Drive By Try - Mary’s Fabulous Fried Chicken and Fish , Ann Arbor, Mi

Have you ever been past a place and thought to yourself, “Someday I have to try that place. “ Well after saying that about Mary’s Fabulous Fried Chicken and Fish, we decided today was the day.

  At Mary’s, you walk to the counter and give your order.  There is only one table in the place and the condiments are on the table.

  I decided to try the 3 piece fried chicken dinner, and Rebbel decided on the 2 piece fish dinner.  I asked for three thighs because I love the thigh.  Meaty and juicy dark meat. Can’t go wrong! I found the chicken to be all that with a little bit of heat way in the back.  It was very good chicken.  The dinner came with cole slaw and mashed potatoes.  The potatoes were good, but could have used a bit of salt in my opinion. The slaw was excellent. A good sweet slaw. Only complaint was that it was ground pretty small and resembled mush, but was still tasty. A roll was served with the dinner and was good but nothing special.

  Rebbel did not fare as well with the fish. She found it to be chewy instead of flakey.  It was a white fish but the kind was not listed. Her fries were good. Medium size, no crinkles. 

  We would definitely stop again in the future, but would stick with the fried chicken.  Mary’s also offers  hoagies, clams, and shrimp on their menu.  They are located at 3220 Packard St. In Ann Arbor, Mi.

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/

Golden Harvest Restaurant, Lansing,Michigan - Just Don't Be In A Hurry!

• As we drove up to the restaurant, I immediately thought that this is not going to be your typical Denny's type breakfast joint, Everything but the kitchen sink adorns the roof.  That might be up there too, for all I know!  If you decide to try this place.you might be able to find the sink because you will be standing in line for awhile.  We stood in line for over an hour waiting for a table for two. The people in front of us were saying they had waited in the winter for up to two hours but felt the food was worth it,  As the door opened to let another party in,. I could hear the customers belting out Sweet Caroline with the stereo. Not your typical place. Once inside it took another half hour or so to place our order and get our food.  We started to inderstand the reason for line outside.  There is room inside for only about 30 customers or so and that is utilizing the front counter space. The orders are cooked as they are taken moving down the line at the grill.It seems like a very slow process for people that have already stood in line,  I decided on the Polish Scrambled Omelette . Advertised on the menu to be,"As big as my head", it was made from 4 eggs, Kowalski Kiebasa slices,peppers, onions, homefries and onions.  The top was garnished with cheddar cheese,scallions,and tomatoes. Served with toast and a slice of watermelon that turned out to be the sweetest I've had all year,  I found it to be very good! Rebbel on the other hand, was not pleased with her order, She ordered the Meatmen, which was supposed to be,meat,meat,neat,cheese, cheese, cheese andw gravy.The neat had been overcooked ruining the whole thing. Was it a place I was happy trying out? I say yes, but I would not want to invest that much time again, You might feel otherwis, just like the countless others that are real fans of this one of a kind Lansing Michigan, breakfast joint. Just don't be in a hurry! They take only cash.  Open at 7 am weekdays and 8 on weekenfds. Located at 1625 Turner St.

Baking Over a Hundred Years- Hinkley Bakery, Jackson, Michigan

Rebbel took a trip on Saturday to check out Michigan's best doughnut place.  Hinkley Bakery located in Jackson Michigan was voted as MLive's best doughnut in the state of Michigan. Hinkley's has been baking since 1913 and that's a very long time and they seemed to have got it right.
 After she arrived, Rebbel stood in line on a cold winter Saturday morning for 20 minutes on the outside, and estimated 20 minutes once inside.   We tried the Walnut Fritter made with Danish margarine, the Blueberry crescent, the glazed doughnuts, the always messy powdered sugar douhnut, and the crescent with chocolate frosting.
My first bite was the walnut fritter.  I found this to be pretty plain tasting and in need of a little help.  I shared one with Wes from work and he was going to save his for a midnight snack. He said he was going to warm it up and put ice cream, cherries and whip cream on it.  I think Wes has the right idea for that doughnut.
I also had my good friend Sheri, that I have worked with for over 20 years, and knows waaay too much about me, try a glazed doughnut.  She though their was a lot of layers of flavor and was comparable to one of our counties best doughnut places Lev's in Tecumseh,Michigan. No big lines yet at Lev's.  I did notice that the doughnuts seemed to have a heavier richer taste, almost like a paczki. The blueberry crescent was excellent, and the powdered sugar doughnut,which left traces all over me and the sofa was sheer perfection. It was crispy on the outside and soft goodness on the inside.

