The Clarkston Union Bar & Kitchen in Clarkston, Michigan

Yesterday I wrote briefly about our recent road/camping trip that took us from southwestern Ontario through the thumb of Michigan, across Lake Huron to Tobermory, Ontario, and finally back home.  The entire adventure was six days in its entirety.  Four of those days were spent rustic camping with our kids and grandkids.  Talks about a wonderful adventure!  Over the next few days I will share some of the foodie highlights we enjoyed during our adventure.

We are avid fans of several Food Network shows including Diners, Drive-Ins and Drives, affectionately known as Triple D with host Guy Fieri.  We watch one episode that featured The Clarkston Union Bar & Kitchen located at 54 S. Main Street in the Village of Clarkston, Michigan.  This classic greasy spoon housed in a converted 1840's wooden church holds the bragging rights as having the most macked mac & cheese.  Kid Rock frequents the restaurant as well so there's always a chance of seeing him there. 

A small gift shop, the Union General, home of the Cupcakery is located just behind the restaurant outdoor patio.  It features coffee, ice cream, sweets, bath and toys.  Be warned, this shop is heavily scented, not suitable for those with respiratory problems or asthma.

Clarkston was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a Historic District on the merit of its architectural and historical significance in 1980.  The village is home to important examples of Queen Anne style homes, well worth visiting for it's historical significance.  We planned a stop in Clarkston the first day of our travels to check out this featured eatery and do a bit of sight seeing as it was on our planned route, less than a mile off of I-75 N.

The interior decor of The Clarkston Union Bar & Kitchen is warm and inviting, very much church-like.  The owners have certainly maintained and built on the church-like feel.  The high ceiling, hanging lights, stain glass windows, wood floor, authentic church pews and open kitchen all lend themselves nicely to the atmosphere. Even the pale creamy yellow walls is reminiscent of many church interiors.

We had a short wait for seating but this restaurant is reputed to have rather long wait times.  There is a sitting area to enjoy while waiting in what was once the front entrance to the church.  There is seating at the very well stocked bar (middle right) in addition to the dining room seating.  Seating is close but open.  We were seated in the middle just on the other side of the two folks in yellow shirts.  The restaurant is loud (ok borderline very loud) with a very social atmosphere though, definitely not the place for a quiet dinner conversation.

We each ordered ice tea with our meals.  The nice thing about ordering ice tea in the US is it is just that, tea.  It is not sweetened.  If you want sweetened ice tea then you have to order sweet tea, but sweet tea is not always available.

The Clarkston Union Bar & Kitchen had a very impressive beer list, many unique artisan, small batch brew and specialty beers (eg. gluten free).  Their listing of available beers is on blackboards at the very front of the restaurant near the waiting area for seating. 

Despite their long list of beers, I decided to try a non-alcoholic beer, Buckler, imported from Holland, brewed by Heineken.  Non-alcoholic (de-alcoholized) beers and wines have less than 0.5% alcohol by volume.  They are gaining favour with those who what to enjoy beer and wine without the negative effects of alcohol.  I've been sampling several to find those to stock for entertaining.  In general, the European non-alcoholic beers and wines are far superior in flavour to those brewed in North America.  I found the Buckler non-alcoholic beer is light and refreshing.  It has only 75 calories as well.

We decided to order one entrèe and a full order of mac & cheese to share.  With a long ride ahead of us, we didn't want heavy tummies but we did want to get a good sampling of the food at The Clarkston Union Bar & Kitchen.  We ordered the meatloaf special ($9.75) made with house ground seasoned angus beef, topped with marsula gravy, mashed potatoes and vegetables.

The meatloaf was fine but not spectacular.  It was heavily seasoned with white pepper and there definitely was a hint of nutmeg, the cook's obvious seasoning of choice.  The seasonings clashed somewhat with the marsula gravy that had a nice flavour and smooth texture.  The mashed potatoes looked delicious but again were heavily seasoned with white pepper and nutmeg to a fault!  The baby carrots were almost an afterthought, simply boiled and plated with no seasoning or garnish.  They were over cooked as well so were lacking in flavour.  

We ordered the mac & cheese made with Canadian cheddar and mild pinconning cheeses layered with penne rigate and a crunchy crust ($13.95).  The generous full size portion of mac & cheese arrived at our table delightfully hot and bubbly.   Technically there is no mac (eg. maccaroni) in this mac & cheese but it sure did have eye appeal!  This mac & cheese was rich and cheesy but not creamy.  Once again the white pepper and nutmeg pairing appeared.  It wasn't as strong as in the mashed potatoes but it was strong enough to be noticeable.  Unfortunately, this mac & cheese did not live up to its reputation.  It was ok, lacking the velvety creamy texture of a good mac & cheese, and simply over seasoned.

The Clarkston Union Bar & Kitchen is a busy place with an interesting atmosphere set in a historical, quaint village.  The food itself is really nothing spectacular and I suspect many visit there for the same reason we did, we saw it on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.  The prices are average to high for what you get and service can be slow.  That being said, we might go back again if in the area but we would not make a special trip to eat there.  That says a lot because we have no problem driving a couple of hours or more to enjoy a restaurant that impressed us.  If you decide to visit The Clarkston Union Bar & Kitchen, don't expect the 'wow factor' for the mac & cheese. 

Wimpy's Place in Lexington, Michigan

We spent the weekend in Lexington, Michigan arriving by boat Friday afternoon.  We were planning returning home Sunday but high winds caused  8 - 9 foot waves on Lake Huron, way to big for our boat to handle so we stayed until Monday.  Lexington is a small village, very much tourist based with most activity weekends and very quiet on weekdays.  There is a range of restaurants including two fast food restaurants catering to the tourists who mainly arrive by boat. 

Wimpy's Place is located on Huron Avenue, the only road directly up the hill from the harbor.  It is about mid-way up on the second block.  We've been there several times in the past for breakfast special that is always quite good.   This trip my husband's breakfast was good but my sunny side up eggs were undercooked with a good portion of the white still raw.  It was easily remedied but this is something to be sure to mention when ordering if you like your eggs sunny side up.

