Starbucks Coffee – Okemos

9 05 2009
  • 3552 Meridian Crossings #500
  • Okemos, MI 48864
  • (517) 381-8350
  • Website
  • Menu
Starbucks at Meridian Crossing in Okemos

Starbucks at Meridian Crossing in Okemos

To some people, there’s nothing like a warm coffee or tea on a cold rainy day.  I’m not one of those people.  I despise Starbucks.  The only time I ever go in one is with J.  She likes a couple of their drinks and today, she was wanting something warm and comforting.  Since there was a Starbucks right next to the State Side Deli where we ate lunch, she asked if I would stop in with her.

This Starbucks is located on the far end of the Meridian Crossings shopping center.  You can see it from Okemos Road and there is an entrance on both sides of the building.  With this business, it doesn’t matter which side you enter.  The counter is in the middle.  That’s only if you’re not lazy and actually go in.  There is a drive-thru on the side of the building and the line wrapped back into the parking lot.  I don’t do drive thrus and it was easier just to get out and go in the store.

There’s really not much there.  There are a few tables if you want to pay for wi-fi while you drink coffee and a few displays of coffee making products.  I’m guessing they do most of the business through the window.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Coffee, Michigan, Okemos, Reviews

State Side Deli

9 05 2009
  • 3552 Meridian Crossing Dr. Suite 550
  • Okemos, MI 48864
  • (517) 853-1100
  • No Known Website
  • Menu
The State Side Deli at Meridian Crossings in Okemos

The State Side Deli at Meridian Crossings in Okemos

I’m not an expert on New York deli’s.  In fact, I’ve never eaten in one.  I’ve only been to New York City once and that was a quick weekend trip to see a baseball game in old Yankee Stadium with my brother.  We ate at Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill, La Famiglia Pizza in Times Square, and a bar near Madison Square Garden.  We were going to find a deli to get some corned beef but we never did.

I read the message boards at Chow.com quite often and the most popular question about dining in Lansing is “Where can I find a New York style deli?”  Recently, the answer has been State Side Deli.  I’ve heard a lot of good and only one bad, so I’ve been looking for an excuse to go. 

For the first time in about two months, I had a Saturday off.  No work.  No family in town.  No trips to Chicago.  Just a Saturday afternoon where J and I could do whatever we wanted.  What we wanted to do was go to Walmart.  J had a list of things she needed and can usually get cheaper at Walmart.  Since there’s really not one close to us, we were going to have to drive somewhere.  Since I there was a Walmart in Meridian Township, I chose that one so I could finally stop at that deli everyone’s been talking about.

State Side Deli is in the Meridian Crossings shopping center somewhere between Stillwater Grill and Starbucks.  You can see a sign from Okemos Road, but your better off if you enter on the backside which is techinically Meridian Crossing Drive.  There is an entrance in front, but the counter and tables are off the back parking lot. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Deli, Michigan, Okemos, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Press Release – Cafe Grand Opening In Jackson

8 05 2009

First rule of sending a press release…complete address.  I figured it out because it came from the Greater Jackson Chamber of Commerce, but not everyone is going to take the time to put 2-and-2 together. 

Join in celebrating the Grand Opening of Wildwood Café with Frank and Jill Page, Monday, May 11th at 11:30am. 

Wildwood Café is located 2615 Wildwood Ave.  Patrons can enjoy a cozy smoke free environment with artwork from local artisans.

The Wildwood Café is open Monday – Saturday 7am-2:30pm and Sunday from 8am-2pm.  Menu selections include unique omelet’s, “the best club sandwich in town”, home-made soups, fresh baked pie and daily specials. Order breakfast or lunch anytime.  Carry-out orders welcome.


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Categories : Jackson, Michigan, Press Releases

Chicken & Fish Express

6 05 2009
  • 601 W. Saginaw Street
  • Lansing, MI 48933
  • (517) 267-3813
  • No Known Website
  • No Online Menu
Chicken and Fish Express on Saginaw Street in Lansing.

