Weird Name, Great Food! - L George's Coney Island Restaurant, Canton, Michigan

Checking on Trip Advisor for the best restaurants in the Canton, Mi. area, I came across L. George's.  They were rated number one.  I looked at the name and said to myself that there was no way that this place ccould be any good with a name like that.  I even hesitated telling my wife about it.  I finally told her because nothing else looked all that impressive. We decided to give it a try!
  We drove down Michigan Avenue not knowing what to expect.  We did a Michigan left and noticed a busy parking lot. Maybe a good sign.We went in for a short wait.
  Rebbel asked a passing waitress what the best thing on the menu. She was told everything was good. Everything made right there from scratch and real.  We decided to try the hot roast beef sandwich and the fish dinner.
  The roast beef sandwich came on top of two pieces of bread with mashed potatoes and covered in a brown savory gravy.  Rebbel didn't care much for that type of gravy, but the chunks of real roast beef were very tender and tasty. It was a  huge portion.
  I got coleslaw and ordered fries with my fish. The fish was cod and was in three big pieces.  The fish was flaky, firm and in a batter that was just the right density.  The coleslaw was also prepared just perfectly. The prices were really reasonable and we had plenty of food to take home. The service was fast and friendly.They serve breakfast all day,  variety of sandwiches,gyros, and pitas. Hamburgers, hot dogs and lots more! L.George is located at 43711 Michiagan Ave in Canton,Mi.  They have another locaton in Walled Lake.  You can find them on the web at:http://www.lgeorgescanton.com/locations.html

Carnivores Only!! Meat Southern B.B.Q. and Carnivore Cuisine - Lansing,Michigan

  The menu tells the story of this place.  You look under vegetarian choices and listed is the soft drinks they serve. That is it!  This place is for meat eaters with no apologies!!  Located in Old Town in Lansing Michigan, This place has been on Diners, Drive Inns and Dives.  They serve pork ribs, burgers, pulled pork, and something called a meat mountain.  The meat mountain has layers of smoked brisket, bacon gravy, creamed corn, and gooey cheese.  Their sandwiches are called meatwiches which offers a choice of a 7 oz burger,beef brisket, pulled pork or smoked turkey.
  We sat at the bar because the place was filled on the Saturday we chose to go.  We went with a half rack of ribs, chili, the chin - gorilla burger, and mac and cheese.
 The ribs were meaty although my wife took points off because they were not baby back ribs. The chili was a Texan no bean type with their smoked brisket.  I wish it would have had more of the brisket.  the mac and cheese was not the best we ever tasted, but it was very good.  The burger Rebbel got was really off the charts. It had pineapple, house made pimento cheese spread, and crispy onions. A very tasty burger that has become one of Rebbel's favorites.
 If you want to try Meat, they are located at 1224 Turner St, Old Town, Lansing,Mi.  Find them on the web at: http://meatbbq.com/

Great Food In A Jiffy! - Smokehouse 52, Chelsea, Michigan

Chelsea, Michigan. This little town is the home of Jiffy Mixes, The Purple Rose Theater,and one of the tastiest barbecue places I have been to in Michigan, Smokehouse 52.  We first heard about this restaurant from my wife's friend from work.  It took us a couple of weeks to get there, but once we tried it, we were happy that we did!
  The restaurant is located on the main drag of downtown Chelsea, which happens tobe M52.  Look for the cow hanging on the corner of the building.  We went on a Saturday afternoon and there was no wait.  The hostesses and wait staff .were superb. The building the restaurant is in, is an older building complete with brick walls,metal ceiling,and large beams.
  I ordered the half rack of ribs, pit beans and cole slaw. A choice of two sides came with our meal. Rebbel chose the fried chicken and house made chips.  She also got the macaroni and cheese, which was a signature side and well worth the little extra it cost.
  My ribs were outstanding.  The baby backs had a nice, smokey taste with a little pull coming off the bone. They are smoked on site for 18 hours.  There is a choice of sauces on the table to add to the meat, but after tasting these ribs, you may opt for no added sauce! My sides were hearty and delicious. There was also a slice of Jiffy cornbread to go along with it!
  Rebbel's chicken was outstanding too. Buttermilk dipped chicken breasts that were drizzled with honey.  We usually don't go for chicken breast meat because we prefer the juicier dark meat.   This chicken was so tender and juicy,and fried to golden perfection,  that we would order them again. The house made chips were fried crispy and crunchy and were a perfect side dish.They really ought to bag these and sell them, the are that good. Rebbel knows her mac and cheese.  It is rare for her to like anybody;s macaroni and cheese,  but she loved theirs. It was cheesy and was a good sized portion.  In fact the portions of all the food was big enough for left overs later on
  The food we had was all made with lots of care. It is a rare to find a restaurant like this.  I would trust them ith just about anything on their menu, and will be back to try other dishes.  You can find them on the web at: https://www.sh52bbq.com/

