Cheli's Chili

                This past weekend I went to Cheli’s Chili with my family. I love this place. First reason- They have great food. Second reason- My family and I are die-hard Red Wings fans. Third reason- I’m Greek.

                Let me skip to my second reason for a minute. This restaurant is owned by Chris Chelios, former Red Wings defenseman. A great player. So of course, this restaurant is Red Wings themed. Ding ding ding! Perfect for my family and me!

                Cheli’s Chili has great food and so many options to choose from. Of course, Cheli’s Chili specializes in chili (obviously). But then there are so many other options like sandwiches, burgers, pizzas, and the list goes on.

                So to start, we ordered some saganaki. Being Greek, I love saganaki. If you don’t know what that is, it’s the cheese that’s lit on fire, and when the flame “explodes”, you yell, “Opa!” I don’t get to have saganaki that often, so when I do, it’s a real treat. Cheli’s Chili has great saganaki that they serve with pita bread to put the cheese on. If you ever go to Cheli’s Chili or any Greek restaurant, please please please order the saganaki! (The reason this Greek dish is served at a chili place is due to the fact that Chris Chelios is Greek.)

                After our saganaki was devoured (I’m not kidding; it was gone in seconds), we got our food. I ordered the Bavarian ham and Swiss sandwich, which was oh-so-good. The ham and Swiss cheese, along with some sort of sauce, was on warm pretzel bread. I had never had pretzel bread before, and I had been missing out. I absolutely loved this sandwich. It was warm, the cheese was melty, and the pretzel bread was so good. My brother and my mom also ordered the same thing, both loving it too. My dad ordered the chicken hani, which he also enjoyed. Both my parents have gotten the chili before, both loving that too. My friend came with us, and she ordered the reuben, which she said was really good. My aunt, uncle, and cousin also came with us; my cousin and uncle ordered burgers (which they enjoyed), and my aunt ordered the Bavarian ham and Swiss sandwich too.

                While we were there, there was a live band, which created a fun atmosphere; some people even started dancing. It’s a loud restaurant, especially with all the sports games going on. I haven’t been there when there’s a Red Wings game, but when there is, sirens and lights flash go off whenever the Red Wings score. That’s the next best thing to actually being at a game.

                There are three Cheli’s Chili locations in the metro Detroit area, one in Detroit by Comerica Park (which would be perfect to go to before a Red Wings, Tigers, or Lions game), one in Dearborn, and one in Clinton Township. We went to the one in Clinton Township, but I’d love to go to the one in Detroit before or after a Wings game. Cheli’s Chili is a great place for food and a great place for Red Wings fans. 

Photo from: http://www.thehenryford.org/attractions/attractions_detail.asp?editId=169

Outback Steakhouse

           Outback Steakhouse. This has been one of my favorite restaurants for as long as I can remember. I’m a steak and potatoes kind of girl, so I absolutely love a good steakhouse restaurant. And Outback is exactly that.

I went there recently with my family, and we all enjoyed our meal. What I love about Outback is its Australian theme. I would love to visit Australia someday, so being in a restaurant that incorporates that theme is as close as I can get to the real thing at the moment.

Anyways, first of all, we ordered an appetizer to start. My family ordered the coconut shrimp, which, according to their menu, the shrimp is “dipped in beer batter, rolled in coconut and fried golden, [and is] paired with Creole marmalade”. I am not a seafood fan, so I didn’t try the coconut shrimp, but my family absolutely loved it. My mom sometimes orders it as her dinner.

                Our waiter also brought to our table a warm, freshly baked loaf of bread. It is dark bread, and when the butter melts on it, it is so good. I love it, and sometimes I fill up too much on it (oops!).

                I ordered the Outback Special, a steak that is “seasoned with savory spices and seared on a red hot grill to lock in the juicy flavor”. The menu’s description isn’t kidding. The steak is juicy and has the right amount of seasoning. With my steak, I chose a baked potato. Their baked potatoes are unlike any other baked potatoes I’ve had.

