Blimpie, 50 years of Delicious

One of my favorite places to get subs from, other than Subway, would have to be Blimpie. Before moving to Ishpeming I had never really eaten here. Now my husband and I get subs and salads from here frequently. Although you do get more sauce and topping options at Subway, the subs at Blimpie are completely different and unique. They also have different bread and bun options here that you won't find at Subway.

The above sandwich is the Buffalo Chicken Panini grilled sub. I always ask for the original, minus raw onions. This sub is layered with sliced buffalo chicken breast (and yes, they actually slice the meat fresh, in front of you), provolone cheese, tomatoes, hot sauce and Ranch dressing. I always get it on the Ciabatta bread which gives the outside a great crunch.

One of my new favorites would have to be the Turkey, Bacon and Cheddar sub on the pretzel bread. The pretzel bread is AMAZING. I am a huge fan of soft pretzels regardless. The sub is layered with oven-roasted turkey, crisp bacon, smoked cheddar cheese, tomatoes and instead of getting the spicy mustard sauce that normally comes on it, I opted for the chipotle mayonnaise. I also added lettuce and pickles. Yum!

 They also have amazing soups. My two favorites are the chili (first and second picture above), and the cheddar broccoli (above right picture).


If you are in Ishpeming and have a craving for a good sub or hot soup (especially now that it is Fall, and for us practically Winter), stop in and grab some Blimpie subs! They also have a drive-through. The main website with the link to their menu is below.

Blimpie main website

Blue Plate Diner

While I was packing to head home from our Rhode Island trip, my husband was more than willing to go pick up dinner (and get out of packing). We ordered takeout from a restaurant right down the street from our hotel, called Blue Plate Diner. The building looks beautiful (picture taken by my husband). The pictures on the website of the food is what made us want to eat from here. It's home style comfort food, made very elegantly. Unfortunately from driving around in a car and being in to-go containers, my pictures aren't as great. The food looks more like the whole container got shook up and down but the taste was still amazing.

For an appetizer, we got the "Garbage Fries". Waffle fries covered in cheddar cheese, homemade beef chili, salsa, guacamole and sour cream. They were unbelievable! These have to be the best loaded fries that I have ever eaten.

.......remember when I had said that the container looked like someone shook it? Yes...this is the one I was talking about....but I tried a bite of it and it was melt in your mouth tender. My husband ordered the Slow Roasted Beef Brisket, served in a red wine sauce, with root vegetables and mashed potatoes (which you can KIND of see...under that hot mess). Don't let the picture fool you. It really tasted amazing!

I decided to try the Pasta Carbonara. Perfectly cooked pasta with sauteed bacon (there was quite a bit of bacon fat that I picked off, that part wasn't as pleasant), ham, garlic and peas all tossed in a Parmesan cream sauce. The combination of everything was good. I wish that the Parmesan sauce had more of a salty kick to it rather than tasting more like a bland cream sauce, but it wasn't bad. I would probably try something else from the menu next time, but eventually I would circle my way back to this dish and order it again.

Apparently it was loaded carbs night in the hotel....that or maybe we were just really sad that our vacation was almost over. The food here is delicious, and I would love to go back and eat in the restaurant because as far as the website shows, the decor is fun and bright. And the food will probably look 10 times better on the plate when served gracefully, rather than bouncing around in a car. Definitely worth trying, and it makes me wish we had one closer!

Below is a link to their Facebook page and main website:

Blue Plate Diner, Main site

Blue Plate Diner, Facebook

Patti's Pierogis

While on our Rhode Island trip, we had almost an entire free day (we were pretty busy while there). We decided to go and see the Lizzie Borden house in Fall River, MA. It was only about a half hour drive or so from where we were staying. Whether you believe in the supernatural or not, I did get a pretty cool ghost picture while there, and it was (and I know this will make me seem creepy, which I guess I somewhat am) actually very cool and interesting...and fun. I love a good ghost story, even if the situation is tragic.

We were also told that we need to stop at Patti's Pierogis while in town and then I realized that I had seen that episode re-run not too long ago on Diners Drive-ins and Dives. So of course, now we HAD to go. And boy, did we eat our fair share....had we not had to board a plane the next day, and wanted to try something else for dinner that night, we would have gotten takeout to bring back to the hotel.

 With your meal, you get a basket of amazing bread to eat while you wait. We went one step further and ordered one of my favorite things in the entire world for an appetizer, the potato pancake. Made with mashed instead of shredded, this pancake was moist and fell apart in your  mouth. And of course, we had to order it with the typical (and in my opinion, only way to eat it) sour cream and applesauce.

There were so many kinds of pierogis that I had an unbelievably hard time choosing. So I decided, since you can mix and match, that I would pick my top six that I wanted to try. Lucky for you (and sorry for the picture overload on this post), I happened to take a picture of every one!

Above left picture: Pizza

Above right picture: Macaroni and cheese

Above top picture: Broccoli and cheddar

Above bottom picture: Onion, potato and cheddar

 Above left picture: Chili

Above right picture: Mashed sweet potato, with toasted marshmallow

And what's that.......you have dessert pierogies? Yum!! We decided to go with the Apple Rum Raisin and the Peanut Butter Cup. They were both amazing with a great crunch on the outside and a soft, packed with flavor inside.

