JJ's Steak and Pizza House, Shipwreck Tours and The Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Visitor's Center, Alpena, MI - REVIEW

Alpena, Michigan, always surprises us with their vast selection of intriguing dining establishments.  The Undercover Divas noticed a bustling restaurant in a stone building called JJ's Steak and Pizza House, and wandered inside.  What we found was a busy, but still comfortable setting with families and friends enjoying mostly pizza and the fascinating up-north decor of stuffed, wild animals.  There were many displays of wildlife in glass cases and on the walls. We noticed a long bar area with drink specials written on the mirror behind the bottles of liquor.  This area seems to be the gathering place for the locals.  We sat down in the dining area enclosed by all the glass displays and checked out the menu.  

Before we ordered, a couple at the next table said hello and recommended JJ's Top Sirloin Steak ($12.99) as they were just finishing theirs and said they drive to Alpena regularly, just to have a steak at JJ's. Our waitress suggested we try the daily luncheon special ($6.99) which was a salad bar that had several different kinds of pizza, cheese bread, full salad bar fixings with lots of veggies, different pasta salads, beans and two kinds of puddings. 

The Lunch Special goes until 3pm, then several homemade soups are added to the buffet for the dinner crowd.  We decided to stick to the menu and ordered a large, deep dish, meat-lovers pizza ($17.99) that was recommended to us by friends, and it was superb. They do take the time to make the pizzas well, and while waiting, everyone at the table gets to go to the salad bar, included in the price of the pizza.

Lots of choices on the menu, salad bar in itself was a meal, portions of everything were generous, servers were all friendly, place was clean, and our pizza was loaded with meats, cheeses and plenty of flavor.

If you have a big family, and need a place to take them out without being afraid of your kids being a bit unruly, this is the place- but don't be afraid of the kids, this isn't a daycare center- it is quite under control. It is just what a family pizza place should be, but with even better food than you would expect.

JJ's Steak and Pizza House is located in the heart of downtown Alpena (right by the bridge) at 411 North 2^ndAve. There is some street parking in the front, but the best parking is around back, and you can enter through the marked back door. JJ's opens at 7am for breakfast and closes at midnight. We do plan on returning on our next trip up north and might even switch to one of their premium steak dinners, or maybe the ribs.

Special Attention: When in Alpena, be sure to take a “Shipwreck Tour”. During the 2½ hour cruise you will see magnificently preserved shipwrecks, scenic shorelines and majestic lighthouses. Departing Alpena, the 65 ft. “Lady Michigan” will take you on a comfortable adventure into the heart of Lake Huron's Shipwreck Alley. The open upper deck has ample seating and the lower deck has glass bottom viewing wells, to allow you to view shipwreck remains during the cruise. Adults - $30, Children 12 and under - $10. The Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Visitor's Centeroffers over 11,000 sq. ft. of exciting exhibits and a shipwreck that visitors can explore. It is located with the tours and has free admission.   

Atwater in the Park Microbrewery in Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan -- REVIEW

The DIVAS have gone German. While in the Grosse Pointe Park area, we came across an old church at the corner of Kercheval and Lakepointe that had been transformed into a proper German biergarten, the Atwater in the Park microbrewery, and decided to stop in. 

 We passed through the public seating outside, very reminiscent of a Bavarian beer garden. Upon entering the dining room, we noticed the former altar, occupied by brewing equipment. The bar area is the whole sanctuary with 40 taps underneath a cork-lined ceiling. Stained glass windows take up the front wall in the dining room and “pews” from the former Grace United Church (outdoor marker dated 1936) surround the two side walls. We took a seat.

The food is German biergarten fare. Smoked knockwurst, kielbasa, bratwurst, sauerkraut, schnitzels, German Platters and bar classics were on the menu. I had Wiener schnitzel (veal cutlet) with lemon-caper sauce, German potato salad and asparagus ($14.00). The other DIVA had a Bratwurst sandwich with sauerkraut ($10.00). The food was a very Americanized version of German food. It was good, but not as German as I was hoping for.

The craft beer at Atwater in the Park is the star of the show, as it is a fresh alternative to many local small breweries. Since the microbrewery "revolution" that started in the mid 1990's, the vast majority have produced Ales as opposed to Lagers. There are several reasons for this, which include the ability to create more diverse styles of beer when brewing ales, but most probably is because lagers take longer to create (more expensive) and are generally more difficult to master. What is disappointing with this is the large part of the population that are from great Lager producing countries, in particular Germany. In tandem with that, is the fact that the Metro Detroit area has a very large German population, but has only a few German restaurants. The Atwater brewery locations provide a much needed influx of craft made lagers and German fare.

