The Road to Tasting

Pete's Coney 2; Clarkston, Michigan

2011-10-14T20:23:00.000-04:00

Today the family and I went to dinner at Pete's Coney 2, located at 6160 Dixie Highway in Clarkston, Michigan. Now some of you may remember that Kolleen and I went to Pete's Coney (the original) in Pontiac some time ago. The original Pete's received one of the top ratings on this blog and I was hopeful for Pete's 2.

When entering Pete's you will find yourself greeted in a nice decor of local sport's teams, Michigan sport's teams and wall hangings that are designed to honor our American Armed Forces. I liked it! Pete's also has an ice cream parlor style cooler offering Hershey's Ice Cream. Again, I liked it!

Our waitress was kind and friendly. Except for a scuffle over a coupon at the checkout I was quite satisfied with the service.

For our meals we decided on various choices. As I do in all coney islands I ordered a cup of chili. I have always been of the opinion that a coney island is only as good as the chili they serve. My chili was pretty good. It was a bit too tomato-ee for my taste, but that was a personal preference. For my entree I decided on a sandwich, the D.M. Pete's Club; which was a corned beef sandwich on toasted rye with coleslaw, cheese (mine had Swiss), lettuce, tomato and thousand island dressing. Kolleen and I both enjoyed this sandwich. Personally, I would have liked to see more meat on my sandwich, but overall it was tasty.

Kolleen and Sarahfay shared their meal; a coney special combo with two coneys, fries and a drink. The Dearborn brand hot dogs were delicious as was the all-important coney chili. Sarahfay was a bit disappointed that Pete's did not have a cheese sauce for her fries, but overall it was good.

Now I must commend the service for allowing us to receive a sample of Pete's homemade potato chips. I thought these fresh and hot chips were delicious. Kolleen was not as impressed, but she did say she would get them before regular french fries.

The affordability of Pete's is good. Kolleen did have a coupon hassle with one of the servers over a local coupon. It seems that even though we told the waitress about our coupon at the beginning and she still refused to accept it as the coneys were part of a "special" even though they were not listed with the specials, but had a permanent place on the menu. My advice is that if you bring a coupon to Pete's 2 that you clarify your discount prior to ordering.

Overall, I enjoyed Pete's in every was except the coupon fiasco.

Overall:

Food: *** 1/2
Service: *** 1/2
Affordability: ***
Cleanliness: *** 1/2
Decor: ****

Overall: ****

Italia Fresca, Tuscan Grille & Wine Bar; Sylvan Lake, Michigan

2011-10-05T15:26:00.002-04:00

Kolleen and I celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary on Sunday, October 2nd. Since Kolleen had to work on the 2nd we decided to go out for dinner on Saturday the 1st. Now Kolleen and I are huge fans of restaraunt.com and we had a gift certificate for Italia Fresca; Tuscan Grill & Wine Bar located at 2440 Orchard Lake Rd in Sylvan Lake, Michigan.

Italia Fresca is set in an old sports bar and has much of the feel of that bar. As we walked in we noticed two things: first was that we were completely under dressed. The second thing was that the bar took up the entire restaurant. The walls where sparsely decorated and even held a large flat screen TV showing a sporting game. As I said the place still had a sports feel to it.

As we sat and perused the menu I couldn't help but think "Wow," as it was expensive. The prices for an entree was between $14.99 to $22.99. At least bread and soup or salad came with every meal.

I ordered seafood, in particular the Risotto fruitti Di Mari al Saffron. This is a risotto dish containing sauteed shrimp, mussels, calamari, clams and scallops (my favorite) seasoned with saffron and basil. Before I speak on the entree let me state that Italia Fresca has a wonderful house salad dressing. It is an Italian style dressing that is mild and tasty. The rolls are also tasty as they are hot and oiled, perfect for dipping in an olive oil and parmesean cheese mixture. Unfortunately, the entree was vile. The seafood smelled of garbage, in particular the mussels. This smell and taste caused me to return the dish with the comments, "this is too funky, I am afraid of getting ill by eating this." The waitress was nice and offered something else, but the entree made me lose my appetite.

Kolleen ordered one of my favorites, Veal Marsala. This dish has thin slices of veal cooked in a Marsala/butter sauce. The veal is covered with mushrooms and has a side of broccoli. The dish also came with an appetizer of house pasta. The sauce on the pasta was delicious. Kolleen did not enjoy her meal at all. Some of the problems were that the mushrooms covering the veal were just out of a can. For the price I would think that there would be fresh shrooms in the dish. She also thought that the Marsala sauce was too thin and lacked flavor. The broccoli, however, was cooked perfectly and was delicious. The clam chowder soup that came with her meal was also delicious.

In place of my returned dish we ordered the Portabella Al Griglia. This is a delicious blend of sliced portabella mushrooms and Angus Beef tenderloin tips. These items are then comes with a side of Zip sauce. Without a doubt this was the best tasting dish of the evening. The mushrooms and beef tips were buttery, garlicky and simply yummy.

Outside of my entree the worst thing about Italia Fresca was the service. This is not to condemn our waitress, for she was good; there simply was not enough of the wait staff to support the amount of customers on hand. We sat at our table for at least 20 minutes before we even saw the waitress. The waiting time was so bad that Kolleen and I seriously considered not ordering a replacement dish for the bad seafood.

As I stated earlier the affordability of this establishment was very high. If we did not have that coupon we would never have gone here. If the food was better the affordability would have been worth it.

The cleanliness was very good. We did not use the bathrooms so I have no basis to review them.