We went to Wimpy's for dinner.  Wimpy's is named after Wimpy on the PopThey have a reputation of having the best burgers in town.  We ordered Wimpy's burgers and onion rings.  The onion rings were quite good!

Wimpy burgers are homemade patties fried on a grill.  The burgers are about mid-way between a Happy Meal burger and a White Castle Burger,, and closer to White Castle style slyder.  They are flattened down while frying so the patties are not perfectly round.  You can order them with fried onions and/or cheese.  They are served with a couple of dill pickle slices.  Ketchup and mustard are on the table. 

My husband liked the burgers.  They are quite similar to White Castle burgers but a bit more on the greasier side.  I wan't impressed with the burgers but in fairness I was dealing with a severe allergic reaction to the medication I was taking for an infection so that affected my stomach.  I'll try them again next trip just to see if not feeling well clouded my judgement. 

These burgers would be extremely easy to duplicate at home on a griddle or even fry pan.  I watched her making the patties.  She rolled the ground beef into about 2 - inch balls then placed the ball on the grill (flat restaurant style) and flatten it with a flipper.  The result is a oddly shaped, thin pattie.  Onions if desired,  fry along with the pattie adding extra flavour.  The pattie is placed on a smallish bun then simply served with the minimum of condiments.

Chicken Penne Soup

It is easy to get into a rut when cooking, falling back on the tried and tested family favourites.  One way to break out of that rut is eating out.  Restaurants tend to put a bit of a new spin on dishes that the home cook might not think of simply because they have always made the dish a certain way.  During the summer months we like to boat to Decker's Landing located  the mouth of the St. Clair River where it meets Lake St. Clair.  There are special events as well as various bands playing during the afternoon and evening.  It's a gorgeous spot to enjoy a meal, and watch the sunset over the lake. 

Decker's offers pub grub and full dinner meals.  My husband ordered the soup of the day, chicken soup.  I make a lot of chicken soup, usually chicken noodle and occasionally chicken vegetable soup.  Invariably the pasta of choice is broad egg noodles.  Decker's chicken soup was made with penne!  I thought this was a rather interesting pasta to use in a soup.  Penne with its deep grooves and hollow centre is usually paired with thick, cream based or tomato based sauces.

The soup was in between a chicken noodle and chicken vegetable soup.  Another interesting touch was the parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.  Parmesan cheese is a wonderful cheese for adding that extra flavour.  It really was a nice soup that can easily be duplicated at home.

Hockeytown Cafe in Detroit Metro Airport

Our spring vacation began on May 8, flying out to Las Vegas.  We returned home for about 18 hours on May 14 then flew out to our vacation home in Florida where we stayed until May 25.  It was actually less expensive to do it this way than fly from Detroit to Las Vegas to Tampa to Detroit!  During our brief time home on the 14^th we hosted a games night followed by my husband being seen in emerg and still managed to catch our flight on time.  I kept things simple for the entertaining and we had no checked baggage for the Florida so that made things a lot easier.

We prefer to fly out of Detroit rather than Toronto.  Detroit is home to the Detroit Red Wings, my husband's favourite hockey team.  As such the term Hockeytown was coined to describe Detroit which is also known as Motown (Motown records) and Home of the Big Three (motor industry).

My husband prefers to get to airport and clear security with plenty of time to spare.  We have spent a few hours sitting in Hockeytown Cafe located in North Terminal of the Detroit Metro Airport near Gate D12.  This is a lovely little pub style restaurant where you can relax and enjoy free Wi-fi while waiting for your flight.  It's also a great place to people watch.  Airport food tends to be a bit higher priced but the price of missing your flight is higher.

Hockeytown Cafe is tastfully decorated in all things Detroit Redwings!  It has a cosy, comfortable atmosphere with friendly service and good food.  I ordered the Chicken Lavesh ($10.20) while my husband had the Philly Cheese Steak ($10.50).  The Chicken Lavesh was a chicken Caesar salad wrap served with seasoned French fried potatoes.  I've eaten a lot of chicken Caesar salad wraps but this is the first time I've ever had one that had the croutons in it.  It was a lovely wrap but I'm not sure about the croutons.  I think it was more that I wasn't expecting that added crunch that isn't the norm for most wraps.

I really liked the seasoned fries.  I think the seasoning used was simple fry seasonng salt something similar to Lawry's Seasoning Salt.  These can easily be duplicated at home by making homemade French fries then sprinkling the desired seasoning over them.  When seasoning homemade French fries place the drained fries into a large bowl, sprinkle on the seasoning then use a flipping motion to distribute the seasoning evenly.

Franks Swissel Inn, Fort Gratiot, Michigan

Friday nights were always homemade pizza or fish when the kids were home unless we were heading out camping. We did a lot of camping when the kids were home. Now the kids have gone we traded the trailer for a boat and most Friday nights we eat out. Some of the very best spots to eat we have discovered through word of mouth or shear luck. Franks Swissel Inn is one of those that was recommended to us years ago. We stopped once and now stop whenever we get a chance!

Franks Swissel Inn

Franks Swissel Inn is located at 4985 24th Avenue in Fort Gratiot, Michigan. The very non-descript building is set back from the road so unless you knew it was there it would be very easy to drive on by. This little place really is a small, locals pub with some of the best food you will taste. It does get quite busy around the dinner hour. If you time your visit for about 7:00 PM the place will be rather full and it is a small place however once seated you can enjoy your meal while waiting for live entertainment featuring local bands. If you stay long enough the Mayor of Lakeshore usually puts in an appearance. He is a really likable bloke!

Walleye Dinner

Franks is known for its large portion sizes especially their famous ribs and there is always a nightly drink special. There is a dinner special each night as well with Friday's being all you can eat perch. The only downside to Franks is as the evening progresses the second hand smoke level increases as their ventilation system isn't the best. However, Michigan is putting through a smoking ban in public places so that will likely change and in fact we did not notice any smoke (something we are both very sensitive to) during our recent visit.

My husband ordered the walleye dinner ($7.95). This is fresh Great Lakes walleye that had been lightly battered and fried. It came with French fries, dinner roll and cole slaw. The portion size of the flakey, tender walleye was generous.