Stack 'Em Up! - Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger, Ann Arbor, Micchigan

We have had a burger at Krazy Jim's before, but that was the old location.  We had gone there after watching them on a t.v. show.  Then they closed because the Uof M had bought their building.  They later re-opened again in downtown Ann Arbor so we decided to try them again. We found parking on a side street next to Ashley street where the restaurant is now located.  After walking up the mountain tht they placed the side street on, we entered the door.  The waitress was giving people menus.  Right away, I told my wife we were in the wrong place.  Sure enough we had gone to the Fleetwood Diner and not Blimpy Burger.We quickly exited and wen next door to Blimpy.
  At Blimpy there are rules.  First you go to the counter and order what you want from the fryer. They offer fries, onion rings and other vegetables fried in canola oil. Don't forget to grab a tray if you are eating there, and no cell phones in line. Next you tell them how many patties you like. They also have a veggie burger and chicken ,  The hamburger patties are small and squished on the grill. The meat is ground from western chuck..We ordered three which the chart said brought us to a quarter pound, Would you like any grilled items?  You are then asked what bun you would like. They have several to choose from.  You are then asked if you would like cheese and what kind of cheese. Lastly you are asked what condiments you would like,,  They claim there are over 2 billion combinations.  I chose 3 patties on a kaiser bun with cheddar cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, onion, mayo and mustard.  Eebbel had an onion bum with American cheese, but other than that, same as me. I tried the rings.
  While I liked all the choices, we found themeat to be on the bland tasteless side. The rings were looking home made,meaning no batter at all, just what flour managed to stay on during the frying process.  The kind of rings that make you not to do rings at home, they serve,  I would go there once to try but now thatwe went twice, we had our fill.  If ypu would like to try them for yourself,  you can find them at 304 Ashley Street in Ann Arbor or on the web at:http://www.blimpyburger.com/index.html

Just Plain Good-Das Dutchman Essenhaus, Middlebury,Indiana

On our trips to Shipshewana, Indiana,in the heart of Amish country, we always make it a point to travel 6 miles down hwy 20 to Middlebury to visit one of our favorite Amish cooking restaurants called Das Dutchman Essenhaus. On our most recent trip, we learned from our brother in law Tim, that Essenhaus was eat house in German, and that is exactly what I did! Eat.  TheEssenhaus offers menu dining, and  family dining, but we always go for the buffet. It's nothing fancy, in fact it's pretty simple.What is offered is good. mouth watering crispy,juicy, fried chicken, which is the highlight for me. They also have beef and spaghetti, vegetables and good, moist, dressing; potatoes, soups,noodles and salads. Sometimes you can get there just at the right time and they still have the breakfast buffet up and you can get some of that too. Still not enough?  Meander past the crafts to the bakery, where you can choose a doughnut as big as your head or a house made pie along with other bakery goods. Das Dutchman Essenhaus is located on hwy 20 in Middlebury Indiana. You can find them on the web at:
 http://www.essenhaus.com/page/13/Restaurant-Bakery

