Tripper’s Sports Bar & Grill

30 10 2008
  • 350 Frandor Ave.
  • Lansing, MI 48912
  • (517) 336-0717
  • No Known Website
  • Menu
Trippers Sports Bar and Grill in the Frandor Shopping Center

Tripper's Sports Bar and Grill in the Frandor Shopping Center

I’m a little surprised I had never heard of Tripper’s before this past weekend.  On Saturday, we were at Frandor to check out the Linens ‘n Things going out of business sale and I noticed a sports bar on the other side of Frandor.  This afternoon, J and I realized we haven’t eaten out since Saturday, so we decided to go for lunch.  I had a hard time getting out of bed and by the time J pushed me out, it was afternoon.  I was a little worried we’d be pushing it to get her back in time to get ready for work, but it turned out not to be an issue.

Tripper’s is located in the Frandor Shopping Center right next to Olga’s kitchen.  For a Thursday afternoon, Frandor was packed.  I was surprised at just how many people there were.  The traffic was bad and it was hard to find a parking spot.  I finally found one somewhat near where we were going.  We walked back to Tripper’s.  When we entered the building, we were met with a long hallway back to the bar.  The host met us about halfway and asked if we wanted smoking or non-smoking.  We, of course, didn’t want to sit in a smokey bar.  The host took us the rest of the way down this long hallway, past the pool room and poker room to the non-smoking dining room.  Once you get to the back of the bar, there are two rooms.  One is the actual bar area which is set up and lit like a normal bar.  To the right of the hallway is the non-smoking dining room which is more like a typical restaurant with regular tables and more lighting. 

A waitress came over for drinks.  We ordered our Cokes and I actually got a regular Coke this time.  That hasn’t happened in a while even though I keep ordering it.  When it came time for lunch orders, I spotted my sandwich right away.  Even though Tripper’s has a really big menu that would satisfy any palette, I barely looked it because I found a Black and Bleu burger on the menu.  My burger came with bleu cheese piled on top.  There was no missing it and I got a good chunk of cheese in every bite.  The sandwich also came with lettuce and tomato which I pulled off.  The bleu cheese is the only flavor I want on this particular burger.  A mound of steak fries were served on the side.  Not usually a fan because steak fries get really potato-y tasting.  However, Tripper’s seasoned these fries really well with what I believe was just salt and pepper, but it added a really great taste to the fries. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Bar, Burgers, Lansing, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches, Sports Bar

Press Release – Taste of Okemos

29 10 2008

From a press release….

Taste of Okemos
Spotlights Area Cuisine

Okemos, Michigan – Okemos area restaurants will once again showcase their talents and allow the community to “taste test” a variety of menu selections at the Ninth Annual Taste of Okemos event on Saturday, November 15th, at Okemos High School.

Held in the Commons area of the high school, nearly 30 area vendors will provide mouth-watering samples to all attendees, allowing the community to sample a variety of specialties from new and established businesses in the area. For a minimal entry fee, you can select anything from traditional American offerings to Mexican, Middle Eastern and Chinese cuisine.

“Taste of Okemos continues to be a success because of the tremendous support we receive from the community and the dedicated involvement of our students and parents,” said Frank DeWald, director of the choral music program at Okemos High School.

The volunteer parent organization, co-chaired this year by Mick and Deb Baughman, along with Rick and Kim Horwood, work closely with the choir students to make this event possible. While the parents are responsible for securing the vendors and promoting the event, the students take responsibility for all duties the day of the event, including set-up, serving and clean-up.

All proceeds from the fundraiser support the high school choral music program by providing vocal music scholarship opportunities and funding performance events throughout the nation. This year’s event scheduled for Saturday, November 15th, runs from 2 to 4pm and tickets may be purchased at the door. The cost for admission remains at $15 for adults, $10 for senior citizens and children aged 6-10 and $5 for children under age five.

This year’s vendors, to date, include:
Big John Steak & Onion – Blondie’s Barn – Boston Market
Cosi – Dusty’s Cellar – Gracie’s Place
Grand Traverse Pie Co. – Guido’s Pizza – Gumbo & Jazz
Johnny Rockets – Kroger’s Deli – Lucky House
Meijer – Melting Moments – Panchero’s
Panda Express – Pizza House – Sahara’s
Scalawag’s Fish & Chips – Stillwater Grill  -Sultan’s Place

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Categories : Food News, Michigan, Okemos

Sonic in Lansing?

27 10 2008

It must be coming.  Check out this advertisment.

Are you looking for excitement and inspiration in your profession? Then apply to work at SONIC, where careers are a blast, like the SONIC experience itself. SONIC provides a stimulating work environment that nourishes the individual, and values the delivery of unique products, services and experiences. So come apply to join our team and steer your career towards bigger and better destinations!

We are Now Hiring Assistant Managers for our NEW LOCATIONS opening in Flint and Lansing, MI!!!

