The Raven - "Nevermore"; But not really. Again. Again I say.

This month we chose a local eatery in Port Huron. A little cafe called The Raven. Downtown Port Huron has a surprising amount of neat cafes and pubs. We could eat for just a year in Port Huron at local restaurants.

We all agreed that we enjoyed visiting a local place rather than a chain. Not that the chains aren't fun and good food, but we think the local individual places will be more interesting over all.

Place: The Raven

Location: Military Street, Port Huron, MI

The Awesome Raven!

This month it was a toss up between The Quay and The Raven. Only Susie had been to The Raven before and that was years ago, and the online reviews for the cafe seemed really good. So it was decided. 

When we got there it was super busy. We couldn't find a seat inside. But that was okay, because they had patio seating out front. So, while we didn't get to enjoy the interior decor, we did get to enjoy a beautiful day outside in downtown Port Huron and no one gave us guff because we were loud. Like we usually are. The smokers only had to step outside the enclosed eating area to smoke and we were all still in talking distance of each other. 

And, Bonus!, older biker dudes blasting Michele Branch was great. We got to sing along as he was stopped at the light. Fun!

Highlights

Hummus

Patio Seating - We really loved the outside seating. It was a gorgeous day. The exhaust from passing vehicles was barely noticeable, and as a bonus we got to people watch. We like doing that. The table was a little small, but we did have five adults, so that was expected. 

Heaven on a plate

Hummus - I've never really had hummus before. Mom ordered the one with the red pepper. It was so good. Especially with pita bread. We even dipped our sandwiches in it later. We also tried mixing the spinach dip that we ordered with the humus. It was a great success.

Dessert - "Could we, for once, have a light lunch so we could order dessert?" - Jeri. So we ordered a desert to share. It was the Deluxe Jumbo Lemon Layered Shortcake. And it was a little bit of heaven. The lemon was perfect and the cake was so soft and fluffy. It was 6 bucks and it was the perfect size to share between the five of us.

The Ratings: On a Scale From 1 to 5

Paragrab Roast Beef Melt

Waitstaff

Mom - 4; She was very friendly. Service was a little slow, but it was incredibly busy inside, so we assumed that was the reason.

Jeri - 4

Terra - 5; Angela (our waitress) really impressed us with her listening skills. When we first got there, Jeri hadn't arrived yet. We must've said her name at the table, indicating that she would be there soon. Because when Jeri came in the back of the restaurant and Angela saw her she asked "Are you Jeri?" and then told Jeri where to find us. So, awesome awareness skills.

Susie - 5; She was friendly and very comfy with us. She wasn't shy or timid at all.

Marti - 4. She was very nice.

Black Cat BLT Deluxe

Food Quality

Mom - Santa Fe Ranchero Deluxe; 5; It was spicy, but not too much. Nice size as well.

Jeri - Paragrab Roast Beef Mushroom Melt; 5; It was as delicious as it sounds.

Terra - Black Cat BLT Deluxe; 5; It was a good lunch time sandwich. Really good toast and nice crispy bacon. The potato salad side was pretty tasty as well.

Susie - Plutonian Shore French Dip; 5; So delicious. The Au Jous went with everything on the table and the cripsy cheese on the edges was the ultimate plus.

Marti - Blackwood Fajita Quesadilla; 5; "I'm happy I got the quesadilla this time." - Marti. It was super good. Even dipped in the hummus.

Santa Fe Ranchero Deluxe

Food Value

All of our lunches were $7.99. And we all agreed they were worth the price we paid.

Drinks (Out of 10)

We all got coffee shakes this week and they were delicious. We do recommend that you get a small if you plan to have lunch because they are very filling. The mediums were $4.29

Mom - Raspberry Mocha; 4
Jeri - Coconut; 4

Terra - Irish Cream; 5

Susie; Chocolate Peanut Butter; 5

Marti; Caramel Mocha; 5

Fajita Quesadilla

Overall

Mom - 5; We loved eating outside. It was a wonderful day for it.

Jeri - 5

Terra - 5; I would love to go back and be able to eat inside. It seemed so cozy. And the food was definitely worth a repeat.

Susie - 5; The decor outside was pretty awesome. I loved the raven.

Marti - 5; I liked the place and loved the dessert!

French Dip

It was a wonderful experience and it's really inspired us to try more local establishments. We had fun and left in a joyful mood. Lunch was a success.

I've actually been having dreams about the french dip and the mushroom melt. That's got to be a good sign? Right? Until next time!