Sunday Brunch Hunch - Firepit Grille, Holland Ohio

On our weekly trip to Sam's Club, I am always looking for somewhere new to

eat.  I noticed that the Firepit Grille always seemed to have a bunch of cars early on Sundays. I had a good hunch that they were serving brunch!  I looked them up on Trip Advisor and found that they do indeed have a Sunday Brunch,  We had to visit.
  The Brunch was very nicely set up. They have a table with carved hamans Sirloin Beef that was cooked perfectly and omelettes cooked in front of you to your order, On another table they served barbecue chicken quarters, tender peppersteak with rice, green beans almondine, salads, fruits and other selections including french toast and of course bacon. On a third table there was a selection of desserts.Thre were pies of the peanut butter and lemon variety and other sugary concoctions.
 The service was pretty good from start to finish.  Plates were removed right away. Some ofthe food looked like it might have came from Sam's Club or GFS, but all of what I tasted was very good, and I would definitely go back again. Firepit Grille also has a dining option of inside or under a covered,heated patio by a large fire pit.  They also have a full menu featuring ribs, pizza and other items during the week. They are located at 7723 Airport Hwy, in Holland Ohio. You can find them on the web at.http://www.firepitgrille.com/

Choice Rules! -The Dog House Restaurant - Tecumseh, Michigan

One of my favorite hot dog places is located very close to us.  At this place you can visit hot dog styles from all over the country in just one restaurant.  The Dog House is located in downtown Tecumseh and offer beef hot dogs, turkey or pork dogs.  Your choice. You can go large if you want with quarter or half pound dogs.  Many choices of dogs such as the Rueben, Monte Cristo Dog, Classic Chicago Dog and really so many other choices too numerous to mention.   They also have Polish Sausage and Brats. Not feeling like a dog?? They have Paninis and other sandwiches and salads.  Dessert is also offered. You can get a pan of monkey muffins for heaven's sake!!  We had the Chicago Dog when we were last there, and itwas made to perfection. About the only thing I see they lack is a snappy dog (natural casing), or a Jackson style Coney.   Maybe I'll mke a suggestion on their website at :

. http://www.thedoghouserestaurant.com/

Lunch Fail - Tecumseh Brewing Company, Tecumseh Mchigan

Rebbel firs heard about this place on Facebook.  She noticed a Monte Cristo Sandwich that she thought looked scrumptious and worth a try.  We normally don't eat close to home because we usually travel on the weekend and then work schedules hinder it during the week.  The sandwich would not stop calling er name so..off we went for lunch in the nearby city.


  As we walked into the place, we were greeted not ny a host or a wait person, but a sign that said seat yourself, and order at the bar.  To us, it was not a very welcoming entrance.  We found a menu andlooked through it.  Rebbel's sandwich was not on the menu.  It was a special snadwich theat was onlymade on that week.  I talked her in to  staying and weordered a Cuban and ahe ordered a Hot Italian.  Both sandwiches were dropped off at our table and were nice and hot when delivered.  The sandwiches were good but really unremarkable in our opinion.  We ended up getting our bill at the bar and leaving.  I guess thta during other times theymay have otjer choices and full service.  To be fair, they are a brewery and probab;y concentrate on the beer endof things.  My feelings are that if I wanted service like this, I would stick to Subway or Jimmy Lohns and pay lower prices.You can find them on the web at :http://www.tecumsehbrewingco.com

Quality Douughnuts - Five Daughter's Bakery, Nashville,Tennessee

I was looking for a quality donut in Nashville. Lately we are able to find these small batch shops that make donuts using the very best ingredients. Nashville did not let us down.  We found Five daughter's Bakery.  They use non'gmo ingredients, organic and locally grown when possible. The doughnuts are fried in grape seed oil.  The menu changes daily. I chose a peanut butter and jelly that was very good and Rebbel had avanilla cream doughnut that was highly recommended by a fellow customer.  Both doughnuts were very good.. They also have other desserts available. They have a few locations in Nashville and one in Franklin Tn. and one even in Fla We visited the location on Caruthers Ave.You can find them on the web at http://www.fivedaughtersbakery.com/

