The Breakfast Club

The Breakfast Club is humble, sweet & sassy. They take average dishes and turn them into something spectacular.

The breakfast here is your best bet and the most direct route to flavor town, as I learned the hard way this trip. I should of known better than to order a salad here, but I'm glad I did because I know never to do such a thing again!

Their menu includes everything from the ordinary to extraordinary. C'mon, this place has breakfast nachos... its gotta be good, right?


My dish- the crab cobb salad.

Obviously, a stupid choice. I was intent on finding out what they meant by "premium crab", and I was saddened by my discovery.

As I've learned through past Michigan crab adventures, it's damn hard to find GREAT looking crab around here! What do I really expect though, I know I am setting myself up for the 1-2 punch in my grill.



Smart choice #1- Carrot cake pancakes with cream cheese frosting

Decadent & delicious.



smart choice #2- The baked french toast. Their signature dish, the bomb shizzle.




smart choice #3 The wild mushroom omelet- with portobello mushrooms, green onion & cream cheese. Served with a side of tomatoes au' gratin & fruit

As you can clearly see, I really lost this round. Fortunately the Lunch Guru's dining partners were nice enough to allow me to taste.

The Breakfast Club has three scrumptious locations;

3o66o John R, Madison Heights
open 7AM- 2PM Monday-Sunday

38467 W. Ten Mile, Farmington Hills
open 7AM-2:30PM Monday-Sunday

1713 Haggerty, Commerce Township
open 7AM-2:30PM Monday-Sunday

The Red Coat Tavern

The Red Coat Tavern is just one of those places you have to love. Walking through the front doors it takes your eyes about 10 minutes to adjust to the dark, red hued lights. Once you can see your hand in front of your face it makes you feel like you've arrived somewhere special and unique.

Ask anyone, and they will insist the burgers are some of the best in the area. I too agree, they really don't get much better than this!

Each burger is handcrafted to your liking, and the menu contains about a dozen and a half of additional items to add. If you are balling on a budget, be sure to ask how much for each additional item you want, because they do not give the prices on the menu...they be schemin'.


I ordered the classic burger, with sharp American, sauteed mushrooms, bacon, lettuce & burger sauce.

Burger sauce is just mayo with chopped up onions, your mouth will thank you but your make out partner might hate you.


classic burger with gouda, bacon, jalapenos & sauteed mushrooms



Picky eater's burger with provolone & bacon.




The french fries tasted just like McDonald's to me, not sure why.

the onion rings were amazing, the beer batter was on point.

The Littlest Lunch Guru passed up everything for his new found favorite food- PICKLES!



Despite the "Don't feed the animals" sign, we ignored it and fed the Littlest Lunch Guru all he fancied.

Special thanks to Big J, for supporting this endeavor to the fullest :)

The Red Coat Tavern is located @ 31542 Woodward Ave, Royal Oak, MI
Open 11Am-2AM Monday-Saturday

The Big Beaver Tavern

The Big Beaver Tavern in Troy, formally Larco's Italian Chophouse re-opened their doors in 2009 to show off their take on a sports bar meets a fine dining setting.

Known originally for their steaks & homemade pasta sauces, they have now made a name for themselves featuring bulky burgers and pub style fair.The wood grain interior remains the same, but the newest addition are the numerous flat screens in an eye shot from where ever you are seated.

The menu still holds true to their Italian roots, promoting the same beloved sauces & entree items that brought clientele to Larco's for years.

My taste buds yearned for the calamari I used to indulge in on a regular basis, having once worked there many moons ago. My curiosity lead me to order it, in hopes it had not changed.

spicy calamari- flash fried with hot peppers & white wine sauce


I can't say it was as great as I remember, and I was left asking myself if it was the same recipe or if my brain was playing a dirty trick on me. The sauce was not to my liking, I found the dish mediocre at best. The calamari itself was quite chewy, and the appetizer ran into the common problem with flash frying then adding sauce- the fried portion became too soggy. I asked for a side or marinara to add half way through to eat the rest, something I have never done before.



BBT 1/2 pound burger


The four alarm burger- Cajun seasoned patty with jalapeno peppers and pepper jack cheese. Served on an onion roll with habanera sauce and a side of sour cream.



The Black & Bleu burger-A blackened patty smothered with sauteed mushrooms and onions, then topped with bleu cheese. Served on a fresh onion roll with a pickle spear



French Fries


My overall recommendation- go big or go home & order the burgers.

Service is friendly, and my company was the best part of the meal. Special thanks to Big J for treating the fam :)

The Big Beaver Tavern is located @ 645 Big Beaver Rd, Troy MI
open Mon- Saturday 11:30AM-2AM
Sunday 12PM-12AM

Frittata

Get to know Frittata in Clawson, MI



Frittata is best characterized using one word; adorable. This 35 seat restaurant has charm, style and great food to boot. Once the Breakfast Club, Frittata is a one of a kind in the area that you have to try at least twice. Don't let the smell of 10 different types of goat & cow cheeses cooking at the same time make you run for the door, sit down and enjoy some on point breakfast grub.

