MI Best - Weekend Edition - FEB 19, 2023

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WHERE TO FIND MICHIGAN’S BEST

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When we chose the stories for this edition, all the events and dates were accurate. As always, find the mostup-to-date information on the event/activity website, Facebook page or other direct information source.

Michigan’s Best Local Eats:

of items on its menu.

But perhaps the most popular is the beignet, and you’ll have a chance to try it out starting this Sunday, Jan. 29, from 9-11 a.m.

Tabbing it ‘Beignet Day,’ the baking company located at 104 W. Caroline St. will offer fried beignets on the last Sunday of every month from 9 a.m.-11 a.m.

It will not be served on any other days of the year.

Beignet Day first started in May 2014 and since then Crust has learned they are a favorite of Beignets are square shaped pieces of dough that are deep fried and generously sprinkled with confectioners’ sugar. They

Plymouth Road.

aANN ARBOR, MI new restaurant is bringing a fusion of flavor to Ann Arbor.

El Limon, 2709 Plymouth Road, blends Mexican and Mediterranean cuisines in dishes like falafel tacos and spinach feta quesadillas.

“These are my two favorite cuisines, so it’s nice to cook something that you love and see how we can let these two cultures, two language and two histories be combined using food,” owner Ali Hijazi said. “We’ll see. So far, it’s working excellent.”

The restaurant is the newest concept from Hijazi, who also owns Zamaan Café, which has two Ann Arbor locations.

While El Limon opened roughly a month ago, the concept has been cooking for a while, Hijazi said. He opened the nowclosed Mexican restaurant 8Tortas in the space neighboring the Zamaan Café at 3580

“That’s when we found, my goodness. There’s so much in common, not just in history and language and culture, it’s also food,” he said.

au lait.

“We started this because there was nothing like it in the area,” said marketing manager Lauren Gruber. “A lot of people enjoy it, and we usually sell out before 11 a.m.”

Crust was founded in 2012 by Chad and Mary Beth Brennan, Mark Hamel and Mike Green -- and won MLive’s Michigan’s Best Bakery in 2018.

INFO

The bakery stretches for nearly a block down Caroline Street and is easily identified by its bright yellow roof-like covers on the outside of the building.

Saturday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

The bakery will host Paczki Day on Feb. 21 for Fat Tuesday, and special orders are on sale with flavors in pastry cream, American berry, chocolate cayenne, lemon, raspberry and strawberry.

Normal dine-in and carryout hours are from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Follow Crust on Facebook at facebook. com/crustfenton.

Crust offers their baked goods in entrees for breakfast, lunch and

Crust will celebrate its 11 year anniversary on Wednesday, Feb. 1 and will offer free cake slices.

First and foremost, people are encouraged to swing through for Beignet Day.

“It’s not a regular thing, so people get really excited about it,” Gruber said.

peppers and mango, as well as a chicken shawarma burrito with jalapeno and garlic.

Hijazi said he was inspired the varieties of ethnicities he sees among the people of Ann Arbor.

Although Hijazi said he has yet to introduce a dish that is perfect blend of the two cuisines, the closest is probably the cauliflower tahini bowl, which is served with Mexican rice and beans and a tahini jalapeno sauce.

“In our sauces, we are playing around with combining both flavors,” Hijazi said. “You can tell it’s a bit different because we’re cheating. We’re adding some of our Mediterranean touch to it.”

Other dishes include a bean and sweet potato quesadilla with red

“It’s not like I’m attracting these cuisines to me. I think I was attracted to it,” he said. “And then here comes your crazy imagination, thinking of a crazy idea and see if it will make people happier. We’ll see.”

Deep-fried Monte Cristo from the Junction

tSAGINAW, M he sweet and salty deep-fried Monte Cristo is one of Saginaw Old Town Junction’s popular specials, but it’s only available for a couple of weeks at a time.

“It’s a very good sandwich,” said head cook Rob Dawson. “You just can’t go wrong with the Monte Cristo.”