Also as I stated the decor and acoustics was poor. Italia Fresca took the place of a popular sports bar and much of what remains at the diner still leaves impressions of that bar. On top of that we saw pictures hanging at strange angles. The acoustics were terrible. I would normally expect a fancy restaurant to have a better sound and atmosphere.

Overall I was not a happy camper at Italia Fresca. Neither Kolleen or I enjoyed our entrees. We liked our salads and appetizers better then the meals themselves. In truth I cannot nor will not recommend Italia Fresca to anyone else.

Overall Ratings:

Food: **
Service: **
Affordability: **
Cleanliness: *** 1/2
Decor: *

Overall: **

Blazing Bagels; Waterford, Michigan

2011-09-23T16:24:00.000-04:00

The purpose of this post/review is to talk about an establishment that has become one of my "regulars". Blazing Bagels, located at 5633 Dixie Highway in Waterford (also in Commerce Township) has truly become one of my favorites. Now I should make a disclaimer here, as a Jew bagels are part of my food pyramid. I have always thought bagels are a Jewish "soul food".

You should also know that the true test of a good bagel is can it stand alone? A true and proper bagel should not require cream cheese, butter or jam. A proper bagel should have that chewiness and taste that is a treat all by itself.

I first walked into Blazing Bagels already knowing what to expect. Blazing Bagels has the look of most bagel stores with the addition of offering several delicious coffees. In truth I knew what I wanted, a pumpernickel bagel with cream cheese, lox, cucumber, onion and a slice of tomato. Fortunately, my item was one of the menu choices, being called "The Charles Lindbergh". The only difference between what I wanted and the menu selection was "The Charles Lindbergh" did not come with cucumbers or tomatoes and it did come with capers (which I declined upon). My sandwich, as it has always been, was delicious. The bagel was perfect and the lox salmon was of a wonderful quality.

Sarahfay (my daughter) has also ordered off of the menu at Blazing Bagels. She got a "Mark Twain", which is a salami sandwich. She got her sandwich with an egg bagel...she loved it.

The service is great at Blazing Bagels. The owner always remembers my order. The other employees have always been very nice.

The store is very clean.

As a carry out bagel shop I cannot speak to their decor. It is as you would expect.

Overall I would recommend Blazing Bagels to anyone. After all there is nothing better then a good bagel.

Overall:

Food: *****
Service: ****
Affordability: ****
Cleanliness: ****
Decor: n/a

Overall Total: **** (4)

Pete's Coney Island; Pontiac, Michigan

2011-09-07T20:54:00.000-04:00

Today I drove Kolleen to her doctor appointment. On the way we decided on eating some lunch and we wanted to stop somewhere that was on the way. Thus we found ourselves at Pete's Coney Island (the original Pete's) located at 839 W. Huron in Pontiac, Michigan (just east of Telegraph). Now Kolleen and I are big fans of a good hot dog and we had both eaten at several other coney islands. As for myself, this was a first time visit to Pete's in Pontiac,

Pete's Coney Island is a small building, one of those type of restaurants that brings up feelings of nostalgia of a small-town diner. Stepping inside I noticed that there is no tables or booths only counter seats that take up the entire establishment. Sitting down to order, I quickly and in good humor discovered that Pete's is "an original-style coney." not offering french fries or breakfast after 11 AM. I attempted to order a patty melt with Swiss cheese, but was told by the waitress that Pete's does not offer Swiss cheese. What I discovered is that Pete's Coney Island is a bare essentials coney island and I respected that.

Kolleen ordered a coney island hot dog minus the onions and I ordered a coney combo. W-O-W...that was one good hot dog and their chili is phenomenal! Eating my coney I completely forgot about the missing french fries or the Swiss cheese. It was simply delicious! There is really nothing more I can say then that! But Kolleen stated, "Pete's is the best coney ever!"

The price of Pete's Coney Island was really good. Kolleen's normal coney was $2.00 and my combo coney was $3.00. At Pete's you will not pay more then $5.25 for any one entree or sandwich. I consider that pretty affordable.

The restaraunt had superb service.

From what I witnessed at Pete's Coney Island it was very clean.

The decor of Pete's was that of a small diner. Pictures from the restaurants history line the walls. Even the curved counter seats feel completely in place.

I do need to mention that Pete's offers it's chili for sale outside of the hot dogs. Pete's also has website for pre-orders of it's chili at www.petesconeyisland.com.

Overall, I loved my experience at Pete's and I would return there in a heartbeat. It was wonderful and I do recommend Pete's Coney!!!!!

Overall:

Food: *****(5)
Service: *****(5)
Affordability: *****(5)
Cleanliness: ****(4)
Decor: ****(4)

Overall: ****(4 1/2)

Mexico Lindo; Waterford, Michigan

2011-08-23T22:43:00.000-04:00

Today we went to one of my favorites, Mexico Lindo, which is located at 6225 Highland Rd in Waterford, across from the Oakland County International Airport. I have been going to Mexico Lindo since I was a senior in high school enjoying favorites like fajitas, guacamole, tinga tacos and chimichangas.

In truth I knew before ever arriving at the restaurant what each member of my family would order. I knew this because we always order the same things, our favorites. Today was a bit different as Sarahfay ventured away from the kid's menu and ordered ala carte.

Upon arrival we feasted upon chips and salsa. In truth, I don't think it is fair to call Mexico Lindo's salsa a true salsa, for it is more like a sauce. Each member of the family was given a small bowl of mild sauce and a communal bowl of the green hotter sauce was left on the table. I tasted the hot sauce, just a minute amount, and I was rewarded with three or four minutes of solid hiccups; so yes, it was hot. My personal trick is to take a bit of the hot stuff and mix it into the mild bowl. That was I was able to come up with my own heat level.

