It's Late, Do You Know Where Your Coney Is?

It's 1:30 am and we are finally finished with a huge event (insert plug for Second Helping here).  My feet are sore, I'm exhausted.  The logical choice would be to go home right?  Absolutely not, a hard night's work deserves a late night snack.  This one is coming from Lafayette Coney Island established in 1917.  There's been a lot of publicity surrounding this Detroit sensation lately.  I finally get to see what the fuss is all about.

I made the trek after a great fundraising event (hope you all can make it next year - plug#2).  That's besides the point.  First of all, 1:30am at Lafayette is quite the event.  Sitting at a long table in the middle of the restaurant, we were joined by an artist, musician and a host of characters.  Across the room a dressed up crew sitting next to a table of what appears to be a band fresh from a gig who may give my friends a run for their money on the volume.  All of this is part of the greatness that is Lafayette Coney Island.

The cheese fries are like none other.  I'm not gonna like, I'm a fan of the processed cheese sauce, but the globs of real cheese melted across piping hot french fries.  Yum!  Words cannot express.  These are the best cheese fries that I have had.  Perfect pick me up for the early morning hours.  The coney had a bit of a kick, the chili was a bit different than what I am use to, but I guess that's what makes it special.  There is absolutely nothing like a great coney island hot dog.  I love that snap of the bite and piled high with all the right fixings...onions and mustard.

Lafayette is worth the trip if you haven't taken it yet.  I do know about the neighbor and I will make my way there, but this is all about one coney island.  Your turn...sound off!

It's Crafty, Its Just His Type

Special thanks to Bryan Foreman for this post and giving us the low down on Detroit Craft Beers.  Enjoy! 

Michigan happens to be a great place to live if you like beer.  Good Beer.  Craft Beer.  Beer made by people who love beer for people like me. I love Michigan beers.  From the tanks and kegs of Short’s to Bell’s to North Peak, Michigan produces some of the country’s finest craft beers.   

Detroit itself has contributed greatly to the Craft Beer movement, having a number of excellent breweries within its city limits. Check out the Detroit Beer Company across from the Opera House, or the Motor City Brewing Works which has been around since 1995, or The Atwater Brewery in the Rivertown district.   The city offers plenty of local flare and flavor for the brew lovers

Craft beer is generally beer produced by smaller breweries, also known as micro breweries or brewpubs.  These are beers brewed to emphasize character and flavor.  Some of the big breweries have gotten in on the trend and produced their own line of craft beers.  But regardless of where it comes from, I think of a craft beer as a magical combination of color, smell, taste, and feeling in a bottle or pint glass. 

On a recent trip to the Detroit Beer Company, I had a pint of the seasonally-brewed Pumpkin Ale.  It had a bold copper color, a sturdy, but not overpowering, pumpkin and spice flavor.  It was an easy-drinking, pleasant pint of beer.  I also enjoyed the Local 1529 IPA while I was there.  Rusty in color with a slight head, it had a wonderful bouquet of fruit and spice.  It had a sharp punch of nutty citrus flavor that dissipated quickly, without leaving any bitter taste.   This is a great spot to stop when you’re downtown and hankering for something tastier than a Bud Light.

You will also find a cozy little pub at the Motor City Brewing Works.  People come in to refill their growlers, eat some amazing pizza, and enjoy a pint of good craft beer.  I’m partial to the Ghettoblaster, an English Style Ale, which has an amber color and off-white head.  It’s a little effervescent on the tongue and goes down smoothly with little aftertaste.  I also like the Bohemian Lager, which is lighter than the Ghettoblaster in color and taste.  This is a crispy, highly drinkable brew.  Motor City Brewing Works also makes some excellent Hard Cider for those living GF who still want a pull from the tap.

There’s a lot to explore out there in our city when it comes to beer.  I want to thank Shiela for giving me the opportunity to write about one of my favorite things ever.  Beer is Good! Now, go grab some local brews!

Time To Make The Doughnuts

Thank you doughnut making friends.  Thank you for getting up so very early in the morning hours to mix the heavenly dough that ends up hole-y.  In flavors of chocolate, custard, powdered, cinnamon and a multitude of others, this is one delectable breakfast treat.  I'm really not sure where you can go wrong when frying is involved.  

Clearly, doughnuts are not just a Detroit thing.  I was trying to figure out why are doughnuts on this list of Detroit signature foods.  The conclusion I came to is who cares!  We're talking about doughnuts!  I suppose you could chalk it up to its early morning availability and the connection with the early morning factory workers. 

The question now becomes where to find the sweet delights.  I have heard so much about it, I had to venture to Dutch Girl Donuts in Detroit.  It definitely was worth the early morning trip.  6:30am the smiling faces at Dutch Girl were there to satisfy my doughnut fix.  I was especially intrigued by the raisin doughnut.  Yes you heard me right.  However, I believe the way to determine a truly great doughnut shop is by the simple plain glazed yeast doughnut.  Dutch girl certainly passes that test with flying colors.  

This is only one of many places the glazed sensation will tantalize your taste buds.  I strongly suggest independent doughnut shops for your best bets.  Check out my favorites page for some other goodies that go beyond our "time to make the doughnuts" friend.  

Not just for Coney Dogs

If you are looking for the delicious quick breakfast, nothing beats a coney island.  Fortunate for us Detroiters, there is no shortage of the coney island restaurant.  You should have no problem finding one unless you close your eyes while you are driving.

There was a time where chili-cheese omelettes were a staple.  Alas, an addition of a few years has brought that to an end.  All that aside, there is no end to the occasional coney island breakfast.  Whether its pancakes, an omelette or other breakfast fare, Coney has it all.  You'll never leave hungry that's for sure.  Check out my pancakes.  Oh yeah, this was a 1/2 order.

I would venture to say most coney island restaurants have the super cheap before 10am standard breakfast specials (eggs, with meat and toast) in addition to the endless line of breakfast cuisine.  Many times, its a tough decision on savory or sweet.   What is your coney island breakfast of choice?

Make Your Own Vernors!

Are you kidding?  No way anyone can duplicate that amazing gingery, spicy flavor!  I just wanted to make sure you were still there.  The closest I came to making my own Vernors, was heading to 7-11, putting on that domed lid and filling the cup to the brim with a soft frozen version of the delightful beverage.  I am hardly a purist on anything so I had to try it.  It was either that or a Boston Cooler (Vernors mixed with ice cream), which incidentally has its roots based in Detroit.   However, I would definitely miss the boat if I didn't take the drink in its original form.  So yes, I chased my Slurpee with a nice cold bottle of Vernors.  Just a good sugar rush and "Deliciously Different."

Growing up, for me, Vernors was the go to ginger ale when feeling down and out.  Cold, hot or room temperature even the slightest sip would give the pick up needed to make a sick person well.  Ha, I love the dramatization.   

Vernors has the distinction of being the oldest surviving ginger ale and is tied with Hires Root Beer as the oldest surviving soft drink.  Thank you Wikipedia.  The namesake of pharmacist James Vernor.  As legend has it, Mr. Vernor tried to duplicate a ginger ale he enjoyed in Dublin, Ireland.  However, in his experimentation he was called off to war in 1862.  He stored the secret mixture in an oak cask in his pharmacy. After returning from battle four years later, he opened his secret keg and found the drink inside had been transformed by the aging process in the wood.  Ta da, we have Vernors!  A taste that simply hasn't been duplicated for 144 years.