The Atwater's beer selection is not locked into just traditional German styles, and they create a wide variety for all types of beer lovers, and includes specialty and seasonal offerings. Any of the beers offered at Atwater can be served in a sample-size pour. Included in this collection are house-brewed Cottonwood Golden Ale, HG Brown, HGP Imperial IPA and Quaker Oatmeal Stout.

Atwater in the Park is laid out with community seating both inside and out, to invite people together for drink, food and conversation. Their main focus is their microbrewery with over 25 Atwater beers available. The food was an American version of German fare. Atwater in the Park opens daily at 11:30am for the lunch crowd and closes at midnight. The place was impressive, clean and service was friendly. It's a great meeting place for fun and laughter after work and on weekends.

Marco's Italiano Ristorante, Roseville, MI, and the Gratiot Cruise -- REVIEW

Hello Undercover Diva followers, this is Annod, we have been on double duty for the last few days. It was dinner time and we were in the mood for something and it happened to be Italian. I knew of a place I pass frequently and I wanted to try it.  It is located north of 13 Mile Rd. on Gratiot, in Roseville, MI.

The place is called Marco's Italiano Ristorante, located in the Days Inn & Suites. We walked in and the owner said we could sit anywhere. Looking around, it reminded me of an Italian Villa with the exposed brick plus a bonus, a natural fireplace. We will love that when the chill is back in Michigan. Marco’s menu offers a selection of both Italian and Mexican items, but we never got past the Italian menu. We noticed a full service bar with a nice selection of wines and beers. We were pleased by the great oldies music and watching a Detroit Tiger game.

Suse was running a few minutes late. Once she was there our waitress Keri asked what we wanted to drink. We all chose water. Well clumsy me spilled it everywhere. Keri was so nice and laughed with me.

Marco’s is hidden in a hotel formally known as the Georgian Inn. It’s a shame that no one knows it’s there because the food is wonderful. I was looking at the menu and I noticed that they had zip sauce for the steak dish I was thinking about. I asked for a sample and she brought it out. Wow, it was amazing.

Gini and Suse decided on a house salad ($2.99) with great raspberry vinaigrette dressing. Keri brought over a bread basket with Italian olive oil infused with spices, very good. Suse decided on the Steak Medallions topped with a Portobello mushroom and melted cheese, with zip sauce and a baked potato ($14.99).  Gini had the Spaghetti and meat sauce ($13.99) with a side of Italian sausage ($3.99). I decided to get the New York Strip Steak ($20.00) grilled and topped with the wonderful zip sauce with a potato, but I asked to substitute a side of pasta with marinara sauce. That wasn’t a problem with Keri.

We all were enjoying our meal but I requested my steak to be more cooked, it was a little too rare. (Tim the cook brought it back out and wanted to make sure it was done correctly). It was awesome. Because we just had to try a dessert, I ordered the tiramisu. It was good but I had to share since the other DIVAS noticed how delicious it looked and wanted a taste.

The service was great, pricing reasonable, very clean surroundings and the food was authentic Italian. They are open at 11:30 am Monday through Saturday and close at 10 pm. Sunday’s hours are 11:30 am to 8 pm.  If you’re in the mood for Italian, it’s a hidden GEM.

Special Attention: Just up the block, the 12^th Annual Clinton Township Gratiot Cruise will take place on Sunday, August 2, 2015. They expect 200,000 people and thousands of classic cars to line Gratiot Avenue from 14 Mile to north of Metropolitan Parkway (16 Mile). This is a FREE public event for friends, family and out-of-towners, with or without classic vehicles. You may find a spot on the route to drop a blanket or bring your own lawn chairs. Cruise hours are from noon until 6pm, with festivities starting as early as 8am.  

Celina's Polish Kitchen & Cathy's Homemade Goodies in St. Clair Shores, Michigan -- REVIEW

A recommendation from a follower of The Undercover Divas sent us to Celina's Polish Kitchen in St. Clair Shores, Michigan. It is an eat in or carry-out place for Polish food. Upon entering, we noticed there were only three tables for eating. We were welcomed by Cathy as we arrived.

