xman887's Profile
"He's baaaaaack." DTW
have you ever seen kwame and lavan in the same room?
my guess is that levan either owns the property (his sweet georgia brown used to be in the space - deep fried lobster tails - good god !?!) or he owes some serious back rent from when he occupied the space and convinced the owner that this would be a way of working off the debt (since nobody else can succeed in the spot despite reasonable foot traffic from the casino/greektown).
Looking for restaurant recs in Detroit
check out the sugar house http://www.sugarhousedetroit.com/
about 2 miles up michigan avenue (next to slows). you can even catch one of the six cabs in downtown detroit to get there.
"He's baaaaaack." DTW
i had the pleasure of meeting mr. hawkins several years ago (before he was convicted) and talked business. i ended up staying as far away as possible. what a disaster.
Downriver DTW
i had dinner at moro's years ago and it was pretty good. i have been there for lunch about four times with a customer that likes to go there. his words: "if you like garlic, you'll love moro's."
its a small, old school room witrh a dark, clubby feel to it. white linen table cloths and startched napkins. the waiters are all in black tux's. service is prompt and professional and a little abrupt - take your order, bring your food no small talk or kibitzing - down to business. there is also some show involved - tableside salad preparation; some entrees & desets at dinner, too. the food is good. tom moro is a seasoned pro. the food is not over the top great, but solid. personally i like roma's house salad, veal, and pasta with meat sauce a little better, but i would not hesitate to order it here. the soups are pretty good, too, and usually something more adventurous than your basic minestrone. worth checking out.
4 days in Chicago, where to eat?
it was jake melnick's. sorry - my bad for leaving that out.
4 days in Chicago, where to eat?
had a late lunch with a group of seven on 04/06 and enjoyed it. the beer menu is very unique and broad with a lot of hidden gems. i was pleased with an "against the grain quiet rye-it" and a "green flash hop head red." we ordered a plate of onion rings as an app. eight big rings came and went pretty quick. we immediately ordered another and added an order of housemade bbq chips served with crumbled blue cheese and a tangy blue cheese sauce. i had a pretty good bbq brisket sandwich, though the slaw was bland. two got bbq pork sandwiches and they enjoyed them. two got half slabs of ribs (the waitress ordered a whole slab, split it, and gave each a side, saving a few bucks) and they ate all of them. one thought they were a bit spicy (wimp). one got the bbq pork nachos and it was a mountain of chips, toppings and pork. i tried them and they were decent, but a bit too heavily sauced for me. and one got a small skillet of bbq beans and a small skillet of cornbread and picked off of the nachos and ribs. bill for 7 was about $150. i enjoyed it and would go back even if it was only to work though more of that beer list.
4 days in Chicago, where to eat?
went to rock bottom brewery last thursday (04/05). actually sat on the rb grille side, but we were given menus for both sides. beers were good - i had an ipa and an oatmeal stout. for dinner, i had a salad with asian vegetables and some thin slices of nicely seared rare tuna. it was pretty good. my oldest daughter went with a simple buttered noodles dish while my youngest daughter went with the two crab cake entree. i tried it, and though i am not a huge crab cake fan, they were very good - not much filler and a good, subtle citrusy tartness. it was different, but good. service was good. tab was about $60. i would go back.
Magnificent Mile Late Night?
had dinner at bijan bistro last night. walked in and we were seated right away. the place was about 75% full. service was good/prompt. we did not have a bad tempo experience.
two ordered the whotefish in a lemon capoer sauce with roasted potatoes and asparagus. i tried the whitefish and it was good.
one ordered the mac & cheese with applewood bacon. tried that, too, and it was good. maybe a bit too rich for me to eat and entire serving.
i had a caesar with chicken. the salad was good but the chicken was a bit well done.
four meals, two beers, and two iced teas was ~$70 plus tip.
liked it and would go back.
New and affordable BBQ on Rochester Rd in Troy that you will like [DTW]
there used to be a place in caseville called navajo taco. a little shack of a place and they cooked on a residential stove. they were good. but the place only lasted one (maybe two) summer season.
