Tom S.'s Profile

Nestled in cozy Clawson, you'll find a gem in Due Venti. It's an intimate and personable locale featuring original, homemade northern Italian flavors of lemon, garlic, olives, white wines and homemade pastas. While it's across the street from a drive-in A&W and next to the (wonderful) soft serve Dairy-O, the blue collar neighborhood belies the sophistication waiting inside.

We started with the meat and cheese plate. It was good fun to pick at, mix 'n match, etc. In addition to an interesting selection of meat and cheeses, Due Venti adds pickled cipollini onions and peppers to the mix - a nice touch. The chef's attention to acidity is something you'll see in later courses.

We followed with the house salad. Featuring candied walnuts, a lemon vinaigrette dressing and leafy greens, it was one of the best tasting house salads I've ever had. Creative and refreshing. Yum.

Now, Due Venti serves only wines by the glass from one select Michigan winery (the name escapes me - any Yelpers know?). I was concerned at first as Michigan wineries are most known for sweeter wines like Rieslings and fruit wines. However, the wines were great and surprised me. The sauvignon blanc and chardonnay were both delicious, drinkable and crisp. Both whites paired with our dishes very well and this is especially true for the salad.

For entrees, we had the pistachio crusted sea bass and homemade (to order) potato gnocchi. The fish was moist, well prepared and served with a great white wine sauce. The gnocchi were the perfect size, texture and served with fresh vegetables and light garlic sauce. We were impressed mightily with both.

We came this far - how about desert? I've seen other Yelpers reference the donuts and we did the same. A sweet, warm ending to the meal, they're delicious. The espresso chocolate dipping sauce is good in all the ways you want it to be.

To describe Due Venti in one word: cohesive. Hidden in Clawson is not just a good restaurant but a good concept. A kind of holistic vision guides the seasonal menu and it's Due Venti's  strength. The chef creates continuity between courses with impressive flavors. The courses pair well with and against each other, creating a comprehensive dining experience.

If Toast - Birmingham was a fictional character, it would be Julia Roberts in "Pretty Woman" The plot is strikingly familiar... what was this kitchy, rough-around-the-edges "neighborhood joint" doing in glitzy uptown, sporting a new designer dress? Would it fit in and keep that heart of gold? I'm happy to say, yes. I suppose there's no Richard Gere but that's missing the point: Toast Birmgham keeps the original spirit of the beloved Ferndale location and expands the restaurants concept, menu & experience.

Well-versed in the ways of Toast Breakfast, I went late for drinks and appetizers. With an enlarged interior, bar seating and lounge, the design is cued from the Ferndale decor. The seating and design is less 'second-hand store' than it is full blown retro throwback. I think the new location gave the owners a blank canvas to make the Toast of their dreams.

Ferndale Toast may get cramped but there's ample space in Birmingham.

Their creative breakfast & lunch creations (see: Grand Marnier French Toast, variety of omelettes, etc.) is brought to dinner & drink menu. Immediately, we noticed the herb & cucumber infused vodka marinating behind the bar. The beer list is varied and near an exercise in your beer knowledge. The bottled selection highlights are local-favorite Atwater Ale, many Belgian beers.

One of my favorite touches: I guarantee this is the only place in Birmingham you can get PBR on draft. A wink to the diner about the area's high brow sensibilities and a nod to its blue collar roots, I giggled when I saw this. And drank 3.

They also feature a full bar with creative cocktails (we tried the White Grape Martini, Blueberry Margarita and creamy Raspberry Truffle). They were well made and tasy. I also saw the bartender craft a great looking Mojito, a house specialty.

Finally, the food. We had the mac-n-cheese and sliders. The sliders were great, three different kinds and surprisingly filling. The mac and cheese was creamy but didn't blow me away. Safe to say, if you like anything from Toast Ferndale, you will enjoy their taste in dinner.