Terra

Cheeseburger in Paradise is not a Lie. It's Truth.

The Birthday Girl!

We waited until the end of the month because it was Marti's birthday on the 20th of May. Happy Birthday Marti! And we wanted to go out on her birthday. We like going out on our birthdays. It makes us feel special. We like special too. This month we also have 2 special guests. Mom's youngest sister, Kathy, and her youngest daughter, Vicky. I'm going to take this moment to thank them for spending the afternoon with us. Thanks Aunt Kathy and Vicky!

I'm also going to take this moment to apologize to my brother-in-law Mike. The first official lunch we had, at Red Robin, I offended him. I spoke without thinking in a sarcastic manner and I hurt his feelings. I cringe when I look back on it. I wish now that I had taken down his thoughts on the lunch because it would've been interesting to have not only a male point of view, but I believe he had a ghost pepper burger and that was something none of us had. I am sorry Mike.

Restaurant: Cheeseburger in Paradise

Location: Hall Road, Sterling Heights, MI

Electric Lizard

Since it was Marti's birthday this month, she got to decide where we went. She had been extolling the wonderment of Cheeseburger In Paradise for awhile and we were quite excited to go.

Walking in gave you a pretty good idea of how great lunch was gonna be. We are big on atmosphere. To us, it's almost as important as the food. Some places are so dark you need a flashlight in the middle of the day to read the menu. And some places are so bright you could wear sunglasses inside. Cheeseburger in Paradise found a happy medium. Though, they could've turned the air on. Just sayin'.

Highlights

Our apps!

The Staff - Yes. The staff are a highlight. From our waitress to ,what we assume, is the manager. Everyone was amazingly helpful, kind, and generally awesome sauce. Our waitress was Jocelyn and she was super nice. Some of our drinks didn't come with sunglasses on the fruit, but she put them on anyway. She listened to what we wanted, didn't ASSUME (I'm looking at you Garfield's waitress) on her tip, and smiled the entire time. Even though I'm sure we were somewhat obnoxious.

Garnish!

Garnishes - We do like our fruity fun drinks with lunch. And this was the best so far. It even beats bd's Mongolian BBQ. Which we didn't think was possible. Not only were their amazing garnishes, WITH SUNGLASSES!("I ate the sunglasses!" - Mom), but the drinks themselves were pretty and tasty. They looked like their pictures in the menu and tasted amazing. We considered coming back once a week till we had tried all the drinks. Who am I kidding. We're still considering it.

Appetizers - We had the Onion Six Strings and Frickles. I've never had fried pickles that were so tasty before. And they both came with this amazing dipping sauce. Between the seven of us, we demolished them pretty fast. They were deep fried, but not greasy. Nice and light. With so much flavor.

The Ratings: On a Scale From 1 to 5

Bacon Cheeseburger

Waitstaff

We all gave Jocelyn a 5. And since it was Marti's birthday, she gets to double her score to a 10. Which she did. We were very impressed with the service. A couple of us have been waitresses or are currently waitresses. We know what it's like to have to smile all day. To act happy when you have angry, rude, obnoxious, and downright mean people to wait on. We know the effort it takes to keep that smile on your face and make each table feel important and well taken care of. Jocelyn excelled at this.

Food Quality

Mango Chicken Wrap

Mom - All American Burger w/Fries; 5; It was really good. I had the leftovers 3 days later, and it was still awesome.

Jeri - Chicken Quesadilla; 5; delicious. No complaints. There was some great black beans and salsa with it.

Terra - Bacon Cheeseburger w/Fries; 5; So good. I have never had a burger from a restaurant that was so good before. The burger was so big that I had at least half left over to take home. And it warmed up real nice the next day for lunch. It's rare for a hamburger to taste good the next day.

Susie - Bacon Cheeseburger w/Fries; 5; Absolutely Delicious. I would definitely come again for MY birthday!

Tex Mex Burger

Marti - Tex Mex Burger w/Fries; 10; Frickin' Fantastic.

Aunt Kathy - Mango Chicken Wrap; 5; I love eating at Cheeseburger in Paradise!

Vicky - Tex Mex Burger w/Fries; 4; Fantistco! I made my own Tamayonnaise. Everyone eats Tamayonnaise! (Tamayonnaise - n.; Ketchup and Mayonnaise combined to make a delicious fry dipping sauce)

Chicken Quesadilla

Food Value

Mom - $8.95; Totally worth it.