New and affordable BBQ on Rochester Rd in Troy that you will like [DTW]
grew up eating them and actually had one last night with my daughter. fantastic. and they get a liquor license in three weeks.
New and affordable BBQ on Rochester Rd in Troy that you will like [DTW]
nope. they have always made their tacos puffy. i grew up on the east side and went to school with three of the four kids. the original el charro's in fraer on utica road was a big hangout in high school. i have always gone back but was thrilled when they opened a new place in troy. http://elcharrousa.com/
here is the story on the puffy taco http://www.puffytacos.com/
A recent review of Slow's Bar-B-Q, Detroit MI
slow's for lunch today with four other guys. check out this timeline - i am a bit surprised:
11:30 - walk in the door and ask the hostess for a table for five. she says that it will be a half an hour wait, takes my name, hands me a buzzer, and says we can hang out inside, outside (it is 83 degrees on march 22!!), or down at astro coffee. i grab the buzzer and check the time. how many minutes shoul i set the over/under at?
11:58 - buzzer goes off - right on time. whoa!
12:01 - seated, greeted, menus handed out
12:05 - drinks and food ordered
12:07 - drinks arrive (hmmm!)
12:14 - food arives (wtf - am i at slow's??)
12:24 - waitress stops by and asks if everything is ok (who is this woman? she must be a trainee)
12:39 - check arives (i am speeding through another dimension also known as the twilight zone....)
12:43 - exit stage right (there's no place like home...there's no place like home...there's no place like home)
i had the triple threat: pulled pork, thick cut bacon, and a thick slice of ham on texas toast with a side of slaw - very good. lunch for five = $65. half hour wait, but in and out in 45 minutes - remarkable.
New and affordable BBQ on Rochester Rd in Troy that you will like [DTW]
i have been there once and thought it was just ok. in the future, i am more likely to go across the street for an el charro puffy taco.
london chop house - dtw
on the coat tails of joe muer's revival, the london chop house has returned to the d 21 years after shutting its doors. i tried it on monday night with three fellow diners before the wings game. i started my career downtown just before the chop house closed. sadly, i never had the chance to eat at the original. the new place is owned by the gatzaros family, owners of wahoo (around the corner - they own the building) and everyone's favorite -- fishbones (stop - don't make a snap judgement based on this lineage).
they spent a lot of money on the place, but the rent is probably cheap.
i called earlier in the day and made a reservation for 5:45. the woman that answered the phone was pleasant and curtious and asked if this was for a special event and if i had any special requests. nice touch. nothing special, just a meal before a game.
i walked to the place from my office. there is a valet at the front door and he charges $10. but keep in mind, the restaurant is on the ground floor of an office building on congress so they do not have a parking lot. you can park in a deck next to the post three blocks down the street or in a surface lot across the street or on the next block, but you will still pay at least $10 or more if it is a game night.
i walked in the front door and down a dimly lit flight of carpeted stairs where i was greeted by the hostess who had a smile and a warm greeting. she took me around the corner into the dining room and sat me at my table. water showed up immediately, followed by a basket of crusty, sliced baugette. my waiter came by soon after asked how many would be dining (i was the first to arive), if i had a time comitment (the game), if i would live to order a drink, and handed me the wine/cocktail menu.
the room is retro yet modern and and clubby - a guy's steakhouse: dark wood, dimly lit (one of my guests had to use the light from his phone to read the menu), black table cloths, red leather banquettes, big oak bar. here are some pics of the new dining room http://www.thrillist.com/food/detroit/mi/48226/london-chop-house_date-spots_seafood_steakhouses_very-expensive_wine_someone-else-is-paying
contrast this with a picture of the old dining room that i found on line - some similarities, but updated and different http://www.cardcow.com/291397/london-chop-house-detroit-michigan/
two of my guests arived within five minutes. our fourth let us know he was running late so we flagged our witer down and told him that we would like to order drinks and our meals so we could make the game. we ordered beers (pilsner urquel on draft, along with a couple of michigan beers and basic domestics and imports) and meals for all four of us (the power of texting). beers showed up followed by salads. i took a very brief look at the wine list and it looked like a moderate selection (not the tome you get at the capital grille) with prices ranging from $30/$40 to $400+.
