Press Release – Another Free Breakfast at Denny’s…

7 04 2009

..but this time it’s a buy one a Grand Slam get a Grandslamwich free…From a Denny’s press release….

After feeding two million Americans free Grand Slam Breakfasts in February, Denny’s received tens of thousands of heartfelt emails and phone calls from customers thanking Denny’s for its generosity at a time when stories of corporate greed screamed from the headlines. Consumers said they would be back.

In response, Denny’s wants to help Americans pay the good deed forward: Come back to Denny’s with someone who needs a hug, a smile or a free meal on Wednesday, April 8, 2009 from 6 am to 2 pm, order a Grand Slam and Denny’s will feed your friend the new Grand Slamwich for free.

The marketing effort foster’s trial of the new Grand Slam product, the Grand Slamwich, and once again spreads Grand Slam kindness. Denny’s wants to continue to connect with consumers who have lots of choices and limited dollars, and wants there to always be a reason to visit Denny’s.

The Grand Slamwich is made with scrambled egg, seasoned sausage, crispy bacon, shaved ham, mayonnaise and American chees grilled on potato bread with a maple spiced spread and served with hash browns. The new breakfast sandwich provides breakfast lovers with a portable and affordable “real breakfast” solution to the processed manufactured breakfasts offered elsewhere. It is normally priced at $4.99.


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Quality Dairy – Pennsylvania & Kalamazoo

7 04 2009
  • 400 S. Pennsylvania Avenue
  • Lansing, MI 48912
  • (517) 319-4102
  • Website
The Quality Dairy on Pennsylvania and Kalamazoo

The Quality Dairy on Pennsylvania and Kalamazoo

The QD tour continued today.  I was on my way downtown to pick something up when I drove by a Quality Dairy I hadn’t stopped at yet.  I was thirsty and was already contemplating a Speedway stop for a Pepsi.  Yeah, I could have got the Speedy Rewards points had I went to Speedway, but I would have had to go out of my way a little bit. 

This Quality Dairy is on the corner of Pennsylvania and Kalamazoo Street.  The address is Pennsylvania, but the front of the store faces Kalamazoo.  It’s a small corner lot that is made even smaller with the gas pumps.  There are a couple pumps which today, actually had gas almost 20 cents cheaper than any place else I passed.  I should have topped off my tank, but that’s not me.

The inside of the store is small and kind of crowded.  It’s not one of the bigger, nicer stores. I found the fountain soda machine and grabbed a cup to get my Pepsi.  Right behind me wa the roller grill items.  How come those never look good to me?  Anyway, I topped off my Pepsi and went to pay.  The price wa $1.05.  Not as good as a Circle K Polar Pop, but on par with everyone else.

This shop is pretty typical of the Quality Dairy’s in the older neighborhoods.  It has all the QD favorites, but the store is small and not nearly as nice as some of the newer ones.  Who cares though?  You can still get donuts, ice cream and an Arctic Freeze.


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Cereal Fest Back On

6 04 2009

Last month, I put a post up about Cereal Fest being cancelled.  Things have changed and Cereal Fest is back on.

Two days after learning that organizers had scrubbed the annual event, known for its World’s Longest Breakfast Table, local restaurateur Bill Morris said Saturday he was organizing volunteers to go ahead and put on the festival after all.

“We’re going to have it,” Morris said. “We’ll have just as good an event as we’ve had every year.”


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Vermontville Maple Syrup Festival

6 04 2009

The festival season is starting.  From vermontvillemaplesyrupfestival.org

We would like to see you at our 69th Maple Syrup Festival. Vermontville is the “granddaddy” of them all! We are the home of the original Maple Syrup Festival in Michigan.

Our festival starts Friday evening, continues through Saturday and Sunday and is always the last full weekend in April. We have something for everyone—Mid-America rides, talent show, arts and crafts, flea market, two parades, petting zoo, princess pageant, various displays, games, free entertainment and arm wrestling. Our syrup producers are located throughout the village selling syrup, candies, crème and the ever popular maple syrup cotton candy.

We invite you to join us and enjoy pancakes with real maple syrup offered by the Maple Valley Band Boosters and the American Legion.

Hope to see you there!

For a schedule of events, click HERE


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Press Release – Michigan, NC Senators Wager on NCAA Championship

6 04 2009

From a press release –

Stabenow, Levin Wager North Carolina’s Hagan on Tonight’s Game

 

WASHINGTON — Brimming with home state pride, U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Carl Levin (D-MI), and Kay R. Hagan (D-NC), have placed a friendly wager on the outcome of tonight’s NCAA Men’s Basketball championship between the Michigan State Spartans and the North Carolina Tar Heels. 

