Jay's Stuffed Burgers - Plymouth, MI

Ever since I tried my first Juicy Lucy, I've been smitten.   Huh?  What's that you say?  A Juicy Lucy is two burgers melded together, and cheese is in between - essentially a "stuffed" burger, or inverted cheesburger!   They're wonderful when done right, and awful when done wrong.   I've had both, so when I heard that Jay's Stuffed Burgers were coming to Plymouth's downtown, in the former Zapata's storefront, I was quite excited and intrigued.   My wife Lynda and I had just finished mountain biking, and Lynda mentioned that Jay's had just opened a few days now.    We were quite hungry after biking, so we headed over to Jay's for a look.

Upon entering, I noticed the giant yellow menus that blazed from the overhead LCD screens.   The Jay's staff was very friendly, and greeted us.  While perusing the menu offerings, the burger chef gave me a sample of their chili (with turkey).   I was told his mother makes the chili, and it definitely had that wonderful homemade flavor that is a rarity in many restaurants.  Jay's definitely has some chili that makes it tough to choose between chili and a burger!   But, Lynda and I were there for burgers, so burgers it must be.   Lynda is a vegetarian, so she's often not able to join in on the burgery fun whenever we go out, so she was elated to be able to choose a veggie burger off the menu.   It's not stuffed, but that's OK.   I chose the Paul Bunyan stuffed burger - stuffed with mashed potatoes and sharp cheddar, and we'd share an order of sweet potato fries.

Made to order, we waited about 5-10 minutes, which is perfectly acceptable, but I can imagine this will cause the fast food crowd to wince a bit while waiting for their food.   This is hand made food, not pre-cooked fast food, so waiting is par for the course.   Upon retrieving our order, we set upon it hungrily.   Lynda was greeted by a sizeably large veggie burger, beautifully toasted bun, cheese, grilled onions, and all the nice fixings.   The remarkable thing about it, was that it achieved that nice gooey bun/burger melding that is the hallmark of all truly delicious burgers.  Vegetarians, you have another place to try!   As for my Paul Bunyan, it too had that incredible melding of flavors, burger + bun, interplay.   I'd recommend eating the burger partially wrapped in its covering for there's lots going on here, especially when dipped in the aus jus sauce supplied with the Paul Bunyan.  It's a wonderful burger, just enough cheese to not overpower the beef flavor, and the crispy yet buttery bun ties it all together.   It's just plain great.   I couldn't help but think that the only thing that would make it better would be a cold beer.  We'll be back!

So, if yer hankerin' for a stuffed burger and don't know where to go, try Jay's Stuffed Burgers, 600 West Ann Arbor Trail, Plymouth, Michigan.   https://www.facebook.com/GetStuffedAtJays/info

