Christmas Holiday Favorites - Tortellini with Lemon and Brussels Sprouts and Pistachio Bundt Cake

We here at the Undercover Divas would like to share with you, two of our favorite Christmas Holiday recipes.  We have found these recipes to be as special as the holiday, itself.

 Tortellini with Lemon and Brussels Sprouts

 (For meat lovers, omit the butter and cook 4 slices of bacon in a skillet.  Drain bacon on paper towels, then saute brussels sprouts in the rendered fat.  Top pasta with crumbled bacon.)

Ingredients:

  1 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered

  3 tablespoons unsalted butter

  1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

  1 pound frozen cheese tortellini

  Zest and juice from 1 lemon

Directions:

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook brussels sprouts until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes.  Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt butter over medium, add onion and cook until translucent, about 8 minutes.

With a large slotted spoon, transfer sprouts to skillet.  Increase heat to high and cook, stirring occasionally, until sprouts begin to brown, about 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, in pot, cook tortellini according to package instructions, then drain.  Toss tortellini with vegetables.  Top with lemon zest and juice.

(Based on a recipe by Martha Stewart)

                      

Pistachio Bundt Cake

Cake Ingredients:

2 packages Pistachio Instant Pudding

1 White or yellow cake mix (without pudding best)

1/2 cup corn oil

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup milk

5 eggs

Mix and pour into greased and floured Bundt pan.  Bake 350 for 50 minutes.

Filling:

9 oz container of Cool Whip

1 pkg. Pistachio Instant Pudding

After cake has cooled completely, cut into 3 layers.

Mix together and spread cool whip combination on each layer.  Sift powdered sugar over cake when finished.

(Recipe from the kitchen of Mary Pyler)

The Haunted John A. Lau Saloon in Alpena, MI - REVIEW

Our travels took us to the northeastern coast of Michigan for a visit to a restaurant loaded with personality and historic character. The Undercover Divas stopped by the “haunted” John A. Lau Saloon in Alpena, alleged to be the most notoriously haunted place in Alpena, if not one of the most in Michigan, itself.

Entering this restored, historic Alpena saloon, past Indian Bob, your attention is drawn to the bar that looks like it came out of the Old West. There is even the portrait of a lady from the past, hanging behind the bar in a gilt-edged picture frame. This is the original section of the saloon. From the life-sized model Indian nicknamed Indian Bob, to the lady in the bathtub and large moose head on the wall, the atmosphere is fun and funky. Fortunately, it still has this historical theme.

A young German immigrant by the name of John A. Lau opened the John A. Lau Saloon in the late 1800s to supply the liquor to the lumberjacks and longshoremen from the Alpena forests. John and his wife, Agnes, ran the saloon for many years. Today, many people believe it is Agnes' spirit that haunts the restaurant. If she doesn't like an employee, they are in trouble. She has been known to throw things and make employees drop their trays.

According to Mid Michigan Paranormal Investigators, restaurant customers and employees have seen a woman move up the stairs, felt cold spots, and smelled unusual odors. Most things seem to point to Agnes, but the haunting could be from one of the former customers of the Owens Funeral Parlor, which is now part of the restaurant. It is in this space that many sightings of a woman dressed in period clothing have occurred.

To the right of the entrance, the area that is now the restaurant's banquet room, is where the Owen's Funeral Parlor was located. The basement is where the embalming took place more than a hundred years ago.  Antiques, local photographs and trophy mounts highlight each of four dining areas, The Main Room with an overlooking loft, the Pub, the outdoor Beer Garden, and the warm, private dining area, the Antler Room.

Like the people inside, the restaurant's menu is diverse and casual. One DIVA had the Blue Babe ($10.99), an excellent blue cheese burger. I had the Porker ($9.99). The Porker is a pulled pork sandwich with home-made chips. It was also very good. Saturday Night features the Prime Rib of Beef, ranging in price from $19.99 to $26.99, depending on size. The John A. Lau Saloon serves six Michigan Micro Beers on Draught. They open at 11:30 a.m. for the lunch crowd.