Meat and Three Or Was It Two?-Cafe Monell's,Nashville,Tn

Mest and Three is definitely a southern tradition thsouth and one of the better examples is found at Monell's Cafe in Nashville.  What is a meat and three?  At Monell's it is a meal that is served cafeteria style consisting of a meat and three sides. Monell's cafteria has a good menu of southern favorites such as macaroni and cheese, cheese grits, greens, fried chicken and pulledpork.  The menu changes.  The evening we were there we chose meat loaf and I got the pulled pork. We also chose sides of mashed potatoes and corn pudding. We ended up with two sides and I got a slice of corn bread and Rebbel dot a biscuit. We shprted ourselves a side somehow bit it was still plenty of food.  Rebbel's meatloaf was very good.  The mashed potatoes would have been better with gravy, but they did not have any.  The pulled pork was good, but could have been a bit more tender for my liking. In all. Monell's Cafe is a good place for southern foods served cafeteria style.  If I were to go again, I would have to try some of that skillet fried southern chicken.  That might make the meal!  Monells also has two other locations in Nashville.Monnell's at the Manor and the original Monell's in German town. The other locations close between lunch and dinner and meals are served family style, The location we visited is located at 2826 Bransford.

You can find them on the web at  https://monellstn.com/

Some Like It Hot...Not Me! - Hattie B's Hot Chicken, Nashville,Tn

Hot chicken is a thing in Nashville. We had to tryit. I'm not really a fan of hot. It's not that I can't do it. I can eat a jalapeno pepper with nachos with the best of them.  I just prefer tasting the food and not just trying to put the fire in my mouth out. That being said, when we visited Hattie B's in Nashville, I had a decision to make.  Did I want to play it safe and go with the southern chicken with no heat, or in the name of research, go for the heat that Nashville was known for.  I decided to go for the heat! Well kind of.  I went with the mild, bit I did it with nothing to drink! They have 3 different heat levels and mild was hot enough for me!

We ordered the dark quarter that included a piece of white bread,a thigh and leg.  The chicken had a nice crisp skin with some heat. The chicken was very juicy with a slightly salty taste.On the side we had the pimento mac and cheese. It was a very creamy mac and cheese and was very tasty if you like pimemtos, which is also a southern staple. Hattie B's also features other southern favorites on their menu such as banana pudding, peach cobbler and southern greens.    If there was a Hattie B's in Michigan I would definitely be a repeat customer!  Hattie B's has a couple of locations in Nashville , and you can find them on the web at:


http://hattieb.com/

Southern Hospitality and Biscuits - The Loveless Cafe , Nashville Tn

I was looking for the perfect southern breakfast on our recent trip to Nashville. One name kept coming up on all my searches. The Loveless Cafe.The restaurant started out in 1951 by selling biscuits and chicken to travelers on route 100 according to their web site.  They quickly grew into a 14 room motel and restaurant. Today they serve over a half million guests a year.  Our meak started with a plate of the famous biscuits and preserves.  We were greeted by the manager who saw my Detroit Tiger shirt and brought over a waitress from Jackson Michigan to say hi to us.

 I ordered the city ham wich was a thick slice of sugar glazed ham and two eggs over easy. I thought the ham was very mild and good. I also had a hash brown casserole that was good and cheesy  Rebbel had her usual omelette. She thought it was pretty ordinary. The manager bought out some cream corn to tatse which he said was the best around.  I agree with him. It was whole kernels of the sweetest corn in a creamy sauce.  They also have country hams and pit beef they do on premises,  I found exactly what I was looking for in the Loveless Cafe.A true southern gem that I would love to go back and revisit   You can find them on the web at https://www.lovelesscafe.com/

Home of the Hot Brown Sandwich! - J. Graham's Cafe At the Brown Hotel, Louisville,Ky