U.P. Pasties - Plymouth, MI

      As you may or may not know already, I live in downtown Plymouth.  I like to ride my bicycle everywhere, instead of driving my cage, so as I rode my festooned antique Schwinn 10-speed up to the Mayflower Party Store for yet some more beer, I noticed the pizza joint had transformed into U.P. Pasties.  Huh?  Whaaaatttt?!?!?!?    DROOL!   I love pasties, and every time I'm up in St. Ignace or thereabouts, I always stock up on frozen pasties, since as you well know, good ones are near impossible  to find in Metro Detroit. 
     Lucky for me, the owner was behind the counter, and I struck up a conversation with a very friendly lady, and she told me that they'd used the pizza place's ovens to make pasties after hours, to sell in the Plymouth Farmer's Market, and when the pizza place decided to shut down, she took over the place and is now making pasties, pot pies, and mini-bites full time.
     As for the pasties, I ordered a chicken (w/ chicken gravy on the side), beef (w/ beef gravy on the side), and a veggie (for my Vegetarian wife - Hi Lynda!).   I must add, that these pasties are on the larger side, which is good - I judged that I'd not be left hungering for more after tackling one of these pasties.   The owner was very fastidious to use a dedicated "veggie only" spatula to retrieve the vegetarian pastie, so no "meat" would touch the pastie - attention to detail like this really pleased my Wife.   While you can get em heated up in the store, I didn't, for I was going to have them later for dinner.   That said, I'm anxious to try the Chicken Pot Pie, as well as the Mini-Bites (miniature pasties), but that will have to wait for another visit.  But, anyway - upon returning home, I turned my oven to 350, and popped em in the oven on a perforated metal pizza stone.  It's recommended to leave the refrigerated pasties on the counter for a bit before ploppin' em into a hot oven.  Doing so ensured that my pasties crisped up very nicely, and I gravied em up, and dug in......
     AAaaahhhh.....I felt as though I'd been transported to St. Ignace, upon the first bite of the beef pastie.   Tender beef, and the potatoes, carrots, and rutabaga really play well together.  The veggies in the pastie really tasted fresh (not canned), and that lent it a very vibrant flavor - combined with the crispy crunch outer and the gravy, it really was delicious - same deal applies with the Chicken version too.     My Wife really loved her Veggie pastie too, but lamented that she couldn't use the gravy.  I guess ketchup will suffice.  
    So, in closing, I'd have to say U.P. Pasties is a smash hit - I'm so stoked to have such a favorite food so close to home.  The owner told me that you can also request custom pasties, and pre-order vast quantities if you want, and she'll even make veggie pastie bites if you pre-order them - I anticipate having them make up a bunch of mini-bites for parties - they'd be a hit for sure.  These pasties are truly made with care, by someone who cares, with FRESH ingredients, and I couldn't be happier to have em as a neighbor!  Try em, you'd be silly not to!

U.P. PASTIES COMPANY

Sardine Room : Plymouth, MI

Our streetside table + PBR Pint

My wife and I decided to ride our bikes downtown to grab a bite to eat at one of the various sidewalk seating restaurants that populate Downtown Plymouth.  Seeing the hustle and bustle of the setup for the Art Fair, we decided to try the new Sardine Room.   We placed our names for an outside seat, told we'd be waiting 1/2 hour, so we left with our Sardine Room buzzer to have a drink outside at the next door 336 martini bar (great $6 blueberry vodka mojitos!).  

Our buzzer went off, after 1/2 hour, and we arrived at our table - nice clean aluminum tops and chairs - I'm liking it already.   Our server, Alyssa was very friendly and cheerful and took our drink orders right off the bat.   The wine prices are a bit spendy per glass, but anytime you can get a can o' PBR for $3 bux, at a nice restaurant, is a treat (I'm a recovering beer snob), so I evened out my wife's spendy wine selection with a frosty draft PBR pint.  

I hadn't eaten since breakfast, so I needed some hearty fare.  The Sardine Room menu has a variety of intriguing items on it, and thankfully, they do live up to their namesake and offer "Portuguese Sardines", as a small plate.   I probably would have left, if they didn't have sardines!   If you've been to tapas places before, you'll know they can vary wildly in portion size, so I ordered somewhat more than I'd planned on.   My wife got the Chop Salad (she's a vegetarian so she left off the Sopressata meat).   She absolutely loved it - way more than the Cauliflower side order she also ordered.   For myself, I availed myself of the aforementioned Portuguese Sardines, the Chicken Livers small plate special, and the Pulled Pork Poutine.

The  Chicken Livers arrived first.   This is a tapas you really don't want a lot of, for chicken livers (or any liver) is incredibly filling.   The livers were sauteed, and mixed in with a brownish sauce, accompanied by a couple crustinis smeared with a cold chopped liver spread.  I like it when the little livers are cooked so they begin to break apart, and these little crumbles thickened up the sauce incredibly well - dab a little liver and sauce on the crustini, and prepare for major flavor - it was a wonderfully gluttonous dish, and I loved every bite. 

Portuguese Sardines appeared three on a plate, drizzled with a spicy olive oil, and some different style crustinis.   The sardines are those big chubby short ones, and after eating the chicken livers, I couldn't believe how full I felt, but endeavored to gobble up all three sardines.  I found it somewhat humorous that I struggled to ingest three sardines.....That said, I really enjoy sardines, especially the tiny little delicate "sprat" style smoked ones (Riga Sprats @ Hillers - the best!).   The Portuguese Sardines are of a more burly/meaty variety, and a bit on the salty side, but not objectionably so.   Still, they were quite good, and I would get them again (my wife said I couldn't get em' again because they smelled too 'sardine'ey' - ha ha!  As they properly should!).

