Press Release – New Product Line From Meijer Tells A Story
From a Meijer press release….
MEIJER BRINGS TOGETHER LOCAL & REGIONAL SPECIALTIES,
FAMILY-OWNED SUPPLIERS AND UNIQUE RECIPES
TO CREATE AN EXCITING NEW LINE OF FOOD PRODUCTSNew Meijer Gold To Include Items With A Distinctive Story Of Origin
From Taco Sauce To Cheesecake, Every Product Has A Tale To Tell
GRAND RAPIDS, MI (November 19, 2009) – With such diverse delicacies as handcrafted sparkling lemonade from an original family recipe in France, to cocoa sourced from a Pacific Northwest family known for producing luscious chocolate recipes, Meijer’s new premium private label brand features singular products that all have a unique story to tell.
The new Meijer Gold offers unexpected and indulgent discoveries at affordable prices. But what makes the brand unique is its collection of original recipe items that are either made by a local company within the Meijer footprint, or by a family-owned business. The line also features interesting foods endemic to a particular place or country.
“Meijer customers have great taste, and it’s our job to keep providing them with great-tasting food items,” said Ralph Fischer, group vice president-foods at Meijer. “But we also want to offer them products that they won’t find anywhere else, and that’s exactly what Meijer Gold offers. We’ve traveled the globe and looked in small towns to source premium products that have a distinctive history, heritage or story.”
Each one of the delectable products in the Meijer Gold line has a tale to tell. For instance, the brand’s mustard is prepared from an age-old German recipe by a long-time Midwestern company; the salsa is created by an acclaimed family-owned Southern California producer; and the cream pasta sauces are sourced from the legendary Chicago restaurateurs, the Mugnolo family.
With more than 80 items comprising the upcoming launch, all Meijer Gold recipes are unique to the grocer, and include the finest ingredients and attention to detail. This promise of affordable excellence is furthered by the brand’s mandate that every Gold product must have a distinctive story of origin that not only enhances the uniqueness of the product, but also reaffirms Meijer’s commitment to local communities, businesses and families.
A sampling of some of the unique products that fall under the Meijer Gold brand include Champagne Dill Mustard, Sugar-Free Maple-Praline Syrup, Grilled Pineapple Chipotle Salsa, Smokey Mozzarella Cheese Spread, Porcini Truffle Tortellini, Crab Puff Pastries, Biscotti Munch Chocolate Caramel Cookies and Michigan Apple Cheesecake.
Meijer Gold is for food connoisseurs looking for more experience-rich foods, such as those born of family traditions. The high-quality line is supported by premium packaging, which highlights both the flavor and ‘golden’ aspect of the brand. Along with a recognizable gold seal and appetizing imagery, each package tells the compelling story of the product’s origin, allowing consumers to feel as if they are sharing in someone’s family tradition.
Originally launched in 2005, Meijer Gold served to provide a premium version of everyday items. This new approach to the Meijer Gold brand is a result of Meijer’s desire to deepen its commitment and connection to regionally sourced foods, family-run businesses, and authentic and distinctive recipes.
“Meijer Gold allows consumers to add a touch of flair to their everyday cuisine,” said Fischer. “The brand’s distinctive products and flavor cues will turn an ordinary meal into a premium experience that will blow customers away without blowing their grocery budgets.”
Full City Cafe – Portage
7878 Oakland DriveAfter a long weekend working, there’s nothing I enjoy more than being woken up to go eat. J knows it’s one of my favorite things to do and it’s a good way to get me out of bed.
After working in East Lansing all weekend, I made it back to Kalamazoo just before 1:00. By the time I took a shower and talked to J for a while, it was almost 2:00 before we got to bed which really isn’t that unusual for me anyway. Sunday morning, I was still in bed at a little after 11. J woke me up to go get lunch, but I didn’t really have lunch on the mind.
A couple weeks ago, I got the idea to try Full City Cafe for breakfast. I checked out their website and it said both locations were open Sunday. We drove to the Kalamazoo location because we needed to do some shopping out that way, but when we got there, we found the store closed. I inquired about the closing on Twitter to @fullcitycafe and they responded pretty quickly that they had just closed the Kalamazoo location on Sunday’s recently and forgot to update the website (it’s updated now). Still, the menu looked delicious and it has so many great reviews that I knew the next chance we got, we were going to try it out.
That next chance came the very next weekend we were actually in Kalamazoo on a Sunday.
The Full City Cafe location in Portage is on Oakland Drive at Centre Avenue in what looks like a fairly new strip mall. Full City Cafe takes up two storefronts and by the crowd today, could probably take over a third and still not have enough room. Read more…
Quality Dairy – St. Joseph Hwy, Lansing
6400 W. St. Joseph Highway- Lansing, MI 48917
- (517) 319-4124
- Website
If you would have told me two years ago one of the things I would miss most about Lansing was Quality Dairy, I would have called you crazy. From the outside, these stores look like the typical convenience store. Inside? Not much different…at least until you dive into their unique goodies.