                With my steak came the choice of soup or salad and one side. Here’s my only complaint: Outback’s salads used to be big and full of lettuce. This time, the salad was smaller, and it seemed to be less of a salad and more of a veggie bowl. Meaning- less lettuce, more onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. Don’t get me wrong, I know many people enjoy this, but I’d like a little more lettuce in my salad. But other than that, I really enjoyed my meal.

                Just a few other “bites” of info: My brother ordered the Norwegian salmon, which was “seasoned and wood-fire grilled” and came with mixed veggies. It also came with a choice of soup or salad. My brother seemed to really enjoy the salmon, and he has ordered it many times in the past. My dad ordered the teriyaki filet medallions, which were “wood-fire grilled teriyaki marinated filet, onions, red and green peppers”. His meal also came with the choice of soup or salad and one side. My dad usually orders something different every time, and he really seemed to enjoy this too. My mom ordered the tilapia, which was “crowned with crab stuffing, pure lump crab meat and sliced mushrooms, finished with a drizzle of light lemon butter Chablis sauce”. It also came with mixed veggies. She usually orders the tilapia whenever we go to Outback, so she really enjoys it.

                Outback is a great restaurant. It’s on my top ten list of my favorites. Love it!

Photo from: http://www.outback.com/

T.G.I. Friday's

              Quite recently, I went to T.G.I. Friday’s with my family for my birthday. T.G.I. Friday’s is one of my favorite restaurants. They have so many different options; I never get the same thing each time I go there. That's what I love about it. Plus, they have great food!

                This time, I ordered the Jack Daniel’s Chicken Sandwich. I have gotten it before, and I absolutely love it! The chicken is grilled and basted in Jack Daniel’s barbeque sauce, topped with a few cheeses, bacon, lettuce, Jack Daniel’s mayo, tomatoes, pickles, and onion straws. I’m kind of picky, so no tomatoes, pickles, or onion straws for me. This sandwich is to die for! It’s hot, juicy, and messy. (You’ll need wet wipes, so ask for them!) It’s so filling too; I only ate half! (Hello, lunch for tomorrow!) The sandwich comes with a side of fries, chips, or a side salad. The Jack Daniel’s Chicken Sandwich is one of my favorite options on their menu. My family also loves it too; we even make our own Jack Daniel’s Chicken Sandwiches at home!

                We also ordered an order of the breadsticks, which were warm and tasted perfect with melted butter. Yum!

                At T.G.I. Friday’s for your birthday, they blow up balloons and tie them to your body. The number of balloons you get equal how old you are. I did not feel like being embarrassed, so we kept the fact that it was my birthday on the DL. So no free dessert for me unfortunately.

                But, because of my sweet tooth, I did order dessert of course. Oreo Madness. I absolutely love Oreos and cookies and cream ice cream, so this dessert was made for me. It’s a big Oreo cookie ice cream sandwich. The cookies and cream ice cream is sandwiched in between two giant Oreo cookie crusts, and then hot fudge and caramel are drizzled over it. Again, yum!

                Just a few other “bites” of info: My brother ordered the “Pick Two”. He ordered an appetizer of the fried mozzarella cheese sticks, which he let me try, and then he ordered the Jack Daniel’s Pulled Pork Sandwich. He seemed to really enjoy it. My dad ordered the Jack Daniel’s Chicken and Shrimp, which he has ordered before. Again, he really seemed to enjoy his meal too. My mom ordered the Pecan-Crusted Chicken Salad. She has ordered this many times before, so she obviously enjoys it. My mom’s only complaint was that she wished you could order the salad in different sizes (like a full or half order) because half of the salad was enough for her. (She brought home the rest.) The burgers at T.G.I. Friday’s are also very good. I’ve had them many times before, and I would order them again. I’ve also had the BBQ Chicken Wrap, which is also very good. It’s a little spicy and very messy, but very good. Something else T.G.I. Friday’s has that I love is their wedge salads. It’s literally a salad wedge topped with whatever dressing you want and all the normal toppings of a salad. But I love the crispiness of the wedge salad.
                So obviously I’ve given you a bunch of different options to order at T.G.I. Friday’s. It’s one of my favorite places to eat. Go there. You'll love it.

Photo from: http://www.tgifridays.com/storeLocator/FindUs.aspx?address=48044&lat=42.6547932&lng=-82.9178838