Midland Munchies

Formerly a bank and then a steakhouse, Chug N' Chew is right across the street from the Valley Plaza and the Best Western hotel in Midland. Apparently open for business since June, 2009, this place stands up to the reputation its sign out front creates: "good food, huge portions, low price."

The main lobby has a futon facing a large flat-screen TV next to an old-school arcade machine, not to mention the still-installed vault door from the building's previous purpose as a bank. The decor is an amalgamation of Mexican, Halloween, midwest Americana, and other random kitsch.

The food is great, though, and cheap! I had the Southwestern Burger combo with waffle fries (an extra $0.50) that came out to less than $8 after tax, holy cow. The bun and fries were both delicious and were both crispy to perfection. The burger itself was a half-pound patty with cheese, pico de gallo, red onions, and slices of avocado; a unique take on the American classic.

If you're passing through Midland, think about stopping by this joint for a great bite to eat at an incredibly low price. My only qualm is that they don't serve alcohol; only a nice cold brew would've made this experience any better.

Marie Catrib's Restaurant and Bakery

Dear Marie Catrib,

Please adopt me and cook for me every day. I will move to Grand Rapids if necessary. I can't recall ever eating a more delicious meal, possibly ever. (I may be a little stupefied by your luscious chocolate pudding with fabulously dense whip cream and a massive succulent strawberry bigger than my spoon). I have been eating my way through the entire USA one small podunk town at a time, but I can die a happy and slightly fatter woman now that I have rolled through your excellent restaurant. Thank you for speading the love of excellent, creative, wholesome cuisine to all who seek it.

We Love You! Pass it on....


I have been rather lax on adding my food finds to this blog due to general laziness, but I could not WAIT to add Marie Catrib's to the list, lest one more hungry program manager pass through this northerly city without sampling the delights of this exquisite establishment. Marie brings a creative touch to classic american fare, as well as a new take on Lebanese traditional favorites. This place is so much more than soup, salad, sandwiches and Lebanese food. Everything I saw was uber fresh and they try to make the most out of local, organic, and seasonal vegetables as well as choice organic, antibiotic-free meats and "ethically harvested" fish. You can get one awesome fair trade coffee here too, and they are renowned for their brunch.

I stuffed my face and ordered the special, which was a Veggie Pot Pie with soup or salad (I wisely chose the Moroccan Quinoa soup...mmmm). To this excellent line-up, I added a side of hummous with their signature crispy sesame crackers for dipping. And even though I was bursting at the seams and they were closing down the restaurant and I was maybe possibly the only person left, when my charming waitress Shea smiled sweetly and asked, "Dessert?" I was powerless to say no. Oh, Chocolate pudding, I will dream of thee and thy silky smooth texture tonight and hopefully every night.

Everything. Was. AMAZING! I am contemplating returning for lunch tomorrow, but I think I will still have serious leftovers to devour. Maybe for the airport...?

Marie Catrib's is located at 1001 Lake Drive Southeast, Grand Rapids, MI

A Program Developer's Take on Things (pg 2 of 5)

Disclaimer: Former BER program developer, Sandy Anderson, has kindly provided her list of favorite restaurants around the country and the following descriptions are verbatim from her notes with the addition of formatting and hyperlinks by myself. Enjoy!

Sandy's Restaurant Reviews - Updated Version for Fall 2000 (continued)

Cincinnati, OH

You might enjoy Champs in the Hyatt-Saks Square (map). Informal yet tasty. Other options include Sturkeys (map, now an Encore Bistro), Cafe Cin-Cin in the Crowne Plaza (closed) and Boca (map) - all eclectic menus.

Cleveland, OH

Harry Corvairs (closed) serves modern American cuisine. Also, you might try Moxie (map), an American bistro, or Lola (map).

Columbus, OH

I've not tried it, but Rigsbys Kitchen (map) comes highly recommended, so the next time I'm in Columbus I'll have to try it.

