Taking Our Friend The Pie Dish To Bar Louie - Bar Louie , Livonia,Mi

My wife has a new friend. The last few times we have gone out, she has taken the friend with her. This friend is a pie baking dish that we first met in Lansing Michigan. We started out going to find the pie dish in Howell,Mi. but the cooking stores there didn't have the "right" one. She decided that we needed to get the "right" one in Lansing. We were looking for a Williams-Sonoma Store. We went to the mall that is actually in Okemos near Lansing. There wasn't a "right" pie dish to be found there,they didn't have a Williams Sonoma Store. I called my sister. She fills in for a store locater when we are on the road. She sent us to a new shopping center in Lansing that had a Williams-Sonoma where my wife purchased our new friend. After looking in the catalog, she discovered that our new friend wasn't the right dish after all.
There wasn't enough flutes in it. The dish had to be right because this was a pie baking dish for her treasured friend Hattie's birthday. Hattie is an octogenarian who lives on Rebbel's motor route. Hattie is a wealth of knowledge and my wife has spent much time talking to her on many subjects. She is deserving of the "right" many fluted pie dish from Williams Sonoma. We decide we would go to Williams-Sonoma in Toledo, Ohio and exchange it for the right many fluted pie baking dish. After carrying our friend the pie baking dish in the mall, we found out that the store did not have the right many fluted pie baking dish. I called my sister. "Store Directory Assistance, may I help you?" (Maybe I have called one too many times on this subject) "Are there any more Williams Sonoma Stores in the Toledo area???" I asked. " Just the one on Monroe." "Oh. You mean the one we just left?", I said.
"Well I guess we will have to exchange it on another day." I told my wife.
The next Sunday found us driving the Grand Children home in a snowstorm. It seemed that traffic was crawling because of the snow and the antsy Grand kids in the back seat. Right next to them of course was our friend the pie dish. We were going to take it back to Laurel Park Place in Livonia Michigan. We dropped off the Grand Kids, drove to the mall and grabbed our friend the pie dish. We found out that the Williams-Sonoma had closed. Not wanting to spend a lot of time looking, we decided to eat at Bar Louie. We had been at a Bar Louie two other times. The first time we ate there with my sister, the Store Directory Assistance Expert, and her husband. That was also the best. This time with our friend the pie dish wasn't so great.
Bar Louie has many locations throughout the United States. I have been to the Levis Commons Bar Louie in Perrysburg, Ohio also.
They look like they are a little upscale,which they describe as casually cool on their website. There is a lot of wood and green furniture. They have football games on their televions throughout the bar and the staff wears t shirts.
The menu is always interesting. They have things such as fish tacos,tater tots, pizza and yankee pot roast. In fact, I give their menu very high marks. On this day, my wife chose a Blackened Fish Po' Boy, and I chose the Fried Louie. The Fried Louie is a burger with bacon,cheddar and fried egg. The Blackened Fish Po'Boy came topped with chipotle may and an olive mix. Both came with seasoned fries. Our food arrived in an average time. The burger was ordered medium, but I thought it was slightly over- cooked which made it seem dry. The egg, which I thought was a fun idea, was pretty much tasteless. The Po'Boy had too much chipotle seasoning on it, which is odd because my wife loves chipotle. It really left us with a bad taste in our mouth. Our friend the pie dish just sat there. Would I go back? No. I don't know if the cook was having a bad day, but there are so many places with good food, why risk it??
We decided to take our friend ,the pie dish, to the Briarwood Mall in Ann Arbor. That Williams-Sonoma store didn't have the many fluted pie dish either, so my wife decided to get a not so many fluted pie dish which she will surprise her friend Hattie with tomorrow.
After traveling to all these towns, I hope she is happy with it and uses it for many years. Happy Birthday Hattie!

