little hidden gem in a tourist town.  Alas, all anyone would tell me is that Sandusky is over run by chains.  To that I say, what city isn’t?  I hate when I get that answer because there is an abundance of chains in every town, every city, and every tourist destination in the country.  I’m not looking for those.  I want to know where the locals eat. 

Finally, I got a few suggetions.  Out of the top three I got, two were bars and Ja said a bar probably wasn’t a good idea, so I picked the Italian eatery. 

Danny Boys Italian Eatery is on the edge of town fairly close to Cedar Point.  When you get off OH-2, you go left for the amusement park and right to find this restaurant.  It’s less than a mile down Milan Road on the right side.  The building shares space with a few smaller businesses, but there’s a huge parking lot and overflow parking on the side. 

We got there right at 11:30 on Sunday which is when they open.  After the hugs and handshakes in the parking lot…and a little ribbing for my friends driving a Kia…we went inside.  I was a little surprised by the decor.  I was almost expecting a cheesy Italian decor which would fit the tourist town, but we we found was more of a Tuscan pub.  The floors were faux stones.  The first walls and ceilings were dark wood paneling.  The first area we came into was actually a bar with a window to the kitchen.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Italian, Ohio, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandusky, Sandwiches

Wild Wing Cafe

1 08 2009
  • 2085 W. Grand River Avenue
  • Okemos, MI 48864
  • (517) 349-2321
  • Website
  • Menu
Wild Wing Cafe on Grand River Avenue in Okemos.

Wild Wing Cafe on Grand River Avenue in Okemos.

When I rolled out of bed this morning…er, afternoon, J started asking about lunch.  She was hungry.  I was hungry, so we started getting ready to leave the house.  Last night, I gave her the option of Mexican or wings.  Today, I wasn’t really in the mood for Mexican so I made the call to head to Okemos to try out the new chain in town. 

Wild Wing Cafe is on the corner of Grand River Avenue and Okemos Road in the building that used to be Bennigan’s.  The chain is an east coast franchise based in South Carolina.  The Okemos location is both the farthest north and west. 

I never went into the Bennigan’s, so I have no idea if anything has changed inside.  The dining room is anchored by a large bar in the middle that is covered with LCD TV’s.  In fact, that’s pretty much the whole design theme.  LCD TV’s everywhere.  Everywhere!  The place really has a sports bar theme.  The TV’s are accented with MSU pictures that have been blown up and hung on the walls. 

There are tables and booths that fill in the space around the bar.  We were shown to a table near the stage that hosts local bands on weekends.  A waitress came over and took drink orders while we looked over the rather large menu.  I knew I wanted wings, but there were a lot of options.  J isn’t in to the traditional wing as much as I am, so she needed a little more time to work her way through the choices.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Chains, Chicken, Michigan, Okemos, Restaurant, Reviews

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