Downtown Lansing is always an interesting place to visit. It is comforting how, in a way, it feels unchanged since I roamed its environs looking for sewer drain covers and other extremely artistic … more

At the 12th annual Butte Bouldering Bash a few weeks back, rock climbers gathered to scramble up the crystal-flecked boulders that sprout from the earth along the Pipestone section of Montana’s … more

Scott Rolen and Harry Saites, co-owners of East Lansing institution Lou & Harry’s Grill, have set out to install their new eatery (which is just two doors down) as another college town favorite. They used their unique perspective as long-standing East … more

We can’t all have huckleberries. These notoriously fickle plants only grow in the mountains of the Northwest, and they refuse to submit to domestication. They have a unique aroma that’s … more

When I lived in Portland, Oregon, in the late 1990s, there was a breakfast spot on Hawthorne Boulevard called Cafe Lena that I used to go to for a dish called BBG Scrambled Eggs. more

The festival — considered the largest Latino event in mid-Michigan — typically draws a crowd of thousands of people from all over the state.  In lieu of a crowded party, the church is holding a Fiesta Food Fest Drive-Through.  more

James Defrees started 517 Coffee Co. in his basement about seven years ago. He only had six hundred bucks to get from those humble beginnings, and he established himself as a wholesaler — selling his beans at multiple locations across Lansing. more

Bell’s Greek Pizza has been an East Lansing mainstay for what feels like forever. From getting Wednesday night $1 slices with my dad to devouring Saturday night $1 slices with my teenage friends — and to taking a little 1 a.m. disco nap in the now-closed M.A.C. Avenue store on the night of my 21st birthday — Bell’s has seen me at my worst and truly deserves me at my best. That’s why when I’m on my lunch break from being a responsible adult, I’m now proud to patronize this wonderful establishment in broad daylight. more

Bread Bites Mediterranean 5100 Marsh Road, Okemos 11:30-8 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday noon-7 p.m. Sunday (517) 708-7112 more

Making a side dish for a holiday get-together is a rite of the season, and one for which we should be grateful. If you aren’t making the sides, you might be roasting some poor bird — or a soy-based approximation of some poor bird. more

I’ve often heard Coral Gables being written off as dated and reserved for the over-60 set by my peers. It’s a great restaurant option for seniors, winning a Top of the Town award in that category every year since the category was created, but I’m of the opinion that it’s seriously underrated as an option for diners of all ages. more

Lansing has new digs for those looking to enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of a bar without the social pressures of drinking. more

Halloween, more than almost any other holiday, is about fun. Unlike Christmas, Easter, Mother’s or Father’s days, all of which involve a certain amount of stress and sacrifice if not guilt. Thanksgiving can be fun, but it’s a lot of work. Halloween is a lot of play, nearly unmatched in its unbridled hedonism. It’s like New Year’s Eve, but with corn syrup instead of booze. more

Good nutrition throughout a person’s lifespan helps prevent chronic disease, and it’s never too late to make improvements to support healthy aging. more

If you love Strange Matter Coffee, you’re going to be overjoyed about two major recent announcements: its downtown Lansing coffee shop is getting much bigger and a whole new location is coming to Old Town. more

Across the Northern Hemisphere at about this time, garlic plants are reaching for the sun. Each clove planted last fall has divided and swollen into a bulb of cloves, while the flowers emerge in a circuitous path.  more

After more than 20 years working in other peoples’ restaurants, a local married couple is finally serving up their own dishes. Prepared fresh in a trailer adorned with dozens of monarch butterflies, the newly opened Taqueria Monarca is the latest spot for authentic Mexican cuisine in Lansing.   more

My son’s first taste of tofu was at a restaurant. He didn’t know what tofu was, or that it was coming. Having never caught wind of tofu’s bad reputation among non-Asians, more

Fat Tuesday is near — that means it’s time to prepare for one of Lansing’s favorite winter traditions: consuming boatloads of paczkis. more

In late 2022, Miya Warvel, co-owner of the Wooden Nickel II in Dansville, purchased the former Darb’s Tavern & Eatery in Mason and rechristened it the Tipsy Nickel Bar & Grille, more