Go Green Menus

30 01 2009

So, here it is.  Friday night a little after eleven and I’m starving.  It never fails.  I think it goes back to my drinking days when I would order pizza or wings or something really unhealthy after a few beers.  I’m not gonna go anywhere, but I start looking around Google to see what’s open and I come across this really cool website.

It’s called Go Green Menus.  It was acquired by three MSU juniors last August.  The website has a number of East Lansing restaurnts listed.  The cool thing is you can search by dine in or carry out.  From there, you select the type of cuisine you want.  Then, a list of restaurants pop up along the side bar and it actually shows you what is open and what is closed.  Once you find the restaurant you want, you can view a menu and it some cases even order online.

What a great idea!  The first one of these was built at Penn State University in 2002 and they’ve expanded the concept to other cities. 

Anyway, check out the website at http://www.gogreenmenus.com


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Categories : East Lansing, Food News, Michigan

Press Release – Turkey Hill Dairy Recall

30 01 2009

From a Press Release….

TURKEY HILL DAIRY ANNOUNCES VOLUNTARY RECALL OF SELECT ICE CREAM FLAVORS
FOLLOWING EXPANDED FDA INVESTIGATION OF PEANUT CORPORATION OF AMERICA

LANCASTER COUNTY, PA (January 30, 2009) – Turkey Hill Dairy of Lancaster
County, PA, is voluntarily recalling six select ice cream and frozen yogurt
items because the products contain ingredients that have been voluntarily
recalled by our suppliers.

Turkey Hill’s recalled products contain peanut pieces sold by Peanut
Corporation of America (PCA), the current focus of an ongoing Salmonella
investigation by the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA). On
January 28, the FDA expanded its investigation to include all peanuts
processed by the PCA at its plant in Blakely, GA, since January 1, 2007,
including dry and oil-roasted peanuts, granulated peanuts and peanut meal,
in addition to peanut butter and peanut paste, which were the initial focus
of the investigation.

Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal
infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with
weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often
experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and
abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result
in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe
illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms),
endocarditis and arthritis. Read the rest of this entry »


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One Second Super Bowl Commercials

30 01 2009

Not being a huge pro football fan, most years, I could care less about the Super Bowl, but like most people, I can’t help but watch.  I think it’s pretty sad that advertisers spend so much money on ads, but it’s the only time of the year people watch TV for the commercials.

When I saw this story on Miller’s strategy for the big game, I had to chuckle a little bit.

With their brand recognition in solid standing, they’re now betting on a 1-second commercial to carry the brand through the Super Bowl. Thirty second commercials run a cool $3 million during the Super Bowl, and as Middlebrooks, the voracious delivery man declares “I don’t care how big the game is, who’s got $3 million?”

Nice.  So not only does Miller get commercial time, they have every news media and blogger giving them free advertisement for this quirky plan.  I think it’s hilarious.  I saw some of the commercials on CNN the other day and they’re really funny…even if they’re only a second long.

Even funnier, as I’m writing this, I’m watching reruns on Yes Dear on TBS…I just saw a 30 second Miller High LIfe spot advertising the 1 second spots during the Super Bowl. 


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Starbucks Coffee – Downtown East Lansing

29 01 2009
  • 401 E. Grand River Avenue
  • East Lansing, MI 48823
  • (517) 332-0398
  • Website
  • Menu
Starbucks Coffee on Grand River Avenue in downtown East Lansing

Starbucks Coffee on Grand River Avenue in downtown East Lansing

When we were hanging out in Chicago Thanksgiving weekend, we tried four or five times to stop in a Starbucks so J could try their Salted Caramel Signature Hot Chocolate.  None of the Starbucks we passed had any tables and the lines were out the door, so we ended up settling on a Dunkin Donuts and just got some regular hot chocolate.  It didn’t hurt my feelings.  I loathe Starbucks and everything it stands for.  Back in Peoria, I had a co-worker who stopped every morning and if we happened to be in a car together, I knew she was going to wine until I stopped so she could get an overpriced coffee.

After dinner at Brother’s Grill, I was standing outside taking a picture for the blog.  When I turned around, J was gone.  I thought maybe she started walking back towards the car.  Fortunately for me, she wears a bright colored coat.  I happened to catch a glimpse of that coat out of the corner of my eye in line at the Starbucks that sits right next door. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Chains, Coffee, Downtown, East Lansing, Reviews

Brother’s Grill

29 01 2009
  • 403 E. Grand River Avenue
  • East Lansing, MI 48823
  • (517) 333-6939
  • Website
  • Menu
Brothers Grill in downtown East Lansing

Brother's Grill in downtown East Lansing

A few weeks ago I was watching the 11:00 news and saw a story about the Michigan Business Tax.  The reporter took the angle of what a new business has to deal with when starting up in Michigan.  The business they chose to talk to was Brother’s Grill in East Lansing.  Before that story, I had never heard of Brother’s Grill….and with good reason, they had just opened their doors that week.

The later it gets in the week, the less I feel like cooking dinner.  Before J left for work, I asked what she wanted and she didn’t really come up with anything.  Before walking out the door, she asked if I just wanted to pick her up and we could go out to eat.  I didn’t argue.  I suggested Brother’s Grill in East Lansing.  The menu looked good and there’s not much info on the place on the web yet.  She liked the idea so that’s what we did.

