Month: October 2010

What is a Bar? A bar defined is an establishment that serves alcoholic drinks; beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails, for consumption on the premises. A bar, to me, is a place to hang out, drink beverages you don’t get to enjoy at home, in the company of friends. No matter how you define it bar mean different things to each individual who is a patron. The type of bar that is good for one is not always good for another. Bars can be elegant, bars can be dives, some charge a cover (a fee to get in), some serve dinner, some have entertainment, some don’t. Bars are all different that is part of the fun and excitement that comes from going to the bar.

The origin of the word bar comes from a particular counter that beverages are served on. When you sit at the bar in an establishment you are in direct dealings with the bartender. The chairs around the bar are usually a stool with some type of high back for support. The chairs are squeezed together to promote mingling between customers. Behind the bar is the location where the bartender keeps all the glasses and bottles of liquor. Sometimes, depending on the décor of the establishment the bar has shelves where lights, mirror, and ornately decorated woodwork.

What type of bar you visit is up to you. There are all types so whether you are a classic lady trying to get a glass of wine or a biker looking malt beverages well equipped bars will have something for you. There are some important differences that distinguish the type of bar. Although, a bar might be intended for one demographic and end up being favored by another for reasons as simple as the dance floor.

Types of bars:

Cocktail bars/lounges are usually set up inside of public places like an airport or hotel. These bars are usually a bit more upscale and require certain more appropriate public attire.

Dive bar (Biker bars) are usually a little seedier. They are set up on the outskirts of towns and are very informal. These are the bars you attend when you are looking for a place to really just chill and drink – a lot. It is a place popular among the locals hang out like being part of a club. Many dive bars also have pool tables, dart boards, and juke boxes for entertainment.

Wine bars are classy establishments. Patrons go there to have a quiet drink. Food is not a requirement for a wine bar. Most give you the opportunity to sample a vast selection of wine before you choose one to order. Usually all wine bars serve is wine, beer and liquor are not served.

Entertainment bars serve many different types of patrons. Topless bars, dance clubs/bars, sports bars all draw their own crowds. Still the main purpose of an entertainment bar is to provide the customer with something to do while enjoying their beverages. These types of bars are incredibly popular throughout Michigan. Whether you want to play a game of pool or just sit back and enjoy the view entertainment bars usually have something for everyone.

Whether you are married or single bars have and will continue to be a place to visit, relax, enjoy old friends and make new friends. If you are ever considering a move to a new area visit the local watering hole to get a feel for the locals. It can’t hurt that’s for sure, a few drinks among strangers never really hurts anyone does it and what better way to be introduce to a new community?

Heavenly, delightful, juicy, delightful, tantalizing, mouthwatering, enjoyable, delicious, tasty, scrumptious, delectable these are just a few of the words that describe a hamburger. Burgers have been a part of America’s favorite past times forever. Whether it is a bbq, a picnic or a night out the occasion is most likely perfect for a burger. Burgers are perfect for any situation. Hamburgers, more commonly known as burgers, are defined as a cooked patty of ground meat, most often beef, which is served between two buns. Goodies such as ketchup, mustard, lettuce, onion, cheese and pickles usually accompany the burger to enhance the flavor. Hamburgers have grown in popularity and thus so have the combinations of condiments that can accompany them.

Burgers can be made out of all types of ground meats and ground vegetables. Beef is the most popular type of meat used in the United States. Ground turkey, ground sausage, ground chicken, ground tofu and ground vegetables are often popular choices also. Some people often use chicken breast and refer to this as a burger also.

Popular burger combinations vary all around the United States and world for that matter. In this section we will look at all the different combinations and maybe it will be the inspiration for tonight’s dinner.
The term with the “lot” will refer to the following toppings being added tomato, beetroot, lettuce, onion, fried egg, bacon, pineapple, and cheese.

Texas Burger: A beef patty covered with mustard, jalapenos, cheese, with or without vegetables.

An Australian Burger: A beef patty with the “lot”

A Sloppy Joe Burger: Ground beef that is left loose served with chilies and a mixture of bbq sauce, brown sugar, and mustard. These burgers are best eaten with a knife and fork.

A Butter Burger: This is a regular beef patty served with a bun that is grilled with butter on it.