 Above pictures: Peanut Butter Cup

Above pictures: Apple Rum Raisin

If you are in the area, or stopped to check out some spooky Lizzie Borden ghost stories, then you should make it a point to stop here and eat some delicious food! A link to their main website, that also has the video from Diners Drive-ins and Dives, is listed below. There is also a link to their Facebook page. 

Patti's Pierogis, Facebook

Patti's Pierogis, Main Site

La Forge Casino Restaurant

The day after the wedding that we attended in Rhode Island, was a "join us on our first day as husband and wife" brunch. Technically, we didn't eat off of the main menu at this restaurant. However, the buffet was amazing, and the view was just as nice. The restaurant is connected to and part of the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum. The building used to be an old Casino also, which the picture of the gorgeous tile work is shown below.

If I am ever back in the area, I will need to stop in and eat here for a normal meal. The pictures that people have posted and reviews that were given about the food here make it sound amazing. 

Becky's BBQ

I won't lie, I had written this restaurant down on my list of "to eat at" because of the fact that my name is also Becky. And it just so happens that I love BBQ. But after visiting and reading the background story of the business, I almost feel honored to have eaten their food.

(Photo from their main website, link listed at the bottom of the page)

This is a picture of Becky, of Becky's BBQ. In 1998, Becky and her husband Bob opened this restaurant. It was her dream to bring delicious real BBQ to the area. In 2004 she passed away from cancer, and the rest of the family has made it a mission to keep her dream alive by feeding people. 

 Not only does it feel homey when you walk in, but it literally is a house, to which part is converted into a restaurant. The dining room is small as is the kitchen, but the smells that come out of the tiny kitchen are mouth watering. We decided to get something to go, since we had a wedding to make it to in about 2 hours. We both got the BBQ Pulled Chicken Lunch Plate, that came with a side of corn bread, and another side of your choice. I got the corn as my side. Mmm mmm mmm...... I could have eaten about 10 times the amount of chicken.

This family is serving up some amazing BBQ, in a most unexpected area. Help spread the story and dream of Becky, and tell everyone you know who is visiting or near the area to eat here. You will not regret it, and neither will your taste buds. 

A link to their main website and Facebook page is below:

Becky's BBQ Main Site

Becky's BBQ Facebook Page

Aquidneck Pizza, nothing goes better with alcohol...

Well, these won't be the best pictures. Here's the story of why. My husband and I went to his friends rehearsal dinner earlier in the night, and then ended up at a bar with everyone called Tickets. I am a pretty big light weight so a few drinks in and I was feeling good. We were starved by the time we were done at the bar, and what is right next door and open till the wee hours of the morning? A pizza place and restaurant. PERFECT location for one. We walked across the parking lot and ordered a large pizza before heading back to the hotel.

We ordered the "Spartan" pizza, which consisted of pesto, chicken, cheese and topped with tomato and feta. It was gooey, loaded with cheese and the feta gave the pizza a nice bite and salty factor. It was amazing.

If I ever get the chance to visit the area again, I will definitely be stopping here to try something other than pizza. They serve breakfast, appetizers, salads, soup, sandwiches, burgers, pasta, specials and dessert. Definitely not just a pizza point.

A link to their Facebook page and main website is below:

Aquidneck Main Site

Aquidneck Facebook Page

Anthony's Seafood

Now....before I get into this next review. Can I tell you how EXCITED that I was to finally eat at a restaurant featured on Diners Drive-ins and Dives (almost as excited as when some of my family and I met Robert Irvine in the airport this past April....)!! Our second foodie stop on our Rhode Island trip was to the famous restaurant, Anthony's Seafood.

The restaurant doesn't look a whole lot like it did on the show right now. The front of the building must be being redone because there is plastic everywhere on the outside. They have a cute car filled with corn (pictured below), and a bucket to leave your corn husks for deer feed. You also walk through an outdoor seating area before the entrance.

For an appetizer, we ordered the crab cakes. I didn't know if I was going to like them, considering I am not a huge seafood person to begin with, but crab I can usually handle. The crab wasn't overpowering, but was definitely fresh, and the flavor was amazing. They were served with a side of Chipotle tartar sauce, which I loved because I could taste a lot of the pickle, and I LOVE pickles. Another great point to make is that they were baked, not fried, so they were crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and not greasy at all.

Now, the only thing I think my husband and I regret getting, was the lobster for two. It wasn't that it was BAD. You could tell the lobster was fresh, and even came with a cute instruction page, which is a good thing because we had NO idea what we were getting ourselves into. We have only ever had lobster tail that already came with the shell cut and the meat exposed. I think if we had to do it over again, we would have chosen something a little different off of the menu that was easier to eat and slightly more familiar to us.

If you are in Middletown, you MUST stop here. Not only for bragging rights, but for some of the most fresh seafood that you will find in the area. They also offer takeout, and have a deli counter filled with fresh seafood and other goodies. A link to their main website, and their Facebook page (that has the video from Diners Drive-ins and Dives) are listed below. If you don't stop here, you are missing out!

Anthony's Seafood Main Site

Anthony's Seafood, Facebook Page