For a meal I ordered the standard for me, chicken fajitas. What was different was that I asked for a side of fresh cilantro (we are cilantro freaks). The fajitas come on a platter with refried beans covered with cheese. Being lactose intolerant I asked for the cheese on the side. Small sides of guacamole, sour cream and pico de gallo were also given. I had the choice of corn or flour tortilla and I decided upon flour for this visit. The grilled chicken was mixed with onions, peppers and tomatoes. As always I enjoyed the fajitas, though there was a short amount of chicken in ratio to the grilled vegetables. The beans were delicious as was the pico de gallo. The cilantro just increased the taste enjoyment bringing the dish to a new level of tastiness.

My daughter ordered ala carte and got two tacos, one chicken and one beef. She enjoyed them very much. I tasted her shredded chicken taco and it was delicious.

Kolleen shared my fajitas, but the goal of her visit was her favorite dish sopapilla. As always she enjoyed the desert even using my cheese from my fajitas to her taste advantage. What she did not remember was the cinnamon that was used, but she was assured by our waitress that the dish was the same as ever.

The affordability of our visit was what you would expect from a restaurant of this stature. My fajitas were approximately $13.95, the tacos where $1.50 each (they where on special) and the sopapilla was $3.50. Overall it was definitely worth it.

The service at Mexico Lindo was top notch. Our waitress was great, being attentive and friendly. Sarahfay said, "she was smiling with joy." I could not have said it any better.

The cleanliness was also good. Sarahfay and Kolleen both visited the restrooms and they said it was well kept.

The restaurant decor was perfect as always. Normally there are pinatas hanging, but they where absent today. This was OK as it made the establishment look even cleaner.

Overall I would recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a good Mexican restaurant in the Waterford area. As I previously said I have always been a fan of Mexico Lindo and today's visit was exactly what I hoped for.

Overall:

Food: ****(4)
Service: ****(4 1/2)
Affordability: ***(3)
Cleanliness: ****(4)
Decor: ****(4)

Overall: ****(4)

Golden Buffet; Waterford, Michigan

2011-08-23T10:52:00.001-04:00

Many years ago when I first heard of Chinese buffets I have to admit to being very wary. After all how could a buffet, with it's food sitting out, possibly compete with my favorite Chinese restaurants. But then there came the day that Kolleen, Sarahfay and I first visited Golden Buffet located at 5630 Dixie Highway in Waterford, Michigan. I will admit that I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food. The fact that the buffet was an all-you-can-eat did not hurt the situation either. So thus was the view of the Hendin family.

But then came last night. Sarahfay and I had just finished practicing our archery and we stopped at Golden Buffet for dinner. Normally my family would never go to the buffet at dinner time as their prices are higher and there is so much seafood. With Kolleen's severe allergies to shellfish there really seemed no need to go for the dinner service. But as Sarahfay and I were alone, and we both l-o-v-e seafood, it seemed a perfect time to go.

Unfortunately last night had the worst quality of food that I have ever experienced at Golden Buffet. Let me explain...

I began my meal with a bowl of Hot & Sour soup. As always I added some wantons, scallions and fried noodles. The soup itself was tasty and I know my Hot & Sour soups. But the wantons where shriveled and hard. They actually had a crusty crunch to them and this made them unappealing. I also ate sushi in my appetizer. The sushi itself was unfresh and thus not worth the bite of eating. Golden Buffet did offer pickled ginger which was wonderful.

Sarahfay started her meal with a bowl of Egg Drop Soup, which she had never had before. She did enjoy it immensely.

For our main meals I chose the Vegetable Lo Mein, Peanut Chicken, Mongolian Chicken, Pan Fried Dumplings, and Baked Mussels. Unlike previous visits to Golden Buffet the Vegetable Lo Mein was dry and tasteless. The Peanut and Mongolian Chickens were both great as was the Baked Mussel. But the Pan Fried Dumpling, which is one of my favorite foods, was like the wanton, rock hard and hard to eat. I also tried the Chicken Teriyaki Satay and it was also dried and chewy, very much like jerky.

Sarahfay's meal consisted of crab legs, fried shrimp, Sweet & Sour Chicken and Chicken Teriyaki Satay. She had a difficult time eating the crab legs as they were so small had little meat to them. She did however enjoy the Fried Shrimp.

We did not partake of it last night but Golden Buffet does offer a nice Mongolian Style BBQ buffet and grill.

The affordability of Golden Buffet is exactly what I would expect from an all-you-can-eat buffet. The price for lunch is $6.55, with children under 10 paying $3.25. I find that very affordable. The dinner prices go up after 4:00 PM to $10.55 for adults and $5.25 for kids. Children under three years of age eat free.

Golden Buffet does offer a full carryout menu as well as a carry out buffet starting at $3.29 per pound.

The decor of the restaurant was fair. Sarahfay always loves the koi in the front fountain. In fact, yesterday she saw a turtle swimming through the water. I tried to trick her and tell her it was for turtle soup, but she didn't buy it.

The cleanliness of the restaurant, which is so important for a buffet, was just fine. The bathrooms where clean.

The service was fantastic. The waitress seems to be on top of things by removing used plates, filling drink orders and fulfilling special requests.

Overall I was impressed with Gold Buffet in all ways except the food. Last night there were too many inconsistencies in the taste of the food and if I had to judge the restaurant by last night alone I would not return. I pray it was just a off night.

Happy eating!

OVERALL:

Service: ****(4)
Food: **(2)
Affordability: **(2 1/2)
Cleanliness: ****(4)
Decor: ***(3)

Overall: **(2 1/2)

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Wally's Chicken & Waffles; Waterford, Michigan

2011-07-27T22:14:00.002-04:00

As Kolleen and I took off this afternoon to take Sarahfay to the local batting cages, she needs some work on her swing. On the way we decided to stop by a relativity new restaurant which was only 2 1/2 month old. The establishment is Wally's Chicken & Waffles located at 4349 Highland Rd (M-59) in Waterford right across from Meijer.

