Food?

[eastisbest]

Next few weekends, spending some time what in Detroit they call "down-river." Grosse Ile last weekend, Wyandote/Ecorse area coming. We went up to Cadieux Cafe in East Village of Detroit. Belgium brews and food.

The place is old school IN the neighborhood, enclosed patio with a band going Sunday afternoon. Looked like either they purchased the house across the alley or whoever just started a business but garage door was open, full up bar, people walking back and forth from the restaurant patio. Pretty cool. We ate inside out of the sun.

Hope to try a few new places in Down River. Anyone been? Only place I've been is Auburn Cafe in Ecorse. Another old school, greek.

Driving through Zug Island area coming back south from Detroit, saw three teens with fishing poles. Even if they were fishing Detroit River thats a bit too close to River Rouge (if you know, you know) for my tastes. Eh, saw three teens with poles as I hit the main st back home. Maumee River probably not much better. Teens be teens.

 

[Auggie]

See it advertised all the time. What is a smashburger?

Plobtz is correct, basically a blob of ground meet that is smashed down on a griddle surface that is jacked up to the highest heat possible to insure a crusty exterior. One of the primary reasons everyone went out and purchased a Blackstone grill. Funny, the Blackstone grill has morphed into a big breakfast item, everyone I know that owns one only makes their breakfast on that thing now. It is the same surface you would see in any greasy spoon diner. Just shows you how much easier cooking is when you have the right tools.

 

[eastisbest]

I've had burnt burger, what is the cristy exterior giving? A juice seal same as searing? Or are there people just like a burger that eats like a cookie?

 

[Auggie]

Next few weekends, spending some time what in Detroit they call "down-river." Grosse Ile last weekend, Wyandote/Ecorse area coming. We went up to Cadieux Cafe in East Village of Detroit. Belgium brews and food.

The place is old school IN the neighborhood, enclosed patio with a band going Sunday afternoon. Looked like either they purchased the house across the alley or whoever just started a business but garage door was open, full up bar, people walking back and forth from the restaurant patio. Pretty cool. We ate inside out of the sun.

Hope to try a few new places in Down River. Anyone been? Only place I've been is Auburn Cafe in Ecorse. Another old school, greek.

Driving through Zug Island area coming back south from Detroit, saw three teens with fishing poles. Even if they were fishing Detroit River thats a bit too close to River Rouge (if you know, you know) for my tastes. Eh, saw three teens with poles as I hit the main st back home. Maumee River probably not much better. Teens be teens.

I had a customer back in the day that was in the down river area of Detroit, lived on Gross Ile. He didn't like it all too much, said it was very insular. For lunch we would go to an old school Greek dinner on Telegraph in Taylor, specialty was big "hockey puck" like 1/2 lbs burgers. Good flavor if I remember right but a pain to eat due to size.

I would not eat anything from the Detroit River south of the Rouge.

 

[Auggie]

I've had burnt burger, what is the cristy exterior giving? A juice seal same as searing? Or are there people just like a burger that eats like a cookie?

Its mostly about that char taste and texture, similar to the recently discussed discussion on Pittsburgh style steaks.

 

[Auggie]

Now I go against the grain when it comes to my house burger. Most are about getting a higher fat content ground beef and cooking it medium to done with the fat giving you the "juicy" consistency. I go to a local higher end meat cutter and get a 92% super lean cut and make mine charred on the outside but medium rare to rare on the inside, not fat juicy but similar to a steak beef juicy. When friends are over for my burger dinner I warn folks up front that I cook it this way; most are willing to give it a try as I have done it this way for decades and have had no bouts of illness and the flavor is great. I would suggest to only do this with a meat cutter you know and trust that grinds beef dailey as it has to be fresh, the guy I use also sells a restaurant this product for steak tartare but his biggest business are the Lebanese restaurants and customers that use him for their kibbeh.

