Gilbert & Blake’s

31 01 2009
  • 3554 Okemos Road
  • Okemos, MI 48864
  • (517) 349-1300
  • Website
  • Menu
Gilbert & Blakes on Okemos Road in Okemos

Gilbert & Blake's on Okemos Road in Okemos

I’ve always been afraid of Gilbert and Blake’s.  I had only read one review of the place and it wasn’t exactly glowing, but the thing that really scared me off was the “seafood” part of the branding.  We don’t eat seafood.  I know, they have steaks, but I don’t order steaks at a restaurant.  They’re never as good as I make at home and really expensive.  J and I are sandwich people.  I love a good burger and there were no burgers on Gilbert and Blake’s dinner menu, so I never considered it an option for us.  For some odd reason, I was looking at restaurants last night.  I came back to Gilbert and Blake’s and decided to look at the menu again.  Again, the dinner menu didn’t do much for me.  It’s a little too fancy for a regular night out, but the lunch menu actually looked really good.  J and I were discussing lunch options and I figured…let’s give it a try.  There were enough options that both of us should be happy.

Gilbert & Blake’s is on Okemos Road not far from I-96 in Okemos.  Like I figured, it’s not your average night out kind of place.  I would put it in the fine dining category for this area.  There are couple different dining rooms.  When you walk in, you’re met by a hostess.  We were shown to a table in what looks to be their main dining room just off of the bar.  Gilbert & Blake’s is a white tablecloth, black napkin kind of place.  The decor is subdued and dark.  Most of the light is natural lighting coming in from large windows that run along one wall of the dining room.  What little lighting they have are track spot lights. Read the rest of this entry »


Comments : 4 Comments »
Tags: , , , , ,
Categories : Burgers, Michigan, Okemos, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

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 »


Comments : 2 Comments »
Tags: , , , , , ,
Categories : Burgers, Downtown, East Lansing, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Coscarelli’s Restaurant & Lounge

21 01 2009
  • 2400 S. Cedar St.
  • Lansing, MI 48813
  • (517) 482-0238
  • No Known Website
  • Menu
Coscarellis Restaurant & Lounge on South Cedar Street in Lansing.

Coscarelli's Restaurant & Lounge on South Cedar Street in Lansing.

Have you ever noticed that big grey building on South Cedar Street with the word “Coscarelli’s” painted across the front?   I’ve noticed it, but never knew it was open.  There are no windows or signs that show any sort of life at the place.  The parking lot is around back and not really visible from the street.  We’ve lived here for almost ten months and had no idea the place wasn’t abandoned.  Last week, we were driving by and I happened to notice some cars in the parking lot behind the building.  Later in the week, I was driving down Cedar again and decided to turn in to the parking lot and scope the place out.  What I found was a lot of cars hidden by the big grey building.  Not only Coscarelli’s open, they seem to be packed.

I had a late afternoon job interview and wasn’t sure how long it would take or how I would feel afterwards, so I told J I would pick her up on her dinner break and take her out to eat.  Our original plan was to check out the new Brothers Restaurant in East Lansing until I remembered there was a home basketball game.  J just said she wanted a salad and didn’t want to go to a chain.  On my way home from the interview, I drove by Coscarelli’s again.  When I got home, I did a Google search for a menu and actually found one.  J approved so I picked her up at a little after seven and headed to that building we used to think was abandoned.

Coscarelli’s sits on South Cedar between Rockford and Lincoln.  On the front of the building, there are signs painted on both the north and south sides.  The south sides points you to the sports bar.  The north side points you to the lounge.  We were looking for dinner so we entered the parking lot off of Rockford Road.  The parking lot was packed.  We drove around twice looking for a place to park then just kind of made our own spot next to a snow bank.  Read the rest of this entry »


Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , , , , ,
Categories : Burgers, Lansing, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews

Zeus’ Coney Island – Lansing

9 01 2009
  • 6525 S. Pennsylvania Ave.
  • Lansing, MI 48911
  • (517) 272-7900
  • No Known Website
  • Menu

Zeus' Coney Island on Pennsylvania Avenue in Lansing

On our first day in Lansing when we were apartment hunting, the first restaurant we saw after getting off of I-96 was Zeus’ Coney Island on Pennsylvania Avenue.  At that time, I had no idea what a Coney Island restaurant was and wondered why a Greek restaurant had a name I associated with New York City.

