Bobcat Bonnie’s and Grewal Hall voted best new spots in town

Bobcat Bonnie’s, voted Best New Restaurant in this year’s Top of the Town contest, fell just one vote shy of also winning the Best New Business category, placing second to Lansing’s midsized music and events venue, Grewal Hall at 224.

Bobcat Bonnie’s, a growing Michigan-based restaurant chain founded by Ferndale resident Matt Buskard in 2015, arrived in Lansing in January. Buskard told City Pulse the new space at Lansing’s old Union Depot “just fit like a glove.” The menu, shared across all locations, is known for its appetizers, burgers and specialty vegan options. One TOTT voter commented on the addictiveness of the honey-sriracha wings. Another lauded the “atmosphere, people and food.”

After some construction delays, Grewal Hall at 224 opened in October 2023 to bolster Lansing’s music and entertainment scene with 6,000 square feet of space and a standing-room capacity of 900. In its first year, it’s hosted musical acts like Big Gigantic, Black Flag, BFB Da Packman, Danny Brown, Everclear, Soulja Boy, the Verve Pipe and Queensryche; comedians like Ben Bailey, Trae Crowder, Tom Green and Steve Hofstetter; and a slew of local performers, wedding receptions and dance parties.

Downtown Grand Ledge had a strong showing in the new arrival categories, with Arms & Embers Grill taking the silver for Best New Restaurant and Homebrew Tabletop Game Lounge earning the bronze for Best New Business.

Arms & Embers has had three different owners since it first opened in May 2023. In October of that year, Haslett native Jordan Rivas took over and revitalized the cozy dine-in destination with a new menu and original craft cocktails. This summer, Rivas sold the restaurant to husband-and-wife duo Chris Kinne and Oriana Ferrara. The pair launched a new handheld-focused menu in September and plan on rotating it two to four times per year to keep things fresh with seasonal entries.

Ixion Ensemble Theatre artistic director Jeff Croff and his wife, Sadonna, founded Homebrew Tabletop Game Lounge in Grand Ledge in April 2023. The venture offers more than 500 board games guests can play for $5 to $10 per visit, plus food from Arms & Embers Grill, Michigan-made beverages and frequent special events, including a weekly free play day on Wednesdays and Saturday night socials.

The oversized glass windows at Grewal Hall added a sleek façade to Lansing’s downtown landscape when the midsized entertainment venue opened last …

Last but not least, Noosh Afghan Cuisine finished third in the Best New Restaurant category. Founded by Okemos resident Khalid Mahmood and his family in July 2023, the eatery serves Afghan staples like qabli plow, a brown rice dish with sauteed carrots, raisins and marinated lamb that’s served with a side of moderately spicy beans; mantu, Afghan beef dumplings served with a savory yogurt sauce; and bollani, a pumpkin- or potato-stuffed flatbread that’s similar to a quesadilla.