Sir Pizza : Grand Cafe

31 01 2009
  • 210 E. Grand River Avenue
  • Lansing, MI 48906
  • (517) 484-9197
  • Website
  • Menu
Sir Pizzas Grand Cafe in Lansings Old Town

Sir Pizza's Grand Cafe in Lansing's Old Town

After a late afternoon lunch, neither J or I were really hungry around “dinner time.”  We sat on the couch watching TV until a little after eight.  It was then, we decided we needed to find something for dinner.  I wasn’t really in the mood for another burger and the only thing I had a taste for was pizza.  I was hesitant to suggest that because I seem to always go to pizza if I don’t want bar food.  To my surprise, when I did suggest it, J said she was thinking the same thing.

Our first choice was the newly opened Izzo’s Pizzeria in REO Town.  Unfortunately, we were too late.  When we drove by, it was open.  By the time we parked and walked back to the pizzeria, it was closed, so I went with Plan B. 

The Sir Pizza Grand Cafe is in Lansing Old Town on Grand River Avenue overlooking the Grand River.  When it came to ordering pizza, we always seemed to avoid the Lansing chain.  The other Sir Pizza stores never really looked all that inviting.  The one we always drive by is the Cedar Street/Mt. Hope location and that one looks like it’s abandoned.  The front is all boarded up and you can’t tell that there’s anything going on inside.  So, and I know this is bad, that’s how my perception of Sir Pizza was built, but I had heard good things about the Grand Cafe.  Since we were still in the mood for pizza and Old Town wasn’t really all that far, that’s where we headed. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Lansing, Michigan, Old Town, Pizza, Restaurant, Reviews

New York Pizza Depot – E. Williams

18 01 2009
  • 605 E. William
  • Ann Arbor, MI 48104
  • (734) 669-6973
  • Website
  • Menu
The New York Pizza Depot on Williams Street in Ann Arbor

The New York Pizza Depot on Williams Street in Ann Arbor

When I’m in a college town, one of my favorite meals is to find a place that sells pizza by the slice.  I was in Ann Arbor by myself to shoot a basketball game which means I was going to be on my own for lunch.  A few weeks ago, I picked up one of those travel magazines at a rest area.  It had a list of restaurants by location in town, so looked for something in the campus area.  I found a pizza place and assumed they would do pizza by the slice, so when it came time for lunch, I headed down towards the State Street area to find the New York Pizza Depot.

The New York Pizza Depot sits on the corner of Williams and Maynard Streets.  The New York Pizza Depot is a small chain founded in Ann Arbor looking to franchise out.  Right now, they have five stores under the franchise umbrella Uncle D’s New York Pizza.  Three in Ann Arbor, one in Ypsilanti, and one in Bloomington, IN.  To my surprise, the shop was pretty big.  There is a main room when you walk in with a glass case full of pizza and a few tables.  There’s also another room with more tables down a short hallway.  It looks like it used to be two separate store fronts that were put together.  The decor is really nice.  The booths are cloth covered and it feels more like your sitting on a couch than a restaurant booth. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Ann Arbor, Michigan, Pizza, Restaurant, Reviews

Soooooo Close

13 01 2009

I almost beat Guy Fieri to a restaurant instead of going after I see it on Diner’s, Drive In’s, and Dive’s.   If you watched Triple D last night, you saw a pizza joint on Chicago’s south side called Vito & Nick’s.  When J and I were home for Thanksgiving, Vito & Nick’s was one of the places J’s step-dad suggested.  We chose BBQ instead and went to The Pit Rib House (review HERE) in Hickory Hills.  Now, when we go home in February, we’ll follow Guy again and go check out Vito & Nick’s….


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Categories : Chicago

Guido’s Premium Pizza – Okemos

10 01 2009
  • 1754 Central Park Drive
  • Okemos, MI 48864
  • (517) 347-3030
  • Website
  • Menu
Guidos Premium Pizza on Central Park Drive in Okemos.

Guido's Premium Pizza on Central Park Drive in Okemos.

Is eight inches of snow a reason to stay home and not go shopping?  Of course not.  J and I wanted to run to Meridian Mall to make good use of some gift cards we got for Christmas.  The fact that it snowing wasn’t going to keep me home.  I can’t take that many days in a row in front of the TV with a Wii controller in my hand.  Before shopping came lunch though.  A month or two ago, I got a comment from someone at Guido’s Premium Pizza.  I had read another review on the place months ago on Runs With Spatula, but had pretty much forgotten about the joint until I got that comment.  J and I are still looking for good pizza places, so we decided to give Guido’s a shot.

