Of course it is.  Via WLNS (can’t believe they did a package on this? Watercooler fluff is easier than hard news I guess…a testament to Sonic’s marketing strategy)

A south Lansing motel closed its doors earlier this year, and ever since then the Governor’s Inn has been falling apart. Now it’s set to come down for good.

[snip]

For the past 9 months, windows have been boarded up, but now they’re coming down and a new burger is coming to town. Sonic is finally in Lansing.

What really sucks for us is this would have been within walking distance for us.  We walked to the Meijer that will is right across the street a couple times…we would have been able to walk off the Limeades we were about to get. 

Still, good for Lansing.  I’m fairly certain I’ll stop when I’m back in town.  They’re shooting for a Spring 2009 Grand Opening.

• 248 Jenison Field House
• East Lansing, MI 48824
• (517) 353-8635
• Website

It’s wierd.  I’ve been to DeMartin Stadium, but I’ve never blogged about it.  I was thinking that Sunday as I was standing there watching the MSU women take on the Minnesota Golden Golphers.  I don’t have a lot of experience with college soccer stadiums or soccer in general, but DeMartin seems like a nice place to play.

DeMartin Stadium sits behind Jenison Field on Michigan State University.  It’s part of the athletic complex that makes up Old College Field along with the softball and baseball diamonds.  DeMartin Stadium is barely a year old.  Before the 2008 season, a number of changes took place to the soccer field including the orientation and the addition of seating bringing the capacity to 2500. 

The closest parking lot to the field is at Jenison and on game days, parking can be at a premium.  People were parking everywhere.  In spaces, on the grass, wherever they could find a spot to put their cars.  The only bad thing about Old College Field is the parking, but that seems to be the trend at all of MSU’s athletic facilities. 

You enter Old College Field between the baseball and softball diamonds…that is, if you’re paying.  You wouldn’t believe how many kids…and adults were sucking in their guts and squeezing through the fence that is meant to keep people out.  I don’t know how much a soccer game costs, but it can’t be that much. 

If you did pay, you have a little bit of a walk to the grandstands.  They are on the other side of the field.  There’s a huge section of bleachers if you’re in the sitting mood or you can stand along the sidelines at the fence.  The fence is only a few feet from the playing surface, so if that’s you’re thing, you could have a really good spot. 

Concessions are all portable stands.  There were actually four or five trailers selling different things including a honey roasted almond truck and a Mr. Pita truck.  I was tempted to buy a bottle of pop from the Pita guy..until I saw the price was $3.50/bottle.  I could wait until I could get to a gas station.  I need less pop anyway. 

The facility is said to be one of the premier soccer stadiums in the country.  I have no idea because I only have one other comparison.  Soccer is not really my thing, but people do come to games and it’s nice to have so much seating if you’re going to sit in the rain and watch the Spartans.

• 4738 Central Park Drive
• Okemos, MI 48864
• (517) 349-4425
• Website
• Menu

You’ll hear me say this a lot.  I’m not a breakfast person.  I don’t normally get out of bed earlier enough to eat breakfast.  It’s one of the nice things about being a freelancer.  I don’t work everyday.  That’s also one of the bad things about it. 

Anyway, in East Lansing.  This time, very early in the morning.  Work started at 6 AM on Sunday.  Fortunately, I still had keys to my Lansing apartment, so I was not making the drive at four in the morning.  That will happen a few times this fall/winter. 

Our lunch break came around nine o’clock.  Typically, I just go to McDonald’s for breakfast.  I like the bacon, egg, and sausage biscuit.  Add that to the fact that it’s cheap and quick.  When J could meet me, we’d actually go to a good, sit down place, but now that J’s in Kalamazoo, I’m on my own and there’s not a lot of quick breakfast choices.  There just aren’t many places that do a good breakfast sandwich. 

So, I’m heading down Grand River towards my usual McDonald’s stop when I hear a commercial for Panera Bread’s breakfast.  It sounds really good plus it will be something a little different.  Since I’m already on Grand River I keep going to the Panera in Okemos.