Pulling up to Wally's I must admit that that the three of us were extremely excited. After all, the idea of Southern cooking, the idea of eating chicken, ribs, waffles, potatoes, rice, BBQ sauce; these are all things we love. And we were happy to see they were all on the menu. Unfortunately they where expensive.

Nut we had a job to do...we had to eat. So after perusing the menu carefully we decided upon our orders and we dived in.

Yet before I begin talking about our food at Wally's I think I should first speak on the subject of BBQ sauce. Now BBQ sauce is a deeply personal and philosophical decision for any one individual. For Kolleen and I , we have a deep distaste for sauces that hold a hickory or mesquite flavor t them. In truth our favorite BBQ sauce is good ole Open Pit, plain and simple. As for Wally's sauce...we did not like it at all. Wally's BBQ sauce was deeply flavored with hickory. But let me state this, I will not count Wally's BBQ sauce against them in any way. I did not like the flavor, but many of you might; Sarahfay, for example, did.

As for our orders Sarahfay got the Rib Snack, which was five bones on a plate with Wally's Famous Potatoes and a small drink all for $3.99. Now the price for this snack was quite affordable. Sarahfay loved the ribs, which I was not too surprised by, Sarahfay always loves ribs. The potatoes also met with her approval. For her drink she got a bottled water.

Now Kolleen and I ordered the big one, Wally's Famous Chicken N' Waffles. This meal came with four pieces of buttermilk fried chicken, Wally's Famous Potatoes, a buttermilk biscuit and a house made waffle. It was a ton of food! The chicken was delicious! The chicken was awesome! I loved the chicken! The potatoes were drenched in butter and spices. I enjoyed them much more then Kolleen, but I have too admit there are better potatoes in Waterford. The biscuit was great. I did not eat the waffle, that was all Kolleen, but she was not overjoyed. Her exact words were, "eh."

I also ordered the Red Beans and Rice. I am not sure how the authentic version looks or tastes so what I got may me the real deal and I just may prefer the fake stuff, but I hated what I got. To me it was like masked beans with shredded pork and I was hard pressed to find any rice at all! Sorry Wally's!

The restaurant decor was that of an establishment that was newly changed and low budget. The cleanliness was good.

Overall Wally's was a nice change, but I cannot say that I would go out of my way to visit them. I would, however, stop by for a bucket of that incredible chicken!

Overall Scores:

Food: **1/2
Service: ****
Affordability: ***
Cleanliness: ***
Decor: **

Overall: **1/2 2 1/2

Royal Diner; Clarkston, Michigan

2011-06-10T21:16:00.000-04:00

Last night, after Sarahfay's softball practice, we went to have dinner at the Royal Diner, located at 6540 Dixie Highway in Clarkston, Michigan. The Royal Diner used to be called Nick's Country Kitchen a year ago and when it was I must admit that I was not a fan. But I am happy to say things have definitely made a change at the Royal Diner. This establishment made a long-term shutdown while they revamped the store and I must say they did a wonderful job! I will be the first to say that I am a tough nut when it comes to the critiques of restaurant decors, but the owners did a really nice job of the Royal Diner, inside and out. On the exterior they have a beautiful neon sign that gives the impression of an old style diner; while inside there are nice comfortable booths and tables, plasma TV's, more neon lights and even a working fireplace!

Now I have eaten here before and let me say that the salads are great, especially the Greek Salad. I have also previously had a hamburger and they too were delicious.

Today, I decided to eat something off of the specials list and that was the Roasted 1/2 Chicken. This was served with my choice of potato (I choice a baked potato w/ sour cream), a vegetable (peas), a bread basket, and my choice of soup or salad. Now as I said previously stated the salads at the Royal Diner are good, but their soups are exceptional. One of my favorites is their cabbage soup. Unlike most cabbage soups the Royal Diner does not cook the massively large pieces of cabbage until it is mushy, rather they cook it so the cabbage and carrots still have a bit of "crunch" in it. I absolutely love it! As for my chicken it was huge! I kept thinking to myself that for that to only be a half of a chicken, then that bird must of been on steroids and possibly a pro-wrestler. It was that h-u-g-e. The flavor of the chicken was great and it was cooked well. There was a homemade dressing underneath the chicken that I loved and thought finished the meal perfectly. For me the only thing that would have been nice was something sweet like a fruit relish.

Sarahfay ordered off of the kid's menu and chose the Eggs & Meat. She, like her parents, loves her eggs poached (she a good kid) and for her meat she opted for crispy bacon. She had white toast and a Sprite to drink. Being a Hendin, Red Hot was added to the dish. She gave a thumbs up to it all.

Kolleen, who does not eat very much at all, ordered a side of hash browns and then shared off of Sarahfay and my plate. Kolleen felt the hash browns were not that great until the butter was added, but then they turned to something quite good. Kolleen also ordered coffee which she enjoyed. I am always impressed when a restaurant gives the table a thermal carafe.

Now the greatest downfall for the Royal Diner was the price. They our not the most affordable restaurant out there. There are worse, my special was not too bad at $8.49, but the Kid's Meal at $4.99 only had 2 eggs and 2 pieces of bacon, that seems pricey.

The cleanliness of the store was good.

Overall I was happy the Royal Diner. They do have good lunch specials and I would recommend them to anyone for lunch.

Happy Tasting!