It’s a “hearty sandwich” topped with ham, turkey and Swiss, then dipped in pancake batter and deep fried and garnished with raspberry preserves and powdered sugar, he said. It’s on the menu for two weeks at a time, then unavailable for a month before it returns.

“Everybody loves it,” he said.

The Junction also has pizza, nachos, burgers, salads, sandwiches and a full bar. Behind the bar,

Michigan’s Best Local Eats:

Espresso’s

there’s a one-of-a-kind drink elevator one of owner Tony Krasinki’s friends made featuring a 3-D printed red caboose that can carry up to four drinks at a time to customers on the second level.

Krasinski said customers also love the chips with homemade dill dip, made with his mother’s recipe that he keeps secret even from his kitchen staff.

When experimenting with ingredients and adding new items to his menu, Krasinki’s philosophy is this: “People like simple food that

The Copper Post serves tasty smoked steaks, BBQ fried ribs

tGRAND HAVEN, M he Copper Post has become a local favorite to grab classic barbecue dishes and drinks right in the heart of downtown Grand Haven.

Doug Vanse and Mike Thorp opened the American BBQ restaurant in 2018, located at 100 Washington Ave., with the hope of keeping the historic flare of the 1870s building when it was originally known as the Grand Haven Post Office.

“The building is beautiful,” said David McKay, head chef at The Copper Post. “We got hardwood floors, the ceiling is copper-textured, and there’s a lot of art on the walls. It’s homey.”

The restaurant prides itself on the vintage feel of the

tastes good.” The bar and restaurant offer live music, trivia on Wednesday nights and brunch on Saturdays. The Junction will host its first drag brunch in late February, and tickets sold out within a couple of hours. The kitchen will soon introduce TV and movie-themed burgers for a limited time, starting with burgers inspired by the animated series The Simpsons and Bob’s Burgers.

venue and the comfortable environment, along with mouthwatering BBQ selections, classic beer, wine and cocktails.

One of the top sellers on the menu is the BBQ fried ribs ($12.95) made with in-house slow-cooked ribs individually rubbed and smoked, tossed with house BBQ sauce, and topped with green onions. Other options on the menu include tasty handhelds like the classic double burger ($12.94) and savory smokehouse entrees like the BBQ Mac n’ Cheese baked with pulled pork ($18.95).

“The prime rib is always my favorite,” McKay said. “But we do have a little bit of everything on the menu. There’s a full sandwich section, a lot of appetizers and some pretty good salads.”

Besides the mouthwatering dishes, The Copper Post is equipped with a full bar of specialty gins, bourbons and eight different craft beers. The top seller continues to be the classic Old Fashioned cocktail ($10).

Additionally, The Copper

INFO

For more information, find Saginaw Old Town Junction on Facebook.

Post offers smoked slowroasted prime rib with garlic mashed potatoes and a side house salad every Friday and Saturday night for $22.

McKay touts the business as a unique place to dine in.

“I feel like our prices are better than the neighborhood, and our portions are bigger,” he said. “We smoke meats in-house, which we’re pretty much the only place in town that does that.”

INFO

Hours of operation for The Copper Post are Monday through Thursday, from 7 a.m. - 8 p.m., 7 a.m. - 9 p.m. Friday through Saturday and 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. on Sunday. Breakfast is served every Saturday and Sunday, from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Order takeout by calling (616) 414-7950

aPORTAGE, MI new urban winery in Portage wants to be a gathering place for the community.

Customers can enjoy wine and elevated food at 468 Urban Winery, 8842 Portage Road. The winery opened its doors Jan. 20.

“I just hope that people will come in, see what it’s about and hopefully enjoy the ambience that we’ve created, find it like (a) little oasis here in Portage,” winery owner Lauren Bodamer said.

468 Wine is an homage to the three children Bodamer and her husband Brian have. They were born in April, June and August, the fourth, sixth and eighth months of the year.

Bodamer started selling and shipping gift boxes with Michigan-made goods during the coronavirus pandemic through her company Truly Kind. She always had an interest in wine and started making personalized labels to go on wine bottles that shipped in the gift boxes.

