Sean O'Callaghan's - Plymouth, MI

I started coming here when they first opened. In the beginning they had really amazing, hearty food. They had a chicken sandwich on a crusty bread that was to die for with zesty slaw and the sourest pickles that I have never quite forgiven them for axing off the menu to be honest.

The last meal I had in there was with my entire family. We all had issues with our food and it was a disaster, not that the staff minded any but still. The staff is unfriendly, inefficient and borderline incompetent. Grossly overpriced food badly done is the ultimate restaurant sin in my book, compound it with the fact no one cared enough to address problems properly after complaints and well guess who will never go back?

The burgers in here are ten bucks. Seriously. Not a great burger but a simple bacon burger is ten bucks. For ten bucks I want something special.

I had a Shaved Prime Rib sandwich that was so fatty I could barely eat it, skimpy portioned too. All that for 13.50. Wait, they also charged me 3.00 extra for a small cup of curry dip to eat overdone chips aka fries with. Chewy and tasteless.

My dad had the Corned Beef and Cabbage. 12.50 for a rather sad plate of underdone veggies with a meager helping of beef. Rather bland to boot. I easily make better in a freaking crock pot.

For 9.50 my husband had Irish Breakfast. They were out of bacon aka rashers so they merely didn't put it on the plate. My husband had to complain and then they told him they were out. He had to actually make the suggestion they substitute something for the missing meat. He was highly annoyed because he wanted the bacon and would not have ordered it at all if he knew they had none. His toast was overdone and his potatoes as all veggies at O'Callaghans were underdone.

My mother had the only decent dish of the day but of course had to wait for it while the rest of us ate our food. By the time hers came we were done except James, who was finally getting his substitute bangers for his missing rashers. The Shepherd's pie was tasty and we all drooled as she ate it in jealousy.

Everything is extra here. They nickle and dime you into a very expensive final tab and frankly the food is so not worth it. I would avoid it, even if you have a great coupon. I have no respect for poor service and less for management that fails to address basic complaints. I will never be back.

Malarkey's - Westland, Michigan

Malarkey's is a classic sports bar type place. The Southgate location is quite a bit more glam and roomy than the Westland one but both have equally good food and staffing.
Coupons for Marlarkey's two locations can be found here: http://www.saveoneverything.com/moreinfo.php?advertiser_code=7342812616#. You can also purchase some here: http://www.restaurant.com/microsite.asp?rid=335204&mcn=&eb=False.

The fare is typical but tasty. I love the French Dip, really good roast beef and swiss, au jus for dipping. The Reuben is tasty, ask for extra dressing on the side though. The Super St. Paddy Melt is seriously yummy and big. Fries are good but substitute onion rings for a real treat.

The Steak Bits appetizer is excellent, I recommend them cajun style. You can also get them on a salad and it is tasty. The Super Burrito is huge and a fave of my mother. The Fish and Chips are good and they have numerous steaks that look quite delicious.

This is a strictly casual place. They feature specials on burgers and beer pretty regularly and that is really the kind of place it is, burger and beer. They have some great specials at lunch and can be a real bargain. Solid fare, good drink specials, clean and happy. Use the coupons and give it a whirl.

Cafe Marie - Ann Arbor

I love breakfast but I can be very picky about it. The Cafe Marie does breakfast so well that I am always willing to go there. It is very happy breakfast indeed. You can get a coupon in the entertainment book for a real bargain here.

I love that they offer pots of tea here. A rarity outside of a tea room but one very much appreciated by me. I am not a fan of tea bags and when anyone offers a properly brewed loose leaf I am all over it. They have a great variety to boot, including good chai. My father says the coffee is excellent as well but I will never know that as I do not indulge. Basically this is a beverage paradise, they offer juices, smoothies, all the coffee house essentials, including syrups.

The food here is just excellent. They have four different Benedicts, my fave is the Salmon Bene. Perfectly poached eggs and hollandaise with excellent smoked salmon on english muffins. Heaven. My mom is a fan of the skillets, which are quite good and come in so many varieties. The South of the Border Omelet is great with chorizo, salsa and sour cream. The Whole Wheat Blueberry Flapjacks are just amazing here. You feel healthier ordering them but they sure do not taste at all like health food. The Eggers are fun, served in flour tortillas and of course I will recommend the salmon one.

They are very flexible in here. You can get tomatoes instead of home fries and make special health requests in other areas too. Very nice waitstaff and just lovely atmosphere.

If you come on a weekend be prepared to wait. They will take reservations though.

Carrabbas - Canton, Michigan

I try not to review too many big chain places but I do want to review here as it is my favorite of the chain places. It does not have coupons but I don't really care because it is consistently great food. We have also visited the one on Novi and it is every bit as good.

