1. Stonefire Bistro - Brighton, MI
2. Aleko's - Hamburg, MI
3. Cottage Inn - Brighton, MI
Friday, July 25, 2008
Stonefire Bistro (Brighton, MI) #2
My wife had a very good experience at Stonefire last night. Stonefire has been open for about a year now, and it really seems like they are getting their act together. Once again we sat outside on the sidewalk patio. All of the tables outside were full, which is always a good sign. Downtown Brighton has some sort of outdoor celebration on Thursdays in the summer, and the mood downtown was upbeat.
The weather was great, 80 and sunny...the music was at a great level and playing a good variety of fun, adult contemporary summery songs...service was very good. My wife started w/ a garden salad and I had the minestrone soup - both were solid and hit the spot. The bread at Stonefire is also delicious - such a contrast to a place like Buon Gusto across the street, which has horrible bread. Stonefire's bread is warm, fresh, tasty, and comes w/ an olive oil and fresh parmesan dipping plate.
And for our entree we split a delicious medium cheese pizza w/ sausage. We had pizza last fall at Stonefire, and we weren't that impressed. I don't know if they've changed recipes or chefs or whatnot, but our pizza last night was fantastic. Cooked perfectly, excellent italian sausage, flavorful sauce, great cheese quotient, etc. I can't say enough good things about the pizza - it may be the best pizza that I've had in Brighton. In fact, it probably is. A medium pie was also plenty for my wife and I to split. And at $14 it's a good value.
All in all, another very good experience at Stonefire.
The weather was great, 80 and sunny...the music was at a great level and playing a good variety of fun, adult contemporary summery songs...service was very good. My wife started w/ a garden salad and I had the minestrone soup - both were solid and hit the spot. The bread at Stonefire is also delicious - such a contrast to a place like Buon Gusto across the street, which has horrible bread. Stonefire's bread is warm, fresh, tasty, and comes w/ an olive oil and fresh parmesan dipping plate.
And for our entree we split a delicious medium cheese pizza w/ sausage. We had pizza last fall at Stonefire, and we weren't that impressed. I don't know if they've changed recipes or chefs or whatnot, but our pizza last night was fantastic. Cooked perfectly, excellent italian sausage, flavorful sauce, great cheese quotient, etc. I can't say enough good things about the pizza - it may be the best pizza that I've had in Brighton. In fact, it probably is. A medium pie was also plenty for my wife and I to split. And at $14 it's a good value.
All in all, another very good experience at Stonefire.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Zingerman's Deli (Ann Arbor, MI)
We stopped in for a late lunch last week - and on a Monday 1:30pm the place was jammed! I had a Reuben and my wife had a a chicken sandwich. Zingerman's has a large outdoor seating area, and we grabbed a couple sodas and a bag of chips, and found a nice table and awaited our meal. After about ten minutes a waitress brought out our sandwiches. Zingerman's is an Ann Arbor landmark, so I don't need to get into great detail here.
We both loved our sandwiches - a bit overpriced, but still they were very good sandwiches. Great flavor, fresh meats, totally fresh bread. Sandwiches are $10-13, and that doesn't include chips, or a drink, or table side service. A good experience, and a great place to take friends/family from out of town.
www.zingermansdeli.com
We both loved our sandwiches - a bit overpriced, but still they were very good sandwiches. Great flavor, fresh meats, totally fresh bread. Sandwiches are $10-13, and that doesn't include chips, or a drink, or table side service. A good experience, and a great place to take friends/family from out of town.
www.zingermansdeli.com
Bobber Down (Whitmore Lake, MI)
My wife and I had dinner at Bobber Down w/a large group of people last week. We've eaten at Bobber about a dozen times, and the food is very good bar food. Simple, straightforward, but always flavorful. Friendly service. On this visit we split the chicken sandwich, and it was excellent - great bread, real bacon, flavorful chicken.
Bobber Down serves good comfort food.
Bobber Down serves good comfort food.
Buon Gusto (Brighton, MI)
My wife and I had dinner at Buon Gusto on Saturday night. We sat outside on the new patio - which is very nice. Unfortunately the meal wasn't as good.