The Okemos Panera Bread is on Central Park Drive in a small strip mall on the corner with Grand River Avenue.  On a Sunday morning, it was the only place open, yet there were a lot of cars in the parking lot.  Seems like I wasn’t the only one that had this idea.

If you enter off the Central Park Drive side of the store, the bakery is immediately to your right.  There is also a menu board above the breads, so I figured that would be the place to order.  I found out later there are more cash registers a little farther down, but the lady in the bakery section took my order no questions asked.

I already mentioned I was going to get a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich from McDonald’s, so when I saw the same combination on the menu at Panera, I had to try it out.  Panera’s version of the sandwich includes all natural eggs, Vermont white cheddar, and applewood smoked bacon and Ciabatta bread.  Let me tell you, this sandwich blows McDonald’s out of the water.  It was freakin’ delicious. 

I ordered a Pepsi with my sandwich which could have gotten me a bakery item for $.99.  Why I passed on that option is still a mystery to me.  I’m sure it was because I wasn’t thinking yet even though I had been up for four hours at this point. 

When it comes to Panera, I’m usually on the fence.  J really likes the place, but in my book, it’s just alright.   Their breakfast is a completely different story.  I could eat there evey morning and be happy.  Hell, I’d almost consider getting up in the morning just get a sandwich. The Vermont white cheddar made the sandwich.  It was really all I could taste and what I really wanted more of.  For a little over five bucks, I got a ridiculously good sandwich and more caffeine.  Can’t argue with that. 

• 115 Albert Avenue
• East Lansing, MI 48823
• (517) 351-3827
• Website
• Menu

Another weekend, another trip back to East Lansing for work.  Fortunately, we still have control of the apartment in Lansing, so I could bring an air mattress, the laptop, and a little TV and be comfortable for a couple days. 

My weekend started early Saturday morning amongst the gloomy, rainy conditions.  By the time lunch rolled around, I needed to get someplace warm. 

I was working near the IM West Building at MSU which means there isn’t many options within walking distance.  That’s my only complaint about the MSU campus.  I work mainly at the athletic facilities and I can’t walk anywhere to get a sandwich, so I hopped in my truck and headed to Grand River Avenue where I found lunch.

Menna’s Joint in East Lansing is on Albert Avenue near Abbot Road just a block of Grand River Avenue.  It took a long time to find parking.  There isn’t much street parking in this part of downtown and the public lot across the street was full.  I finally doubled back to the public lot near Dublin Square

The East Lansing location is the original location of this small, four shop chain.  The other locations are in downtown Lansing, Mt. Pleasant and in Kalamazoo on Stadium Drive.  The building holds two businesses with Menna’s on the right if you’re facing it. 

The store is set up with the order counter and kitchen in the back.  The front of the space is the dining room which doesn’t have many tables.  The only other location I have been to is the downtown Lansing location which is decorated with waterfall features and brick elements.  This Menna’s Joint doesn’t have any of that.  It’s actually pretty plain.

The menu board is above the order counter and I was the only one in line, so I took a step back to see what exactly I wanted.  I ordered the Blazer Dub without sour cream.  Now if you’ve never heard of a Dub, you probably haven’t eaten at Menna’s Joint before.  The “legend” is that the sandwich were named after the sound crew chief at Woodstock.  His name was Menna.  He created the sandwich and called it a Dub because the people of Woodstock called him “The Dub Mon”.  Whether that’s true or not, I have no idea, but it makes for a good story.

Anyway, it took about five minutes for my dub to be grilled and handed to me.  The cost was just a little over six bucks and I was out the store in less than ten minutes.  I could have eaten there, but I took it to go.  I didn’t add any sides or a drink because they have Coke products and I’m more of a Pepsi guy, so I just found a gas station somewhere. 

When I got back to the job site, I dug in.  Now, a dub isn’t just a typical sandwich.  It’s actually a flour tortilla that is filled, rolled, and grilled.  The best thing about the dub’s, no rice or beans filler.  The Blazer dub is two chicken tenders that have been covered in hot sauce, jalapeno, banana peppers, and BBQ sauce.  You think it was hot?  Oh yeah.  My mouth was on fire, but it was really good.  The one dub was big enough to satisfy my hunger and keep me that way until dinner time. 

