Metzger's Restaurant
Baxter Plaza on Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI
Menu - http://www.metzgers.net/ourmenu.htm
Ira is our guest reviewer this week....
Since it was my turn to choose the restaurant, and my first successful attempt at choosing a restaurant, Sharon decided I should write this week's review. I promise that I will try to sound as much like Carrie Bradshaw as possible ;-)
In this festive time of year, as we merrily shop for loved(and not so loved) ones, we must stop and take time for the things that really matter. For me, one of those things is our dinners. It is fun to try new places, and actually trying different foods. My choice this month was Metger's Restaurant in Ann Arbor.
I wanted to try something different from the standard American food, wasn't in the mood for Mexican or Italian food and, PF Changs is on the "cannot choose list". So I decided that maybe German food would be a little out of the box. Sharon was hesitant at first, but you all know the rules.
I am a little familiar with German food, having been stationed there in the Army, but Sharon really didn't know anything, which was fun for me.
We decided on deep fried mushrooms for an appetizer, cause who doesn't like those right? I ordered a Franziskaner Weissbier(which is a wheat beer), and Sharon chose to have a Bell's Amber. Both beers were tasty, but I think she wished that she would have ordered what I had. She thought it tasted like root beer. I have to admit it reminded me of Germany.
We were having trouble trying to decide to on the entrée, so we figured that we'd order a double platter which gave us a choice of soup or salad, 4 sides, 4 meats. We both had salads as they were out of French Onion soup(at 6:45). The meats were bratwurst, knackwurst, mettwurst, and weiner schnitzle(veal pounded, breaded and fried), and the sides were German potato salad, spaetzle(a small dumpling), red cabbage, and sauerkraut.
I have to say that I am glad that we chose this restaurant. My favorite meal in Germany was the Wiener Schnitzel, and this didn't disappoint, it was cooked well and had a good flavor to it. Sharon fell in love with the potato salad, and I even ate sauerkraut. I think the only thing that we agreed left something to be desired was the bratwurst. Neither of us felt it had much flavor.
For dessert we had to have to apple struedel but were so full from the meal that we got it to go. It was light and flaky, but I have to be honest, I couldn't eat all of mine because I was too full(Sharon ate all of hers though-lol).
I think we would agree that this restaurant is a must try for the adventurous soul who wants to try something a little different. Or the person who longs for a little cooking from Deutschland. Either way, if asked I would say try it.
Oh yeah, Miranda has man issues, Samantha's a whore, and Charlotte is waiting for a dream that'll never happen. Oh, and I saw Mr. Big.
------Ira
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Sunday, December 9, 2007
The Metro Cafe
CLOSED
The Metro Cafe - http://www.metrocafea2.com/
303 Detroit Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
This was our planned dinner for this month (actually there will be two this month, watch for another posting in 2 weeks). I actually found this restaurant through Channel 4's Best of Southeastern Michigan poll.
The Metro Cafe is located in Kerrytown, on the corner of Detroit St and Catherine Ave in Ann Arbor. It has a very modern setting, martinis, and a jazz pianist so, I automatically started the evening optimistic. They bring fresh baked rolls, that were absolutely yummy. We started with the crab rangoon dip and two martinis. Ira had the classic martini, while I enjoyed the raspberry tart martini. The dip had fresh crab and alot of it, served with fried wontons. The appetizer was very good.
There are two things I especially like about their menu, they have a little bit of something for everyone - salads, sandwiches, duck, lamb, lobster, etc. The other thing is that they have two different size meals - small plates and large plates. For our meals, Ira chose the lamb chops and I had the shrimp and lobster plantain cakes (both small plate meals). Ira has only had lamb chops once before, so he ordered them on the waiters recommendation of medium rare, after he was eating them he felt that they should have been cooked longer. My plantain cakes were delicious, along with my second martini. For dessert we ordered the lava cake, which was warm, creamy, and wonderful.
Due to the lamb, Ira gave them 4 stars, while I give them 5 - so concensus is 4 1/2 stars.
The Metro Cafe - http://www.metrocafea2.com/
303 Detroit Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
This was our planned dinner for this month (actually there will be two this month, watch for another posting in 2 weeks). I actually found this restaurant through Channel 4's Best of Southeastern Michigan poll.
The Metro Cafe is located in Kerrytown, on the corner of Detroit St and Catherine Ave in Ann Arbor. It has a very modern setting, martinis, and a jazz pianist so, I automatically started the evening optimistic. They bring fresh baked rolls, that were absolutely yummy. We started with the crab rangoon dip and two martinis. Ira had the classic martini, while I enjoyed the raspberry tart martini. The dip had fresh crab and alot of it, served with fried wontons. The appetizer was very good.
