Smoking Ban Moves Out of Committee

20 05 2009

Well, it’s a start, but it’s set up the same as last year and they couldn’t come to an agreement then….

A House committee approved today a ban on smoking in all bars, restaurants and all other workplaces – except for Detroit’s casinos and smoke shops statewide – reigniting a debate that has smoldered for years.

[snip]

House Speaker Andy Dillon, D-Redford Township said he had spoken with Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop, R-Rochester, and said, “I would bet it gets done this year.”

However, Dillon said he supports a smoking ban exemption for the gambling floors of casinos only, but not the restaurants or anywhere else in the facility. Bishop said his Republican caucus supports a total ban with no exemptions.

No exemptions.  How sad is it they want to exempt casino floors that are covered with old guys in oxygen masks?  Why should casinos get exemptions but not bars and restaurants near those casinos?  Detroit’s competition is Windsor…and Windsor is smoke free.  They know that people would cross the border to gamble if the two are actually on an even playing field…hell, I’m going to Windsor this weekend…but it has more to do with smoke free than anything.


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Categories : Lansing, Michigan, Politics

Lou & Harry’s Grill & Bakery

19 05 2009
  • 1429 W. Saginaw Street #150
  • East Lansing, MI 48823
  • (517) 351-1066
  • No Known Website
  • Menu
Lou & Harrys Grill & Bakery near Frandor

Lou & Harry's Grill & Bakery near Frandor

Another one of those days were I was up long before I wanted to be.  I had to work downtown again fairly early.  As I was wrapping things up, I got a text from J.  She was at a jewelry store in Frandor getting her ring re-sized (I was off by half a size).  Since she had some time to kill, she asked if I wanted to meet her for lunch.  I was just going to grab something on Washington Square, but meeting J sounded like a better idea.

When I got to Frandor, she was waiting for me and suggested Panera.  I like Panera, but there’s still places I want to try in the area.  Instead, we headed out of the shopping center a little way to a little strip mall just on the other side of the East Lansing city limits.

Lou & Harry’s Grill has three locations in the area.  Two are in East Lansing and the third is Okemos.  The store we hit up for lunch was the Saginaw Street store.  The roads in this area are really messed up and if you’re not paying attention, it’s hard to get around.  Coming out of Frandor, we had to take a left on to Coolridge Road to get into the parking lot. 

Lou & Harry’s is part of a little strip mall.  One end is anchored by Lou & Harry’s.  The other by a Biggby.  The Lou & Harry’s faces the Saginaw Street Grand River Avenue side on the building.  You walk through a small outdoor patio to get inside.  It was a pretty nice day and there were several people taking advantage of that.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Deli, East Lansing, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Press Release – Dow Gardens Festival of the Senses

19 05 2009

From a Dow Gardens press release….

Dow Gardens Festival of the Senses
Friday, May 29
7:30-10:30 p.m.

– Michigan wine and beer tasting under the stars
– Hors d’ oeuvres from the H Hotel
– Music and artistic entertainment of Empty Canvas
– Copper sculptures of Jim Ardis
– The beauty of Dow Gardens
– Fourteen Michigan wineries and five Michigan breweries will feature their products for sampling with orders for purchase being taken by Eastman Party Store.

The wineries include: Black Star Farms, L. Mawby Vineyards and Shady Lane Cellars of Suttons Bay, Brys Estate and Peninsula Cellars of Traverse City, St. Julian Wine Co. and Warner Vineyard of Paw Paw, Burgdorf’s Winery of Haslett, Lone Oak Vineyard of Grass Lake, Pentamere Winery of Tecumseh, Rose Valley Winery of Rose City, Tabor Hill Winery of Buchanan, Sandhill Crane Vineyards of Jackson and BK Nektar Meadery of Ferndale.

The Breweries are: Arcadia Brewery of Battle Creek, Atwater Brewing Co. of Detroit, Mt. Pleasant Brewing Co., New Holland Brewery of Holland and Tri-City Brewing of Bay City.

Empty Canvas will perform: As patrons taste the beer and wine, they will be treated to the talents of Scott and Mike McMath as they perform music and Mike produces a painting of Dow Gardens. This is truly a unique performance and the painting will be auctioned off at the end of the evening, with the successful bidder choosing the charity to whom the proceeds will be donated.

In addition copper sculptures which will be on display in the Gardens throughout the summer will make their debut at this event. The sculptures include arches, banner poles, a maypole and other creative garden art by Jim Ardis .

Tickets for the multi-faceted Festival of the Senses are $25.00 in advance and $30.00 at the door.

Advanced tickets are available at Dow Gardens, 1809 Eastman Ave, Eastman Party Store and through www.dowgardens.org.


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Categories : Michigan, Midland, Press Releases

Press Release – Festival of The Sun 10th Anniversary

19 05 2009

From an Old Town Commercial Association press release…..