The décor screams European café, minus the pompous impression. The prices are, well, a bit pricey but if you feel like treating yourself you arrived at the right place.

My homie ordered the eggs benedict, a classic too many have haphazardly screwed up.



Ohhhhhhh man, the hollandaise was $$$ in your mouth. Perfect flavor, perfect everything. The poached egg was flawless, the pancetta underneath was crispy, the muffin was cut a bit off center but WHO cares about that really?

I ordered the special, which was a made to order spinach & asiago frittata- butter crumb crust. Topped with a jalapeno/mint beurre blanc & crab.



OK, so it's not the most attractive piece of work. My initial reaction was, "you call that crab?" Yes I know crab is very expensive, but I figured with a $14 price tag you better deliver on the crustaceans! The beurre blanc should of been thickened a tad bit more, but there is no denying the skill of this chef.

I couldn't believe how wonderfully the mint and jalapeno meshed on this dish, it was really a riot of taste in my mouth.

Frittata is located @ 236 S Main St. in Clawson,MI
they are open Tuesday-Sunday 7:30AM-2PM

BOODLES

Get to know Boodles in Madison Heights MI




Conveniently located off of the 11 mile exit on I-75 is a quaint eatery called Boodles. Opened as a supper club in 1985 by a romantic food loving couple, Boodles continues their tradition of old style meets classic food.

My favorite dish here thus far has been the seafood strudel. I wanted to try something different, and spend under $10 for the meal so I went for the chicken marsala which sounded like the best bang for the buck.





The entrée comes with your choice of either rice, potato or vegetable. I picked vegetables because I love me some roughage, and studies have shown fiber is good for you ::wink wink::.

There is only one thing I hate more than overcooked vegetables- and that is over cooked vegetables. Lucky for me I received neither. Presentation wise, I could of done without the pointless seasoning garnish on the plate, it just seems visually unnecessary.  Taste wise it was a tad bit too sweet for me, but it was great regardless. I give them a solid A for effort, and a high five for their snap, crackle and pop.

The bread is the shiznizzle, and the littlest Lunch Guru thoroughly enjoyed his buttery fill.

Over all, satisfactory visit as expected. Company & service was enjoyed by all...on to the next one!

Boodles is located @ 935 W 11 Mile Rd, Madison Heights, MI
open Mon-Saturday 11AM-11PM and Sunday 4PM-10PM

Pudge's Place

Get to know Pudge's Place, located in Troy MI



Pudge's Place is a diner that has been embedded in my mind since childhood. They pride themselves on the fact that they make just about everything from scratch, and the extra effort really makes an impact. I have probably eaten here over 100 times, and every time I would dine I got the same thing; the stacked ham.

As we all know, ham can be a guilty pleasure...but a delicious guilty pleasure none the less. What makes the ham here so freaking great is they bake it themselves, along with the sourdough rye. When forces are combined, it's 2 instant tickets to flavor town. Now you're probably wondering, how does one arrive at flavor town? That's easy, follow Pig Street and take it all the way to Grilled Drive- your destination will be on the left hand side.

Pudge's isn't the coolest, or the nicest but the food is consistent and the service is friendly.



A stacked ham will run you less than $7.00, and this includes some bonus housemade potato chips.


(stacked ham with swiss)



The littlest Lunch Guru had some mashed potatoes, this is his "oh my frigging lord that is amazing" face. Obviously.

Pudge's Place is located @ 4927 Rochester Road in Troy MI.
Open 7 days a week
8AM-3PM Sunday-Monday
7AM-9PM Tuesday-Saturday
248-689-9305

Valentines Day: Pei Wei

Later on that night I took the easy road to Savor City and arrived at one of my favorite & cheap dining spots; Pei Wei. Owned by P.F Changs China Bistro INC. Pei Wei has always delivered when I needed them most.



My dish; Fried tofu & vegetables in ginger soy sauce, brown rice.




Spicy chicken

Spicy Chicken Salad



The Littlest Lunch Guru wearing his Beatles shirt, munching on some brown rice & broccoli.


Pei Wei's are all over the damn place. They are corporate blah blah blah so I don't have much more to say about them, but I give them my stamp of approval as far as good food is concerned.

visit www.peiwei.com for more details, you lazy bum.

Pronto

Get to know Pronto, in Royal Joke MI



Having never heard of Pronto before, I was going in for a blind taste test- which just so happen to be my favorite kind of taste test. Walking in seemed promising, considering the place was clean, nicely adorned and packed full of customers.

We were sat immediately, which I always love. A trendsetting & charming waitress approached us with ease and made the dining experience that much more enjoyable. The menu is overwhelmingly packed with sandwich options, which means I could go there at least 50 times and order something different each visit. The prices are very reasonable and affordable to say the least.

I opted for the Turkey club on toasted challah, but asked kindly for the salsa mayo instead of the regular mayo because sometimes I like to be a pain in the ass. I figure if I tip AT LEAST 20%, I'm allowed to be somewhat annoying- it's the American way damnit.