here is a link to the menu page of their site http://detroitchophouse.com/menu.html but there are no prices. overall, the prices were high (it is a steakhouse) but not stratospheric.
we did not have time for appetizers but they have a classic theme: shrimp cocktail, crabcakes, escargot, oysters, scallops, tartare, etc. apps ranged from $10 to $17 and market pricing for oysters and caviar.
soups and salads are also traditional steakhouse: chop house, caesar, wedge, caprese. the roasted beet & arugula and the crab and hearts of palm sounded interesting. soups include french onion, du jour, clam chowder, and crab bisque. i opted for the bisque ($7) with safron and cayenne infused oils. decent flavor and some small lumps of crab meat. good, but not as good as the cup of lobster bisque that i had at the d.a.c. for lunch. one had the wedge ($10) and two had chop salads ($12).
our waiter stopped by shortly after the salads/soup were delivered and asked us about the status of our fourth diner. we told him that he was five minutes out. he told us that several other tables had been seated and would be ordering soon. he asked us if we wanted him to put our entrees in now or wait until our fourth arived, adding that if we waited, we would be behind several other tables which might delay our departure and miss the beginning of the game. nice attentive touch.
the entrees are headed by three signature items: veal oscar, braised short ribs, and dover sole meuniere. i opted for the short ribs ($35), which are braised eight hours and served over a celery root puree and topped with a heap of crispy fried leeks. there was a nice merlot reduction sauce that was a welcome addition. the meat was fork tender and a decent sized, two rib portion. it was a touch underseasoned - salt and the reduction helped. pretty good, but i would try something else next time.
my guests had the 14 oz new york strip ($40 - decent looking steak), pan seared salmon with pecan and basil pesto and white wine braised leeks ($25 - looked very good but a bit small), and roasted free range chicken breast (single breast with wing attached) with crispy potato/creamed corn and a molasses and bacon reduction ($26 - he said it might have been the best piece of chicken he ever had).
we also ordered a side of mushrooms to share - a generous plate for $8. our waiter also suggested the asparagus or the roasted cauliflower with gruyere, but we settled on just the mushrooms. all of the sides were $6-$10.
steaks include filet (6oz or 10oz), flat iron (10 oz), bone in rib eye (24oz), and a 32oz porterhouse for two. the petite filet was $30 and the porterhouse topped out at $78.
other selections include surf & turf, lamb chops, lobster pasta, perch, seared tuna, and shrimp, which ranged from $25-$40 plus whole lobster and alaskan crab legs at market price.
we did not have time for desert, coffee, or after dinner drinks. tab for four with one round of beers was $211.
by the time we walked out, the dining room was 75% full and not many looked like they were heading over to the game - not bad for a monday night.
overall, the london chop house was very good and i would go again. nice ambiance, very good service (attentive, professional, but not overbearing), and the food was good. next time, i would like to try the beet salad and the flat iron steak with the cauliflower. nice to see another good place open up downtown. let's see if it has legs beyond the initial nostalgic curiosity (will hour magazine quickly move to name l.c.h. its 2012 restaurant of the year next month a la joe muer's?!?).
here is a link to a good write up about the old london chop house http://restaurant-ingthroughhistory.com/2009/07/18/famous-in-its-day-london-chop-house/
Lunch & Late in Downtown Detroit
i would add rub bbq on the northwest corner of woodward and grand circus park (grand circus station) http://www.rubbbqdetroit.com/
for tex/mex downtown,loco's across from the corktown/south of the greektown station http://locobarandgrill.net/
next door to loco's is niki's (same owners) for greek fare and greek square pizza http://www.nikispizza.com/
24grille in the book cadillac hotel http://www.spa1924grille.com/24grille/index.html
checker burger (near the millender station) for a good burger http://www.downtowndetroitbars.com/checker-bar.html
there is also a texas de brazil outpost and a hard rock cafe inthe compuware building if you want to get your chain feed on
mr. b's - troy, mi
i was one month too soon. mr. b's troy reopened last week. we went with a bunch of neighborhood friends last friday night (day 2).