For ten months now, J and I have been saying we need to go to Zeus’.  The parking lot is always packed and a couple of her co-workers are regulars at the Greek diner.  After what seems like several days of snow, we finally decided to give it a shot.  You see, I have the four wheel drive, so when it snows, I usually end up taking J back to work after her dinner break.  When it really snows, I take her at the start of her shift.  Instead of making four trips back and forth, we just end up going out to dinner instead of coming home for dinner.  When I dropped her off, I didn’t know the snow was going to taper off by 7:00, so I said I wanted to stay on this side of town.  J suggested Zeus’ and I didn’t argue.

Zeus’ Coney Island sits on Pennsylvania between Cedar Street and the I-96 ramps.  It’s one of two restaurants owned by the same people.  The other is in Brighton.  There’s no way you can head down Pennsylvania and not see it.  The building looks like an old Wendy’s or some other type of fast food.  There are two huge signs that stick to the simple color palette of the Greek flag.  Read the rest of this entry »


Comments : 3 Comments »
Tags: , , , , , , ,
Categories : Burgers, Coney Island, Diner, greek, Lansing, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews

Corey’s Restaurant & Lounge

31 12 2008
  • 1513 S. Cedar St.
  • Lansing, MI 4891
  • (517) 484-7060
  • No Known Website
  • Menu
Coreys Restaurat & Lounge on South Cedar Street in Lansing.

Corey's Restaurat & Lounge on South Cedar Street in Lansing.

Since we found out our bar of choice wasn’t going to be open past 10:00 on New Year’s Eve, we decided to go out for dinner.  We had driven by a very uninviting building on Cedar Street with a old sign hanging off the building that simply said “Corey’s Coktails.”  We never gave the place much thought until a co-worker of J’s recommended it during a discussion of local eateries.   J e-mailed me and asked if I just wanted to go out for dinner and I said, yes and suggested Corey’s, so that’s where we ended up for dinner on New Year’s Eve. 

Corey’s Restaurant & Lounge sits on Cedar Street not too far from downtown.  From the outside, you’d never guess what was inside.  We pulled up to the building around 7:30 to find a packed parking lot.  We entered the lot off of Cedar Street and found a place to park, but we had no idea where the door was.  It definitely wasn’t on the Cedar Street side, so I assumed it was around back.  As we were walking towards the building, we saw someone walk out solving the mystery of the front door.

When you walk in, you take a step down and enter in the lounge part of the space.  There were no signs about seating or a hostess.  I noticed a pub table along the wall not too far from the entrance so that’s where we went.  There are two rooms  to the space.  Had we kept going, we would have found a more traditional dining room separated from the bar.  We climbed up the chairs and waited.  And waited.  And waited.  And waited for a waitress to see us.  After a five to ten minute wait, we were finally noticed and a waitress came over for drink orders and left a couple menus.  Read the rest of this entry »


Comments : 1 Comment »
Tags: , , , , , , ,
Categories : Burgers, Lansing, Local Flavor, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Urbana Garden Family Restaurant – Urbana, IL

22 12 2008
  • 810 W. Killarney St.
  • Urbana, IL 61801
  • (217) 328-1514
  • No Known Website
  • No Online Menu
Urbana Garden Family Restaurant in Urbana, IL

Urbana Garden Family Restaurant in Urbana, IL

It’s always fun when you’re in a strange city to go out to eat with the locals. I was working at Assembly Hall for a University of Illinois basketball game with a few other guys who live in the area. I’m somewhat familiar with the Champaign/Urbana area, but not nearly as familiar with the local joints, so I was happy when one of my co-workers took the lead and suggested we go to Urbana Gardens for dinner.

Urbana Gardens sits near Interstate 74 in Urbana a few miles from campus. It’s one of those down home, friendly restaurants where it’s more about having a good time than white table cloths. Five of us left the arena together for lunch. When we showed up at Urbana Gardens, we were relieved to see the holiday shoppers didn’t make it down this far. The place was pretty empty for a Saturday night and we were seated at a table together. I sort of felt sorry for the other patrons. We were loud. The guys I was with all have a sarcastic sense of humor and the waitress was playing along, so things got a little noisy. The table sitting next to us didn’t seem to mind as eventually, they started asking questions about our line of work.