Is this Michigan's best doughnut?? I'm not sure, I still have more to try. It is very good stuff and you have big lines.  Most people would say it is worth it. Hinkley's Bakery  is located at 700 Blackstone St, in Jackson,Mi  They are only open Wednesday through Saturday from 5:15 - 1:00. You can find them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hinkley-Bakery/193238617380223#_=_  . Finally, word to the wise;  if you are going to eat the powdered doughnut you might not want to wear a black hoodie.

The Best Chicago Pizza Jackson, Michigan - Klavon's Pizzeria and Pub

Klavon's Stuffed Chicago Style Pizza

Chicago Style Pizza has been described as being a casserole instead of pizza. A deep dish pie loaded with meat fillings cheese and sauce. Klavon's Pizzeria  and Pub would have to be one of my favorite places to eat this dish outside of the windy city.
Klavon's has a modern, clean look.  They have tablet menus instead of the paper variety. Its a Sports bar, so beware, there are televisions with sports on them everywhere you look.  It's not a quiet place by any means.
Klavons has a menu with Chicken Wings,Sandwiches, Burgers and wraps, but the star of the show is the Chicago Style Stuffed Crust Pizza. To start with, every stuffed pizza has a pound of mozzarella in it. You can choose five toppings to stuff your pizza. We got steak,red onions, black olives sausage and ham.  Those were stuffed between two crusts. On top of the pizza is their pizza sauce. Very good quality pizza. The crust wasn't as good as Lou Minalti's in Chicago, but I don't know of anybody that does have a crust as good as Lou's.
  The pizza is very filling.  You will need a box after a couple of slices and you might have to employ a young strong person to carry the box and maybe yourself to your vehicle. You can choose different cheese if you prefer, and extra fillings are available at a cost.

Bacon Cheddar Burger

We also tried the burger when we were there.  It was picked as one of Jackson's top burgers in MLive's contest.  It was made of Black Angus Beef.  I had the Bacon Cheddar Burger and I found it to be good, and juicy. The brioche bun was o.k., but if I were to order at Klavon's, I would order the Chicago Deep Dish and a strong person on the side!
Klavon's  has two locations. The one we visited is located at 1361 E McDevitt Ave, Jackson Mi.  The other location is at 6010 Clinton Rd in Jackson, Mi.  Find them on the web at..http://klavons.com/index.php

Another Day, Another Coney - Virginia Coney Island, Jackson, Michigan

  Today we are in Jackson, Mi.  We decided to try Virginia Coney Island.  They are located  on Michigan Ave and were voted the best Coney Dog in Jackson by MLive and 5th in Michigan. My wife went inside and she said they are a bit cleaner looking than my favorite coney down the street.  The thing I didn't like about Virginia's was the onions. They were finely chopped which Rebbel really likes, but they had a bitter taste and took away from the coney sauce. I knocked the rest off and the sauce was pretty good because it wasn't too spicy and left a great taste in your mouth.  Alas, the hot dog has no snap.  Both Virginia and Jackson Coney Island are very similar in my view.  Maybe you can grab a dog from both places and hold your taste own contest. Virginia Coney Island is located at 649 E Michigan Ave in Jackson Mi. You can find them on the web at:www.virginiaconey.com

Go To Kalamazoo For A Good Jackson Style Coney! - Coney Island Hot Dogs,Kalamaoo, Mi