Jeri - $9.75; Worth it.

Terra - $9.95; Totally worth it.

Susie - $9.95; Worth it.

Marti - $10.50; Worth it.

Aunt Kathy - $8.95; Worth it

Vicky - $10.50; Worth it.

Drinks (Out of 10)

Our First Round!

All of our drinks got a 10 out of 10. A 20 for Marti. Everything was so tasty. We sampled the Electric Lizard ($6.99), Mai Tai ($6.99), Goombay Smash ($6.99), Classic Margarita ($6.29), Mt. Gay Mango Pina Colada ($7.19), Signature Pina Colada ($7.19), Lady of the Sea ($6.79) and Frozen Sangria ($6.79).

They were the best, most fantastical drinks ever. Ever. The garnish was super awesome, the prices were just right, and! Bonus! Take home prizes! Mini sunglasses!

Overall

The Girls!

Mom - 5; Would visit again. And again. And again.

Jeri - 5; I'm coming tomorrow for a liquid lunch.

Terra - 5; I thoroughly enjoyed myself. The whole experience was pretty damn awesome.

Susie - 5; Awesome staff experience.

Marti - 10; I liked my drinks!

Aunt Kathy - 5

Vicky - 5

We had an amazing time. Everything seemed so easy. Like a lunch should be. Well, except maybe for finding the bathrooms ("That's the kitchen. Not the bathroom." - Jeri). But that was funny, so we'll let it slide.

Everything from the decor to the staff made for an inviting establishment and a great lunch. Cheeseburger in Paradise actually beats bd's Mongolian BBQ. Which we thought was impossible. They've now set the bar super high for any other lunch.

Terra

Garfield's - Mondays Suck. Except it wasn't a Monday.

Turkey Avocado Club

This took an extra long time to get out. Sorry about that. But personal life intruded. This month we decidedon the pub restaurant Garfield's in the Birchwood Mall. We've each been there once before, but never together. And we had a weird feeling there was a reason we hadn't been back. We weren't mistaken.

I'm gonna say right off the bat. The food saved the experience. This was an AMAZING lunch, food-wise. If we could've we would've complimented the chef and fired everyone else. Including the bartender. But we'll get to that.

Restaurant: Garfield's
Location: Birchwood Mall, Pine Grove Ave, Fort Gratiot, MI

We had no Susie this time around . She spent Spring Break in Ohio with her sons. The slacker. So it was just Mom, Jeri, Marti, and me. Or is that "I"? Whatever. Everyone, except for Susie. This is the month I forget what things are called , "I need a...what's it called? Oh yeah! A box." and Dora the Explorer is revisited. Even reading Midori on a menu cause's us to go into this bit. It's becoming a thing. Mom asked, "What's Midori?" and we said, "Remember? Dora the Explorer?" And she got it right away.

Garfield's was chosen because, Hey!, shopping when we're done! And I needed to get my nails did. And there's always a nail salon or two in the mall. And we were pretty sure they had the prerequisite alcoholic drinks.

Highlights

Drawing on the Table!

Chicken Quesadilla Heaven - They had chicken quesadilla everything. "Aw Hell!!" - Marti. Even a salad. Which one of us ordered. Chicken quesadilla's are never a bad thing. We could all use more in our lives.

Cranberry Walnut Salad

Crayons! - Garfield's is one of those places that has crayons at the table and you can draw on the tablecloth. We love that. I helps with SUPER long wait. Just sayin'.


Candied Walnuts - The candied walnuts on the Cranberry Walnut Salad are amazing. "I could eat just a giant plate of this!" - Mom. Jeri agreed. I guess the salad was pretty amazing. Marti and I didn't partake. I'm not a fan of feta cheese, which was on the salad. Marti and I like basic house salads. Jeri and Mom like those weird salads.

The Ratings: On a Scale From 1 to 5

Waitstaff
We all gave our waitress, Mel, a 1. Don't worry. We still tipped. We understand that maybe some days are

French Onion Soup

off days. But an effort should still be made to make the customers experience a good one.

We remembered why we hadn't been back. The service had been awful. And it hadn't changed. She didn't listen to us at all. I ordered a baked potato and the others had a salad or soup. I asked for it to be brought out with the starters. She brought out Loaded Baked Potato Soup instead. When I said that's not what I ordered, she said she take it back and fix the order. So I waited. And waited. And waited some more. When we finally got a chance to ask where my potato was she said that it was gonna come out with our lunches. Which is not what we asked or expected.