 

[eastisbest]

I had a customer back in the day that was in the down river area of Detroit, lived on Gross Ile. He didn't like it all too much, said it was very insular.

I went by car and met up with friends. Much bigger than I expected and still didn't see a single business. Not even a gas station, unless I drove by without noticing. Maybe near the airport and school. Insular seems right. I wouldn't say unfriendly though.

It wouldn't be for me. At least you can get to the mainland without a boat or plane. There's places in Erie people living that can't do that. Wyandot and Trenton seemed like nice places. We're probably going to try some restaurants in those areas.

I would not eat anything from the Detroit River south of the Rouge.

I'm not one to say. Poison can hide. The water looked near drinking water clear around Grosse Ile. Plenty of us eating Walleye and Yellow Perch and living long lives. I was hoping to find someplace good for local fish.

 

[Auggie]

 

[Auggie]

NY Times did a bit on 15 classic Regional American Hot Dogs. The Cincy Cheese Coney, Cleveland Polish Boy, and Detroit Coney made the list.

A Field Guide to the Great Hot Dogs of America

From New York’s all-beef classic to Alaska’s reindeer-driven rendition, here are 15 supremely local versions that flaunt the bounty to be found on a bun.

www.nytimes.com

Since there is a pay wall the full list:

1. New York Hot Dog: NYC
2. Texas Tommy: Eastern PA & Delaware
3. Slaw Dog: The South
4. Puerto Rican Style Dog: Puerto Rico
5. The Sonoran: Tucson, AZ
6. The Ripper: Northern NJ
7. New York System: RI
8. Chicago Dog: Chicago
9. Half Smoke: Washington DC
10. Cheese Coney: Cincinnati
11. Seattle Dog: Seattle
12. Coneys: Detroit
13. Bologna Dog: Baltimore
14. Polish Boy: Cleveland
15. Reindeer Dog: Alaska

Surprised they didn't include Dodger Dogs, probably the most iconic MLB hotdog.

 

[Yappi]

This might be out of your level of expertise but it is worth a shot.

For the parents of the groom paying for the rehearsal dinner, what are the expectations?

Is it a limited menu or order off the regular menu?
Are unlimited alcoholic drinks included or just limited to beer?
Are there restaurants that are setup to handle 20-30 people on a Friday night (hoping for Thursday) or do we have to go to a special venue type facility?

Lastly, any suggestions for medium priced restaurants/venues that routinely handle these types of events in the Medina/West Akron corridor?

 

[soccerdad72]

I would think that the hosts would have say over how it’s done, but in my limited experience, a venue that will do a party of 20-30 would likely have a limited menu, maybe 3 or 4 entree choices. Bar can vary depending on your budget, but I’ve seen both open bar as well as just beer and wine (with a cash bar option).

A couple places I might look at in that area would be Oaks Lodge in Chippewa Lake, Blue Heron in Medina or Ken Stewart’s, either the Lodge in Bath or the Grill in Akron.

 

[Orin Swift]

This might be out of your level of expertise but it is worth a shot.

For the parents of the groom paying for the rehearsal dinner, what are the expectations?

Is it a limited menu or order off the regular menu?
Are unlimited alcoholic drinks included or just limited to beer?
Are there restaurants that are setup to handle 20-30 people on a Friday night (hoping for Thursday) or do we have to go to a special venue type facility?

Lastly, any suggestions for medium priced restaurants/venues that routinely handle these types of events in the Medina/West Akron corridor?

Got married in 2019, my parents did the rehearsal dinner. It was at a restaurant. Probably 30-35 people. Unlimited alcohol but limited to one type of red wine, one type of white wine, and 2 types of beer. Prefix menu. I’d imagine it very much be a case by case basis on if a restaurant can handle that.

 

[Auggie]

This might be out of your level of expertise but it is worth a shot.

For the parents of the groom paying for the rehearsal dinner, what are the expectations?