Chicken Dinner

I ordered the chicken dinner ($7.95) which is one of their signature dishes. It features a half of chicken fried to a crispy golden brown. The meal came with French fries, coleslaw and dinner roll. I ordered mashed potatoes in place of the fries and they sent both out at no extra charge so my husband had a few extra fries.

Fried chicken is so easy to make at home. One of my favourite methods is buttermilk fried chicken but there are so many variations of homemade fried chicken that you can have a lot of fun trying various recipes. The key thing with any fried chicken is you want a nice crispy coating with moist, tender and juicy meat inside.

Chicken in the Rough

Some of the best restaurants we have found has been through word of mouth. Here's the thing. If the food and service is excellent the recommendation to check out that restaurant will get around rather quickly. On the other hand if the food and service is lousy at a restaurant you will definitely hear about it. Now what is interesting if the food and service is just average you won't hear anything about it which really saves you the trouble of checking out that restaurant in the first place. We have discovered some of the best restaurants, bar & grills and eateries through word of mouth.

Palm Krystal Bar & Grill

Palm Krystal Bar & Grill is located at 1535 Pine Grove Avenue, Port Huron, Michigan. We discovered this bar and grill close to 20 years ago through word of mouth. The building is rather non-descript even though it is an older building so it is one of those restaurants you might easily drive by without out realizing the jewel inside. It is a must stop at place when you are in Port Huron, Michigan! This small bar & grill is home to chicken in the rough which is seriously some of the very best tasting fried chicken you will ever taste! Their service is friendly as well. I will warn you to not exptect fast food although the wait time for food is definitely not a problem. The service is some of the best you will experience!

Chicken in the Rough

A four piece (half chicken) dinner will cost you $9.99. It comes with your potato of choice and a dinner roll. Salad is on the side as are drinks but the price is more than reasonable. The chicken is seriously the star of the show! It is lightly seasoned deep fried chicken. at it's finest crispy on the outside yet moist and tender on the inside reminding me very much of the deep fried chicken I make at home. Yet there is just that little something that is missing from homemade. The skin is golden brown and crispy with a moist, tender meat. It really is a lovely meal, well presented with excellent service, definitely worth stopping to enjoy!

The Firefly Buffet - Soaring Eagle Casino

Once we left the kids we headed north to Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel in Traverse City, Michigan where we stayed overnight then left there for Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. We stayed there overnight then headed out mid-afternoon on our final destination of home. Today's casinos are much more than just gambling establishments. Their banquet facilities for special events are top notch. Their restaurants range from the lower end deli [but don't turn your nose up at that either because their offerings are quite good] to the mid-range buffets to the higher end restaurants. Most offer all three dining styles although the smaller one may not. All of the restaurants are open to the general public so you do have to gamble to enjoy their good food. If you want home cooked style foods the buffets really have it. There are very few foods offered on these buffets that could not be made at home which is one of their appealing features. Many of these casinos offer excellent live entertainment also available to the general public. I'm particularly fond of the spa facilities at Soaring Eagle but I'm not sure

The Firefly Buffet

My gosh, I think we have stopped at the Firefly Buffet at Soaring Eagle ever since the resort was built. The general layout of the buffet is quite lovely. I see they are moving away from the green tones to the blue tones with their recent renovation. The ceiling tiles over most of the buffet are studded with a multitude of LED lights to simulate a star light sky giving a lovely ambiance.

To the left and end is the actual buffet. There is the soup, salad and dessert bank tucked into the 'L' formed. Seating is quite pleasant with nice sized tables and comfortable chairs. The wait-staff is always very friendly and accommodating

I take a lot of pictures in restaurants and eateries. My philosophy is to always ask for permission and to not take pictures that can identify people. I have yet to have anyone decline permission. Most like the little bit of a blurb I do on them as well. If you are taking a picture of only your meal than you don't need to worry about asking. Still it is a nice way to strike up a conversation with the chef, cook or wait-staff.

Sculptures & More

The dessert bar had two gorgeous chocolate sculptures (1, 2) so I of course had to ask if it was ok to photograph them. She told me these sculptures came over from the banquet hall. They had been used for an event there then rather than discarding them were added as displays in the buffet. Just look at the beautiful detail! I'm always impressed when food is used as part of the design. A few times we have visited they had some impressive ice sculptures. All this adds to the overall ambiance and dining experience.

Just take a look at those little cherry tarts (3). Aren't they simply delightful? Doesn't your mouth just start watering in anticipation of that pork tenderloin (4)? Both of these dishes can easily be made at home and they can look just as nice!

Crab Legs

I love crab legs so that is always my first choice when they are on a buffet. Pictured is my crab legs meal. Just look at those gorgeous contrasting colours! I had the steamed broccoli one my favourite vegetables paired with king crab legs with drawn butter and Oysters Rockefeller. Again this is a meal that can easily be duplicated at home. The crab legs are usually bought frozen in our area and simply popped into boiling water or steamed to reheat. Oysters Rockefeller are oysters served on the shell topped with parsley or spinach, cheese, butter sauce and bread crumbs. The oysters are then baked.

Crab legs take a bit more effort to eat but the meat is so sweet and tender it is well worth the effort. A crab cracker that looks similar but smaller to a nut cracker is a very useful tool. Crack the leg then use a seafood fork or picker to remove the succulent meat, dip it in hot drawn butter and enjoy. This is a very hands on in the literal sense of eating food :)

Steis's Villiage Inn, Lexingon, Michigan

During out boating break last week we enjoyed eating out at two highly recommended restaurants. As mentioned in my post about the food at Cadillac House, harbour towns tend to have wonderful little restaurants. Harbour town restaurants are usually family friendly and casual with reasonably priced food. Steis's Village Inn is located at 5523 Main Street in the picturesque harbour village Lexington, Michigan. It is only a block away from the Lexington harbour. While Steis's is well known for their handmade pizza we decided to go with an appetizer and full dinners. Unfortunately they do not appear to have a website which is a shame but don't let that stop you from visiting!