From there the idea grew into the opening of an urban winery. Now 468 Wine ferments their own Moscato and Riesling in-house, while bottling

other types shipped in from California and Washington, Bodamer said. Wine can be ordered in a tasting flight of four, 2-ounce pours for $10, by the glass or by the bottle. They currently offer 11 wines, from a sparkling white brut, to a Napa Cabernet Sauvignon to a rosé.

The goal is for customers to have great wine in a comfortable setting. The new store front features comfortable bar seating, lounge seating and traditional table seating.

Bodamer wants people to know they genuinely care about them and wants them to feel like more than just a customer.

“I hope that they find this place very welcoming and accepting of anybody and everybody,” Bodamer said. “We want to create that atmosphere of community.”

Simple but artisan dishes made in-house are featured on the winery’s menu. Visitors can select from various hors d’oeuvres and sandwiches, including a baked brie with various jam toppings, $12, a Caesar salad $9, grilled prosciutto and cheese, $8 and avocado toast, $8.

Grab and go charcuterie boards from The Grazing Table are also available at the winery.

468 Wine is opening a tasting room at The Grazing Table in downtown Kalamazoo. Bodamer met The Grazing Table owners about a year and a half ago. They are separate businesses but do work together for various things.

Michigan’s Best Local Eats:

Vito’s Espresso’s

dine-in spot is open, ready to serve tasty pastries

vSPRING ARBOR, MI

ito’s Espresso may have closed its downtown location, but the Spring Arbor location is running and ready to serve.

While Vito’s Espresso opened its drive-thru at 7975 Spring Arbor Road in spring 2022, the dining room opened just a few months ago, owner Vic Schiro said. Schiro said he wanted to stay in Jackson, but it didn’t have a full kitchen or dining room.

After taking a second look at the former Spring Arbor Café building, he knew it was a winner.

“We looked for over a year and didn’t find anything in Jackson that had a kitchen and that was suitable for dine-in and what we wanted,” Schiro said. “We saw this and we were like, ‘We could do it. We could make it cozy.’” Schiro said he wanted a place where people could sit and chat, which is what he found in Spring Arbor. “What we want is hospitality,” Schiro said. “It’s really hard at a grab and go to show you the hospitality that we want to. We can still smile

and ask about your day, but it’s not like sitting down with you and sharing a cup of coffee.”

The new space has been popular with Spring Arbor University students looking for a place to study and to residents looking to grab breakfast or lunch.

Everything is made in house on the café-oriented menu, Schiro said.

The muffins are popular, he said. A range of flavors can be found, including blueberry and apple cinnamon. Other baked goods, like cannoli, cinnamon rolls,

also can be found. Baklava, a layered pastry dessert filled with chopped nuts, spices and topped with honey, is also popular, Schiro said, as are the breakfast wraps.

Vito’s Espresso is looking to add other menu items, including salads, quiches and an oatmeal bar, he said.

Drinks have a strong focus on espresso, Schiro said. This includes a range of lattes, cappuccinos, breves and cortados. Other drinks, like loose leaf teas, chai lattes and more, can be found for noncoffee drinkers.

North End Coffee Cafe Bake

FENTON

pened

in Fenton Township provides eclectic menu

an abandoned warehouse before the business.

“The building was an eyesore,” said Alisa Antonangeli, North End’s owner. “It’s located right across from the old high school I used to go to, which is now the middle school (Lake Fenton Middle School). When the property went up for sale, I just knew it was a need in the The property is owned by Shoemaker Landscaping, and Antonangeli is renting out the front of the property.

The breakfast sandwiches are one of the most popular items, which include a variation of eggs

Overnight oats are popular, which have protein powders and can include apple pie, banana Nutella, and almond joy.

There are three paninis on the menu: Turkey club panini, chicken caprese panini, and spicy Italian panini, and a variety of soups are available.

“The breakfast sandwich is our most popular item,” Antonangeli said. “I

go through about 200 a week.”

North End Coffee Cafe Bake hosts bridal and baby showers on Saturdays from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. about once a month.