 Levin and Stabenow are wagering Little Caesar’s pizza, Vernor’s ginger ale and Mackinac Island fudge.

 Hagan has offered authentic North Carolina food products: North Carolina Barbeque, Cheerwine and Hagan’s hometown favorite, Cheesecakes by Alex, from Greensboro. 

 “Thirty years ago, Magic Johnson brought a championship to Michigan State, and tonight I fully expect this team will celebrate that anniversary with a win over North Carolina,” said Stabenow.  “While I appreciate the Tar Heels skill and accomplishments, I fully believe that tonight, across Detroit, East Lansing, and the rest of Michigan, we will be celebrating another Spartan victory.”

 “With Ford Field full of Michigan State faithful, I am confident that the Spartans can knock off North Carolina and win one for the ages tonight,” said Levin. “Thought by many to be a long shot to play in the final four in Michigan, Coach Izzo’s team is playing its best basketball at the right time and I look forward to a great game between two great teams.”

 “The 2009 Tar Heels have made us extremely proud by reaching the Final Four for the second straight year,” said Hagan.  “While I have no doubt that the Spartans will put up a good fight, I feel confident that our Tar Heels will prevail.  Beginning early today, I traveled across North Carolina and it was rainy and overcast.  Now it’s nothing but Carolina Blue skies.” 


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Whole Foods Market – Ann Arbor (Cranbrook)

5 04 2009
  • 990 W. Eisenhower Parkway
  • Ann Arbor, MI 48103
  • (734) 997-7500
  • Website
The Whole Foods Market on Eisenhower in Ann Arbor

The Whole Foods Market on Eisenhower in Ann Arbor

A trip to Ann Arbor is not a trip to Ann Arbor unless you go to Whole Foods.  There are bloggers in Lansing (*cough*amy*cough*) who make special trips to Ann Arbor just to go to Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s.  Until J and I went to the Ann Arbor store on Washtenaw last fall, I had never been to one.  J used to shop at the store in Willowbrook, IL and would buy most of her meals there.  She actually went to the Washtenaw store on Saturday while I was working, but didn’t want to buy anything cold, so we made plans to go back on Sunday.  Since I needed to do some shopping, we went to the new store near Briarwood Mall.

This Whole Foods is on Eisenhower Street in the Cranbrook Village shopping center.  It’s in a strip mall so the exterior is pretty bland.  When we were driving by, I didn’t even realize it was a Whole Foods.  It could have passed for any random grocery store.

The inside of the store was also unexpected.  At first, J said she didn’t like it because it wasn’t like every other Whole Foods Market she had been to.  She was turned around and departments were laid out differently.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Conor O’Neill’s Traditional Irish Pub & Restaurant

5 04 2009
  • 318 S. Main Street
  • Ann Arbor, MI 48104
  • (734) 665-2968
  • Website
  • Menu
Conor ONeills Traditional Irish Pub & Restaurant in downtown Ann Arbor

Conor O'Neill's Traditional Irish Pub & Restaurant in downtown Ann Arbor

One more day in Ann Arbor.  I was actually supposed to work another day, but the softball game I was supposed to work was moved to Saturday because of the threat of nasty weather.  J and I got a hotel to stay in Ann Arbor Saturday night.  Our plan was to go shopping on Sunday but before we could do that, we needed to find lunch.

We headed downtown to find the Prickly Pear after Amy suggested it to us.  When we got there, we found a menu outside and realized we weren’t really in the mood for Southwestern so we walked down Main Street until we found someplace to get sandwiches.

Conor O’Neill’s is on South Main Street in downtown Ann Arbor.  There are a lot of restaurants in the area and a lot of fancy restaurant in the area.  Conor O’Neill’s offers a more price friendly alternative. 

The outside of the building is painted in bright colors and really, it looks like a lot of other Irish pubs.  Inside, they have the typical decor.  There’s a lot of dark woods, old furniture, and Guinness signs.  The walls and ceilings are hand painted with words of wisdom.  We were shown to a table where one side was a padded bench an the other side had chairs that I thought I was going to break when I sat down.  It creaked pretty loud when I sat down, but the furniture really added to the overall look and feel of the bar.

The ambiance includes a lot of TV’s playing soccer games.  If watching soccer isn’t enough, the volume was up loud that it could have been heard over a live band.  It was obnoxiously loud for the one guy who was drinking at 11:30 on a Sunday morning and watching a Manchester United game because he probably doesn’t get the channel in his dorm room.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Ann Arbor, BBQ, Big Ten Tour, Burgers, Downtown, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Press Release – Governor’s Bet on NCAA Championship

5 04 2009

From a press release from the Governor’s office.  It doesn’t say what food is on the line, but I would put up a Michigan Cherry Pie vs. some Carolina Pork. 