Chicken and Fish Express on Saginaw Street in Lansing.

I had to work downtown early.  Well, early for me.  9:00 is still a couple hours before I usually get up, so getting my butt out of bed and downtown isn’t easy.  It was a short day with my job finishing up a little after 1:30.  I had a few Tim Horton’s doughnuts for breakfast,but that was it, so I was starving.  Chicken has been all the rage and a few months ago, someone told me about a chicken place in a Marathon Station.  Since it wasn’t too far from downtown, I decided to check it out.

This wasn’t the first time I had stopped in to the Chicken & Fish Express on Saginaw Street.  A few weeks ago, I decided to stop, but was really confused and ended up leaving.  The store is connected to the Marathon Station, but the businesses aren’t really connected.  Sure, there’s a door to move between the two businesses, but it’s blocked from both sides.  Chicken & Fish Express has a separate entrance on Pine Street side of the building.  When I stopped a couple weeks ago, it didn’t look like the place was open.  The door moved when I pushed it, but there was no one inside and I didn’t see anything behind the counter, so I left. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Chicken, Deep Fried Food, Lansing, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews

Press Release – Win an Ice Cream Shop

6 05 2009

From a press release….

Sparkles on Cars and Sprinkles on Cones: Michigan Business
owners giving away their Car Wash & Ice Cream Store

Hillsdale, MI (MMD Newswire) May 6, 2009 — An uncertain economy
brings out the creativity in business owners… it means entrepreneurs
need to find interesting new ways to start their businesses, and
unusual new ways to make their businesses succeed. A Michigan
family has built up a pair of successful businesses over the last 15
years with the Vanity Car Wash and Ice Cream store in Hillsdale.
And now in a creative twist, they’re looking to simply hand the keys
to their businesses over to a lucky new owner.

If you’ve always wanted to own your own business, if you have an
interest in helping customers put a sparkle on their car or some
sprinkles on their cone, this could be your “golden” opportunity to
make your dreams come true.

The owners of these two established businesses, located together
across from the County Fairgrounds in Hillsdale Michigan, are
currently selling 6,000 numbered sets of “Express Keys” for $100.00
each. The electronic keys can be used by the key-holder to get
$100.00 worth of car washes and vacuuming services at the
business. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Food News, Michigan, Press Releases

Press Release – See Disney’s “Earth” For Free

5 05 2009

From a Salvation Army press release…

The Salvation Army, WMMQ and Celebration Cinema are working together to collect canned goods for the needy.

On Saturday, May 9, 2009 from 11:00am-5:59pm, every adult or child who brings in a box or bag of canned goods or non-perishable food items to Celebration Cinema will get free admission to see The Disney movie, “EARTH” as well as an additional 1.50 off any STAR TREK matinee.


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Categories : Lansing, Michigan, Press Releases

The Green Door Blues Bar & Grill

1 05 2009
  • 2005 E. Michigan Avenue
  • Lansing, MI 48912
  • (517) 482-6376
  • Website
  • Menu
The Green Door Blues Bar & Grill on Michigan Avenue in Lansing.

The Green Door Blues Bar & Grill on Michigan Avenue in Lansing.

Have I mentioned that I love when J e-mails me from work and says she’s hungry for greasy bar food?  Man, I love that!  I was not in the cooking mood again as we were packing up for a trip back to Chicago.  For J’s birthday, I got her and her family tickets to see comedian Joel McHale at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, IN.  We were going to see McHale in Detroit back in January, but I had to work.  Since Hammond is about 15 miles from her parents south suburban home, I made up for missing the January show with four tickets to this show.

I’m starting to run out of ideas for greasy bar food, so I started looking at menus on Allmenus.com.  One of the places that came up that I never really thought about was The Green Door.  I ran it by J and she thought we would have enough time on her dinner break.

The Green Door Blues Bar & Grill is on Michigan Avenue at Clemens Avenue.  If you can find street parking along Michigan Avenue, there is a front door, but there’s also a City of Lansing lot behind the building.  If you park in back, there’s a door that leads right in to the bar on the backside of the building.