Overall:

Service: ****(4)
Food: ****(4)
Affordability: ***(3)
Cleanliness: ****(4)
Decor: ****(4)

Overall: ****(4)

Bread Basket Deli; Oak Park, Michigan

2011-06-01T17:37:00.000-04:00

It seems lately that most of my entries are coming at the tail end of a medical procedure and always with my friend Cliff in tow. Well, this is one is to follow the same course. Cliff and I left Providence Hospital in Southfield, Michigan this morning and my friend was in a "hankering" for some good old Jewish Deli. Well, me being me I am not one to shove that request away, and I immediately suggested the Bread Basket Deli located at 26052 Greenfield Rd in Oak Park. This restaurant has a lot of memories for me as this was where my Bubbie (Yiddish for grandma) used to take me all the time as a kid. Though my stomach was still a bit upset from my procedure I was still looking forward to a great meal.

The Bread Basket has the exact same decor since I was a child in the 70's, and I do mean the exact. Somehow the owners have seemed to keep the same vinyl entact on the booths, I don't know how they did, but they did. As you walk in you will stroll by a glass case of new and old dill pickles (I prefer the new), hard Vienna salamis, cheeses, fresh baked rye breads, and so much more. I couldn't help but notice the blintzes that seemed to be the size of softballs, I do wonder what they where filled with.

Cliff ordered a corned beef and egg omelette. His first reaction was the same as his last and that was, "there is enough corned beef on here for two sandwiches." Yet, he somehow, and I have no idea how, he found the room to finish it, along with his pumpernickel toast. Cliff gave it top marks, in fact during his first bite his eyes did roll into the back of his head.

Now I ordered what would have to be my favorite meal in the world outside of scallops, they call it "Lox of Luck" The Lox of Luck is a platter containing a bagel, cream cheese, sliced red onion, tomato slices, green pepper slices, black olives, home fresh sweet gherkins and Nova Scotia Lox. I like to call this "Jewish soul food." To say I enjoyed it was beyond the proper adjective. There is nothing like fresh Lox, but at $24.95 a pound lox better be good!

I also should also mention the coffee which was OK, nothing to write home about, but not swill either.

There was one downfall to our meal and that is pretty much a staple to a good delis, the price. Cliff's omelette was around $8.50 and my Lox platter was $9.75. I would complain about the prices, but first all good delis are priced as such and second, my food was too good.

The cleanliness of the store was good. The restaurant is old and some might mistake that for dirty, but I looked things over and I was impressed. I did used the bathrooms and they where newly cleaned.

Overall I loved my trip to Bread Basket Deli in Oak Park. Two months ago I took my daughter to the Waterford branch of the deli (see blog entry). I was not as impressed with that store as I was with the original. It helped that good memories of my Bubbie filled me through the entire meal.

Overall:

Service: ****(4)

Food: ****(4) Coffee kept it from a five.

Affordability: ***(3)

Cleanliness: ****(4)

Decor: ***(3)

Overall: ****(4) The food wins it!!!!

Denny's; Novi, Michigan

2011-05-13T13:56:00.000-04:00

I had another doctors appointment today and that meant another stop with my friend Cliff for a bite to eat. This time I knew where I was, out in Novi, Michigan (just north of I-96), so we decided on eating at Denny's, an old classic eatery. For me Denny's was always famous for a few dishes and those where their Grand Slam breakfasts, Eggs Over My Hammy, their tasty coffee and pie.

Now unfortunately for me I was not feeling wonderful so I knew I would not be ordering anything very large but I was checking things out from the moment I approached the restaurant. And the first problem came the moment I walked through the front door and that was the foul smell that washed over me like a tsunami. I am sorry my friends, but I CANNOT IMAGINE ANYONE WANTING TO EAT A PIECE OF COCONUT CREAM PIE WITH THE STENCH OF URINAL CAKES IN THE AIR. This vile smell permeated the entire restaurant. I asked the waitress about it and she said that was the normal odor, it made me want to puke!

The next strike was the cleanliness, which will receive a 0. Our table was lined with a green film in the edges that came off when my arm rubbed it. I have NO IDEA what it was! Next, we come the crawling ants and beetles on the booths and chairs, I killed three.

The waitress was nice enough until I asked about the smell; she then became very defensive.

As for the food let me start with the coffee. It was so bitter that I could not drink it. It is my belief that the staff reused the coffee filters, but there is no way to verify this. Eventually I moved my coffee cup aside and ordered an orange juice which was quite yummy. For food I had a bagel and cream cheese and a order of turkey bacon. The turkey bacon had to be sent back to be crisped up but when it came back it was great. It was thick cut and that made it very appetizing.

Cliff ordered the Ultimate Bacon Breakfast which consisted of two eggs over medium, hash brown six pieces of bacon and wheat toast. he was happy. He though the coffee was fair, but in his words it was the cream that made the coffee.

The decor of this Denny's was the same as every other Denny's.

Overall I would recommend you do not visit this restaurant. I would take you money elsewhere as there are plenty of stores nearby in this shopping district.

Overall:

Service: **(2 1/2)

Food: *1(1 1/2)

Affordability: ***(3)

Cleanliness: (0)

Decor: **(2)

Overall (1/2)

The Village Place; Waterford, Michigan

2011-05-09T20:01:00.000-04:00

The Village Place has a special place in my heart. Not the Waterford location (Elizabeth Lake Rd & Cooley Lake Rd) per se, but the West Bloomfield store, for I had a job there as a dishwasher when I was only 15 years old. Yes, I remember dish-dogging in a sweaty nasty back room and having a huuuuuuge crush on this super hot waitress (sorry honey) name Nicole (hey, I was only 15).

