The competing taste of American and Lafayette Coney Islands in Detroit

 

 

Friday, November 29th I decided to go downtown and try the two competing Coney Islands. There is American Coney and Lafayette Coney. The two Coney Islands sit right next to each other. I ventured into Lafayette first. I decided to try the original Coney at each place. Lafayette has a small area to sit in and often the servers have to move to the side so the patrons can slide on by. The server took the order pretty much as soon as I was seated. It took approximately 1 minute to receive two Coney dogs and an order of fries. So if quick is what you want, you can not go wrong with a 1 minute wait time. There is no reason to even try picking the dog up because it will never make it to your mouth without losing half of the goodies from the top. I only had a fork and had a hard time breaking through the skin of the dog in the beginning. It tasted about like I expect  a Coney to taste like. It was good. It was cheap and it was quick.
Next, I went to American Coney Island. The seating is more spacious and I didn't feel as closed in as I did next door. I ordered the same Coney with an order of chili fries. The wait time wasn't as quick as Lafayette, but was still under 5 minutes. Again, I tasted the dog and it was pretty much what I expected...it tasted like a Coney. This time I had a knife so I was able to eat with a little more ease. The skin was almost exactly the same as next door. The chili tasted slightly different to my liking. Just like next door....good, cheap and quick.
If I was asked to choose a favorite I would go with American. Though the flavor is good at either place, I prefer having more space and I did like the chili a little better than at Lafayette. However, I would go back to either.

Enjoying the wonderful taste at Pizza Papalis

Last night I visited Greektown in Detroit again. I went to the well known Pizza Papalis. This restaurant is two floors and last night I sat on the upper level. The menu offers different choices, but I went for the pizza. I ordered a pan pizza. They offer thin crust, pan and deep dish. Though it takes a while on a busy night the wait was worth it. On the pan pizza the toppings are below the thick layer of cheese. They bring it out hot and serve the first piece on your plate. This is one of the few pizzas I use a fork and knife, but it really the only way you enjoy all the cheese and toppings without losing them off the slice. Can't wait to go back again.

Dinner in Greektown at Santorini

If you ever visit Detroit, I suggest you make a stop in Greektown. The main strip is located on East Lafayette Avenue. A small urban setting where you can see anything from street art to musicians playing on the corner, offers a variety of restaurants worth trying. Tonight I went to Santorini. Santorini offers a wonderful selection of Greek and American food. After being seated a person comes around to the table to fill water glasses and leaves the bottle for refills. Soon after, fresh bread and a dipping oil was placed on the table. It is tasty and hard for me to resist. The friendly waitress came to take our drink and appetizer order. I ordered the saganaki, otherwise known as flaming cheese. For dinner I ordered fried jumbo shrimp and my wife ordered the beef kabob. Both were cooked just right and tasted delicious.  Throughout the meal our table was checked on multiple times and we left satisfied. I enjoyed my experience here and will return in the future.

Reaching out to others at NSO

 

I am pretty lucky. On any given day I can take myself out to eat and try different types of restaurants all around Michigan. Unfortunately, that is not true for everyone. More than 20% of children in Michigan live in poverty. I can not imagine my own children going hungry. This is why every year I commit to giving food to organizations that feed the hungry. Last week I bought some groceries at a local market and brought it to the NSO center(Neighborhood Service Organization). The NSO feeds and gives shelter to people in the community. While there, I was lucky enough to meet Lewis Hickson, Operation Manager of NSO in Detroit on Third Street. He appreciates all donations they receive to help with their mission. I encourage anyone who can to donate to organizations that feed Michigan's hungry. No one should go without a meal.

Coffee break at Beatles and Beans in Bay City

While still in Bay City, visiting the antique shops, we stopped to take a break at Beatles and Beans. This was my first time in this coffee house. It was a pleasant visit. As you enter, you are walking into a museum of Beatles memorabilia. It is everywhere; on the walls, on the ceiling, on the counters. After you place your coffee or tea orders you may take a seat. There is a variety of different seating arrangements. While drinking your coffee or tea you can play a game or listen to the Beatle tunes playing. It has a relaxing atmosphere where you can just hang out for a while and feel "cool".

Breakfast in Bay City

 

Every once in a while my wife and I visit Bay City. We like the small town atmosphere, the antique shops and the historical homes. Every time we go there we eat at our favorite breakfast stop, The Stock Pot. The staff is friendly and welcoming. It is a seat your self diner with old school decorations like Elvis and Betty Boop. Recently we stayed in Bay City and we went to Stock Pot three mornings in a row. The first morning I had hot cakes and bacon. But the next two mornings I ate my favorite, over easy eggs, hash browns, bacon and toast. You leave feeling satisfied and full. Their bread is thick and they add just the right amount of butter. Their bacon is thick and cooked just right. They give a generous amount of bacon so you never feel like you want just one more piece. If you go on a Saturday you can tell it is a local favorite and they know many customers by name. If you ever get a chance to visit Bay City take a look around the town and then I recommend stopping at Stock Pot for a home cooked, tasty meal. I am sure you will fall in love with the town as much as we have.

Eating in Frankenmuth.

Away for my birthday weekend we stopped in Frankenmuth. While there I decided to try some of their famous chicken. I picked the well known restaurant, Bavarian Inn. I wanted to see if it is delicious as people always say. I chose the 2 piece chicken platter. Dinner started with bread, fruit bread and preserves. While I was enjoying the bread the waitress started bringing multiple appetizers. Some of these sides included noodle soup, pasta salad, bean salad, cranberries, and coleslaw. They were all freshly made and very tasty. As I was tasting all of these flavorful appetizers the main course arrived. Two pieces of crispy fried chicken dipped in their special recipe breading, creamy mashed potatoes and stuffing. They also brought out more sides: buttered noodles and squash. It was a huge meal, well worth the money. Dinner had a lot of flavor and I kept eating even after I was full. It's definitely a place you can leave with a carry out bag. Enough for lunch the next day. The Bavarian Inn is definitely a place I recommend to visitors passing by the Frankenmuth area.

Hello, my name is Johnnie Townsend, the publisher of Michigan Eats. My goal is to get as many peoples' attention as I can to explore the wonderful foods that Michigan has to offer that is right at your finger tips. There are many places to visit to try new food. Also, there are many different cultural festivals where you can try new food from different cultures. I will be posting about different places I go to eat and will share my experiences here.