Steis's Village Inn is packed full of atmosphere. You can't help but like it! It's comfortable and cosy with very friendly wait staff. Their food is excellent and very reasonably priced. Both my husband and I gave this restaurant two thumbs up. It is definitely on our list of must stops on our next boating trip to Lexington.

Hot Spinach Dip

We ordered the hot spinach dip appetizer. This generous sized appetizer came with with a lovely tasting spinach dip and warm pita bread wedges. Hot spinach dip make a lovely, easy to make appetizer at home. Change the flavour by adjusting cheeses used and amounts

Method: Wash fresh spinach. Steam until just limp. Place spinach, about 1/2 c of mayonnaise, cream cheese and shredded cheeses about 1/2 cup each in food processor. Pulse on chop a couple of times. Pour into oven proof serving dish. Bake at 350ºF until cheese is melted and bubbly. Served with warmed pita wedges.

Panfried Walleye

My husband ordered the all you can eat walleye. Walleye is a mild, Great Lakes fish that is sure to please. The meal came with herbed mashed potatoes, tarter sauce, lemon wedge and a generous helping of panfried walleye. Now just look at this lovely presentation. The coating on the fish was much like I would do on any fresh caught fish at home. It is simply dredged in a little seasoned flour with cornmeal then pan fried to a crispy golden brown leaving the fish moist and tender. When my husband was finished his meal another helping of fish came out.

For those who are dieting, fish is one of the best foods you can eat. It is low in calories especially if baked or grilled. Pan frying will add a few calories but not a lot. So lean towards having at least one meal of fish per week.

Broasted Chicken

Broasted chicken is a true delight! It is cooked in a pressurized deep fryer so the meat is very moist and tender yet the outside is nice and crispy. Unfortunately this cooking method cannot be duplicated at home because it includes a special marinating procedure and special equipment only available to restaurants. The special pressurized fryer equipment is called a broaster, hence the name. The end result is the broasted chicken is moister but less greasy than fried chicken. This really is a specialty dish that is available only when dining out.

The meal consisted of a half of broasted chicken, baked potato and baked beans. Now this was quite lovely and well worth ordering. As promised the chicken was moist and tender yet the coating was nicely crisped. For those with smaller appetites they will package up left-overs to go.

Cadillac House - Lexington, Michigan

The weather has been unseasonable cool and wet so we have not been able to do a lot of boating. It's as if Mother Nature is saying I'm going to force you to stay home and not spend money because there's a recession going on, don't you know! My husband has been anxiously watching the extended forecast for signs of a couple of good days where we could go out for an extended stay on Lake Huron. Last Wednesday he declared it safe for departing on Thursday morning and returning Friday night or possibly Saturday morning.

We arrived safely at our destination, Lexington State Dock on Lake Huron. This is a gorgeous, scenic harbour at the quaint, tourist town of Lexington, Michigan. Arriving by boat means you have to walk everywhere you want to go. We have been there before but always talk to the harbour master for his recommendations of great eating spots as they do change. The harbour master will not steer you wrong. There are several small, unique shops to browse through, a few good restaurants and usually a lot of different events at Lexington. Friday night we enjoyed music in the park and Saturday morning while walking for coffee we saw several vendors setting up on the closed street for art in the park. We would have liked to stay a bit longer but had to be home by 1:30 pm for the plumber (long story) so after enjoying our coffee we headed out onto the lake.

Cadillac House

Honestly some of the best food is found in sleepy little towns off the beaten track. Many of these tend to be small pubs and grills with rather non-descript exteriors but lots of atmosphere inside. They are essentially the places you would never stop at unless by word of mouth that hey this is a great place to eat!

The harbour master recommended the Cadillac House at 5502 Main Street in Lexington. This was about a 10 minute slow walk from our boat. This is a historic building built in 1840 as the first hotel in the village. It was rebuilt in 1860 and has remained a hotel with restaurant since that time although it has passed through different ownerships. This really is a must eat at place! The food is good and it has a wonderful atmosphere with excellent wait staff. Oh and apparently it is haunted by a resident ghost but we saw no signs of that.

Whitefish

What was rather interesting about this meal was we met another boater and his son a couple of slips down from us. Well they were going for dinner and we were going for dinner so we ended up going together. I ordered the broiled Great Lakes whitefish. This really is one of the nicest tasting fish there is.

Whitefish is a nice mild fish that really doesn't lend itself to heavy seasoning. It is best broiled but can be pan fried or baked. The broiled whitefish was served with mashed redskin potatoes, sautéed onions and zucchini, lemon wedges and tartar sauce. It did not come with a side salad or drinks.

Lake Walleye

My husband ordered the all you can eat lake walleye. Now this really was a good deal! According to my husband it would be well worth driving to by land. It was a rather unpretentious meal with pan fried walleye served with French fries and sautéed onions and zucchini. As promised it was all you can eat so it really was a good deal.

Our total bill at the Cadillac House was $36.99 with two meals and alcoholic beverages. As meals go this was quite reasonable! The atmosphere was quite lovely and the service was excellent so we enjoyed our time there. This definitely is a must stop at eatery when in Lexington, Michigan!

A Bit of Kitchen Chit Chat

Goodness we have been waiting for the warm weather that has taken forever to arrive this year. Does it ever feel lovely despite the high humidity. It's days like this that I am very appreciative of having the kitchen in the lower level of a semi earth bermed home. Cool breezes off the water keeps the kitchen comfortable most summer days. Even though this is the second smallest kitchen we've had since owning houses, it is by far the most energy efficient.

Mel Burger

Summer weather means boating! Monday we took a spur of the moment boat ride. It was beautiful out especially desirable when boating. After enjoying fun in the sun on the water we stopped at Decker's Landing for dinner. They have a new burger called the Mel Burger. This burger is ½ lb of ground round with bacon, American cheese, iceberg lettuce, sliced onion and Cajun ranch served with fries. That day they had a buy one get one free special. We ordered a side of onion rings as well. The total with beverages came in at just under $24 for two people. The service as always was friendly and fast. The atmosphere was delightful!