Wednesday, November 12th
10am-5pm
At Comfort Inn – Okemos Conference Center
2187 University Park Drive
Okemos, MI 48864
Call the hotel at 517-347-6690 for directions ONLY
(Map)

Please submit resume in advance to schedule an interview:
Email: lan@rrjobs.com
Or fax: 815-301-9885

Doesn’t say where it will be located or when it will be open, but it does say there is a Sonic coming to the Lansing area.


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Categories : Food News, Lansing, Michigan, Okemos

Popeye’s Chicken & Biscuits – Lansing

26 10 2008
  • 3010 S. Martin Luther King Jr.
  • Lansing, MI 48910
  • (517) 887-9861
  • Website
  • Menu
Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits on MLK in Lansing.

Popeye's Chicken & Biscuits on MLK in Lansing.

Who doesn’t “love that chicken from Popeye’s?”  I freakin love Popeye’s Chicken.  I know that’s really unlike me since Popeye’s is a chain, but I’ve never found chicken anywhere that I like better.  I’ll try to search out the local chicken joints, but I always end up back at Popeye’s.  Well, that’s not entirely true.  There was one place in Joliet, IL that I did like better, but out of hundreds of examples, that’s the one exception.   We’ve been looking for this store for quite a while.  The day we moved to Lansing, we drove around forever trying to find it.  We tried calling 411 and they said there was no listing in Lansing.  We put it into the GPS and nothing came up.  We were trying to feed not only ourselves, but our families who made the long trip to Michigan to help us move into our new place.  A few months ago, I drove down MLK just looking around and we finally found Popeye’s Chicken.

J doesn’t agree with me.  She grew up in Chicago where Brown’s Chicken reigns supreme.  When I lived in Joliet, IL there was a Popeye’s and a Browns right next to each other.  I tried both but always went back to Popeye’s.  Popeye’s aren’t really that prevelant in the Chicagoland area so the first time J had Popeye’s was right after we started dating in Peoria.  I had to work late and she had a box of chicken and a six pack of Budweiser’s waiting for me when I got to her house. Read the rest of this entry »


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

Linens ‘n Things – Frandor

25 10 2008
  • 517 Mall Ct.
  • Lansing, MI 48912
  • (517) 336-5552
  • Website
Linens n Things in the Frandor Shopping Center

Linens 'n Things in the Frandor Shopping Center

Hurry!  There’s not a lot of time.  Linens ‘n Things is going out of business.  Up until a week ago when I found out about the going out of business sale, I didn’t even realize there was a Linens ‘n Things in Lansing.  I had only been to Frandor once or twice since moving here which is where LNT is.

J and I have been using the same Martha Stewart bed set since she moved in over a year ago.  Before that, I had been using the same Bed-in-a-bag I bought at Bed, Bath, and Beyond many, many years ago.  It was time for change, so we decided to take advantage of the sale.  Plus, it would give me a chance to do one of my favorite things….shop for kitchen gadgets.

We found some pretty good “linens” but no deals on “things” yet.  J has been looking at bed sets for a while and hasn’t really found anything she likes.  Right away, she found a Liz Claiborne set that was pretty but not too girly that I wouldn’t sleep on it.  We grabbed the comforter set, sheets, pillow cases and of course, some throw pillows. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Food News, Lansing, Michigan, Reviews

Darts in Michigan Bars

23 10 2008

This is just a curiosity thing on my part I’m hoping someone can help me with.  We’ve noticed at every bar we’ve been to in Michigan that they all have real dart boards with metal tip darts and chalkboards to keep score.  I’ve never seen that before.  In Illinois, all the bars have those big machines where you put a couple bucks in and the machine keeps track of your score for you….and you use the bars’ plastic darts.

So here are my questions….

  1. Is there a reason that I never see those soft tipped dart machines in Michigan?
  2. Do you have to bring your own darts to the bar?

Really, I like the metal darts better…it’s just not something I’ve seen before.


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Categories : Food News, Lansing, Michigan

Free Pizza for McCain Signs

23 10 2008

I don’t know how else you would think this would end….

A Warren pizzeria owner received threatening phone calls Wednesday after a political pizza deal went awry.

“They’ve been actually calling here and threatening my life,” said Salvatore’s Pizzeria owner Diana Franzoni, who previously offered free, small pizzas to anyone who turned in a McCain-Palin yard sign after the Republican senator closed his Michigan offices. “It’s just ridiculous. People have blown something completely innocent completely out of proportion.”

That’s not the best part of the story. 

“We put out a sign that said ‘McCain gave up on Michigan. Michigan should give up on McCain. Turn in your McCain lawn sign for one free, mini pizza with topping,’ ” she said.

Approximately 300 signs were turned in by young and old customers, but the promotion ended Tuesday when police visited the business after receiving complaints that some of the submitted signs were stolen.

Duh.  If I could get a free pizza for turning in a McCain sign, I would probably wait until it got dark and jack a few too.  Did the owner really think that die-hard Republicans would pull their signs up and give them to a pizzeria for a mini pizza? 

I love election season.  You always get the best (wierdest?) news stories.


