Naim F.'s Profile

I'm an MSU alumni who came here pretty often 3-4 years ago. Since then I've moved on but I do find myself back in East Lansing now and then and on my last trip back this past weekend my girlfriend and I decided to give this place a try rather than drive to Sindhu's since we were already in the area. I was very pleasantly surprised with the experience I had.

In speaking with the very friendly and helpful owner it came to light that he had bought the place only two months ago. The food had always been pretty good before but he must have changed something because it was one of the best Indian meals I've had in a long time. All the food was delicious. My actual score is closer to 4.5 stars, with the ding only for service being a touch slow. It was by no means bad service though, and in fact the owner was extremely helpful and engaged, but there was only one of him for the whole restaurant.

So, if you're in East Lansing and looking for good Indian food don't feel like you have to go to Sindhu's. India Palace is a great option.

Small Plates in Royal Oak is pretty mediocre as far as I'm concerned. The service was poor, the food was not as good as the original (and quite excellent) restaurant in downtown Detroit and the space itself doesn't have the characteristic warmth that you'd expect.

Royal Oak is not a place that is hurting for good eateries or places to go out, so if you're in the area I'd give this one a miss. On the other hand if you have your heart set on Small Plates do yourself a favor and go to the one on Broadway in the city.

Not much else to say other than some really solid pizza if you want to get some delivered or pick it up for home. Not as good as Buddy's or something like that, but I'll put it this way: I'll never order from Pizza Hut or Domino's again so long as I live near enough to a Tiffany's. Their Hawaiian Pizza is out of control.

Only thing I would recommend is that unless you like your crust a bit chewier ask for your pie well done.

Traffic Jam is one of those places that I can't help but come back to. I know there are places with better service. I know that there are even some places with better food for the price. But I can't help but like this place. It helps that I can't really say I've ever had a bad experience here... There are times when it could have been better, but really I'd be reaching if I were to say it was "bad."

Truthfully this place probably deserves three and a half stars. I give it four because of the emotional attachment I have to it. I find my best meals here have been when I'm in no hurry and just looking to go out and have good conversation with my friends as much as I want to have good food. It has a comfortable, eclectic sense to it that has always put the groups I've gone with at ease.

The weakest aspect of this place is probably the service. It's not that it's actively bad necessarily... On the contrary I tend to like the servers. It's just that they're about as laid back as the restaurant itself, so if you're uptight and in a hurry it probably won't be what you're looking for.

As far as food goes again, I've always been satisfied. A few of my friends have said this or that could have been a bit better, but more often than not they've also been happy. A few recommendations: The portabello mushroom soup and spinach lasagne are both excellent. My friends have also said the crab cakes are quite good. I had mixed experiences with the delmonico steak. First time I ordered it it arrived a bit too dry and ultimately forgettable, but the second time I gave it a shot it was fantastic. The freshly baked bread is also good, as long as you don't mind waiting a little bit for it.

Over all this is a restaurant with some flaws, but it should be given a chance. You might find that like me you can look past some of its issues and really come to enjoy it.

Note: This place _does_ have outdoor seating. I've sat on the patio myself a couple times this summer.

I've been to the Majestic Cafe for dinner a few times. Interestingly enough it was never the first choice but despite that I've always left rather happy with the experience. Often it was the case that we'd be heading to Union Street (which is directly across Woodward Ave) and they would be packed so rather than wait we'd hit the Majestic. Most recently it was to eat at Traffic Jam after the Auto Show; that obviously didn't work out.

Up front I can say that probably the best thing about this place is the food. It's not perfect, but most dishes are definitely hits with a few misses. Definitely get the yam fries, they're fantastic with the clover honey. The baked brie is also good if that's your thing.

For entrees I've continued to gravitate toward the pastas. The saffron lobster ravioli (accompanied by other seafood) is one of my favorites along with the portabello ravioli. Other than these I've had the lamb chops which were very good (maybe a touch dry, but not bad at all). My friend swears up and down that their sandwiches are excellent, though I've never had one.

As far as drinks go they have a pretty good selection of wine and beer.  The full bar also makes this a good place to stop in if you're just planning on getting a few drinks before going to the theater or whatever you might have planned.

The weakest thing about all this then is the service. It's varied from bad to ok. Unless you're really fussy about these things it's not that big of a deal, but just expect that it won't necessarily be the best service experience you ever have. Sometimes it's just not that important though.