the place has a had a modest make over. new floor, the bar has been spruced up. the old hightops in the bar have been replaced. the dining room looked the same. our group of 17 took a wall length table in the bar area. the place is back in the hands of the ownership group that sold it to the woman that proceeded to drive the place into the ground. the group owns the rochester hamlin pub (and maybe a few other hamlins). the troy mr. b's will soon be rebranded the hamlin grille - with a more upscale menu than the hamlin pub.
the managers acknowledged that the menu is rather small (one brief page) and basic and will grow and develop over time. it has a few unexpected notes beyond sandwiches, bugers, and apps that i was not expecting. they did say that they will be getting a smoker and will have pulled pork, brisket, ribs, etc. in the future.
since they do not have a website yet, i am going from memory:
there was a soup or two and a chili.
about three salads that were more than just house, ceasar, cobb, etc.
there was a charcuterie plate (completely unexpected)
a few sandwiches - two had turkey/clubs and said they were very good. one had a jerk chicken sandwich that was a hit. one had a catfish sandwich that was a miss.
there was one burger option (about $7) that was a build your own with extra charges for cheese, mushrooms, grilled onions, avacodo, etc. they need to rethink the buns that they are using because they crumbled too easily.
i think there was a $10 buffalo burger burgers and sandwiches came with house chips (a few were underdone) or fries there were a handfull of entress, but they escape me since none of us had one
the kids all had personal size pizzas. most complained that they did not like them, but i'll be damned, everyone at at least 75% of them.
very good beer selection with about 12 draughts - mostly michigan (shorts, kuhnhenn, dragonmeade, etc. along with a few regionals (i.e., goose 312). bud/bud light/etc is bottle only.
table service was extremely spotty. granted it was day two and we had a big group. the two waitresses that we had were pure rookies and got a little lost in the weeds (my favorite was one of the kids asking for a "dr. pepper" (before ordering food) and she set a pepper shaker in front of her). the managers, to their credit jumped in and helped with service and were appologetic about delays and mix-ups.
prices seemed reasonable, though the waitresses were using some foreign accounting method for keeping track of orders and handed us a stack of bills that had little rhyme or reason to them.
all in all, i am very happy that our neighborhood place is back in business and that it is run by guys that know what they are doing. i look forward to seeing what they do with the menu. the beer menu is a plus. i will give them a pass on the service since it was only day two.
looking for good pizza in Oakland county help [DTW]
alibi is our go to for eat in or non-chain carry out (jets)
also like cust in rochester, fresco, and the gathering place in troy for square.
When do we stop calling it "Greektown"? (DTW)
history http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/detroit/d12.htm
here is a list of places, but it is an old list and a lot are gone http://www.restaurantica.com/neighbourhood/mi/detroit/greektown/9584147/
and the casino is going to build another giant deck...
Atlas Global Bistro [Detroit]
had a good dinner at atlas on saturday night with friends. first time in over a year. got a 6pm table and let them know that we had to be out by 7:30 to get downtown for a show. arrived at 6pm and were seated promptly. the place was about 25% full. our waiter came over and confirmed that we were on a schedule. ordered a round of drinks (plymouth gin!) and chose appetizers to share:
pork belly - moist and tender with a nice spicy bbq sauce. came with a grits (ok) and an onion jam (very good).
crab cake - decent size without much filler. nice fingerling potato's with a mustard sauce.
bistro beet - red & golden beets with smoked pistachios, goat cheese, greens, oranges, and orange viniagrette. our favorite (even our not big on vegetables friend liked it).