Today, my friend and spiritual brother Cliff drove me to a doctors appointment and on the way home we stopped to eat at one of the two Waterford locations of The Village Place (aka. VP). The second location is on Dixie Highway just south of Andersonville Road. As this was to be my first meal in almost 36 hours I was really looking forward to it.

Now the VP has had the same look to it since the fifth day of Creation. I truly believe that the owners hold to the belief that hiring an interior designer and having someone paint the walls is the same thing. The location I was at even had a 1970's cigarette dispensing machine...like ya'...c'mon dude! At least there was no cigarettes for sale, they simply use the old thing as some type of table for old dusty plants, and yes they where dusty. And as we are on the subject, the cleanliness was not very impressive, inside or outside the lavatories.

Prior to discussing the food, I should be clear on one thing, VP is not in existence or known for their fine Chef Ramsey cuisine. VP is a diner of "all-around" proportions serving a variety of foods; a sampler if you will. That is what draws me. Though there is a few dishes that I do love and I will mention those at the end, for those dishes are from the Waterford-Dixie Highway location.

For a meal Cliff ordered the Village Platter Salad. This salad was quite large and began on a bed of iceberg lettuce. Let me add this important fact, there was a lot of iceberg lettuce. On top of the ruffage there was some shredded swiss cheese and then a scoop of chicken salad. Actually Cliff had a choice of chicken salad, tuna or crab salad. Along with salad there came a side of cottage cheese and a grilled pita bread. For his choice of salad dressing Cliff chose a honey mustard. I am a fan of honey mustard so I decided to taste it, and my friends I was so close to gagging it was V-I-L-E! Cliff did not utilize the dressing but he did enjoy his salad.

As for myself I ordered The Village Place Special; a delicious order of three eggs (I got them poached) over wheat toast (or white, rye); with hash browns (or pancakes), turkey sausage patties (or pork sausage links or patties or bacon). Overall quite tasty, but then this would be a hard one to mess up.

The service at the VP store was OK, the nice waiter argued with Cliff whether or not he was due his cottage cheese even going so far as to bring a menu up to the table to prove he was right (he was wrong, lol). Other then that, the service was good.

The affordability of VP is about the same as any other restaurant of that caliber, meaning a store serving that same type of cuisine.

As I said previously the cleanliness was bad as was the decor.

Now as for the Dixie Hwy location I highly recommend the Veal Parmesan Sandwich, the Crab Salad Sandwich and their Heart Healthy Frozen Yogurt. For these items I would actually make a special trip.

Overall:

Service: **(2 1/2)
Food: ***(3)
Affordability: ***(3)
Cleanliness: *(1)
Decor: *(1)

Overall: *(1 1/2)

Joe's Crab Shack; Auburn Hills, Michigan

2011-05-07T21:45:00.000-04:00

I live in a "fun-to-eat" food family. I have chronic pancreatitis, which means I eat low-fat foods, plus I am lactose intolerant. Kolleen is severely allergic to shellfish and some paradise fruits like kiwi. And Sarahfay is allergic to kiwi and is lactose intolerant when it comes to ice cream. So when it comes to the eating of delicacies like crab and shrimp that dire task must fall to Sarahfay and myself. That's a shame...

It was just over a week ago when my daughter and I found ourselves at Joe's Crab Shack after our visit to Bass Pro Shop at Great Lakes Outlets in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Joe's is one of those fun type of places where just being seated is an adventure. The decor at Joe's can occupy one's mind for at least 15 minutes as the walls are covered with old pictures, signs and stuffed fish and sharks from the docks and sea. The wait staff makes eating pretty fun as they come out to the floor to sing every 10 minutes or so. On our trip our waitress even asked Sarahfay to come join the staff in a rendition of the song "At the Car Wash." Unfortunately, Sarahfay was just a bit too embarrassed but that would have been soooooooo cool!!! Also pretty awesome in the decor was the kids playground out front. I thought that might be pretty nice for a lot of families.

Sarahfay and I pretty much ordered the same thing, just in different sizes. She got the kids Steampot and under for $10.00 it was a deal! In that pot she had 6 crab legs, 4 large shrimp, redskin potatoes and a corn on the cob (Sarahfay likes to it calls it corn on the bone). I had the Long Islander Steampot and it was much more expensive then I had thought when I ordered it; it was $23.95. Yet, it had multiple crab legs, scallops (my favorite), mussels, redskin potatoes and corn on the cob. Sarahfay and I both agreed this was one delicious meal.

The way the meal was served only enhanced the enjoyment of the dinner. Instead of plates we were given a wax paper to destroy the shells on. A communal bucket for the shell discards was placed in the center of the table. The waitress also left a roll of paper towel on the table; believe me you will need this! As for myself this meal was extra special since I got to teach Sarahfay the ins and out of how to crack and eat crab legs.

The cleanliness of Joe's was very nice. I popped my head into the Men's Room just to take a look and it was well kept.

Overall I love Joe's, if anything would keep me away, other then my wife dying there, it would be the expensive prices.

Overall:

Service: ***** (5)

Food: ****(4)

Affordability: **(2 1/2)

Cleanliness: *****(5)

Decor: ****(4)

Overall: ****(4)

Green Apple; Waterford, Michigan

2011-05-05T17:31:00.000-04:00

Every family has a restaurant they can call their "regular spot", the one place they go to more then any other eatery. For the Hendin family that place is the Green Apple restaurant located at 4780 Dixie Highway (just south of Walton Blvd/Williams Lake Rd) in Waterford, Michigan. We have always loved the Green Apple, for their fantastic breakfast specials, for their great kids specials (kids eat free Mondays - Wednesday evenings with adults), and with their great food.

