I was looking for a top notch caterer, while planning a “major” birthday party for my wife. Being a foodie, writing food blog posts and restaurant reviews, the pressure was on to find a caterer that would live up to the expectations of our guests. I had toyed with a couple ideas. Seafood—a big...
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Hiller’s Market had a goat promotion a while back. No live goats in the store or anything like that, but some good deals on goat stew and chops, plus goat cheese and yogurt—which, by the way, are both lactose free. My wife picked up some chops, and left me to think about different ways...
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It’s my party and I’ll dine if I want to… It’s that time of year when my email box begins to burst at the seams with offers from nearby restaurants. I’m a sucker for a good freebie, and birthday clubs provide an easy way for restaurants to offer a free meal in order to...
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I was almost feeling like doing something healthy, so I decided to make some almost vegetarian soup. A basic potato leek soup is warm and comforting on a chilly wintery day. But I wanted a bit more flavor. Bacon to the rescue! I started with a dutch oven, chopped up five strips of bacon...
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A while back on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, there was a segment about a diner probably not a drive-in or a dive that made a porchetta sandwich. If you’re not familiar with this dish, you take pork belly, tenderize it and wrap it around a pork loin. Season everything and allow it...
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As you may have noticed, I’m a big fan of Bastone in Royal Oak. By rotating month-long menus of flavorful offerings, Bastone invites the diner to come experience different styles, flavors and choices every couple of months. Whether we’re talking beer or food, there’s always something good brewing, and this month is no exception....
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I love weekends, because they are perfect for sleeping in, kicking back, turning on some blues and hanging out. Artists like John Lee Hooker or Mose Allison always sound great while cooking up breakfast or lunch. Next weekend though, you don’t have to do the cooking—let The Emory in Ferndale do it for you....
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We made a first visit to Smashburger this weekend. I had heard about this place for awhile, and had been following them on twitter. They started out in Denver, and have several locations across the U.S. In addition to three locations on the west side of Michigan, metro Detroiters now have a Smashburger in...
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We traditionally make some form of surf and turf for New Year’s Eve. Lobster is the standard fish course, but this year we stopped at Whole Foods and found some great looking sea scallops. So we bought eight– enough for a first course for two. Scallops are easy to prepare, as long as you...
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I have always been of the opinion that one need not step foot inside a gallery to experience the Detroit art scene. As it turns out, you can now get a taste of the Motor City’s avant garde without leaving your home. That is, if your home happens to be one of the Urbane...
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We had been craving duck for a while, and when my wife picked up a couple duck breasts, it was up to me to decide what to do with them. After eating so much heavy food over the holidays, I thought a seared duck salad would hit the spot. Duck breasts are easy to...
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We recently stopped at the Cotswold Cafe in the historic Edsel & Eleanor Ford House, to have dinner and to sample some wine. Josephine Ingle, the Ford’s granddaughter, opened the Heron Hill Winery in 1972, in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, and has been making award-winning wine ever since. On a...
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