Pulled Pork Poutine + neglected PBR

Now, I'm really feeling double full, and my poor PBR is neglected, for I really am really running out of room in my gullet.  I'm hoping the Pulled Pork Poutine indeed lives up to the portion size everyone associates with Tapas restaurants - small!......But, no - the Pulled Pork Poutine that I received was gigantic.  Normally, I'd be overjoyed, but there was no way I could gobble all that food.   But, I'll still try it.   The Pulled Pork Poutine fries looked really thin and crispy.  Large chunks of cheese curds populated the upper level, sharing the space with slivers of jalapeno peppers and plops of pulled pork, all of which was bathed in a thin brown gravy sauce.  It was quite delicious, and I could see myself ordering only the Pulled Pork Poutine as a full meal.

The Sardine Room has so many other interesting items on the menu, and I'll definitely be back to explore the menu.  If you can, wait the extra 1/2 hour to sit outside, weather permitting.   The service is great (plates cleared promptly, water refilled, and utensils supplied without needing to ask), and the the place definitely achieves an upscale, yet casual vibe that's so hard to manufacture - I like it!  The Sardine Room definitely surprised me, and really adds to the fun of Downtown Plymouth.  Try it!

Black Tulip Grille, Wixom Michigan

Stopped in while driving thru Wixom, I'd heard about the place from a local friend and was curious.    The restaurant is in an office building, and the street signage is very visible when driving on Beck Rd.  There  are two menus - one for breakfast, and one for lunch.  I was in a breakfast mood, and asked for that menu.   It's always gives me a good feeling when I see a menu with a handful of interesting choices, instead of a huge menu with a bunch of predictable and boring offerings.   Black Tulip has some very nice choices, and none of the boring stuff.   Feeling like some sturdy fare, I ordered up the Corned Beef Hash breakfast.  Sure, it was late morning, but what the heck!  

What greeted me, upon being served was a very sizable portion of one of my favorite concoctions!    Apparently, the corned beef is bought locally, then prepared to order, and is very apparent since there were visibly  hand cut pieces in the mix - nice to see.   The hash brown bed was nice n' crispy - done to perfection, with that multi-layered golden brown flakiness that is ever so hard to come by.   Three perfectly done poached eggs perched on top of the layers of Corned Beef hash, and potato hash browns, with a slight sprinkle of melted cheddar over the whole lot.  

For fans of corned beef hash, of what I consider a delicacy,  Black Tulip's version is a major home run.   The crispy potato hash, the tender corned beef hash, and the perfect gooeyness of the the poached egg, all combine to elevate the dish to truly awesome proportions.   If one were hung-over, this would truly be a magic bullet of a cure.   However, I was not hung-over, andI really didn't want this meal to end - it was that good.   Chef Dave even brought me over a cup of Chai tea to try - he has a new machine that makes it.  I'm not really a tea guy, but the drink really was an eye-opener and could possibly be addicting!  I'll be looking for that one again.  Also,  the place should have a real bar opening up soon, so those after work folk can have someplace to have a beer/wine and some light chow, before heading home - that's cool.

Great place, and I can't wait to explore the menu a bit.  Czech em out on the intra-netz!
Black Tulip Grill 

Panache 447 - Plymouth, MI

Stopped in for a bite to eat on a Friday nite, with my wife, and inlaws.  I've been to Panache before, and have always wanted to try their Burger, but never got around to it.   They do have an interesting burger for "burger-fans".   If you look at the menu, they have about 24 options for toppings, and also states that you can order ALL the toppings on your burger if you so choose.   I've been wanting to do this since Panache opened, so this was the night!  Of course, my wife was horrified by my decision, and everyone tried to discourage me from this venture, fearing that I'd be plated with a heaping monstrous pile of burger buried by toppings - a sorta giant nacho platter gone horribly awry.......

