Frugal Floozie Friday - Uptown Coney Island

After a day of thrift shopping, Craig and I needed a bit of sustenance. We were near Uptown Coney Island, so decided to stop there for dinner; a bit of comfort food, and a menu with a great deal of variety, sounded ideal.

You don't go to a diner for healthy options, so I didn't even bother looking at the array of salads. I ordered the Grilled Ham and Cheese pictured above, which came with pickles and chips for $4.99. A plain grilled cheese - triple stacked with your choice of American. Swiss, or Cheddar - costs $3.99. Or you could indulge in the classic BLT for $4.99.

A small order of the Chili Cheese Fries costs $3.29; a large costs $3.99. These were really good, as the fries were nice and crispy and held up to the chili. Often the fries are neglected in this dish (yes, I've tried enough samples to be able to discuss this!), since they're just getting buried anyway. But it's infinitely better when the fries are sturdy instead of soggy.

Craig ordered the Coney Island because, of course, it's what these places do best! A single costs $1.99, and the Coney Special - topped with seasoned ground beef, chili, mustard, and onions - can be enjoyed for $2.99. Add fries, cole slaw, or soup for $1.59, or add cheese for 39 cents. The onion rings cost $3.49, ordered separately.

There are other options at Uptown Coney Island that qualify for our mandatory $5 per person Frugal Floozie Friday budget: a Cheese Quesadilla costs $4.99; soup is available for $1.99 (cup) or $2.99 (bowl); and chili for $2.29 (cup) or $3.09 (bowl). A cheeseburger costs $4.99.

Breakfast also offers many inexpensive choices: a cheese omelette for $4.79; a cinnamon roll for $2.39; a bagel with cream cheese for $2.29; or a short stack of pancakes with either blueberries or pecans for $4.49. The Bagel Breakfast - two eggs with bacon or ham or sausage, a choice of cheese, and hash browns - costs only $3.99. And Donna's Biscuits & Sausage Gravy with hash browns or two eggs is only $4.99.

And, of course, don't forget dessert; options range from baklava for $1.99 to slices of pie ($2.99-3.99), homemade Rice Pudding for $2.29 to the Brownie Delight (a sundae) for $3.59.

A very friendly, welcoming place with good food for good prices, Uptown Coney Island is definitely worth a visit!

Uptown Coney Island
3917 Jackson Road
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
734-665-5909
Monday - Saturday: 7 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Sunday: 7 a.m. - 4 p.m.



View Larger Map

Frugal Floozie Friday - NeoPapalis

I had a fabulous Girls' Night Out recently with my BFF Wendy and our new friend (who seemed immediately like an old friend!) Vicki. Both eat a vegan diet, so I wanted to find a restaurant we could all enjoy without having to impose too greatly upon the kitchen or leave my dining companions with only a few meager options.

Fortunately, NeoPapalis - one of Ann Arbor's newest pizza places - offers a little something for everyone ... and at prices which happily meet our Frugal Floozie Friday budget of $5 per person.

There are four basic pizzas to choose from, costing either $6 or $7, which easily feed at least two people.  A few toppings - butter crust, oregano, or a four pepper olive oil - are available for free, while others cost $1 each.

The $6 Red Marinara version comes with tomato sauce, sliced Romano tomatoes, extra-virgin olive oil, roasted garlic, oregano, and sea salt ... and it comes with no cheese. It was perfect!

To the left, you'll see the "as is" version that Wendy chose; to the right, you'll see the one I ordered with caramelized onions and Kalamata olives. At the top of the post is Vicki's pizza, topped with pineapple and green and red peppers. Each of these allowed two slices per person, as we mixed and matched and took home leftovers. You could add more toppings if you're hungry, but the pizza is delicious even with no frills.

You could supplement your pizza with a $5 salad, and still stay within budget by sharing lunch or dinner with loved ones. The base price offers a salad large enough to feed a small family, and the following items are even included at no charge (choose whichever ones you like): sliced mushrooms, cucumbers, red onions, green and red peppers, Kalamata olives, Roma tomatoes, roasted garlic, broccoli, beets, Jalapeno peppers, hot pepper rings, pineapple, and artichokes. Cheeses cost $1 each, meat items cost $1.50 each, and dressing options beyond Ranch, the house vinaigrette, Chipotle Ranch, or Balsamic Vinaigrette cost an extra 75 cents. Pizza and a hearty vegetable-laden salad make an exceptional meal to share with your family or friends at very little cost!