For me, most Quality Dairy stops were Pepsi stops. The thing I really loved about QD is that there’s almost always one near where you are. I could actually plan a trip somewhere and know that I could stop for a 32 oz. pop on my way and not have to deal with the gas station hassle of everyone in front of you buying cigarettes and the clerk not knowing which package is which. It was almost always a quick in and out.
My second day of work in East Lansing ended pretty late. It was after 10:00 by the time I started heading back to my hotel. I thought about grabbing a pizza in East Lansing, but I was tired and not really wanting to deal with Friday night crowds in a college town, so I just drove. I didn’t want fast food again, but I really wanted a Pepsi. Read more…
Arby’s – Frandor, Lansing
622 N. Homer StreetCall me lazy. I’m not completely proud of the fact that I’ve now eaten two fast food meals in a row, but once again, I’m trying to make as much money as possible, so going cheap on the lunch is a necessary evil. I would much rather eat like this alone and be able to spend a little more when I go out with J.
Work day number two in Lansing started around 1:30. I didn’t eat before going to work because I knew our lunch break was going to be pretty soon after we got to the job site. Once we were released around 2:45, I headed to Frandor because I wanted to look at Staples for something. After that was complete, it was on to lunch. Sure, I had a bunch of options in Frandor, but since I was going to eat fast food anyway, I decided to go to a place I really like.
The Arby’s near the Frandor Shopping Center is located on Homer Street. Because Homer is a one way street, there is also a back entrance from Clippert Street which is where I was coming from. The building sits pretty close to Homer. There is a huge parking lot in back and a few slots on the sides. I took one of the side spots Read more…
McDonald’s – Delta Twp, Lansing
7240 W. Saginaw HighwayMy quest for cheap meals went on with one of the most obvious choices when it comes to dining on the cheap.
My first day of work in East Lansing ended around 8:30. I was exhausted and headed straight for my hotel. As I was driving across town on I-496, I was trying to picture what I could grab quickly and eat in my hotel room. I was drawing blank, but I knew there were a couple options right there near the Red Roof Inn.
Like most cities, Lansing is littered with McDonald’s. I chose the location on West Saginaw Highway and Vermillion Road in Delta Township for one reason. It was close to where I was going.
Being 9:00 at night on a Thursday meant I should be able to get in and get out in a hurry. I’m not a drive thru fan. In fact, I despise them. Unless I absolutely have to, I never use them. If J forces me to, she leans across the seat and yells into the speaker. I guess I don’t speak clearly or something because I never have good luck. I’d rather just take the extra few minutes and walk inside. No one has ever died from getting out of their car for a hamburger. Read more…
Fish & Chips
2418 E. Michigan Avenue- Lansing, MI 48912
- (517) 487-5774
- No Known Website
- Menu
Back when we lived in Lansing (a whole two months ago), I accepted a lot of work at MSU thinking I was only going to have a five-minute commute. Things changed suddenly and I really didn’t want to give up the work, but now, my commute was going to be over an hour. When I work multiple days in a row, it’s not really worth driving back to Kalamazoo. By the time I get home, it’s bed time then I have to turn around and drive back.
I tried Pricelining hotels, but that’s impossible on a football weekend, so I just went to Hotels.com and took the cheapest room I could find. I was staying two nights, so that was a good chunk out of my pay for the weekend. When it came to meals, I did my best to get by as cheap as I could, but still leave satisfied.
When lunch rolled around on Thursday, I immediately thought of a desolate shack on Michigan Avenue that I was always interested in trying but afraid to drag J to. I didn’t really know what I was going to find, but I assumed it would be cheap, quick, and it put off one of the fast food chains for one more meal.
Fish & Chips is on East Michigan Avenue in Lansing right at the corner of Foster Avenue. It looks like the building was a fast food chain in a previous life, but I really couldn’t tell you which one. It’s a pretty cookie cutter building with a sun room that was a popular feature in the 80’s. 
I read somewhere that it may have been an Arthur Treacher’s Fish & Chips from the 70’s. Read more…
Pop’s Italian Beef & Sausage
The thing I’ve really learned about blogging over the last couple years is to find out how people are getting to your site. I watch search engine turns pretty much everyday to see what is bringing people to my site. It helps make decisions on where to eat. If there’s someplace that a lot of people are searching that I haven’t blogged yet, it’s pretty much a no-brainer on where we need to go next.
One of our first week’s in town, we came across a Chicago-Style place near Western Michigan. It’s only been open a few weeks, so there’s not much out there in the way of info on the place. Now, I’m always skeptical when I see a “Chicago-Style” anything outside of Chicago. It’s always a variation on the style or something that has been shipped here. Still, we decided to give the place a try.
Pop’s Italian Beef & Sausage is on Howard Street in Kalamazoo in the Campus Point Mall. Pop’s is actually a Chicago chain. I had no clue. I’ve eaten a lot of Italian beefs in Chicago and since meeting J, I’ve gotten to know the south suburbs pretty well and I’ve never seen a Pop’s before. They do exist though. There are seven locations in the Chicagoland area and two in Indiana.