When our food did finally arrive, Marti and I had to ask for the fries that came with our lunch. She thought we didn't want them.

We rarely saw her. And it's not like it was busy. There were maybe five other tables in the whole restaurant. When we asked for the check and paid, she never brought the change or receipt back. After we finally tracked her down, again, she said she had assumed that the change was her tip. Which just seemed rude. Don't you usually give the customer a chance to decided their own tip on small parties? Who just assumes the change is your tip?

Food Quality

Chicken Quesadilla Salad

Mom - Half Turkey Cheddar Melt w/fries and Cranberry Walnut Salad; 5; Best. Salad. Ever. The candied walnuts were to die for. The sandwich was delicious and they had amazing fries.
Jeri - Chicken Quesadilla Salad and French Onion Soup; 5; Fresh homemade guacamole and tortilla strips on the salad. I stepped out the box by ordering a salad this month and I wasn't disappointed. I actually took a salad home. It was delicious.
Terra - BLT Sandwich w/fries and Baked Potato; 5; Amazing everything. The bacon was crispy and perfect. The toast was just right and the fries were awesome. I've never had a BLT that was so wonderful in my life. The potato was loaded with sour cream, bacon, cheese, and green onions and it was fantastic.
Marti - Turkey Avocado Club Sandwich w/fries and French Onion Soup; 5; Freaking delicious soup. Perfect bacon and bread. The avocado was a good addition. And it was all nice and melt-y.

BLT with Baked Potato

Food Value
Mom - $6.99; Way worth it. Perfect lunch price.
Jeri - $11.68; Worth it.
Terra - $7.49; Totally worth it.
Marti - $11.48; Worth it. Plus there were leftovers.

Drinks (Out of 10)
Mom - Chocolate Martini; $6.00; 5; It was kinda tiny. It looked nothing like the picture.
Jeri - Jamaican Me Crazy; $6.50; 5; There was no fancy glass or garnish like on the menu. It was plain
Terra - Pineapple Spritzer; $6.50; 2; I sent it back cause it was so nasty. My second drink was a Jamaican Me Crazy; $6.50; 9; There was no garnish. So it lost a point
Marti - Jamaican Me Crazy; $6.50; 9; There was no garnish. Presentation is important too.

We were not impressed with the bar overall. The drinks were plain and they took FOREVVVERRRR to arrive.We didn't even take pictures of our drinks our ourselves with our drinks. We were too disappointed in their appearances.

Turkey Cheddar Melt

Overall
Mom - 3
Jeri - 4; The waitress didn't take all the fun out of it.
Terra - 3
Marti - 3

We might go back. If we forget again that the service is horrible. If you only have an hour for lunch, avoid Garfield's. Between the wait time for the drinks and the food, it took longer than expected. The food truly did save the entire experience. It's the saving grace. If you have more than an hour and can brave through bad table service, go for it. You'll enjoy the food.

Terra

Chili's - Make Me Happy!

It's my birthday!!

Last month, after we had drinks at Chili's, we decided to come back this month for our lunch. And it also happened to be my birthday! We had a great time until the end, but that's not Chili's fault. Other people can sometimes just be so rude. But more on that later.

Restaurant: Chili's

Location: 26 Mile Rd, Shelby Twp, MI

It is my 31st birthday! I was very excited to go out with the girls. Not only because I would get to spend time with family, but because I knew there would probably be cake. CAKE! We had been seeing the recent television commercials advertising Chili's a lot. We were all anticipating lunch because of the commercials. And we were not disappointed at all in the food.

Mom, Jeri, and I arrived first. We ordered our appetizers and drinks while we waited for Susie and Martha. I wish for once we could be on time! It's NOT ME! It's HER!" - Marti. "I gotta do my hair and make-up." - Susie. This is actually a quite common conversation. And it's so funny. Heehee!

Highlights

Our Empty Cake Plate

Free Tasty Cake! - Since it was my birthday we of course had to get some cake. We chose the Chocolate Molten Cake and it was delicious! They brought it out with all the servers and sang to me. "I would lick this plate if there weren't spoons." - Jeri. That's how good the cake was. Also, Bonus, it was FREE!

