Again???

Yup, Mia & Grace was open for Labor Day. So, considering I won't be in Muskegon again for awhile, we decided to go.

Of course we tried something new! Eric had the 1/2 order of the Muffaletta:

I had a seared watermelon and tomato salad, with basil, yogurt and raspberry vinaigrette...

And a goat cheese and wild mushroom tart:

And, there was a whole carrot cake there! So, we got another slice...bigger this time!

Sigh...

Weekend Food Round Up

This weekend, Eric came to Lansing, and we enjoyed time out at some local dining establishments.

Friday night – Ukai, West Side

We haven’t been to either Ukai restaurant, so decided to try the sushi bar on the West side of Lansing. We ordered an appetizer – it was jalapeno peppers stuffed with spicy tuna, cream cheese, and tempura battered with spicy mayo and teriyaki sauce on it. We also ordered three rolls, and they were fabulous.

Saturday lunch – Amici’s, near Frandor

I got the chicken salad sandwich, and Eric got a hot pastrami sandwich. We enjoyed both of them, and I recommend that if you like deli sandwiches, visit Amici’s!

Sunday breakfast – Golden Harvest, Old Town

Oh yum. Yup, had to wait a bit outside, but it was a gorgeous day. We decided to sit at the bar, so that was cool. I got the carmel apple French toast with American fries and bacon, and Eric got the biscuits and gravy. So yummy and such a great place to eat!!

Sunday dinner – House of Hsu, Grand Ledge

I got the Princess Chicken, and Eric got the Three Delicacies. We also ordered an order of fried won tons. Very good Chinese!

Mia & Grace

First off, I have to say this - you MUST try it.

Mia & Grace - 1133 Third St., Muskegon

After receiving an email with an interview of chefs Jeremy and Jamie Paquin, I decided this was one place we were going to eat at this weekend.

Eric, his mom Nancy, and I all went for lunch at Mia & Grace today. Of course, I forgot to bring my camera...but, I will definitely be bringing it next time, as I am hoping to frequent this place when I'm in town.

Walking into the restaurant, you can see how much work was done in order to get it to the beautiful decor they have there. They also have many paintings and photos from local artists up on the walls - and all are available for purchase. Because it is a chef driven menu, they have one menu up on the wall. They use fresh, local produce whenever possible. They also use products from The Cheese Lady, Creswick Farms, Funny Farm, and many others. Everything is made in house.

So - we went all out. There were so many good things on the menu. Nancy got the Beet Ravioli, stuffed with pork and goat cheese. There was pesto, a great cream sauce, and just a hint of chocolate sauce. Eric got the Grass-Fed burger, with onions, lettuce, and it was fantastic. The bun was delicious. I got a cup of cold cucumber soup - it had dill in it, and it was refreshing for a hot summer day. I also got the white truffle egg salad sandwich, and it had very tasty bread, with peppers mixed into the egg salad.

Then came dessert. We each got one - all different. Eric got the white chocolate raspberry cheesecake. Nancy got the Key Lime Pie and I got the White Chocolate Bread Pudding with a Rum Angalise. YUM. Though, I think out of all of them, Eric's won. The cheesecake is made by Jeremy, and it is hands down the best cheesecake we've ever had. And, the portions for the desserts are HUGE!!!

I promise, next time I'll bring my camera, but I urge you to try this fantastic new restaurant in downtown Muskegon.

Back up plan...

So, we goofed. We wanted to go to Michael Symon's restaurant, Lola Bistro, on Saturday night, and Eric even called there Friday night to get times, but we didn't make a reservation. So, by the time we tried early Saturday afternoon, it just didn't happen.

So, we had to settle for the Sunset Lounge. Yay for sushi!!!! After the large meat eating on Friday night, and standing/walking all day Saturday, it sounded pretty good. Plus, this place looked pretty cool.

Mind you, we went around 6:30pm, and there were THREE other people in the place. After a little digging, it seems that the Warehouse District, where it is located, seems to be a more late night place. That's ok - we didn't have to wait!