A Patty Melt Burger: This is a thin patty of beef served with cheese and sautéed onions served between two pieces of rye bread and then fried to perfection.

A Hawaiian Burger: This is a beef patty served with ham, bacon, pineapple, teriyaki sauce and cheese.

A low Carb Burger: This is a ground turkey or chicken patty served between two pieces of lettuce.

A Juicy Lucy Burger: This is a burger in which the cheese is squished between the ground beef. Warning: The cheese will be hot – use caution when taking that first bite.

A Cheeseburger: This is the traditional way to eat a burger. A ground beef patty is cooked to order and then covered with cheeses, pickles, onions, lettuce, ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise.

A Barbecue Burger: This burger is made form a mixture of ground beef, onions and barbeque sauce grilled to order. The bun is then coated with a layer of bbq sauce and grilled enhancing the bbq flavor of the meat.

A Carolina Burger: This is a ground beef burger served with cheese, chili, onions, mustard, and coleslaw.

A Curry Burger: This burger mixes ground beef, ground chicken, and ground lamb and seasons it with curry powder, yogurt, onions, and green peppers and then served on a bun.

A California Burgers: This is a ground beef patty served with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, guacamole, bacon and cheese.

A Slider Burger: This is a small beef patty served on a small bun with added sautéed onions.

A Colossal Colon Clogger: This is a burger popular in Canada. It is a 24 ounce ground beef patty, served with a quarter pound of cheese, a quarter pound of bacon and two fried eggs.

A Luther Burger: This is a beef burger served with bacon placed between a bun made out of donuts.

A Slug Burger: This is a burger made entirely from a mixture of meat, such as pork, soybeans and is deep fried in oil.

Tonight try one of these variations. You can grill at home or visit a tavern in your local area to discover one of these explosions of goodness. You will for sure taste some burger goodness.

By Friday night I am spent. A long week at work, kid’s activities that spill over into our Saturdays so I know that tomorrow is looking busy already. Fridays are the one night I don’t want to think about washing dishes, cleaning the house, worrying about what I am going to make for dinner, if there is even food in the house or kids whining that they don’t want to eat what there is for dinner. So instead of worrying about any of this I instituted Friday, Family Pizza Night. Whether we are home in Northville or on vacation in the UP say in Marquette my kids insist on finding a pizza joint!

Kids love PIZZA! It is the biggest treat for them to go out to dinner because we only make time for this on Friday nights. So after a long week I know when I pull in the driveway there will be a Caravan of kids waiting for me to venture out for pizza. This is my favorite time of the entire week – pizza dinner with my family. So if your family is anything at all like ours you might think about instituting your own special night of the week. The family bonding we do over pizza on Friday nights is beyond comparison.

Kids tend to talk when they are happy and pizza night makes them happy. They will begin to tell you all about their week. Who did what during class, what girls wore what brands, yes some of it is just the stuff of preteens but what are family has found is that these Friday night pizza nights have allowed us to have some of the more serious topics. Pizza night allowed us to information that our daughter keeps private thinking she will get someone in trouble if she “tells”. Pizza night is not like “telling” it is having a conversation with mom and dad where the information about kids smoking and talking about drugs comes out. It allows us to keep the lines of communication open with her so for us pizza night with her is our moment in the week to find out all the things that are going through her head.

I am so thankful for Pizza night in my home. Take my suggestion and add a pizza night, or whatever food night your kids love, to your family’s routine. You will find out more about what is going on in your child’s head then you ever thought was going on and it is the prefect non-threatening time to do just that – Pizza night.

In times such as these eating out is a luxury. Who can possible afford forty-five dollars for one meal out, each week, for a family of four? Although, there are times when going out is almost a necessity, coming home from soccer, dance practice, football games or on those days when everyone is just to whipped to plan a meal. Eating out is so convenient for busy days and days when you just need a break. However, a budget is easily blown to bits when a family of four decides to take a break from their kitchen to eat out. Think about it, on average, forty-five dollars a week times fifty-two weeks is a whopping two thousand three hundred forty dollars a year. Here are some easy to follow tips so that your family can continue to enjoy a night out even while going through this economic downturn.