entrees:
saddle of canadian rabbit - the waiter swayed me to this after talking it up (funny, he said everyone else's dishes would be "amazing," too). i liked it but it wasn't amazing. the corn polenta it came with was knockout, though. next time, the duck or the short ribs.
bronzed jumbo sea scallops - three decent sized scallops (very good) with a sweet corn custard (mehh), and braised cabbage in a balsamic shallot bacon jus (very good).
rack of lamb - well prepapared, good sized chops with a potato and wild mushroom wedge (very good) and an artichoke and eggplant salad (ok).
filet of bison (special menu) - very tastey piece of meat. decent portion. don't remember what it came with.
no time for desert or after-dinner drinks.
as we left the place was about 75% full.
total for four entrees, three apps, and and two rounds of drinks was something like $220 plus tip. a bit on the pricey side but it was good.
Valentine's Day Dinner in Detroit Metropolitan Area (DTW)
you got brass - asking for a sample of sauce before commiting to a carryout.
Prentice Expanding; 4 New Restaurants [Detroit Area]
stan dickson must need a tax shelter.
if any of them make it i hope it is morels. that was my favorite of all of his places.
Lellis [dtw]
lelli's is a good place. expensive, but it is very good quality and very good service. groupon makes it a bit more affordable. i miss the original place in the new center area.
DTW: Sugar House
looks cool. went to the oakland toy and novelty co on saturday and enjoyed it. looking forward to trying the sugar house.
mr. b's - troy, mi
the mr. b's on the corner of rochester and wattles is supposed to reopen tonight. the last owner ran the place into the ground with poor food quality, bad service, and high prices. she went under and the place went back to the former owners (also owners of the hamlin pubs). being really close to home, this mr.b's was a go to for a quick burger/sandwich/pizza and beers. planning of checking it out with a few friends tonight.
Near Detroit airport
skip the expensive cab ride. if you like japanese/sushi, sora japanese cuisine and sushi bar is very decent for an airport restaurant. or you could go chill in the restaurant/lounge at the westin, which is in the mcnamera terminal. i have not eaten there, but i have had a beer there and it is a little more peaceful than the terminal.
http://www.metroairport.com/services/mcnamara.asp
aruba - occidental grand (all inclusive)
just back from a week at the occidental. here is a run down of their all inclusive options:
The Palm: The main dining room for breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. Standard buffet fare. Broad selections. Mid-level quality. Breakfasts include cereal, fresh fruit, cheeses, lunch meats & salmon, eggs, french toast, pancakes, sausage, bacon, corned beef hash (pretty good), and made-to-order omelets. Lunches include a lot of salads, soups, pasta bar, lunch meats, rotating hot dishes (i.e., rice, beans, lamb curry, tilapia, hot vegetables, etc.), chips/salsa/guacamole, a carving station (lamb, turkey, beef), deserts, and ice cream. We did not eat dinner in The Palm (opted for specialty restaurants).
The Beach Club: Outdoor lunch buffet located by the pool. Hamburgers, hot dogs, hot vegetable, rice, one meat/fish. Mid-level quality.
L'Olio (Italian a la carte): Selection of a salad/appetizer, entree, and a desert. Salads were decent. I had a salad with calamari which was ok. Other salads included Caesar, mixed greens, etc. For my entree, I had grilled grouper that was prepared nicely, but was overpowered by tomato/pepper/olive sauce. My wife had Chicken Milanese that was just ok. Kids had pasta, which were good. Deserts included ice cream, a napoleon, and cheesecake, which were also ok.
Zen (Asian a la carte): You can choose to eat at the tappan table or in the dining room with a menu that included sushi and typical rice and noodle dishes. We ate at the tappan table, which was standard fare: salad with garlic dressing, chicken fried rice, choice of meat/seafood. I had squid (good) and sirloin (ok). The rest of the family had filet and shrimp. Our cook was good with a little, but not too over the top of a show. We had desert, but it was not memorable.