There are two things I especially like about their menu, they have a little bit of something for everyone - salads, sandwiches, duck, lamb, lobster, etc. The other thing is that they have two different size meals - small plates and large plates. For our meals, Ira chose the lamb chops and I had the shrimp and lobster plantain cakes (both small plate meals). Ira has only had lamb chops once before, so he ordered them on the waiters recommendation of medium rare, after he was eating them he felt that they should have been cooked longer. My plantain cakes were delicious, along with my second martini. For dessert we ordered the lava cake, which was warm, creamy, and wonderful.
Due to the lamb, Ira gave them 4 stars, while I give them 5 - so concensus is 4 1/2 stars.
El Patio
El Patio Mexican Restaurant - 7622 Highland Road, Waterford MI 48327
http://www.elpatiomexicanrestaurant.com/
Another unexpected stop on our way to Great Lakes Crossing on Friday. We rolled in around 11:30 and were the 3rd table of customers in the restaurant. Fortunately, it did start to fill up while we are there. The service was top notch - our chips and salsa were on the table before we sat down and before our drinks were ever half way gone there was a waiter asking if we needed a refill. As nice as this was, honestly, it did start to get a bit annoying after awhile.
The salsa was very tasty and we ordered a chorizo and cheese appetizer, which was also very good. Ira ordered huevos rancheros which he liked alot. I have only had authentic huevos rancheros in Texas and Mexico, so I was a bit hesitant, but the meal was quite good. I ordered my standard (and safe) cheese enchiladas. I was a bit disappointed in these, they seem to lack flavor to me. However, since everything else was good, I would be happy to return and try a different dish.
Ira gives them 4 1/2 stars and I give them 4 stars, so we give El Patio a 4 1/4 stars.
http://www.elpatiomexicanrestaurant.com/
Another unexpected stop on our way to Great Lakes Crossing on Friday. We rolled in around 11:30 and were the 3rd table of customers in the restaurant. Fortunately, it did start to fill up while we are there. The service was top notch - our chips and salsa were on the table before we sat down and before our drinks were ever half way gone there was a waiter asking if we needed a refill. As nice as this was, honestly, it did start to get a bit annoying after awhile.
The salsa was very tasty and we ordered a chorizo and cheese appetizer, which was also very good. Ira ordered huevos rancheros which he liked alot. I have only had authentic huevos rancheros in Texas and Mexico, so I was a bit hesitant, but the meal was quite good. I ordered my standard (and safe) cheese enchiladas. I was a bit disappointed in these, they seem to lack flavor to me. However, since everything else was good, I would be happy to return and try a different dish.
Ira gives them 4 1/2 stars and I give them 4 stars, so we give El Patio a 4 1/4 stars.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Aleko's
We made an unplanned and unscheduled stop last night at Aleko's Restaurant & Tavern. So, since this visit has now knocked them off of our list of non-chain restaurants, I felt it was only fair to give them a review.
Aleko's is supposedly known for their ribs and pasta. My son vouches that their ribs are very good, but given our appetites the night before Thanksgiving we settled for a smaller items. I had their Cajun Shrimp Club. This was very tasty and spicy - just like I like it. Ira had their burger and said it was pretty good. We enjoyed our sandwiches and fries with a beer each and were pleased and full. The atmosphere was very nice and I can say that their parking lot is usually packed if either one of us drives by on the weekends. Since this was just a quick stop, we did not try any appetizers or desserts. But, since we enjoyed what we did have I will give them a 4 stars out of 5. I am sure we will go back and after a more thorough visit I may re-rate them at that time.
Aleko's Restaurant and Tavern - 7476 M-36 (Hamburg Plaza) Hamburg, MI 48139
Aleko's is supposedly known for their ribs and pasta. My son vouches that their ribs are very good, but given our appetites the night before Thanksgiving we settled for a smaller items. I had their Cajun Shrimp Club. This was very tasty and spicy - just like I like it. Ira had their burger and said it was pretty good. We enjoyed our sandwiches and fries with a beer each and were pleased and full. The atmosphere was very nice and I can say that their parking lot is usually packed if either one of us drives by on the weekends. Since this was just a quick stop, we did not try any appetizers or desserts. But, since we enjoyed what we did have I will give them a 4 stars out of 5. I am sure we will go back and after a more thorough visit I may re-rate them at that time.
