Sticky Lips BBQ - 625 Culver Road, Rochester - (585) 288-1910

Sticky Lips BBQ menu

General thoughts - We went there in a group of 30, taking over the whole patio of the restaurant. The service was great, I can't say the same for the chefs/cooks. The food was great, but it took them 3 tries to get my order right. It was very clear at the time of ordering, but the first time it came with a wrong "meat" and the second time, came with the wrong sides. I understand the server was busy, but still, shouldn't she check the dish that came up against her order sheet to confirm it's correct before bringing it out to the guest? It would've saved her a lot of time if she checked it. Good thing that quality of the food made up for it. The atmosphere of the restaurant is cool too. It is covered with pictures and articles frm the 40's to 60's. Stuck on the ceiling are playing cards that have been signed by different people.

Foods tasted - the Lana Turner (Texas beef brisket, 1/4 Uncle Frank's chicken - leg/thigh, Chorizo cheddar grits, Collard greens), Mac & cheese, Pulled pork, sweet potato fries.

Thoughts -

1. Texas beef brisket - This is as close as it gets to the brisket I had in Austin, TX that I still dream about. Super tender, very succulent, and it tasted great with the Sticky Lips All-American BBQ sauce. Definitely a good choice. I was so excited as soon as I saw the neon sign for the brisket on the window, and they certainly didn't disappoint.

2. Uncle Frank's chicken - It was roasted and tasted excellent. It was well seasoned and tender. I was able to cut the beef off from the bones very easily. Also a good choice. I'm so glad I kept bugging them to get my order right.

3. Chorizo cheddar grits - It was very creamy and cheesy. I don't think I actually tasted a piece of chorizo, but I bet they cook the chorizo then use the oil leftover to cook the grits and so they get to call it chorizo cheddar grits. Regardless, it was delicious.

4. Collard greens - I love collard greens, and these were well made. They've obviously done this more than once or twice. No additional seasoning was needed.

5. Mac & cheese - It was ok. I'm glad I didn't get it or I would've been disappointed if I chose this when I could choose to eat the grits instead.

6. Pulled pork - Also very tender. I tried my brother's pulled pork and it was very good. I enjoyed it a lot but I love brisket so much more.

7. Sweet potato fries - I've never had sweet potato fries that are actually covered in cinnamon and sugar, which actually was a good idea. The chefs were smart to enhance the sweetness of the sweet potatoes by covering them with cinnamon and sugar. They could've easily over coat the fries with too much cinnamon and sugar, but I think they covered it with just enough to make it taste good without making me think it was too sweet and I'd have to scrape off some excessive cinnamon and sugar.

Final thoughts - Very Yummy In My Tummy? Definitely. Would I go back? Sure. However, I honestly don't know when I would be doing that since Petros has now graduated from RIT and who knows if he's be back to Rochester when he finds a job. It was definitely a good find, and I highly approve. I'm still hoping to go back to Rudy's someday, because their food is just that awesome.

Greektown Casino International Buffet - 555 E lafayette blvd Detroit, MI 48226 - (877) 424-5554

Sorry, no picture, but I do have the menu - Greektown Casino International Buffet menu.

General thoughts - Since my stomach can only take in so much and their menu is a rotating menu, I was obviously only able to taste so many things. Lunch for $9.99 is a pretty good price, and they let you use the Greektown Casino comps.

Foods tasted - Hand carved roast beef, Mac & Cheese, mashed potatoes, fried chicken wings, potstickers, wonton soup, lo mein, spaghetti with sauce.

Thoughts -

1. Hand carved roast beef - It was pretty good. Not too dry or overdone.

2. Mac & cheese - Also pretty good, nothing overly spectacular.

3. Mashed potatoes - I'm not 100% sure if that was box or the real thing, but it was pretty good for a buffet.

4. fried chicken wings - I didn't really want the commitment of the fried chicken so the wings are a good substitute. They're also pretty good, and they are cooked through.

5. Potstickers - Seeing that I make Chinese dumplings (basically potstickers that you cook in a broth instead of pan fry), I still think these potstickers are delicious and well done. The skin was browned properly and the inside was cooked through. I was afraid the skin was going to be gummy because of unnecessary moisture, but they weren't gummy at all.

6. Wonton soup - The "wonton" in the soup is the same as the potstickers which is great because I don't like wonton soups that are just skin or maybe with a dab of meat. Whoopie doo. So this one is great. The broth was your standard chicken broth but it wasn't too salty. I did go back for seconds.

7. Lo Mein - It was a bit cold. You can tell it's been sitting there in its oil for awhile. But ignoring the temperature of the dish, it was pretty good for a mass produced dish.

8. Spaghetti with sauce - It was a bit cold as well. But flavor-wise, it was pretty good.

Final thoughts - Very Yummy In My Tummy? It's alright. It fills me up, but I think I can only handle buffet for lunch once or twice a year. I'm not expecting dishes at a buffet to be out of this world, but the regulars do not worry about that.

Bistro 555 at Greektown Casino Hotel - 555 E Lafayette Blvd, Detroit, MI 48226 - (888) 771-4386

Bistro 555's menu

General thoughts - My friends and I went there for our annual Greektown in Ballgowns event. We went to dinner about 12 strong. Considering how big our group was, I was impressed with their service, not to mention no one's meal was messed up. It is in the new parking structure of the Casino/Hotel so you don't have to be 21 to eat there. The view is pretty good and the ambiance tells me it's a great date/night out on the town type place to go.