Our nice waitress, took my ALL OPTIONS burger order, informing me that I'm only the third person to attempt such a feat.   That realization only served to further galvanize my tablemate's prejudice against my uber-burger order - ha ha!  I'll show them!    As I sipped on a pint of Palm Ale (nice option) in Panache's breezy outdoor street patio, I couldn't help but wonder how the kitchen would approach such a feat - pile tons of stuff on the burger, or parcel out each topping in proportionate amounts?

When my burger arrived, I was surprised by it's arrangement.  It was taller than it was wide, almost as if the Leaning Tower of Pisa was now transformed into a burger!   However, all the ingredients were artfully stacked, as to keep the prerequisite radial symmetry so critical in a proper burger.   I decided the best way to tackle the tower, was to just pick it up and dive in.  First bite - a little burger edge, then another small gouge at the upper topping level.  It was awesome....all those little flavors, coming online to my taste buds as I chewed.  Each subsequent bite, offered up a new mystery combination of flavors, all bolstered by a juicy, well grilled 'medium' burger.   The most surprising topping flavor, which I'd never thought would even be good, was the peanut butter - it goes remarkably well with the burger meat.

Ok, ok, no - I did not finish it, but I came darn close.  I could have finished it, but I wanted not to fall asleep when I got home.   All in all, Panache really has something incredibly unique and fun, with this burger.   If you are a burger fan, I encourage you to try this $12.99 wonder.....even if you only get one topping, it's still a well crafted burger.  Top Notch, Panache!

Joe's Gizzard City, Potterville MI

  So I heard about this place from my stepmom (of whom I really like - no kidding!).  She knows I like food that most people avoid.  Pickled tongue, smoked clams, sauteed chicken livers, fish heads and necks, bull testicles, etc. are all some of my favorite and exciting foods for me to eat - I like the unusual, and enjoy creative presentations of these oddballs.   So, she was very excited to tell me about this place that specializes in GIZZARDS!!!

   I was having a slow work day, and decided to road trip it on my wonderful Suzuki Vstrom - what could be better than an afternoon stab on the road to git me some tasty gizzards!?!    I couldn't and wouldn't disagree with myself, so I hit the road.  Two hours of back road meandering (the highway is too boring), and I arrived in sleepy little Potterville.  I was pretty excited by the prospect of a place that touts gizzards as a major menu draw.  Upon my arrival, mid afternoon,  I was happy to see a Bell's Oberon special for $3 bottles, so I ordered an Oberon, and the Gizzard Sampler platter off the appetizer section of the menu.  I imagine this platter is pretty popular for first timers at Joe's, for it offers four styles of gizzard preparation.

My platter arrived, and my waitress pointed out each quadrant of near identical appearing, but differently flavored gizzards.  My expectations of greatness started to diminish when I realized the 'garlic' version amounted to someone sprinkling powdered garlic over the deep fried nuggets, not very promising.....Anyway, I unhesitatingly picked one up, dipped it into the red shrimp cocktail sauce (? why cocktail sauce?) and popped one in my maw.   The first thing that I thought is  "MUSHY".   Oh NOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooo............

I read that Joe's pressure cooks the gizzards to soften em up, but jeezuss, but there is absolutely no texture to these gizzards - they're mush.   And, after trying all four styles on my plate [it was impossible to tell if they were flavored differently, aside from the obvious use of old garlic powder], the breading used is identical.     These poor gizzards have WAY too much breading on them, and the breading somehow manages a real rare trick - to be both a sponge for the deep frier oil, and be flavorless at the same time, and yet hermetically contain a watery juice from the gizzards to be released upon the first bite - squirty!  Combine that with the mushy meatlets of the gizzards and you truly have a plateful of drech.  

Joe's, I hope your fryer chef was hungover, or having a PMS attack, or even generally having a real bad day, and threw in yesterdays re-frozen pre-breaded gizzards for my dismal platter, for there's really no excuse for such awfulness.   I'm at a loss as to how something so simple, and so potentially delicious, could  turn out to be such an abject failure.  Thank Crom! for my Bell's Oberon to wash the graveyard taste from my mouth.   I really, really wanted to like these so much. 

