New addition in Hastings!

Pasta's, steaks, seafood and gourmet pizza's? How about most of them with a unique twist. You will not be disappointed if you try Fall Creek Restaurant in Hastings. Appetizers like blackened sirloin dippers served with mild wasabi aoili. How about blue crab cakes topped with orange chipotle sauce. Ribeye steak for dinner is very popular as well as their Chicken Roulade stuffed with crab and topped with basil cream sauce. Don't miss the pasta dishes like fettuccine trio or chicken marsala. Lunch could be any special that day or the regular favorites like pulled pork on ciabatta bread or the corned beef rueben cooked for five hours! Check the guide for more details on desserts etc.

Also, if you use the guide and try some of our suggestions, please comment and let me know what your experience was.

Thanks,

Terry

New addition-Real Polish Food!

I did not expect Maria's Lone Star Restaurant to have authentic Polish food. Maria is a polish woman who only uses real Polish sausage purchased from Chicago's Polish community meat markets. This place is just east of Bangor and is a bar with very good food. Thursday is Polish night and it is worth a drive if you like the real thing. She also has a large menu of other items such as her popular friday fish fry. Add steaks and burgers and you have something for everyone. Prices are very reasonable. Check the guide for more details.

I had great Corned Beef and Cabbage at.....

I ended up at the Walldorff Brewpub & Bistro in Hastings for St. Patrick's day lunch. That was probably the most tender corned beef I ever had. They also have a great beer called the State Street Oatmeal Stout. Lunch included potatoes, carrots, cabbage and raisin bread. This is my second visit and both have been great. I hope you had a meal as good! When it is not St. Patrick's day, try the wood fired pizza's or the slow roasted barbeque items like ribs, brisket or pulled pork. This is a full restaurant and brewpub with many beer choices along with sandwiches, appetizers, soups, fish and steaks. Check out more details in the guide.

St. Patrick's Day let's eat Irish food!

We have several Irish/English style pubs in the guide. Make sure you
Visit one tomorrow for some corned beef and maybe a guinness?? There
are at least five located in Kalamazoo area. One in Plainwell, one in
Saugatuck, one in Sawyer. There are some I have not yet reviewed
such as JR Mcgonigle's in Otsego and Mcgonigle's in Battle Creek.
Not to mention all the other places that go "Irish" for the day. I like
many of the brewpubs and Microbreweries. Olde Peninsula brewpub
has a special Irish menu for tomorrow. Check them out and have fun!!

New Addition to the Guide.

This new restaurant in Sawyer is a great addition to a great independent restaurant area along the shoreline. Fitzgerald's in downtown Sawyer is modeled after "Public Houses" or "pubs" as we know them from the British Isles. This one even has a feeling of a "speak easy" since you enter thru curtains. Great atmosphere with a nice menu. For lunch you can get the daily "pub roast" which varies in selection choices of beef, pork or turkey. They always have french onion soup. Also, try the fish & chips or the shepherd's pie. For dessert try the sticky toffee pudding. Great selection of Michigan microbrew beers and Michigan wines among others. Most are available by the glass. The knowledgeable bartender Carry can help with pairings if needed. For dinner you can still have the fish & chips and shepherd's pie or try the roasted chicken, country cassoulet (french) or cherry pork madeira. They make a strong effort to use local ingredients as much as possible. Many from local farmer's markets. Same desserts as well as some special things baked up by the inhouse baker (Carry again). I had warm from the oven apple turnovers the day I was there. They also have special events and live jazz music on Thursday evenings. Don't miss this one.

New Addition to the guide. I finally tried this place.

I finally tried this place after several people highly recommended it. Chinn-Chinn in Mattawan may be the best Asian restaurant I have experienced. I really like lettuce wraps, theirs are very good. My favorite chinese meal is Kung Pao Beef. They give you a choice for heat from 1-10. Their food is fantastic! My wife had the My Little Hibachi chicken which was flame broiled with pineapple soy glaze which she really liked. For dessert we had the homemade chocolate won tons. The place is small and you can expect to wait for a table, but it is worth the wait! If you like P. F. Chang's this is better. I would consider this a destination place worth the drive from anywhere in southwest Michigan. This restaurant is owned by the former Peking Palace people, but I think this is far better. Check the guide for details and hours.

Outside the area, but you have to try it!

Sign says the only Gizzard City in the World. Joe's Gizzard City in Potterville, MI just north of Charlotte is truly a one of a kind place! Featured in "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" on the food channel, this place is the home of deep frying. The gizzards are from special south american chickens and are not the stomach, but instead the muscle around the stomach. They pressure boil them with loads of spices to get them tender, then dip them in their special batter before frying. They also have fried chicken, burgers, steaks and fish. Something for everyone in the family. When Guy Fieri came to town they expanded from frying the burger patty to frying the entire burger bun and all. This is now known as the "Triple D Burger". It was excellent. I had one along with a bowl of Joe's homemade chili. They have a full bar and desserts. Try the popular "Frinkie" which is a deep fried twinkie! I had the fried "Smore". They also have fried oreos, cookie dough and cheesecake.