The John A. Lau Saloon's fascinating history takes us back to Michigan's early lumbering days and a very colorful period in our state's history. The region, known as the "Sunrise Side" from its location on the east shoreline of Michigan, was first a site for commercial fishing activity, and is still home to much of those same commercial fishing activities.

The John A. Lau Saloon is loaded with personality and historic character.  We may never know all the violence or tragedies this saloon and town have seen.  Their food is good but a bit pricey. The servers were friendly and delivered the food in a timely manner. Although it is a saloon, they are family-friendly at lunchtime. The next time you are in Alpena, stop by the John A. Lau Saloon. They are located in the “old town” section of Alpena at 414 N. Second Ave.  Phone:  989-354-6898.  You may get lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the ghost of Agnes or John.

Lakeside Family Restaurant, Polish Food in Sterling Heights - REVIEW

Hello my Undercover Divettes.  Hope everyone’s Thanksgiving was great.  I know we all were very happy to see our family.   Before the holiday we Divas had a pretty great food experience.   The place is called Lakeside Family Restaurant, with Polish-American Home Style Cooking.  They are located at 43734 Schoenherr Rd., just south of Hall Rd., in Sterling Heights, Michigan.

We have heard they had the best Polish food in town. The dishes they make are 100% genuine. We were known to visit Hamtramck (Michigan) when we needed a good Polish dinner in the past, but were looking for a place closer to home. Lakeside Family Restaurant fits the bill. The food is as good as the Polish grandmothers make in Hamtramck, and portions are as generous, too. We arrived about 7 pm on a Friday night and the place was jumping. We were lucky to get a table at the back of the restaurant so that we can get a full view of this place. Turnover is swift, so there really wasn't much of a wait.

I was anxious to see the menu and I wasn’t disappointed. Shellie was our waitress and she was all smiles. Suse ordered Dill Pickle soup (her favorite). Gini and I had the Chicken Dumpling soup, loaded with spaetzle (German egg noodles). The soups were $2.69 for small and $3.79 for the large. You can also order soup to carry out. We enjoyed our soup with their great fresh bread. Since we ordered an Entrée the soup prices are .89 or large $1.39.

Lakeside has quite a few specialty dishes, from homemade pierogies, city chicken, stuffed cabbage or just go with the Polish Combo, so that you get a taste of everything. Suse ordered the Cheese (Nalesniki) Crepes ($6.69), they can be filled with your choice of cheese, apple, strawberry, cherry or blueberry. She wasn’t disappointed with her decision. Gini had the same as myself because of course it was our favorite. It's called the Lakeside Combo. This consisted of one stuffed cabbage, three pierogi, one city chicken, kielbasa, sauerkraut and mashed potatoes ($11.99).

Wow, I was surprised at the amount of food we received. I had to try the stuffed cabbage first because that is my favorite. It melted in my mouth, I was in heaven. Gini started out eating her city chicken and mashed potatoes, which is her favorite. I took a taste of the kielbasa and sauerkraut. The kielbasa had that snap when I bit into it and the kraut wasn’t so sour, which I enjoy. Gini was enjoying her potato and cheese pierogies and I couldn’t fit any more food in my stomach so I decided to take home the pierogies for lunch the next day.

Lakeside has more than Polish food. You can get chicken broasted, grilled, breaded or chicken tenders, breaded or grilled pork chops. As a side bar my pierogies were supposed to be potato and cheese but they were sauerkraut. I was a little bummed but I actually never tried it that way and they were still very good.

How can you go wrong with Grilled Tilapia, Fried Smelt or Liver & Onions. Prices range from $7.39 -$8.49. Those Entrees come with homemade mashed potatoes, and vegetable. If you want something light, check out the grilled or crispy chicken salad, tuna, Greek or chef salad, ranging from $5.99 - $6.49. The menu lists burgers and chick tenders for your kids.

The food was exceptional and the portions were generous. Our waitress, Shellie was the best. Prices were very reasonable and food came quickly from the kitchen. They open at 8 am for breakfast, daily. They close every night at 9 pm, except Sunday at 8 pm.  Phone:  586-262-4250.  The Undercover Divas were so impressed, we gave our first FIVE DIVAS review to Lakeside Family Restaurant.  It really couldn't be any better!