Winner,Winner,of a Chicken Dinner - Culver's, Adrian, Mi

Culver's is a chain restaurant that originated in the state of Wisconsin. That beautiful state is famous for cows and everything dairy, but more importantly Culver's. There is a Culver's, it seems, at almost every exit on the interstate. The first time we ate at a Culver's was in Wisconsin. We had gone to Wisconsin in search of a butter burger. Doesn't everybody travel hundreds of miles to eat a butter burger? We had heard about a place called Solly's Grille. They were supposed to have the very best butter burgers. We took off on a holiday weekend only to find that they were closed until Tuesday. Somebody suggested that we try a Culver's. So we did and it was love at first bite. Over the next couple of years, anytime we were near a Culver's we had to eat there. They were very rare in our state of Michigan at the time. I think at the time there were two. Our dream was to have a Culver's in our city. Imagine our joy and surprise when we found out they were building one right here in Adrian!
Usually when we visited a Culver's, we would stick to the butter burger. It was what we knew, and we never knew when we would get another. Now that we got our own Culver's, we have branched out to their fried chicken, and we are glad we did. On Monday's, in this town, it is all you can eat between the hours of 5-8! The chicken is crispy and golden brown on the outside, and hot and juicy on the inside. You start off with 2 pieces and they keep bringing out more of it. You also get 2 sides, and a roll.
Culver's is not your typical fast-food restaurant. The food is cooked fresh. If you go through the drive-through, you will get a number and pull ahead. They will bring your order out to you. Go inside and you will order and sit down. They bring your food out to you. It is better this way. The food is juicy, hot and delicious.
The menu is big. Not only does it offer many different types of Butter Burgers, but they also have fish, shrimp, salads and a lot more! They also have very rich and creamy custard! They feature a different flavor daily.
We still have never been able to try a Solly's butter burger, but we are sure glad we found Culvers. If you don't have one in your town, just hang on. They are a fast growing chain, or you can drive a few hundred miles to a nearby state like we did. Once you try them, I am sure you will be back. You can visit their web page and find the nearest location. http://www.culvers.com/default.aspx

Friend Picks A Rusty Bucket For Dinner - The Rusty Bucket , Northville, Michigan

My sister Di was given a mission by my dear wife. She was to pick a place to eat because we were going to visit her. It must be tricky finding a place to eat when you know your bother will probably be blabbing about it on the internet for the whole world to see, well at least the thousand or so people that have found their way to our lousy blog.
After picking out a couple of places, she sent the links to me. Then she asked friends about them. One of the places my sister thought was good, turned out to be a place her friend wouldn't send anybody to. It was suggested we go instead to a place called The Rusty Bucket Corner Tavern.
I looked at the menu and saw that they had deep fried pickles and decided right there that this had to be an o.k. place. This particular Rusty Bucket is located in Northville Michigan on Sheldon and Five Mile Rd.
The atmosphere, I would say by the number of televisions, is family eatery/sports bar. ( They even had a television in the restroom above the door.) The staff was wearing shirts with college sports teams. Most of them were wearing Michigan State shirts. Even though I am a Michigan Wolverine fan, I will try not to hold this against them, although I should. I guess every now and then, "little brother" should have a better season.
My sister's husband, and head turkey, Marty and I ordered the half rack of backyard ribs, my sister had fish n chips, and Rebbel had the codwich. The food was delivered pretty fast and looked pretty good. The ribs were sweet, smokey and pretty tender. I could have used a smidgen less sauce, but that's just me. The cod in both meals was very good. The fries were seasoned and good. The only problem was that the fish in my sister's meal was covering some of the fries making them soggy. A bigger plate would have helped. The slaw served on the side was delicious. The price was decent. I would definitely go back to this place. The Rusty Bucket Corner Bar has locations in Ohio and Michigan. In 2005 they were voted A.O.L.'S City's Best Comfort Food. They can be found on the web at http://www.rustybuckettavern.com/index.html

We're Back!! - Country Bob's Sauces, POM Wonderful Product Review

It sure was a busy summer. We bought a concession trailer! I guess you could say we were Traveling With Food! I hope to do a blog with our many adventures . Over the summer I was asked if I wanted a sample of Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce. I agreed to try it and tell on the blog what I thought about it. We received 2 bottles of the original sauce in the mail. I have tried it on burgers and a pork chop and found that it tasted great on both.
The sauce was created by Bob Edson in 1968. He first gave it to family and friends and family and in 1977 he started selling it. There are many recipes on their website at http://www.countrybobs.com .
I also was able to try a sample of POM Wonderful. I have seen this juice in the store, but never tried it because it seemed a bit pricey. I gave out the samples to a few friends and tried some for my self. To me and one other friend it seemed a bit strong, but all of the others thought it was good. POM Wonderful is made up of 100 % pomegranate juice and contains no sugar or additives.
The people at POM never use imported juice. All their pomegranates are grown in California. After reading the studies, and seeing all the benefits and processes, I feel that this is a fair price if you are looking for a healthy juice, even if it seemed strong to a couple of us. You can find out all about it at http://www.pomwonderful.com
Now back to our regular dysfunction!