I also ordered the sweet potato fries, for a mere $3, because I adore them.  Most places offer soft, baked versions; NeoPapalis' fries, however, are crisp and served with a Chipotle Ranch dipping sauce that is an ideal, spicy complement. I devoured these, and continue to fight cravings for more. They are a great appetizer to share before pizza or salad, or make an excellent snack all by themselves with a $1.50 soda, lemonade, or iced tea.

I'd had such a lovely meal with Vicki and Wendy that I brought Jeremy and Craig to NeoPapalis soon after for lunch. Craig ordered a $5 pita sandwich which, unfortunately, wasn't particularly photogenic although it was enormous. For the base price, you get a nearly foot-long meal containing one meat, one cheese, one dressing, and any vegetables from a list of sixteen - yes, sixteen potential additions for no extra money. If you want extra cheeses, they cost $1 each; extra meats cost $1.50 each. But trust me, they're superfluous - the basic sandwich is huge.

Jeremy ordered the $7 Bianca pizza: an herb butter base, Asiago and Mozzarella cheeses, extra-virgin olive oil, and honey. He topped it with bacon, because he's my child. This was rich, delicious, and easily splittable by 2-4 to stay well within our mandatory Frugal Floozie Friday budget. Even Jeremy, a 22-year old male - a species notorious for its appetite! - advocates for sharing something this hearty.

I ordered the sweet potato fries again, because I like them so much, and split them with Craig and with Jeremy. I'm not ordinarily a creature of habit (at least with food), but this time I couldn't help it.

For great values, good fresh food, and a menu that is inviting to virtually any diet, NeoPapalis is a welcome addition to town!

NeoPapalis
500 E. William St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
734-929-2227
Sunday - Thursday: 11 a.m. - 12 a.m.
Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m. - 12:30 a.m.



View Larger Map

Frugal Floozie Friday - Roy's Squeeze Inn

 

I had driven by Roy's Squeeze Inn so many times, but never managed to stop in. That's too bad, because it offers wonderfully friendly service, good food, and amazing prices. Thus, it is today's Frugal Floozie Friday feature!

Virtually every item - with the exception of a few of the burgers and the family-sized side orders - qualifies for our mandatory budget of $5 per person. So you could share the generous larger servings of fries, if you want to; but you can also get a meal for yourself within the price range.

I ordered the BBQ Pork Sandwich, pictured above, for $3.70. It was the size of a large burger, and - I was very pleased to find out - came topped with the cole slaw so that it wasn't necessary to place an extra order to put this together myself. I also wanted to see how generous the side dishes were, and found that the curly fries were a perfect single serving at $2.15. If you're just in the mood for a salty snack, they're ideal.

Craig chose the Quarter Cheese Squeeze burger that cost $3.70, and paired it with onion rings that also made for a nice-sized single serving, if you were to order them alone, for $2.20.

Roy's is quaint and old-fashioned with a semi-circular counter and cute tchotchkes; but Craig and I were the only ones who chose to eat in the restaurant on the evening that we visited. I was impressed to see at least a half-dozen customers come in for take-out orders, and found the service to be tremendously friendly as well as efficient.

Vegetarians will have to make do with the side dishes, from potato wedges to fried mushrooms, as well as the options listed above. Carnivores, however, will be able to eat very well for very little money. "Sandwiches," as the menu calls them, range from hot dogs to ham sandwiches (with or without cheese) and also a chicken sandwich; prices range from $1.30 to only $4.

And then there are the burgers, from Little Squeeze sliders costing a mere $1.15 each to the half-pound Big Squeeze for $4.95. You can also add toppings - extra cheese, crispy bacon, jalapeno peppers, grilled mushrooms, cole slaw, or chili - for as little as 40 cents and as much as $1.50.