Even though I had never heard of Pop’s until moving here, they’re actually a favorite of one of J’s friends. We were over at his house this past weekend in Alsip and he was drinking from a Pop’s glass. Earlier that afternoon he stopped in to one of the Illinois locations.
Pop’s is what you hope for when you see the word Italian beef. It’s not a huge, fancy restaurant. You order at the counter then you’re given a number while your food is prepared. There are some booths in the small dining room, but the thing that makes it authentic is the counter that runs along the windows. I don’t know what it is about Chicago hot dog joints, but eating your meal while watching people walk by on the street is the thing to do. If you’re utilizing this space properly, you would forgo the chair and employ “the hunch”….that is, stand a foot back from the counter, spread your legs for stability, put your elbows on the counter, and lean into the sandwich. This helps if you’re on your lunch break and don’t want to get gravy on your white dress shirt. Read more…
Granite City Food & Brewery – Orland Park, IL
14035 S. LaGrange RoadThere are very few times you will ever hear me admit to actually liking a chain restaurant so much that I would pick it over a local place. In fact, there is only one casual dining chain that I would even say that about. It’s not a chain that has a store in every city, so when I do see it, it’s a treat. Lucky for me, there’s one in Orland Park, IL.
Granite City Food & Brewery is a casual dining chain and brewery with roots in Minnesota. There are only 26 locations in eleven states. All of them have an on-site brewery.
J and I were first introduced to the concept while living in Peoria, IL. Just a few months before we moved to Michigan, GCFB opened a store in East Peoria, IL near where we worked. We ate there at least three or four times in six months which is probably the most I revisited any one restaurant in the six years I lived there.
Recently, a Granite City opened in Orland Park, IL which is about twenty minutes or so from J’s parents. Orland Park has a very large shopping area with a lot of national chains and many smaller chains that have only one Chicagoland store. The Granite City is located on South LaGrange Road near Southwest Highway and the Metra train station.
J’s parents joined us for dinner on this particular Sunday night. It was a little after 8:00 when we walked in. Closing time for the restaurant was 9:00 so we were one of the last people seated for dinner. Read more…
Jason’s Deli – Oak Lawn, IL
6260 W. 95th StreetI always think it’s funny when friends rave about chain restaurants. Especially when they’re not one of the big national chains. Still, even though I may laugh, it always peaks my interest. A friend of mine on Facebook is constantly talking about a deli that only has one location in the whole state of Iowa, but it happens to be near her house. There’s also one near J’s parents in Oak Lawn, IL, so when J and I needed a quick-lunch, but didn’t want burgers, she called in an order to Jason’s Deli.
The Oak Lawn location of Jason’s Deli is on 95th Street and Mobile Avenue in a new, small strip mall. It sits quite a ways off the road on the other side or a large surface parking lot which is a newer thing in downtown Oak Lawn. A lot of the old buildings are more traditional store fronts that butt up to the road and having parking in back, but this center, as well as a few other new ones, break that tradition.
The chain, which got its start in Beaumont, TX in the late 70’s, prides itself on the fact that none of their food (other than soft drinks) contain High Fructose Corn Syrup or trans fat. Their signature sandwiches include Po’boys and muffalettas and every restaurant has a salad bar and daily soup selection. There are approximately 200 stores in 25 states.
I really don’t know how the deli works. They call it a deli restaurant and when you walk in, the order area says “To-Go Ordering,” so I guess that means you would sit down and a waitress would take care of you if you were dining in? Not sure. Didn’t have to worry about it because J had already called in an order. Read more…
Louisa’s Pizza & Pasta – Crestwood, IL
14025 S. Cicero Avenue- Crestwood, IL 60445
- (708) 371-0950
- No Known Website
- No Online Menu
Our first full day back in Chicago consisted of catching up with friends and family. The day started by meeting my family at Portillo’s in Crestwood. Since J and I have started dating, my brother has become a huge fan of the Chicago-style hot dog. The rest of my family slowing warming up to the unique items you can only get in the city. My mom is coming around on Italian beef and my dad….well, my dad is hard to figure out. Anytime they can come up with an excuse to make the trip to Portillo’s they jump at it. Even though we grew up (and they still live) an hour south of the city, there are no true Chicago-style places.
After that, we met with a couple whom J went to high school with. We stayed there for a few hours then it was on to the next friends’ house. We spent more time than anticipated at the first friends, so we didn’t get a chance to go back to J’s parents and relax. The second set of friends have recently moved from Crestwood to New Lenox. For those of you not familiar with the Chicago suburb layout, Crestwood is on the south side just minutes from the city. New Lenox is about a half hour away.
In the past, whenever we visited, we were treated to dinner. Sometimes we had BBQ, sometimes pizza. One trip in particular has always stood out to me. We had pizza from a place in Crestwood that J and I had driven by many times, but never actually stopped. It was good. It was really good, but J’s family has their pizza place and they don’t stray very far (with good reason, by the way). Read more…
SW Michigan Dining 