The waitress came with drinks. I ordered a Coke. We also had one coffee, a Sprite, an iced tea and two Arnold Palmers. The waitress looked at the first guy that ordered it and said, “you’re going to be surprised I actually know what that is.” I had no idea, but after a quick Internet search, I now know it’s half iced tea and half lemonade. The waitress had a system when it came to keeping track of orders and she wasn’t about to let anyone mess it up. She started with the first guy to her left. He asked what the specials were and eventually decided on chicken fried steak. He asked if it had mushrooms and if so, to keep it off. The waitress asked if he was alergic and just didn’t like them. He said he didn’t like them. She said she would have to check if it even had mushrooms because the gravy was already made and if he was alergic, she’d pick them off….if he didn’t like them, he’d just have to deal with. That sounds mean, but she was being sarcastic and messing around with him. It was all in good fun and I don’t think she would have actually made him eat them. Read the rest of this entry »


Comments : 3 Comments »
Tags: , , , , , ,
Categories : Big Ten Tour, Burgers, Champaign/Urbana, Illinois, Local Flavor, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches, Urbana

Max & Erma’s

14 12 2008
  • 2515 Lake Lansing Road
  • Lansing, MI 48912
  • (517) 316-7477
  • Website
  • Menu
Max & Ermas near the Eastwoode Towne Centre in Lansing Township

Max & Erma's near the Eastwoode Towne Centre in Lansing Township

Another lazy Sunday.  J and I were laying on the couch watching a Fox News Channel special about corruption in Illinois.  We didn’t learn anything that we didn’t already, but it’s fun to see the rest of the country coming to the same conclusions we had five years ago about the current political situation in Illinois.  Neither of us were in much of a hurry to do anything, but my tummy was really growling.  I was hungry.  We needed to run a few errands, so we just decided to eat out.  I asked J what she wanted and she said a nice big salad with dried fruit, nuts, and cheese.  That really narrows it down.  Nothing was coming to mind.

I went to Google and typed in “Restaurants in Lansing, MI.”  I do that a lot for out of town meals because it gives you a list of all the restaurants in town.  I started clicking on website links figuring the chain restaurants would have what she was looking for.  I clicked on a couple and got a “yeah, those look ok” response.  When I clicked on Max & Erma’s I got a “YES!  That’s what I want!”  Off to Eastwoode.

Max & Erma’s is one of many chains located around Eastwoode Towne Centre.  Even though they have several locations throughout the country, I had never been to one nor had I ever seen one anywhere else.  J had never heard of it, so I didn’t go in with my preconceived notion that all chains are evil.  Read the rest of this entry »


Comments : 2 Comments »
Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Categories : Burgers, Chains, Lansing, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews

Billy Goat Tavern – Downtown Chicago

30 11 2008
  • 430 N. Michigan Ave.
  • Chicago, IL 60611
  • (312) 222-1525
  • Website
  • Menu
The Billy Goat Tavern on Michigan Ave. in downtown Chicago

The Billy Goat Tavern on Michigan Ave. in downtown Chicago

Cheezborger, Cheezborger, Cheezborger.  No Pepsi…..Coke.  No Fries….Chips.  If you’re a fan of classic Saturday Night Live.  You’ve seen the skit.  The Billy Goat Tavern is a real place and the owner of the tavern is the one who put the infamous curse on the Chicago Cubs.

 J and I were walking down Michigan Avenue looking for something to eat.  When she was in college, she interned at WMAQ which is on Michigan near the Chicago river.  The Billy Goat is a popular hangout for reporters in the area as WMAQ (NBC), the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, and WGN Radio all have their offices in the area.  It’s been eight years or so and she was having a hard time remembering exactly where the tavern was.  As we walked north on Michigan Avenue, she saw the sign telling us to go down a flight of stairs.  The Billy Goat Tavern is actually under Michigan Avenue. You have to go down a flight of stairs where you come to a subterranean street similar to Lower Wacker Drive on the other side of the river. Read the rest of this entry »


Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , , , , ,
Categories : Burgers, Chicago, Downtown, Illinois, Reviews

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 »


Comments : 2 Comments »
Tags: , , , , , , ,
Categories : Burgers, Lansing, Local Flavor, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches, Sports Bar

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 »


Comments : 4 Comments »
Tags: , , , , , , ,
Categories : Burgers, Italian, Lansing, Local Flavor, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

« Previous Entries Next Entries »