Troppo to Move…

22 09 2008

…across the street.  The LSJ had an article yesterday about Troppo planning to move across the street so their patio would have more sunlight.

From Troppo’s patio on the south side of Michigan Avenue, Elliott said he saw potential. His patio was always in the shade because it’s on the north side of an office tower.

“We were looking across the street and saw the sun was always shining on the IBM building,” he said.

Sun is key to good patio space, he said. And good patio space is key to the restaurant business.

Interesting move.  I actually prefer a place that has some shade.  It’s nice to sit outside, but not nice when the sun is in your eyes or you’re sweating from direct sunlight. 

We’ve eaten at Troppo (review HERE) once for lunch and really liked it.  It was a great experience and the food was fabulous.  The idea after moving Troppo is to move Tavern on the Square to Troppo’s spot.  We stopped in Tavern on the Square for lunch one day and thought it was a little pricey and didn’t have a really good lunch selection, but that day, we were in the mood for sandwiches, so we got up and left.  It deserves a second chance and I’d like to get to it before they move.  They have a really cool space where they’re at





Troppo

25 06 2008
  • 101 S. Washington Sq.Troppo
  • Lansing, MI 48933
  • (517) 371-4000
  • Website
  • Menu

My girlfriend had a meeting at City Hall this morning and I tagged along to help her out.  The meeting ended just before one o’clock and both of us were hungry, so we decided to try another downtown place.  After two bad experiences, we finally had a good one with The Firm (review HERE), so why not try again.  From City Hall, I could see the sign for Troppo and that’s been on my list of places to try.  We moved the car a little farther down Michigan Avenue and made our way in for lunch.

Troppo can be kind of intimidating for the casual diner.  There’s a massive sign on the upscale building on the corner of Michigan and Washington Sq clearly marking the establishment.  You walk into a lobby area before you run into the hostess.  Beyond the hostess stand and thru a curtain, you enter the main dining room.  The space is gorgeaus.  Red fabrics and a deep brown wood are highlighted by vintage photos of Lansing and small chandeliers.  We were seated near the windows which look out to the terrace which has a beautiful view of the Capitol.  From our table, the view was the roundabout and the Comerica Bank Building.  Interesting thing about that building is the writing carved into the stone.  It looks like it used to be the City National Bank and there’s a huge inscription claiming to be the oldest bank in Lansing. Read the rest of this entry »