Izzo's Pizzeria -- PIZZA!

Izzo's Pub & Pizzeria
1147 S Washington Ave
Lansing, MI 48910
(517) 853-8500‎

* In the REO Town neighborhood

While Scott and I like pizza, we are not pizza connoisseurs. We’ll stop at Little Caesar’s for a $5 hot and ready and enjoy it. Our favorite pizza is from the local Cottage Inn on Saginaw. We love their thin crust! With that said, we enjoyed the pizza at Izzo’s.

The first visit was back in May. The bloggers along with Dan, Eric, Josh, and my mom made us a table of 10. Danielle called ahead to forewarn them. She also asked if she could bring a cake in (to celebrate Dan’s birthday), they said yes! We took up ½ of the pizzeria. We ate various pizzas, some ordered right from the menu and others picked the toppings they like. While it did take a bit of time before the pizzas came out, that is to be expected for a table of 10, it was a great night! Unfortunately, I cannot remember exactly what we ordered. But I do know it was good!

My second visit was about two weeks ago (late June). Two friends and I headed down to Izzo’s for lunch during the work week. We called ahead to place our orders (we each ordered a 14” pizza, not knowing that you could order slices of pizza, something to remember for the next visit) since we have an hour for lunch.

My pizza was a thin crust, loaded with good ingredients – cheese, pepperoni, mushrooms (they appeared to be fresh!), and great sauce. This is the type of pizza you fold to eat (it is not a crunchy thin crust). I ate three pieces at the restaurant. It was yummy! And, the leftovers held up well and tasted great the next day. The total for my pizza and soda, with tip, was $18.28.

We ate outside at their sidewalk tables. It was a nice day and sitting outside made the dining experience even better! To top it off, the service was amazing! You might think that sitting outside the service may be a bit slow, but our server was great. She came out a few times to check on us. It was a fun lunch!

If you are in the mood for yummy pizza, great service and a good time, I definitely recommend heading to Izzo’s!

Asia's Finest

Asia's Finest
6443 South Cedar
Lansing, MI 48911
517-393-1688

Visit Date: April 3, 2009

Rod and I have been fans of Mary Anne, owner of Asia's Finest, for over 14 years. We first met Mary Anne when she was a waitress at Bangkok House. I am sure I won't get the timeline right, but about seven years ago Mary Anne purchased Dok Sing Restaurant and added Thai food to the Chinese restaurant. Shortly after purchasing Dok Sing, Mary Anne also purchased Asia's Finest. She ran both for about a year, maybe two. It turns out running two restaurants on opposites sides of town proved to be more than difficult. Mary Anne sold Dok Sing to focus her attention on Asia's Finest. As an aside, the Dok Sing location recently transferred ownership again becoming the new location of Fortune House. We hope to blog about it soon.

Mary Anne is a warm and gracious host. Asia's Finest has, what I consider, typical mid-western Chinese restaurant decor. Well lit, Asian art on the walls, fairly uninspired. It is comfortable, but nothing fancy. A feature that I especially like is the large round tables that can easily seat 10 people -- in fact on this visit we had 11 in our group.

The Asia's Finest menu has Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese food. Mary Anne is, in fact, Vietnamese and was excited to open her own restaurant and include Vietnamese favorites on her menu. I strongly believe Mary Anne has the most flavorful Chinese food in the Lansing area. Since becoming a fan of Thai and Vietnamese food I've shied away from Chinese since the watered-down version found in most local restaurants just doesn't seem to have as much flavor, in comparison. Not so with Mary Anne's food -- I am a huge fan of her General Tsao's Chicken!!

I ordered Gang Gai. It is a Thai curry dish with bamboo, green peppers, green peas and holy basil. OK, here's the thing, I hate green pepper in a dish. On it's own, fine. Put it in a sauce of any kind or on a pizza and I feel that it completely overwhelms all of the other flavors -- even in a spicy dish like a Thai curry. That being said, I always replace green pepper for broccoli in my Thai and Chinese food orders.