We should have known that things wouldn't be as good as we hoped when the bread arrived to the table. It was four pieces of stiff, cold bread w/ some sort of Parmesan cheese quasi-melted on the bread. And there was no olive oil or butter served w/ the bread. Not a very good start to a meal at an Italian restaurant. Each of our entrees was served w/a side salad.
I ordered the Chicken Caprese, which was decent, but nothing to write home about. It was served w/a side of rigatoni and meat sauce, and the meat sauce seemed to be very bland. My wife ordered the tortellini w/ marinara - only she ended up receiving gnocchi w/ meat sauce. Eventually another server noticed the mistake - b/c her table was missing a gnocchi. She quickly brought out the correct meal. The tortellini were no better than the frozen kind that you can buy at the grocery store, and the marinara was essentially Ragu. A real disappointment. Also, the Parmesan cheese brought to the table was in a jar - which is another clue that Buon Gusto isn't a very good Italian restaurant. When we go out to eat at an Italian place, we expect to be offered fresh Parmesan. And to top things off, our server never checked up on us. We both finished our meals, and she dropped off the check. She never acknowledge that my wife received the wrong meal, or asked us how the food was.
Overall, it was a real disappointing meal. We'd had lunch at Buon Gusto about a year ago, and the meal was very good. So we entered dinner w/ high hopes - we won't be returning for dinner any time soon. Small portions, bland sauces, below average bread, inattentive service, etc. On the bright side, Buon Gusto did recently get their liquor license.
www.vivianocatering.com
We should have known that things wouldn't be as good as we hoped when the bread arrived to the table. It was four pieces of stiff, cold bread w/ some sort of Parmesan cheese quasi-melted on the bread. And there was no olive oil or butter served w/ the bread. Not a very good start to a meal at an Italian restaurant. Each of our entrees was served w/a side salad.
I ordered the Chicken Caprese, which was decent, but nothing to write home about. It was served w/a side of rigatoni and meat sauce, and the meat sauce seemed to be very bland. My wife ordered the tortellini w/ marinara - only she ended up receiving gnocchi w/ meat sauce. Eventually another server noticed the mistake - b/c her table was missing a gnocchi. She quickly brought out the correct meal. The tortellini were no better than the frozen kind that you can buy at the grocery store, and the marinara was essentially Ragu. A real disappointment. Also, the Parmesan cheese brought to the table was in a jar - which is another clue that Buon Gusto isn't a very good Italian restaurant. When we go out to eat at an Italian place, we expect to be offered fresh Parmesan. And to top things off, our server never checked up on us. We both finished our meals, and she dropped off the check. She never acknowledge that my wife received the wrong meal, or asked us how the food was.
Overall, it was a real disappointing meal. We'd had lunch at Buon Gusto about a year ago, and the meal was very good. So we entered dinner w/ high hopes - we won't be returning for dinner any time soon. Small portions, bland sauces, below average bread, inattentive service, etc. On the bright side, Buon Gusto did recently get their liquor license.
www.vivianocatering.com
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
New Holland Brewing Company (Holland, MI)
We spent a day in Holland last month. We ate and drank at a handful of different places. For dinner we ended up at the New Holland Brewing Co, which is located smack dab in the center of downtown Holland. Holland is a nice little lake-side community just down the road from legendary Oval Beach.
We ate outside - it was about 8pm when we arrived, and we waited 5 minutes for a table to open up. The atmosphere was great - it was busy outside and there were pedestrations walking by constantly. Our server was a really friendly guy, our french fry appetizer didn't come until the main courses came, but he was at least cordial about it and took the fries off of the bill. And the fries were excellent by the way - a huge plate of waffle fries covered in cheese and bacon. You've got to love waffle fries, the caviar of the french fry community.
We had a chicken sandwich and a turkey sandwich, and both were excellent. Great taste, huge portions, fresh veggies, really good bread - both were really solid sandwiches.
Oh yeah, and the beer is very good as well. I had three Existential beers, and I was very happy. It's a higher alcohol content beer, so it's really hoppy and has an aggressive taste, but it still totally drinkable on a warm summer night. I've had Sun Dog and Full Circle in the past, and both are solid beers. Unfortunately New Holland does not brew any non-alcoholic beers, which was a disappointment.
