This place was rebuilt in 2011 after a 2010 fire. However it has an inscription on the fireplace about it being a fur trading post in 1809. After the fire that nearly took the owner's life (she was rescued by neighbors who brought a ladder to her window, which she crawled out of with her hair on fire)the rebuild still has an old feel to it. The ceiling is covered in old doors inside, and shutters on the nice screened porch. We sat on the porch with a nice view of Devil's Lake. This classic lake area bar and grill in Manitou Beach used to be called the Manitou Beach Inn and now is the Manitou Bar and Grill. They are known for burgers and their famous soups the most famous being the cabbage chowder. I had a pulled pork sandwich which was very good. My wife had a southwest salad with grilled chicken with housemade dressing. Our friends had fish dinners perch and salmon. Everything was very good and we will go back. Lots of specials mean a constantly changing menu. The atmosphere is great and provides live entertainment after dinner hours. Nice family run operation. Check out the guide for more details.

One of a kind pizza

This place is new since 2010. It has won the "best new restaurant" award in Jackson this year. Laughlin's Slice of Spice in Spring Arbor is the only wood fired brick oven pizza place in Jackson county. Fresh ingredients on a hand tossed thin crust cooked in the wood fired oven makes this place special. They use local fresh produce and italian ingredients to insure a tasty pie. Nice atmosphere for the whole family with original photos on the walls and comfortable seating. Nice salads and appetizers along with some other non pizza offerings. Full bar with padded seats, offering mixed drinks as well as a nice selection of wines including local ones. The beer selection includes seasonal and locally brewed options. I had Arcadia Jaw Jacker on my visit. Others in our group had Angry Orchard Hard Cider. Nice place, give them a try! More details in the Guide.

Nice deli with great corned beef!

 

 

This place is on a side street in downtown Chelsea, but well worth looking for. Mike's Deli has a neat atmosphere and offers over 65 sandwiches not counting "create your own" options. They have 17 cheeses and 9 types of Zingerman's bread to serve them on. Did I mention 14 salad dressings to put on your cobb, bing or strawberry salads? Mostly boars head meats and some very nice sides like soup, chili, baked beans and potato salad. The corned beef is just like in the big cities! This is a real deli with a neat atmosphere and great food. Check out the guide for more details.

Fine dining destination added!

This top rated restaurant in Tecumseh seems like it belongs in a big city. We are glad this top chef chose this small town to open Evans Street Station. Chef Alan Merhar was doing farm to table before it became the latest craze. He negotiates with local farmers and suppliers for fresh local products. This place has been written up in all the nearby papers like Toledo, Ann Arbor, Detroit and even AAA. Rave reviews from diners and food writers. This chef/owner had prior stops at Detroit area top spots like the Tribute and Forte'. The only evidence from the building being the former fire station is the siren on the roof. The fieldstone fireplace inside along with an open kitchen gives it great style. They also have outdoor dining. This is fine dining at its best in both quality and presentation. My strip steak with a cabernet reduction sauce was amazing! One of the few places that makes everything from scratch inhouse with local ingredients. Known for great crabcakes, baked brie, Michigan potato chowder soup, lamb shank, bacon wrapped amish chicken, flat iron steak, lobster, great wine list, martinis, microbrew beers and housemade desserts like capuccino creme brulee. Everything here is good, fresh and from local ingredients. 60% of their business is from out of town people, so make the trip through Tecumseh to this destination restaurant. Check the guide for all the details and more review.

Terry’s Guide to Michigan dining and drinking kicks off second summer season with updated website

Mother's Day at a Mansion?

Lots of places have great Mother's Day specials. Great brunches and dinner specials all over. Check some of your favorite places that are not usually open on Sunday and you may be surprised. How about a special place at some of the mansions around our area. W.K. Kellogg Manor House is very nice check www.kbs.msu.edu/visit/manor-house located on Gull Lake. In Jackson check out Cascades Manor House at www.cascadesmanor.com where they always have Sunday brunch. In Eaton Rapids check out The English Inn at www.englishinn.com or in Saugatuck check out The Belvedere Inn at www.thebelvedereinn.com. Just a few special places. I am sure there are many more. No quarantee they are not already booked so good luck!

Most Drive-ins are now open!

Its that time of year when we want to roll down the windows and get some fresh air. How about a visit to one of several drive-ins listed in the guide. We have one in Jackson, Marshall, Coldwater, Portage, Paw Paw, Coloma and South Haven. Search the guide for Diners & Drive-ins. Time for a frosted mug of root beer? Do you miss a tray hung over the edge of your window? How about roller skating car hops? One of these may have the best baby back ribs around(picture the flintstones). Some have been around since the 1930's. Most are open by now, but you may want to call first(West Lake). Pretend you are on Route 66(more about that later). This is an All American pastime. Enjoy your hot dog!

Terry's Guide-Phase II now complete!

You may have noticed that Terry's Guide has a new look! With lots of new features.

*We have expanded to include South-Central Michigan. Now 46 new South-Central places to try with many more to come!

*If you use a mobile device for the guide you will have much easier usage now with click thru navigation.

*Larger pictures and interactive maps for each location.

*Maps showing the Southwest and South-Central regions covered.

*You can now display up to 100 places on the search results page.

*The city where each restaurant, brewery, winery or bakery is located, appears on the left side of search results(great for specialty searches).

*The "hidden treasure" description is now "hidden away" meaning those places are harder to find.

*You can be added to our e-mail list to get a notice when new places are added or we update the blog.

Thanks for your comments and suggestions that led to these improvements!

Check back soon for more updates or add yourself to our e-mail list.

Terry