Friday, June 6, 2008

Tony's Grill and Restaurant

PRETEND THERE IS A PICTURE HERE. I FORGOT TO TAKE A PICTURE!

Tony's Grill & Restaurant: 2660 Washtenaw Ave., Ypsilanti

Tony's Grill is located in the building where the Country Squire Restaurant was (remember them?) across from Putt-Putt (or whatever it's called) on Washtenaw Ave (which we did golf at afterwards to burn some calories). It shares a parking lot with a strange little strip mall (then again, aren't all strip malls strange?) with a Thai place I'll end up eating at, a TCBY, a Hungry Howie's, some Hair Salon that looks closed and whatever else is in there. I do have to ask, though. What makes a grill separate from a restaurant. Is it because there is grilled food? Most restaurants have grills. At least American fare restaurants. Why is it called "Tony's Grill and Restaurant?" Do they want to accentuate the grill part? The world may never know. (Not that it matters; since my visit it has changed names again and is under new management. I am going to be a little annoyed if I have to go again because they've changed the menu.)

A cute little joint; I had eaten at the place when it was the Country Squire a few times. In fact, this is the place that I learned about the balancing of an egg on the Equinox. Christy tells me that this is not true, but I saw it and I'd like to believe in the fantasticalness of only being able to balance an egg upright on the first day of Spring. Plus, I'm too lazy right now to look it up. If any of you do, please only tell me the results if it upholds my fantasy idea of the Spring thing.

My Meal: Gyro & Fries. Diet Coke (damn, diet Coke)

My Cost: $9.88

Atmosphere: Okay, so we are the youngest people in this place (Christy and I) besides the 4-year old eating with her guardian (I'd say father but that would be presumptuous). A biker group comes in as we are eating. That pretty much sums up the atmosphere. It is exactly what you'd expect a restaurant like this to be like. Homey, outdated, 70's - 80's pop playing, little counter by the grill; you get the feeling. I do give it props for being really clean. My usual idea of these places are that they are not clean. Also, gotta say that the booths were really comfortable.

Service: Katey threw down, man. In a restaurant with about 20 customers, she was the only waitress working. She was buzzing like a little bee. Very friendly and may I add efficient (I am a fan of efficiency being in the biz myself). She seemed like a very sweet lady and made me smile every time she came to the table. Katey was not at all stressed out and very nice with all the commotion going on around her.

Taste: Best Gyro that I've had yet during this project. Oh wait, its the only Gyro I've had. Well, no mind. It was good. Great Tzatziki. Not a ton of onions and the gyro meat was not as rich as others I've had. All the food came out at the perfect temperature. I know that sounds silly, but think about it: how many times have you gone to a restaurant and had your fries smoking and your burger cold? It happens a lot. It takes talent to platter things to maintain proper temperatures. The fries were a bit disappointing in texture, but they tasted great. The Diet Coke was okay for Diet Coke.

Value: Not a lot to say about it. The food was what I expected and it cost about what I expected to pay in the midst of these soaring food price problems. The service was great and the food was good. Not a lot of coin shelled out. Sounds good.

Breakdown
Atmosphere 1 2 3 4 5
Service 1 2 3
4 5
Taste 1 2 3
4 5
Value 1 2 3
4 5

OVERALL: 3.75

ELEPHANT COUNT

Unfortunately, I cannot give Tony's more than 1 elephant in the fact that it no longer exists. I would have given it 2, but that would seem pointless as I can't ever go back again. It is true what they say, you can never go back.

Cheers................

Monday, June 2, 2008

Smoke House Blues


Smokehouse Blues: 4855 Washtenaw Ave., Ann Arbor

A Memphis Style BBQ joint located on Washtenaw Ave., in Pittsfield Township; Smokehouse Blues boasts a full service bar, traditional Southern Barbecue, typical American grill fair and a catering business. This is another example of a restaurant that appears to be a chain (not a mom and pop) but isn't. I actually went in and asked before we ate. Deborah and I went after seeing the Dalai Lama speak so we were in a pretty contented, the world is a beautiful serene place sort of mood.

I have to admit, that I was scared. I had been to Smokehouse Blues a few years back with my buddy, Matt and was really disappointed. Deborah was encouraging and I felt calm enough to embark on the adventure. I am so glad I did!

My Meal: Fried Okra Appetizer, Tennessee Two Step Platter w/ Pulled Pork, 1/2 Slab of Memphis-Style (Dry Rub) Ribs, Southern Greens, Mac & Cheese and Corn Bread, with a Diet Coke (I really do prefer Diet Pepsi over Diet Coke, but alas, that was all they had)

My Cost: $31.73
Atmosphere:
Very dark. When you walk in, the first thing you see is a bar with big screens and a ton of liquor bottles (I tend to notice liquor bottles) stacked up behind. A few people were hanging out watching the Pistons and I was a little jealous of them (I love the Pistons). We were seated in the main dining (non-smoking, I think) area. Pretty typical booths. The space was a strange mix of chain bar and grill feel: nondescript, sterile (think chili's or applebee's) and nostalgic blues restaurant. Great posters of jazz musicians on the walls and a beautiful hutch in the corner (i totally want to steal it). The music was awesome; jazz and blues all the way.

Service: Our server, Chris, was awesome. One of those awesome servers that you totally want to hang out with. Personable and laid-back, he was extremely knowledgeable about the food and offered great suggestions. Our food was timely and he was attentive. The only weird part is the strange young woman who took our actual orders (Chris must have been busy with something). The first thing she said is "I like your hair, where'd you get it done?" Now, I'll accept the compliment, but it was a bit off-putting and inappropriate for the moment. Plus, it caught me off guard. I'm not a fan of being caught off guard (are you?). Also, she happened to be in the restroom at the same time as her; awkward. Plus, I said, "you're out of soap." She said, "I'll get someone to replace it right away." She did not. Dirty liar. The next time I went in (I drink a lot of soda), I went into the men's bathroom to wash my hands. Bonus points for the great photographs leading to the charmless, soapless restrooms.

Taste: F**king incredible! I am no longer skeptical. The pulled pork knocked me so far out of my boots that I landed at another table across the room. Tender and smoky with just enough heat to make you feel it and a great hickory flavor. The fried okra was spot on with some lightly spiced breading that wasn't soggy or too thick. The roumalade was great, though I do regret the use of the Cajun ranch dressing. My ribs were cooked beautifully with a great amount of sweet heat. Falling off the bone good. Oh, the greens - not too peppery (I've found that at times) and not greasy (I've eaten greasy greens). Plus man, that mac and cheese is to die for. It actually made me feel like I was getting a hug from my Southern grandma (though my grandmothers were not Southern, nor did they ever make mac and cheese to my recollection). I tried Deborah's BBQ beans and they were scrumptious. The cornbread was my only disappointment, but I used it to soak up all that yummy BBQ sauce from the pulled pork and everything was all right.

Value: I got exactly what I paid for and then some. Awesome portions (not heaping, but big enough), great flavor and great service. I only wish I would have had soap in the bathroom. I'm going to forgive this a bit, just because the food was so good. I mean, this was good.

Breakdown
Atmosphere 1 2 3 4 5
Service 1 2 3
4 5
Taste 1 2 3 4
5
Value 1 2 3 4
5

OVERALL: 4.25

ELEPHANT COUNT

Bloody fantastic, chaps! I highly recommend Smokehouse Blues. And I can say that I don't believe it was because of the Dalai Lama. This is a good restaurant. Plain and simple. Soul Food at it's best here in Washtenaw County.


Happy Eating......at Smokehouse Blues