Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Grub Crawl - Michigan Street: Mediterranean Blue (Closed) & The Sandwich Shop (Closed)

These two restaurants are on E. Michigan about a mile off 1-4. It's kind of a run down part of town that I doesn't have a restaurant that has ever knocked my socks off or been worthy of destination status. These two were not outliers. I ate lunch there today.

Mediterranean Blue - Everytime I have Greek food I lower them down a notch on the worldwide tennis ladder. It's a travesty that they are associated (diners) with food in so many parts of the country. Who encouraged this? I tried to go off page (Gyro is really the only thing they can do) and ordered the daily special. It was a Mahi Mahi "sandwich" in a pita. I was assured the fish was fresh. It wasn't It was frozen. It had freezer burn marks and tasted like bait. It didn't even look like Mahi. It must have been a baby based on the filet widths. Lots of people are accused of substituting this fish. We may have found proof. They put some unseasoned raw cabbage on it and an awful, pungent, salty tapenade. It accentuated the burnt residue of the pita. This thing was poorly conceived. The flavors they did offer didn't compliment. There were no levels of flavor. Sad. The pita was good. I ate a few pieces. Didn't want to ruin my appetite by eating more than I had to. It cost $8. The place is equally unassuming. It's a run down, square, low celinged remenant from the 70's. I've heard they "modernized" it. That means a coat of paint, some signage and a few framed photos. The menu is small (single digits) and basic. They have some "Italian" sandwiches (thinks cold cuts or caprese) and a "French" sandwich. That is the tour of Europe. I'd never go back. I can get a Gyro at Miami Subs.

The Sandwich Shop - They, sort of, salvaged the trip down here. I had a half of a Steak In The Grass sandwich for $6. It was roast beef and sauteed spinach and maybe some cheese (I had it to go and wasn't really paying attention as I wolfed it down driving away from the area). It was served warm. The sandwich did have levels of flavor (some garlic butter too). The portion of beef was large. I was going to question the pricing until I saw the portion size. A half is a real sandwich on its own. It came with an acceptable red potato salad (a little cup). The egg salad you could also choose from looked a little "filmy". The place is drab. It is part of an old strip mall complex. It is mostly kitchen. They have an alley space that seats about eight and another small space in front that may seat four. There is no effort given to interior decorating. It's a "business card on bulletin board" sort of place. They try to be creative with the sandwiches, but, most are staples given pithy names (and not to many of those). It's fine if you live in the area. 

2 comments:

Eric said...

I can appreciate a blog that reviews crappy restaurants, but you have a lack of experience regarding how food is cooked, prepared, and turned into a business. You also seem to have no restaurant experience. I don't really know why you waste your time blogging when there are better reviews on the average, lame, restuarant scoring sites. And like those lame scoring sites, you seem to also believe that your uninformed opinion matters. People would take you seriously if you said, "When I worked in the restaurant business, this was a common shortcut to make more money of what is otherwise discarded fish" or "I'm guessing they are doing poorly based on how this place has few cold items on display and is micowaving everything. So, have fun blogging, but you ought to write about an industry you understand. Simply saying, "It tasted bad" is not engaging or interesting or funny blog content. You sound like an unhappy queen that needs a manicure.

Henry the Ninth said...

1. You overvalue practical knowledge.
2. You exaggerate the complexity of this industry. It's why drop outs end up here.
3. I'm more like the people they need to satisfy than the fictional person you are describing.
4. You are looking to excuse failure because you are emotionally empathetic to the supply side. I seek to expose it.