Is it a limited menu or order off the regular menu?
Are unlimited alcoholic drinks included or just limited to beer?
Are there restaurants that are setup to handle 20-30 people on a Friday night (hoping for Thursday) or do we have to go to a special venue type facility?

Lastly, any suggestions for medium priced restaurants/venues that routinely handle these types of events in the Medina/West Akron corridor?

My dad's place did a healthy rehearsal dinner business as they had partitionable spaces that handle any sized group needed in a private setting. That would have multiple ones going on during the season. Some input on your questions:

Is it a limited menu or order off the regular menu?
I suggest the following for food. Have some sort of hor dourves for when guests arrive. Dad always liked the wait staff passing them around so you can control the flow; you can also set up a table with them but these get attacked like piranhas in a feeding frenzy as folks are usually very hungry when they arrive. If on a budget veggie tray and nuts will also work but you need something out as folks will get buzzed really quickly with alcohol on an empty stomach. If no hor dourves are served then once guests are seated serve apps family style, 2-3 middle of the road choices. Then a basic garden salad with choice of dressings. For main course 3-4 choices depending on how picky you think the guests will be, (the full menu gets too crazy for a contained party) if kids and vegetarians will be there make 1 a pasta choice with a basic sauce. It is always a nice touch to have a simple small desert like a scoop of ice cream or a slice of pie and if there are older folks present be prepared to have coffee available with dessert.


Are unlimited alcoholic drinks included or just limited to beer?
This is a tricky question. For weddings I am all about throwing the best party available which means full bar including better liquor. Now if on a budget a red or white wine choice and a couple beer choices are perfectly acceptable. I also suggest to shut the bar down during dinner service, nothing worse than watching the drunk guests stumbling up to the bar while guests are trying to enjoy their meals.

Are there restaurants that are setup to handle 20-30 people on a Friday night (hoping for Thursday) or do we have to go to a special venue type facility?
Surprisingly there should be plenty of places available, the question is how private do you want it. Some might just tuck you into a corner at that number and if there are a lot of toasts and speeches some feel uncomfortable doing this in front of strangers.

Lastly, any suggestions for medium priced restaurants/venues that routinely handle these types of events in the Medina/West Akron corridor?
Not as familiar with West Akron but there should be plenty of options in the Fairlawn area. Closer to Medina an outside the box place might be Michael Angelo's Winery in Richfield, I have been here for a graduation party and it was a nice well run event:

Private Events

Private Events Private Events Brochure View Our Private Events Brochure Our Private Events Brochure outlines all of our minimum spends, catering packages, and event policies and will help guide you through the event planning process. We reserve the right to change this brochure at any time...

www.michaelangelosbakery.com

 

[soccerdad72]

I completely forgot about Michael Angelo’s and it’s literally in my back yard. Yeah, great venue for a small party. Best pastries in NE Ohio too.

 

[Auggie]

I completely forgot about Michael Angelo’s and it’s literally in my back yard. Yeah, great venue for a small party. Best pastries in NE Ohio too.

Good friends recently moved to Hinkley and we have been there a couple times. For the most part I like the place, wine is OK but food and especially the bakery goods are great, like the fast casual ordering method too. They also have many different seating options which makes it a highly popular place. The only big negative is parking, it gets crazy busy and you have to park in a field which if it rains is a huge pain in the ash, feels like Blossom.

 

[soccerdad72]

Good friends recently moved to Hinkley and we have been there a couple times. For the most part I like the place, wine is OK but food and especially the bakery goods are great, like the fast casual ordering method too. They also have many different seating options which makes it a highly popular place. The only big negative is parking, it gets crazy busy and you have to park in a field which if it rains is a huge pain in the ash, feels like Blossom.

Yeah, I won't go anywhere near the place between Thursday and Saturday in the evenings, aside from maybe the last hour or two they're open those nights. Been by there too many times and saw lines out the door - not a chance I'm dealing with that. Younger son interviewed there a couple years ago for a bus boy job - the manager flat out told him, "Just so you know, this place is a shtshow on Friday and Saturday nights."