Dallas, TX

If you want to splurge, there's The Mansion on Turtle Creek (map) which is wonderful. If you want more reasonably priced and like Mexican, try Uncle Julios (map) near the Galleria.

Denver, CO

Z Brasserie (closed?) is a fun place in the heart of downtown. Situated in a former bank, the restaurant offers up a lively atmosphere with a stellar menu. Selections lean toward a New American bent, but you can find a wide variety of dishes to tempt your palate. The formal restaurant at the Brown Palace Hotel (map) is yet another classic on the Denver restaurant scene. The Beef Wellington is well worth the wait, especially as your server slices it tableside. A very formal atmosphere with first class service.

Detroit, MI

Some recommendations include French Asian at Tribute (map) in Farmington Hills and Duet (map) for French American.

Honolulu, HI

My two favorite places are A Pacific Cafe (map) for seafood and Alan Wong's (map) for the best Ahi I've ever eaten. Another to add to the list is Yanagi Sushi (map).

Indianapolis, IN

If you like Italian, try Benvenuti's (location unknown). I enjoyed it. The California Cafe (closed) also serves an eclectic menu with fresh seafood each day.

Southern Cookin' in Detroit

Yes, once again, I said Detroit.

Embassy Suites Southfield has become a bit of a home away from home for me, and the last time I was here, a participant came back raving about this amazing southern comfort food restaurant, Beans and Cornbread. With Rachel in town for a same city, we went to check it out. It's about a mile from the hotel on Northwestern Hwy, but it's tucked in a strip mall, so watch out for it or you'll miss it. U-turn and come back if you have to, it's a definite MUST EAT.

These truly tasty little morsels are sweet potato muffins. Rachel and I ate as many of these as our waitress would bring us (and she was definitely not stingy!). They also serve piping hot cornbread which is very tasty as well. But they were only the appetizer...

The entree options were mostly fried, but all looked amazing. I ended up with pork chops, "seasoned" (that means fried) and smothered in red eye gravy. Rachel had the roasted chicken, which was moist and amazing (and one of the not fried options!). We each chose 2 sides for our meals (you can also get them with 3 sides, or a vege plate of 3 sides, which I would definitely recommend!). The sides you see are: collard greens (the best I've had in a looooong time), country corn, mac'n'cheese (melt your brain good), and red beans and rice (again, eye-bugging amazing). See the pattern here? We have leftovers for lunch even.

Even if you're not in Southfield, this place is definitely worth going to. It makes everything about being in Detroit so much better!

Good Food in Detroit?

Okay, so I know it's hard to convince yourself to leave your hotel in Detroit. I hardly ever do it, especially when I get into town in time for the Embassy Suites manager's special (carrots and broccoli! free booze!!). However, I was in town with a presenter who wanted a real meal, was vegetarian, and didn't like the look of the mini corn dogs. So we went on an adventure. Turns out, on Orchard Lake Rd, between 12 and 13 mile roads (closer to the 13 mile side), there are a ton of ethnic restaurants. Primarily indian hole-in-the-wall joints, there's also an halal restaurant and the one we ended up at, Thai Peppers. It wasn't exactly knock-your-socks-off good, but it was decent thai food, in Detroit no less. If you're looking for Indian, your prospects look even brighter considering there were about 5 places tucked in the various strip malls.

So there you go, an option for Detroit especially if you're at the Embassy Suites Southfield.

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San Chez Bistro--Tapas in Grand Rapids

Grand Rapids has a wonderful downtown with lots of options, but one of the best I've found is San Chez. They do Tapas and if you find yourself with a non-picky presenter who loves the idea of sharing a great meal, or you happen to have a same city in town, book it over here. It's hard to order for one, and even with two you're going to have to make some tough decisions, but it's incredible and more than worth it. I didn't snap any pictures, which was a shame because presentation is beautiful, but the food was gone as soon as it arrived!

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