THE PLACE For Prime Rib, Or Is It? - Eddie Lee's, Toledo, Ohio

"We're parked next to the green sign, " my sister Di told my wife. We were on the way to Cabela's parking lot to pick up her and my brother in law up to go try Eddie Lee's in Toledo.

She had a hot tip that Eddie Lee's was THE PLACE for prime rib in Toledo.

She had also told my wife that they would be where they parked the last time we went to Toledo. After my wife had ended the phone conversation with her, she looked at me and asked, "Do you remember where they parked last time? " I replied, " Uhhh no, that was only probably 6 months ago." "Well, we'll just look for the green sign", Rebbel said.

As we pulled in Cabela's, we realized that there were green signs all over the place. Thousands of them. We tried to figure out just where they were parked last time. Finally we called them back to find that they had gone in the store and weren't even in the vehicle parked by the green sign where they had parked last time we went to Toledo. So we snatched them from the doorway and off we went to what we hope was THE PLACE for prime rib in Toledo.

Eddie Lee's is located at 4700 Nantucket Dr. Once you see the Target store on Monroe, turn on the next street and you are there. The restaurant was very clean, and the service was extremely good. We were one of the first customers that day. In fact we waited in the car with hungry appetites just waiting for THE PLACE for prime rib to open.

My wife, sister, and brother in law all ordered the prime rib. I thought that I would order the perch just to try something different. I have to say I wasn't that impressed by the perch. I think it had to do with the type of breading that was used. The prime rib did bring tears to my wife's eyes though. That was only after she tried the horse radish and discovered it was just a little stronger than she thought. We decided that the prime rib wasn't the worst we had ever tasted,

it just wasn't the best. The seasoning wasn't there. Maybe we just had high expectations.

We did try their dessert, and I thought the fudge cake was delicious! My wife thought it was too fudgey!!!!???? My sister and her hubby shared a slice of cheesecake and that was also delicious.

What can I say about the restaurant over all??? In my humble opinion, it would be an o.k. place to take the family. The price is good, the service is good, the place is clean, and the food is so, so. For those who like fudge in their fudge cake, and real horse radish, it rocks! Just don't expect it to be THE PLACE for prime rib in Toledo, and whatever you do, don't tell the people you go with to find you parked next to a green sign at Cabela's. They may never find you.

In Search of Coney Perfection - Jackson Coney Island, Jackson,Michigan

Jackson Michigan is the birthplace of many things. After all, it is the birthplace of the Republican party, Tony Dungy, my friend Tim B.,who now resides in Durango ,Co, and Jackson is known as the crossroads of Michigan. After all those things, it seems that Jackson could just sit back and say we did enough, but lo and behold, I have found out that Jackson, Mi. might also be the birthplace of the coney island hot dog! Now according to an article in Wikipedia, some people in the New York area refer to a spicy pork hot dog with kraut as a coney, but I am referring to the dog with meat chili, onion and mustard. Which in some parts of New York is called a hot dog with Michigan Sauce.
There is some discussion if the sauce from Michigan was developed by Todoroff''s in Jackson, or in Flint, or at American Coney Island in Detroit. I have decided, I don't care where it was originally created. I just want the best!
The best I have had so far, is at a place called Jackson Coney Island in Jackson, Michigan. It is located at 615 Michigan Ave. by the Amtrak station. The coney meat tastes great and is hard to duplicate. We have tried. The hot dog looks like a grilled beef dog, not the greatest, possibly a Gordon's Food Service, but not awful. The coney sauce more than makes up for it though. People buy these things by the bagful. We ate some in the truck and the delicious aroma was there the next day. You can start a taste test of your own, there is a Virgina Coney Island on the same block. Drop me a line telling me your favorite coney place at bullwinkle1961@gmail.com .

