It's Pinball Pete's meets Dominicks. Minus the sangria, but it's be cool if they started making it! :) With so many new places popping up it was about time new business entrepreneurs started to take note and do something a little different. In steps M Brew a new local beer, snacks, and arcade place. With microbrews on the menu and shuffleboard and old school arcade games downstairs how can this be a bad combination? Answer. It can't. There are snacks for the drunk and hungry ranging from wraps and salads to pizzas and pizza by the slice. There's indoor seats as well as outdoors. If you're by Valentine Vodka and you see the house next door hoppin' with locals, don't be sad you weren't invited to the house party because... You were! Everyone is! That old house is M Brew transformed. So now if VV is too busy you have another place to rest your feet. Good job Ferndale. Once again, you are proving to add new awesome places to your city. Maybe Royal Oak should start taking note. Go try it out! Hot and new. ;)
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You know that moment when you’re starving, meeting friends in Ferndale in an hour, and not wanting to search for a parking spot before filling your belly? You know you need to eat before getting your drink on, but can’t deal with circling for spots downtown. This is the moment you go to Christine’s in Ferndale. That scenario might sound like it’s selling Christine’s short. It’s a perfectly comforting and delicious breakfast spot in it’s own right, as well. But its location makes it a great place to grab fresh and well-prepared food in Ferndale in the evening without dealing with Ferndale parking, which is getting increasingly hard to navigate.
I’ve written some reviews putting down Americanized Chinese and hailing the authentic places. However, sometimes you just need a solid sweet and sour chicken, or hanker for an almond chicken done just the way you remember from your childhood. And when you do have this craving, it can be very difficult to find a place that does it right- not too much grease (though not too little), with the flavors you remember and fresh quality that won’t offend your adult foodie sensibilities. LC’s Kitchen accomplishes these checkpoints well, and even though I discovered them because my mom ordered take-out (they live a couple of blocks away), I’ve been back on my own and will drive a little farther to enjoy the goodness over the other Chinese places by my house.
LC’s has a few characteristics I have to laud: First, when I asked for extra spicy, they actually added extra spice that I could detect. This is incredibly rare in a Chinese restaurant, and wins points and return visits from me in its own right. Second, their vegetables are fresh and their meat tastes tender and high quality. Even their fried food isn’t swimming in grease, which makes their Americanized choices a fine way to go instead of an afterthought, like many more authentic Chinese restaurants. I usually enjoy the Szechuan chicken, and share with my friend who gets the almond chicken. Egg drop soup, wonton soup and egg rolls- usual suspects, but still necessary accompaniments (all good). If it’s in your neighborhood, go for your next craving. LC's Kitchen Website It’s a little bit of a shame that I’m reviewing this place AFTER my actual trip to Thailand, but also a testament to the quality that I know I’ll return. Thai food is on most foodies “constant craving” lists, and I’m no different. It’s hard to find a place that sets itself apart, because I’m sorry, but a lot of pad thai tastes exactly the same. And red curries, though always good, are pretty standard. I must add that the best I’ve had in all categories are all blown away by my actual trip to Thailand, a foodie’s paradise. However, Sy Thai just does these items better than most in the Detroit area. I don’t usually order pad thai anymore, but it’s hard to visit Sy Thai without getting theirs because they have the flavor balance down: Spicy enough without being too spicy (rare to find a “medium spicy” that is consistently that, every time!) Sweet, nutty and citrusy rounds out the profile. I always add veggies. My only comment is about the meat- there never seems to be enough chicken and/ or shrimp, which is essential because the next day I find myself eating a bunch of veggies and wishing for more shrimp.
Their menu has lots of items others don’t: Crispy fish being on the list of things I’d like to try that I loved in Thailand. I have to mention their Hot and Sour soup- included when you sit in instead of take out. It’s divine. I was really sad when I realized that this soup is alternated with their cabbage soup, which I haven’t tried… but I will only sit in on Hot and Sour soup days because it’s that delicious. To sum up- Sy Thai is a chain, and it’s more expensive than most Thai restaurants. But you will notice the freshness and flavor balance, and the fact that you still have leftovers, which is a requirement of any Thai restaurant. And you might have to come back as a result, which is also true of me. Sy Thai's Website Hippies love Mudgies and so do I!!! Are you vegetarian, gluten free, or a meat craving carnivore? Do you love salads, Michigan booze and homemade soups? In the mood for a greasy, perfect Rueben or on a health kick? Do you love a good deli or are you looking for a spot that could easily do well in Berkley, California? Mudgies is for all of you. Located in a non-descript location in Detroit (not many other businesses around, so you have to know about it ahead of time), it’s always hoppin’ with a good scene for people watching. And you know you’re gonna get good food. You’ll see words like “Michigan, Detroit, local, farm” all over the menu, which is ALWAYS a good sign. Their soups ALWAYS sound good and rotate daily, and their salads (such as the Fajita chicken salad) are packed full of flavor and unique ingredients. There are a couple of famous sandwiches you can’t go wrong ordering. First off, the Mudgie: Grass-fed beef and turkey with cream cheese and veggies on warm onion Kaiser. And the Gutty V. 2.0: Salami, pastrami, bacon, beef, corned beef, cheddar and veggies on a warm Kaiser. If that didn’t hook you, you’re probably a vegetarian- but don’t worry, they have every kind of roasted red pepper, sprout, mushroom or hummus option for you also (and me, when the occasion calls for it). Sometimes I drive the D just to go to this place, and sometimes I pair it with a skate around Campus Martius on a snow day. But either way, Mudgies fills me with a little bit of awe every time. And it makes up for the fact that I don’t live in California or Ann Arbor when I’m wishing that I did. Enjoy!
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Giving you a taste of what I taste. From gourmet to everyday. No pretentious bull - just good food.
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