I’ve only had two meals at Menna’s Joint, but both times, I’ve been really happy with them.  I love that they really load up on the ingredients, but it’s not loaded up with rice.  Every bite has a huge portion of filling.  At some point, I’ll make way my over to the Kalamazoo location and I’m sure it’ll be another winner. 

• 245 Ann Street
• East Lansing, MI 48823
• (517) 351-0066
• No Known Website
• Menu

Sorry it’s been a few weeks since my last update.  We’re getting settled into our new place in Kalamazoo, but that’s not going to keep me from updating when I do make it back to the Lansing area. 

I was back in East Lansing for a volleyball game at Michigan State.  When lunch time rolled around, I headed downtown to find a sandwich.  I was actually looking for Menna’s Joint, but I couldn’t find parking close.  By the time I got up to someplace I could park, I was a couple blocks away and there was another joint right around the corner.

Lou & Harry’s Greek Grill is on the corner of Ann & MAC in downtown East Lansing just a block from Grand River Avenue and MSU’s campus.  There’s a little mall area with a couple restaurants and shops.  Lou & Harry’s takes up what could probably be a couple storefronts. 

I had eaten at the Lou & Harry’s near Frandor in East Lansing, so I was somewhat familiar with the menu.  When you enter the store, the order counter is right in front of you.  To the right is a bar as well as some seating.  There is more seating to the left and if you head down a hallway along the left side, you can find a game room with a couple pool tables. 

When I walked up to the counter, the girl working refused to acknowledge me.  Now, she wasn’t away from the register.  She was literally inches from me.  She was looking down, looking behind her, looking at her phone.  Doing just about everything but asking me what I wanted.  I was really considering walking out.  There was even a manager sitting at a table near the counter who should have seen the whole thing, but he never said a word either.  Finally, another girl came out of the kitchen.  It looked like a shift change.  The girl who was ignoring me picked up her purse….never said a word to me….and left.  The new girl right away saw me standing there and asked me for my order.

I originally just ordered the Italian Grinder.  She asked me about a pop and I said yes.  After a few more seconds, I finally went ahead and ordered the fries to make it a combo.  I vaguely remember someone commenting on my post from one of the other Lou & Harry’s about the fries, so I thought I’d give them a chance.  The total for all that was a little over ten bucks.  A somewhat expensive meal, but not horrible either. 

I took the little plastic number and took a seat in a booth to the left of the counter.  I checked my e-mail on my phone and by the time I was done with that, another girl had set my food down in front of me. 

The Italian grinder isn’t really much of a grinder.  It’s not baked or even warm.  It is pretty delicious though.  The sandwich starts with whole wheat bread that is filled with capicola, Genoa salami, ham, and provolone cheese.  For a cold meat sandwich, it’s pretty good, but in the end, it’s a cold meat sandwich that relies on the bread to make it stand out.  The bread is good, but again, nothing super special.  I ate half of the sandwich then grabbed a to-go box for the other half which I would eat for lunch the following day.

The fries were good and there were a lot of them.  They were very crispy and had a light batter on them.  I knew I could take my sandwich with me, so I finished off the fries before really digging in to the sandwich.  They were good and worth the extra money.  I mean, you gotta have something fried with every meal, right?

It took me a few seconds to find the garbage cans when I got done.  They were back down the hallway behind my booth.  I hate when I can’t find the trash recepticles.  I always feel wierd leaving garbage on the table which is what I almost did.  Fortunately, I happened to see another one of the plastic trays sticking up from the counter next to the trash. 

Lou & Harry’s Greek Grill is another one of the good college joints.  They claim to have the biggest subs in town.  I don’t know what they’re basing that on, but they are a pretty good size.  If you’re looking for a sub in the campus area, I would definitely pick Lou & Harry’s over Subway. 

• W. Campus Drive & University Park Drive
• Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858
• (517) 774-3277
• Website

Kelly/Shorts Stadium on the campus of Central Michigan University

Kelly/Shorts Stadium is the home of the Central Michigan University football team.  It sits just off BR 127 at University Park Drive and W. Campus Drive on the southeast corner of the CMU campus.  The stadium opened in 1972 with a loss to Illinois State.  At that time, the stadium was simply called Perry Shorts Stadium.  In 1983, the name was changed to Kelly/Shorts Stadium to honor former football coach Bill Kelly. 

