Looking Glass Brewing Co., at 115 N. Bridge St. in downtown DeWitt, opened in 2018 inside the former Mount Hope Church. The microbrewery — which still has stained glass windows and pew benches — has anywhere from 10 to 16 beers on tap at a time, which are brewed in the basement of the former church. Even though I worked in a craft beer restaurant for years, beer isn’t really my thing. I usually go with a hard cider or sour. They taste less beer-y to me. This was my first time at Looking Glass, so I played it safe with the cherry hard cider. It was refreshingly sweet, with a slightly tart aftertaste. I had two.  

If you know any rhubarb recipes that call for less than a cup of sugar, you are a statistical anomaly. It’s understandable, given the culinary perfection made possible by the combination of rhubarb and strawberries — with or without pie crust.  

As a Michigan State University alum, I’m very familiar with the Dairy Store. Some of my happiest Spartan memories revolve around its delicious, locally owned ice cream. If you’re not familiar, the MSU Dairy Foods Complex Team makes a variety of ice cream and cheeses — and they’re available at on campus at Anthony Hall (474 S. Shaw Lane, East Lansing). Once you arrive, the sweet, sugary aroma of ice cream will hit you almost immediately.  

I first felt the power of lovage in a box of Rapunzel brand vegetable bouillon with herbs. After my first taste, I had to double check the label to make sure that it was, indeed, meatless. Then, I read the fine print to figure out why. 

Don’t strike out on your chance to try some of Michigan’s best brews.

Before City Pulse, I worked as a server at HopCat in East Lansing for over three years. Like any good server, I studied the menu to make suggestions for our guests. What better way to study than to try the foods myself? My go-to employee meal was the Madtown grilled cheese. I ordered it so much, my manager once told me I wasn’t allowed to order it anymore — he was joking, but I thought he was serious at first. It’s been my favorite meal since I first tried it back in 2018. 

Our story ends in front of a pile of Ukrainian crepes. Some are flavored with savory herbs and cottage cheese, and others are filled with strawberries, vanilla and sweet cheese. These crepes, called nalysnyky (gnaw-lees-nike), make the perfect Mother’s Day meal.