Doing all three meals a day and trying to be hip and trendy while doing it, Toast may be overreaching  and the concept is muddled because of it. Is it vibrant enough to be a late night watering hole? Does that pull it away from little Breakfast place with big personality? Maybe. Still, its a fun, creative, unique location with great food and drinks.

Stopped by here during a recent swing through Charlotte on biz. I was looking for an relaxed "Pub-food-plus" type of joint with good beer and in Rock Bottom, I found it.

The bar staff was helpful and generous with samples from their 8ish original beers. The Brown Ale is delicious (and award winning) and my favorite of the group.

While Rock Bottom features beer, they hang their hat on food. The nachos were loaded with fixin's, and the chili is chunky and decidedly above-average.

It's a relaxed, inviting and warm destination for anyone looking for an afterwork drink or evening out.

Bagger Dave's is not good. Plain and simple. As a local Berkleyite (Berzerker?), I was eagerly anticipating the arrival of a new successful, enjoyable and delicious restaurant and draw in to our fair municipality. This isn't it.

In the name of full disclosure, I'll say that I have serious trepidations of both chain restaurants and places that say "Est. 2007" plastered on the side. I went in hoping for the best but expecting the worst.

The meat of Bagger Dave's menu is their burgers. They come with a number of fixin' combinations, none of which hide the fact they aren't good. The burgers aren't thick, juicy patties but rather two slider-type patties on a bun. Thin and greasy, the meat is anything but fresh and ONLY comes medium-well. When we asked the server for Medium or Medium Rare burgers, we were told they only come MW because the patties are so thin and are either "bloody as hell or burnt to a crisp." Well that's a line from Pulp Fiction, but you get the idea.

Hey Dave, one thick burger does not equal  many thin patties.

Their bagged twice-fried french fries (where the name comes from), were anything but what I expected. We tried both sweet potato and regular kinds. Double-fried fries are usually crispier, meatier and tastier than traditional french fries. These were damp, soggy and poorly prepared. Either their methods are wrong or we were served old fries. Neither is an excuse.

The service was acceptable and friendly. I'd like to see more beers available. For a "family place" I suppose it has enough but for any respectable Beers-n-Burgers joint, it's underwhelming at best.

Finally, for the food quality, I think the price is ridiculious. What are essentially 2 sliders will cost you as much as 7 or 8 dollars for a burger with all the fixin's. Wha-wha-whaaaa?

In short, if you are hankerin' for an impersonal, overpriced poorly made burger, go to Red Robin. Not here.

One star for opening in Berkley. One star for the train.

The raving has been done by the 40+ Yelpers before me and I echo their sentiments. Last night, I took my girlfriend's parents here for some Detroit flavor (they hail from the East Coast). Below are some excerpts from their reactions to the food. They say it all:

::walking in the big wooden front door:: "I like it already."
"Everything is delicious."
"The wings are good even without the sauces."
"The green beans and side dishes are fabulous."
"I've never seen you eat this much!"
"Two words: Food Coma."

This place is a throwback, to say the least. A greaser-themed, lug-nut inspired, Rock-a-billy listenin' barber shop, it's my favorite place I've ever went to get a haircut. It's a unique gem from the top down. A laid back atmosphere, personal touch and if you're lucky, a beer while you wait, it's the exact feeling and experience you want out of every place you ever go but never get.

The barbers (and they're barbers, not "stylists") are all of the greaser sort. To tell you the truth, I don't know where they find all these guys that fit so well. They're friendly, conversational and take pleasure in meeting someone for 20-30 minutes while they cut their hair.

The only negative, which I won't deduct a star for, is organizational skills. With only one person taking appointments which book up early and often, the walk-in schedule can go back as far as 2+ hrs. To be honest, I think they are all surprised how successful the shop has been. Everyone comes out happy. From children to the elderly, everyone who comes in appreciates the personal touch and genuine enjoyment the staff displays.

A hint: call ahead, ask them to put your name on the list and anytime you come in in the next few hours, you'll be next in line. A bummer if you're a walk-in, but a perk if you know the system.