Beverage Choice: The first suggestion is to drink water. Soda beverages run about two dollars and fifty cents per drink. For a family of four that is ten dollars in drinks alone. If usually a fruity cocktail or draft beer was the drink of choice that could run upwards of ten dollars for just two adult beverages. Water is free, with unlimited refills. Another benefit of drinking water at a restaurant is that is fills you up so you won’t be as famished when your meal arrives. If you just must have an adult drink, ask about any specials or current promotions to save a bit of money. The other tip is to share a drink – just make sure the waitress isn’t peeking shares are individually charged if caught!

Try Something New: You always get the chicken salad so why not try something that the restaurant is trying to promote. These meals are distributed at a discount price to get people to try them. So ask your server or check the insert in your menu. Something new, at a discount, could be your new favorite!

Sign Up: Many restaurants have deals on the internet. If you fill out their customer form they will send you coupons, often buy one get one free type offers, to keep you coming back. Another great things about signing up for these promotions is that around your birthday they pass out free meals, free desserts and such as a gift to you from them. At the very least you are bound to come up with a coupon that gives you a percentage or straight dollar amount off and who doesn’t like to save a few bucks!

Eat Linner: Instead of waiting for dinner try stretching out lunch into an early dinner, late lunch. Meals are often times less expensive off the lunch menu. If you just can’t ask for a lunch portion at dinner. Many restaurants will do this, allowing you a less expensive meal with almost the same amount of food. Portion sizes are often so out of control at dinner time that a lunch size meal will do the job and save you a pretty penny.

Follow the Golden Rule – Share: Sharing a meal is a great way to get a deal. Dinner portions are often served larger than any other time of the day. Dinner meals, at most restaurants, can easily be shared between two people. This is sort of like that buy one get one free deal. If you just can not share a meal make sure to divide your meal when it arrives at the table and take the second portion home for leftovers. Leftovers make a terrific quick lunch for busy professionals.

Ditch Dessert: Is it really worth five or six dollars for one slice of pie or scoop of ice cream? No, if you are craving dessert stopping at a local bakery or ice cream joint it is a lot less expensive. Half gallons of ice cream these days are only around three bucks, pick one up and enjoy a sundae bar at home. What kid or adult, for that matter, wouldn’t love to create dessert? That is an extra special treat after a wonderful night out.

The word “tavern” means a place to gather, eat good food, and enjoy some beverages. It is interesting that the word actually encompassed so much more in the history of the United States. Taverns were the epicenter of towns. Travelers could actually stay in rooms provided at the larger taverns, also known as inns. In the days of old a tavern was essential for commerce, colonists could trade prices on their crop, arrange trades of goods, newspapers were read, and business opportunities were exchanged. Taverns were a place to spend what free time people had enjoying cards games and pool tables filled the higher class establishments.

As history tells us views on women mingling in taverns all had one thing in common – women were not welcome to mingle only allowed to serve. History usually leaves out that two-thirds of taverns were operated by women. This comes out of necessity. Local governments, who issued the licenses for such establishments, often would find local widows to operate taverns. This would keep them from becoming a burden, financially, on the government. Widowed women were seen as a threat to the government because without the business most would be left impoverished and become dependant on the services of the country. So as the government saw it Taverns run by local women was a win-win solution. Women and children were never allowed to eat, drink, or socialize in the taverns. The times have sure changed.

Taverns today are still the epicenter of many towns and cities. Today taverns are places that locals go to relax, eat, drink and be merry. Often a round of pool will be shot, some darts thrown, possible even some karaoke sang. Taverns allow us a place to sit and enjoy friends after long work weeks. They allow us to grab a burger with our families on those nights that we are running from one sporting event to another. Taverns today are places that invite the entire family out during the week however that usually changes when the weekend rolls around. Visit a tavern on any given night and I guarantee the bar will be full, music will be playing, the aroma of a juicy burger will be lofting through the air and a cold beverage will be near.

Taverns have taken their place in history and manage to stay in the forefront of the good times of today. Taverns still exist in all types of environments, all different price ranges and activities to do. Hopefully this article will lead you to research taverns and local watering holes in your area. It is almost a guarantee you will find yourself having a great time at your local tavern. Awaken your senses with a juicy sirloin, loaded baked potato and ale of some kind. Taverns are places to feed your soul. They were and continue to be the epicenter of towns and cities not only in America but all over the word.