So it was just the other day that my good friend Cliff took me to lunch to try to get some food in me as I am still recovering from my recent bout of pancreatitis. I was not sure what or how much I would be able to eat, but I did know that if I could eat anywhere it would be at the Green Apple.

As always, arriving at the Green Apple was arriving at a comfortable diner. My family is known at this restaurant and Kolleen is actually on a first name basis with the owner. Since Kolleen had her stomach surgery years ago she tends to eat little at meals so she has an agreement with the owner that she may order off of the kids menu. To me that speaks of a friendliness to customer service.

Cliff and I arrived and sat down to order. As we are both familiar wit the menu we knew what we were going to order. For Cliff it was a Taco Salad and for myself it was going to be a Chicken Gyro with Fries and a side salad with ranch.

Though neither of us ordered it I do want to mention that the Green Apple does offer a wonderful lunch special. They offer a daily choice of soups (all homemade) to be served in a bowl with a choice of sandwiches. My favorite soups are the German Tomato, the White Chicken Chili and the Split Pea. The sandwiches are also wonderful. My favorite is their Egg Salad.

Cliff's Taco Salad arrived and it did look very impressive. Cliff told me that everything on the plate tasted very fresh and nothing was frozen. The taco meat had a wonderful seasoning to it. There was an incredible blend of vegetables to the salad that did not end at lettuce, but included green peppers tomatoes and black olives. There was also was an ample amount of a dual blend of Mexican cheeses. The salsa was spiced nicely. The tortilla bowl was fresh from the deep fryer and was not too greasy but crunchy and delicious.

My side salad that went with my Chicken Gyro platter does deserve some comment. Unlike many side salads at various diner-like restaurants this salad had no wilted or brown lettuce. I also appreciate the fresh tomato and cucumber slice that was added to the plate. The ranch dressing was good, yet a bit watery, it could have been a bit thicker.

The Chicken Gyro was good. The cooked chicken was fresh and that is what made the sandwich. The pita was also fresh. I personally would have preferred red onions to the white onions that were on the sandwich. The tzatziki sauce for the sandwich was awesome and is what really made the meal special. The French fries were also top notch, though there were not many on the plate.

Overall, I was satisfied with my meal at the Green Apple. I have honestly been rarely disappointed from this establishment.

The cleanliness and decor are both good.

Overall:

Service: ****

Food: ****

Affordability: ****

Clenliness: ****

Decor: ****

Overall: **** (4)

Pita Way; Clarkston, Michigan

2011-05-01T19:46:00.000-04:00

My wife Kolleen and I have always enjoyed Middle Eastern cuisine. In fact, at another establishment we often frequent we would order a special Middle Eastern/Greek platter almost every time we eat there. Today my wife surprised me with some take out from Pita Way, a small eat-in & carry out located at 6315 Sashabaw Rd (just south of I-75) in Clarkston, Michigan.

As it often is our restaurant choice today was aided by our membership in restaurant.com and the coupons they provide us for discount eating. Remember, in addition to our medical easting constraints we are also under the all too common financial noose that has hurt so many in today's economy.

As I was surprised by the food, I had no idea as to what food was coming, yet I was far from disappointed.

The first dish Kolleen ordered was my favorite of all Middle Eastern and Greek dishes, Grape Leaves. These grape leaves were stuffed nicely with a cooked rice and meat and tomatoes; the flavor was delicious! The grape leaves had the briny taste essential for all grape leaves, but it was not overpowering in any way. The tahini sauce was also d-e-l-c-i-o-u-s. I must be honest, I kind of think of myself as a connoisseur of grape leaves and I seriously have not tasted a better grape leave outside of Greektown in downtown Detroit. The grape leaves may be ordered in one of two ways, meat or vegetarian.

Like most of the dishes at Pita Way the grape leaves may be ordered as a sandwich on pita bread or as a meal with yellow rice. Extra meat is available.

The second meal that was ordered was the Chicken Kafta, which was ground chicken mixed with onions and parsley. This meal was served as a sandwich. The flavors of the chicken mixed with the taste of the tahini worked well together.

The affordability of the meals was truly worth it as sandwiches ran at $4.99 and meals started at $5.79. The cleanliness of the store was top notch.

Overall:

Service: ****

Food: ****

Affordability: ****

Cleanliness: *****

Decor: ***

Overall: **** (4)

Bread Basket Deli; Waterford, Michigan

2011-04-21T20:55:00.000-04:00

It has been a rough few days in our household, especially when it comes to eating. I have been dealing with my chronic pancreatitis, my wife has been in the hospital with a back injury and it is Pesach (Passover), which means that I am not eating anything with leaven in it. So my daughter and I were on the way to see my wife at the hospital when I decided what could be a more perfect place to eat then a Jewish-style deli. I first started eating at the Oak Park branch of the Bread Basket Deli when I was just a kid with my Bubbi (Yiddish for Grandma). I remember eating all the classics, things like corned beef and chopped liver sandwiches, giant new pickles bigger then your forearm, and my still-favorite desert, 7-layer cake. So I was excited for my daughter to experience some of the food of my youth.

We arrived at the deli, which is a converted Taco Bell and walked to to a huge menu. I, of course, was completely disappointed, since I shouldn't eat anything due to it being Passover and my having an angry pancreas. Sarahfay had her favorite, a hard salami and cheese with mustard sandwich. Of course, she loved it. I do applaud Bread Basket Deli on their quality of salamis. In fact, they offer three different grades of salami, each varying on hardness...impressive.

Bring Pesach I ordered Matzo Ball Soup. Now I must be honest from the onset, I judge all matzo balls from my Aunt Sarah's. I like my matzo balls to be rock hard and dense. The deli's were huge and so fluffy they fell apart at the merest touch. The flavor was so bland it was as it was not there at all. The soup broth on the other hand was simply horrible. I attempted to add salt and pepper to flavor the soup, but I just could not stomach the soup.