The thing that surprised me initially was the size.  I know CMU is a FBS school, but I sometimes forget that the MAC is actually on the same level as the Big Ten….at least when it comes to NCAA status.  The main grandstand behind CMU’s bench is huge.  When you enter the seating level from the main concourse, you have to go down to your seats.  At some points in the stadium, you have to walk up stairs to get to the concourse area.  In other parts there are gradual ramps.

The main grandstand and press box/suites at Kelly/Shorts Stadium

Above the main grandstands is a two story press box/suite area that spans the whole 100 yards.  Outside of the suites are small seating areas for those with tickets to that level.

The end zone seating is the student section which was full.  It was cold yet there were a lot of shirtless, painted guys.  The far side seating is not quite as big as the home side.  The CMU band sits on this side behind the visiting teams bench.  In the other end zone is the locker rooms and main scoreboard.  There are scoreboards in either end zone, but the one above the locker rooms is the one with the video board. 

The concourse area is where all the concession stands are.  If you didn’t know any better, you’d assume you were in a major stadium.  The concourse area is really nice and littered with food options including a Buffalo Wild Wings booth.  They serve Pepsi products which is always a plus with me. 

Tailgating at Kelly/Shorts Stadium

Tailgating takes place in a lot right behind the student section endzone.  One of the major pluses to Kelly/Shorts was the abundance of parking.  The tailgate lot was one of a couple  paved lots, but there were also unpaved lots scattered around the grounds.  There was no shortage of parking and no walking long distances to get to your car after the game. 

The unfortunate thing about my trip to CMU is that the game was awful.  CMU beat Eastern Michigan 56-8.  It was great to see Dan LeFevour play.  I have a feeling this kid is going to be one of the NFL’s greatest QB’s.  I saw Tony Romo play at Eastern Illinois University and even then, those in the know were talking about him.  LeFevour is a much better QB

Kelly/Shorts Stadium is a great college football stadium.  It only holds a little over 30,000 people, but you wouldn’t think that if you saw it.  Can’t wait to see CMU take on MSU there in 2012

Panoramic view of Kelly/Shorts Stadium at Central Michigan

• 302 N. Mission Street
• Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858
• (989) 772-7494
• Website
• Menu

Pixie on North Mission in Mt. Pleasant.

Back before we had any idea we were moving to Kalamazoo, I took a job in Mt. Pleasant for this weekend.  From Lansing, it’s not so bad, but it gets to be a long way from Kalamazoo.  Fortunately, my employer got me a hotel for Friday night, so I was able to travel during the afternoon.

When I got into town, I checked in then went looking for food.  I tried a BBQ place recommended in the hotel book, but they were closed.  I then went to a restaurant downtown I saw a billboard for on the way in.  Luckily they had a menu outside and it wasn’t quite what I was looking for. 

By now, I was hungry and a little annoyed.  I just wanted to eat. 

As I was driving to my first two locations, I drove by an old drive in on Mission Street.  I knew I was close so I went looking for it again. 

Pixie is on North Mission and East Chippewa Street in Mt. Pleasant.  I would say it’s a retro 50’s style diner, but they actually got their start in 1948 when Norman LaBelle decided to open a restaurant.  The Pixie has been in business ever since. 

At one time, the Pixie was a drive in with carhops and a complete menu.  Today, they’re a cross between fast food and casual dining. 

Pixie in Mt. Pleasant

The parking lot is behind the building and that’s where the main entrance is.  I was expecting a place where you sat and a waitress served you.  Instead, when you walk in, you’re presented with an order counter similar to any of today’s fast food chains. 

Pixie was hoping, but it’s also homecoming weekend at CMU, so there are a lot of extra people in town.  The wait gave me a chance to look over their menu.  They offer burgers, coney’s, and even pizza by the slice.  The menu wasn’t too descriptive, so I didn’t really know what I was ordering.  I kind of felt rushed and just yelled out a number instead of taking my time to look at everything.