Coney Dogs are not Chilli Dogs, and mixing up the two is just plain ignorance!    The real coney dogs were first made in Jackson, or Flint, Michigan...depending which side you are on.   They are the loose meat variety and not a bunch of tomato sauce dripping all over the place.  One of the cleanest places I ever had one of these delicious dogs though,  is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan at Coney Island Hot Dogs. 
The dogs here are cooked right next to the front window on a grill.  Then you get the sauce which isn't real spicy but it compliments the dog perfectly.  It is then topped with crisp white onions and mustard.  It was then wrapped in an aluminum foil wrapper that kept it smoking hot and juicy.  I give this dog pretty high ratings for cleanliness, fresh onions and properly cooked, tasty hot dog.  The only thing I think would make it better is if it had the snap of a natural casing, but that's just my taste.  Yours may vary.   Coney Island Hot Dogs have two locations.  We tried the one downtown.  You can find them at 266 E Michigan in Kalamazoo and in the Westwood Plaza at 4634 West Main in Kalamazoo, Michigan.  You can find them on the web at: http://www.coneyislandkalamazoo.com/

Pineapple On A Burger?? - Studio Grill, Kalamazoo,Michigan

bronco burger

"You're really going to get a hamburger with a pineapple on it??"  I once again had thought my wife had lost her mind.  My wife who once took a poll to see if people liked pineapple because she thought I was nuts for liking them.  I reminded her it was spicy. It had pepper jack cheese and Serrano sauce.  She wanted to try it but she told them to leave the pepper sauce off.  I went for the Bronco Burger, billed as a grilled cheese burger and belt all in one, with thoughts of trading my wife meals when she realized she had made a big mistake.                            

We were in the process of checking out some of the food in Kalamazoo and had chose the Studio Grill downtown.  They have quite a variety of stuffed burgers that caught my eye. They offer a burger stuffed with bbq sauce and cheddar cheese topped with bacon more cheddar cheese and more bbq sauce called the BBQ Bacon Cheddar Burger. They also have A Watson Burger,  that is stuffed with chorizo sausage, topped with chipotle pesto and pepper jack cheese.  Another "interesting" burger is the Nutty Butter Burger topped off with bacon and lots of peanut butter.  They have more stuffed burgers or you can freestyle and create your own. They also serve breakfast featuring various omelets.  

And pancakes.

It turned out that Rebbel made an excellent choice. The combination of savory spicy and sweet along with the juiciness of the pineapple slice was a great combination. My selection, though pretty tame, was good too.  The place was clean and service pretty fast.

pineapple burger

You can find the Studio Grill at 312 W. Michigan Ave Kalamazoo, Michigan. Find them on the web at www.studiogrillkalamazoo.com

Michigan's Best and Open Doughnut Place - Sweetwater's Donut Mill

Sweetwater's in Kalamazoo Mi

Here we were on a long holiday weekend and no cool place picked out to eat. I decided to look up some of the Michigan's best food on the net.  Right away there were lists from M Live.  I set  our site for the number one doughnut shop, and the number seven hamburger joints located in Jackson, Mi.  I would have gone for the number one but they were closed for the winter, so we decided for Jackson.  We pulled up to number one on the list to find out they are closed Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays. Evidently life is good when you are the best so you don't have to work as often.  We decided to go to the number 7 hamburger joint.  Surely at number 7 they would have to work.  Pulled in to a vacant parking lot and a sign that said closed Mondays. We decided to check out their number two doughnut place down the road in Kalamazoo.

donuts,donuts,donuts

  The place I chose is called Sweetwater's Donut Mill.  Sweetwater's has 3 locations and they are open 24/7 which was a real selling point given our luck so far.  We chose 6 different doughnuts that turned out to be all very good.  I walked in and there before me were cases and cases filled with every doughnut you could imagine.  Sweetwater's offers such delicacies as a Carmello, Snickers, German Cake, and a Cloud doughnut. Too many to list all of them. In all fairness we bought the doughnuts at about 1:00 in the afternoon and while tasty, they weren't at the peak freshness.  The chocolate frosting my wife got had just the right amount of

half dozen box of yum!

crisp on the outside before reaching the nutmeg tasting cake inside.  I love that in a doughnut.   If you want to check out what I consider the best doughnut shop in Michigan,  at least the best doughnut shop  that is most likely to be open, you can find them at 3333 Stadium Dr, or the one we visited at 2138 Sprinkle Rd Kalamazoo. They also have a location at 2807 Capitol Rd. In Battle Creek Michigan. Find them on the web at..http://sweetwatersdonuts.com/

