Judy and I made a field trip over to the festival in Northville today, interested in meeting fellow Michigan based business owners and seeing what products/services they had to offer. Since it was almost lunchtime, we got sidetracked by the vendors that had food products, and boy, are we glad we did!
Two vendors of note: Global Warming Salsa Co. and Chef Zachary Gourmet Blended Spices.
Global Warming Salsa Co.: Made in Michigan, featuring gourmet ingredients from around the world. ‘Global Warming’ takes their name from a play on global (as in flavors), including featuring the flavors of Africa, China, Brazil, Spain, Italy, Japan and Mexico. Global Warming Salsa Co. is also very philanthropic minded; proceeds from the salsa are going to an illustrated children’s exercise and nutrition book. For those that love their salsa, they offer fundraising activities as well. Judy and I tried the Japanese inspired salsa. While we differed in our appreciation of the salsa, we both agreed that to treat this just as a salsa would do it an injustice. Their salsa would be great on/with steak, fish, pasta, baked potatoes, in addition to tortilla chips. It has a full bodied taste and a smooth consistency, perfect for an accessory to a main dish. You can reach them at www.globalwarmingsalsa.com
Chef Zachary claims that once you taste his spices your taste buds will be spoiled. Know what? He’s right. We each bought a jar of his Chelsea Spice and headed over to Joseph’s Coney Island (in downtown Northville) for lunch. A little of his Chelsea Spice sprinkled on a greek salad did wonders for it. The traditional taste of the salad was instantly enhanced with the addition of the spice. Boy, is Chef Zachary right, your taste buds get spoiled. He suggests you try it on seafood, meet, eggs and BBQ, and I will. I’m especially excited to try it on grilled veggies. We’ve so many zucchini from our garden and this spice, with a little onion and garlic, should be awesome. We also liked the fact that there was no MSG, salt or sugar in the spice. Just the goodness of herbs, spices and peppers, all expertly combined by Chef Zachary. His spices are available online at www.chefzachary.com
Joseph’s Coney Island, by the way, deserves a mention too. We stopped in at noon, and while the place was crowded, we were able to get a table relatively quickly. We knew we were on a tight schedule, so we ordered quickly and tried to relax, almost accepting in advance that a sit down restaurant wasn’t the best way to go when you’re running against the clock. Our lunch was served in less than 10 minutes; the food and service were excellent and our waitress was humorous, friendly and efficient. My drink never sat empty, even for a minute (good thing on a really humid day like today). If only Northville wasn’t so far away from our office, we’d make Joseph’s a regular lunchtime place.
Check out the Buy Michigan Now festival. Spend Thursday at Northville Farmers Market (Northville Downs), where they will have 100 stalls featuring Michigan made products and Michigan grown produce. Festivities continue through the weekend.
Enjoy, and Buy Michigan! www.buymichigannow.com
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Eating Our Way Across Detroit
Not literally, if we get enough of a response, we may be!
Earlier in the week, Judy and I knew we wanted to go out for lunch and couldn't figure out where to go. We googled some things, tried to look up some restaurants, but nothing was hitting us. What we really wanted was someone to tell us where to go that day. Normally, we have no problem making decisions, but when it came to lunch on that day, we just couldn't come up with anything.
So, we decided to compile a list of locally owned and operated restaurants in Metro Detroit. Why not take advantage of the great local cuisine and support our local businesses as well?
Please forward your suggestions including name, type of cuisine, general location and why it's your favorite! Also, we want as broad a range as possible. Please forward the request to anyone who lives here now, or just happens to have a favorite restaurant here. We are looking for a wide variety of restaurants to promote. If you are the owner, or know the owner, please pass on that info as well. I would much rather spend my money locally!
We will be posting some of the info on our website and will be featuring restaurants (as we visit them) here on our blog. Great opportunity to promote your own business!
Enjoy! And if you'd like to 'Eat your way across Detroit', we'd love to hear your feedback too!
Earlier in the week, Judy and I knew we wanted to go out for lunch and couldn't figure out where to go. We googled some things, tried to look up some restaurants, but nothing was hitting us. What we really wanted was someone to tell us where to go that day. Normally, we have no problem making decisions, but when it came to lunch on that day, we just couldn't come up with anything.
So, we decided to compile a list of locally owned and operated restaurants in Metro Detroit. Why not take advantage of the great local cuisine and support our local businesses as well?
Please forward your suggestions including name, type of cuisine, general location and why it's your favorite! Also, we want as broad a range as possible. Please forward the request to anyone who lives here now, or just happens to have a favorite restaurant here. We are looking for a wide variety of restaurants to promote. If you are the owner, or know the owner, please pass on that info as well. I would much rather spend my money locally!
We will be posting some of the info on our website and will be featuring restaurants (as we visit them) here on our blog. Great opportunity to promote your own business!
Enjoy! And if you'd like to 'Eat your way across Detroit', we'd love to hear your feedback too!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Sometimes it does take a Village
I know this story has been passed around over the internet for years, but it still says a lot about who we are. Every one of us see ourselves in this story, in one form or another. Next time, which one will you be?
'Some people!' snorted a man standing some distance behind me in the long line at the grocery store.
'You would think the manager would pay attention and open another line,' said a woman.
I looked to the front of the line to see what the holdup was and saw a well dressed, young woman trying to get the machine to accept her credit card. No matter how many times she swiped it, the machine kept rejecting it.
