Friday, September 21, 2012

Battle of the Coneys - Detroit, MI

Lafayette Coney Island
Cash only

Hot dog, chili, onions, mustard, cheese. 
Crunchy outside, nice dog taste. Chili is outstanding. The atmosphere is the experience factor for this place. Nobody greets you…just find an empty stool or table, wait for someone to come over, and know what you want.  Here’s the breakdown…they serve hot dogs, burger dogs, fries, and coke.  Still need a menu?  If you get a seat next to the cook, watch this old man slingin’ chili and onions on the dogs.  He loaded up 5 before I could have done one.

American Coney Island

American Special Coney - hot dog with ground beef, chili, mustard, onion.  (*I forgot to take the picture before I bit into it.)
The hotdog was good, but the chili wasn’t the best.  The atmosphere was more of a sit-down restaurant with servers.



The winner of the “Best Coney” goes to Lafayette Coney Island




American Coney Island on Urbanspoon

Lafayette Coney Island on Urbanspoon

 

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Mon Jin Lau - Troy, MI

Dinner 9/20/12

MJL Special cocktail - (Meyers, 151, Gold Rums, Orange juice, Pineapple juice, Grapefruit juice, and Lime juice) - Like liquid candy with alcohol. Very good if you like fruity candy. Tastes like a Malibu Bay Breeze on crack.

Sushi:
Spicy Shrimp Tempura Roll - (Shrimp tempura, avocado, roasted red pepper, and wasabi aioli) - fresh shrimp and clean rice with a light wasabi sauce on top. Nice roll
Ebi Roll - (shrimp, avocado, and cucumber) - fresh shrimp and avocado. Basic roll.

Shrimp Fried Rice - the shrimp were large and cooked perfectly. Unfortunately, the fried rice was lacking in flavor. The entire dish was very bland. This place is apparently ranked the best Chinese food in Detroit. I've had way better in other cities.

http://www.monjinlau.com/




Mon Jin Lau on Urbanspoon

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Michael Symon's "Roast" - Detroit, MI

Dinner 9/19/12

Forbidden Fruit cocktail - strong, yet smooth. Has a crisp fruit initial flavor and a molasses aftertaste.

Fried sweetbreads - So me being the naive Southern boy from North Florida, I read this on the menu and thought I would be ordering "fried bread" Instead what I got were some fried, tender, and flavorful pieces of meat. I was not disappointed but I wanted to know what it was I was eating. After a quick Google search from my phone, I realized it was...

Scallops - large, sweet, tender scallops. Herby and bacon flavored cream corn.

Ribeye - Not your typical American ribeye. The meat was great, but the seasonings and toppings made it taste lighter than the butter topped Ruth's Chris steak. Ultimately, I think I like the buttered steak better....everything tastes better with butter!

Soft Polenta - made with cream, butter, milk, molasses, and honey. It was better than any southern grits I’ve ever had. Awesome!

Almond cake - poached pears and banana caramel sauce. Dense cake, Christmas tasting pears, and walnut brittle. The banana caramel sauce is laced with a liqueur.









Roast on Urbanspoon


Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Buddys Pizzaria - Livonia, MI

Dinner 9/18

Atwater brewery (Detroit brewing company) Dirty Blonde.- the orange peel and coriander flavors make it taste like a citrus wheat beer, but it's an ale. Very crisp.

Antipasto w/ Buddy's famous vinaigrette - meaty and cheesy salad with the true Italian flavors of New York’s Little Italy.

The Detroiter - 2 Slice - Crispy, golden, buttery crust. Pure cheese. Crispy and flavorful pepperonis. Tomato basil sauce tastes fresh and herby. I can see why this place is rated in the top five in America for its pizza.
The Henry Ford pizza - tomato basil sauce, crispy bacon crumbles, red onions, and bleu cheese. Utterly delicious.








Buddy's Restaurant & Pizzeria on Urbanspoon

Monday, September 17, 2012

Joe Muer Seafood - Detroit, MI

Dinner 9/17

With the complementary bread comes:
House smoked bluefish pate - gentle smoke and gentle fish flavor in this creamy pate.
And,
Northern white beans, parsley, red pepper, onions. Light vinaigrette and tender white beans. The onions make there presence known, but are snuffed with the vinegar.

Mazrick - – (Ketel One vodka, Orange Juice, Pineapple Juice, Cointreau, Di Saonno, Galliano, and Angostura bitters) - orange and lemon, flavor masking a bold vodka mix. Smooth and Right!

Soups a la Muer (soup sampler):
Boston clam chowder - soft and creamy with hearty chunks of potatoes.
Manhattan fish chowder - Bloody Mary meets soup. Spicy tomato broth with a faint fish flavor.
Lobster bisque - deep roux flavor in the broth. Healthy portion of buttery lobster claw meat.

Oyster sampler:
Malpeque – Canada
Beausoleil – Canada
Kumomoto – Pacific – Very small and full of briny flavor
Rappahannock – East Coast (Chesapeake) – Large, plump oyster with mild saltiness
Well Fleet – East Coast (Rhode Island)
Stingray – East Coast (Chesapeake) - Large, plump oyster with mild saltiness

Dover sole - buttery, tender fish. filleted tableside. The most delicious fish I’ve ever had. If this had been a steakhouse, this fish would have been the filet mignon. (*the picture was taken after tehy filleted it tableside)






Joe Muer Seafood on Urbanspoon


Sunday, September 16, 2012

Redcoat Tavern - Royal Oak, MI

Lunch 9/16

Atmosphere is dark and typical of a civil war era watering hole. Lots of brews to choose from.

Weihenstephan Vitus - Hefe-Weiss beer. Thick and creamy finish on this wheat beer. True hefe flavor.

Onion Rings - thin, delicate beer batter coating tender and thick onion rings. Full of flavor. Greasy goodness!

Redcoat Special Hamburger - blue cheese, bacon, grilled onions - Thick, crunchy bacon, beefy burger, and creamy sauce (mayo and onion). Nice balance of heavy beef and light toppings. The fresh blue cheese adds the flavor, but does not overwhelm the rest of the burger. Comes with a huge, fresh-made pickle spear.





http://www.facebook.com/pages/Redcoat-Tavern/48333617908

Red Coat Tavern on Urbanspoon