Appetizers - The appetizers were the best we've ever had. We chose Bottomless

Onion & Jalapeno Stack

Chips & Salsa and the Onion & Jalapeno Stack. Do you see that to the right? Doesn't that look fabulous. We were practically fighting over it. I would go back JUST for that appetizer. It's deep fried onion strings and jalapenos with ranch dipping sauce. So good. And the chips for the chips and salsa were amazing. They were warm and crisp and fresh and just a little bit salty. And they were bottomless. You know how much we love bottomless! And they were only $3.29 for the chips and salsa and $3.79 for the Onion & Jalapeno Stack. So affordable.

My Balloons!

Rude Other Customers - No this isn't a highlight. It's a warning. Susie and Martha brought me fabulous balloons. Aren't they pretty? So we're sitting there eating our delicious free cake and this lady brings a screaming toddler near our table and he quiets when he see's my balloons. So she comes over and has him TOUCH my balloons. And she's going on about the balloons and I say that I'd give him one, but there all tied together, and she says, "Oh sorry Timmy (not his real name) you can't have one." So my Mom hands me a knife and says here. So I cut him off one of my balloons and they leave fast. Now at the time, I was okay with it. I didn't mind giving one of my balloons to a little kid. But as they are leaving we look over there and they have not only my balloon, but a Chili's balloon. They already HAD a balloon and they came over to me and conned me out of one. How rude. Who does that? Who takes a toddler over to strangers to guilt them out of a balloon? I would NEVER in a million years do that. My kid would've been taken out of the restaurant and gotten NO balloons. So beware rude people and don't give up your birthday balloons!

The Ratings : On a Scale From 1 to 5

Waitstaff

Mom - 4; I think she could've checked on us more. There was almost no one in for lunch and she didn't come around very often.

Jeri - 4; We sat for awhile before we were served and there was almost no one else in there.

Terra - 5; She offered to take our picture, she was friendly and smiling. When there was an issue with Marti's drink, she offered to fix it with a smile on her face. Our orders were all correct.

Susie - 5; She was outgoing and friendly.

Marti - 4 1/2; She called Mom "Grandma", but she was still very friendly.

Food Quality

Mom - Sante Fe Chicken Salad; 5. It was very good and so big that I had some left over for dinner later that night.

Jeri - Chicken & Bacon Quesadilla; 5. The best quesadilla I've ever had.

Santa Fe Chicken Salad

Terra - Chicken & Guacamole Sandwich; 5 You could chose half a sandwich or a whole and I chose half because it came with fries. We all agreed that they were the best fries ever.

Susie - Beef Fajitas; 4. There could've been more cheese for the fajitas, but the components were brought out at the same time and the meat was sizzling. The taste was pretty amazing.

Marti - Chicken & Guacamole Sandwich; 5. I love guacamole and the fries were pretty spectacular.

Food Value

Beef Fajitas

Mom - $9.39; Definitely worth it. There was so much that I had plenty for leftovers.

Jeri - $7.00; Worth it. That's a great price for lunch.

Terra - $8.00; So worth it. I was full and had some french fries left over. It was a perfect lunch price.

Susie - $14.00; Not really worth it. We figured the high price was because of the beef, but there wasn't
enough to really warrant that price.

Marti -$8.00; Worth it.

Drinks

Mom - Presidente Margarita; $7.49; 8; Hand-shaken Sauza® Conmemorativo® Tequila, Patrón Citrónge orange

liqueur and Presidente® Brandy.; I expected more drink and less ice. But it was tasty.

Jeri -Strawberry Daiquiri; $5.99; 2; It was way to thick and I couldn't even taste any alcohol.

Terra - Long Island Iced Tea; $7.20; 6; BACARDI® Superior Rum, Tanqueray® Gin, Smirnoff® Vodka and Patrón Citrónge Premium Orange Liqueur.; I've had way better.

Yummy!

Susie - Presidente Margarita; $7.49; 7; Hand-shaken Sauza® Conmemorativo® Tequila, Patrón Citrónge orange

liqueur and Presidente® Brandy.; There was a hair on the shaker, but other than that it was tasty.

Marti - Sex on the Beach; $7.20; 6; I had to have juice added cause the liquor was so strong. After they added the juice it went from a 4 to a 6. It was also way smaller than the one we had last time.

Overall the drinks were disappointing when compared from last month.

Chicken & Guacamole Sandwich

Bathroom

Out of the four of us that used the bathroom the ratings were between 4 and 5. "It was clean" was all I got out of them. And one complaint of a bad smell, but it's a bathroom. We may cut this and only let you know if the bathroom was really atrocious.

