A TARDIS has appeared on Michigan Avenue, but Doctor Who hasn’t transported to Lansing in 2019.
I try to cook an array of world cuisines at home, and often enough, I have dependable wines and wineries in my head. But that all depends on if I know I can find an adventurous bottle on that particular day.
The greasy spoon diner vibes on the east side’s Michigan Avenue corridor came to an end in 2018 with the demolition of Theio’s, closure of Fish & Chips and brief run of Lee Lee’s Coney Island. Filling the vacuum is Amanecer Mexicano, a refined breakfast digs with east-side roots dating back 13 years.
We’ve all been there. We’ve got a bank account barely afloat, but really can’t stand making any more Ramen noodles or home cooked meals. We need to eat damn it. Here are Lansing’s local cheap eat havens for when hunger strikes.
Lansing’s coffee scene is bursting at the seams with latte artists, baristas and roasters alike. Big-name roaster Paramount Coffee is headquartered here and hundreds of pounds of beans are freshly roasted each day in the Capital city.
In the heart of the mitten surrounded by agriculture, Lansing retains a healthy network of farmers for fresh fruits and veggies throughout the year.
Lansing is home to many breweries. Some are geared for high speed can production while others prefer to keep beer in wood barrels until ready to serve.
How does Williamston's Red Cedar Grill stack up?
The drive-thru line at 517 BBQ began to wrap around the building as Lansingites sunk their teeth into smoked brisket, pork and chicken on the restaurant’s opening day. The drive-thru’s only establishment is owned by Lansing native Eric McClain.
The longtime Lansing institution serving freshly baked bread, pastries, deli sandwiches and more will close its doors for good on Sept. 30 with the sale of its building, at 428 N. Cedar St. Castriciano declined to comment on who the building was sold to. Roma Bakery Deli & Fine Foods announced the news via its Facebook page Monday.
Ditch the dollar deal fast food pumped with preservatives and siphoning money for the local Lansing market. If looking for a cheap meal or snack, stick to these great deals offered by Lansing and Michigan-based organizations.
It was worth traveling from greater Lansing to Owosso for a drink with a French name, made with a Holland gin and topped with an Italian garnish. The Wrought Iron Grill — located on my usual path to Owosso Community Players’ Lebowsky Center — offers a chilled concoction called the pamplemousse.
The front door to The Rusty Mug in REO Town is open but hardly being used. Instead, patrons prefer to go through two massive garage doors opening up to Washington Avenue. With a breeze drifting through the restaurant, clacks of billiard balls from the pool table, noise from the street and the clinks of beer mugs make the atmosphere seem cafe-esque.
The Capital City BBQ is an international street food house that quietly sits on the corner of Saginaw Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. I’ve never had to wait in line to order here, but I’ve had three people this summer recommend that I should go to “that Vietnamese barbeque place.” Little did they know, I was converted years ago by their smoked meats and saucy renditions of banh mi.
Bacon. An American obsession that, by this point, has found itself infused into nearly everything. Bacon soap, bacon candy and bacon soda pop — it’s all been done before with varying degrees of deliciousness.
Summer is important for Michiganians. It’s a time for moonlight swims, making sandcastles with the children and iconic road trips around the country. But it often feels far too short compared to the long winters. (Go away polar vortex.)
Before Cantina Eastwood even opened its doors, the restaurant competed against over a dozen Lansing restaurants for Margarita Fest 2019 and won first place.
Hard seltzer has dominated the competition to become this summer’s biggest drinking fad. While the drink isn’t entirely new, hard seltzer’s explosion in popularity is exposing many to it for the first time.
From all-beef footlongs to loaded gyro wraps, Ziggy’s Coney Island is Lansing’s newest diner option for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
But if you want a sampler platter of an Up North bar, drive north on US-127 for 20 minutes. Take the M-21 exit to St. Johns and turn left. Two minutes later you’re Up North, sort of, at a place called Ryan’s Roadhouse.
More about food!
.jpg)