Overall, an asset to the local Berkley business landscape and at the very least, a fun place to spend an hour.

Now, my friends (actually one in particular) are bigger fans than I am of 'The Lotus.' Still, I think it's a serviceable, valuable and yes, tasty local destination. The 10ish original beers on tap are well made and range from basics like the Pilsner & IPA to the exotic Apricot Wheat and Yelper-favorite Oatmeal Stout. I find something good about each one and any amateur to semi-pro beer connoisseur will enjoy perusing Lotus' offerings. At least once.

This is the part where 'the snarky' enters stage left.

Unless I wanted hot dogs that tasted like grilled cheese (or vice versa) I wouldn't eat here. Their "kitchen" resembles my freshman dorm room but instead of the George Forman Grill, they've upgraded to a bonafide Hotplate 3000. Everything is cooked on the same griddle and sub-par at that. After 4-5 7% ABV Stouts I would consider some Nachos, let's just put it at that. Also, they recently started selling 'handcrafted' wines. The joke about distilled Welsch's grape juice is too easy so we'll just move on.

That said, I give it another star for congeniality. A friendly group of regulars and patrons, it's a neighborhood place that encourages conversation, laughs and more. The open mic provides nice ambiance and your chances are good you'll see some entertaining and talented acts.  

Finally, I commend this place for whole-heartedly embracing local biz-nass and culture. It's through and through a local place that loves being an asset to the Clawson & Metro D area. Overall, a friendly, fun place to enjoy a pint.

A wonderful hotel and refuge from smoggy L.A. I stayed here on business not too long ago and was impressed from start to finish.

The grounds are inviting, refreshing and engrossing. The Chinese gardens provide a nice stroll and the pool is large but be sure to grab a chair in the early afternoon. It fills up with parents and children quickly. The room was comfortable, delightful and plenty of room to lounge. The bed was big and comfortable.  

I didn't have much chance to enjoy the bar or restaurant but I made sure to catch the Sunday Brunch. At $75/person, it was more than I expected but if you're already staying here, it won't break the bank anyways. Simply, the Brunch was fantastic. With an impressive meat and cheese spread, tapas-sized portions of salmon, lamb, chicken and other unique creations, a chocolate fountain and shrimp & crab on ice all in addition to Brunch staples (omlette station, waffles, fresh cut ham, mimosas, etc.), it was worth the price.

All in all, a luxurious, comfortable and enjoyable hotel.

A Detroit staple, the coney island is a rare breed. A good one is even rarer-er. The choices seem overwhelming: National, Leo's, Kirby's, etc. etc. Thankfully, you've stumbled upon the best coney in the area. Or at least it's Yelp! review.

The Chicken Greek Salad ("Special") is very good and the notes on the dressing are accurate: it's good but I wouldn't venture to say homemade, all natural or anything like that. I'm sure it comes out of a big industrial tub. But the tub's good.

I grew up frequenting National Coney Island and I ate more Hani's than any sane teenager should. They were my favorite... and G.I. just scooped them. Greek Islands has the best chicken pita, available in grilled or breaded chicken, it's tasty as it gets.

Great lunch spot, quick and efficient, friendly staff, breakfast anytime. Said simply, my favorite coney.

A local Berkleyite, it's my favorite spot in the area. Everyone has mentioned the pizza and they're right. Creative, fresh and made with high-quality ingredients, I haven't found a better pizza in the area. I prefer the asparagus pizza. I can't believe no one has mentioned the sauce! Homemade and delicious, get an order of breadsticks to really enjoy it.

For nightlife, I prefer it to any Berkley bar, most Royal Oak and Ferndale ones, for that matter. It's not as lively, but has seen a spike in activity lately. Unless you go well-before 7 or later in the evening, don't expect to get a table in the delightful patio without a wait.

Good martini and beer selection. Guys, don't feel too macho to order a foo-foo drink. Have 3 and you better have a DD. In short, its a casual atmosphere, great place to bring a date, grab a table with a group of friends or just enjoy the summer's evening.