All photos (c) 10/15/11, Kathy Fannon
Cedar Springs High School, MCBA Invitational
(Click photos to enlarge)
One of the things I enjoy about having offspring in the marching band is experiencing new places to visit and finding local places to eat. Last Saturday was one of those times; we went to Cedar Springs High School for the Michigan Competitive Band Association Invitational.
I had great uncles who lived in Cedar Springs and farmed together on 18 Mile Road, so I'm a little familiar with the area.
It was fun to ride through town and see the red street signs and the red flannel underwear icons hanging downtown, left over from Red Flannel Festival and parade a couple of weeks ago.
I'm not a supporter of fast-food joints, mostly because I don't like their food, but also because I can experience them anywhere, any time in any city. When we travel we like to find the local places to eat and support them. We've eaten at some real dives and have found some really great places we'd like to return to.
I'm not sure how I discovered it, but a few weeks ago I found out that somebody I graduated high school with owns Classic Kelly's Family Restaurant in Cedar Springs. Ah, a local joint! We knew we wanted to head there for dinner before going to the invitational.
We got off the highway, passed the usual suspects of fast-food places and chain stores on our way to the downtown area, and on out to 18 Mile Road. Kelly's is just before the street we used to turn on to go to my uncles' farm. (Which is now, very sadly, a housing development.)
Kelly's has that small-town restaurant feel - seat yourself, open dining room (no booths to break it up), advertising on the placemats and mugs, and definitely family-oriented. Loved it!
We found a table in the corner by a window with the sun streaming in. It was warm and cozy after a day of high winds and cold temps.
Our waitress was great and very attentive, although nothing exceptional. She was a hard worker and they were busy.
The menu had an impressive selection: appetizers, soups, salads, burgers, sandwiches, wraps, dinners, Mexican, even breakfast served all day long. And desserts -we saw some of the cakes and cinnamon rolls on our way out. They looked fabulous!
I was tempted to get a vegetable omelet, but opted for the Caribbean Chicken Wrap. It came with grilled chicken, grilled onions and peppers, lettuce, and a Caribbean sauce, with extra sauce on the side.
I didn't need the extra, and I would ask for all sauce on the side next time. It was very good and had a little kick to it, but it was also very sweet, at least for my taste.
I asked for steamed broccoli instead of chips or fries. The broccoli was a bit over-steamed, but it was still good, and helped ease the sweetness of the sauce when mixed with the wrap.
Caribbean Chicken Wrap
My husband ordered the Deluxe Meat and Bean Burrito. There were two sizes to choose from. He was glad he opted for this small!
It came with onion, olive, lettuce, tomato and sour cream and salsa on the side. He said it was really good!
Deluxe Meat and Bean Burrito
For both of our dinners the cost was $14.07 before the tip. We thought this was a great price and definitely worth what we paid.
We really enjoyed Classic Kelly's and plan to take a trip back sometime when we feel like taking a drive. At 40 minutes away, it won't be a weekly occurrence, but definitely a destination for when we want something different.
And we'll have to plan it so we can take a "nostalgic tour", as our family has come to call them, riding by family landmarks to check 'em out.
How was your weekend? Did you do anything special?
Note: The fellow-graduate is not somebody I really knew in high school and I'm not sure he's even aware or remembers who I am. Having gone to school with him did not bias me in any way while writing this post.
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