Haiti relief, Comet Burgers and Rad Chinese Food

Of course you all know by now that a disastrous earthquake struck Haiti this week toppling buildings and burying thousands.  There have been many relief efforts launched in support of those enduring the tragedy and I would like to provide a link to one of those for the 5 people that read my posts.  So in case you missed the other 1,000 links to donate for Haiti relief Google has made it possible to donate to both UNICEF and/or CARE and has links for other ways to help out.

I had an opportunity to visit Comet Burger in Royal Oak for lunch on Monday and was pleasantly surprised.  I had envisioned slider sized hamburgers that were in essence balls of grease... and I wasn't disappointed at all!

I order one of the lunch combos (available with 1, 2, and 3 burgers) with 3 burgers and fries with a Coke.  I sat at the diner counter and read the recent issue of Rolling Stone (excerpt from Patti Smith book is totally rad) while my taste buds were treated to the classic combo of burgers, fries and pop.  The burgers at Comet come plain but you can add ketchup and mustard.  I have never witnessed such a fluffy and light yet greasy bun either... how do they do that?  I could have had more salt with my fries, but then again the salt shaker was right in front of me.

After my visit I read some reviews online about the Comet Burger establishment that criticized the service.  I realize that it is normally a post-bar food joint and I was dining mid-day with no more than two other patrons, but the service was fantastic with a smile.  

The decor inside the Comet Burger is 50's diner-esque with Warhol like pictures of Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe on the aqua-blue walls.  I didn't really walk around the restaurant that much but noticed both bar and booth seating.

Overall I would say I had a positive Comet experience but I think I will have to venture in there again after bar hours to get the real atmosphere.  If you're looking for a solid, larger than average, slider(s) mid-day or late I say Comet is the place to go in Royal Oak.  I hear competition at Telway is stiff!

Today I am sitting in a Dunkin Donuts on Van Dyke in Detroit writing to you while I wait for a call from the ABC Warehouse that is installing my wife's Christmas present (a lot late I know).  The automatic car starter that we bought was one of the higher end ones that has start confirmation on it so that was pretty expensive.  Plus she has a 2010 Nissan which requires another part (foreign cars only) that cost an extra $90.  

The installation takes 3 hours so I had some time to walk around.  When I saw this sign I loved it.  I still love it now but I really loved it then.  It screams authentic.  Apparently there is another one in Bloomfield Hills, that's the original one.  The Van Dyke location only shows up on google maps, not yahoo.  Clearly Yahoo is the classier search engine.

Bastone Royal Oak

I recently visited Bastone in Royal Oak for a light lunch and some beer tasting with my wife and was pleasantly surprised on the Sunday afternoon.  When we walked in we were greeted promptly and seated in a nice wood booth.  The restaurant was dimly lit (not good or bad) and our booth looked like classic polished hardwood.  

The menu is very extensive but also a little pricey.  We both opted for the soup.  I chose to try beef soup and my wife had the creamy mushroom.  Both soups had the consistency of heavy cream and were delicious.  The beef in my soup seemed to be pureed and mixed with the cream.  They were served in gigantic bowls and although I was not able to finish all of mine (she liked mine more than hers) it gave me the opportunity to try both. 

We also ordered the beer sampler that includes all 6 of Bastone's regular beers and two of their seasonal beers.  I would highly recommend the Royal IPA and their seasonal Pumpkin Spice Ale.  The IPA was bitter and hoppy just like IPAs should be and the pumpkin spice was extra spicy with a pumpkin pie body and a cinnamon nose.  They also offer a beer club membership that includes 22 oz beers for the price of pints, a beer club t shirt, $2 beers on Tuesdays, 25% off all retail merchandise and beer to go (growlers), special event discounts and much more.  The cost is $55... I think... our waiter didn't know.

I would say the one knock on Bastone would be that their wait staff was not very knowledgeable about the food or beer menu.  It seemed like our waiter was preoccupied with something else that might have been going on in the kitchen and he didn't even know how much the beer club cost.  But he was polite.

All in all I would visit Bastone again to try the beers and something else from their appetizer menu.  It was a great place to have a few beers and some good conversation on a Sunday afternoon.