Land Of Goshen, One of Guy's Chosen - Southside Soda Shop Goshen,Indiana

We did it again. We took Guy Fieri's advice and drove to the South Side Soda Shop and Diner in Goshen Indiana. The place looked interesting. According to the history they have been a soda shop since the 1940's. They were in the movie Lonesome Jim. We thought it would be safe. It had been a whole week since we saw the show featuring the place on Food Network's Diners, Drive Ins , and Dives, and we were sure that the crowds have simmered down by now. We were wrong. Turns out the show had been on again the night before. We were able to sit as soon as we got in the door, but they were out of the two things we were wanting to try. The service was a little slow, thanks to the show, but we passed the time with the trivia cards sitting on the table. They are supposed to have award winning chili and lemon meringue pie, but not on the night we were there. They were looooooonnnnnggg gone!
I ordered a cheese steak , and a spiral fry. Rebbel settled for a corned beef sandwich. Rebbel's sandwich was o.k. but nothing to blog about. My sandwich was good. The cheese steak had a good flavor and the spiral fry was also good, but all I could think about was the award winning pie and chili I could not order and the gas it took to get to this big disappointment. Darn Guy! Why did he have to let everyone in on this place??? My wife even explained to the waiter that we had came all the way from Michigan! A fact that probably didn't impress the waiter because Michigan's border was just up the road. (I guess she should have held up her hand and showed him we were from the other side of Michigan.) They did have the green phosphate the owner's daughter and Guy chugged on the show. I didn't try it but it looked interesting.
You can find them on the web at http://www.southsidesodashopdiner.com/

. Just call and make sure they have plenty of pie and chili before you drive there. Oh yeah, Guy, if you're out there buddy, just drop me a line next time you are going to be in the area so I can beat the crowds your show attracts. I will appreciate it and I promise not to tell, ha ha.

Dog Gone Huge! - Tony Packo's, Toledo, Ohio

The Mother of All Dogs, MOAD for short. That is what Tony Packo's calls their huge hot dog I had to have. We arrived at Packo's after going to Jackson, Michigan in search of the original coney dog. Sadly that place was closed, maybe forever, and our second choice was also closed.
We really wanted a special hot dog by that point, so it was off to Tony Packo's in Toledo. Most people probably wouldn't drive from Jackson, Michigan to Toledo, Ohio just for a hot dog.....but we aren't most people and this was THE MOTHER OF ALL HOT DOGS!!
We went to the Tony Packo's Cafe on Monroe St. There are five other locations you can choose. One location is at 1902 Front Street, probably the most famous, and the others are located in stores throughout the Toledo area.
Tony Packos has been a Toledo institution since 1932. They were mentioned by Toledo native Jamie Farr several times in the television show M*A*S*H* and have been visited by many celebrities and politicians as the signed buns that are on the wall attest. The hot dog bun signing started with Burt Reynold's when he was in town for a play he was acting.
The M.O.A.D. is a sausage type dog covered with spicy chili sauce, onions and mustard, and natural casing for a crunch. Tony Packo's is a Hungarian Restaurant, and that is probably why things are a little spicy.
It is served with spicy chunks of Tony Packo's pickles surrounding it. We also tried the pickles deep fried and they were delicous. It is definitely the biggest hot dogs I have ever eaten and worth trying out. Just be warned the chili is not your mild mannered variety, and neither are the pickles. If your head sweats like mine when you eat something spicy, you might want to grab a couple of extra napkins. You can find more at this website: http://www.tonypackos.com/index.php

If You Lose Brighton And End Up In Howell, Eat Here - T.W. and Friends, Howell, Michigan