This night's rendition of Gang Gai was really good, but not the best ever. My love of Thai food stems from the wonderfully complex layering of flavors and the intense spices. The creamy sweetness of the coconut milk, while delicious was the predominant flavor tonight. The spice was not at the forefront and overall the flavors just seemed a bit muted. I got the impression that others who ordered Thai that evening were having a similar reaction. When using fresh herbs and spices, as Mary Anne does, there is bound to be some variance so I assume this evening was an anomaly not a trend toward the mundane.

It is also important to note that Asia's Finest does not serve beer, wine or liquor. Regular readers of this blog know that finding great beer on a menu is important to Rod and me, however we make exceptions when the food is as good as it typically is at AF. I usually opt for ice water or hot tea as my beverage of choice.

The prices are extremely reasonable. Most entrees are under $10 and with no bar service, the typical bill for a couple with two entrees and an appetizer is under $30. If you haven't been to Asia's Finest, you really should check it out -- and tell Mary Anne I said "hello!" If you've never had Thai food, consider ordering mild and adding extra spice if needed.

Deadbeat Blogger

OK -- I feel like a total deadbeat! Our group has dined together a few times since our last post, but for some reason none of us has blogged about our outings. I am going to attempt to blog from memory on a few of the places we've visited -- so they may be more overall impressions rather than detailed descriptions of food -- but I'll do my best.

Also, I must thank my inspiration for getting going again. Last night Mike, Keith, Rod and I went to the Peanut Barrel, the Dairy Store and then Summer Circle at MSU. There we saw one of our blog followers and he mentioned that he'd been to the site a few times recently and was disappointed that we hadn't posted in quite some time. Boy, did I feel like a shmuck -- but I appreciated the mental kick in the pants seeing Paul provided. Paul, thanks!!! I loved your shades -- super cool. I'll be interested to see your thoughts on the play in the City Pulse.

Izzo's Pub & Pizzeria

Izzo's Pub & Pizzeria
1147 S Washington Ave
Lansing, MI 48910
(517) 853-8500

So, here's the deal. I am a pizza snob. I grew up on the Northshore of Boston and didn't have a pizza from a chain restaurant until I was in junior high school. There were over 20 independently owned pizza parlours in my hometown. You picked which one you went to based on what kind of crust, sauce or toppings you craved that night. I moved to Michigan in 1990 and have been underwhelmed by the pizza at chains and even so-called Italian restaurants. Until Izzo's, I think the best pizza I've had has been (when it is cooked right) the Sicilian-style thick crust pizza at Crunchy's in East Lansing. It didn't remind me of home, but the ultimate combination of slightly burned cheesey edges with our favorite toppings -- bacon, jalapenos and tomatoes hits the spot with a huge mug of beer. This is especially awesome on Sunday afternoons when the pizza is half off normal prices.

To say I was skeptical that Izzo's would live up to the hype I had been reading online was a complete understatement. I wasn't expecting the worst pizza ever, but I didn't expect to have my sox (yup, I went there -- GO SOX) knocked off either. OK -- sox (red or otherwise) officially knocked off my feet!

Izzo's is everything I remember from my childhood and more. From the sheer diameter of the large pizza, to the large slices, to the semolina flour dusting the bottom of the crust. If you haven't had pizza from the East Coast -- believe me, this is the real deal! You have to fold it in half and there's that slight trickle of grease that runs down toward your elbow as you eat. Pure pizza perfection!

The sauce is delicious without overwhelming the other ingredients. Getting the perfect amount of sauce is a true art form. Too much and you have a soggy pizza -- too little and the pizza is like the Sahara. Also, this sauce has a nice spiciness to it -- not over the top, but enough to avoid the cloying sweetness found so commonly on chain pizzas.

The cheese is just chewy enough to make sure you have to work at your bite of pie, but not rubbery like a sports-bar mozzarella stick. There's just enough cheese to get bubbly goodness and hold all of the toppings in place. Once again, balanced too perfection.