Overall it was a good experience - good weather, sitting outside at a busy restaurant in downtown Holland, surprisingly really good food, interesting beers, and solid service - we'll definitely be back.
www.newhollandbrew.com
We ate outside - it was about 8pm when we arrived, and we waited 5 minutes for a table to open up. The atmosphere was great - it was busy outside and there were pedestrations walking by constantly. Our server was a really friendly guy, our french fry appetizer didn't come until the main courses came, but he was at least cordial about it and took the fries off of the bill. And the fries were excellent by the way - a huge plate of waffle fries covered in cheese and bacon. You've got to love waffle fries, the caviar of the french fry community.
We had a chicken sandwich and a turkey sandwich, and both were excellent. Great taste, huge portions, fresh veggies, really good bread - both were really solid sandwiches.
Oh yeah, and the beer is very good as well. I had three Existential beers, and I was very happy. It's a higher alcohol content beer, so it's really hoppy and has an aggressive taste, but it still totally drinkable on a warm summer night. I've had Sun Dog and Full Circle in the past, and both are solid beers. Unfortunately New Holland does not brew any non-alcoholic beers, which was a disappointment.
Overall it was a good experience - good weather, sitting outside at a busy restaurant in downtown Holland, surprisingly really good food, interesting beers, and solid service - we'll definitely be back.
www.newhollandbrew.com
Monday, July 7, 2008
Stillwater (Brighton, MI)
We tried to sit down for dinner and drinks at Stillwater on a recent Friday night. We walked in at 7:30pm, and were told that the outdoors patio was full, and that they weren't seating anymore parties outside. Which was frustrating. The hostess didn't even suggest that we grab a drink at the bar and wait 10 minutes, the vibe was clearly that they were winding down and didn't want a table seated at 8pm - which is really crazy. It's a Friday night, and they don't want to seat tables after 8pm?
Buffalo WIld Wings (Green Oak, MI)
BWW's is what it is - a place to watch a game or games. Boneless buffalo wings in a variety of sauces, wraps, apps - good, consistent bar food. Nice place to catch a Saturday afternoon baseball game outside. Their patio holds about 50 people or so, and there are 4 TV's so you can usually get a requested game tuned in.
BAB's Deli (Brighton, MI)
Bab's Deli, located on Grand River in downtown Brighton, has the best bagels in town. The bagels are always fresh, and there is a great selection of bagels - the asiago, cheddar, everything, chocolate chip, and jalapeno are all bagels that we've had and enjoyed. Bab's also does an awesome job in putting cream cheese on the bagels - they are generous w/ the spread, and the bagels are always toasted just the right amount.
Decent coffee. There is always four or five choices of coffee, which is nice. The muffins are also good - soft, not too heavy, etc. Great, friendly service. Place is always clean. Nice little tables to eat. Usually a stray newspaper laying around to read. One thing Bab's could do is up the music level - it such a pleasant, upbeat place, that I think that good music could really make Bab's a great morning spot.
Decent coffee. There is always four or five choices of coffee, which is nice. The muffins are also good - soft, not too heavy, etc. Great, friendly service. Place is always clean. Nice little tables to eat. Usually a stray newspaper laying around to read. One thing Bab's could do is up the music level - it such a pleasant, upbeat place, that I think that good music could really make Bab's a great morning spot.
Stonefire Bistro (Brighton, MI)
My wife and I stopped in at Stonefire on a recent Friday night at about 6:15pm. The sun was still blazing and it was 80 degrees, so we really wanted to sit somewhere outside and have a drink. We grabbed a table outside, and had a couple beers, a soup and a salad. Our table provided a nice view of Main Street, and we were entertained w/ the train lights malfunctioning and stopping traffic every three minutes. There are also outdoor speakers, and the music was at a great level, and playing good music - contemporary, some older rock, just a good upbeat mix.
The service was very good. The clam chowder was advertised as being "peppery", and it was. The chowder was good, flavorful, filling, etc - but it was more soup than chowder. My wife had a simple garden salad, and was really happy w/ the crisp vegetables. All in all it was a good experience at Stonefire. Good simple food, cold beers, sunny night, good people watching, music, and good service.