I ordered a drink, a Tom Collins, but it didn't seem to have enough sweet and sour mix in it. The decor was very nice, and BLUE. Our waiter was very nice, and even recommended a sushi roll that was the House Specialty, the Lil' Delicious. So, we ordered that, a Philadelphia roll, a Tiger Roll, a Double Dragon Roll, and Yellowtail.









From front to back - Yellowtail, Lil' Delicious (spicy tuna, avocado, lobster, tempura battered and covered with spicy mayo and sweet soy sauce), Philadelphia Roll (no salmon on top), Tiger Roll (smoked salmon, avocado, cream cheese, topped with fresh salmon), and Dragon Roll (eel, avocado, cream cheese, topped with eel and avocado).

We ate it all. The Lil' Delicious was fantastic - I never knew all those flavors would go that well together. All of the sushi was great.

After deciding against a dessert drink, we decided to walk up to E. 4th St. to the House of Blues. We had toyed with going to see D.L. Hughley at Pickwick and Frolic, which is also on E. 4th, but decided to forgo the 10:15pm show. So, we got some souvenirs and dessert at the House of Blues.

First - my warm apple tart. Second - Eric's ice cream cookie sandwich fudge thing.







We walked all the way back to the hotel, and pretty much crashed. It was a long day with lots of walking!!!

On the road again...

I'm coming to you live from the dining room at Eric's house in Muskegon. I just got back from having my eyebrows waxed (oh, so much better!) and picked up some food on the way home. Which made me decide that I was going to write a blog about some of my favorite places to eat in the Muskegon area. There are plenty of chain restaurants in the area, but there are so many good local places, I have to highlight some of them:


G&L Chili Dogs, Multiple Locations

This happens to be what I picked up on my way home. Need to look at the menu? Nah. Cheddar Chili Dog Special please, with everything (onions, mustard, cheese!). For a total of $5.29, I got two cheddar chili dogs (yum!), fries, and a drink. You can't really get much better than that.

There are multiple locations in the Muskegon area. The downtown location is the original. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever gotten anything off the menu other than chili dogs and chili cheese fries... Not only are there four locations in Muskegon, there is one in Spring Lake, one in Holland, and even one in Kalamazoo!!!!


Egg Roll House, 1084 E. Sternberg, Muskegon

Originally a restaurant in the old Muskegon Mall, downtown, the Egg Roll House moved out to the Sternberg area where the new mall is. The food is the same, trust me. I've been a frequent customer there (with my parents), since I was probably about 6 years old. The owners know me, and even one of the waitresses that's still there knows me.

What do you get here, you ask? Well, I typically can be found getting the Mandarin Chicken dish. It's a plate of wings in a molasses-y sauce. They are deep fried. It is amazing. It takes a little longer for this dish than others, but it's totally worth it. Eric likes to get the General Tso's Chicken, and I have to say that the Mongolian Beef is fantastic too. I don't think I've ever had anything here I didn't like.

They also have lunch specials - the portion is a little smaller, but you get a crab rangoon and egg roll with it. These run every day from 11am-3pm, and usually are under $7.


The Station Grill, 910 W. Broadway, Muskegon

Probably the best burger I've ever had. So yummy. I also recommend the texas fries (similar to potato chips, but still a little soft). I also love the Ham and Cheese Fingers (literally, they are little buns with ham slices and melted cheese), and they also have good burritos, salads, and the "World's Smallest Sundae"! For lunch, you can even call in your order ahead of time, and it will be waiting when you get there!!!


City Cafe, 411 W. Western Ave., Muskegon

Oh, Gorgonzola Cream Bruschetta, how do I love thee? My favorite appetizer, also good paired with just a house salad for a good meal. :-)

However, City Cafe, which is located in the basement of the Frauenthal Theater, has fantastic food. They always have different specials, and somehow, the strangest things that are put together are delicious. You can go here casually, or dressed up. They have great sandwiches, and my other favorite dish is the Chicken Salad with Michigan Cherries and Walnuts. It comes with a great side of fruit (grapes, pineapple, honeydew melon, and cantaloupe). It also comes with this fantastic orange bread.


Even though I just ate, all of these sound really good...there are more places I want to write about, but I will save them for my next blog.