And, as far as the toppings go -- magnificent. All fresh ingredients. Izzo's does some fun specialty pizzas -- like the Mediterranean with feta, olives and artichokes or the Whiskey BBQ Chicken, with tangy bbq sauce and tender white meat chicken pieces. We've tried at least four of the specialty pizzas and made our own combinations too. Even those that have lots of different toppings do so with style. Geno (the owner!) understands that less is more. The idea of trying to cram enough toppings on so that you get each item in every bite causes a soggy mess and doesn't allow you to taste the fabulous crust, sauce or cheeses.

I recommend Izzo's without hesitation to anyone who truly likes pizza or wants to have a small taste of the East Coast. The pies are reasonably priced and a large usually feeds Rod and me for at least two, sometimes three meals. The atmosphere on the pizzeria side is comfortable for families (no smoking, well lit, etc.) and the pub side is nice but tends toward smokey in the evening hours. The pub and pizzeria are owned indepently, but they work together so you can order an adult beverage on the pizzeria side and food on the pub side. The last time we were in they asked if we could pay for the food and beer separately -- that was no problem for us and certainly an understandable request when you realize the separate ownership situation.

Corey's

Corey’s
1513 South Cedar Street

Lansing, Michigan
(517) 484-7060‎

Corey’s is a fun, casual place to meet friends for dinner. It is the quintessential neighborhood bar with a nice dining room that was not too smoky. The service was excellent, the food decent, and the company grand.

Six of us met this past Friday for dinner. We sat at a large table in the dining room. If we were interested, we could have watched the NCAA basketball tournament on the huge flat screen T.V. But, we talked instead, much more fun since my Arizona Wildcats lost big time!

The server was amazing! She was friendly, remembered our order without writing anything down, and was quite knowledgeable about the menu; she even had a photo of their calzone on her cell phone!

Scott had the New York strip. If he had known better, he would have ordered the fish and chips. He is always looking for the place to have fish and chips. There is always next time. The steak was fine, but the fries and salad were pretty good. I had the halibut, wild rice, and salad. The halibut was yummy! And, the salad was good. It included tomatoes, cucumbers and croutons. Not sure what was on tap as Scott likes Corona in a bottle (no lime, please). And, I had water. Our billed totaled $45.00 with tip.

We will definitely be back for a second visit.

Troppo

Troppo
101 South Washington Square
Lansing, MI 48933
(517) 371-4000

For our second group outing, The Blog that Ate Lansing visited Troppo in downtown Lansing. In addition to our six member group, friends Dan, Eric, John and Josh joined us for dinner.

What's on tap? There are about five or six beer options on tap (Stella Artois, Guinness, and some run of the mill mass-produced yellow lagers) of which the best choice for us was Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. No Michigan beers in the tap line up or in bottles. The geographically closest was the Burning River Pale Ale from Great Lakes Brewing Company of Cleveland, OH. A good beer but SNPA on tap is hard to beat. Pints were $5.50 each.

Rod and I started out with the Sweet & Spicy Calamari appetizer ($11.95), which we shared with our end of the table – Mike and Keith ordered one for their end too. This is our favorite appetizer at Troppo and one of the best calamaris in town. The squid is cut into thick meaty strips with a light breading before being deep-fried. The accompaniment is a sweet and spicy chili sauce and mango salsa. The sweetness of the mango and slightly spicy chili sauce complement the crispy and meaty squid. The only downside is there a no tentacle pieces – both Rod and I really love those guys! All-in-all a fantastic appetizer and all five at our end of the table got a fair share to eat from the generous portion. Cassie's right – it could certainly be a meal all to itself!

Squid was followed by the house salad – a nice blend of fresh greens, dried cherries, grated Parmesan and a cherry vinaigrette. The salad was decent overall but maybe a little too much cheese.