So sort through the various permutations and eat very well at Roy's for less than $5!

Roy's Squeeze Inn
1315 E. Michigan Ave.
Ypsilanti, MI 48198
734-485-3999
Monday - Saturday: 10 a.m.- 10 p.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.



View Larger Map

Frugal Floozie Friday -- Marcano's Take-Out

My BFF, Wendy, and I are on a mission: to find good food and fun for $5 or less per person. I'm serious! And it's possible to do it -- follow along and find out. This is the second installment of Frugal Floozie Friday, after all, with plenty more planned!

This week we head to Marcano's Take-Out, a small place painted the color of a gorgeous red wine, that will transport you to South America with its aromas and flavors.

When you walk in, you are greeted by the bright, open kitchen visible behind the counter; you can truly watch as your meal is made for you right after you order it. There is an extensive menu, and some photos of dishes are posted on the wall for illustration.

But even if you don't know the difference between an empanada (a fried turnover with your choice of fillings) and an arepa (filled white corn bread rolls), your tremendously friendly hostess -- Elizabeth Marcano-Kennedy, born and raised in Venezuela -- will happily and passionately explain any unfamiliar menu items to you, sharing her love of her native cuisine.

I, as always, had difficulty deciding what to order; but since my limit was $5, I settled upon the Cheese Empanadas. They were fried just for me, so they were golden, fragrant, very hot and slightly oily still when the take-out box was handed to me. The cheese was a semi-firm white one, slightly salty, which was very mild and was a nice smooth complement to the crispy fried exterior. Each of the two empanadas was about 5" in diameter, so together they were a hearty portion for one and could easily be shared by two.

Wendy ordered the Yuca Frita -- yuca (a.k.a.: cassava, a starchy tuber) fries, for $4. She loathes cooking, but loves these so much that she will actually -- gasp! -- make them herself sometimes to satisfy a craving; however, she admits that she doesn't have the patience to remove the stringy strands, and simply fries them up "as is." At Marcano's, strings are not a part of the package.

Wendy has also eaten yuca fries in Uganda and in Brazil, so she is quite the expert on how they should be prepared; and she told me that the ones from Marcano's were better than the ones she'd eaten in either of the countries where yuca is considered a food staple ... quite high praise, indeed! These came with some homemade ketchup, but Wendy doesn't like anything vinegary; I should have taken it for the empanadas, which were good without any accompaniment but would also have been quite nice with a dipping sauce.

There are many options on Marcano's menu that cost $5 or less. So whether you're craving something sweet or savory, you can still have a treat and stay within your budget. And since Marcano's is a take-out place, how perfect would it be to either pick up a goodie for a picnic or grab a quick lunch to take back to the office???

Personally, when I return I think I'm going to aim straight for the Tres Leches cake, at $3.50 ... :)

Marcano's Take-Out
1906 Packard
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106
734-913-2071


Frugal Floozie Friday: Food and Fun for Five Dollars or Less ... Really!!!

Burgers, Burgers Everywhere ....

I registered with the Restaurant Reviewers BlogRoll recently, because so many of my posts were dedicated to eating out that I felt I was earning the title even if I didn't have anyone backing me up with an expense account. (I don't want the clout or the power that come with being the New York Times reviewer, God forbid! I just want someone to pay my tab ....) And then, of course, I started cooking again and writing up soups and desserts and such. But I'm baaaack! I've been to two different restaurants this past week, and I'm here to tell the tales.

On Thursday night, Jeremy and I ate dinner at Great Plains Burger Company, which essentially makes only 3 items -- burgers, fries and shakes -- but makes them exceptionally well. Okay ... they make beef burgers and turkey burgers and black bean burgers, and they offer chocolate, vanilla or strawberry shakes. And you can order either a standard supply of fries or an entire basketful. But these are merely variations on a theme -- make 3 things, and do it right.