I ordered the #11 which is the Ranch Burger.  All the menu says is that it’s a 1/3 lb burger that comes with fries and a drink.  I added on cheese and bacon for a little extra.  The bill was a little over six bucks.  The lady taking my order said it would be a few minutes because the sandwiches are made to order.

While I was waiting, I grabbed my Pepsi and looked around a little more.  There’s a jukebox in the dining room that plays the 50’s music.  Other than that, it is the classic 50’s diner with the bright colors, neon lights and retro posters on the wall. 

Near the entrance where I was waiting, I noticed little plaques with people’s names and date on them.  Turns out, there’s a Pixie challenge of eating either 10 mini burgers or X Coney’s (sorry, I forgot the number) in an hour.  Seems easy to me.  I’m pretty sure I could put away 10 mini’s no problem. 

As the restaurant got more and more packed, the cashier’s got more and more frantic.  My order was up, but everyone was dealing with customers so it sat for a few minutes.  When the lady who took my order finally got free, she grabbed my burger and some fries and put them in a bag.  I figured it would just be easier to go back to the hotel and eat. 

#11 Ranch Burger and fries.

When I got back to my room, I figured out why it was called a Ranch Burger.  There was a ranch sauce on it.  There was also lettuce, tomatoes, and onions.  I just pulled the top bun off and it the sandwich open face.  It was fine with me.  I didn’t need the top bun…it made up for the three full flavored pops I had today.

The fries were thin and crispy fast food fries that had a little salt on them.  There wasn’t a lot, but just enough to make me happy.

Pixie is one of those fun places.  The food was alright, but it’s really more about the atmosphere.  You get what you expect from a place like this.  Decent food and a good time.

Well, my time in Lansing is pretty much up.  We’re halfway moved in to Kalamazoo and J started her new job yesterday.

That doesn’t mean the end of Mid-Michigan Dining.  I will still be back in the area quite a bit this winter.  In fact, I’m heading back later today for a football game up at CMU this weekend, so expect a couple reviews from that.  It just means things are going to slow down considerbly while I concentrate on my new blog project. 

If you’re interested or live in the Kalamazoo area, check out the new blog, SW Michigan Dining. 

Again, it’s been fun Lansing…I’m sorry to see it coming to a standstill

• 437 W. Stewart Street
• Owosso, MI 48867
• (989) 725-7051
• Website
• Menu

Celia's Corner Cafe on Stewart Street in Owosso

About a month ago, J decided she wanted a new car. We did the usual Internet research and found a couple cars she liked. The first car we test drove was at the Ford dealership in Okemos. We were kind of turned off by the salesman and didn’t feel like we were getting a fair price, so we left. She was mad at me for a few hours until she found something better in Owosso.

The next morning, we make the trip, test drove the car and bought it. We were really looking for something comfortable for the honeymoon since we were going to be in the car for two week straight. We put pretty close to 2500 miles on it in a week and a half, so when we got home, it was time for an oil change.

The dealer we bought it from gave us the first oil change free and any service it needed after the trip, so we really wanted to take it back there before we moved to Kalamazoo.

After the service was done, J and I started to drive back towards Lansing to do some packing. Before we dove into that, we decided to get some breakfast/lunch.

On the way into town, we saw a billboard for a cafe. We passed the building on the way into town and decided that was going to be our place.

Celia's Corner Cafe on the way to downtown Owosso

Celia’s Corner Cafe is on the corner of Stewart Street and Shiawassee on your way to downtown Owosso. It’s an unassuming red and white building with the word “RESTAURANT” plastered across the front. There’s a small parking lot along the side of the building and the entrance is from the parking lot, not the front.

You sort of walk down a hallway when you get in. Before hitting the dining room, you come to the cashier station. We stopped there and someone told us to take a seat anyway. We took a booth along the wall that fronts the street. A waitress came over with menus an we put in our order for drinks. I got a Coke. J got a coffee and a small OJ.

Lunch time had just started, but they do breakfast all day. For some reason we were both in the breakfast mood. I guess that’s what happens when we get up before 9:00 like normal people.