My entrée was the pork tenderloin ($17.95), described as follows on their menu: “Thin Pork Medallions with sautéed Washington Apples and Hot Damn Schnapps, topped with Crumbled Bleu Cheese and Roasted Walnuts on Gorgonzola Whipped Potatoes.” Overall this was a really enjoyable dish. I was a little surprised at the sweetness of the glaze. Tasted on its own, it was a bit cloying. However, paired with the creaminess of the potatoes and the salty bite of the blue cheeses it worked. There was no mention in the description, but the glaze seemed to taste of maple syrup – I didn't really pick up the Hot Damn. To say the pork medallions were thin is an understatement. There were three or four quarter-inch slices of pork. I'm not sure why they wouldn't have kept the loin whole for cooking and then sliced it upon serving. Tenderloin is such a low-fat cut, it benefits from being a bit thicker and that would allow for the meat to be cooked to the customer's desired level of doneness. Although I did enjoy this dish, it would have been over the top with two half-inch slices of pork tenderloin seared on the outside and cooked to medium (or even medium rare) on the inside.

Rod, like Scott, chose the halibut special ($20.95). It was a very upscale version of fish and chips. Beer battered halibut with a generous portion of hand-cut French fries. The presentation was very cool – fish stacked high on the fries with a martini glass to hold the, not one, but two aioli dipping sauces. The first was a garlic lemon aioli and the second was a black truffle infused aioli. The fish was crispy on the outside and tender and flaky on the inside.

Our server was Matt. We've had him as a server several times before and he is typically quite friendly. On Friday he didn't seem to have a smile for anyone. He was very matter of fact about the service. He was attentive but not engaging. We have always been impressed by the staff at Troppo and have had good experiences in the dining room, on the patio and at the bar. I would not consider this a bad experience but it was definitely not what we have come to expect. After learning that the tip was included, many in our group wondered if our server was just “phoning it in” since his level of engagement would not increase or decrease his potential tip. I can't say if this was why he wasn't engaged or if he was just having an off night, but it certainly isn't the conversation I would want my guests having on their way out of the restaurant.

The only other negative was the substantial wait between our salad and entrée. The appetizers and salads moved a long at a pretty good clip and then it was significantly longer than thirty minutes before our dinners arrived. Food seemed to be coming out of the kitchen at a decent pace but there only appeared to be two members of the cooking staff. It wasn't horrible since we had good friends and good conversation, but it did seem weird that neither Matt nor the manager addressed the delay, even upon serving the food.

Our bill came to $70.40 for the food and beverage -- with the 20% gratuity added automatically, we were out the door for $83.87.

We will certainly go back to Troppo. The food is consistently good and the atmosphere is enjoyable. A plate of calamari, a cold beer and their patio is hard combination to beat.

- Dani 3/22/09

Troppo

I had the seared duck breast. The meat rightfully took center stage on the plate. It was cooked medium rare, and was very tender with just the right amount of fat and light caramelization on the bottom. Served on a bed of risotto that was on the mushy side, but still passable. Julienned carrots, zucchini, and dried apricots finished the dish. The apricots were glazed and warm. The texture contrasted the tenderness of the duck, but I might have prefered fresh apricots to dried.

Troppo

Troppo
101 S. Washington Square
Downtown Lansing
517-371-4000

Thanks to our friends, we tried Troppo again last night. And this time we liked it, we really, really liked it.

Danielle and Rod shared their starter with us and the spice and sweet calamari was amazing. I could make that a meal. Scott had the special, which I cannot remember the exact ingredients, but it was basically fish and chips. The fish was halibut and it came with a sauce that included truffle oil (see photo to right). It was awesome per Scott. I had the blackened sea scallops and even though it came with only four scallops, they were large enough that I was still able to share bites with Scott, Danielle and Rod. A very good meal!

The bill for Scott and I came to $65.00 which included tip (we were a large group so a tip of 20% was included on the receipt) and beer (their Corona is tiny and called Coronitas, Scott had four).

The women’s restroom was nice and clean; however it only had one sink. You actually had to wait in line to wash your hands. Oh, and I think the McCormick’s salt and pepper grinders on the table are tacky.

Even with the one sink and dislike of their grinders, it was a very fun night with friends that included a scrumptious dinner! We are looking forward to our next visit.