Over all the Majestic Cafe is a really good addition to the complex. It's a nice little eclectic dining dining spot with a good menu and plenty of atmosphere. Definitely keep it in your back pocket as a good alternative to some of the other restaurants in Midtown!

While out and about in Ann Arbor on a Saturday night a friend suggested we try the new Cuban place that opened up just off of Main. I always like trying new restaurants, I like Cuban food and I like doing things with my friends. What could go wrong?

Nothing went wrong, this time. The moderately upscale, but comfortable restaurant was busy with diners and drinkers, the large high ceilinged room alive with the chatter of dozens of conversations. It was the kind of environment that was instantly welcoming. A lot of other people must have also felt welcome though, because we had to wait about an hour for a table.

But that's not a particularly big problem here, because the basement is a very cozy and capable bar. The dim, tavern like feel of the basement bar was really great. Not only was the bar itself beautiful, but the use of (what appeared to be) original brick, and dark wood tall tables really gave the place a nice look. The space itself was nicely used, with plenty of private alcove tables with curtains that can be drawn.

The drinks and service that delivered them to us were great. A nice selection of premium tequila and rum was appreciated; mojitos are always better with the good stuff. They also had a solid (but not huge) selection of cerveza. The wine list had all the basics covered but wasn't anything to rave about.

Once our table was ready our party headed up stairs and surveyed the menu. Everything looked great, although not all of it was Cuban. I was particularly surprised to see a lack of tapas on the menu. Still, everything we had ranged from good to excellent. The bread with chimichurri, fried plantains and baked goat cheese "aperitivos" were all great.

For the main course I couldn't resist the Cuban sandwich. It's just one of those things that, to me, is better than the sum of its parts. I was definitely satisfied with what they gave to me, but it definitely wasn't the best Cuban sandwich I've ever had. The arepas, carne asada and arroz con pollo that I got to try were all very nice, the arepas especially. The arroz con pollo was quite nice, but I thought the sauce was slightly flavorless compared to what it could have been.

Cafe Habana earns a solid four stars in my book. The menu could use a little work to be a bit more authentic, and the food is quite good but not perfect. On the other hand the place has a undeniable charm and warmth to it. Praiseworthy service and reasonable prices are also pluses, while the basement bar alone is worth a visit for cocktails. This place is new so perhaps the menu issues will resolve themselves with time.

Shatila is one of those places that makes me think, "I am so lucky to live around Detroit." It's that good, no exaggeration. The quality, taste and value of their desserts leaves nothing to be desired, except more of course.

My parents did a good job of getting me hooked from a young age by getting my birthday cakes from there. Those cakes were so good that normal cake didn't really do much for me from that point on. I must have been an annoyance at my friends birthday parties, complaining that the frosting wasn't whipped cream frosting, and that the batter was too sweet and flavorless. Even still I almost never eat cake that came from a typical big box store, though honestly I'm not missing out on much.

When people would come over to visit baklava was often the dessert of choice since my mother is from the Middle East, and I have honestly yet to have baklava that is better than what you can get at this place. But that's just the start. Most people are unfortunately unaware of all the other amazing Middle Eastern treats that are out there. But don't worry, if you're around here Shatila is the place to go and try them all out.

For starters, you absolutely must try some of their various pastries with kashta, or "cream filling." They have quite a few, but shouiebieh is probably my favorite. Coconut kashta and kellajj should also be on the list of must-try items. And then there's the mamoul. The walnut mamoul are my favorite, but most of my friends seem to prefer the date ones. Mushabak is a bit more foreign to most people. It's some kind of wet cookie that is deep fried I think; the batter drizzled into the hot oil giving it the look of a golden, fried nest of deliciousness. The flavor is honey with rose water. Simply fantastic.

Besides the Middle Eastern desserts they also have a few savory items. I'm personally a big fan of the meat pies and kibbie. And then there are all the other pastries you can get. The only other place that comes close is Astoria downtown (which is superb), but Shatila is still better. There's too much to go into detail here. Just go and drool and pick for yourself, you can't go wrong.

As if this weren't enough they also make their own ice cream. All of it is great. Apricot, kashta, pistachio, mango and coconut are all must-tries. They sell quarts and gallons so if you don't feel like eating a waffle cone in their store you can take some with you. Though I guess you will probably take some with you even if you do have that waffle cone.

A few years back they moved to their current location which is a very nice shop. The counter area is well laid out and the people working behind it are friendly and willing to help you figure out what some things are if it's all a bit new to you. Sometimes they can be a bit brisk when it's busy, but I can't blame them.