Scotty Simpson's Fish and Chips, Detroit,Mi - Michigan's Best Fish and Chips

My quest began over a year ago.  I wanted to find the best fish and chips.  There are many restaurants that can really mess up a piece of fish.  I have had the fish that was mostly batter with little fish, fish that looked like it was just opened from a freezer bag from a grocery store and dumped in a deep fryer, and fish that was well, fishy tasting.  Perhaps, I have finally found the best fish and chips in Michigan.
Scotty Simpson's is a small restaurant at 22200 Fenkell in the western part of Detroit close to Redford. The restaurant has been open since the 1950's.  The decor is lighthouse statues, boats and fish. The carpet is worn.  The neighborhood  is not the best, but, the food and service is a different story!  The waitress we had was very friendly. The food was served promptly. You could just tell, that customers were treated as friends. We were serenaded by the old jukebox that was playing songs like "Crazy" and "I Go To Pieces".
While we were there Harry the owner, who has been there for 44 years, was showing a table of customers pictures of his Grand kids.
The food came with a roll, coleslaw, and hand cut fries.  The fish was cooked to perfection.  It was just the right amount of light crunchy batter and meaty cod. Rebbel thought that there was a slightly sweet taste to it.  I have never tasted any better.  A full order was close to ten dollars and well worth it.  A half order and order without fries are available for less cost.  They also serve Stewart's Ginger Beer, and Orange in a bottle.  It is cash only, and they do have take-out. There is parking in back and across the street. On our way out, the waitress introduced us to Harry as new customers and invited us back.  I know they get plenty of returning customers. You can go to their site by clicking on the title.

A Place I've Never Visited - The Front Porch - Ellsworth, Micigan

My sister threw a picture and a pamphlet next to my computer. "You have to write about this place." I looked at the information. "What is it?", I asked. " A place that could use a little help", she replied. The Front Porch is located at 9235 Main St in Ellsworth, Michigan. Close to the left top, or ring finger ,of the mitten in Antrim County. It is not a restaurant, but a 501(c)3 organization. It was set up to help the community of Ellsworth after the previous cafe and a grocery store went out of business. A void was left in the community. There was a need for a place to fellowship. A place where local people could get together, share in fun activities, and reach out to other people in the community needing help. After a slew of volunteers got together, the former Ellsworth Diner was transformed into the Front Porch.
The Front Porch's menu doesn't have fixed prices on the menu. A suggested donation is tallied for the meal based on their ongoing costs. Any excess is used to provide food to the most needy. They also minister in other ways.
A prayer post in the entance is provided for requests and praises, as well as clergy and lay people who can pray with you. They serve senior lunches every Thursday, and facilitate special events for other non - profit organizations. Several small group bible studies meet there.
Volunteers are used as wait staff. They even serve fair - trade coffee. The workers growing and harvesting the coffee are paid a fair living wage.
They are open from 7:00 AM - 2:00 PM Monday through Saturday. They serve breakfast and lunch.You can click the title to go to their website. That's where I got most of the information on this non restaurant that I never ate at, but hope to next time I am in Ellsworth.

Bacon! Bacon! Bacon! - Tony's I-75 Restaurant, Birch Run,Mi

Coming back from the upper peninsula of Michigan, we wanted to find some place special for our last meal before returning home. We were coming back via I-75 and would be going close to Frankenmuth, the town known as Michigan's little Bavaria. They are known for Christmas every day of the year, and chicken dinners. The dinners are fine, but we were looking for more. We decided to travel down the road an exit to Tony's I-75 at Birch Run. Tony's is known for HUGE PORTIONS.
I decided to try their famous B.L.T. It contained a pound of bacon. With the Grand kids with us, I had to go for it. The sandwich was as big as I had heard. Loaded with mostly bacon and some lettuce and tomato on delicous Italian breas. I decided to pick up the whole thing rather than cut it. Of course, it took two hands, but I could have used a thirs just to shove the fallen bacon back in. It was very good, and yes, I finished it. I wasn't able to look at another piece of bacon for weeks, but it was all worth it. Another pleasant memory for the Grand kids to cherish.
As for the rest of the menu??? Most of the items come in the same huge portions. The have sundaes that have a half gallon of ice cream! Rebbel ordered a corn beef rueben and it was also on the huge side. On the way out, they told the kids to fill their pockets with candy. Our oldest Grand son was worried about which pocket he was going to fill. The man at the counter told him to turn around and he proceded to fill the hood of his shirt. You will definately not leave Tony's hungry.