El Olivido (Mexican a la carte): The best of the specialty restaurants. Upon being seated, a plate of fresh fried tortilla chips was set down along with salsa, guacamole, and a an addictive papaya hot sauce. For a starter, I had an excellent spicy shrimp soup. My wife had an excellent ceviche that had a bracing lime flavor. My kids had shrimp cocktails with a passion fruit cocktail sauce. My piece of pan fried grouper was very good (rice and vegetables were ok). The wife and kids enjoyed their chicken and beef fajitas. For desert, we had tres leches (good) churros (good) and buneulos - Mexican donuts (very good).
Desire (Caribbean a la carte): The worst of the specialty restaurants. Located nearest to the beach, this restaurant does not have its own kitchen. The food is prepared elsewhere and brought to the restaurant and kept in warming trays. Essentially, this is buffet food brought to you by a waiter. The ceviche appetizer was as good as the Mexican restaurant. The shrimp cocktail was as good as the Italian restaurant. The mains were poor. The grouper was nothing special. The surf and turf consisted of an 6 oz steak buried in a sauce and a small half of a lobster tail that was overcooked and cold. Service was indifferent, at best.
Royal Club Dining Room (exclusive to Royal Club (concierge level) guests): Excellent food and service. We had three or four breakfasts (small buffet - good - or a small made to order menu), one lunch (good mahi mahi and group dishes, a good burger) and two dinners - I had excellent sea bass twice. With only six or seven tables, the service was exceptional. A very nice bonus that justified the more expensive room (we had a two room suite with a 7th floor pool & ocean view.
Bars: The beach and pool bars were good places to hang out during the day. Unlimited strawberry and pina colada smoothies for the kids! The disco was lame. The lobby bar was fun place that had good sized, festive crowds. The outdoor Desire lounge above the Desire restaurant was ok. Draft beer is native Balashi (bottles of imports can be had in the restaurants and indoor bars). Serving size is 8 oz. Liquor outside were bottom shelf brands but you could get better brands (but not ultra premium stuff) at the indoor bars and restaurants. House red is a Chilean merlot. Better bottles are available at an additional charge.
Bottom line: The all inclusive was decent and worth the money, particularly if you have access to the Royal Club dining room. Based on looking at menus and prices at the tourist restaurants across the street and in downtown Oranjstad (add $11 cab fare each way) and the number of beers, mixed drinks and smoothies we consumed, the cost of the all inclusive was a push or slightly better than staying at a hotel (the Hyatt, Radisson, Marriott, etc.) and paying for food and drinks along the way. If I go back for a week, I would eat at the Mexican place once or twice, the Italian place once, the sit down Asian place once to try it, and fill in the rest at the Royal Club.
Best Ice Cream - Calder Dairy or Shatila (DTW)
treat dreams in ferndale - eclectic, unique, small batch, craft ice cream. in the same vein as jeni's from that state below us.
http://www.treatdreams.com/
Gastronomy; Southfield [DTW]
i like how he says that the building is not a good location and the economy is still tough. add that morton's could not make a go of it there. maybe not the greatest idea to open a place there. but you can do that when you are playing with other people's money.
the article says jaime jeffry is going to be the difference, but it does not say anything about him. google his name - he is coming from table in midland. i have not been there, but i recall hearing some good things about it.
http://www.mlive.com/business/mid-michigan/index.ssf/2010/06/new_chef_jaime_jeffrey_brings.html
Hot Rock Pizza @ Big Beaver & John R [DTW]
tried it last year when our elementary was hosting a school fundraiser (10% share of reciepts) and was very underwhelmed. i don't recall a made to order option. just four or five different pizzas on the buffet line, which were marginal, some breadsticks, maybe some pasta, and a small salad bar. and no personalized (table) service. just walk up, pay, and tell the guy which slice you want off the buffet line. have not been back.
alibi is only five miles away. gathering place (a decent large square + small antipasto + pitcher beer/pop for ~$20) is one mile away.
