Ron Krueger,
Flint Journal
food writer
and columnist
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GRAND BLANC TOWNSHIP, Michigan -- Kathy Zeller of Oliver T's specialty food emporium in Grand Blanc Township says she can't believe the store's 18th holiday open house will be held Sunday, noon to 4 p.m.

Believe it, Kathy, because I was at the first and have attended many over the years.

Get there early to enjoy samples of Godiva chocolate, Country Home Creations dips and spreads, Dearborn ham and McClure's pickles.

The store will also mark the first anniversary of its wine, beer and spirits tasting room, where holiday cocktails will be available for a fee.

Oliver T's will host the second in a series of wine appreciation classes at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 13 with wine expert Michael Cregar leading the tasting of six French wines.

Bill Wamby

MUNDY TOWNSHIP, Michigan -- Bill Wamby decided at the last minute to fly to Denver for the 27th annual American Beer Festival awards ceremony.

Good decision.

The brewer at Redwood Lodge in Mundy Township heard his and the brewery/restaurant's name called not once, not twice, but four times.

Wamby and the restaurant were awarded gold medals for both their cream stout and Munich-style dunkel. With the points they collected in those categories plus those awarded for four beers that did not medal, Redwood was named the small brewery of the year and Wamby the small brewer of the year.

Ryan Garza | The Flint JournalLittle Joe's Restaurant is at 11518 S. Saginaw St. in Grand Blanc. Little Joe's is one of many restaurants recently reviewed by The Flint Journal.

Flint Journal extras: Click on the name of any of these restaurants listed below to read the full restaurant review.

Cy Leder's area restaurant reviews run in this space every other week. On the alternating Fridays, we boil down his most recent reviews in capsule form. The full versions of Cy Leder's reviews are in the blog "On the Table" at mlive.com/flintjournal/entertainment/. Share your opinions of the restaurants there.

• FANDANGLES, 6429 W. Pierson Road (in The Marketplace at Flushing), Mt. Morris Township: (810) 659-2700. Elegant setting for delicious entrees with unusual sauces, like duck with sweet-spicy orange sauce and Amish chicken breast with caper and lemon cream sauce. Lunches include large salads and hot and cold sandwiches. Dinner by reservation only. No credit cards. Reviewed July 18.

Larry Crowe | Associated PressThe caramel sauce coating at the rim gives this Warm Harvest Martini a sweet start.

Flint Journal extra: Get the recipe for white turkey chili with a surprise ingredient - chocolate | Get some mashed potato recipes.

Whether you're hosting a party or just warming up after tricking and treating, "spirits" are a fine way to get your ghoul on.

This recipe for a Warm Harvest Martini gets a sweet start from a caramel sauce coating on the rim of the glass, then goes down smooth and toasty. Use a jarred caramel sauce intended fortopping ice cream sundaes (if it's too thick, heat it briefly).

Flint Journal extras: Get the recipes for several mashed potato dishes.

Turkey and pinto bean chili is from "Bon Appetit Fast, Easy, Fresh" by Barbara Fairchild (Wiley, $34.95).

Turkey and pinto bean chili

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 2 red bell peppers, chopped

Larry Crowe | Associated PressOffering a bowl of exotic mashed potatoes, like these Horseradish and Dill Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes, is easier than you may think.

Flint Journal extra: Get the recipe for white turkey chili with a surprise ingredient - chocolate | Get some holiday drink recipes.

No one is likely to complain if all you do to your mashed potatoes is add copious quantities of butter and cream. But if you are looking for ways to add "wow" to your taters, your options are easier and faster than you might think.

It can be as simple as tossing in a package of herbed cheese spread (especially a garlic variety) as you are mashing. Or lose the butter and cream entirely and add part of a jar of thinly sliced, oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes. It's intense -- but awesome.

Ryan Garza | The Flint JournalLittle Joe's Restaurant is at 11518 S. Saginaw St. in Grand Blanc.

GRAND BLANC, Michigan -- The menu proclaims twice that Little Joe's is a Grand Blanc tradition. Having opened in 1936, it's been around for more than 70 years, the past 15 years under the ownership of the Abbott family.