Overall

Mom - 5

Jeri - 5

Terra - 5

Susie - 4

Marti - 4 1/2

Bacon Chicken Quesadilla

We had fun. They sang happy birthday to me, gave me free cake, and fed us great food. The drinks could've been better, but that could've just been a different bartender than last time. If you'd like a nice quick lunch that won't break the bank, Chili's is a great choice. I think they're actually underrated as a lunch choice.

Terra

Panera Bread + Chili's = Happy Hour Success!

This month the vote went to Panera Bread. But since they don't have "happy hour drinks", we went to the Chili's next door for our drink. It worked well. So this month we have separate reviews for lunch and for drinks.

French Onion Soup

Restaurant: Panera Bread

Location: 26 Mile Rd, Shelby Twp, MI

Panera Bread is, at heart, a soup and sandwich cafe. They have great bread. I've never had a bad bread at Panera. The paninis and sandwiches are made well and the soups are delicious. I know from previous experience that they do a wonderful salad as well.

We did decide that we prefer restaurants with table service. Not that we didn't have a good experience with Panera, we have just become used to and enjoy the table service more. Though we all did agree that Panera could do with busing staff at least. We really didn't like having to clear our own dishes. Maybe we're just spoiled from the sit down places we've been to so far. 

The only other drawback is that Panera has made it so comfy inside. Combined with the free wifi, many students and business professionals come for lunch and stay a long time. With their laptops. And take up at least one full table per person sometimes two. We were hard pressed to find a table for all five of us and in the end we had to steal a chair from a table and add it to our booth. Panera is definitely not a "Large Party" type eatery.

Highlights

Surprise Whipped Cream! - Jeri ordered a Cafe Mocha and when she opened the lid there was whipped cream and chocolate drizzled on the top! Surprise chocolate is always good in our books. The Cafe Mocha itself was pretty tasty. and only $3.80, which is pretty reasonable 

Spicy Mustard - Mustard again. I hate mustard myself. But Susie and Jeri love the stuff. And Panera has some good brown spicy mustard that they really enjoyed. I'm not sure what it is with those two and their mustard, but I blame it on that greasy spoon diner in Dayton, Ohio we went to back in the late eighties. Cheeseburgers and Waffles. I'm just sayin'. 

Atmosphere - The general atmosphere of Panera Bread is really good. They have comfortable seats (when you can find one), free wifi, and nice background music. It's a pleasant place to spend your lunch hour or meet with the girls.

The Ratings: On a Scale From 1 to 5

Waitstaff

There wasn't really waitstaff in the traditional sense of the word. Really, we just had the cashier. But we, being us, decided to rate and JUDGE! her anyway. Go figure. 

Mom - 4

Jeri - 5; "She tried, like, a hundred different phone numbers for my Panera card"

Terra - 4; She was kind of annoying and kept pushing the baked items, even though we repeatedly said no. I know they have to up-sell items, but after the third "no", give it a rest. 

Susie - 4

Marti - 4; She had a nasally voice.

Food Quality

Broccoli Cheddar Soup and Frontega Chicken Panini

Mom - Alfredo Tortellini and Roasted Turkey & Avocado BLT; 4; The sandwich was bland, which is surprising considering the type of sandwich it was.

Jeri - French Onion Soup and Chipolte Chicken Panini on the Demi Asiago bread; 5; The soup was delish!

Terra - Broccoli Cheddar Soup and Frontega Chicken Panini; 5; The best broccoli cheddar soup I've ever had. Not to mention the bread they give you to dip in your soup. I love it.

Susie - Broccoli Cheddar Soup and Sierra Turkey sandwich; 5; Love, love, love the bread that comes with the soup!

Marti - Broccoli Cheddar Soup and Sierra Turkey sandwich; 5; The soup is the best and the sandwich was really tasty!

Food Value

Jeri's Choice

Mom - $10.04; No, it wasn't really worth it. The tortellini portion was smaller than I expected.

Jeri - $7.79 for the food; No. The sandwich was quite small.

Terra - $7.79 for the food; Yes. The panini was very nice size and the soup portion was almost too much for me to eat in one sitting.

Susie - $6.79 for the food; Yes. The portions were quite large.

Marti - $6.79 for the food; Yes. It was well worth what was paid.

Bathroom

What bathroom? Seriously though. It was hard to find. It was okay as far as bathrooms go. Mostly clean. We liked the shelf that they had to set your purse on by the sink. I really hate when I'm forced to put my purse on the floor in a bathroom. There was some paper trash on the floor and the paper towel dispenser was malfunctioning. It got an average of 3 1/2 out of 5 from those of us that used the restroom.