 

[Auggie]

Smashburger 101 from the founder of the chain:

 

[Yappi]

Smashburger 101 from the founder of the chain:

Very cool. I will be trying that soon.

 

[eastisbest]

Back to my dollar tree supplies, an orange jalpeno and orange cherry tomatoes from the neighbor. Boiled a brat, snipped into pieces and threw into hot frying pan with frozen mixed peppers and sliced jalapeno in butter and a little bacon grease. Threw gnocki into the brat water with some crushed lemon basil, got those cooked then into the fry pan with them. Saw the tomatoes on the counter and said, why not. Sliced a few in half. Put in late so they didn't mush or mix.

I was expecting the tang of the peppers and the pepper of the brat. The sweet from those tomatoes made the whole thing pop. Nice colors too. I like the gnocki more than just pasta or rice. Gives a little chew to the meal and the potato holds the added lemon-basil flavors better I think. For desert, mango ice cream milkshake in a crystal glass I keep in the freezer for just this.

 

[Mr. Slippery]

Back to my dollar tree supplies, an orange jalpeno and orange cherry tomatoes from the neighbor. Boiled a brat, snipped into pieces and threw into hot frying pan with frozen mixed peppers and sliced jalapeno in butter and a little bacon grease. Threw gnocki into the brat water with some crushed lemon basil, got those cooked then into the fry pan with them. Saw the tomatoes on the counter and said, why not. Sliced a few in half. Put in late so they didn't mush or mix.

I was expecting the tang of the peppers and the pepper of the brat. The sweet from those tomatoes made the whole thing pop. Nice colors too. I like the gnocki more than just pasta or rice. Gives a little chew to the meal and the potato holds the added lemon-basil flavors better I think. For desert, mango ice cream milkshake in a crystal glass I keep in the freezer for just this.

Funny you should mention brats. I attended the annual Bratwurst Festival in Bucyrus over the weekend. There was no shortage of food vendors, and a few were actually serving brats. I opted for the first brat vendor I could find which was the county Lions Club who was selling brats from Carle's which was a bratwurst market we passed on the way to the festival. It was reasonably priced by fair food standards and a decent brat, but I swear it had a rye taste to it (even though mine was served on a white bun). It was worth a try, but I'm good with a pack of Johnsonvilles moving forward. Didn't notice until after I sat down to eat that the local K of C had a brat stand right across the intersection. Another stand a block down was the Bucyrus HS band selling frozen brats. They wanted $10 a pound or $40 for 5 pounds.

Carle's Market – Since 1929

carlesbrats.com

The local ice cream place had some good offerings, but the real find was the Bratwurst Festival store. Yes, the festival has an actual store front downtown where they sell merchandise and have memorabilia on display. Walked out of there with a reasonably priced shirt and ballcap and am kicking myself for not buying a discounted shirt from a prior year's festival.

 

[eastisbest]

Funny you should mention brats. I attended the annual Bratwurst Festival in Bucyrus over the weekend. There was no shortage of food vendors, and a few were actually serving brats. I opted for the first brat vendor I could find which was the county Lions Club who was selling brats from Carle's which was a bratwurst market we passed on the way to the festival. It was reasonably priced by fair food standards and a decent brat, but I swear it had a rye taste to it (even though mine was served on a white bun). It was worth a try, but I'm good with a pack of Johnsonvilles moving forward.

We have a couple good local markets for sausages. Constant quality, if you know you like it, you'll like it. When traveling I'll do as you did, give the local a try. Sometimes it doesn't work out. I'll take Bob Evans breakfast sausage over Johnsonville by a long shot but their brats work. Those Aldi's I got on sale, I really like them.