OLD TOWN FESTIVAL CELEBRATES TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY­­­­­­­­­­­
The Festival of the Sun celebrates ten years in Old Town

OLD TOWN, LANSING, Mich.. – As the days grow longer and the weather warms, the count down to the Festival of the Moon and Sun is getting shorter! Celebrating a decade of fun, these festivals welcome the summer solstice in a unique and exciting way.

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Old Town Commercial Association (OTCA) Festival of the Sun. For the past decade, Festival of the Sun and, more recently Festival of the Moon, has brought together friends, families, and neighbors from all over Michigan to the heart of Old Town. Celebrating the beginning of the summer season, revelers take part in Mid-Michigan’s premier wine, beer, and food sampling event and enjoy live music throughout the weekend.

“Old Town and the Festival of the Sun have both grown tremendously over the past ten years. A couple years ago the OTCA launched the Festival of the Moon and just last year, the Festival of the Sun expanded – almost doubling in size – to accommodate the large crowds. It’s so exciting to see these festivals continue to grow, attracting more people to Old Town and raising money to continue the revitalization efforts,” said past Festival Director Shannon Rolley.

Festival of the Moon will be held on Friday, June 26th from 6-11 p.m. This year’s festival continues the tradition of offering Bell’s Beer on tap and will include music by Thriving Ivory, Suburban Euphoria, and Alco. Attendees will receive a keep sake beer tumbler to use while sipping on select Bell’s Beers.

Festival of the Sun will be held on Saturday, June 27th from 2-10 p.m. Vistitors will be able to taste wine and food from all over Michigan and dance the day away to music provided by Ritmo, The Dewaynes, The Lash, and Hot Club of Lansing on the main stage or relax with a drink by the acoustic stage with music by The Pantones, Nervous but Excited, and Daughters of New Grass. Tickets include a complimentary “throw back” wine glass with designs from the past ten years.

For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit www.festivalofthesun.com or www.festivalofthemoon.com or stop by the OTCA office on Turner St. and Grand River.


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Categories : Lansing, Michigan, Old Town, Press Releases

Bethany’s Place Family Diner

17 05 2009
  • 2221 University Park Drive
  • Okemos, MI 48864
  • (517) 349-9570
  • Website
  • Menu
Bethanys Place Family Diner on University Park Drive in Okemos.

Bethany's Place Family Diner on University Park Drive in Okemos.

A few weeks ago, I noticed a billboard on South Cedar near K-Mart for a restaurant I had never heard of.  There was a web address on the billboard, so I came home and typed it into my browser.  Nothing came up that day, but a few days later, I found out the Okemos Big Boy went out of business and a family diner opened up.

Since we don’t usually get up for breakfast, I put it on my mental list of places to stop for lunch after a trip to Meridian Mall.  Things changed when I got an unexpected 9:00 AM wake up call.  Since we were both up, J offered to treat me to breakfast.  We had noticed that some people had found my blog looking for information on the place and checking it out would be a good idea.

Like I already mentioned, Bethany’s Place has taken over the old Big Boy building just off the Interstate on University Park Drive.  Last summer, J and I ate at the Big Boy and it was the first Big Boy experience for both of us.  We were pretty underwhelmed.  The business acted like they didn’t want to be in business.  There was no signage and it was hard to find.  Bethany’s Place already took the first step towards a successful business.  They added signs and started advertising.  It’s always amazed me when people open restaurants, don’t advertise at all, then can’t understand why they went out of business because no one knew they were there or what kind of food they served. 

Not much has changed from this restaurant’s Big Boy days.  There are still some signs on the walls and the layout, furniture, and decor are all leftovers.  When we got there, we stopped at the sign that told us to wait to be seated.  A frantic hostess came over and said it would be a couple minutes.  They were short handed and behind.  We considered leaving at that point because there is no way the meal could have went smoothly, but J noticed a sign for a $7.99 breakfast buffet.  We chose to stay and get the buffet so we could set the pace of our meal. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Diner, Michigan, Okemos, Restaurant, Reviews

Subway – Cedar & Jolly

15 05 2009
  • 5025 S. Cedar St #2
  • Lansing, MI 48910
  • (517) 393-7370
  • Website
  • Menu
The Subway at Cedar & Jolly in Lansing.

The Subway at Cedar & Jolly in Lansing.

OK, so when you think “celebratory lunch,” Subway isn’t the first thing you think of, but we just didn’t have time to go out for something fancy.  We were both starving and J still had to get ready for work, so I suggested Subway.  Jokingly, I said we should go to the store at Cedar & Jolly.  I had never been there, but J went a few weeks ago and came back with a doozy of a story about the layout of the building.  Normally, we’d just go to the Subway in Holt, but J said I needed to see this store to understand what she was talking about. 

The Subway at Jolly & Cedar looks like most other Subway’s from outside.  It’s situated in a small strip mall near the busy intersection.  Heck, even when you first walk in, it looks like any other Subway.  There are a few tables, but, for the most part, it’s a carry-out business.  The counter is the back right side of the space.  There was only one other person in front of us when we got there just before one o’clock. 

J eats at Subway quite often when I’m working, so she knew what she wanted right away.  I usually get the same everytime as well, so there was no waiting on us when it came our turn to order.