Our Favorite Spaetzle Recipe

1 cup plus 2 tab. sifted, all purpose flour

1/8 tea. freshly grated nutmeg

½ tea. Salt

1 extra large egg

6 tab. Milk

3 tab. Butter (unsalted preferred)

Combine flour, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl and make a well in the center.

Whisk egg and milk together, then pour into the well in the dry ingredients.

Beat hard with a wooden spoon until all is blended well.

Boil salted water in a large cooking pot. Keep water boiling.

Push the batter through a spaetzle maker into the boiling water.

(or use a slotted spoon or colander to drop batter into boiling water)

Cook spaetzle, uncovered, for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

With a slotted spoon, lift spaetzle to a large bowl of ice water.

Let stand until ready to serve but no longer than an hour or two.

To serve, drain spaetzle well in a colander, then warm in melted butter in a saute pan.

Serve at once when warmed. Four servings.

Can be used in place of potatoes, or in soups.

Thanksgiving Dinner at The Redwood Steakhouse & Saloon, Lewiston, Michigan - REVIEW

Over the river and through the woods, in search of … a turkey roasting in the oven, stuffing, potatoes and gravy, veggies, the smell of cloves and cinnamon, and lots of pumpkin pie. The DIVAS traveled to our favorite Thanksgiving gathering, to be with friends and family, to share a meal and to consider all that we have to be thankful for in our lives. We journeyed to Lewiston, MI, for our annual visit to the Redwood Steakhouse & Saloon, where they put on what we consider the BEST Thanksgiving buffet ever.

A road trip on Thanksgiving Day is special. You head off knowing the only things that are open are gas stations and diners, which creates this unique quiet we rarely experience in our fast-paced world. It does a soul good to give thanks and contemplate all those reasons we have to be grateful. Our travels took us to Lewiston, Michigan, located in Northern Lower Michigan, about 100 miles south of the Mackinaw Bridge.

Thanksgiving is also a time to eat … a lot! Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, cranberry sauce, rolls and butter, and lots more. The Redwood Steakhouse & Saloon, known for their Steaks and daily specials, go all out on Thanksgiving with a buffet that can't be beat.

We travel here every year for the turkey and fixings ($15.99). Included is their nightly salad bar with their home-made salad dressings, all the salad fixings, peel and eat shrimp, and their many home made pasta dishes. They also bake their own bread, corn muffins and biscuits on site.

Their Thanksgiving buffet also included a large selection of pies and assorted desserts. We really thought we had no room left for dessert, but couldn't pass up a piece of pumpkin pie. The cobbler looked really good, too. Thanksgiving dinner isn't complete unless you end your feast on a sweet note, and we did!!

The Redwood Steak House opens daily at 4:30 p.m. with Early Bird specials (Sunday thru Thursday) until 6 p.m. Thursday and Saturday are their Roast Prime Rib specials ($17.99). The Redwood Steak House first opened 50 years ago and is located in Lewiston, Michigan, on the corner of County Roads 489 and 612, at one of the cities only stoplights. The address is 4965 Salling Ave. (Country Road #612). The restaurant was bought by Rob Chapman in 1980, and Mr. Chapman expanded the dining room to a capacity for 150. On this Thanksgiving day, it was near capacity all day, beginning at 1 p.m.

We highly recommend the Thanksgiving Buffet at the Redwood Steak House. The everyday menu is good stuff, too! They do have live entertainment during the summer and fall months. For more information, they can be reached at 989-786-4600.   

The Engine House Restaurant (Mt. Clemens) and the Michigan Transit Museum - REVIEW

The Undercover Divas traveled to the outer reaches of downtown Mt. Clemens to a converted firehouse, now The Engine House restaurant, looking for a new dining experience. Housed in an antique red brick building near the train tracks, The Engine House is located just east of Groesbeck, on Cass Ave. at Floral Ave., and caught our eye. The outside of the building has a very appealing look, resembling a working firehouse, with the main entrance and parking in the rear. To enter the restaurant, we needed to walk through an outdoor patio that we would love to enjoy in warmer weather.