The service was very good. The clam chowder was advertised as being "peppery", and it was. The chowder was good, flavorful, filling, etc - but it was more soup than chowder. My wife had a simple garden salad, and was really happy w/ the crisp vegetables. All in all it was a good experience at Stonefire. Good simple food, cold beers, sunny night, good people watching, music, and good service.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Lu & Carl's (Brighton, MI)
Lu & Carl's is a bar/restaurant on the corner of Grand River and Main St in downtown Brighton. Great location, plenty of parking, eay walk to the pond, markets, shops, etc. The bar itself is top notch - it's shaped like a square - so there are 20+ seats at the bar and great people watching. It's a decent place to watch a game. The beer is a tad expensive for the atmosphere, but still it's usually a simple, solid option. There are tables and booths inside as well.
We had lunch outside at Lu & Carl's earlier in the week. The served apparently wasn't that excited to serve us outside, so we didn't feel as welcomed as we'd hoped, but the food was fine. We all had flats, which are a Lu & Carl's staple - basically sandwiches with a twist. We had the veggie flat, a BBQ chicken flat, and a spicy chicken flat. Everyone finished their sandwiches. The prices are a bit high, and Lu & Carl's is one of those annoying places that charge extra to get fries with your meal. Usually they just give you plain tortilla chips. The fries are $2 extra, so each flat w/ fries is usually $10 - which is a bit steep for this place.
Overall, we are fans of Lu & Carl's, but feel that it's a better option to grab a drink or hit Happy Hour.
www.luandcarls.net
We had lunch outside at Lu & Carl's earlier in the week. The served apparently wasn't that excited to serve us outside, so we didn't feel as welcomed as we'd hoped, but the food was fine. We all had flats, which are a Lu & Carl's staple - basically sandwiches with a twist. We had the veggie flat, a BBQ chicken flat, and a spicy chicken flat. Everyone finished their sandwiches. The prices are a bit high, and Lu & Carl's is one of those annoying places that charge extra to get fries with your meal. Usually they just give you plain tortilla chips. The fries are $2 extra, so each flat w/ fries is usually $10 - which is a bit steep for this place.
Overall, we are fans of Lu & Carl's, but feel that it's a better option to grab a drink or hit Happy Hour.
www.luandcarls.net
Zukey Lake Tavern (Pinckney, MI)
We had dinner at Zukey Lake the other night with two kids and another couple. Apparently Tuesday nights are Mexican night at Zukey, and the roof deck was really busy. The roof deck is the place to be at Zukey in the summer - 40+ tables, bar, great lake views, sunshine, etc. There is a limited menu outside - mostly pizzas, burgers, salads, etc. We split two pizzas - a cheese pie and a BBQ pizza. Both were excellent. The pizza is a bit thick so it's filling, but the crust was cooked perfect and the flavors were great.
The service...wasn't so good. I'll spare you the details. Regardless, we'll give Zukey's mulligan on this one, as we've eaten there dozens of times, and the service is usually fine.
Overall, the outdoor deck at Zukey's is a great summer option. Get there early or prepare to wait for a table. The atmosphere is great - lake views, a dock out front where boats can tie off and grab a drink or bite to eat.
www.zukeylaketavern.com
The service...wasn't so good. I'll spare you the details. Regardless, we'll give Zukey's mulligan on this one, as we've eaten there dozens of times, and the service is usually fine.
Overall, the outdoor deck at Zukey's is a great summer option. Get there early or prepare to wait for a table. The atmosphere is great - lake views, a dock out front where boats can tie off and grab a drink or bite to eat.
www.zukeylaketavern.com
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Best in Brighton, Burgers
1. Casey's Ann Arbor, MI
2. Champs's Brighton, MI
3. Red Robin Brighton, MI
4. Zukey's Pinckney, MI
5. Bobber Down Whitmore Lake, MI
6. Outback Brighton, MI
2. Champs's Brighton, MI
3. Red Robin Brighton, MI
4. Zukey's Pinckney, MI
5. Bobber Down Whitmore Lake, MI
6. Outback Brighton, MI
Bobber Down (Whitmore Lake, MI)
Nice little place. Classic "bar and grill". Somewhat dark old-school sports bar vibe inside, and a nice outdoor patio area for eating. Good, solid bar food. Burgers are good, tops of apps, coneys, salads, etc... There's a small outdoor patio - it seats maybe 24 people - but the patio has two tv's and is shaded nicely. It can get smoky inside, so Bobber Down is a great place to visit in the warmer months. The bar itself is pretty standard, classic square shape, Keno everywhere, decent TV's, friendly bartenders, cheap beer, jukebox - that you can sometimes take it for granted.