That said, I am a bit embarrassed for Joe's Gizzard City to place so much of it's notoriety on such a miserable offering.  I'm shocked people actually like em.  Can you tell I'm vastly disappointed?  So, if you want to treat someone to a truly "memorable" meal, take em to Joe's Gizzard City, 120 W. Main in Pottersville!

Great Plains Burger - Ann Arbor

OK, second time round here.  Great Plains Burger (G.P.B.) has an admirable mission statement - lots of locally sourced and sustainably produced food fare, I can dig it.   The first time I went, they were only open a few days, and there were some definite teething issues, but I thought there was potential.  Fast forward one year later, and I've seen some improvements, and some missed opportunities.   Firstly, their main claim to fame is their fresh hand pressed french fries.   The tricky part about fresh cut fries is moisture content.  Fresh potatoes have A LOT of water in them.  When you fry moisture laden fries, the outside gets crisp, but the inside is cold and soggy - blechh!!!  G.P.B. has finally figured out how to cook their fresh fries - I believe they let them dry out for a bit before frying, and they are no longer a nice looking but soggy disappointment, but instead pretty crisp and a bit chewy - I approve.  

Upon my first visit, I found it odd that G.P.B. did not offer a veggie burger, for right across Plymouth Road, is one of the biggest bastions of vegetarian hipster collegium on the planet - Ann Arbor's own Michigan University!!   Guess what Pedro, they have a fresh made Black Bean burger on the menu now.   I don't normally order black bean burgers, but as I passed by G.P.B.'s refrigerated display case, I notice next to the raw burger balls, were the fresh veggie burger balls - G.P.B. smushes each burger ball into a patty on the grill, which is a good technique.   So, I figure, I best try one out since that was a criticizm of mine when I first visited - best buck up or shuttup!

I ordered a Black Bean burger with grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, lettuce, tomato, and bacon [couldn't let the vegans win!]....I did forget to add cheese, but as you'll see, it didn't really matter.  My burger arrived fairly quick, served up on a tray open faced, with a ton of fresh cut fries - looked pretty good.  The outside of the Black Bean burger looked nice n' crispy from the grille.  The grilled onions and sauteed mushrooms were nicely perched on top.  Nice presentation for a fast food joint.  

The first bite cause some alarms to go off in my head.  The outside was crispy, but the inside was a lukewarm mushy texureless glop.....I'm talking old-toothpaste kinda mushy - kinda like eating uncooked falafel.  However, the flavor was good, with a snappy peppery goodness.      I  tried a few more bites, before I got up from the table and dropped it off at the pay-counter.  I kindly asked for a Black Bean burger that was actually cooked in the middle [how ironic!?].    After grumbling mentally for 10 minutes, my replacement tray arrived.  The new burger definitely looked more cooked, and was kicking out some serious Btu's.   A promising sign?!!    I dived in for a bite, and while it up to temperature, the same textureless flabby mushy toothpaste sensation was awaiting to greet my palate.  ZZZZ!  Ding...FAIL.   Seems that the excessive moisture problem G.P.B. had with their french fries has migrated into their Black Bean Burger!   I've had hand made veggie burgers/black bean burgers before that were crunchy crisply nutty delicous treats, so I know it can be done.  G.P.B. is on the right track here, but they need to dial in the moisture content of their patty. 

All in all, for a quick meal with fresh + 'local' ingredients, in a nice & clean restaurant [the open kitchen is spotless, +2 points for that]  Great Plains Burgers is appealing.  I want to like the place, but they are really going to have to figure out how to fix that Black Bean burger - it could be really good if they figure it out.  Come on Great Plains, I know  you can do better!

Shiro

I've been going to Shiro, http://www.shiro-restaurant.com/, ever since they opened 10 years or so  ago.  It's been a consistent and reliable accomplice in my ongoing love affair with all things Sushi.  Simply put, it's literally one of the best places to get Sushi in the Detroit Metro area - unanimously!   Set in an old Greek-Revivalist mansion, painted white with tall exterior columns [Shiro  translates to 'White Castle'],  a grand staircase, and multiple open plan rooms, Shiro lets one know immediately that this is no ordinary restaurant.  The proprietor, Mr. Shin, is usually on hand to greet you at the door.  He's a real character, and a huge part of why Shiro is so much fun to dine at.