The appetizers in here are great. The Cozze In Bianco are fresh Canadian Cove mussels from Prince Edward Island steamed in white wine, basil, lemon butter and Pernod. You can easily share them with four people, such a deal. The sauce is so good to dip bread into too. The Shrimp Scampi is my husband's fave, sautéed with garlic, white wine, herbs and lemon butter, served with garlic toast for dipping. A small portion for what you pay though so be warned. The flavor, however is top notch.

I love the soups in here. My favorites are the Mama Mandola's Sicilian Chicken Soup, a zesty soup with delicate noodles and the spicier Lentil and Sausage, an absolute delight. I basically could just get a bowl of soup and bread in here and be totally happy. My family also likes the Minestrone but I must confess I never get it. The salads are nice too but I would never pick them over soup to be honest.

I almost always get one of two dishes in here. If I am looking for something light I get the excellent Tagliarini Picchi Picchiu, a fine pasta in a sauce of crushed tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and basil. I add grilled chicken as all the grilled items here are so incredibly good. If I am looking to splurge I get the Chicken Bryan which is grilled chicken breast topped with a sharp goat cheese, sundried tomatoes and a basil lemon butter sauce. I always ask for Fettucini Alfredo as my side pasta and they always allow it. Calorie heaven I know but honestly this is the only fettucini alfredo I eat outside of my own homemade and frankly it is way better than mine.

My husband always gets something with Fettucini Alfredo. Usually Filet Fiorentino with a double side of it. The filet is incredibly good, just melt in your mouth tender perfection. As Carrabbas is owned by the same company that owns Outback its really no wonder.

My parents are fans of the Spiedino di Mare, shrimp and sea scallops coated with Italian breadcrumbs, grilled and topped with lemon butter sauce. Good but not a whole lot of it in my opinion. I love when they have the Chicken Trio on special as I am a huge fan of the Bryan but also quite like the Marsala with the proscuitto and mushroom sauce and the Rosa Maria with the fontina, proscuitto, mushroom and basil lemon butter sauce.

One of the things I love about here is we always have leftovers, my husband and I both make it a two meal deal when we dine, that makes me feel better about spending too much. This place is also special to us as we have had numerous romantic events together in the dimly lit interior, so it always feels happy here for us.

So if you want a top of the line chain with reliable food, good service and a nice atmosphere you cannot go wrong with Carrabbas.

Szechuan - Canton, Michigan

This has long been my absolute favorite Chinese restaurant in the area. It is not cheap at dinner and there are no great coupons but I recommend it anyway. That should tell you something right there. This restaurant is so good we actually drag the food down to St. Louis whenever we see my sister, she misses it that much. They mention something about a deal for a dollar off for every ten you spend here: http://szechuancanton.com/SzechuanCanton.html

I always get a pan fried dumpling appetizer here. The pork filled dumplings are always perfectly cooked and the filling is just so good. I ask for some hot chili oil to spice up the dark brown sauce with scallions that goes with them. It could easily be your whole meal but I share them. The Wrapped Spicy Chicken is like a chicken dumpling minus the skin, unwrap the foil and eat it like a dumpling, delicious. The Cold Noodles in Spicy Sesame Sauce are a cheap lunch at 3 dollars. I adore their peanut tasting sauce and the crunch of the veggie accents.

Lunch is a pretty good deal in here and are plenty to fill you up. Their soups are excellent, I recommend any but have a special fondness for the Wonton. My mother is a sucker for the Hot and Sour though, while my sister swears by the Egg Drop. The lunches come with your choice of fried or steamed rice, My sister and I stick with steamed but the fried is loved by the rest of my family. You also can have Crab Rangoons or a Spring Roll, both are good but I always take a Spring Roll.

The Baby Shrimp in Spicy Szechuan Sauce is amazing. So tender and flavorful, I love how spicy they can make it too. The Hunan Chicken is perfect, I love all the veggies in it. The General Tsou Chicken is the very best I have ever had and worth going off a diet for. The coating so very light and the sauce a sticky spicy delight. It is served on bean sprouts which are happy. The Sesame Chicken is a fave of my dad, it is very good indeed, again not too much breading, just a lightly coated fry job. The Beef in Garlic and Ginger Sauce is fabulous, tender and just the right flavor, if you want spicy you need to ask for it extra spicy, as beef doesn't take spice as easily as shrimp or chicken. Medium is the minimum spice I order but I prefer Hot or Extra Hot on almost all these items. At dinner a must is the Crispy Shrimp in Champagne Sauce. So lightly fried in an amazing tempura type batter and the sauce is to die for. Get it spiced Hot for a treat.

