The Unvegan

Recent Posts

10 Years of Unvegan
A Quick Bite at Burrito Express
Serendipity at Northern Waters Smokehaus
Twerks and Burritos at Casa Amigos

‘Michigan’

10/29/2014 Detroit

On Top of Detroit at Iridescence

An amusing bouche.
An amusing bouche.

When I go out to eat in the Detroit area, it is rarely to try something new, but to eat something old that I knew and loved growing up there. But when it came time to celebrate my step-dad’s 70th birthday, something a little more special was in order. Namely, Iridescence at the top of the Motor City Casino in Detroit. The place features some of the most innovative food in the area and some of the highest prices to go along with it. Some might call it molecular gastronomy, but I just call it fancy-pants.

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7/8/2014 Farmington Hills

Back in Business at 2Booli

So good the tomatoes don't matter.
So good the tomatoes don’t matter.

One thing that has been sorely missing from my life since packing up and moving to the more easterly part of the country is Middle Eastern food. You know, that and beaches. But seriously, I found Salem’s in Pittsburgh, but not so much in Buffalo. So when I took a trip back home to Michigan for a weekend Middle Eastern was one thing I craved more than anything else, even more than Coney.

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6/9/2014 Commerce charter Township

Bowled Over at The Breakfast Club

Better than cereal.
Better than cereal.

Breakfast is definitely a meal for bowls. Cereal, yogurt and oatmeal all call for bowls or bowl-like conduits. The Breakfast Club in Commerce, Michigan, though, is breaking that mold just like its namesake movie broke the mold of teen movies in the ’80s. You see, they offer savory breakfast bowls and I just couldn’t wait to get one for myself.

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6/6/2014 Milford charter Township

Paddling to Coratti’s on Main

Such a Milford.
Such a Milford.

After quite the kayak journey down the Huron River, I found myself in Milford, Michigan seeking food. Fortunately, I was with family that brought me to Coratti’s on Main. Having had Italian for dinner the night before, I was not the most excited, but Coratti’s was definitely different from what I had just eaten. Instead of a ristorante, it was more of a cafe, with lighter fare waiting to make its way into my stomach.

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6/5/2014 Farmington Hills

At Home With Antonio’s

All mine.
All mine.

You can get Italian food anywhere, so on the many occasions that I have returned to my homeland of Michigan since moving away one fateful day in 2007, I have not felt a drive to get to Antonio’s in Farmington Hills. After making a trip back there, I now realize this has been a mistake. After all, Antonio’s was the site of my college graduation lunch. Upon arrival, I could almost taste their amazing bread, which was good because it came out quickly and I devoured it like a fiend.

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12/31/2013 East Lansing

Just as Expected at Dublin Square

Oh, Irish bacon...
Oh, Irish bacon…

East Lansing, Michigan isn’t exactly known as a bastion of culture. Harboring the state’s foremost safety school is basically the city’s only claim to fame. Well, that and the fact that students of the school are known to riot whether their teams win or lose. Nonetheless, I found myself in that small agricultural village in need of food after a rough football game. This led me to Dublin Square, an Irish Pub with a sizable food menu.

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9/23/2013 Ferndale

Lunching at Local Kitchen

Not a slider.
Not a slider.

Growing up in West Bloomfield, Michigan was kind of like growing up in a bubble. When we did eat out, it was rarely beyond a two mile radius from home. Often, it feels like I missed out on a lot of food, but then I remember that I would have eaten a grilled cheese no matter where we went, so there was no real point in venturing out. When I go back home, though, I try to venture out just as much as I like to eat away at nostalgia. That’s how I ended up at Local Kitchen for Brunch in Ferndale, far outside the bubble.

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9/19/2013 Farmington Hills

Sliding into Bates’ Burgers

That's what I call a burger.
That’s what I call a burger.

Bates’ Hamburgers in Farmington Hills has a history with my family. As my step-dad’s favorite burger place in the area, I kind of inherited his love for their classic sliders. In the same vein as Greene’s and Hunter House, Bates’ is the third and final spot I had to review in the greasy trinity of awesome sliders of Metro Detroit. And just like in those other two reviews, it is important to note that these are real sliders: skinny patties prepped on the griddle with onions and the bun on top so that they get that tasty burger steam inside.

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9/18/2013 Mackinac Island

Island Eating at Goodfellows

Island wings.
Island wings.

On the Island of Mackinac in Lake Huron, it’s a bit hard to get over the smell of horse poop and concentrate on the need for food. But, an 8-mile bike ride around the entire island is enough to allow hunger overwhelm that smell of life before the automobile. The restaurants of Mackinac Island pretty much have a captive audience. Sure, they compete with each other, but once you’re on the island you’re pretty much stuck eating at one. Without knowledge of the food we consulted our bike rental guy who not only pointed us towards Goodfellows, but gave us a 10% off coupon as well. Kickbacks be damned, we were happy for the discount.

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9/16/2013 Saint Ignace

Off-Island Mac at Mackinac Grille

So carby.
So carby.

The town of St. Ignace in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula seems to exist solely to serve those people heading to Macinac Island. This makes it a bit of a tourist trap, with restaurant prices far exceeding those in a more distant proximity with Machinac Island. Nonetheless, we needed food and we found the Mackinac Grille. The place was set up like a big sports bar with a view of the lake and some outdoor seating that called our names despite the impending rain.

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