 

[Auggie]

We have a couple good local markets for sausages. Constant quality, if you know you like it, you'll like it. When traveling I'll do as you did, give the local a try. Sometimes it doesn't work out. I'll take Bob Evans breakfast sausage over Johnsonville by a long shot but their brats work. Those Aldi's I got on sale, I really like them.

I am a big fan of locally made sausage products as you can get some good cuts added that that the meat cutter had left after trimming. But for me I use to make it at home and you can play around a lot with the various proteins you use as well as the seasoning and make some good stuff, unfortunately now I am too lazy. If the Mrs has one of the Kitchen Aid mixers there is an attachment that you can add to grind your own and it is not hard at all. (Make sure to clean it thoroughly and properly.) I skip the casings and make patties for everything, you get that crusty caramelization and great flavor. My family only likes Italian sausage this way these days.

 

[Auggie]

Maybe I should place this in the small town restaurant thread but did a get-a-way weekend in Chautauqua, NY this past weekend and hit a new hot "foodie" restaurant, Music For Your Mouth. You know it is doing well when you need to make a reservation and certain menu items are sold out early in the evening the first year in.

Outside of the dumb name and a few minor details this place was a home run at an affordable small town price. Started as an upscale breakfast & lunch counter service place and when the store next door closed expanded to offer Thursday-Sunday dinner service. Cool upscale Italian focused menu with great flavor & execution, everything food related was a home run. The Mrs. and I had seafood specials and the seafood was well precured, sometimes a miss with small town restaurants, and cooked properly. As for the space it could use a little work, no real décor and it felt like they rushed into opening it to make $s while the Institute is in season. They also went with the current trend of no table covering, for an upscale place I think at least some butcher paper would be in order to absorb any liquids or food that inevitably end up on the table. One very nice addition was a violin and cello playing while dinner service was happening, great touch that elevates the experience. Hope they make it to next year's season.

Music For Your Mouth

21 S Erie Street Mayville, NY 14757

music4yourmouth.com

 

[Auggie]

Anyone know if this is a real thing?

 

[Sykotyk]

Anyone know if this is a real thing?

View attachment 45288

Aside from the fact the text doesn't curve with the bottle?

 

[Auggie]

Been getting in some grilling the past few weeks and have really been grooving to fish, surprised more folks don't go this route to jazz up a very healthy food. If looking to give your significate other a special meal make them surf & turf. Do your favorite steak 1st and while it is resting grill some lobster tails. If you get frozen lobster tails on sale they really are not that expensive, best to defrost in the fridge 8ish hours before prepping. The key for lobster tails it to cut them through the back shell and butter fly, makes it very easy to grill and eat. The below vid is basically what I do except I also remove the vein that runs through the back once it is exposed. I also use paprika instead of parsley, the flavor is subtle but the visual of the red spice looks very appealing when it is presented. Also do not over cook! I go about 3 mins with flesh down on the grill and then about 4-5 mins with the shell down. If you over cook it will get rubbery and have poorer flavor.

 

[Yappi]

My dad's place did a healthy rehearsal dinner business as they had partitionable spaces that handle any sized group needed in a private setting. That would have multiple ones going on during the season. Some input on your questions:

Is it a limited menu or order off the regular menu?
I suggest the following for food. Have some sort of hor dourves for when guests arrive. Dad always liked the wait staff passing them around so you can control the flow; you can also set up a table with them but these get attacked like piranhas in a feeding frenzy as folks are usually very hungry when they arrive. If on a budget veggie tray and nuts will also work but you need something out as folks will get buzzed really quickly with alcohol on an empty stomach. If no hor dourves are served then once guests are seated serve apps family style, 2-3 middle of the road choices. Then a basic garden salad with choice of dressings. For main course 3-4 choices depending on how picky you think the guests will be, (the full menu gets too crazy for a contained party) if kids and vegetarians will be there make 1 a pasta choice with a basic sauce. It is always a nice touch to have a simple small desert like a scoop of ice cream or a slice of pie and if there are older folks present be prepared to have coffee available with dessert.