That leads me to the only real problem with this place: It is already extremely popular, and if you go at the wrong time you can expect to wait a very long time. I personally had to wait 45 minutes once, but it was still worth it. At their prices even a product of less quality could be considered a good purchase. But when you're talking about some of the best desserts available in the Midwest and probably the entire country, it's just obvious.

It was somewhat by chance that my friends and I wound up at Oishi. Originally we had planned to go to Ajishin, but it turned out that they were closed between Christmas and New Year's Day. Luckily, I remembered seeing some reviews of Oishi on Yelp and made an executive decision that our search for Japanese food would not be in vain. I'm glad I made that decision, because Oishi was fantastic.

The restaurant itself is relatively large and has a nice decor that is somewhere between what you'd expect and modern. There are a few tvs scattered around the place, behind the sushi bar primarily. Oddly enough when I was there it was showing Mexican soap operas (we were there for lunch) on Univision. The sushi chef seemed very interested in it; perhaps that's why this older Japanese gent told us "adis" as we left... But I digress.

The really important thing is the food though, and it was excellent. The menu is extensive and contains primarily authentic Japanese and Korean items. The squid, chicken and beef yakitori were all great, as was the tonkatsu soba that I had. My friend who had sushi said that it was also very good, and from the look of it I'd have to agree. Normally I'd get sushi myself, but given that it was so cold out noodles sounded better. My other friend who had the sui goyza and beef ramen said similarly good things.

The prices were very fair I found, maybe even better than fair. For the quality of the food and the level of service the prices are very good. Given all this, Oishi just might move up to my first choice next time I'm out for Japanese food in the Novi area.

Armando's is a very good Mexican restaurant that's only major flaw is that it is surrounded by great Mexican restaurants. That said, there are still some reasons to hit this spot. For example, perhaps you're at the Mexicantown Bakery just next door (which is owned by the same family as this restaurant) and the need for a Negro Modelo and tamales strikes you. Well sure you could go to Taqueria Lupitas (which is excellent and probably my favorite Mexican restaurant) but Armando's is right there, and the food and service are still pretty damn good.

The inside is reminiscent of pretty much any Mexican restaurant I've been to, though probably less cheesy than most. Colorful and bright interior with flat screens playing soccer. That sounds about right.

The food is quite good in general and I've never really had anything that was disappointing. The salsa is probably the weakest item, with both the mild and hot being somewhat watery. While the hot has a nice flavor it doesn't have much heat. They were quite generous with it though. As for main courses the tacos (authentic with cilantro and onion) are quite good, as is Carne Guisada (Beef Stew). I also really like the pork that you can get in some of the dishes there. It's flavored very nicely.

The prices are very reasonable (that's one thing I love about Mexicantown) if you get a beer or some of their great sangria you can get out the door for about $12-15 at dinner time. My friend swears by their lunch buffet, which is extremely cheap (I believe he said $6). I haven't been there for lunch myself (yet) but I can say judging from their dinners that it's probably just as good.

The Oak Cafe in Wyandotte is the kind of corner bar that you can get used to visiting regularly. It has a comfortable and lively feel to it that is instantly inviting. I've been coming here frequently for quite some time; several of the people from my Aikido club will come here after class on Friday nights for a well deserved brew.

And we don't choose this place lightly. No, we need a good drink after an exhausting work out, and this place has the selection. They very recently (I'm talking a few weeks ago) installed brand new taps at the bar to support their wide selection. At last count they had over 30 drinks on tap, including some fantastic beers from the Michigan Brewing Co, Great Lakes, Lagunitas, and plenty of others. They also have Strongbow cider, which is not all that common on draft; for me that alone is a big plus. That doesn't even speak to the many, many others they have in bottles.

Entertainment wise they have some of those bar games if that's your thing. Me? I prefer talking with friends while watching the game out of the corner of my eye on one of the many high-def TVs. They also have some music, from a jukebox I believe.

The Oak is no slouch when it comes to food either, though it's nothing really special either. The burgers are probably your best bet; the Black Russian or Patty Melt both being excellent choices. The onion rings and fries are pretty good, nothing to write home about though. A few of the wraps are also pretty good.

The place is always packed on the weekends and has a broad range of ages almost always. Finding a seat can be a little tricky since this place isn't huge, but just do what I do and make friends with people who have a few spare seats. Friendly Midwestern values mean that you can do this and almost always good times will result.