Micah W.'s Profile

I've had repairs done a couple of times here, including service on both cars within the past week. We've always had prompt, courteous service and repairs done right at a reasonable price. I'm a very satisfied customer.

Sparkies is okay, and I like to eat there from time to time, but I can never really get excited about it. Everything about it is good, but nothing really stands out for me as great.

Kozy Koffee has some of the best coffee and espresso I have ever tasted. Their coffees are fresh roasted, and the blends are excellent.

However, I need to revise my initial review, as there have been significant changes in staff lately,. Unfortunately, this means I need to delete the rest of what I originally wrote about this place for now, as it's no longer the case.

Like many others, recently stayed here for a conference, and the sheer size of this place was mind-boggling. Definitely worthwhile to schmooze the front desk into giving you a room facing the atrium. Sitting on the balcony and watching the activity below is superb.

As others have mentioned, everything is very expensive, both in and around the hotel. However, there are a few reasonably priced shops and restaurants around if you look closely. Call the concierge and get the number for Papa John's. They deliver to the room and it's the cheapest meal you can get.

This hotel is not in DC. Not by a long shot. Travel to DC via bus and metro is a bit cumbersome, but possible. Cab fares can be a little steep, too.

My main complaint was really about usability issues. Restrooms are poorly designed, and often more poorly labeled, especially on the conference side. The ladders on the pool were unusable, and the indoor hot tub was not designed for people to actually sit in it. There were lots of little annoying features that detracted from my stay.

Also a warning to anyone having a wedding in the Cherry Blossom Ballroom. (There were two on the weekend I was there.) This is an absolutely beautiful open space in the Atrium on the Ballroom level of the hotel. But at any time, conference sessions could end and you could have a large stream of noisy conference attendees strolling past your wedding space, which could be a huge distraction, I would think.

All in all, this was a pretty good place for a conference, but had enough quirks that I couldn't completely like it.

Had lunch here while in the area for a conference. The Kona Encrusted Roast Beef sandwich was incredible. Had a Cafe Americano which was at least twice as good and half as expensive as what was available in the hotel. The staff was friendly and the leather couches are indeed comfy.

We went to Fenton House a few weeks ago with a large party, I think about 16 or 18 in all. First, they double-booked our reservation so we could not all sit together. Our tables had different wait staff. Our table was well served and we got our food promptly. Service at the other table was completely incompetent, and my brothers in law did not get their meals until our whole party was basically ready to leave. Some of the same entrees were served at both tables, so that wasn't the issue. No effort was made to compensate them for the delay, and they had to dispute the automatic gratuity that had been added to their bill for large parties.

I had the lasagne, and overall the food was pretty good, except I thought the sauce was a bit sweet. A couple of people in our group had the ribs and said they were tough and not very good.

Their bread sticks are to die for.

I've heard people say they like Fenton House, and others say it all depends on who you have waiting on you. We saw that to be true. There are better places to dine in Fenton.

Fenton House is known for their pizza, and I haven't tried that. They have carryout, so they may be totally acceptable in that regard. I don't know.

They have a game room, but I didn't check it out. Had college football on widescreen TVs, but when the game ended, they left it on some half-hour infomercial for some 70s CD collection. Lame.

Hint: on-street parking is limited. Park in the large public lot behind the restaurant and enter through the rear door.

Five, that's right, five star fast food. The previous reviewer pretty well covered it. This place is the tops for fast food.

For people who've never heard of it, I describe it as similar to Taco Bell, except they use real food in their ingredients. Everything from the tortillas to the meat to the veggies is always fresh and tasty. I honestly can't eat Taco Bell any more - it tastes like paste by comparison.

The fries are great - better than McDonalds, which is usually the gold standard. The burgers are always fresh, probably because they don't sell as many of them.

What's more, Del Taco serves breakfast 12 of their 24 hours that they're open.

Furthermore, I am totally addicted to their Macho Roast Coffee. Starbucks tastes like battery acid compared to this stuff. It's a rich, hearty flavor - similar to Sumatra, but mellower and less earthy.

Every silver lining has a cloud, and here's one caveat. I made this mistake, and I've seen others do it, too. Don't order the Tacos del Carbon on your first visit. They look tempting, but they're small, and you'll feel like you paid too much. Try them some other time. They're delicious, and served on soft corn tortillas, but If the steak is tempting, go for the big fat tacos instead.

Also, watch out for the naming on the Macho Combo Burrito. It's a flavor combo, not a combo meal.

Other treats include the Shredded Beef Combo Burrito - which is like taking leftover pot roast and mixing it up in a burrito. They occasionally have a breakfast version of this that's awesome.

Yeah, I've raved long enough about a fast food place, right? If I was from the west coast, this would be old hat. But this is Michigan, and most of us east of the Mississippi have never had fast food done this right.

In the many years we've lived out this way, many restaurants have come and gone in this location. I think this one will stick. With locations here and on Milford Road in Highland, and sister restaurant El Potrero in Flint and Holly, these guys are onto a good thing.

The menu deviates slightly from your predictable Tex-Mex fare. The items are the same, but the flavors are subtly different in a very pleasing way.

I can't speak for the service at the Waterford location, as I've only stopped here for carry-out, but our experience in Highland matched Rob F's review, with the whole wait staff working together diligently to keep all tables happy and well attended.

Excellent authentic Mexican food. This isn't really your typical Tex-Mex fare. There's lots of hearty beef dishes seasoned with black pepper, and many dishes are served with a white cheese that's milder and tastier than your typical cheddar.

That's not to say that it's radically different from most Mexican places. It's a subtle difference that keeps us coming back for more.

If Holly is too far out of your way, try the Flint location, or El Patio in Milford or Waterford, which are also owned by members of the same family.

Tucked in a strip mall at the north end of town, this place is easy to miss. Those who haven't tried it yet are missing out!

Szechuan Empire is by far my favorite Chinese. I've eaten at all three (Livonia, Commerce Twp and Milford) locations, but I'll save the five-star rating for Lei Ting in Milford based on atmosphere alone. The food is consistently good at all locations.

Everything I've tried is good, but I am a creature of habit, and I love the General Tso chicken (served differently than most places I've tried it) so much that I can't bring myself to order any of their other delicious dishes. Their spring rolls are also delightful.

The Commerce Twp location recently moved one door down from their previous location, and is very nice, but I still like Milford (Lei Ting) a little better for atmosphere. For carry-out, location does not matter.