My homie asked what he should get between 2 options, and she answered "Get the Cuban!" in 2 seconds flat, clearly such enthusiasm can't be wrong.




The Turkey Club, with salsa mayo



The Cuban

Both sandwiches really couldn't have been better. The bread was soft and luscious (we asked thinking it was made in house, but she said it was from Star Bakery), the chips were standard but they weren't stale (beggars can't be choosers).

All in all, a quality experience was had by both- we will return one day.


And next time, we will have one of these enticing morsels.




Pronto is located @ 608 Washington Street, Royal Oak MI
248-544-7900

The Vinsetta Grill

Get to know The Vinsetta Grill



Walking into The Vinsetta Grill my partner and I were a tad bit excited. Having passed this place many a time and never thought twice to step inside I was anxious to find out if we made a good or bad decision.

The clientele was a bit geriatric, but old people gotta eat too so I can't judge too hard- but usually it is a sign that tasteless food this way comes...



I wanted to feel like an individual so I ordered off the create your own burger paper. Feeling proud of my selection I handed the waitress the paper with glee. My homie asked what was the best and the she pointed her in the direction of the pulled bbq pork, so she took her word for it and ordered it.



The burger arrives, looks pretty good...but looks can be deceiving as I've learned the hard way time and time again.



My homie ordered the onion strings & french fries. The presentation is cliche but come to find out it was the only thing good about what we ordered.



The carrot strings on my burger were turned white from the air- soak them in water, idiot. The spring mix was disgusting (and I'm being nice). I found so many old moldy pieces of lettuce I threw up in my mouth a couple times as I extracted them out. The burger was totally tasteless, but I was starving so I ate it anyways.



The pulled pork tasted like it had been sitting out in an open air market for several days and was left to die. Did you know pork can have a "gamey" taste to it?? NEITHER DID I! The sauce was a bad combination of 8 leftover bottles of your least favorite generic Aldi bought BBQ topping.
And alas, the deal breaker of the meal... the real gem of the afternoon... the roasted garlic aioli.


Not only was it tasteless & rancid, this aioi comes equipped with it's own protective shield, ready to weather the storm of any nuclear holocaust. WTH, I'm supposed to eat this crap!?


and DON'T even get me started on the bun, I couldn't even eat it because it was so stale and nasty. By far the worst meal I have had in a long time.


Thanks Alexis, you're a nice girl and all- but I hate the wares you hustle.

The Vinsetta Grill is located on Woodward, and should be avoided at all costs.



I WISH I HAD 2 MORE HANDS I'D GIVE YOU 4 HANDS DOWN!

The Old Port Inn

Get to know the Old Port

Located on a somewhat busy 14 mile road in Clawson stands the Old Port, which kinda looks like a trailer home with some newspaper stands attached to it. Intrigued by the contents and quality inside said trailer home dinery, the Lunch Guru & her handsome sidekick stumbled in to try the grub in hopes of not catching food poisoning and or a new disease through such a dangerous experiment.

At first glance this place is like any other diner, but with a peculiar pirate flair. The tables are covered in local ads, which clearly displays their lack of effort to impress, BUT it's one of the reasons I like the strange place.

The menu is a tad boring for me, mostly because I have slightly higher standards than the average Jerry but it's more than adequate for the type of folk who frequent the diner scene. Today's specials included corned beef & cabbage, turkey dinner & a patty melt. My PMS was ragin' and I was in the mood for some beef so I carelessly ordered the MOOwich (labeled "pattymelt" on specials board). When asked how the melt was the waitress lit up and exclaimed "the are just wonderful!" She then asked me what type of soup I wanted, so between chicken rice & split pea I opted for the split of peas.

My lovely partner ordered the Reuben, but only because I insisted he order something other than what I wanted. Being the moody beotch I was at the moment he complied willingly without further issue.

Within 2 minutes of ordering the soup arrived at the table.

Well, the soup was most definitely home made. The pea's still had a very slight detectable crunch which would of been solved in a couple hours longer in the pot, but whatevsies. I will note however that someone in the kitchen has some excellent knife skills; the ham squares were chopped perfectly. I took about 8 bites of the soup and let her take away the rest when she brought the sandwich show stopper, but of course before she snatched it up I pocketed the crackers for my son...because I'm cheap like that and she probably would of thrown them away anyways (or at least she should of considering health code requirements).





I stand astounded, the patty melt was absolutely delish. It was not greasy like you would expect, just the right amount of perfectly caramelized onions, cheese was on point & the bread was toasted with just the right measure of butter on the seedless rye. Mmmmmmmmm,GYEA!



My partners Reuben to me looked a bit over-crouted (haha, i make funny)... but the desired level of crout in ones Reuben can only be judged in the eye of the beholder. To him, it was perfect- and that is all that matters.

The Old Port Inn is located @

278 E 14 Mile Rd, Clawson, MI 48017

Old Port Inn is open 6AM to 10PM Monday-Sunday