Guido’s Premium Pizza is located in a strip mall near the Walmart on Central Park Drive.  There are quite a few other eateries in that area.  Guido’s isn’t unique to the Lansing area.  They have nine other locations, but all are in Michigan.  The shop isn’t that big, but they do have a handful of tables which was perfect for us.  We made our to the counter to order.  A guy came out from the kitchen to take care of us.  When it comes to pizza, J likes thin and crispy.  I like either thin and crispy or a Chicago deep dish.  Neither one of us are fans of the inbetween hand tossed pie that most chain pizza joints do.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Michigan, Okemos, Pizza, Restaurant, Reviews

Free Food For a Year?

16 12 2008

I get an e-mail this afternoon that was forwarded to me by a source. 

Toppers Pizza at 1219 E Grand River Ave, East Lansing is giving away free
food for a year to the first 50 walk in customers this Saturday. They open
at 10:30am.

And of course, I thought, “no way.”  Free food for a year?  For 50 people?  I did a little digging.  There was a phone number attached and the area code of that phone number was for the Madison, WI area.  I found the Topper’s website and they are based in Madison.  While I’m at the website, I click on the “news” link to see if they have anything and what do you know?  They do!  Free food for a year for the first 50 walk in customers starting at 10:30 AM on Saturday morning. 

I’m heading to Illinois this weekend for work, but maybe I can convince J to freeze her ass off for free food 🙂


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Categories : East Lansing, Food News, Michigan, Pizza

CiCi’s Pizza

11 12 2008
  • 6520 S. Cedar St #7
  • Lansing, MI 48911
  • (517) 393-9900
  • Website
  • Menu
CiCis Pizza in South Lansing

CiCi's Pizza in South Lansing

Like most people, J and I are trying to stretch our dining out budget during the holiday season.  I’d rather buy J something nice than spend a fortune on cheap, but expensive bar food.  This morning, we needed to make a grocery store run.  We had planned on the weekly Horrocks/Walmart trip, but neither of us could get out of our warm bed.  Instead, we slept in and settled for Meijer which doesn’t have the flavor or Propel I like.

Before hiting the grocery store, I needed food.  I was starving.  J suggested hitting something close and I thought of CiCi’s.  I figured it would be fairly cheap and we shouldn’t leave a buffet hungry.  I had eaten at a CiCi’s a few years ago with my dad back in Peoria (review HERE).  I wasn’t a huge fan of the pizza, but it was cheap.  J had never eaten there so it would be something new for her and a second chance for me.

CiCi’s Pizza is part of a strip mall on South Cedar across the street from the Meijer.  There are a couple other restaurants in the strip mall and Finley’s American Grill (review HERE), Applebees, and Pizza Hut all have stand alone buildings.  We found a place to park in front of the Dollar Store which is just a few doors down from CiCi’s.  When you walk in, you come to a register where you pay.  The lady working was right on top of things and saw us walk in.  The only option for dine in is the endless buffet.  We got two of those and two drinks.  The total was just over $16 which I thought was high.  I thought it’d be closer to $10, but when I did the math in my head, it made since.  Six bucks for each of the buffet’s, a couple bucks for drinks and taxes come out to $16.  Read the rest of this entry »


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

Order a Pizza….through your TIVO

17 11 2008

I love my Tivo.  I can’t imagine living without out.  I bought the box I have now five years ago and at that time, they offered a lifetime subscription, so I haven’t paid for service for over two years now.  It’s starting to get hits every now and then and I’d really like a dual tuner, but it’s so hard to give up a working box I’m not paying for to get one that I would be writing checks for every month.

One of the neat things about Tivo is all the extra things you can do.  I can play MP3’s that live on my computer.  I can download movies and TV shows from Amazon.com.  And now, I can order a pizza.  That’s right, I can now order a freakin pizza by pressing a button on my Tivo remote.

“This is the first time in history that the ‘on-demand’ generation will be able to fully experience couch commerce by ordering pizza directly through their television set,” said Rob Weisberg, vice president of precision and print marketing at Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Domino’s.

Weisberg said TV watchers will see an ad for Domino’s and will be able to click “I want it” from their TV remote. In about 30 minutes, the pizza will be at the door, he said.

TiVo subscribers will be able to enter their delivery address and select crust type and sauces through the TV, TiVo said.

That’s just crazy.


