Fish boil and Black Star Farms

A cool June evening found us at Black Star Farms on the lovely Leelanau Peninsula. We were in the area for my wife’s birthday, an event so important that we spent the whole weekend up there. But for this meal, the meal before the big birthday meal (Stella’s in Traverse City, in case you were wondering), we went for something a little lower key. Eating fish and drinking wine on a patio sounded just right.

Black Star Farms

At we enjoyed our glass of Riesling while the food was boiling, we were joined by a pair of complete strangers who happened to live in East Lansing, about 10 minutes from our house. In fact, the man even worked in a building that I had worked in previously. What are the odds? (No, really, are there any statisticians that can figure that out? I’d be curious.) We got along so well that they invited us back to their room. No, no, not like that – just to show us what it looked like. I was surprised they did this because I was carrying a chainsaw and had a ski mask hanging from my belt, but some people are more trusting than others.

For dinner, we had a choice between trout and whitefish. I chose the latter, and I didn’t choose incorrectly. Flaky and cooked wonderfully, it had a mild flavor then went great with the wine. The pound of salt they add to the boiling fish doesn’t add a salty taste to the fish at all, which is hard to believe, but true. The big downside to this whitefish was the large number of bones I had to pick out. They were easily spotted, though, and no food blog writers were injured in the eating of said fish.

Black Star Farms fish boil

Along with the fish were coleslaw, potatoes, corn on the cob, and a roll, all thoroughly edible. This was followed by a large piece of carrot cake that WAS harmed during the filming of this blog. I shouldn’t have eaten it all, but I did, and thankfully I was able to walk off enough of it during Sutton’s Bay art walk that I didn’t pay too dear a price for it later in the evening.

If you haven’t tried a fish boil, do so. The Black Star Farms boil and the Cherry Point Market boil in Shelby have both been fun experience with excellent fish, so give them a shot.

Jumbeaux, Lansing

It was a special occasion for my first visit to Jumbeaux: My birthday. I had been wanting to try this relatively new spot on the west side of Lansing, which was not far from where I work. Cajun food had been on my list of favorite foods since a trip to New Orleans about ten years ago, and I was happy to see a spot that served up that style of food not far from home.

The restaurant was bright and busy, but there was enough seats that no one needed to wait. The employees were very friendly and I didn’t have to wait long for my food. Maybe they knew it was my birthday, but I doubt it –  I had left my party hat in the car.

Blah blah blah – the food.

I ordered the catfish poboy. The size of the poboy was larger than I had anticipated, and mo poboy is mo better. Shredded lettuce, thinly sliced tomatoes, and a bun overflowing with fried catfish. Next to it was a plentiful amount of Bubba’s chips. I don’t know who Bubba is, but I liked his chips. The poboy itself tasted great, and had a spicy dressing that got my nose running. (Hopefully I didn’t share too much right there. If it did, forget that last line and replace it with this: The dressing has a spicy side to it, that really complemented the fish without overwhelming it.)

This will be on my list of restaurants to return to. They have an interesting menu, and the helpfulness of the staff is also a draw for me. I’m really interested in trying the alligator, even though it’s not Michigan alligator – the zoos frown on them being taken for meals. I’ve heard.

Gull Landing, Pentwater

So imagine having a really good fish dinner. Now, take away the “good”. You just have fish, and that is the best I can say about the food at Gull Landing in Pentwater. I decided on the Mahi Mahi, the fish so nice they named it twice. And then they went and cooked the hell out of it – by the time they were done, it was down to just one Mahi. Perhaps the chefs had problems with their Mahi (x2) rising from the dead and wanted to be sure it stayed dead. If that was the case, mission accomplished.

Mahi Mahi

The garlic mashed potatoes were filling. And they were potatoes. After some salt, they were OK. Not as good as the fried asparagus, though, which was prepared nicely. It had been a cool spring / summer, so asparagus season was still hanging around, lucky for us. The breading was a little heavy, but it came off easily, and didn’t taste too bad.

Fried Asparagus

I also had the misfortune of trying my wife’s perch, which was even worse than my Mahi Mahi. The breading was thick and unappealing, which differed from the perch, which was thin and unappealing. I’m savaging it because 1) it wasn’t any good and 2) we were at Bortell’s the night before and had some excellent perch.

Time for a kindler, gentler review (you’re welcome, George H.W. Bush). The deck of Gull Landing was a great place for drinks. My Oberron was reasonably priced, as was my wife’s wine. The deck had a nice view of Lake Pentwater and the Sunday night jazz was entertaining. So I give it high marks for atmosphere.

Gull Landing, Pentwater

To do it differently, I would, first off, not have gone there. But ignoring that first piece of advice, I would have had the Reuben – the people at the next table over had it, and it looked excellent. I also her positive reviews about the burger. if you learn of a decent dish, or are there for drinks, then it’s a nice spot to enjoy a pleasant evening. But avoid the fish.