As far as veg, I have had the Home Style Tofu with a friend and found it quite tasty. I am waiting to go back with her to try the Sesame or Kung Pao Tofu which both sound yummy. The Ginger Garlic Eggplant was delicious so I am sure the broccoli would be just as tasty. The Moo Shu Vegetables were fun and different. There are some fun veg choices here which I like, especially as a lot of the entrees are not full of veggies.

They redid the restaurant about a year ago and the interior is quite nice and soothing. Servers are great, efficient and accommodating. The owner is a peach who of course remembers a girl who gets six dinners to go on an airplane on a fairly regular basis. The tea is always piping hot and the water glasses are refilled regularly.

If you like good and spicy Chinese food you will like it here. I love it and pay full price happily, although I do usually come for lunch unless I am wanting to splurge.

Grand Traverse Pie Company - Plymouth, Michigan

If you want pie, this is the place to come. A bit spendy but you know you want to indulge in more ways than one. Besides the only other pie specialty place (Baker's Square) is virtually disappearing from our area, you won't much care though once you taste these pies.

The Grand Traverse Pie Company has food but for now all I am reviewing is dessert. This is possibly the best non-homemade pie I have ever had. The cream pies are smooth and creamy with flaky crusts. The crumb topped fruit pies are sweet and have the best crusts around. The traditional topped fruit pies are good but trust me, get crumb instead.

Ironically the very best item in this place is a Lemon Square. A mere 1.99 and found in the refrigerated section. A taste of heaven in a bar. A shortcake like bottom with a creamy gel lemony middle topped with a bit of cakey layer covered in powdered sugar. Bliss, absolute freaking bliss. I could eat one every day of my life. The other bars are just ok. I can make better.

Cookies are meh. Big and a decent value but as somewhat of a cookie expert I say don't waste the time or the calories.

There is a peanut butter muffin looking creation with a swirled chocolate middle reminiscent of a kiss that is also 1.99 and to die for. My husband quite enjoys. It is a cross btween a cookie and a tart.

Chocolate Peanut Butter is a great cream pie and just so delicious and smooth. The Key Lime is amazing, creamy and just the right tart level. The Chocolate Cream is fine but I am not dying to have it again.

The Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb is perfect. The Apple Crumb is a touch too sweet but that doesn't bother my sweet toothed husband. Blueberry Crumb is my father's absolute favorite pie there and I must admit it is quite good. The Cherry Crumb is great as well. All are great with the store ice cream with it, a delicious vanilla.

As I am avoiding sweets I am doing my best to pretend this place does not exist. A word of warning though, do not buy the last Lemon Square just in case I have an emergency....

Rocky's of Northville - Northville, Michigan

I love this place! I have been coming for years and it only continues to improve. No coupons but join their club and get in on it here: http://www.rockysnorthville.com/rockiesgues.html .

Rocky's is seriously tasty food. Chefs Rocky Rachwitz and Dan Meier know their food. It is cheaper at lunch, early bird dinner or to come in and order off the special raw bar menu.

The one thing that is a must to get while in season is the Gazpacho. I must confess I have stolen the recipe. They also have excellent Cole Slaw you can get with optional crumbled Maytag Bleu cheese. The house salad is a treat with cranberries, gorgonzola and raspberry viniagrette too.

They also have great appetizers. The calamari is tender and zippy. The Smoked Seafood Pate is really delicious. The house Smoked Salmon is just perfect as is the spice rubbed Ahi Tuna served rare as it should be. Mussels are great any way you get them. The Oysters are just fresh and amazing raw or cooked.

Fish specials are always a good choice. I had a Blue Marlin once that blew me away. My father was a fan of a Swordfish that was covered in a creamy shrimp sauce. Basically if it sounds good it will be. Fish is never overcooked here, it is always fresh and comes with innovative ingredients that match tastes perfectly.

Right now they are having a whitefish festival. I can highly recommend the Hazelnut Encrusted Whitefish that comes with wilted greens, basmati rice and brown butter reduction. They have four other choices as well, all under twelve dollars at lunch. Bargain.

My old standbys are the pan roasts. Seafood like Shrimp, Scallops and Oysters in a spicy cream sauce with veggies like artichokes or sun dried tomatoes. The New England is good but the Pesto is better in my opinion. Creamy sauce, perfect seafood and rice under twelve bucks at lunch, how could you go wrong? The Oyster Stew is also very nice indeed from the raw bar menu.

If you see The Roasted Half Duck on the menu I strongly suggest you indulge. Rocky's is hands down the best I have ever had, with spaetzle and red cabbage it is a delight. The Short Ribs Of Beef fall off the bone tender and delicious. So freaking good.

If you are looking for great fresh seafood, love duck or beef short ribs you have to try Rocky's of Northville. You will not be sorry.