On my wife's recent birthday, we decided to head north to the Brighton - Howell area of our home state of Michigan. They have kitchen shops at the Outlet shops and Rebbel loves kitchen shops. We were actually headed for Brighton to eat, but somehow we ended up in Howell instead because we lost Brighton. (This is not surprising because a couple of months earlier my wife wanted to show me the new shopping center in Brighton on I-96 and had found a duplicate shopping center on U.S. 23. It had all the same stores and restaurants. Now what happened to the Shopping Center on I-96? Turned out that there was only one shopping center. It was the same one that she thought was a duplicate!) Anyway, we totally missed Brighton and ended up in Howell at a restaurant called T.W. and Friends. What an awesome dinner we had there!
We started off with the fried ravioli. This was the first tome either of us had fried ravioli. A friend at work told me she always had it at the Olive Garden. We decided to try T.W.'S. They use cheese and jalapeno pepper in theirs. They deep fry the ravioli. It was cheesy and good. They served it with a house made marinara sauce. Two weeks later, I tried the Olive Garden's and decided that I liked T.W.'s better. They also had delicious bread and dipping oil. The bread tasted like it had just come from the oven.
For an entree, I had a pizza that was good, and Rebbel had the horse radish encrusted salmon. They fixed it to perfection! Would I try this place again?? You betcha!!! If you are in the Howell /Brighton area looking for the duplicate shopping centers (ha,ha) I recommend you give this place a try. You can find them on the web at: http://www.twandfriends.com/default.htm

Throw Me Another Roll, Please! - Lambert's Cafe, Sikeston,Mo.

On our recent trip to Florida, we decided to go home via Lambert's Cafe in Sikeston, Missouri. Most people wouldn't go that far out of their way to eat at a restaurant, but this was voted the number one pig out place in America by the Travel Channel, so we had to do it!

We took off from the Mother in Law's in Florida in the late afternoon. We ended up that night in Marianna, Fla. We first pulled into the a Motel near the highway with a big gold Q. We checked in went in the room when our Grandson asked if it was normal for bugs to be on the table? As we quickley gathered our suitcases, he saw some in the heater and the bed. Aparently we had checked into the roach motel. We went to the desk to checkout where the clerk apologized and told us that the exterminator had been called but had not come back.

We checked in at the new Comfort Inn across the road. For $10.00 more, we got cookies, flat screen T.V., marble counter tops, a bed so high you needed a step ladder to get in it, and no bugs!

The next morning, wishing we could take that room with us, we departed for Missouri. We had been to Lambert's near Branson before, so we knew what to expect. The Grandson's were very impressed. I ordered a country fried steak and my usual diet soda to ward off any extra calories. My wife ordered the roast beef. The boys ordered a grilled cheese, and chicken. First we got our drinks. They were served in a huge container that would quench any thirst. The country fried steak was served in a huge skillet, and my wife got more than a generous portion of beef. Then came the thing that the boys were waiting for. The rolls. They bring the rolls out, and if you want one you raise your hand and they throw it to you. We had to stop the Grandchildren after their third roll. The servers at Lambert's hit their targets with the precision of a major league pitcher, although the youngest Grandson learned real fast not to use his face as backstop for a warm roll. As you're sitting there eating your feast, they keep coming around with pass arounds asking if you want some. Fried okra, back-eyed peas, fried potatoes, etc. The steak was probably the biggest and best country fried steak I had ever ate. My wife said her beef was good too. I highly recomend this place, just bring a big appetite and sure grip hands! Maybe you could use the honey they keep on the tables as stick-um.

The link to their website is on your right.

Eat A Cheeseburger As Big As Your Head! - Cheeburger,Cheeburger, Livonia, Michigan

"You have got to try this place!" Jodie my step-daughter told me over the phone. She told me that Jeff my step-son had just finished a 20 oz. cheeseburger and had his picture taken for accomplishing this feat. Sounded like a challenge to me. The type of challenge I have been training for most of my life. They were calling me from a place called Cheeburger, Cheeburger in Livonia, Michigan. This chain restaurant has been around for 21 years and voted best burger in 28 cities! I had never heard of it until the call.
We rounded up my sister and her hubby ( who live close to the restaurant, and never told us about it even though she thinks she did) and Jodie. The challenge was on!
Cheebuger, Cheeburger looks pretty cool inside. It is decked out to look like an- old fashioned 50's-60's malt shop. They have Cheebugers of various sizes, and chicken sandwiches. You can pick from 8 different cheeses and a whole lot of different toppings. They also have good onion rings, fries, shakes and malts. They use 100% Angus beef, never frozen and cooked to order.
I sat down and contemplated what I wanted on my cheeburger. It bugged me that my picture was going on a board as you entered. You always dream about what great things you are going to accomplish, but being a piggy wasn't on the short list. Then the waitress told me that she will not only take my picture, but also announce to the restaurant that I had finished the burger. At least I wasn't in my home town. I ordered the 20 oz cheeburger and a diet soda. Wouldn't want any extra calories!
I finished the cheeburger and ate some; o.k.; most of the onion rings my wife had ordered. The announcement was made, people applauded, and I got my picture on the board. I told Jeff later that night, and he told me he had put down a malt too and was still hungry. Then and there, I proclaimed him the BIG winner of the Cheeburger contest, even though he only weighs about 150 lbs.! At least I beat my sister her hubby, Jodie, and my wife! I think! You can find a location close to you at http://cheeburger.com/home2/index.asp