Birchwood Restaurant, Farwell

Sometimes you want to go where nobody knows your name. That was the theme song from Cheers, or at least very close to it. Or maybe it was exactly the opposite. In any case, you now have that song going through your head, so you’re welcome.

Coming home from a 4th of July weekend up north, we stopped at Farwell for dinner, partly to avoid fast food, and partly to avoid the crowds that would be at said fast food restaurants. So instead of jumping on US 10 from M 115, we stayed on 115 an extra mile and ended up at Birchwood Restaurant. It appeared like your average small town family restaurant, and that was what we were looking for.

Birchwood, Farwell

I had a hard time deciding between the fish sandwich and the olive burger. I went with the fish sandwich, and even before I got it, I regretted. There, on the board which I hadn’t noticed before, was the 1st place award for having the best burger in town. I don’t suppose Farwell has a lot of options, but still, I could have had an award-winning burger.

My fish sandwich was a solid “OK”. The breading was a little soggy, but the fish tasted alright. There were two pieces of fish between the buns, so there was no danger of running out of sandwich filler. I ordered it with the crinkle fries, and you can’t go wrong with crinkle fries. After all, they were crinkled and cripsy. My wife ordered the meatloaf, which was surprisingly good – I liked it better than what I ordered. My daughter ate up her kids dinner of spaghetti quite quickly, so everyone was happy.

Fish sandwich

As an honorable mention, they had one of those “IQ Tester” games, which are shaped like triangles and you have to try and clear out all the pegs. Whatever distracts the attention of a 7-year old for a few minutes is fine with me. And it didn’t take long at all to get our food. Sam, the waitress, was working hard for the money – Donna Summers would have been proud – as she was the only waitress working despite having quite a few tables to manage.

If you’re looking for the anti-tourist restaurants, then Birchwood is for you. For all you coming home on Sunday nights during the summer, go the extra mile (literally) for some homemade food.

Gilbert & Blake’s, Okemos

Mother’s Day had come, and that means I cook. And when I say “I cook”, that means we go out. We made the not-long trip to Okemos to visit Gilbert & Blake’s. We don’t go there often, not because of the food, it’s just not in our normal sphere of restaurants. We tend to reserve G&B’s for special occasions, like birthdays and solar eclipses.

It was a tough choice. I intended to order fish, since I consider G&Bs a fish restaurant (that’s just me). I was considering three options, but I decided on the Honey Mustard Rainbow Trout. It narrowly beat out the Jalapeno Salmon, but since by wife ordered that, it was a win-win. The perch was also in the running, but rainbow trout makes me think of “The Rainbow Connection”, and who doesn’t like singing frogs? Follow that logic? Me neither.

When they first brought it out, I wondered who put the hang glider on my plate. It nearly covered the entire plate. Though the fish is fileted, and was fairly thin, it was still a lot of fish. And it is covered in a heavy honey mustard sauce. I didn’t taste much of the fish because the sauce was so overwhelming. But luckily, the sauce was good, with a nice balance of honey and mustard, so I didn’t mind. But if you don’t like mustard, you need to stay away from this meal.

Gilbert and Blake’s

Gilbert & Blake’s doesn’t have a huge draft beer selection, but they had a few good offerings. I went with the Sam Adams Summer Ale, because it was close enough to summer. There were a few IPAs to choose from, but I bypassed the hoppy beers for something, well, better. And I poured some beer on the floor for my homey, Damon’s, which this particular G&B’s used to be. Those four big murals at the back of the restaurant? Those were TVs. Consider yourselves informed.

You don’t need to wait until holidays are exciting astronomical events to go to Gilbert & Blake’s. Both Gilbert and Blake are fantastic people, and would love to see you any time of year.

Fish tacos at The Roadhouse, Beulah

It was a semi-dark and snowy night in northern Michigan when we pulled into town.  Past the McDonald’s, we rolled into the heart of Beulah to the town’s best restaurant, The Roadhouse. Now, I know what you’re thinking: Where’s Beulah? It’s north of wherever you are, that’s where.

I’m going to start somewhere unusual with a bold bean statement: The re-fried beans were the best I’ve ever had. Oh yes I did. Usually, they are an extra on the plate that I eat as an afterthought, if I have enough room. But these beans actually tasted good. I was actually disappointed when they were gone – I wanted more. So a big bean bravo to The Roadhouse.

Fish Tacos at The Roadhouse

But you are not going to eat anywhere just for the re-fried beans, so let’s get to the main event. The fish tacos are a Friday night special, drawing people from blocks and blocks. Or, in my case, 150 miles. They’re so special, in fact, you can only get them on Fridays, so plan ahead. The fish was fall-apart light and had a nice flavor. Hold on tight because those tortillas fall apart  – that pico soaks in pretty well.  I had three, and it was just right for me. Your mileage may very.