Brother’s Grill is on Grand River Avenue in East Lansing in the old Big Ten Burrito location.  It’s sandwiched between Starbucks and SBS.  I knew it was on Grand River, but I didn’t know where.  As we drove along the stretch of road in the downtown area of East Lansing, I asked J to keep an eye out for it.  Neither one of us saw it, so I turned around and headed back the way we came.  I finally noticed it as we came up to the stoplight at Charles Street.  They don’t have a lighted a sign.  Just a painted window and a small wooden sign above the door.  Read the rest of this entry »


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

Congres To Hold Hearings on Peanut Recall

29 01 2009

Not much of a surprise.

California Democrat Henry Waxman says he wants to focus on the Georgia peanut processing plant at the center of the investigation, which has led to a massive recall. More than 500 people have gotten sick in the outbreak, and at least eight may have died because of salmonella infections.

Among those testifying will be Stewart Parnell, president of Peanut Corp. of America, as well representatives of two labs the company used for testing. Peanut Corp. shipped products that initially tested positive for salmonella, after follow-up tests found no traces. 


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Coming Soon: The Venue

29 01 2009
Coming Soon...The Venue on the corner of Cedar and Long Blvd.

Coming Soon...The Venue on the corner of Cedar and Long Blvd.

Shh.  Don’t tell J she was right.  I went down to the Speedway on the corner of Cedar and Long Boulevard today to get a frozen Coke.  As I was pulling out, I noticed a big , orange coming soon sign in the window of the old Frank’s Press Box South.   The place has been empty for as long we’ve been in Lansing, but this fall, J kept trying to tell me there was a lot of cars parked around the empty building.  I kept telling her it was over flow from the Holiday Inn (now Causeway Bay Hotel), but she kept saying someone was working on the building. 

She was right.  I drove up for a closer look after seeing the sign and there was definitely some movement inside.  I don’t have any other details other than the place is going to be called “The Venue.”  We drive by there pretty much everyday, so when I notice the coming soon sign has been replaced by a grand opening sign, we’ll check it out and see what’s up.


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Categories : Food News, Lansing, Michigan

24th Annual Men Who Cook

29 01 2009

From a press release….

Citizens to Beautify Albion will hold their 24th annual Men Who Cook
fund raiser from 12:30 p.m.-2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 15 at Tennant Hall
at the First United Methodist Church, 600 E. Michigan Avenue, Albion.
Tickets are $7 for adults; $3 for children under age 10. From apple
pie to zucchini, collard greens and corn bread to chili, vegetarian
lasagna to venison steaks and everything in-between.

Tickets available at: the Greater Albion Chamber of Commerce, Parks
Drugs, Homestead Savings Bank, Albion Volunteer Service Center,
Young’s Pharmacy and at the door.

Proceeds to be used to plant flowers along the I-94 Business Loop and
Austin Avenue on May 16. Mark your calendars!


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Categories : Food News, Michigan, Press Releases

Top Chef and Quaker Oats Team Up for Quickfire Challenge

29 01 2009

Got this from a press release.  Not hyper-local, but I know there are some creative cooks amongst the readers of this blog.

Calling All Top Chef Fans: Bravo Presents the First-Ever
Quaker® Oats Viewer Quickfire Challenge

Three finalists will experience what it’s like to be a Top Chef when they compete
in a live Quickfire Challenge and prepare an original dish using Quaker Oats

CHICAGO, January 29, 2009 – Are you a die hard Top Chef fan? Think you have what it takes to go knife-to-knife with other Top Chefs? To find out, create a unique dish using Quaker Oats, and enter the first-ever Quaker Oats Viewer Quickfire Challenge.

In conjunction with Bravo’s hit reality creative competition series Top Chef, all at-home chefs and fans of the show can submit their original recipes, which showcase Quaker Oats as an exciting and versatile ingredient, to http://www.BravoTV.com. Then, in early March, visitors to the site will vote to select three finalists who will travel to New York City and compete in the first-ever Quaker Oats Viewer Quickfire Challenge. The finalists will experience what it is like to be a Top Chef when they compete in a live Quickfire Challenge and prepare a new, original dish using Quaker Oats. The winner will have the chance to attend a future Top Chef episode.

The contest was announced during last night’s Top Chef, after chef’testants were asked to come up with a recipe that showcased the versatility of Quaker Oats as part of the episode’s Quickfire Challenge. The winning recipe was a Banana Oatmeal Mousse with Almond Crisp, created by chef’testant Stefan Richter. Read the rest of this entry »


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Criminal Charges in Peanut Recall?

28 01 2009

Saw this on LSJ.com this afternoon.

Over the last two years, Peanut Corp. of America found salmonella in a dozen internal tests of its products, but shipped them anyway after getting new tests. The Food and Drug Administration says the company did not initially disclose that to investigators trying to solve the current salmonella outbreak.

The company’s actions “can only be described as reprehensible and criminal,” said Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., who oversees FDA funding. “Not only did this company knowingly sell tainted products, it shopped for a laboratory that would provide the acceptable results they were seeking. This behavior represents the worst of our current food safety regulatory system.”

Whoops.


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