 The inside is very welcoming and has a local pub feel. It is located by the railroad tracks and when a train goes by and the engineer blows the train whistle, there are free jello shots for all! The Engine House caters to the many fans of the Detroit sports scene. Large projection screens and numerous plasma and flat screen TVs are everywhere.

The menu had lots of appetizers, salads, sandwiches and entrees. There were many pizza options but we decided to pass for a daily special. I had the Cheddar Chicken Bacon rollup ($7.95) which was grilled chicken and bacon, stuffed with cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato and ranch. I ordered it deluxe ($2.95) with coleslaw and onion rings. The meal was exceptional. 

The other Diva ordered off the menu and had the daily special, baked 6-cheese Lasagna ($8.95) with grilled, Parmesan cheese bread. It was all delicious.

Tuesday is (dine in) half off pizza day. We had heard that their pizza is some of the best pizza around. Wednesday is Italian night and Saturday there is a $6 special- your choice of a burger or a Slim Jim with a 16 oz domestic draft. Their specialty pizza choices are many, and each sells for $10.95 (small) and $15.95 (large). Cheesy bread sticks (that looked and smelled delicious as orders passed our table) for $7.95.

The building has been around since the early 1900s. It was first a grocery and meat market. The Engine House opened in 2007 by two Detroit firefighters. This new bar was completely restored inside and out. The interior is home to an extensive collection of unique firefighter décor, artwork and memorabilia.

It is a unique restaurant with good, reasonably priced food. Servers are very upbeat and friendly and prices are fair, making it a great place to stop in for a meal or a drink. Open seven days, 11am - 2am. They are located at 309 Cass Ave. in Mt. Clemens, Michigan. From pizza to steaks and sandwiches, and many different daily specials, it's the perfect place to come and enjoy friendships.

Special Attention: Across the street on Grand Ave. is the Michigan Transit Museum, formerly the home of the Grand Trunk Western Railroad Depot. Named a Michigan State Historic Site and on the National Register of Historic Places, this one story Italianate structure opened in 1859. This was when GTWR opened their Port Huron to Detroit line, traveling through Mt. Clemens. The interior has been transformed into a museum, complete with a waiting area and a re-created ticket office. The railroad once hired 12 year old Thomas Edison as a newsboy and candy salesman on the Port Huron to Detroit run. There is memorabilia everywhere to look at and volunteers are available to answer your questions.

Town Tavern in Downtown Royal Oak - REVIEW

Hello my Diva friends! This is Annod with a review on a great, newer restaurant in Royal Oak called the Town Tavern. I love coming to Royal Oak, it’s always hustling and bustling. We decided on the Town Tavern because quite a few people told us what a nice place it is. The Tavern opened in 2007 and is a 1930’s inspired taproom decked with mahogany and marble and serves American comfort food and cocktails.

Upon entering, we noticed the décor and the music were at the right volume and perfect for this environment. We were seated by a nice young man, but sneaky as we were, we re-seated ourselves so we could get a great look at the whole restaurant. Our waiter, Josh, was there to greet us. He immediately asked us what we wanted to drink.

We took a few minutes to order because we wanted to see all that was offered. When Josh came back to the table with our drinks, he also had some parmesan breadsticks. There was one problem, Suse is allergic to garlic and we were sad, but then Josh went to speak to the kitchen and he came back and said that the cook would make some for her without garlic, **bonus**

Now we are ready to order! Gini ordered the French onion soup ($7) and Suse ordered the Wedge salad ($6). Suse ordered the Filet Mignon and a red wine Demi with braised Brussels sprouts and smashed potatoes ($32). The problem was that the Brussels sprouts and the smashed potatoes had garlic in them so Josh gave her another choice. She chose the broccoli and the red skin potatoes. (What a great place to offer other choices, when many restaurants feel substitutions aren't welcome.)