J got a footlong veggie on whole wheat.  When her sandwich was finished, it had pepper jack, lettuce, cucumbers, banana peppers, green peppers, and Chipotle Southwest mayo.  She tried the Chipotle mayo last time she was at a Subway and really liked it.  Read the rest of this entry »


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

Press Release – Taste of Creole Dinner

15 05 2009

From a Williamston Area Chamber of Commerce press release….

A Taste of Creole Dinner, 6/25/09, Williamston. The Williamston Community Library Foundation (WCLF) presents its 4th annual “Taste of the World” fundraising dinner. Thursday, June 25, 2009, at 7 pm, under a tent at 226 & 304 W. Grand River Ave. (site of the future library). Featuring Creole cuisine, catered by Gumbo & Jazz. Entertainment, silent auction, lots of fun! $35 adult, $15 children. Tickets available at the Williamston Library (201 School Street), Independent Bank of Williamston (1245 W. Grand River Rd.), or by calling 517-655-5140 or 517-655-1047.

Funds will go toward building Williamston a much needed, adequate library. Ask to see the architect’s drawings. WCLF is a 501(c)(3). www.wclf.info


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Categories : Press Releases, Williamston

Paramount Coffee Giving Away Frac Packs

14 05 2009

I saw this on Paramount Coffee’s new blog.

During most night (Lugnuts) games, we offer cheap parking in our company lot right across the street from the stadium.  Five-bucks will get you in, and starting in June, we will be giving away FREE “frac pack” coffee in addition to coupons for 25% off at our online retail store.


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Categories : Michigan

Press Release – Anti-Smoking Ban Website

14 05 2009

So the anti-smoking ban lobby takes a new tactic…at least new to me.  They’re claiming jobs will be lost near Indian casinos.  Again, I would say Prove it!  There are bars in border towns of smoke free states all over the country that butt up to a state that have yet to ban smoking.  How is that different from tribal land?  The website focuses on alcohol sales, but what it fails to take in to consideration, is overall profit.  They fail to mention if profits rise or fall after a ban for a business…they only focus on alcohol.  From a  Michigan License Beverage Association press release…

Anti-Smoking Ban Website Launched to Help Save Michigan Jobs

BanMiSmokingBan.com reveals untold story of smoking bans

LANSING, Mich. — A new website – www.BanMiSmokingBan.com – was launched today to highlight the unpublicized and damaging economic effect a smoking ban would have on Michigan businesses.

The website, launched by the Michigan Licensed Beverage Association (MLBA), includes current research on the economic effects of smoking bans, recent news coverage and economic forecasts on the effect a proposed smoking ban could have on Michigan businesses and their workers.

“This website is an important way to deliver the message that 750 businesses and 7,500 workers will be kicked to the curb if lawmakers enact a smoking ban in Michigan,” said Lance Binoniemi, executive director of the Michigan Licensed Beverage Association. “Some proponents of a smoking ban have worked hard to drown out the voices that will actually be affected by this legislation. That needs to change – and now.”

Bar and restaurant workers across Michigan continue to be outraged by the ongoing debate over whether Michigan should adopt a statewide smoking ban at a time when the state leads the nation with a 12 percent unemployment rate.

“Jobs are tough enough to come by in Michigan and anything that is going to cost me my customers and maybe my job should be an easy no vote for Lawmakers,” said Jamie Beachum, bartender at Dublin Square Irish Pub in East Lansing.

The hospitality industry is one of Michigan’s largest employers, providing hundreds of thousands of food-service careers and millions of dollars in payroll and business taxes to the state. Currently, more than 5,500 businesses in Michigan’s hospitality industry have already made the decision to go smoke-free – without any state mandates.

“Ask anyone in Michigan what our state needs and they will say more jobs,” said Binoniemi. “That’s why Michigan bar and restaurant owners and employees can’t understand why lawmakers would even think of passing a law that is proven to cost jobs in our industry. It just doesn’t make sense.”


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Categories : Politics, Press Releases

Press Release – Menna’s Joint Grand Opening

12 05 2009

It’s not a new one…it’s a grand opening for the downtown Lansing location that opened in October (and I reviewed in November.)  From a Lansing Principal Shopping District press release….

Grand Opening of Menna’s Joint in Downtown Lansing

(LANSING) –Mayor Virg Bernero will join Lansing’s Principal Shopping District (PSD) for a
Grand Opening celebration of Menna’s Joint, 208 S. Washington Sq. at 11:00 a.m. on
Wednesday, May 13 in downtown Lansing.

Menna’s Joint is a chain of fun, classic food joints steeped in youthful irreverence that are
managed by students for students and the young at heart, presenting an exciting new spin on fast
food.

Hank Andries, owner, opened his first Lansing location on October 10, 2008. The new S.
Washington Square quick service restaurant is his fifth. Other store locations include two in East
Lansing, one in Kalamazoo and one in Mt. Pleasant.


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Categories : Lansing, Michigan, Press Releases

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