Ron Krueger | The Flint JournalStephanie Corlew of Mt. Morris and Dr. Joseph Armovit prep garlic for a chicken piccata.

Flint Journal extras: See below for some heart-healthy recipes for chicken piccata, chocolate-strawberry shortcake and more.

CLIO, Michigan -- Physician Joseph Armovit said he needs to learn more about diet and health, putting him in good company one recent night at the senior center here.

Armovit worked with Stephanie Corlew of Mt. Morris to prep garlic cloves for chicken piccata, the entree in a "Take Heart" cooking class sponsored by Hurley Medical Center.

And it really tasted good.

So did the roasted asparagus, baby gold potatoes and chocolate-strawberry shortcake.

Clio was chosen as the site of the class for a good reason.

A serving of the piccata, from the American Heart Association, has only one gram of saturated fat, 72 milligrams of sodium and 212 calories.

Melissa Cousineau | The Flint JournalKrystal Jo's restaurant at 3616 Fenton Road in Flint.

FLINT, Michigan -- If you don't know or can't remember what a neighborhood restaurant is like, go to Krystal Jo's. It's a little difficult to spot because it's small.

As the youngest of seven brothers, he has family pictures displayed along one wall.

Tucker is co-owner with his wife, for whom the restaurant is named. Krystal does some baking and is a general all-purpose helper.

Melissa Cousineau | The Flint JournalPhyllis Biddle of Burton chuckles as Elmer D. Monroe of Flushing tries to decide if he liked the wine he just sampled at the Wolcott Orchard in Mt. Morris. The orchard recently put in a new wine tasting room and offers 13 varieties of wine.

MT. MORRIS TOWNSHIP, Michigan -- Historic Wolcott Orchard & Cider Mill has joined two others in Michigan in adding "winery" to its name.

Owners Cynthia and Bob Halifax are selling 13 kinds of wine from their facility at 3284 W. Coldwater Road. All can be sampled for free in the new tasting room.

Photos courtesy of KingsfordSoy-ginger marinated beef skewers on the grill will please your tailgate crowd.

The college football season started in August, but now it starts to get serious as the state's five Division 1A teams prepare to launch their conference schedules.

So, then, it is time for dedicated tailgate cooks to dig a little deeper into their recipe files for outdoor fare worth celebrating, regardless of what happens on the gridiron.

I stepped front and center on the cooking stage at the recent Women's Expo to extoll the virtues of tuna and salmon in foil pouches.

The pouched products are good for us with their Omega 3's, convenience and an improvement on most canned product in that they come from a fillet, not pieces from here and there.

Melissa Cousineau | The Flint JournalSamantha Miller, 9, of Holly Township picks out strawberry slices to put on her sandwich while William Harmon, 8, of Chicago spreads peanut butter on bread during an experiment at the Flint Children's Museum.

• Related link: Right foods can boost kids' IQs, says Flint Journal food writer Ron Krueger

FLINT, Michigan -- We recruited six kids from the mix at the Flint Children's Museum, presented them with an array of fixings and asked them to make healthy sandwiches that had to include peanut butter and, of course, bread.

Options included grape jelly (regular and reduced-sugar), sliced apples, bananas and strawberries, dried pineapple chunks, honey, raisins, cottage cheese, cheese singles, regular and reduced-fat mayo and pickles (OK, a stretch).

We offered three types of bread: old-fashioned spongy Wonder Bread, organic whole-grain, and Aunt Millie's Healthy Goodness white bread containing a fiber additive called Hi-maize.

For peanut butter, they could choose either regular Jif or a brand with reduced sugar.

We allowed parents to look over the fixings with their children. But the grown-ups had to step aside and remain mum when actual production began.

John W. Adkisson | The Flint JournalJoul's Middle Eastern Grill at 2381 E. Hill Road in Grand Blanc Township.

GRAND BLANC TOWNSHIP, Michigan -- At Joul's Middle Eastern Grill, everything seems close at hand, including the grill and other food services, although there are three tables outside in a covered alcove by the restaurant, if you like dining alfresco.

This is a pleasant, unassuming place, not like the Jerusalem Inn, formerly owned by Joul Kadadu, who opened this restaurant about a year ago.