Anyway, solid place to have a nice little meal - the burgers are always cooked great - the chefs have no problem cooking a great medium-rare burger.
www.bobberdownbarandgrille.com
Anyway, solid place to have a nice little meal - the burgers are always cooked great - the chefs have no problem cooking a great medium-rare burger.
www.bobberdownbarandgrille.com
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Zingerman's Roadhouse (Ann Arbor, MI)
Really cool place inside. The decor, mood, and vibe are all really positive. Knowledgable bartender. Decent onion rings w/ a spicy dipping sauce. The highlights were the BBQW sandwiches - both the pork and chicken. Huge portion, great sauces, etc. Great fries - real fries, they came out hot and seasoned properly. The pork sammy also came w/ a funky mustard based coleslaw, which was refreshing. The whole place is organic whenever possible and they really emphasis local meats and produce - and their wine list is totally Michigan-based wineries. Very good service at the bar. We'll definitely be going back.
www.zingermansroadhouse.com
www.zingermansroadhouse.com
Mancino's (Brighton, MI)
I just had an awesome Italian sub from Mancino's. Located next door to ACO Hardware in the VG's plaza. $6 for half a sub, but the portion was enormous. Excellent, fresh bread baked w/ mozzarella cheese. Sub is toasted and loaded w/ tasty sausage, real pepperoni, lettuce, peppers, and just the right amount of mayo. Nice place inside. Plenty of tables and booths to sit down and eat, or you can takeout. There's also a coffee place, Kaffa House, run out of the same location.
www.howellmancinos.com
www.howellmancinos.com
The Chase (Northville, MI)
Fantastic meal. Huge sandwiches w/ great ingredients. We tried the meatloaf sandwich and the chicken sandwich and both were fantastic - great bread, good tastes, excellent sauces, perfect bacon. Fries came out hot and delicious. The pickle was also topnotch. We sat outside in a nice shady spot w/ a good view of foot traffic in and around downtown Northville. This is a new restaurant. Flat screen tv's outside. Solid music. Good atmosphere. Good deal for the price as well. Indoors looks like it may be a nice place to watch a game and grab a bite.
www.thechasebarandgrill.com
www.thechasebarandgrill.com
Monday, May 19, 2008
Real Seafood Company - Ann Arbor, MI
My wife and I stopped into Real Seafood on a Sunday afternoon because they have a Birthday special where you can eat for free. The restaurant was fairly empty, but that was to be expected at 2pm on a Sunday. The manager was very accommodating and immediately changed the television to the basketball game that I requested. Great menu - as you'd expect tons of different seafood choices.
We had a lite lunch. I had the clam chowder, and I was very impressed w/ it. Tasty, good ratio of potatoes and clams. I didn't need to any salt or pepper. My wife and I also split a plate of calamari and we were very happy w/ it. Tasty, well cooked, clean fryolator oil, only calamari rings, and it came w/ a great tartar sauce. My wife also nibbled on a couple pieces of bread, and the bread was very good as well. Our server was polite, friendly, and knowledgeable. All in all, a good experience. We will definitely be visiting the Real Seafood Company for dinner at some point.
www.realseafoodcorestaurant.com
We had a lite lunch. I had the clam chowder, and I was very impressed w/ it. Tasty, good ratio of potatoes and clams. I didn't need to any salt or pepper. My wife and I also split a plate of calamari and we were very happy w/ it. Tasty, well cooked, clean fryolator oil, only calamari rings, and it came w/ a great tartar sauce. My wife also nibbled on a couple pieces of bread, and the bread was very good as well. Our server was polite, friendly, and knowledgeable. All in all, a good experience. We will definitely be visiting the Real Seafood Company for dinner at some point.
www.realseafoodcorestaurant.com
Terry B's - Dexter, MI, 2nd visit
My wife and I had 7pm reservations on Saturday night, and when we arrived the restaurant was more than half empty, which is disappointing. We really like the look of Terry B's, and our meal four weeks ago was excellent. We sat at a table this time, and we were happy w/ the privacy it afforded us. Anyway, it took more than five minutes for the waitress to greet us and take our drink order - not a good way to start dinner. Then it took another five minutes to actually get the drinks. My wife had the signature chicken chowder, which was fantastic. I opened w/ the Gazpacho, which was good - it was refreshing. Nothing complicated, simple ingredients, but well done.