We parked in back and trekked through the alley which, like most of the streets in Lansing, has seen better days.  When we got inside, we were faced with a choice.  The Green Door is set up for live music which is really the main draw.  There are some tables in front of the stage, but there are also some higher pub tables on the other side of the room.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Bar, Lansing, Live Entertainment, Michigan, Pub, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Mama Bear’s – A Conscious Cafe

30 04 2009
  • 1224 Turner Street
  • Lansing, MI 48906
  • (517) 485-6262
  • Website
  • Menu
Mama Bears - A Conscious Cafe in Old Town

Mama Bear's - A Conscious Cafe in Old Town

It’s the end of the month again which means J and I head to Delta Township to get her hair cut.  While she’s doing that, I drive around town, run errands, and of course, scout out new places to eat.  In City Pulse’s Top of the Town Awards, I noticed a cafe in Old Town that racked up a few awards.  I couldn’t find much other than a Myspace page on the place, but it sounded good to me.

Mama Bear’s Cafe is on Turner Street in Old Town half a block off of Grand River Avenue.  I drove by the building four times trying to find it.  It’s a big grey building with a black awning.  There is a logo on the awning, but it’s hard to see from the street.  I did finally find it and after I picked J up, headed back to Old Town for lunch.

We parked on the street a few doors down from the cafe and walked back.  The cafe is pretty small, but very cute.  The order counter is near the front.  The dining room are heavy wood tables which are scattered throughout the space.  Next to the counter on either side is a pastry case with all sorts of goodies including some that are vegan. 

We stopped in closer to 1:30 which would have been after the lunch rush.  The lady working told us they had a pretty busy lunch and they were out of a few things.  There was no turkey left and they didn’t have everything to make the creole wrap which I think is the menu item J was looking at.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Cafe, Lansing, Michigan, Old Town, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Handy’s Food Market

30 04 2009
  • 424 W. Willow Street
  • Lansing, MI 48906
  • (517) 482-1156
  • No Known Website
Handys Food Market on Willow Street in Lansing.

Handy's Food Market on Willow Street in Lansing.

Handy’s Food Market is on Willow Street at the corner of Chestnutt.  It’s a really small building with just a little bit of street parking.  There were already three or four cars parked out front, so I had to go down the street a little ways to find a spot. 

Like I already mentioned, there isn’t a lot of room in the store.  There’s one shelf that runs through the middle of the store and divides the space in to two.  With the aisles that are left, there’s not enough room for two people to pass by comfortably. 

I found the spice section I was looking for, but again, couldn’t find what I was looking for.  I found whole ancho chile’s, but no powder.  Before I left, I also noticed some hanging above the counter, but still, no ancho chile powder. 

I didn’t look around too much, but the rest of the store was filled with staples of the Mexican pantry.  There was also a case up front that had some prepared food that looks like it just needed to be heated up again.  I didn’t ask questions and there wasn’t a whole lot of room to move. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Grocery, Lansing, Mexican, Michigan

“I Love This Bar” Coming to Auburn Hills

29 04 2009

Yes, I’m a country music fan.  Yes, I’m a Toby Keith fan despite the fact he’s a closet liberal.  I’ve never been to Vegas or any of the other cities where one of his restaurants are, but I’m sure we’ll make a trip to Auburn Hills once “I Love This Bar” opens at Great Lakes Crossing.

Country music singer-songwriter Toby Keith will open a 650-seat restaurant and entertainment center called I LoveThis Bar & Grill at Great Lakes Crossing in Auburn Hills late this year, mall marketing director Melissa Morang announced today.

[snip]

The casual menu includes many of the home-style Southern dishes the ex-oil field worker from Oklahoma callshis favorites: pulled-pork sandwiches, chicken-fried steak, Honky Tonk meatloaf, Freedom Fries and fried-bologna sandwiches — a signature dish, along with Southern-fried Twinkies.


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Categories : Auburn Hills, Food News, Michigan

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