Really - Shiro is all about fun.  The menu not only has sushi and sashimi options, but other fare too - Think of this place as French+Japanese riffs on dishes you've seen before.   If you're not in a Sushi frenzy, there are very compelling choices on the menu to be had.   Often, I'll usually start out with a few appetizers.  A heaping bowl of Edamame, salted to perfection, is  a great start.  The Wasabi Shumai appetizer is a spicy meaty and hearty treat.  The Octopus salad [octopus w/ seaweed salad] is very fun for the palate.  Not really an appetizer, but almost a full on dinner, is the Tuna + Avacado Salad.  Shiro is known for their dinner salad's dressing [Shiro Salad].  Nobody has been able to figure out what makes this dressing so freekin' good.  The Tuna + Avacado Salad is basically a big Shiro Salad, with Tuna sashimi, avacado slices on top with a sprinkling of sesame seeds.  It's incredibly delicious.  BTW, if you notice the Soft Shell Crab [seasonal] on the Appetizer list, do not hesitate to order it's garlic + buttery crispy goodness.  I miss molting season.......

Occasionally I'll order the 1/2 salmon head, to horrify my dinner guests, so for all you food fans out there, you can find some unusual dishes at Shiro sometimes!  As for dinner, you really cannot miss on any of the entrees.  It's hard to veer off the reservation when you want sushi, but over the years I've sampled the Chilean Sea Bass, Beef Teriyaki, and others I can't remember - all very satisfying in a savory way you'd expect.

And now for the sushi - - over the years I've gone from the rolls to just plain ol' sashimi [just the fish].   I usually order the Sashimi Dinner, and let the sushi chefs throw on whatever looks good - and, by trusting them to decide, you often get the best chunks!   I really enjoy the surprise factor - it might be surf clam, or scallop, snapper, or whatever from time to time, in addition to the usual tuna and salmon slices.   Shiro's fish is always of the highest quality, and most wonderfully sublime flavor.  And, they actually use real Shiso leaf, instead of that lame-ass plastic thing you often see on your plate in lesser establishments.  Shiro doesn't mess around.

Shiro is sometimes a quirky place, sometimes super busy - or not,  but the food is always ready to rock.  It's not your typical cookie-cutter restaurant - Shiro has real character and soul.    It's truly one of my all time favorite places to dine in.  Try it once, and you'll be hooked.

Nico and Vali Italian Restaurant

Like a mini-vacation to Italy.  Haven't been to Italy in a few  years, and it definitely had that "I'm back!" feeling.   Nico and Vali, http://www.nicoandvali.com/, Casual cafe style eatery, great atmosphere, and the food is superb - with fine attention to detail. You can tell it's made fresh. The menu has a good variety of classic pasta dishes, panini sandwiches, pizza + panzerottis, beer + wine! [Michigan's Bell's beer lineup is featured prominently], and home made biscotti [who does THAT anymore?].  With seasonal outdoor cafe style seating, and a great menu, it's a great place for a quick take-away sandwich, or a night out. The prices are an incredible deal as well, for the quality of the food is superb.  Anyone who really like Italian food done right, must eat here.

True home made cooking - you can tell they really did make it fresh.   The Owner's mother can occasionally be seen making all sorts of delicious things in the kitchen.  As for my faves, here we go: I really love the Muffalatta sandwich - awesome olive tapenade really makes the sandwich pop.   The Strachiatella soup is utterly fantastic - I find myself sometimes daydreaming about this soup at inopportune times.   And your basic spaghetti and meatballs truly live up to what you'd imagine home made should taste like - simple and bold tastiness [many local Detroit Italian restaurants, as you well know, cannot do this simple dish well - but Nico & Vali does!].   One item not shown on the Nico + Vali's online menu is the fabled "Nico Burger" - basically a Angus patty, w/ caramelized sweet onions + red wine vinegar reduction, w/ some unusual cultureous cheese [almost like a swiss muenster], all topped with a smattering of arugula - a tart counterpoint to the sweetness of the onions - all housed together under a soon to be crinkled and cracked, dark topped butter bun....for you Burger fans [yes, yes you Red Coat and Millers veterans - yes, you know what I'ma talkin' bout~!], you'll immediately realize that this is one of the best burgers you've ever had on your first bite.   No joke, the Nico Burger is the real deal!   My vegitarian wife absolutely loves the Vegetarian Lasagne, and I must agree, meat or not, it's one of the best examples of ANY lasagna I've tried - it's savory X10.