Jeremy and I each ordered a beef burger, and picked most of the same toppings from the list of lettuce, tomato, ketchup, mustard, etc. and so forth. We split a regular order of fries, as the basket would have been enough to feed a family of 4. And Jeremy ordered a strawberry shake which, as you can see, was so enticing and so luscious that in the time it took me to answer a phone call, he could not resist sucking down half the shake before I could take out my camera to photograph it in all its unsullied glory. Topped with whipped cream, drizzled with syrup, and creamy beyond my admittedly verbose descriptive abilities ... if I had to choose only 1 favorite item at Great Plains, it would be the shakes without hesitation. They are that good.

The fries were crisp and freshly made, without the raw taste that I've noticed in some other fries I've had recently. (Shhhhhh ... Rabbi Israel Salanter stated that "Not everything that is thought should be said."). And there are thousands of potatoes to be found in their crates and boxes, such that the fries are not frozen or pre-packaged, but started their trip to your plate as spuds in Idaho and didn't metamorphose into fries until just after you placed your order. The burgers are hand-formed and only cooked when you show up at the counter and pay, so they are ridiculously juicy and literally dripped down our hands and onto the baskets' paper liners. This is how burgers and fries were meant to be!

And yet, they have some serious competition from the Sidetrack Bar & Grill, which I've written about before and which I chose specifically for my Mother's Day lunch with Jeremy and Tom. Other people can go to fancy brunches where they wear corsages and panty hose (aaauuuggghhh!!!); I wore jeans, sat next to folks with tattoos and paint-splattered pants, and even noted that the country music -- which I normally loathe -- perfectly suited the ambience, since thankfully it wasn't too twangy.

As per usual, my brain went into paralysis over all the options -- and I'd even looked up the menu the night before, just to try to settle on something pro-actively!!! BBQ pork sandwich with cole slaw and yam fries? Spicy Louisiana-style cornmeal-crusted-fish sandwich, highly recommended by Tom? The fabulous beer-battered fish? The fish tacos with fruit salsa? Burger, the fabulous ol' standby??? Oh, my God, please make it stop!!!

I am trying to eat nobly for awhile. ("Ha!" said my alter ego, the woman who ate a piece of strawberry-rhubarb pie last night -- albeit a small one -- simply because it was there.) I'll be attending a fancy dinner and the graduation ceremony next week for Tom's beautiful and dynamic daughter, who is currently finishing up the final crush of work (due tomorrow) for her Master's program in Urban Design from the University of Pennsylvania. Not only will I be meeting Cassidy for the first time, but I'll also be meeting the ex-wife and her family ... hmmmm.

I am therefore feeling even more pressure than usual to tone my floppy underarms and to suck in my stretchmarks. My days of gym membership ended along with my marriage, and I spend way too much time sitting in front of this screen to be in any kind of shape (BMI on the borderline between "underweight" and "normal," but flabby nonetheless). Societal standards are oppressing me as I read the menu -- feed my soul or wear my jeans with no muffin top nonsense going on while the ex assesses me???

But I digress ... ah, but what else is new?

With all of this swirling around in my mind, it's a wonder I didn't just pass out and hit my head on the floor. But I persevered, and ordered a Springtime-only -- so it's just found its way back to the menu! -- spinach salad with oranges, strawberries, dried cherries, and grilled chicken, all served with a lovely raspberry vinaigrette. Some of my favorite foods (with the exception of chocolate) on one plate, gorgeous colors, nutrition ... I was happy, truly.

The "boys" ordered like men: Jeremy chose his usual Reuben, having become quite the connoisseur after eating them in virtually every restaurant he's ever been to ... if there's a Reuben on the menu, there will likely be a Reuben on Jeremy's plate. This one was not gargantuan, but was most certainly very generous. And by the time he'd eaten the sandwich and moved on to the fries, Jeremy -- a 19-year-old male, remember, whose sole purpose in life sometimes seems to be eating me out of house and home -- couldn't finish everything. Thankfully Mom has a good appetite, and finished the fries for him ... :)

And Tom chose the classic and award-winning burger 'n' fries, which always seems to call more loudly than anything else on the menu and wins above the din of the other options. (There are times when you need earplugs not to hear the Siren song of that burger!) With tomato, lettuce and onion, as well as the pickles that can be added from the excellent assortment of condiments (hot peppers, pickles, Tabasco sauce, and vinegar among them), the famous burger -- hand-crafted with freshly ground beef -- is a thing of beauty that is only exceeded by its exceptional flavor.