Governors Granholm, Perdue Place Friendly Wager on NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship

LANSING – Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today placed a friendly wager with North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue that the Michigan State University Spartans will win the 2009 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship when they play the University of North Carolina Tar Heels Monday night at Ford Field in Detroit.

“Coach Tom Izzo and the Michigan State University Spartan men have given the state of Michigan a great gift – the chance at a national championship from the hardest working team in college basketball,” Granholm said.  “Thanks to the Spartans for uplifting our entire state and for giving us hope.  Their victory Saturday night was our victory, and we wish them great success in the championship game Monday night.”

Granholm and Perdue have agreed that the governor of the losing team must be photographed enjoying some tasty treats from the winning state while wearing the winning team’s jersey and hat.  A photo of the occasion must be publicly released.  The governor of the losing team also will donate $100 to a local food bank in the winning team’s state.

Over the years, Governor Granholm has placed similar wagers with other governors in observance of championship games with the governor sending gift packages that include Faygo soft drinks, Kowalski sausage, Bell’s beer, and Michigan cherry products.
   
Governor Granholm attended Saturday night’s semi-final championship game between the MSU Spartans and the University of Connecticut Huskies.  She is scheduled to attend the championship game Monday evening between Michigan State and North Carolina.


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Sidetrack Bar & Grill

5 04 2009
  • 56 E. Cross Street
  • Ypsilanti, MI 48198
  • (734) 483-1035
  • Website
  • Menu
Sidetrack Bar & Grill in Depot Town in Ypsilanti

Sidetrack Bar & Grill in Depot Town in Ypsilanti

When I see that there’s a place that serves a burger someone has proclaimed to be the best, I’m gonna take an opportunity to try it for myself.  That was the case when I was working in Ann Arbor recently.  J made the trip to Ann Arbor with me and picked me up after my game was over.  Somewhere, I saw that a bar in Ypsilanti made one of the best burgers in the country.  I looked at a map and saw Ypsilanti was near Ann Arbor.  So I dragged J to another bar in search of the perfect hamburger.

Sidetrack Bar & Grill is located on Cross Street in Ypsilanti’s Depot Town.  Guess what.  It sits beside a set of rail road tracks.  As I’ve already alluded to, GQ Magazine proclaimed Sidetrack’s hamburger as one the 20  burgers you must eat before you die.  It was also featured on an episode of the Oprah Winfey Show.  With that much hype, it was something I was looking forward to all day.

We parked behind the building and entered through a back door.  There’s a sign that points you to the front door where a hostess took us back through the dining room we just walked through to a table along the wall.  The decor is that of an old bar.  There’s exposed brick walls, tin ceilings and hardwood floors that have seen better days.  The walls are covered with dead animals.  There was a big moose head right above my head and some giant penguins hanging above the door.  The tables are packed into the space.  When I initially suggested a bar for dinner, I was a little worried that we would have trouble getting a table.  Word is,  Sidetracks is always packed on Friday and Saturday night and this Saturday night, MSU was playing in the Final Four.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Bar, BBQ, Burgers, Michigan, Pub, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches, Ypsilanti

Mia Za’s Cafe – Ann Arbor

5 04 2009
  • 615 E. University Avenue
  • Ann Arbor, MI 48104
  • (734) 555-1211
  • Website
  • Menu
Mia Zas Cafe near the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor

Mia Za's Cafe near the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor

Once again, I spent my Saturday working.  Not complaining at all.  I love it when I get a chance to work.  However, it takes weekends away from J and I .  When I work, my days are 10 hours and that doesn’t include travel, so I spend all day work and when I get home, I’m exhausted and don’t want to do much.  Instead of sitting home by herself, J decided to come to Ann Arbor with me.  We got a hotel room and she was going to do some shopping while I worked.

At lunch time, J came back to the Wilpon baseball softball complex to pick me up.  I only had an hour so I wanted to stay somewhat close to campus.  Last week while working in Champaign, IL, I stumbled upon a little cafe that served up really good food really quickly.  One of their two other locations happened to be in Ann Arbor and I knew it was something J would like, so that’s where we went.

It was a really busy Saturday in Ann Arbor.  There were people everywhere and traffic was slow going.  We finally made it to Mia Za’s which is on University Street in Ann Arbor near the campus of the University of Michigan.  There is street parking on either side of University so we started looking for a spot.  I saw one going the other direction so I did a U-turn and made it back before someone else picked it up.

There is quite a bit of construction going on in the area including a massive construction project at the building next to Mia Za’s.  The sidewalk is closed and the temporary sidewalk structures almost cover up the awning and front of the building.  I almost missed it when we drove by.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Ann Arbor, Big Ten Tour, Cafe, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

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