Wheat Toast

J ordered two eggs scrambled, hash browns, bacon, and toast. The bacon was an add on. You get your choice of either meat or potatoes, but she wanted both. She really liked everything but the eggs, but he really doesn’t like eggs anyway. If places offered meat, potatoes, and toast, that’s what she would probably get. The hash browns were nice and crispy and cooked all the way through. The bacon was crispy to almost burnt which is how she really likes it. The toast was really good. It was a thick piece of wheat toast (home made maybe?). She couldn’t eat all of it and offered some to me, but I was filling up on my own plate.

Two eggs, bacon, and french fries

I got almost the same thing, but I noticed a special for two eggs, meat, potato, and mini pancakes. I got my eggs well done, bacon, and french fries. Yes, french fries were one of the options for potatoes. They’re really the only kind of potatoes I like, so I was really happy to see they would serve them for breakfast. Everything on my plate was delicious. The pancakes were a little hard to cut through, but they were small enough I could just pick them up and eat them with my hands like a Neanderthal.

Our bill was a little over $14 and J got two drinks and an extra side. Celia’s is one of those perfect community gathering places. They have a friendly staff, good food, and a pretty good price. I say it all the time, I’m not a breakfast man, but this stuff hit the spot…..it was probably the fries

• 349 Romence Road
• Portage, MI 49024
• (269) 324-7777
• Website
• Menu

The Sonic Drive-In in Portage, MI

J and I have been in Kalamazoo all of a few hours and where do you think our first stop to eat was? We’re kind of moving in trips. My brother has helped me everytime I’ve had to move (and it’s been quite a few times) and he can’t get up here until Oct. 17. It’s not a huge deal because our apartment has a ridiculous break penalty (if there’s any legislators reading this, after you solve the budget, you should look into this…besides the two months rent, they’re charging us $20 A DAY for 60 days because we didn’t give them 60 days notice…re-f^%king-diculous..and not spelled out in the lease, so it comes out to 4 months rent) so we’ve got the Lansing apartment until the end of October.

We made the first of two trips with our cars loaded down. After unloading and doing some organizing, we realized it was after 3:00 and we hadn’t had a thing to eat all day.

It was no surprise to me where J wanted to go. I’m surprised I even asked.

Sonic Drive-In in Portage is one of five Sonic’s in Michigan. It’s just off Westnedge on Romence Road. I didn’t look up the address before leaving. I guess I just assumed it was on Westnedge. For some reason, I happened to look to my right while we were sitting at a light. We almost missed it which would have been catastrophic…we may have ended up in South Bend before we realized we had went too far.

The Sonic Drive-In just off Westnedge in Portage, MI

We pulled in Sonic then found a stall. Wasn’t too hard. There actually weren’t very many people there. I was really craving the Jalapeno Cheeseburger I had at the Sonic in Oregon, OH, but it wasn’t on the menu. Instead, I just got a SuperSonic Cheeseburger, Fries, and a Sprite. None of the Sonic drinks were really sounding good to me, so I went boring.

J ordered a Sonic Bacon Cheeseburger with tots and a Cherry Lime-Aid. It was happy hour so our drinks were half price. This is going to be dangerous. When we get totally moved in to the new place in Kalamazoo, this Sonic is going to literally be five minutes away. Maybe it will lose it’s appeal, but I doubt it.

Anyway, I swiped my card for the $12 it cost us for lunch. A few minutes later, the carhop came out with our bags of food. Again, we ran into the moral question of tipping our car hop. For some reason, it never crosses my mind and J didn’t want to make a big deal out of it with her standing right there, so we didn’t. I know we really should because she is a waitress in a way, but it’s also fast food which is why I never think of it.

Anyway, our food was good. Sonic good, but to me, it’s still just fast food. J is still in love with the place and once again, loved her Cherry Lime-Aid. She was a little bummed they didn’t hook the cherry to the top of the glass like they usually do, but it was at least in the cup.

The thing about Sonic is that it’s a good, quick meal and that’s what we needed today. We’re really stressed out over the move and taking a break with something that makes J happy is always a good thing. Like I said, my gut feeling is the people at Sonic are going to get to know us very well over the next few years. I don’t know how I feel about that yet, but I know J is happy.