For my wife I ordered a Jewish deli classic, corned beef on rye with swiss cheese and Russian dressing. On her first bit she was not sure, but with each bite she grew further impressed with the sandwich. I did order the small sandwich and as such I was impressed with the amount of meat that was given. I have to say that as I watched my wife eat that sandwich I did wish Passover was over.

Overall, I did find the Bread Basket Deli to be a classic deli. The incident with the soup did seem to fill the employees with concern. I tried to explain that I was a bit of a nit-pick when it came to my matzo balls, but they were insistent on a soup refund, I find that to be managers who listen to their customers.

The restaurant was extremely clean.

The decor was as it could be for a tiny deli in a converted Taco Bell.

Ratings:

Service: *****

Food: **1/2

Affordability: **

Cleanliness: *****

Decor: **

Overall: **1/2

Copperstones; Waterford, Michigan

2011-04-15T23:30:00.001-04:00

I have always been a fan of going out for breakfast. There is just something comforting about a nice plate of eggs, toast and coffee. My family and I formerly had a usual breakfast stop, one right by the house. I do not want to drop their name, but we had thought that they were "the bomb" of the morning meal. With a great breakfast special and free coffee, we figured that no one would be able to top them.

But then came Copperstones...a restaurant that is a Waterford icon. I heard of Copperstones breakfast first from my church pastor who had mentioned that this eatery had served turkey sausage. This was a huge hit with me as I am not a pork eater. Thus my family and I chose to give Copperstones a try.

Let me start with the coffee. Y-U-M-M-Y!!!!!!!! I am not sure what this place does to brew this hot drink, but somehow they have come up with coffee that has become an absolute nectar of deliciousness. I would return to Copperstones for their coffee alone. My wife was thrilled to find out that Copperstones offered Equal, Splenda and Sweet & Low.

The meals themselves did not disappoint us. My family has a passion for poached eggs, and the cooks prepared their eggs properly. The hash browns (ordered by Kolleen) and my American Fries (for me) were both delicious. The turkey sausage was great! I would not have been too upset to see an extra piece, but as I am not a big eater anymore because of my pancreatitis I was satisfied.

The staff at Copperstones is incredibly friendly and is above and beyond efficient. I have never seen a cup of coffee go below a fingers level deep before it was refilled.

The cleanliness of the establishment was good.

The restaurant decor was that of a early modern coffee shop. Late 70's-early 80's family restaurant...very comfy.

Ratings:

Service: *****

Food: ***1/2 (coffee 12)

Affordability: ***1/2

Decor: ***

Overall: ****

Wing Lauk; Waterford, Michigan

2011-04-08T19:53:00.004-04:00

Today my wife and I took our daughter, our niece and our daughter's best friend Abby to a local Chinese restaurant called Wing Lauk. There really should be nothing to surprising about the family going out to eat, but we had not eaten at this long established restaurant before as a family, nor as a couple. In the past, Kolleen had quite a negative view of Wing Lauk in regards to their food. But today Kolleen had pulled up a coupon on restaurant.com (we're big fans!) so we thought we would give it a whirl.

Walking in to the establishment I was hit with three things: the first was with the overwhelming, but pleasant smell of plum sauce; the second was a sign showing that Wing Lauk was voted the "Best Chinese Restaurant" from 2005-2010 by the Oakland Press Reader's Choice Awards (impressive!); and finally, it seemed a bit dark for a restaurant, even with all the candles burning. As the hostess approached she explained that the power was out, but they were still open for business since the gas was still on. They were expecting the power back at any moment. Another important note, as we were passing the cashier I noted a sign reading that Wing Lauk offered a variety of gluten free dishes.

Now seated at our table Kolleen and I began to settle the girls in. We knew we had our hands full as one of the three girls had never eaten Chinese food and was "picky" beyond belief. So with the aid of a very helpful waitress with whom I was very impressed with we ordered our drinks. Finally figuring our plan of action we decided to order three children's meals of sweet and sour chicken and almond chicken while I decided upon and order of scallops kow. My wife and the children each had egg rolls while I had a cup of egg drop soup prior to the main entrée.

As for the soup I unfortunately for it to be a bit bland and tasteless. A simple addition of scallions would have easily been a way to increase the taste. The rice noodles/wantons that accompany the soup where also without flavor.

According to Kolleen the egg rolls where wonderful. As she is severely allergic to shellfish she was great relieved to find out that these egg rolls were made with chicken and not shrimp. She also said the plum sauce was great.

The arrival of the main entrées did not disappoint any of us. The scallops kow were absolutely delicious. As I had hoped for they were mild enough yet not so bland to remove the taste of the scallops or the Chinese vegetables. The portion size was large and made up for the $10.75 cost. The scallops were served with white rice.

The children's almond chicken was served to my daughter. She did enjoy it to some degree, but she is a picky eater. Her food was served fried rice. I had the opportunity to taste her food and I must say that her almond chicken is truly one of the best almond chicken dishes I have had...ever!

The other two girls had the children's portion of sweet and sour chicken. Just like my daughter the were both very picky eaters. My niece refused to eat hers and a wonderfully aiding waitress brought her a replacement plate of almond chicken which she enjoyed very much.

Overall I must give high marks to Wing Lauk. Though I was not thrilled with the appetizer courses of the meal I was in turn blown away by the almond chicken and the level of service we were provided.

Rating:
Out of 5 *
Service: *****
Food: ***
Cleanliness: ***
Affordability: n/a (used restaurant.com)
Decor: *****

Overall: ****