I’ve been here a few times, and my experience ranged from A-OK to a big disappointment. Here’s the best and the worst according to me:
The Best: Happy Hour. I hope they still have half off wine and pizzas, because that’s enough reason to stop by in the early evening. I enjoyed a chianti and half off pizza very much, and had enough money with the savings to buy a lovely, fresh salad. My first experience had me coming back a few months later. The “meh….”: Came back with a couple of friend NOT during happy hour. Same good Chianti, pizza that was JUUUUUST this side of too expensive and not mind-blowing, and a meat and cheese plate that threw my meal into the ‘astronomical’ price category. The worst: I ordered Gluten-free pizza. It was beyond sad and into the ‘cheese melted on cardboard’ category. The conclusion: I won’t be back unless I’m with a group of friends who are dying for pizza during happy hour time. Assuming, of course, that this special is still happening. Pizzeria Biga's Website
0 Comments
You probably know about this place already… so I’ll keep it brief. I’ve had a variety of experiences at this restaurant, partly because this is a chain restaurant that is privately owned. So the Royal Oak and Sterling Heights locations are very different from each other, with different perks. Andiamo is known for quality Italian food, and I’ll admit that I’ve been happy with my food here almost every time. The highlight experience was at the Sterling Heights location, where I ordered whitefish and family style sides: mashed potatoes and vegetables. OK, it doesn’t sound that interesting, but the actual food quality and preparation was flawless. While the bill was very expensive, due to the family style sides that had to be ordered separately because nothing came with the pricey main dishes, no one complained. This is probably due, in part, to the fact that one person in our party had a gift card to eat some of the cost. At the Royal Oak location, I had one magical happy hour with filet medallion in zip sauce, prawns on polenta and half off wine. (Note: When I went back, they had traded their amazing happy hour specials for a much more boring selection of bruschetta). When there’s a gift card involved OR they get their previous happy hour specials back, I will return. Until then, it’s a bit too expensive for my dining style, though I always know I’ll get a good meal there.
Andiamo's Sterling Heights Website Nostalgia is a powerful thing… and since my family had taken our cars to Vinsetta Garage for years for top quality, family-owned service, I was beyond excited to see the transformation that became ‘Vinsetta Garage: The Restaurant.’ And they lived up to my expectations, originally. Still set in the original garage theme, it’s industrial meets hipster. A cool place to meet friends (though the acoustics leave MUCH to be desired.
The menu is creative, as the place is owned by the folks who own Union Woodshop. Same great Mac n’ cheese, quality meat, inventive sides and unique flavor combinations. At first, I even braved the long lines to eat here and just couldn’t get enough. And then, for some reason, I maxed out a bit. Why? I can’t really put my finger on it. It just became a bit… ‘je ne sai quoi…’ I don’t know how to put it in words. Unique, but not enough- quality ingredients and flavors, but not enough to make it the experience I thought it was at first. It’s not like the quality lowered, but when the newness wore off I find myself going elsewhere for ‘that great burger.’ You won’t regret stopping in, and you’ll probably like it a lot- as I did for a while. I’m also quite sure I’ll be back at some point even if it’s not a hurry. So take it for what it’s worth- it’s a great concept with a good execution that I just don’t crave. Vinsetta Garage's Website Brio is an Italian chain, but one of those chains that is consistently delicious... as well as consistently expensive. What keeps me coming back (and not even very often I might add) is the best risotto that I have ever had. The sweet potato risotto is a must have. Make sure to add mushrooms to make it even more delicious than it already is. What comes in it you ask? Asparagus, pine nuts, sweet potatoes, mushrooms (if you get them), parmesan, and a little bit of magic. It's pretty darn good. This is pricey but you will have leftovers too! Everything else on the menu just seems too expensive to come here on the regular. Brio's Website OMG... gluten-free goodness. After the fail that was Amicis and Pizzeria Biga's gluten-free pizza, I was reluctant to think that a "chain" would have a better one. However, I had a Jerry Mcguire moment and they had me at... "unlimited toppings." Blaze's shtick is fast, wood fired pizzas, at a low cost. $6.95 for a 6 piece, 11inch flat bread pizza with unlimited toppings? Can you find a better price? I think not. You can get the signature pizzas like the meat eater, art lover, green stripe, red vine, and so on and so forth. I won't detail them all. You can check them out for yourself at Blaze's signature pizzas. My favorite gluten-free pie place is and will probably always be The Stormcloud Brewery in Frankfort, MI. If you're up there try the "Rider on the Storm" pizza (garlic herb oil, carmelized onions, roasted garlic, house-made sausage, brie or goat cheese, parmesan, sliced fresh apples, drizzled with a maple cider vinegar reduction). I changed the cheese and added pepperoni. The maple cider vinegar reduction made it. MmMmm. Anyway, back to the Blaze... The best part about Blazes is the build your own pizza beast. You can load on as many toppings as you want for $6.95. If you want gluten-free crust it's an additional 2 bucks, but well worth it. You won't even know the difference. I didn't. We got two pizzas, one build your own and one signature with some adds. The picture on the left is a gluten-free art lover (artichokes, mozzarella, ricotta, chopped garlic) and we added spicy red sauce dollops, mushrooms, arugula and salami. The picture below was a gluten-free crust ,build your own with two different kinds of mozzarella, pepperoni, onions, pineapple, and banana peppers. They were good in the moment and even better the next day heated up in the oven. Those of you that know about gluten-free crusts... they rarely are ever good the next day. Get a pop or a blood orange lemonade and kick back. The only thing that would make this place better is a liquor license. This place screams wine (not the decor, but the food). You could treat it like a Michigan game and bring your own? Keep in mind it's a family friendly environment and not one you want to linger around in. It's fast food pizza and damn good too. |
Giving you a taste of what I taste. From gourmet to everyday. No pretentious bull - just good food.
Categories
All
Archives
August 2018
|