Louisville Kentucky...Home of mint juleps, Louisville Slugger, and the Kentucky Derby. Forget all that, we decicided to travel to Louisville for another famous Louisville product, The Hot Brown Sandwich. The Hot Brown Sandwich is popular all over Louisville, but the first and what some say is the best was served at the Brown Hotel in downtown Louisville. The sandwich consists of roasted turkey chunks placed on crustless Texas Toast on a tomato, it as then smpthered with a Mornay sauce with two strips of crisp bacon crossing on top. It is covered with parmigiano-reggiano cheese, and placed in the broiler.  The sandwich is delicious. How could it not be!  The Brown also features a weekend brunch buffet that was top quality. The Sunday I tried it, they had a wine reduction barbeque beef that was very good, omelettes made to order, fruits of all kinds, ham, chicken and much more, all top quality!  We would definitely try them again if we were in Louisville. The Brown Hotel is located at  335 Broadway St Louisville. Find them on the web at:http://www.brownhotel.com/j-grahams-cafe

More Than Just Soup! - Soup Spoon Cafe, Lansing Michigan

After trying Trip Advisor's number two breakfast place in Lansing a couple of weeks back, Rebbel asked why we had not tried the number one place.  It seemed like a good question. Maybe the name wasa little misleading. The Soup Spoon Cafe did not sound like a breakfast place. One look at the breakfast/brunch menu proved me wrong!  The menu is filled with so much tasty foods, Ihad a hard time choosing.  Everything from egg Benedict's,  to hotcakes with real maple syrup,deli sandwiches, and omelets.  We decided to choose the omelets.  Rebbel chose the Black Forest omlet. This omlelet is made wi three eggs, koudemade Canadien bacon, mushrooms,onions, tomatoes, and gruywew cheese.  It was drizzled with hollandaise. I gave it highmarks,  I chose the Northeastern omelet. It has crab, green onions, tomatoes.  It was topped off by  a basil cream sauce. It was also athree egg omelet and was huge and the crab made me feel like I was indeed out east. Ialso took the choice of a brunch sald for a side dish, which actually went very well with my order.

The service the day we went was a little slow, but the waitress kept the coffee coming, You can tell just by the menu offerrings that this is not your typical restaurant.  They go a step or two further.  If you would like to go try the Soup Spoon Cafe, you can find them at 1419 E Michigan in Lansing.  They are on the web at https://soupspooncafe.com .

Beef On Weck Take Two - Eckl's Orchard Park.New York

We are always ]ooking for a better way to do food.  After trying our first Beef on Wexck the previous day, Rebbel got a hold of her friend who grew up in the Buffalo area for some tips on where to get a better Beef on Weck.  Her friend had been a wealth of information. She had told us about a suburb of Buffalo called East Aurora. This town is the home of gift shops, gourmet popcorn shop, Vidler's 5 and 10 and Fisher Price. Vidler's took me back in time, with an old time candy counter and other merchandise that seemed to come right out of the Woolworth store of the seventies. The place she told us about was called Eckl's, They are located in another city close to Buffalo called Orchard Park.
The building they are in is one of the oldest in Orchard Park,dating back to 1816.  The restaurant has been around since the 1930's. It closed for a bit when the owner retired, but reopened again when it was bought by oneof the loyal customer's.

The Beef on Weck was delicous, By this time, we had become more savvy and had added some horse radish that not only cleared my sinuses' but added another layer of flavor that complemented  the medium rare roast beef, that had been carved at the station by hand, close to where we were seated,  They had other food on the menu too. For instance, the table close to us had ordered the yellow pike. I learned that yellow pike is actually what we know in Michigan as Walleye.  Must be a western New York thing, because I never heard it called that anywhere else.  Eckl's is located at 4936 Ellicott Rd, Orchard Park, Bew York. Find them on the web at : http://www.eckls.com/