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Categories : Food News, Michigan

Rookies

23 10 2008
  • 16460 S. US Highway 27
  • Lansing, MI 48906
  • (517) 487-8686
  • No Known Website
  • Menu
Rookies on US 27 in North Lansing

Rookies on US 27 in North Lansing

If you remember from a few months ago, I mentioned how much J liked karaoke.  When she lived in Idaho Falls, she found a karaoke bar.  When we lived in Peoria, we found a karaoke bar.  When we moved to Lansing, we never found a karaoke bar.  When we were in Chicago last weekend, she wanted to go find a bar, but we got watching Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live and never made it out.  That itch never went away, so she got on Google and again started looking for karaoke in Lansing.  She found Rookies and after a phone call to see what time it started, she had her mind set on singing, so we pushed dinner back to 8:30 then went looking for Rookies.

We looked for a long time to try and figure out where exactly Rookies was at.  For most of you that have lived here all your lives, it’s not hard.  For us newbies who rely on Google Maps and a GPS to get around, it was a pain in the ass.  Google Maps puts the bar out near Flint for some reason.  Even though the listing says Lansing, it puts a mark on the map far east of the city.  After striking out on Google, we pulled out the GPS.  Daniel (that’s what we call our Garmin due to the voice file we use being called Daniel) couldn’t find the street in Lansing.  This is a really common problem with both J’s and my GPS.  I have a Nextar and she has a Garmin.  A co-worker of hers has a Garmin also and runs into the same problem.  It’s a problem we never have anywhere outside of Michigan.  Michigan’s prominent use of Townships as addresses screw the computers up.  Finally, we found the correct address in Dewitt Township, but it was incredibly frustrating just trying to find a bar. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Lansing, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches, St. Johns

Hometown Diner

22 10 2008
  • 1040 S. Pennsylvania Ave.
  • Lansing, MI 48912
  • (517) 372-5535
  • No Known Website
  • No Online Menu
Hometown Diner on Pennsylvania near I-474 in Lansing

Hometown Diner on Pennsylvania near I-496 in Lansing

J took one more day off after we got back in Michigan just so we could relax after a long weekend of traveling.  We were woke up fairly early for us by a phone call and neither of us could fall back asleep.  After going to the Potter Park Zoo during the “Be A Tourist In Your Own Hometown Event” we kept saying we needed to walk the River Trail.  We noticed it from the zoo, but we never made an effort to actually go for a walk.  Since we had such a bad weekend eating (I had four pizzas), I suggested we go for a walk.  Since it was about lunch time, J said we should eat first.

I had been reading reviews about a diner on Pennsylvania near the Zoo so that’s where I decided to to go for lunch.

The Hometown Diner sits on Pennsylvania across from the BWL in an old Sparty’s Coney Island.  It shares a building and parking lot with a Mexican grocery store.  We parked near the back of the lot and walked in to find a small diner with seating for just over a hundred.  We showed ourselves to a table in the middle of the room.  The layout is pretty common for small diners.  Booths line the walls with tables in the middle.  There’s a lunch counter near the front of the space and the kitchen is open so you can see the cook preparing your meal.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Diner, Lansing, Local Flavor, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Van Andel Arena

22 10 2008
  • 130 W. Fulton
  • Grand Rapids, MI 49503
  • (616) 742-6600
  • Website
Van Andel Arena in downtown Grand Rapids

Van Andel Arena in downtown Grand Rapids

After a great dinner in East Grand Rapids, it was time to head downtown for the evenings main event.  For my birthday, J bought me tickets to the Taylor Swift concert at Van Andel Arena.  I know it’s a little wierd for an almost 30-year-old to want to go to a concert that attracts the tween crowd, but I love Taylor Swift’s music and so does J.  She was in town headlining a show for B-93.  It was their annual Roof Sit for Kid’s fundraiser.  The show started at 7:00 at Van Andel Arena.

After some problems with construction around Greater Grand Rapids, we made it downtown at about 6:50.  I hate parking garages and the parking near the arena is garages.  Not being familiar with Grand Rapids, I didn’t know where to go.  We ended up finding another garage a few blocks from the arena.  The price was a little bit higher at nine bucks, but at least we didn’t have to deal with horn honking crazy teenagers as we were trying to leave the main lot.  We were in and out with no problem. 

We parked on Pearl Street and walked back to the Arena.  Grand Rapids is lucky to have such a beautiful place for concerts.  The outside glass facade is a nice look.  We made it inside where the usher scanned our tickets.  After a little trouble with the scan on mine, we found the stairs to go up to the concourse level.  I like the way the seating area is set up.  Our seats were in the upper deck directly across from the stage.  What’s neat is the way the concourse serves both the upper and lower decks.  If you’re in the lower deck, you go down stairs to get to your seats.  If you’re in the upper deck, you go up stairs.  Our section was right at the top of the stairs when we first walked in.  Since the opening band was still playing, we both hit the bathrooms and I took a quick look at concession and souvenir stands.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Downtown, Entertainment Venues, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Reviews

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