Step one is going to the counter and making your choices from the menu on the wall. Polish dinners are ordered by number and they had about everything we have found available at the Polish restaurants in Hamtramck. Homemade soup of the day (vegetable soup today) is listed on the wall and variations of the day's pierogies were on a sign on the counter. There were at least six different types, and all sounded appetizing. For those that love authentic Polish, there was a dill pickle soup as one of the dailies, just not available the day we were there.

The three of us DIVAS all decided to order off the right side of the wall menu, the “Create Your Own Plate With Sides” option. Annod had the city chicken ($2.90), cheese and potato pierogies with grilled onions ($3.45) and a stuffed cabbage ($2.70). Gini had a city chicken with brown gravy ($2.90), *could be hotter* mashed potatoes ($2.35) and a stuffed cabbage ($2.70). I had city chicken with mushroom gravy ($2.90), sweet cream pierogies ($3.45) and a stuffed cabbage ($2.70). Annods son joined us and had the vegetable soup ($2.75) that he enjoyed.

Step two is deciding to eat in, as there was a table available. While waiting for our food, we noticed how many customers came in for carry-outs. There were many and their orders were filled quickly. Some had called ahead (586/294-0631) and were in and out. Our food for eating-in also didn't take long. If you choose this option, you will be given plastic silverware, which was OK with us as everything was tender enough to withstand the plastic. Food was exceptionally good and authentically polish. We also enjoyed chatting with Marg, she brought our food out and made sure we were happy with our choices.

Celina's Polish Kitchen is under new ownership. A very nice lady named Catherine Mazey is the new owner and is doing a spectacular job. Cathy makes everything to order. There is an extensive “Party Carry-Out” menu available at the counter.

The place was clean, the food tasty and authentically Polish, but you won't get the huge portions the Polish grandmothers give you at the restaurants in Hamtramck. The DIVAS enjoyed the visit and will be back. Celina's is located at 31339 Harper, just north of 13 Mile Rd. in St. Clair Shores (near McDonalds) in a strip mall. They close at 6pm so plan accordingly, Sundays and Mondays they are closed.   We appreciate all your recommendations to try different restaurants and hope you will keep sending us your ideas for reviews to TheUndercoverDivas@gmail.com

Special Attention: In addition to Celina's Polish Kitchen, Cathy owns Cathy's Homemade Goodies a few doors down, at 30910 Harper. She had lots of her goodies on display in one of the cases. There were different kinds of cookies and other baked goods. Her “Homemade Goodies” store has many homemade items available, including homemade ice cream. They looked good but we were just too full for any dessert. Next time for sure!    

Our Favorite Red, White and Blue Recipes for Picnics: The Freedom Fizz and Patriotic Parfaits

The Freedom Fizz

½ cup of each: orange juice and lime juice, freshly squeezed and strained

4 parts Burnside Bourbon to

   1 part Lemonade

4 mint leaves

Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries

Finish with a splash of club soda.

* * *

In a large shaker: juices, Burnside Bourbon, lemonade and mint leaves. Add ice and shake, shake, shake. Strain to remove ice, into 2 tall glasses with ice already added.

Finish with club soda, added to taste, depending on how strong you want the drink.

Add blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries to the finished drink for eye appeal. Serve.

Patriotic Parfaits

Makes 4 Parfait Glass Servings.

1 cup (8 oz) fresh strawberries

1 cup (8 oz) fresh blueberries

Couple spoons of sugar

½ cup of each: vanilla yogurt and Cool Whip

Plus extra Cool Whip (that's left in the container) for garnish

8 cookies (can use either pecan sandies, sugar cookies, shortbread cookies, vanilla wafers or granola)

Put washed and cut strawberries in bowl, add sprinkling of sugar.

Mix Cool Whip and yogurt in separate bowl.

Crumble cookies in a baggie.

Line up 4 parfait glasses. Divide up cookie mixture into the 4 glasses. Strawberry mixture divided up next over cookie mixture in glasses. Next, yogurt and Cool Whip mixture, followed by blueberries. Finish with spoon of Cool Whip left over in container for top. Cover with plastic wrap and Chill. For best results, top with the spoon of Cool Whip just before serving.

* * * * *

Note: Optional, save out some of cookie crumbs for mixing into yogurt/Cool Whip mixture layer.

Recipe can be doubled or tripled if serving many at a picnic or backyard cookout. When serving many, try the plastic cups at Party Supply Stores for servings, glasses won't break (good for children) and can be tossed when empty, while at the picnic.