Are unlimited alcoholic drinks included or just limited to beer?
This is a tricky question. For weddings I am all about throwing the best party available which means full bar including better liquor. Now if on a budget a red or white wine choice and a couple beer choices are perfectly acceptable. I also suggest to shut the bar down during dinner service, nothing worse than watching the drunk guests stumbling up to the bar while guests are trying to enjoy their meals.

Are there restaurants that are setup to handle 20-30 people on a Friday night (hoping for Thursday) or do we have to go to a special venue type facility?
Surprisingly there should be plenty of places available, the question is how private do you want it. Some might just tuck you into a corner at that number and if there are a lot of toasts and speeches some feel uncomfortable doing this in front of strangers.

Lastly, any suggestions for medium priced restaurants/venues that routinely handle these types of events in the Medina/West Akron corridor?
Not as familiar with West Akron but there should be plenty of options in the Fairlawn area. Closer to Medina an outside the box place might be Michael Angelo's Winery in Richfield, I have been here for a graduation party and it was a nice well run event:

Private Events

Private Events Private Events Brochure View Our Private Events Brochure Our Private Events Brochure outlines all of our minimum spends, catering packages, and event policies and will help guide you through the event planning process. We reserve the right to change this brochure at any time...

www.michaelangelosbakery.com

Ended up going with Brown Derby in Medina. Close to the wedding venue and had all the things we were looking for.

Interestingly, the lady we talked to said many of the same things that you said. She was great and was the reason we decided to go there. Talked to 4 other restaurants and would have liked to go to any of them but they all had something significantly wrong that prevented us from choosing them.

The alcohol was the most interesting. She said that most choose to do beer and wine only. The guests who want a specialty drink can go to the bar on their own. Gave us the choice of max number of drinks per guest, a grand total limit, or unlimited drinks. Said most choose max number of drinks. We are going with a grand total with an amount I don't think we will come close to. My fear is anyone getting drunk and a tragedy that night. I couldn't live with myself if that were to happen. I hope everyone is responsible and doesn't get silly because the drinks are free. We have several non-drinkers, so it will be a group of about 12-15 to keep an eye on.

 

[Yappi]

Smashburger 101 from the founder of the chain:

Thanks for posting this. I've made hamburgers twice since then trying to follow his directions. Both turned out really well.

 

[Auggie]

Thanks for posting this. I've made hamburgers twice since then trying to follow his directions. Both turned out really well.

Since posting this vid I was informed the guy has a Ph.D. from Michigan State in food science. He worked at McDonald's for some time before developing the Smashburger concept. The chemistry and physics of cooking is an over looked aspect that has really started to gain traction in the 2000s as an important component to becoming a chef.

 

[Auggie]

Ended up going with Brown Derby in Medina. Close to the wedding venue and had all the things we were looking for.

Interestingly, the lady we talked to said many of the same things that you said. She was great and was the reason we decided to go there. Talked to 4 other restaurants and would have liked to go to any of them but they all had something significantly wrong that prevented us from choosing them.

The alcohol was the most interesting. She said that most choose to do beer and wine only. The guests who want a specialty drink can go to the bar on their own. Gave us the choice of max number of drinks per guest, a grand total limit, or unlimited drinks. Said most choose max number of drinks. We are going with a grand total with an amount I don't think we will come close to. My fear is anyone getting drunk and a tragedy that night. I couldn't live with myself if that were to happen. I hope everyone is responsible and doesn't get silly because the drinks are free. We have several non-drinkers, so it will be a group of about 12-15 to keep an eye on.

Glad it worked out and was inside intel helpful. On the alcohol as I called out the key is to also offer food during the cocktail hour, filling up the tummy really helps. Also having water out when the guests sit down is a smart move drinking water re-hydrates and balances out the alcohol.