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Redwood Lodge

9 11 2008
  • 5305 Gateway Center Dr.
  • Flint, MI 48507
  • (810) 233-8000
  • Website
  • Menu
The Redwood Lodge just off of I-75 in Flint

The Redwood Lodge just off of US-23 in Flint

I don’t usually expect Brew Pubs to be considered “upscale dining”, but when I looked on the Flint Visitors Bureau website that’s what it said.  I just figured it was a mistake or Flint has a pretty low standard.  I was wrong.

Redwood Lodge is located in a business/hotel park called Gateway Center.  It’s right off of US-23 and visibile from the freeway.  There’s a huge parking lot out front and the building makes you think of a lodge in the Rocky Mountains.  As we were making our way to the entrance, we passed stacks of mesquite wood which would be used in the wood burning oven.

The inside carried on the Rocky Mountain Lodge theme.  We were met by a host at the front who showed us to a booth near the bar area.  The booths didn’t butt up to the walls like they usually do.  They were freestanding and you could enter on either side.  A waitress came over and got our order for the usual Diet Pepsi and Pepsi.  We passed up the “World’s Largest Bloody Mary Bar.”  A great deal at $6 for all you can drink Bloody Mary’s, but neither of us drink Bloody Mary’s so we passed. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Brew Pub, Flint, Michigan, Pizza, Restaurant, Reviews

Little Caesars – Holt

7 11 2008
  • 2221 Cedar St.
  • Holt, MI 48842
  • (517) 694-8099
  • Website
  • Menu
Little Caesars on Cedar St in Holt.

Little Caesars on Cedar St in Holt.

It’s been a long time since I’ve eaten at Little Caesars.  The last time, I actually had to order a pizza.  They didn’t have the $5 Hot-N-Ready.  I needed to run to the post office this morning and the closest post office is in Holt.  I told J I was running and she decided to tag along.  It was about lunch time so why not just stop somewhere.  I asked what she wanted and two weird things happened.  1.) She didn’t say “I don’t know.”  2.) She said she was hungry for pizza and suggested Little Caesars.  I made my run to the post office and fought some pretty heavy traffic for Holt to get back to Little Caesars.

Little Caesars is in a tiny little building on Cedar St near Aurelius.  The surprising thing is that there is a drive thru window.  There were five or six cars in the drive thru line so we parked and I headed into the building.  The shop is strictly carry out.  The building is pretty much just the kitchen.   There is a small counter near the front of the building and a couple chairs if you have to wait.  There was a family there waiting for a pizza, so I was wondering if I’d even be able to get a “Hot-N-Ready” pizza.  There were two people working and both were in the back frantically making pies.  The phones were ringing, there was a line in the drive thru and then, there was me waiting at the counter.  One of the girls stopped making pizzas and came to the front to ask what I wanted.  Fortunately, I just wanted a cheese pizza and there were two of them sitting there waiting to go.  She turned around, grabbed a pizza, and handed it to me.  With tax, the pie cost me $5.20.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Chains, Holt, Michigan, Pizza, Reviews

1-800-LOU-TO-GO

29 10 2008
A box of authentic Chicago-style eats from Lou Malnatis

A box of authentic Chicago-style eats from Lou Malnati's

I got a package from UPS today that could quite possibly the most absolutely perfect gift ever!  I know I bitch a lot on this blog about not being able to find some of the foods I love the most in Mid-Michigan.  I also realize I made the choice to move to Michigan, so I really should just keep my mouth shut and enjoy the regional cuisines that Lansing has to offer.

My girlfriend’s mom (who lives in the south suburbs of Chicago) noticed I have to get an Italian beef everytime I go to Chicago, so she decided to make sure I could have that taste of Chicago right here in Lansing. 

If you’re at all familiar with the Chicago pizza scene, you’ve probably heard of Lou Malnati’s.  Lou’s is one of the big Chicago pizza places.  It’s not my favorite of the Chicago pizza joints, but I do enjoy their take on the Chicago-style pizza. 

Not only is Lou Malnati’s a pizza joint, but they are a retail hub for some of Chicago’s biggest names in food.  Their website, Tastes of Chicago, offers “nationwide shipping of all your Windy City favorites.”  Just opening the catalog makes my mouth water.  They offer their pizzas, Portillos Italian beef, Vienna Beef hot dogs, Carson’s Ribs, Eli’s Cheesecakes, Garrett Popcorn, Manny’s Corned Beef, Hackney’s Hamburgers and Wildfire Steaks.  That list is a who’s who of Chicago greats. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Chicago, Pizza, Reviews, Sandwiches

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