I am also a fan of the frozen margaritas there. They do not skimp on the tequila, which is my favorite ingredient in a margarita. Save room because they are worth it. They are especially useful after a long drive with a child. I’ve heard.

I’ve been to The Roadhouse in all seasons, and though summer is best – they have a nice patio, complete with outside bar – any season will do for some excellent Mexican food. It’s a tough decision on what to eat, but both the fish tacos and the nachos are excellent.

Beggar’s Banquet, East Lansing

Half-price wine night was the draw. Yes, Wednesdays are specials days at Beggar’s Banquet. The draw of cheap(er) booze is like a bug zapper to a bug, just with your chances of being electrocuted substantially less.

I decided on the teriyaki tilapia, which wasn’t a bad choice, even though it looked like it was. It was an ugly looking fish, and if I ever find that picture, you can see for yourself. But in the end, it’s how it tastes, now how it looks, and it tasted good. It was heavy on the teriyaki, so take that for what it’s worth. For me, that’s worth a lot. The vegetables were another matter. I think they were nuked, or they were boiled within an inch of their life… and then were kept on being boiled.

For dessert, I tried the very nice looking chocolate mousse cake. Unlike the fish, this one looked better than it tasted. Not that it was bad, but it wasn’t $8 good. The cake part was dry and everything else was alright, except the whipped cream was quite good. Maybe a whipped cream cake would be a good idea.

My favorite part of Beggar’s (besides half-price wine) is the service. I’ve never been disappointed with the amiability of the wait staff. (That means they’re friendly.) They’re fast, they’re fun, and they’re saving the world, one bottle of wine at a time.

The next time I return to Beggar’s, I’ll probably get the Mac & Cheese, Dave’s Way (with bacon!), if that’ s still available – in my opinion, the best Beggar’s has to offer.

Catfish at Texas Roadhouse, Lansing

It is a fact so true that it could be the 11th Commandment: Thou Shalt Eat Catfish Before Watching Star Trek.

I entered the confines of south Lansing to experience two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation being shown at Celebration Cinema. There are two restaurants very close for the pre-theater meal that my stepmom and I enjoyed. It was either Hooters or Texas Roadhouse. So I think you can guess we went with the latter. After all, who can resist loud country music and peanut shells on the floor before watching twenty year old science fiction? No one, that’s who.

We started with the onion blossom, of which I was a fan. Who knew that eating a deep-fried onion could taste so good? And it doesn’t hurt that whatever the “special sauce”  was, it was mighty tasty.

Though my normal fare at Texas Roadhouse is a burger – they do have good burgers – on this visit, I decided to eat healthy and try the fried catfish. (Healthy is relative with me.) I made a good choice. Crispy breading and tender fish – excellent stuff. And there were three pieces, enough for lunch the next day. For my sides, I had fries and corn, both tasty. The fries were wide-cut and soft – if you’re a crispy fry fan (and you know who you are), you probably wouldn’t have enjoyed them. The corn was, well, corn. And do try the pre-dinner rolls as well, if just for something to hold the cinnamon butter.

Catfish at Texas Roadhouse

It was still summer, and they had Summer Shandy on draught. That’s a good beer right there, people. I’ve got a few 12-packs in my garage, as a matter of fact, but that has nothing to do with the Texas Roadhouse.

So there are other things other than red meat at the Texas Roadhouse, and they are worth eating. And drinking.

Fried food-o-rama at Rock Island Family Restaurant, Holland

Are fried foods a separate layer on the food pyramid. I sure hope so.

I stopped at Rock Island Family Restaurant on M40 just south of the interchange with I 196. It’s basically a truck stop restaurant, but one with a nice interior and good service. I went in with an open mind and absolutely clueless as to what I was going to have. Most of the time, I have a specific food category I’m looking for (burger, nachos, bacon-wrapped ice cream cookie), but in this case, nada. But when I saw the fish and chips special, I was set.

Rock Island Family Restaurant

They certainly didn’t skimp on the fish. Two big pieces of deep fried goodness were waiting for me aloft a bed of nicely fried fries. That’s what I’m talking about. The fish was nearly perfectly, though a crispier breading would have moved it into the perfect range. Still, they tasted good, as were the fries.  And a huge glass of Mt. Dew kept the afternoon sleepies away.

Fish & Chips

Now, not everything in my fish basket was fried. I’ll have you know that there was not a smidge of breading cooked in oil on my coleslaw, which is why I didn’t eat it all. Come on, let’s get some deep-fried cabbage on the menu, people.

So if you’re in a truck, of the semi-kind or otherwise, stop in to Rock Island. If fish isn’t your thing, there are plenty of other things on the menu, including nachos. (Yes, I do occasionally pass them up .)