Gini decided on the Fish and Chips with red skin potatoes and coleslaw ($16). Gini said the fish was amazing and loved the coleslaw that was made with a vinegar/oil dressing (just like Dad used to make) but had an issue with her red skin potatoes, they were dry and not very fresh. I’m sure it was a fluke because everything else came out excellent.

It was my turn to order. I had Nueske Bacon Meatloaf with Cherry Cola BBQ Sauce, sweet corn cheddar mash and green beans ($17). I loved the meat loaf, it tasted like I was eating a steak. The Cherry Cola BBQ sauce was surprisingly very good and I gobbled it up. The Mash was amazing, also. I love mashed potatoes with corn and cheddar cheese. My only problem is that my green beans were not cooked and too hard for my liking. Josh took them back but they came back the same. I was given an alternate, which was asparagus (cooked perfectly.)

The Town Tavern is located at 116 W 4^thStreet in trendy Royal Oak, Michigan. The hours are Monday –Thursday 11:30 am to 11:00 pm, Friday & Saturday 11:30 am to 12 midnight. Sunday hours are 11:30 am until 10 pm. When you visit downtown Royal Oak, you notice parking is at a premium. We chose the Valet parking ($5.00 plus tip) over the parking garages, as it was located at the corner of the street. What a lovely time we had and a great spirited place to have a family dinner, a date or just come with friends for a drink.

***FYI: Town Tavern arranged a partnership with Autism Alliance of Michigan to once again provide meals to hundreds of families of children with autism.   They were provided early admission and assorted meals at Royal Oak's Arts, Beats and Eats festival this year.

The Ransom Gillis House Rehabbed by Nicole Curtis - Revisited

This week, we took a ride to our favorite spot, The Ransom Gillis House, located in midtown Detroit. It was exciting to notice that the boards are off the windows, flowers were being planted, and everything seems to be just about completed. There were workers everywhere, painting, raking, planting, installing, and making things ready for the big reveal in November.

The Ransom Gillis house in Brush Park is being rehabbed by a team led by Nicole Curtis of HGTV's Rehab Addict show, and Dan Gilbert's Quicken Loans & Bedrock Real Estate Services. The house was built around 1876, for a wholesale dry goods merchant, Mr. Ransom Gillis, at a cost of $12,000 and holds 5,000 square feet of living space. The Ransom Gills House brought the Venetian Gothic style of architecture to Detroit. Sadly, it has not been occupied since the mid-1960's. The home was recently featured in the movie, Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, as the rumored Wayne Manor.

The Ransom Gillis house will be part of the Rehab Addict television show's eight part series beginning in November. The star of the Rehab Addict show, Nicole Curtis, has been coordinating the effort to bring the house back to its former glory.

The house is being renovated into two separate units. The roof appears to be slate with lots of iron detailing. The iconic southwest-facing turret was saved and stabilized. It is accented by five rows of tiles of simple, geometric designs in hues of bright blue, red, yellow and brown. The turret was decorated with stone carvings of flower blossoms, similar but all slightly different. Similar tile work was spread throughout the rest of the structure. Upon completion, the house should contain all hardwood floors, new Pewabic tiles and lots of stained glass. Work is non-stop, with an average of 20-40 volunteers at the site, daily.

The house is located in Detroit, at 205 Alfred St. (at John R) near Comerica Park, Ford Field, General Motors' Headquarters and the soon to be built Detroit Red Wings hockey arena. Nicole Curtis will be holding an open house for the completed rehabbing of this house, on November 1^st. There will be a requested charitable donation at the door.

As we drove around the immediate area near the corner of Alfred and John R, we noticed many homes built around the same time as the Ransom Gillis house, mostly abandoned and in need of restoration. There are two homes on the next street that have been restored and are occupied. Notice in one of the photos here, the homes in the background. Let's hope they are in future plans for restoration, as they are truly beautiful historic structures that are irreplaceable.

If you are a fan of Nicole Curtis, and her show on HGTV, The Rehab Addict, as we Undercover Divas are, we can all look forward to her renewal of the Ransom Gillis house from ruin to a stately historic landmark in the revival of our hometown, Detroit. We will be watching this transformation in November.