Strawberries

Ontario strawberries are ripe for the picking! My husband brought me home a flat. I was astonished that they had gone up to $18 up $3 from last year. Obviously this farmer is taking advantage of other U-picks closing in the area meaning he has a bit of a monopoly. Even the grocery store prices are cheaper! I'm hoping to have our new strawberry bed producing enough next year that I won't have to buy them again.

I made 4 jars of low sugar strawberry jam for the pantry with half the berries using Pomona's pectin as well as reducing the sugar from 4 cups to 3 cups. Using this method I can get the sugar down to 2 cups or substitute the sugar with honey or Splenda® so the next batch will be made using local honey. I also ended up with almost a full jar (forefront) of jam for immediate use. The only downside I find to using Pomona's pectin in unlike regular pectin where it thickens before pouring into the jars so stirring prevents floating fruit, the Pomona's continues to thicken as the jam cools. So there is a bit of floating fruit that won't win a county fair award but simply stirring after opening this gourmet style low sugar jam is sure to please!

Bulk Chicken

A few weeks ago I wrote about Maple Lodge Farms in Brampton, ON. One of our kids brought us home a box of chicken wings and a box of legs with backs attached. Pictured is how the chicken is packaged in a large plastic bag inside a box. I vacuum sealed the chicken legs for longer storage. Vacuum sealing prevents freezer burn during longer freezer storage. I ended up with 10 - 2 piece vacuum sealed packages.

Murphy Inn Restaurant, St. Clair, Michigan

We love to spend summer afternoons boating between and on Lakes Huron, St. Clair and Erie including the smaller rivers and tributaries. Quite often that means docking to enjoy dinner as well. Last Sunday was likely the warmest day of the season so far. We had spent a good portion of the Saturday ripping out and adding a new square foot garden bed. We fully intended to continue working on the vegetable garden on Sunday but by mid-morning it was really too hot, just perfect for boating.

Murphy Inn

We decided to make a trip to St. Clair, Michigan. This is a quaint and pretty little town on the St. Clair River just a bit south of Port Huron, Michigan. There is a lovely little marina on Pine River that is within walking distance of a few good restaurants. The fee to dock for a half day is $5 at the marina and free along the river. Gas and clean-out are available at the marina.

The Pine River and St. Clair River is patrolled by the US Customs and Border Protection Agency. They are stationed out of the marina so it is very common for them to check boats both in the marina and those docked along the river. When arriving by boat in the US you must have valid acceptable identification (Nexus, passport, security driver's license) according to the new rules that went into effect on June 1, 2009. You must call into Customs upon arrival if you are not an American citizen prior to leaving your boat. You must declare anything you are bringing into the US as well.

Murphy Inn located at 505 Clinton Avenue in St. Clair, Michigan is a historic 1836 boarding house that features quality Irish food and lodging. Live entertainment is also featured. To the left of the spacious entrance is the non-smoking dining room. To the right is the pub and pub style dining. Both rooms are tastefully decorated according to the style. The pub features a lot of wood for a cosy, comfortable atmosphere. Happy hour is from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM Monday to Saturday and all day Tuesday (draft beer only). In addition to that there are daily food specials and food is available for carry-out for a slight extra charge. Murphy Inn like other restaurants in the area is very reasonable priced. They have a wide selection of food sure to please everyone. They are kid friendly complete with a kid's menu also very reasonably priced.

We enjoyed our nice leisurely meal in the pleasant atmosphere of the pub room. The total cost with cocktails was $38.66 plus tip. I really must comment on the atmosphere. Murphy Inn is just a real delight to visit! The staff is some of the friendliest you will ever meet. They are attentive with quick service and never make you feel like you are being rushed out the door. The pub side is a particularly pleasant way to spend a few hours and enjoy the live entertainment. This is one restaurant well worth a stop!

Broiled Cod

Most of the restaurants along the Great Lakes basin and within close proximity to the water offer a good choice of local fish such as lake perch and pickerel. Almost all of them have fish & chips on their menu as well. The dress code for most of these restaurants is dress casual as they cater to the boating community and locals.

My husband ordered the broiled cod (pictured) and potato sausage soup (not pictured) in lieu of vegetables. The meal came with two nice sized pieces of seasoned broiled cod, soup or vegetables, choice of potato and a thick slice of homemade bread for $10.99. This cod was cooked perfectly, nicely flaking yet moist. The seasonings used were not overpowering. Of note was the potato sausage soup that I will be duplicating at home.

Barbeque Chicken

I ordered the Sunday special of all you can eat chicken. The waitress said there would be a little extra charge for all white meat but I didn't mind. The meal came with choice of chicken (bbq, roasted or fried), mashed potatoes, stuffing and coleslaw for $9.99 plus $1.99 for all white meat. The chicken breasts were huge, considerably more than I could eat! I definitely did not have to order extra. The potatoes were homestyle real mashed potatoes complete with peels. The stuffing was just a bit different as it was seasoned with caraway. This is not a seasoning I would have paired with stuffing. The creamy coleslaw was a nice mix of sweet and tang. This really was a lovely meal!

Michigan Casino Bus Trip

This has really been a year of first for us with respect to travelling. New to us was staying at a bed & breakfast and renting a condo instead of a motel during our travels to Florida earlier this year. Both were very enjoyable and we are planning to do the same the next time we visit Florida. Both were cost saving as far as breakfasts and snacks. Breakfast was included with the bed & breakfast as was happy hour. We could have cooked all of our meals as the condo (major cost savings) but we didn't. Still we saved on food by making breakfast and lunch at the condo then eating out for dinner.

On Saturday (18th) we were offered the opportunity to go on a bus trip (3 days, 2 nights) that would stop at four casinos in Michigan. Dinner was included for Tuesday and Wednesday while breakfast was included for Wednesday and Thursday. The only meals we had to buy was lunch on Tuesday and dinner on Thursday. Other perks including motel rooms for Tuesday and Wednesday nights made this an excellent deal! We were off on another adventure :)

Wendy's®

We left the house early Tuesday morning to drive to the pre-determined bus pick-up location. Neither of us are huge breakfast people especially that early so we had our travel mugs filled at Timmy's aka Tim Hortons®. My husband got an extra large black while I got an extra large double double. There were 48 of us on board plus our tour guide and bus driver. The first stop was in West Branch, Michigan (I-75) where there were a few restaurants to choose from. The majority went to Elias Brothers Restaurant but we went to the Wendy's® next door. It was nice and slow which meant no line-ups for the washrooms! We only had 45 minutes which meant not wandering too far off either.

