MICHIGAN DINING AND RESTAURANTS

The Latest Restaurant Reviews and Dining Tips in Michigan

Flint Journal extras: See below for an apple cider-related recipe. | Read a related article about the value of fruits.

Thoughts of fresh Michigan apple cider are associated with brilliant autumn colors and taking the family to a local orchard to eat warm doughnuts and watch the kids pet pygmy goats.

Let me put those thoughts back in your head, thanks to Raymond Porter.

The jug of cider Porter submitted for the 12th annual Michigan Apple Cider Contest won him and Porter's Orchard & Cider Mill in Goodrich a second-place plaque.

I was one of the nine judges at this year's judging, which took place earlier this month during the Great Lakes Fruit and Vegetable Expo in Grand Rapids.

Continue reading "Apple cider season is hardly over, says food writer Ron Krueger" »

Flint Journal extras: See below for fruit-related recipes. | Read a fruit-related column by Ron Krueger

Here is a New Year's resolution to add to your list: Instead of using a navel orange to weigh down each person's Christmas stocking, put a whole bag under the tree.

Then buy another bag when those oranges are gone and so forth.

Oh yes, also lay in bell peppers, greens of all kinds, sweet potatoes, mangos and melon. And don't forget the okra.

We're talking about foods that are a good source of vitamin C to protect against winter's assault on the immune system.

These foods are better insurance for good health than vitamin C and zinc supplements and fruit juice, says Millie Wint, a registered dietitian with McLaren Regional Medical Center.

"A single orange provides the average adult with all the vitamin C he or she needs for the day," Wint says. "But that orange contains many other phytonutrients, some of which we haven't even discovered."

Continue reading "Main squeeze: Citrus foods pack on flavor and boost the immune system; Fruit-related recipes" »

Brick Road Pizza Co. already had something of a loyal following when it opened in mid-November.

Like the Meanwhile Bar a few doors west on Wealthy Street, the family-owned spot has cultivated a devoted clientele through word-of-mouth endorsements and a neighborly atmosphere and by offering services that skew toward adventurous, nonmainstream tastes.

After sampling the goods at Brick Road, I can see what the fuss is all about. My guest, Adam, and I enjoyed the food so much we dined there two consecutive nights and delighted in the leftovers.

Continue reading "Brick Road Pizza Co. is multiple-lane highway to dining satisfaction" »

"Home of the Big Ugly Burger," the takeout menu hollered.

"Home of the Big Ugly Burger," the restaurant window boasted.

"Home of a Big Ugly Burger," my stomach rumbled.

Regular readers of this column will understand this logical progression. To be more specific, the BUB is a marquee item at Creveling's Family Restaurant in Sparta. And considering my indulgent, self-appointed Burger Aficionado status, it was inevitable -- unavoidable, even -- that my teeth would sink into the BUB.

Continue reading "Creveling's, 'Home of the Big Ugly Burger,' knows what it's doing at the grill" »

Great Lake Chinese Seafood Restaurant was bustling on a recent Saturday night. The restaurant is easily missed, through a dingy-looking parking lot off Carpenter Road, and the decor could stand a face-lift. That doesn't seem to deter the crowds.

When we visited, one large party of nearly 20 was celebrating a 2-month-old baby's baptism and his newborn cries could be heard throughout the restaurant as different relatives took turns walking him. On all sides of us were large family groups. There was a boisterous, down-home feel as everyone heaped their plates from family style servings with the arrays of food.

Continue reading "RESTAURANT REVIEW: Great Lake Chinese Seafood Restaurant" »

Those who like to invite in friends to ring in the new year likely are looking to hold down the cost this year. For expert beverage advice, we turned to wine event specialist Karen Sleno of Flushing.

Sleno has helped plan events ranging from a wedding shower to a library fundraiser to an educational tasting for a visiting Chinese delegation at Kettering University.

We asked her to suggest some bottles of sparkling and table (no bubbles) wine for the New Year's Eve home party that won't bust the bank.

Continue reading "Sparkling wine doesn't have to be pricey to be perfect" »

Battiste's Temple Dining Room in the Masonic Temple was founded in 1947 and it is still run by the Battiste family. It's the third generation that carries on the tradition of good food at very reasonable prices.

Continue reading "Battiste's Dining specializes in no-frills friendly fare" »

When you ask Roland Pohlman, the 42-year-old owner of The West End Grill, what accounts for his restaurant's success over the past 13 years, he jokingly replies, "It's the good-looking guy that stands by the front door."

Pohlman is there every night his restaurant is open, talking with the customers to get immediate feedback on their dining experience. "If you're paying a lot of money, it's got to be memorable," he says.

Continue reading "Restaurant Review 12/18: West End Grill" »