'It's one of them welfare card things.'
'Damn people need to get a job like everyone else,' said the man standing behind me.
The young woman turned around to see who had made the comment.
'It was me,' he said, pointing to himself.
The young lady's face began to change expression. Almost in tears, she dropped the welfare card onto the counter and quickly walked out of the store. Everyone in the checkout line watched as she began running to her car. Never looking back, she got in and drove away.
Several minutes later a young man walked into the store. He went up to the cashier and asked if she had seen the woman.
After describing her, the cashier told him that she had run out of the store, got into her car, and drove away.
'Why would she do that?' asked the man.
Everyone in the line looked around at the fellow who had made the statement.
'I made a stupid comment about the welfare card she was using. Something I shouldn't have said. I'm sorry,' said the man.
'Well, that's bad, real bad. In fact, her brother was killed in Afghanistan two years ago.
He had three young children and she has taken on that responsibility. She's twenty years old, single, and now has three children to support,' he said in a very firm voice.
'I'm really truly sorry. I didn't know,' he replied, shaking both his hands about.
The young man asked, 'Are these paid for?' pointing to the shopping cart full of groceries.
'It wouldn't take her card,' the clerk told him.
'Do you know where she lives?' asked the man who had made the comment.
'Yes, she goes to our church.'
'Excuse me,' he said as he made his way to the front of the line.
He pulled out his wallet, took out his credit card and told the cashier, 'Please use my card, PLEASE!' The clerk took his credit card and began to ring up the young woman's groceries.
'Hold on,' said the gentleman.
He walked back to his shopping cart and began loading his own groceries onto the belt to be included. 'Come on people.'
We got three kids to help raise!' he told everyone in line.
Everyone began to place their groceries onto the fast moving belt.
A few customers began bagging the food and placing it into separate carts.
'Go back and get two big turkeys,' yelled a heavyset woman, as she looked at the man. 'NO,' yelled the man.
Everyone stopped dead in their tracks. The entire store became quiet for several seconds.
'Four turkeys,' yelled the man. Everyone began laughing and went back to work.
When all was said and done, the man paid a total of $1,646.57 for the groceries.
He then walked over to the side, pulled out his check book, and began writing a check using the bags of dog food piled near the front of the store for a writing surface. He turned around and handed the check to the young man.
'She will need a freezer and a few other things as well,' he told the man.
The young man looked at the check and said, 'This is really very generous of you.'
'No,' said the man. 'Her brother was the generous one.'
Everyone in the store had been observing the odd commotion and began to clap.
'Some people!' snorted a man standing some distance behind me in the long line at the grocery store.
'You would think the manager would pay attention and open another line,' said a woman.
I looked to the front of the line to see what the holdup was and saw a well dressed, young woman trying to get the machine to accept her credit card. No matter how many times she swiped it, the machine kept rejecting it.
'It's one of them welfare card things.'
'Damn people need to get a job like everyone else,' said the man standing behind me.
The young woman turned around to see who had made the comment.
'It was me,' he said, pointing to himself.
The young lady's face began to change expression. Almost in tears, she dropped the welfare card onto the counter and quickly walked out of the store. Everyone in the checkout line watched as she began running to her car. Never looking back, she got in and drove away.
Several minutes later a young man walked into the store. He went up to the cashier and asked if she had seen the woman.
After describing her, the cashier told him that she had run out of the store, got into her car, and drove away.
'Why would she do that?' asked the man.
Everyone in the line looked around at the fellow who had made the statement.
'I made a stupid comment about the welfare card she was using. Something I shouldn't have said. I'm sorry,' said the man.
'Well, that's bad, real bad. In fact, her brother was killed in Afghanistan two years ago.
He had three young children and she has taken on that responsibility. She's twenty years old, single, and now has three children to support,' he said in a very firm voice.
'I'm really truly sorry. I didn't know,' he replied, shaking both his hands about.
The young man asked, 'Are these paid for?' pointing to the shopping cart full of groceries.
'It wouldn't take her card,' the clerk told him.
'Do you know where she lives?' asked the man who had made the comment.
'Yes, she goes to our church.'
'Excuse me,' he said as he made his way to the front of the line.
He pulled out his wallet, took out his credit card and told the cashier, 'Please use my card, PLEASE!' The clerk took his credit card and began to ring up the young woman's groceries.
'Hold on,' said the gentleman.
He walked back to his shopping cart and began loading his own groceries onto the belt to be included. 'Come on people.'
We got three kids to help raise!' he told everyone in line.
Everyone began to place their groceries onto the fast moving belt.
A few customers began bagging the food and placing it into separate carts.
'Go back and get two big turkeys,' yelled a heavyset woman, as she looked at the man. 'NO,' yelled the man.
Everyone stopped dead in their tracks. The entire store became quiet for several seconds.
'Four turkeys,' yelled the man. Everyone began laughing and went back to work.
When all was said and done, the man paid a total of $1,646.57 for the groceries.
He then walked over to the side, pulled out his check book, and began writing a check using the bags of dog food piled near the front of the store for a writing surface. He turned around and handed the check to the young man.
'She will need a freezer and a few other things as well,' he told the man.
The young man looked at the check and said, 'This is really very generous of you.'
'No,' said the man. 'Her brother was the generous one.'
Everyone in the store had been observing the odd commotion and began to clap.
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