Wendy's® is one of the few fast food restaurants I don't mind on the rare occasion. Two things I really dislike about fast food restaurants are the quality of food and the vast amounts of garbage they produce. My husband ordered a double original cheese burger combo while I ordered a large chili and baked potato with sour cream and chives. We split the cola that came with his combo but between the two of us drank less than half. My choices were healthier than his yet checking Calorie Count from About.com I still was not happy with the amount of sodium or fat in the chili. Honestly if you eat fairly healthy for the majority of your meals your body can handle the occasional fast food meal if absolutely necessary.

Dinner Buffet (Kewadin)

Our first casino stop was at Kewadin Shores in St. Ignace, Michigan but were were not there long enough to eat. The evening meal was a nice buffet at Kewadin Casino in Sault Ste. Marie. In comparison to Las Vegas casino buffets this was small but it was more than adequate. The food was quite good!

We start many of our evening meals with soup or salad. The salad bar would rival many Las Vegas casino buffets. There was a large selection of very fresh produce, dressings, toppings and salad extras. My salad consisted of a bed of iceberg lettuce, red onions, tomatoes, stuffed olives, carrots and hot peppers topped with low fat Thousand Island dressing, shredded cheese and sunflower seeds. My dinner was roasted turkey with cranberries, cod, green beans broccoli stir fry and potatoes (upper right). It looks like a lot but I never eat the breading on fish and the potatoes were left on the plate with the breading as they were too heavily spiced. I also only make one trip to the buffet and don't get dessert. My husband's dinner was very similar given the selection although he had cream of mushroom soup instead of a salad.

One neat thing about buffets is the cooking equipment. I simply had to take a picture of this beautiful wok filled with stir fry. The smell was wonderful so I lingered a while taking pictures and talking with the chefs. That is how you get some of their secretes! My husband finished off with cherry pie and ice cream for dessert. Michigan is famous for its sour cherry pie and it is a must have for those who like desserts!

Breakfast Buffet (Kewadin, Sault Ste. Marie)

The following morning we ate at the breakfast buffet at Kewadin (Sault Ste. Marie) before heading back to Kewadin Shores (St Ignace). The breakfast buffet included coffee and orange juice along with hot and cold breakfast offerings. It was smaller than the dinner buffet but again the food was quite good.

We ate as close to the bus departure time as possible more in keeping with our schedule. Departure time was 10 AM for Kewadin (Sault Ste. Marie) for a short period of time. We left there for Turtle Creek Casino in Traverse City, Michigan for the afternoon finally arriving a Leelanau Sands Casino in Peshawbestown, Michigan where we would be eating our evening meal and staying the night.

Leelanau Sands Casino had a very, very small soup and salad bar or you could order off of a very limited menu. We didn't mind this ourselves as soup and salad makes a rather nice meal. [There were a lot of complaints from others though.] They had a chili that was a bit different than what I make. It had black turtle beans and white beans instead of kidney beans as well a chunks of beef and tomato. There was a nice bite to this chili as well. With both texture and flavouring considerably different from my normal chili, this will be one dish I try duplicating at home. The following morning we had an included continental breakfast then it was back to Turtle Creek. We shared a nice BLT with chips from the deli mid afternoon but I forgot to take a picture.

Ponderosa Steakhouse

When my husband and I were dating Ponderosa Steakhouse was the place to go so when they said we would stop in West Bank on the way back at Ponderosa I though it would be a bit of a trip down memory lane. Others went elsewhere including the nearby Walmart but we decided to forego shopping and eat knowing it would be quite late when we got home.

I have to tell you I'm disappointed in the new decor. Gone are the wooden tables and wooden beamed ceilings but the food is still good. I order the all-you-can-eat steak special instead of the buffet which was pretty close to the same price. It came with soup or salad, choice of potato and bread. My husband ordered the seafood platter (pictured). It came with shrimp, coconut shrimp and fish on a bed of rice with choice of potato, soup or salad and bread. The presentation for the seafood platter was nice. What I forgot about Ponderosa is their potatoes are automatically topped with butter (?) and sour cream if you ask for it and they are wrapped in foil. I really don't like either.

We learned a lot by travelling this way. First you are on a schedule so you do need to follow that. There are no side trips or impromptu stops. You are very limited as to what food will be offered. In this case it was the restaurants that the bus could easily stop at en route. Time limitations meant you really could only go to whatever restaurant was very close by. Once stopped for the night you had the option of eating the meal that came with the package or paying for a cab and finding a restaurant that may or may not have been better (not really worth it). So if you go on this type of trip do consider both the time limitations and food choices. This is really the time to go with the flow as well especially when it comes to food.

Mackinac Straits Fish Company

Note: This is the last entry for our road trip foods. I hope you have enjoyed reading about some of the foods we ate on this road trip. Please continue reading as I move back into my normal blogging about home cooking. Cauliflower is next on the adgenda as I start restocking the freezers. And yes (heavy sigh) my countertops are not finished yet but we are getting closer. Oh the joys of DIY renovations!

We are not big into bringing home souvenirs from our many travels. The reason being is they add to every one's clutter. Not everyone appreciates that! What we are big into when traveling is bringing home foods from that region. Not only can we enjoy a nice meal we can reminisce about our travels. The Michigan Upper Peninsula is dotted with several places to buy whitefish and smoked fish. Both are a must bring some home so when visiting Michigan's Upper Peninsula be sure to bring a cooler.

Mackinac Straits Fish Company Store

The Mackinac Straits Fish Company store is conveniently located just after the first exit on M-75 after the Mackinac bridge, turn right onto Bus - 75 then right again onto Ferry Lane. The store is on the left hand side. The Mackinac Straits Fish Company process the fish as soon as they receive then. Quite often this is less than an hour from being taken from the nets. That means the fish is about as fresh as you can get unless you catch them yourself.