Inside North End Coffee Cafe Bake brings a home-like comfort, designed by Antonangeli. In the 10 years prior to opening her own business, Antonangeli worked in marketing for Fenton Physical Therapy and is a homegrown Fenton resident.

For those with kids, North End Coffee Cafe Bake offers a special bubble tea that have juice filled poppers filled with either strawberry, lemonade, kiwi, raspberry, pineapple or mango, and on Fridays they support Blueline Donuts near downtown Flint, where its donuts are delivered.

“I want this to be a place people can feel comfortable,” Antonangeli said.

“Especially after COVID-19, I felt people were disconnected. So I want this to be a place where everybody can come and feel like they’re seen and heard and cultivate that sense of community.”

Take a bite of history and tradition at Jackson Coney Island

jJACKSON, MI

ackson has changed over the years, but one thing that’s remained the same are the Coney dogs at Jackson Coney Island.

According to Jackson history, Jackson Coney Island began in 1914 under the guidance of the city’s legendary Coney godfather George Todoroff at 615 E. Michigan Ave.

The restaurant has been under many different owners since then, with current owner Dave Griffus taking over in 2014, Manager Brittany Craig said. Through the years and different owners, though, the atmosphere, style and recipes have stayed the same, she said.

“It makes us feel good that we can keep that same tradition going and people can come in here and still get that,” Craig said. “I had a guy come in about a month and a half ago and he’s like, ‘I haven’t been here in 40 some years, I hope they taste the same.’ And they still taste the same.”

Since its opening, the restaurant has been home to thousands of stories and memories, including birthdays, engagements and family gatherings, she said.

“People came here with their grandparents, so they continue to come here,” Craig said. “It’s just so many memories – and some people have certain booths like they’ll wait to sit in because it’s just always their booth.”

Jackson Coney Island still uses the original recipe for its Coney dog sauce, including using beef heart, because “anything else is just a chili dog,” Craig said.

While the Coney dog steals the show at the restaurant, the rest of the menu should not be overlooked. A variety of hotdogs, sandwiches, soups, wraps, salads and burgers can be found on the menu, along with some breakfast options, like biscuits and gravy and corned beef hash.

The ‘Ridiculously Good Italian’ grinder also lives up to its name, Craig said. It’s stacked with salami, pepperoni, ham, banana peppers, red onion, lettuce, tomato, Italian dressing and provolone cheese.

Fan

Favorite

Olga’s famous Snackers are in the form of chicken wings

just in time for the Super Bowl, Olga’s Kitchen has launched, for its rst time ever, Snacker Chicken Wings. The wings use the same fan-favorite Olga’s Snackers seasoning and are available as an appetizer or platter.

The app features the wings tossed in the Snackers seasoning with cilantro and is served with a side of ranch. The platter offers three avor options: Signature Snacker Seasoning wings, Sweet Honey Sriracha and Barbecue.

The small platter serves ve to six people and allows for up to two avor choices. The large platter serves double that and allows for up to three avors.

“Olga’s Snackers have been a fan-favorite menu item for decades and we’re thrilled to take the cravable seasoning fans know and love and add them to wings for a whole new way to enjoy a signature Olga’s avor,” said Tom Ruddy

director of culinary and purchasing at Olga’s Kitchen.

“Being a more than 50-year-old brand, we’re proud of our rich, entrepreneurial history and are embracing the same spirit of innovation our founder Olga had with the new items we’re introducing to our guests.”

On top of the new wings, Olga’s recently launched a few other new menu items including Brussel Sprouts, a Loaded Hummus Bowl and a Power Bowl consisting of brussel sprouts, red onions, chickpeas, craisins, beets, cucumbers and tomatoes over greens with feta cheese.

Olga’s was founded in 1970 by Olga Loizon. There are 22 Olga’s Kitchens, three Olga’s Fresh Grilles and ve Olga’s Express restaurants across the country with Michigan restaurants located throughout Metro Detroit and Ann Arbor with a restaurant in Kalamazoo and one in Comstock Park near Grand Rapids.

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