Once we'd finished eating, a waiter came up to ask us if we were interested in dessert. We had discussed the strawberry shortcake before ordering lunch; it is an astoundingly gorgeous thing -- big as a plate and easily just as tall -- which could be shared by 3 as an entree if desired. But after eating all that chicken and beef and corned beef, there was no way dessert was going to be an option. The waiter asked, and I let out some sort of yelp of ridicule that made the waiter -- as well as Jeremy -- giggle. It was obvious that we had eaten all we could manage, expressed entirely without words but without any vulgar noises like burps, I'm happy to say.

I'm glad that there was no competition between burgers or ranking system required -- there's no way I could choose a favorite among these options. Fortunately, I don't have to! But then, my wishy-washiness is why I get paid no money for my reviews and have to pay my own tab, too ....

Playing Catch Up

I've got little crumbs and tidbits to toss out here, ones which didn't necessarily warrant their own posts but which can combine themselves -- like leftovers! -- into a nifty little package. I could have milked these and stretched them, but why make the effort? It's easier to do a re-cap -- a buffet, if you will -- here ....

First course ....

When Jeremy and I ate at Neehee's a few weeks ago, I was sure that he'd love the masala dosa as much as I do ... and I was wrong. (Good thing I didn't place any bets!) He adored the dosa part -- the enormous lentil pancake -- but found the potatoes to be too spicy.

He did, however, thoroughly enjoy the mango ice cream I bought for him to make up for his not liking the dinner he'd invited me to and paid for; and he absolutely adored the sugar cane juice (on the left, in the photo; on the right is my mango lassi, which was rich and delicious ... a perfect accompaniment to spicy food). When I learned that Neehee's served this drink, I knew Jeremy would have to try it: he'd once sliced his finger (thankfully not damaging his guitar-playing ability!) in trying to cut a stick of sugar cane that I'd bought for him, and it was infinitely easier to simply place an order than it is to extract the sweetness oneself. With what seemed to be a hint of ginger, this was something Jeremy liked so much that he might almost make the 13-mile trek to Canton just for a cup of it!

Next course ....

Two weeks ago, Tom and I went to eat at Ray's Red Hots on East University, a place that he used to take his daughter to both when she would come to Ann Arbor to visit him on weekends and also while she was a U of M student. He had many fond memories of the place, so how could I not go? Yeah, I can't eat anything with sodium nitrite or else I get the disturbing sensation that my head is being crushed under a dump truck; but there had to be something on the menu that I could have without getting a migraine, right?

Well, not really. $6 hamburgers, which I wasn't willing to pay for. Lots of variations on hot dogs, more hot dogs, still more hot dogs, tempeh dogs (retch!) ... sigh. The one lone employee was very friendly, very sweet, and very helpful -- a presumed college kid whose mother raised him well. When we asked about the nitrites, he offered that the hot dogs were from a company that uses top quality ingredients; well, Hebrew National gets rabbinic certification for kashrut (kashrut = Jewish dietary laws, a.k.a.: being kosher), advertises that they "answer to a higher authority," and states on their website that they use "No fillers or by-products. No artificial flavors or colors" ... but they still use sodium nitrite as a preservative! So I am eternally leery, and was unwilling to take the risk.

So Tom and I shared an order of waffle fries in addition to his relishing -- ha! -- a Chicago-style hot dog. The fries were good; but in retrospect, I should have considered either the cheese or the chili on top of them ... either or both of these would have provided some protein and a few thousand extra calories, but they would have been perfect and luscious in a "white trash" kinda way.

Ray Charles was playing in the background, which only enhanced the dive-y charm of the little restaurant. And since the food is served in baskets rather than on plates, and one bears responsibility for bussing one's own table, I had to take a picture of the very cute sign reminding people that the serving-ware is not available to go home as souvenirs.

Been very busy and preoccupied today, and I still have to write up my Mexican Brownies for a pre-Cinco de Mayo post on AnnArbor.com; so I'm going to save the fish course I'd also planned to add to the buffet table for another time ....