New in town

Posted
The shuffle between Kris Elliot’s downtown Lansing Urban Feast restaurants seems to have settled down … for now, at least. The Black Rose, formerly connected to the defunct Edmund’s Pastime, opened last Friday, just in time for Silver Bells in the City traffic. The space, 206 S. Washington Ave., is the former location for Tavern on the Square, which became Tavern and Tap earlier this month when it moved up to the corner, 101 S. Washington Square, former home of Edmund’s. (Before that, the space belonged to the third downtown Urban Feast restaurant, Troppo, which opened there in 2004; in 2010, Elliot built a new building from the ground up for Troppo across the street.)

The move gives the Irishthemed Black Rose its own kitchen. Standouts include the Dublin Dog, with Serrano peppers, celery salt, tomato, onion and other fixings ( but “ABSOLUTELY NO KETCHUP,” screams the menu) and the Hunters Burger, with an overeasy egg, chipotle-jalapeno mayo and two kinds of cheddar cheese on a brioche roll. Scotch eggs, Irish cheddar cheese soup and corn beef sliders keep the Gaelic theme going.

Fun fact: The night before Thanksgiving is considered the biggest bar night of the year in the industry. So if you want to see what an Irish pub looks like when it’s firing on all cylinders and don’t want to deal with the St. Paddy’s Day crowds, tonight’s your chance.

Mexicano new home After a few moves, the former Ofilia’s El Burrito seems to have found a permanent home and a new name: El Burrito Mexicano. After starting on Lansing’s south side in 2010, owner/ operator Ofilia Diaz moved to the Lansing Mega Mall last January and maintained a stand in the Lansing City Market.

“But neither of those had the business I was hoping for,” Diaz said. “I think I’ll be able to reach a lot more people here. And it’s great to be in a freestanding (building) again.”

Her new location, 801 Thomas L. Parkway near Waverly Street and Saginaw Highway in Lansing, was formerly Tacos Y Mas, which moved to Everett Plaza on Cedar Street, just south of Holmes Road. Diaz said that the new location will allow her breakfast items to make more sense “At (Lansing Mega Mall), I couldn’t open until 11, so I didn’t sell much breakfast,” Diaz said. “But I have special Mexican breakfast items as well as traditional items like pancakes. And I can open at 7, when it makes more sense.”

The bigger kitchen space and expanded hours also allow her to expand her menu.

“I’m bringing back my barbacoa and menudo, which I didn’t have enough room for before,” Diaz said. “And I can get back into making wedding cakes and birthday cakes again. I’m really excited.”

The Black Rose 206 S. Washington Square, Lansing 3 p.m. -2 a.m. daily (517) 371-8700, facebook. com/theblackroselansing

El Burrito Mexicano 801 W. Thomas L. Parkway, Lansing 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday- Saturday; closed Sunday (517) 894-39004, facebook. com/lansingelburrito

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here




Connect with us