Breakfasts are great too.  I enjoy a breakfast panzerotti often, and their French Toast is incredible - all served with a nice portion of fresh fruit.  Not on the menu, is a riff off of their Nutella Croissant - a crepe made with Nutella, instead of the on the menu 'strawberry mascarpone crepe'....so wonderful.    It's nice to be able to sit outside on Nico and Vali's patio and have such a nice breakfast prepared for you.

All in all, Nico & Vali is one of those singular restaurants that somehow manages to nail all the small details, that make for an incredibly rich dining experience.  The food is exceptional, fresh and made with pride, the atmosphere is quaint yet lively, and the value is superb.  One of my favorite restaurants, and once you try it, it will be one of yours too.

The Plymouth Crossing

Went there for the first time to celebrate an old friend's arrival back in Plymouth.  I'd never been in before, so I figured "why not"..   We got there late, so we didn't order food, but the Bartender was great.  He even made us up a new creation drink called "SD coffee"....SD?, well you just had to be there.

The bartender did say they were throwing out the old "stuffy" menu, and coming up with a whole new plan.  I checked the website, and the menu did not seem new, and since the previous poster mentioned a burger [not on online menu?], I have to believe the website has not been updated.

I like the place, just have to get in for a bite!

Ironwood Grill - Plymouth

I keep trying this place every few months, since they opened, hoping it will somehow get better.....it didn't.  I like the location, the open kitchen/dining room, and the street life/view - it's a fun place.  But, the food standards are just plain LAZY.   Ordered the hummus platter - I liked the pickles/peppers/asparagus in addition to the nice warm pita triangles.  The Hummus was a fine puree, a bit loose and watery, but was decently flavored.

For my entree - I ordered the 1/2 slab of ribs.  My other tablemates ordered a pizza and a veggie burger.   The food arrived super quick, which made me a bit suspicious.  Sure, the ribs are always cooked ahead of time, and my oversauced ribs were a bit overdone.  Not dried out, but overdone as to where one could shake the slab, and the entire side of meat would fall off -  kinda like overcooking pasta.  But, the ribs were pretty good flavor wise, and they had plenty of meat on the bone [before it fell off].   My sides were an utter disappointment.  The cornbread muffin was straight out of the box - dry and no cornbready texture, it was a yellow cupcake.   The dollop of cole slaw was at a unnervingly tepid temperature, and half liquid mayonnaise - blech!  The crusher was the Onion Rings.  How do you fugg-up Onion Rings?  Ironwood's got the technique down.  They must have been leftovers from the previous night, because they were like rubber bands entombed within a oil soaked twice deep fried batter.   I've rarely seen such a sad onion ring.   I complained and they did bring out some freshly deep fried ones that were barely acceptable, but really, opening a box of Gordon Food Services frozen onion rings is not going to win any accolades - dull and lifeless flavor from what is normally such a delicious side.   For the prices Ironwood charges, one should really expect more than pre-made Frozen food.  Lazy Ironwood, Layy-zeee!

My tablemate's veggie burger was OK for a pre-made patty microwaved to perfection [?], but the squeeze bottle streak of guacamole on top of the patty was a head scratcher - why not real pieces of fresh avacado?  Oh yeah, you can't buy those frozen and pre-made.....   The pizza resembled a pizza, but was a curious mix of wet and watery in the center, and the Crust looked as if it were already pre-cooked a day previously,  topped with toppings then thrust back into the wood fired oven to melt the cheese - Not the way to make a wood fired pizza.   I surmise that the prep cooks wood-fire a batch of  blank pizza crusts, then as the orders come in, they top them and heat em up - very fast, but even Domino's doesn't do that....    A goopy flavorless mess - I was embarrassed for the wood fired oven.   The pizza could be so good with that oven, if the management really cared about standards.   The one saving grace was the cold beer that thankfully provided some relief from the tedium of the cuisine.  Thank you beer!