You Have Reached You Destination, Sort Of - Bubbalou's Bodacious Bar B Que - Orlando, Florida

On our recent trip to Florida over Christmas vacation, my wife and Grand kids were very hungry after our excursion to Universal. Rebbel had planned a few places out in advance that she had seen on t.v. We had discussed going to a barbecue place called Bubbalou's Bodacious Bar b que, but after spending close to $40.00 on four cheeseburgers, fries and drinks at Universal, we decided to just go to Pizza Hut, after all we were tired and hungry and didn't know where exactly this Bubbalou's was located.

Before the trip we bought a Tom Tom One XL, so I plugged in Pizza Hut as a Point Of Interest.

We had already left the Orlando area and were making our way down Florida's Turnpike. The GPS took us back what seemed like for miles. Of course time always go by slow when you have hungry Grand kids in the backseat and a hungrier wife driving.

We finally got to where Tom Tom sent us. There was that English lady saying "you have reached your destination." (We have the English lady because she sounds a lot more pleasant than the other voices and less bossy.) We looked all over the place and there was no Pizza Hut.

We pulled in to this shopping center's parking lot and what did we see??? Bubbalou's Bodacious Bar b que!! We decided that we were supposed to eat there and so we did!

The ribs were delicious. They had a smokey flavor and were tender. The prices were reasonable and service pretty good. I would still put Oakwood first, but these were good ribs too. So if you are ever in the Orlando Area, just put Pizza Hut into your Tom Tom and let it take you to Bubbalou's. They have at least three locations, we still don't know which one we were at, and you can check them out on the web at http://www.bubbalous.com/.

Gourmet Seafood, Anyone?? - Keegans Seafood Grille, Tampa, Fla.

After a day spent at St. Pete's Beach area, with the Grandkids, we went looking for this place located up the beach at Indian Rocks Beach in Florida. Rebbel had seen this place in an installment of Food Network's Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives and wanted to try it. After all, we were in the area.

Keegan's Seafood Grille was founded by Linda and Cesar Keegan. She has a background in fine dining in the North and South, and he learned his trade in the cruise ship industry, and kitchens in Miami.

The restaurant can't be really considered a dive, or a diner and I didn't notice a drive through. It is a place though where you just don't expect to see this quality of food. The presentation of

Rebbel's dinner, was something to behold. It was so colorful. I ordered the sandwich and it wasn't as colorful, but I think it tasted better. It was juicier. After a sunny day at the beach, it was an interesting place to try. Would we go back?? Probably not. There are so many places to try along this coast, and while the food was good, and looked great, we would probably try other places. Although we are glad we ate there . http://www.keegansseafood.com/index.html

When At Friday's Give the Fish Tacos A Try - T.G.I. Friday, Ann Arbor,Mi

I was looking fo something a little different. I was browsing the menu at the T.G.I.Friday's in Ann Arbor and wanted to try something new. I have never had a fish taco, in fact a taco made of fish instead of beef just sounded horrid to me at one time in my life. Then I saw the picture in the menu and read the description and it started sounding very tasty.

Friday's puts a nacho-crusted tilapia in a flour tortilla. The fish is crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Then they add shredded lettuce and corn salsa and a dill remoulade sauce to top it off. It tastes very light. They put colorful chips and salsa on the side. Very colorful and tasty! Give it a try next time you are there. I am sure you won't be sorry.