Susie and Marti's choice

Overall

Mom - 4; I prefer table service and I hated busing my own table. But the food was tasty for the most part.

Jeri - 4; It was pretty good, but my sandwich was small.

Terra - 4; I too prefer table service. But the quality of the food was there.

Susie - 4; The background music was nice and the food tasty. I don't like having to buss my own table.

Marti - 4; The table was kinda small and the bread was the best.

Bar: Chili's
Location: 26 Mile Rd, Shelby Twp, MI

 After lunch we decided we needed to get our "happy" part of the happy hour. So we went next door to Chili's ("Wait. Where are we? Chipolte's?" - Terra).

We told the host that we were there to "Get Happy!", so he sat us right at the bar. Jeri did NOT want a frickin' Martini. But that's what she got.

Drinks
Mom - El Nino; 10; Herradura Reposado Tequila (100% Blue Agave), GranGala, Patrón Citrónge orange liqueur and fresh orange juice.; It was HUGE!
Jeri - Tropical Sunrise; 2; Hornitos Reposado Tequila (100% Blue Agave), DeKuyper melon liqueur, pineapple juice & a splash of grenadine.; It was too tequila-y tasting
Terra - Tropical Sunrise; 10; It was so pretty and tasty. The way the liquids were put in the glass made a rainbow!
Susie - Tropical Sunrise; 10; "It's a rainbow!"
Marti - Sex on the Beach; 9; It was okay, but I was jealous of the other drinks when they came.

The drinks averaged $8.00 and were mostly worth it. We enjoyed ourselves so much that we decided that next month's lunch will be at Chili's!


Terra

 

Tropical Sunrise

El Nino

Sex on the Beach

In the Garden of Good and Olives

This month our restaurant of choice was Olive Garden. And I'm gonna tell you right off the bat, Olive Garden can do almost no wrong. We LOOOOOOVVVEEE Olive Garden.

Restaurant: Olive Garden

Location: Pine Grove Ave., Port Huron, MI

Everyone knows Olive Garden. They have pasta, soup, salad, and breadsticks. Sometimes a combination of the four and sometimes, never ending. I love the phrase "never ending" when applied to items on a menu! It makes you happy just to say it. Come on. Say it. "Never Ending Breadsticks." Mmmmm....

Susie and Marti were a little late, so Jeri, Mom and I started with an appetizer and some drinks while we waited. Our waitress was named Christine, and she was pretty nice. At first I was a little worried because she hadn't checked on us in awhile, but Mom said that she kept poking her head around to see if the others had arrived and to look at our drinks. So that made me feel better.

When Susie and Marti showed up, Jeri and I were two drinks in. They were really good drinks too. Christine came right away and took the remaining drink orders. Once they were dropped off, we ordered. 

Whenever I go to Olive Garden, I try to get something I've not had before. I don't think I've ever been disappointed. With Olive Garden you have almost always have the option of something new. Which can be kinda annoying when you like something, yet every time you go in there, it's a new menu.

Highlights

2 free sample glasses of wine per person - I don't like wine. But the others do and they all had a free sample glass. Mom liked hers so much that she bought a quartino ("It looks like a carafe. Jeeze Mom, a whole carafe of wine!" - Me, "Why do you have a corral?" - Jeri, "They should've given you a straw with your corral Mom" - Jeri [We all decided that the quartino looked like a vase or fancy salad dressing holder, and then we couldn't manage to call it the right thing at all. ])

Alfredo Dipping Sauce - You can get this amazing dipping sauce for your bread sticks. It's $3.25 and tastes divine ("I think dog poop would be good with the Alfredo sauce." - Jeri). Marti called dibs on the leftover sauce and took it home. Lucky Duck. And Jeri kept "forgetting" to put the serving spoon back. I think it was part of her evil plan to NOT SHARE the sauce.

Bathrooms - Yep, the bathrooms are a highlight. We all really liked that the music was loud enough that it could drown out whatever noise you were making in the stall ("I love that no one can hear me pee!" - Marti). There were sani-wipes in the handicap/diaper changing stall, and TONS of toilet paper in each stall. There was no running out of TP at Olive Garden.