Hot Day, Hot Dog! - The Hot Dog House - Monroe, Michigan (CLOSED!!)

Today has been the hottest day of the year in Michigan. 92 and humid. Of course the air conditioner in our 1 year old truck decides to quit working. My wife drives to Monroe, Michigan to take our truck to the dealer. Along the way, she passes a new place called The Hot Dog House. She wants us to to try it out on the return trip.
Hot Dogs....It seems you can get them everywhere these days. Gas stations, cafe's, festivals, fairs and even rummage sales sell them. Everybody thinks they can do a hot dog. It is rare though, to find a place that can do a hot dog the right way. The Hot Dog House located at 2020 S Custer (M50) in Monroe Michigan is not only a place that does everything right, they make it fun and interesting. From the toasted bun, to the Koegel dog itself, everything is right and tasty.
When you walk in, the big selection of dogs are located on the wall to the side of the counter.There is plenty of time to read the selections away from the counter. You can choose from dogs such as the Big Mack dog; which has 3 cheese grown up macaroni and cheese; the Duke that is covered with baked beans sauteed onions and bacon bits; a Guard Dog with sauerkraut, shredded Swiss cheese and thousand island dressing, a Bulldog which is modeled after a Chicago style hot dog with mustard, sweet relish, chopped onion , pickle spear and they even added the celery salt! There are many more dogs to choose from and they even have a kids dog selection. We ordered 4 different dogs, and loved them all. We especially liked the Duke and Guard Dog. They also offer fresh hand-cut fries, onion rings and deep fried mushrooms. Dunking dips are also available. These also come in many varieties such as Ranch, Parmesan Peppercorn, Honey Mustard, Spicy Mayo, and Honey Mustard.
We ordered the dogs to go, and were happily surprised that each container was labeled very clearly with a printed label. Try getting that kind of service and hot dog from the gas station!
The Hot Dog House is open from 10:30 A.M. - 7:30P.M. Monday - Saturday. They take phone orders for Business Lunch Delivery from 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM Monday - Friday. Phone them at 734-457-BARK (2275).

Early May In Western Michigan - Clementine's, South Haven,Mi

I have to say early May in Michigan is a beautiful time of year. The weather is usually mild and the trees and flowers are in bloom. Over in Holland Mi its tulip time.
This year the Holland Tulip Festival is May 2 - May 9. It is important to keep these dates because as a couple of our friends found out a few years back, if you get there late you will have to settle for the stem festival. I am betting that wasn't anywhere close to as beautiful. A little south of Holland on U.S. 31 is South Haven.
South Haven sits on the shores of Lake Michigan. In the town of South Haven is a restaurant called Clementine's.
Clementine's is located in what used to be the Citizen's bank building. The inside is very interesting. You are greeted by antiques, pictures of the town from way back,and it looks like you stepped back in the 1890's.
The food might not be the greatest that you have ever tasted, but it is pretty good.
They have everything from sandwiches on varied bread to entrees like steaks, fish, and even a wet burrito. Perhaps the thing you hear most about is their peg of golden brown onion rings. The rings come in on a 6 inch or 12 inch peg. According to their web site,they sold 6 miles last year, and we were responsible for 6 inches of that!
Clementine's is definately worth a visit. It's up to you if you decide to visit the Tulip Festival or the Stem Festival. I hear that the stem Festival is way less crowded. Clementine's is located at 500 Phoenix St in South Haven. They do not accept reservations, and I hear there can be lines at times. You can find out more about them at http://www.ohmydarling.com

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

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 .

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

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