Westgate Tavern

Mike and I split a BBQ chicken pizza. The crust was more on the thin side, and nicely crispy. The pizza had a large quantity of toppings, which fell readily over the sides. A knife and fork may be helpful next time, although it was still very possible to eat without utensils. While Westgate may not make the running for best pie in Lansing, they produced a delicious meal that certainly beats out chain Pizza.

Scott and I enjoyed the company and food at Westgate Tavern.

Red meat was the pick for us. Scott enjoyed his patty melt and onion rings. The bread was tasty and the melt was cooked to perfection! The onion rings, while not like those found at the Varsity (Atlanta, Georgia), were pretty good. I had the bacon cheeseburger. The bun was amazing, the burger cooked just how I asked (medium), and the bacon was crisp. As for the fries, they were the perfect vehicle for the ranch dressing.

While the bathrooms look like they have not been updated in years, they were super clean! And, that is the most important part of a bathroom visit.

We will return for another bite at Westgate!

Westgate's wood burning stove and gate.

Westgate Tavern

Westgate Tavern
623 N Rosemary St.
Lansing, MI 48917
(517) 323-9170

We visited the Westgate Tavern - a first visit for all in our group - on Saturday, March 14, 2009 for dinner. There is an L-shaped bar that seats about 20, a pool table and additional seating at about 10-12 tables. A wood burning stove adds a cozy feel in one corner of the restaurant. Very few windows add to the typical dark tavern atmosphere. Several tables and bar stools were filled with folks who seemed to be regulars. We felt welcome immediately and our server was friendly and helpful. The only drawback was the fairly thick layer of smoke. There didn't seem to be great ventilation. Someone propped a door open halfway through our visit and that helped greatly!

Unfortunately for Rod and me, the beer selection left a lot to be desired. The tap line-up included the typical Budwesier and Miller products. Specialty taps were Blue Moon and Killian's -- neither our cup of tea. We asked about any bottled beers from Michigan -- no. What about Sam Adam's -- no. Rod stuck to water. I had a well gin and tonic. The water glasses around the table were kept full and my gin and tonic was perfectly acceptable for what it was.

The menu ranged from typical fried appetizers, hamburgers, wraps, dinners (fried chicken, fried perch, etc.) and pizza. Rod had the olive burger, prepared medium-rare and curly fries. Rod says the burger was cooked perfectly and had the texture of a homemade/hand-formed pattie. Rod loves the olive burgers from Dagwood's, Peanut Barrell and the Irish Pub -- he said this one was as good as any he's had. I tried a bite and agree it would definitely cure my hankering for an olive burger. The sauce was creamy and the large slices of green olives added a salty bite. Rod said the curly fries were crispy and well-seasoned. The thinness of the fries made for lots of crispy surface area, which Rod really enjoyed.

I settled on the grilled chicken sandwich and regular fries. The chicken was a restaurant-portioned piece of breast meat on a buttered and grilled bun with lettuce, tomato and mayo. I scraped off most of the mayo (although it was not too much for the average person). The lettuce was crispy and the slice of tomato was over a half-inch thick and very fresh. The fries were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside with great potato flavor.

Our bill was $15.42 for two sandwiches, two orders of fries and one gin and tonic. We left $19 and felt we got a pretty good value for our dollar. The server was attentive and the food was better than average bar food. The biggest drawbacks were the level of smoke and the lack of a good beer selection. We'd be most inclined to visit again at lunch time since we do enjoy a good beer when we go out for dinner and we're hoping it might be less smokey if more folks are there just for a meal rather than hanging out over drinks.

Dani -- 3/15/09

Introduction

Welcome to The Blog that Ate Lansing. We are a group of friends in Lansing that enjoy dining out -- especially at locally owned establishments. In order to make others aware of what our community has to offer, we want to share our impressions of the local restaurants we visit. We'll comment on the specific meals and beverages we try and our general thoughts on the overall experience. From top left to bottom right, we are Dani, Mike, Rod, Scott, Keith & Cassie. We encourage you to share your thoughts, ask questions or make suggestions of places we should try. Thanks for visiting!