The store itself is quite small, basically the size under the "A" entrance. There likely isn't much more room than for about 5 customers at a time. Upon entering you face the fish counter. There is a fish freezer to the immediate left that holds not only fish but buffalo. They also sell wild fruit preserves, buffalo and beef jerky, smoked fish, fresh eggs and maple syrup.

Whitefish & Perch

We bought four packages of whitefish, two packages of perch and smoked salmon (see below). I really wanted to buy more but honestly with the cheese our cooler was stuffed! The total cost came to $46.89 which sounds high but consider this is enough fish for at least 6 meals so under the $5 per person meat cost and whitefish is not so easily found fresh where we are even though we live on the Great Lakes waterways. The perch really was just a whim. Given we catch perch ourselves and are often gifted with it from friends buying it seems a bit silly. You really can't have too much perch! It is so quick and easy to lightly coat and pan fry. Perch is a must have staple!

Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) is a member of the trout/salmon family Salmonidae. It is the mainstay of the commercial fishing industry in the Great Lakes because of its exceptional yet delicate flavour, large size and schooling habits. Anglers have discovered it takes special techniques when fishing for whitefish because they swim in the cool, gloomy water of the Great Lakes at depths of 200 ft and deeper in warmer weather. Their mouth is small presenting another challenge for anglers.

A 3 - oz piece of whitefish has 146 calories, 20.8 gr protein and 65 mg cholesterol compared to a 3 oz piece of broiled sirloin that has 177 calories, 25.9 g protein and 76 mg of cholesterol. Broiling with a little butter will of course increase the calorie content but not by much. Consider though that each whitefish fillet is about a foot long so you will be over 3 oz but still it is a good value nutritionally. The flavour of the whitefish should shine through in the dish so keep it simple. Neither seasonings or sides should be overpowering.

Smoked Salmon

Smoking is an age old method of preserving meats and fish. The Mackinac Straits Fishing company smokes fish using wood from local forests, a blend of indigenous hardwoods, primarily sugar maple. Sugar maple adds a light, sweet flavour to the meat or fish. I only bought a small piece of smoked salmon. This was a impulse purchase. My husband's dad loved smoked fish and absolutely adored smoked salmon. He would simply eat it as is. I like the flavour as is as well. They kids enjoy smoked salmon too but then they will eat any fish. Unfortunately as far as I can tell my husband does not but perhaps he will try it again since a smoker is on my next to purchase list. I'm really not sure what I am going to do with this piece of smoked salmon. Off the top of my head I'm thinking of using some for a smoked salmon dip. I also have a couple of ideas for appetizers.

Bread & Maple Syrup

You know when you are traveling there are always neat food items to buy. Even though we have an abundance of Ontario maple syrup we bought a 32 oz (946 ml) jug of maple syrup from Wisconsin. Why? This jug cost $11.99, the same price we pay for a 500 ml bottle of Canada No. 1 maple syrup so almost half price. We love maple syrup and not just for pancakes!

I could not resist buying the Up North beer bread in a bottle. The bottle is larger than an actual beer bottle even though it resembles one. This is just a cute presentation and would make a cute gift. At $5.99 plus having to provide your own beer it is not going to be a very frugal loaf of bread! I'll report back on how it tastes :)

The Galley Restaurant & Bar

You simply cannot visit Michigan's Upper Peninsula without having a seafood dinner. Sorry but you just have to have one :) You also cannot leave the UP without bringing back some of that incredible fresh caught fish. By far the most recommended St. Ignace restaurant for white fish is The Galley Restaurant & Bar. The restaurant, owned and operated by the Gierlasynski family is located on on property that was formerly a fishery that provided fish to area residents. Their specialties are locally caught whitefish and lake trout.

The restaurant is mid-size, casual dress. We had a lovely table just back from overlooking the lake so next time we will request the table right by the window. The staff was extremely friendly and attentive. Children are definitely welcomed at this restaurant something that is nice to know if you are traveling with children or in our case grandchildren. They are open 7 days a week serving breakfast, lunch and dinner from May to mid October.

Soup or Salad

Meals came with either homemade soup or salad, potato, rice or vegetable and fresh baked rolls. The salad was a basic tossed salad but a bit heavy on the dressing. The salad vegetables were fresh and crisp but it really was a basic salad. I think if they had used mesclun salad greens it would have been a much more impressive salad. On the other hand my husband ordered the clam chowder. It had a nice flavour and creamy texture, definitely worth ordering!

Seafood Platter

My husband ordered the seafood platter ($15.75). It came with local whitefish, perch, shrimp and deep fried scallops. The perch and whitefish were very lightly breaded. Both are such delicate fish that you really don't want a heavy breading on either. The shrimp and scallops was a lightly breaded as well but a little more so making it a nice pairing for the perch and whtefish. The platter came with a baked potato, sour cream, butter, tartar sauce and seafood sauce.

This is a very easy to duplicate meal at home and it is especially good using fresh caught lake perch and whitefish. Perch is almost always pan fried with just a light flour coating. Whitefish when pan fried is done the same way. Both shrimp and scallops can be deep fried but scallops better boiled or baked.

Whitefish

The UP is the place to order whitefish. It is simply divine! I ordered the broiled lemon pepper whitefish ($13.00). I have to tell you this really is the way I would prepare whitefish at home. It came with tartar sauce, a lemon wedge and a baked potato.

Whitefish has a succulent, mild flavour and flaky texture. It is best not to overpower it with too heavy of a seasoning. Lemon pepper is a nice seasoning for broiled whitefish and broiling is my preferred method for cooking this fish. Although whitefish can be breaded or lightly coated as with most fish it really is better without either. A little butter when broiling as well as a dash of fresh lemon juice will enhance the flavour.