I really want to like Ironwood, but the food continues to disappoint.  This place is hoppin' on the weekends and always has a good crowd.  I'm sure I'll get dragged back here again, but I'll make sure to eat beforehand.  Perhaps the management's food standards don't really have to be up to snuff, as long as this restaurant remains a popular place to see - and be seen at.   That only takes you so far, and I'm done with this trip - adios Ironwood! http://www.ironwoodgrillplymouth.com/

Addis Ababa Ethiopian Restaurant - Plymouth

Incredible flavors, great service, just plain wonderful -  a real delight.    This place is way better than Ann Arbor's Blue Nile, so if you like Blue Nile's food, you'll love this place too.  Sidenote - they play some seriously awesome world music/space jazz here - definitely adds to the fun experience of a meal here.  Normally, it's a deal-breaker if I can't order a beer at a restaurant, but I gladly make the exception because the food is so very good.

On another visit, we brought our in-laws and their kids.  The kids absolutely loved the food, which really surprised me [you know how kids are!].   The owner is a super nice guy, and makes everyone feel welcome as if you were a guest in his home.

Logan - Ann Arbor - Casual Gourmet Foodie food!

I like restaurants like Logan, http://www.logan-restaurant.com/.  Interesting food, casual yet upscale atmosphere, non-pretentious.    It's got a nice friendly and welcoming vibe, and our hostess was very welcoming and got us drinks while we waited for our table - nice start.

Now for the food - the menu is very fun.  Lots of unusual preparations, and combination of ingredients.  Anyone who is interested in food will enjoy this menu.   I selected the Crab + avocado, and the Lobster roll for our table's appetizers.   The lobster rolls were nice, cut into 6 individual pieces, with crispy outer hull, and a nice blend of crunchy cabbage and tasty lobster.  But, this nice appetizer was it was overshadowed by the brilliantly flavored Crab + Avocado parfait.   Simply wonderful.

Our entrees were equally delicious.  Nice thing about Logan is that they offer 1/2 portions of the pasta dishes.  This is a great idea, because it allows one to enjoy more appetizers and not be stuck with leftover pasta to take home [which is never quite as good the next day].   My wife got the Gnocchi Bottarga, which was perfectly cooked and has a nice creamy flavor to it - great for a vegetarian, and very satisfying for even a carnivore like myself.   I selected the Moroccan hen.   I love little birds and this one's complex flavors were a delight.  The skin was nice and crispy, yet the meat was still juicy and tender.  I eventually put down my fork and went to fingers to finish off the bird - it was that good, nothing left but bones when I was done!

I really like Logan - it's a fun restaurant, and it's very reasonably priced for the quality of the ingredients and how they are prepared - top notch food.  This restaurant will no doubt be compared to Grange [another superb restaurant], but Logan is less of a 'formal' experience than Grange tends to be.   It's nice that A2 has a few of these types of restaurants that the foodie in all of us can enjoy - you'll definitely enjoy Logan.   Top notch!

Espresso Elevado - Plymouth - Awesome Coffee!

Pretty much the only place I know of that actually roasts the beans in-house.   So many coffee places who charge premium prices usually have the coffee pre-made and kept in those anonymous pump-carafe dispensers -  blah.    Espresso Elevado actually makes your cup fresh when you order - it's very quick via the process they employ.   In my opinion, E.E.'s process allows a cup of probably the freshest, most flavorful coffee possible.  It's THAT good.    Usually, I drink my coffee black - no sugar, no milk, no nuthin', so it's easy for me to discern if there's something special goin' on - and there definitely is.

On my last visit, I tried the Bali Blue Moon beans, and liked it so much I bought a bag for home [I use a french press/burr grinder setup].  It's very hearty, yet has a nice earthy taste I really enjoy.  I even got one of their coffee cards, where on your third bag of coffee beans, you get a free cup of whatever coffee you want - not a bad deal, since I'm hopelessly addicted to their fresh roast beans.

Fantastic coffee, for a true coffee fan to enjoy.