My wife had the Fillet for dinner. She ordered it 'medium', and it was well cooked. The steak was fine, no complaints, it came w/ mashed potatoes and asparagus. For $26 I'd expect a slightly better meal, but it was good. I had the pheasant - and the pheasant itself was excellent - tasty, well cooked, great flavor. I didn't really care for the mushroom risotto, it was bland. There were also a couple grilled apricots on the plate that were fantastic - I'd never tasted apricot that was prepared that way.
For dinner we finished w/ the molten cake. It was fine, no real complaints, but I've had similar desserts other places that were better.
All in all it was a good experience, but definitely not as good as our first trip. I think walking into a half empty restaurant at 7pm on a Saturday night doesn't put anyone in the right frame of mind.
My wife had the Fillet for dinner. She ordered it 'medium', and it was well cooked. The steak was fine, no complaints, it came w/ mashed potatoes and asparagus. For $26 I'd expect a slightly better meal, but it was good. I had the pheasant - and the pheasant itself was excellent - tasty, well cooked, great flavor. I didn't really care for the mushroom risotto, it was bland. There were also a couple grilled apricots on the plate that were fantastic - I'd never tasted apricot that was prepared that way.
For dinner we finished w/ the molten cake. It was fine, no real complaints, but I've had similar desserts other places that were better.
All in all it was a good experience, but definitely not as good as our first trip. I think walking into a half empty restaurant at 7pm on a Saturday night doesn't put anyone in the right frame of mind.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Eve - Ann Arbor, MI
My wife and I have eaten at Eve four times, and Eve is without a doubt the best food that we've had in Michigan. The nacho appetizer is incredible - fried wontons covered in gouda w/ a touch of creme freche, order it, you won't be disappointed. The menu is well written and offers choices to all palates. The daily fish specials are excellent. And definitely save room for dessert - get the Triple Chocolate thing - it is perfect.
Great service at eve - laid back but knowledgeable. The bartender is great- he knows his wine and won't hesitate to make a suggestion. We've bought a case of wine from the restaurant before. Some people may feel that eve is pricey (entrees in the $18-30 range), but you get what you pay for. Once you've eaten at eve, you can always buy the cookbook as a gift for that special someone.
Highly recommend eve. Super highly. Four stars.
www.evetherestaurant.com
Great service at eve - laid back but knowledgeable. The bartender is great- he knows his wine and won't hesitate to make a suggestion. We've bought a case of wine from the restaurant before. Some people may feel that eve is pricey (entrees in the $18-30 range), but you get what you pay for. Once you've eaten at eve, you can always buy the cookbook as a gift for that special someone.
Highly recommend eve. Super highly. Four stars.
www.evetherestaurant.com
Casey's - Ann Arbor, MI
We've been here numerous times. Good bar food. Simple, not complicated.
Great place to get a burger. You can order a burger and 3 toppings for $9. Most importantly, Casey's will cook a burger medium rare, and they do it well. I've had at least five burgers from Casey's and each of them has been cooked properly. Good fries. We don't care for the onion rings, but to each their own.
Casey's gets busy at dinnertime, and there is usually a wait for a table. The bar is fairly small - it seats maybe 12, but there is a bar rail as well, and that's where parties waiting for a table tend to congregate. The beer selection is adequate, nothing to rave about. Casey's isn't a great place to watch a game, the TV's are viewable from pretty much anywhere in the restaurant, but the TV's are on the small side.
All in all, Casey's is a great place to go when you're in the mood for a burger.
www.caseys-tavern.com
Great place to get a burger. You can order a burger and 3 toppings for $9. Most importantly, Casey's will cook a burger medium rare, and they do it well. I've had at least five burgers from Casey's and each of them has been cooked properly. Good fries. We don't care for the onion rings, but to each their own.