Method: Set oven to broil. Lightly butter a shallow pan with butter. Place the whitefish fillet(s) on the pan, skin side down. Brush on a little butter. Squeeze the juice of a quarter lemon on each fillet. Sprinkle on a little lemon pepper (Tone's, msg free). Place the pan about 5 - inches under the broiler. Broil 5 to 7 minutes without turning. Remove when the fillets are opaque and flaky.

Bessie's Original Homemade Pasties

Bounded on the north by Lake Superior, on the east by St. Marys' River and on the south by Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, fresh fish is in abundance, especially whitefish in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The residents are referred to as Yoppers with many of them being of Finnish descent. Michigan's Upper Peninsula is also known for pasties (pronounced pass-tees). A pastie is a nutritious meal that was introduced to the Upper Peninsula in the mid 1800's by Cornish and Scandinavian immigrants who came to work in the iron ore and copper mines. The miners carried homemade pasties in a metal lunch pail. When the lid was removed and turned upside down a candle was used to heat the pasty. There is an annual pasty festival in Calumet in early July and pasties are so popular that many visitors to the Upper Peninsula take large amount of them home!

Bessie's

Ask anyone in St. Ignace where to go for the best pasties and the answer will be Bessie's. Bessie's "Original" Homemade Pasties in St. Ignace, Michigan has been at the same location for nearly 50 years. It was started by Bessie and Pee Wee Phelps in 1958. The business has been run by their son Pat and his wife for the past 27 years.

Pastie

Traditional ingredients for the filling are diced steak, fine sliced onion and potato. Rutabaga and parsley are sometimes added. Carrots although often included in American pasties are a sign of inferior quality in Cornwall. The pastie filling is tucked inside the folded crust which is then sealed with a distinctive fold originally used as a handle. Miners could eat the pastie holding the folded portion without getting the rest of the pasty dirty then discard the dirtied folded portion.

Bessie's makes their crust from 100% vegetable shortening and Gold Metal flour using a recipe that has been handed down for years. They have earned the title of Best in the UP! We ordered the Yopper Man Pastie Plate that came with gravy and a side of fresh coleslaw for $9.95 to share for lunch. The filling consisted of lean steak, potatoes, carrots and sweet onions bake in their flaky, melt in your mouth crust. Trust me on this one, pasties are very filling! They are down home frugal cooking made with inexpensive ingredients.

Although they say the crust is flaky, found it to be less so than the pie crust recipe I use and I do recall reading somewhere that a denser crust should be used. The filling was quite good but needed a bit more seasoning so when I make these at home I'm going to kick the filling up a notch likely with a bit of Montreal Steak seasoning. Even my husband said they were a bit bland. Now in perspective and knowing the history behind the pasties, originally there wouldn't have been much more for seasoning other than salt and pepper. This really isn't a dish to fancy up too much. Keep it simple!

Pasty Recipe

3 lb potatoes, diced
1 c carrots, diced
2 c onions, diced
2 c rutabaga, diced
2 lb steak, diced*
12 4oz pie crust dough balls

Mix filling together. Roll each of the dough balls into a 10 - inch circle. Put about 10 oz of (a generous heaping cup) of filling on the dough rough. Fold the dough over the filling. Crimp the edge. Bake for one hour at 350ºF.

* can substitute diced fish or ground beef

Breezy Point Bar & Grill

We were travelling up US-41 not really thinking of eating yet we had been on the road for a little over five hours. By then US-41 had turned into M-35 even though we were on the same road. Although we had stopped once to fill the car with gas and have a washroom break we still were not overly hungry likely because of the fruit and sunflower seeds I bought at the Piggly Wiggly (love that name) just after getting on the road. As we headed north the camera was in almost constant action. The total number of pictures taken for the 6 day trip was 829.

We have an uncanny knack of finding good food in out of the way places. As we were neared Escanaba, Michigan I needed a break so we pulled into the Breezy Point Bar & Grill. We met back at the car and my husband asked if I was hungry. He said the food looked pretty good and it would be another couple of hours before we reached St. Ignace. He also pointed out that after checking in to the motel then we would have to find somewhere to eat making it so we would be eating a large meal before retiring and we know that isn't good for you. Well it didn't take much to twist my rubber arm. Besides, I was getting tired of sitting in the car.

Breezy Point Bar & Grill is a small pub on M-35 at Escanaba, Michigan (301 N 19th St, Escanaba, MI). Sorry, but it does not appear they have a website. It would be easy to miss as the building is a small, wood log structure that blends into the surrounding trees. There is ample parking in front and to the side. The sign on the structure is rather small too so it would be easy to miss. Hidden behind those doors was good home cooked style food and friendly service. Children are welcomed during the dinner hours.


Chicken Special

Meals are served in plastic baskets lined with paper. Utensils are metal instead of plastic so that is a plus. The meal portions are generous so are a good value for your dollar. We spent just under $20 plus tip for the two meals with a drink each.

The Breezy Point Bar & Grill has daily specials and Sunday was the chicken dinner special so I ordered that. It came with a half of chicken, fries, coleslaw and a bun. The chicken was lightly seasoned then deep fried with no breading. I have to tell you this although I think I've mentioned it before is I am not a fan of anything breaded. The chicken was fried to a golden brown with a nice crispy skin yet succulent, moist meat. The fries were standard thin cut frozen fries. Ketchup was available for the fries but no malt or even plain white vinegar. I really need vinegar with my French fries although I will settle for mustard dip. The coleslaw was the standard mayonnaise variety. A dinner roll was included with the meal.

Swiss Mushroom Burger

My husband ordered the Swiss mushroom burger. The burger was ⅓ lb ground chuck topped with sautéed mushrooms and Swiss cheese on a toasted bun. It came with a side of French fries. This burger got a two thumbs up from my husband. Seriously that says a lot! Deep down I think he is looking for ways to perfect his homemade burgers ;)

Burgers are featured quite often on this blog because my husband loves them. He isn't into the standard fly-by-the-seat burgers either our generic term for fast food burgers. What he looks for in a burger is flavour and substance. He doesn't want a preformed pattie or plain generic buns. Forget that American cheese slices too. I think the only two things that he doesn't like on a burger are hot peppers and pickles. Trust me on this one, small out of the way bars and pubs have some of the best burgers around.