Aleko's Restaurant and Tavern - 7476 M-36 (Hamburg Plaza) Hamburg, MI 48139
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Bugsy's Sports Pub
This weekend was not supposed to be Bugsy's Sports Pub, it was supposed to be Bella Luna, but to our surprise Bella Luna is closed on Sundays. So, we will be saving that dinner for the end of December. Due to a matter of location, we chose Bugsy's Sports Pub. Now, I like a sports bar more than the average female, but let's be honest it is not exactly the place to expect fine dining, but here is the review...
Bugsy's Sports Pub - CLOSED
106 S. Lafayette, South Lyon, MI 48178
As for decor, it was modern and represented Michigan and Detroit sports. However, it is a pub, so it was smokier than I like. Most sports bars do at least have a non-smoking section, but if they had one I didn't see it.
The menu had a lot of variety - pizza, pasta, burgers, salad, wraps, mexican, seafood, steaks, and burgers. Whatever you have a taste for they should have it or something close. We started with cream of mushroom soup which was very tasty. I don't necessarily agree with serving the soup before the appetizer, but I think it was to space out the courses since the dip needed to be warmed up while the soup was already ready. Our appetizer was spinach and artichoke dip. I will just say better than Applebee's, but my homemade dip and The Blarney Stone still reign at the top. So, it was better than average, but not superior.
Lastly, our meals, which both get an average rating at best. My boyfriend had ribs with fries and I had fried walleye with a baked potato. While both the meals were okay, we agreed that they both lacked flavor.
All in all, I would give it a 2 1/2 out of 5, but in reality it's a sports bar, so it is what it is. The bonus of our unexpected and unresearched dinner is that our Blue Moon's were $1.50 each. I am not sure if this was a mistake, but if it wasn't, that alone would make me visit Bugsy's again just for the beer.
Bugsy's Sports Pub - CLOSED
106 S. Lafayette, South Lyon, MI 48178
As for decor, it was modern and represented Michigan and Detroit sports. However, it is a pub, so it was smokier than I like. Most sports bars do at least have a non-smoking section, but if they had one I didn't see it.
The menu had a lot of variety - pizza, pasta, burgers, salad, wraps, mexican, seafood, steaks, and burgers. Whatever you have a taste for they should have it or something close. We started with cream of mushroom soup which was very tasty. I don't necessarily agree with serving the soup before the appetizer, but I think it was to space out the courses since the dip needed to be warmed up while the soup was already ready. Our appetizer was spinach and artichoke dip. I will just say better than Applebee's, but my homemade dip and The Blarney Stone still reign at the top. So, it was better than average, but not superior.
Lastly, our meals, which both get an average rating at best. My boyfriend had ribs with fries and I had fried walleye with a baked potato. While both the meals were okay, we agreed that they both lacked flavor.
All in all, I would give it a 2 1/2 out of 5, but in reality it's a sports bar, so it is what it is. The bonus of our unexpected and unresearched dinner is that our Blue Moon's were $1.50 each. I am not sure if this was a mistake, but if it wasn't, that alone would make me visit Bugsy's again just for the beer.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Mariachi Mexican Restaurant
Mariachi Mexican Restaurant - CLOSED
1759 N Canton Center Rd, Canton, MI 48187
My first thought when we walked in was...small. However, once we were seated for dinner we forgot how small the place is. The menu has a lot of options from fresh guacamole to burritos to carnitas to shrimp. The staff is superfriendly and because the restaurant is small they are easy to find. The free salsa and chips are fresh and fabulous.
We had the appetizer of chorizo con queso which was fantastic. I had the chicken burrito which was wonderful and my boyfriend had the pork carnitas which he could not stop eating. We ended our dinner with the fried ice cream which we may have finished in record time. Summary - 100 different tequilas ($4 - $35 per shot), various drink options, friendly staff, and great food. We will definitely visit this restaurant again.
I give it 5 stars.
Menu - http://www.mariachimexican.com/menu.html
1759 N Canton Center Rd, Canton, MI 48187
My first thought when we walked in was...small. However, once we were seated for dinner we forgot how small the place is. The menu has a lot of options from fresh guacamole to burritos to carnitas to shrimp. The staff is superfriendly and because the restaurant is small they are easy to find. The free salsa and chips are fresh and fabulous.
We had the appetizer of chorizo con queso which was fantastic. I had the chicken burrito which was wonderful and my boyfriend had the pork carnitas which he could not stop eating. We ended our dinner with the fried ice cream which we may have finished in record time. Summary - 100 different tequilas ($4 - $35 per shot), various drink options, friendly staff, and great food. We will definitely visit this restaurant again.
I give it 5 stars.
Menu - http://www.mariachimexican.com/menu.html
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