Casey's gets busy at dinnertime, and there is usually a wait for a table. The bar is fairly small - it seats maybe 12, but there is a bar rail as well, and that's where parties waiting for a table tend to congregate. The beer selection is adequate, nothing to rave about. Casey's isn't a great place to watch a game, the TV's are viewable from pretty much anywhere in the restaurant, but the TV's are on the small side.
All in all, Casey's is a great place to go when you're in the mood for a burger.
www.caseys-tavern.com
Terry B's - Dexter, MI
My wife and I had dinner at Terry B's in downtown Dexter, MI on a recent Saturday night. We called earlier in the day and found out that there weren't any open reservations. We parked down the street - Terry's is located about a block outside of downtown Dexter so parking is plentiful. We walked in at 6pm and ate at the bar. The first impression upon walking into Terry B's is very positive - high ceilings, bold colors, very modern looking but still retains the character of the old building.
Decent wine list and a handful of beers on tap. Nice 50' flat screen positioned above the bar - but in a way that the TV doesn't dominate the room, but is still viewable to catch the score of the game.
The restaurant was full - there was one large party of 16 people, but other than that the average table seemed to be made up of either a couple or a pair of couples. The restaurant isn't quiet, but the noise level is great - it's a busy place!
Friendly bartender. She was knowledgeable about the menu and wasn't shy about giving us her opinion. The menu had a number of interesting options - the prices ranged from $17-27. Standards such as steak, chicken, pork, vegetarian, flat bread pizzas, and a variety of fish choices. The pheasant and short ribs jumped out at me, but I decided upon a lighter entree. We did feel that menu was more geared towards autumn, but perhaps the menu will be changing. There's maybe ten appetizer options and a dozen entrees, plus the daily specials. Sometimes restaurants offer too many choices, so we were really happy to see that the chef at Terry B's knew what he wanted to cook and didn't try to make everything under the sun.
My wife started w/ Roasted Corn Chowder - which was excellent. I had the Pumpkin Soup. The Pumpkin soup was good - I had never had a pumpkin soup before, so it was a nice change of pace. But we liked the Roasted Corn Chowder much better. The Chowder is similar to the Common Grill's. Bread came w/ the meal as well - a basket of fresh, interesting choices - including a cherry bread which we really liked. I had the daily fish special and was very happy w/ my order. My wife ordered the chicken off of the menu, and raved about her dish. We both finished our entire plates. Good sized portions.
All in all we had a good time at Terry B's and would recommend it. We will be going back.
www.terrybs.com
Decent wine list and a handful of beers on tap. Nice 50' flat screen positioned above the bar - but in a way that the TV doesn't dominate the room, but is still viewable to catch the score of the game.
The restaurant was full - there was one large party of 16 people, but other than that the average table seemed to be made up of either a couple or a pair of couples. The restaurant isn't quiet, but the noise level is great - it's a busy place!
Friendly bartender. She was knowledgeable about the menu and wasn't shy about giving us her opinion. The menu had a number of interesting options - the prices ranged from $17-27. Standards such as steak, chicken, pork, vegetarian, flat bread pizzas, and a variety of fish choices. The pheasant and short ribs jumped out at me, but I decided upon a lighter entree. We did feel that menu was more geared towards autumn, but perhaps the menu will be changing. There's maybe ten appetizer options and a dozen entrees, plus the daily specials. Sometimes restaurants offer too many choices, so we were really happy to see that the chef at Terry B's knew what he wanted to cook and didn't try to make everything under the sun.
My wife started w/ Roasted Corn Chowder - which was excellent. I had the Pumpkin Soup. The Pumpkin soup was good - I had never had a pumpkin soup before, so it was a nice change of pace. But we liked the Roasted Corn Chowder much better. The Chowder is similar to the Common Grill's. Bread came w/ the meal as well - a basket of fresh, interesting choices - including a cherry bread which we really liked. I had the daily fish special and was very happy w/ my order. My wife ordered the chicken off of the menu, and raved about her dish. We both finished our entire plates. Good sized portions.
All in all we had a good time at Terry B's and would recommend it. We will be going back.
www.terrybs.com
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