Category: Food Reviews

Sweetwater Tavern – Detroit, MI

I previously wrote about Sweetwater Tavern in May, but felt that I did not do it justice. The documented visit concluded a long night of cheap drinks at Greektown Casino, which caused the pictures to be blurry and the memory to be cloudy. With Todd in town this past weekend, we both felt it was the obvious choice for dinner before a Tigers game. Sweetwater Tavern has the best wings I have ever eaten in my life. They’re nothing like any wing I have ever tasted. This isn’t some place where you have 857 sauces to choose from. They have one sauce. And it’s incredible. The outside of the wing is blackened, making it crunchy and flavorful. They’re spun in sauce, but they’re not saucy. Little to no sauce will be stuck to your hand afterward, yet you can smell the delicious Cajun style seasoning for hours. The only thing they will tell you is that the wings are delivered daily from Eastern Market and marinated for 24 hours. How they cook the wings is a complete mystery to me. We pestered our waiter during the previous visit and accused him of broiling the wings, but he promised they never touched an oven or boiler.

During previous visits, these wings were the only thing ordered. It just seemed illogical to fill valuable potential stomach space with anything else. This time we brought our appetites, manned up, and ordered something else as well as two orders of wings. Two Reuben sandwiches to be exact. While these were not the biggest sandwiches I’ve ever seen, the flavor more than made up for it. I can honestly say that if this wasn’t the best Reuben I’ve ever had, it’s top three. Todd is commonly referred to as “Mr. Reuben” and he declared this his number two Reuben of all time. Unlike many places that go heavy on the sauerkraut and light on the rest of the fixings, this sandwich is perfectly portioned. Not one ingredient dominates, allowing them all to fuse together into one delicious sandwich. To make it even better, they serve you the dressing on the side to allow for dunking.

If you are ever in Detroit, I beg you to eat at Sweetwater Tavern. It’s right next to Greektown, which is a great area to visit if you are unfamiliar with the area. If you’re like me and get watery eyes during a great meal(Stephanie finds this incredibly weird), you’ll find yourself getting emotional here.

August 24, 2009
Heidelberg – Ann Arbor, MI

Big Todd came in this past weekend, so the only logical thing to do was go to the Heidelberg and drink beer out of glass boots. Heidelberg is a great bar in Ann Arbor with three floors of different atmospheres. The basement, or The Rathskeller, is an old German style bar with darts, old wooden booths, a juke box, and a full service bar. The main floor is a the last standing German restaurant in Ann Arbor with some of the best soups in the area. A few months ago a customer challenged the chef to create a bacon cheeseburger soup and the results were incredible. The restaurant also boasts Slimmer, one my favorite bartenders in the entire world. If you ever see her, request Slimmer Slammer. If she’ll make it for you, you’ll have a rough time getting out of your seat after finishing. The top floor functions as a small club, so you don’t see me there often. The selection of German beers is their calling card, although a full bar is available on all three levels and patrons can freely carry drinks up and down the stairs.

The real reason we come here, besides the great food and beer, are the boots. I believe they have mini-boots now, but the true boot is about 100 oz of beer that you can fill up for $20 with any beer on tap. I once broke one of these things and was responsible for the deposit, which was $50. I don’t recommend toasting the boot with a bottle of beer. That’s a terrible idea.

The basement, early on a Thursday night

Your authors. Not sure why I look so angry.

Boots filled with beer excites Todd

August 19, 2009
Sidetrack Bar & Grill – Ypsilanti, MI

Without question, one of my favorite places in the entire world is Sidetrack Bar & Grill. There has been a bar at this location since the mid- to late-1800s, with early incarnations catering to railroad workers. Frenchies is right next door, and is used as overflow for the Sidetrack crowd or private functions. The Sidetrack has high ceilings, a warm fireplace roaring in the winter months and an outside patio to enjoy in the summer time. Not only does this place have some of the best local beer on tap, the greatest happy hour in the world (half off liquor & $3.00 22 oz drafts 11pm-1am), it also has some of the best food in the area. Pretty much anything you order here is absolutely delicious. While I usually stick with the gorgonzola tenderloin and fried clams on the side or their incredible sweet potato fries, the Sidetrack is known for the world famous burger. When I say that their burger is world famous, I don’t mean it like Tio’s wet burrito. This world famous menu item is actually known outside of Ypsilanti, and is easily one of the best burgers I have ever had.

Sidetrack was listed in GQ Magazine for grilling up one of the best burgers in the nation. Included in the magazine’s listing of “The 20 Hamburgers You Must Eat Before You Die,” and also mentioned on Oprah. Who can argue with Oprah? Sidetrack keeps its to-die-for burger status by using only fresh ground beef that’s delivered daily and by cooking each mouth-watering burger fresh to order. You also get your burger the way you like it with options including 9 types of cheese (including goat cheese), grilled onions, portabella mushroom and grilled onions. My favorite is the goat cheese and grilled onions. Oh, did I mention this burger only runs you $5.50?

If you’re ever in the Ypsilanti/Ann Arbor, The Sidetrack Bar & Grill is a must stop. I’ve never met a single person with a negative thing to say about this place. It will be one of the things I miss most if I have ever had to move out of the area. There’s nothing better than sitting outside on the patio drinking a tall Bell’s Oberon and enjoying a burger in the summer. I’m getting a little emotional here.

August 11, 2009