The Ratings: On a Scale of 1 to 5

Waitstaff
We all agreed that the waitstaff gets a 5 out of 5. Christine was our waitress and the two people she had to help bring out our food were fast, courteous, and funny. We liked them. Never once did we feel like we were imposing. All of our food was brought out hot and together and in a timely manner.

Food Quality
Mom - Venetian Apricot Chicken; 5. The apricot sauce is divine. The Hot Artichoke Spinach Dip was really tasty too.
Jeri -  Stuffed Chicken di Mare; 5. The stuffed chicken was stuffed so much that I couldn't eat it all (which is a good thing. Leftovers!). The tomatoes in the dip made a nice contrast to the artichoke and spinach. The Alfredo Fettuccine that came with the chicken was good. The Zuppa Toscana was more potato-y than I like.
Terra -  Parmesan Crusted Bistecca; 4. The mashed potatoes that came with the steak were really good. The steak itself was nice and tender and the Parmesan crust on top was delicious. However, the asparagus was disappointing. I didn't like the balsamic vinaigrette topping on it all. It ruined the asparagus and I didn't even take it home with me.
Susie - Chicken Parmigiana; 5. It was a LOT of pasta and the chicken was tender and juicy.
Marti - Parmesan Crusted Bistecca; 4 1/2. I had the same issue with the asparagus as Terra. I didn't even bother to take it home. The garlic mashed potatoes were tasty and the steak was tender. I loved the bread sticks and Alfredo dipping sauce.

Drinks (We decided that Drinks need their own category too. Keep in mind these should be out of 5 too.)
Mom - Chocolate Almond Amore - 10; $7.25. Bailey's Irish Cream, DiSaronno Amaretto, Kahlua, and vanilla ice cream. It was superb. The best alcoholic shake I've ever had! Signature Bianco - 5; $7.65. After the sample glass, I had to have some more.
Jeri - Peach Bellini - 10; $6.50. Martini & Rossi Asti and fresh fruit, frozen and blended. This was so good I had two. You could really taste the peach, but it wasn't over powering.
Terra - Venetian Sunset - 10; $6.25. Martini & Rossi Asti with pineapple and cherry juices. It was amazing. I could drink these all day. Moscato Apricot Cocktail - 10; $6.35. Sparkling Moscato wine and Aperol Italian liqueur, mixed with flavors of orange peel essence and ginger ale. I wanted something different for my second drink and this cocktail was splendid.
Susie - Strawberry Fresco Cocktail - 10; $6.95. Smirnoff Citrus Vodka, fresh strawberries and lemonade. The strawberries were a little bland, but once you dunked them in the drink, they improved!
Marti - Roscato Berry Cocktail - 10; $6.25. Fruity red Roscato wine mixed with strawberry, lime and a hint of mint. It was very pleasant. The others thought it was a little sweet.

Food Value

Hot Artichoke Spinach Dip

Mom - $10.50 for her main dish. I don't know how much it cost, and I don't care. It was worth it.
Jeri - $15 for her main dish we think. Plus she got a side of Alfredo Fettuccine and a salad. It was worth what was paid.
Terra - $16.95 for the meal. It was not worth almost $17. It did come with your choice of soup or salad, but it still wasn't worth $17.
Susie -  $14.25 for the meal. It was worth it. There was a lot of pasta and a big piece of chicken.
Marti - $16.95 for the meal. It wasn't worth it. The asparagus was icky. The quality was there, just not $17 worth.

Our Artichoke dip was $7.95 and was pretty large. It came with little pieces of bread for dipping. The Alfredo dipping sauce was $3.25 and the bread sticks were free. The appetizers were worth what we paid.

Bathroom
We all agree that the bathroom was a 4 1/2. The decor was really nice, plenty of tp, nice loud music. The only drawbacks were that there was a soap puddle by the sinks and there were some small puddles of water in the depressions of the floor near the stalls. This could just be because they just mopped and water gathered in the low spots. Or it could be something icky. 

Overall
Mom - 5 
Jeri - 5
Terra - 4; Only because of the asparagus (I REALLY like asparagus and was REALLY disappointed that it wasn't tasty. Though, Christine said that next time, just let my waitress know and they'll take it back and remake the way I like.) and the price of my meal.
Susie - 5
Marti - 4 1/2     


We had fun. The drinks were so nice and fruity, the food was great, and we had some leftovers to take home for lunch the next day. We would definitely go back again and again.

Terra 

Chicken Parmigiana

Stuffed Chicken di Mare

Venetian Apricot Chicken

Parmesan Crusted Bistecca