Home of the Chicken Wing - Anchor Bar,Buffalo, NewYork

It was the middle of the day as we drove through Buffalo, That time between lunch and dinner when there is supposed to be a lull at restaurants and there is  no wait time at .  Rebbel and I were trying to wait for our next meal because lunch was not that long ago.  She decided to gopast our next location, The Anchor Bar,  We are usually not big fans of Wings. We have always looked down on wings passing them up for the meatier parts of the chicken, but we were in Buffalo, and when in Buffalo, you have to have wings and if you are going to have wings, you shoulf try the original Buffalo wing st theAnchor Bar!! Sad to say everybody else that was vixiting Buffalo had the same idea!  We decided to by pass the wait and get our 6 mild wings to go,  We wnded up waiting almost an hour as we waited for our tiny order. The wings were good, Very mild in a buttery sauce,  Celery was served on the side with cool ranch dressing,  Not sure if it was worth the wait, but yu have to do the original home to the Buffalo Wing.  There is a classic motorcycle collection and a gift shop to look at as you are waiting. Not sure if they turned me into a wing fan, but at least I can day I've been to the home othe original, abd that's good enough. The Anchor Bar is located at 1047 Main St in Buffalo,  You can find them online at https://www.anchorbar.com/. You can make reservations, get wings shipped o you and order from the gift shop and avoid the wait.

Backyard Charcoal Taste - Ted's Hot Dogs, Buffalo,New York

First off let me say,we weren't very impressed with the chilli dog at Ted's.  The hot dog is charcoal
broiled which you can smell the charcoal the minute you get out of your vehicle.  That is a great smell that takes me back to grills in neighbors backyards when I was growing up. Truly a great smell of summer, but for us, this cooking method robs the hot dog of juiciness. We prefer a boiled hotdog that preserves that,  We had the chilli dog that held another surprise.  Here in Michigan the chili is of a spicy variety of chili. At Ted's the chili is actually on the sweet side, which we gave a thumbs down.
They did use a natural casing hot dog that I give a big thumbs up.  A friend at my work calls these dogs snappy dogs, I call them delicious.  We understand other people seem to feel different about Ted's hot dogs, because they have been around for 90 years and have locations in and around Buffalo and even one in Arizona. We visited the downtown location at 124W Chipewa St.

They also offer onion rings,hamburgers and fries. Undecided on fries and rings ?  You can get a half and half order. You can find them on the web at https://www.tedshotdogs.com/

Coffee A Must!! Peanut Stick - Paula's Donuts Buffalo, New York

 On our recent trip to Buffalo New York,  w
e tried a Buffalo specialty called a peanut stick.The doughnut is a log shaped bulky cake doughnut surrounded by a massive amount of chopped peanuts,  We only bough two that day, but that was plenty, as each doughnut was more like two. We bought ours at Paula's Donuts,which has several locations in and around Buffalo, and was also featured on Bizzarre Foods Delicous Destinations  We have the peanut doughnut and a dunking stick  in my home state of Michigan, but putting them together is sheer genius!  I am glad we don't have thes doughnuts here because this diabetic would not be able to practice any self control!  If yo end up buying these just make sure you have a big steaming cup of your favorite coffee!.

Beef On Weck? Take A Step Back In Time! Schwabl's Restarant, West Seneca,New York

After watching an episode of Bizarre Foods  Delicious Destinations with Andrew Zimmern,  we just had to go to Buffalo and try all that luscious food that was featured.  The one that really caught Rebbel's eye was a meaty looking sandwich called beef on weck.   The restaurant featured  n the show is a place that has been around since 1837. Stepping through the door transports you back through time. On the walls of this immaculately kept older house type restaurant are pictures of dats gone by.  The staff is very knowledgeable and processional.
   The beef on weck is made from your choice of doneness from the in house roasted,hand carved, beef. We chose medium, which we thought was a little over done for our tastes. It is put on a kummeleck roll that is a very salty roll made by a German back in the 1820.'s, The top of the cut roll is dipped in the juices of the meat. My take after the first bite, was that it took me back to my younger days when we had leftover beef on Sundays. I would make a sandwich out of beef with butter on the bread and salt on the meat. You get all of that with this sandwich. although it was a way bit too salty for our tastes.  I also got the house pickled beets that took me back to the ones that my Mom used to pickle herself. Except for the fact that a got a week's worth of salt in one bite of sandwich, I thought the beef was very good and so was the beets. Rebbel go the house nade german potato sandwich that was also very good. If you plan to go,
they are located at 789 Center Rd, West Seneca, NY.