Foods tasted - Cream of Broccoli soup, Crispy fried Calamari, Braised short Ribs, Beef (tenderloin) and Mushroom (Portabella) tower.

Thoughts -

1. Cream of broccoli soup - The soup was very thick and chunky. It wasn't over seasoned. I think they did a good job with it. I love chunky soup as much as the next person, but I don't know if I like it THAT chunky. It was very filling. I wouldn't say it was the best cream of broccoli I've ever had, but this was the alternative to a Ministrone soup that even the server said it's way too salty and just overall not good.

2. Crispy fried calamari - The breading wasn't too thick and the calamari was not rubbery at all. It came with a spicy marinara sauce. The sauce wasn't too tart and not too spicy. Kudos to Bistro 555 for a job well done.

3. Braised short ribs - That was sooo good! I only had a few tastes of it, but it was enough for me to remember it for future reference. I'll be comparing every braised short ribs dish to this one. I'm sure I would at some point crave this and just simply have to satisfy this craving and come back. It came with mashed potatoes for a side. As a potato lover, I thought it was very creamy and buttery. This was a top notch dish. Highly recommended.

4. Beef and Mushroom Tower - Basically it's 1 portabella sandwiched between 2 very tender beef tenderloins on a bed of finely cut hash browns with a nice reduction sauce. It came with fresh sauteed spinach. The beef was flavored very well but I thought the chefs could've eased up on the amount of sauce they put on the plate. The meat, mushroom, and spinach was swimming. The sauce should be an accent, not a pool for everything else to swim in.

Final thoughts - Very Yummy In My Tummy? Yes. Would I go back? Absolutely. The menu has a great variety and the prices aren't half bad. Not to mention I'll probably be craving that braised short ribs again very soon. As a side note, it was a lot of fun going to Greektown dressed as if I was going to prom all over again. Can't wait for next year's Greektown in Ballgowns.

Rest in peace, (formerly existed as) Cyprus Taverna - 579 Monroe Street Detroit, MI 48226-2932

So instead of the usual review, let this be a tribute. John and I were both sad and shocked to find that Cyprus Taverna had suddenly closed when we went to that area last night. We were just talking about going there to get some of their famous Lamb Riganato that came with a generous amount of rice with tomato sauce, green beans, and potatoes. The waiter used to tell us that if we don't love it, they'll pay for it but of course we always loved it. We used to go there every year after going to the North American International Auto Show, I even chose it over all other restaurants in Detroit to celebrate my 29th birthday at with my friends. It was open just a couple of weeks ago when John brought his coworkers down to the Greektown Casino area as part of their tour of Detroit. When we looked in, everything was demolished, and there was a handwritten sign from the owners thanking the customers for our business over the years. Lamb wasn't their only awesome dish, their fish was just as good. According to a friend there's a nearby restaurant that serves a comparable Lamb Rigonato dish. We shall see.

Bistro 10 - 3118 Fairlane Drive Allen Park, MI 48101 - (313) 336-0303

Sorry, can't find a picture and it's so new they don't have a website yet. Anyways...

General thoughts - Bistro 10 has been around for less than a year. It is located in Fairlane Green shopping center on top of the hill. The inside definitely has a Mediterranean/Italian feel. This is probably a better spot for lunch than it is for dinner if you're speaking on the ambiance only. They have a pretty comprehensive menu with a few items that are definitely unique. The prices are not bad at all and the portions are huge. For $7.50, you can get a big sandwich, salad, rice or potatoes. I like that they serve lunch portions of pastas as well because then they can't be blamed on food induced comas suffered by the diners. The only bummer was that they don't have an alcohol license yet so you can't get a glass of wine with lunch/dinner even if you wanted to.

Foods tasted - Chicken lemon rice soup, House salad, Shrimp burger, Roasted potatoes, Fettucine Alfredo with chicken.

Thoughts -

1. Chicken lemon rice soup - It's a thinner soup but it has a lot of chicken, carrots and celery. It is very lemony which for some is a bad thing but I was a fan. It was served with a slice of crouton on top. It was a comforting soup. I would order it instead of the standard chicken noodle if I was sick.

2. House salad - They use a mixed veggies type salad and it came with the house dressing which is a creamy Italian. It was very good.

3. Shrimp burger - Very interesting. It is served on a pita that was cut in half with tomatoes and roasted red peppers as toppings (I forgot if there was cheese or not). It's served hot which I like. As much as I'm not a big fan of sliced raw tomatoes, it does add to the taste of the sandwich so I made an exception and took a bite with a chunk of tomato in it. Great burger, we were told it's one of the bestsellers. That came with the salad and potatoes.

4. Roasted potatoes - These are roasted potato wedges cooked in/coated in olive oil and rosemary. It was crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. I bet they blanched the potatoes first before pan frying them. As a potato lover, I give that a thumbs up.

5. Fettucine alfredo with chicken - It was very rich and full of herbs. The pasta was cooked just right and it seems the chicken breasts have been pounded out first so they were thinner and more tender pieces. A lot of places just cook up chicken breasts then slice them and throw them on top on the pasta, I like that they took the extra time to pound them out. It could use a little salt though but that was an easy fix.

Final thoughts - Very Yummy In My Tummy? Yes. I went home and assumed the horizontal position on the couch and in front of the TV right away and in true food coma fashion, I fell asleep. Will I go back? Definitely. The Tiramisu that the table near us ordered looked delicious. However, I'm always too full for dessert. This is a great work lunch spot for sure. Once they get their liquor license, I'm sure more people will come for dinner. Their menu, like I said, is pretty comprehensive. I'll definitely try something else the next time I go.