Know what makes a fine summer day even better? The answer should be obvious: a great drink. No matter how you like your alcohol served to you, Lansing has a ton of spots for you to check out this summer. We’re going to break the drinks down by style and provide you a list of where to find them.  more

Enjoying delicious food and drinks with friends and family in the warm daylight is one of the best ways to spend a summer afternoon. Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic pretty much robbed us of that last year, unless you happened to have a nice private patio to enjoy takeout. For the rest of us, Lansing has a number of restaurants with great patios, and we have years’ worth of Top of the Town voting data to sort out the best of the best. Here are a few of the most popular spots to check out this summer. more

Temperatures in the mid-90s and heavy rains this week reminded us Michiganders that summer is rapidly approaching. If you crave the tastes of the ocean but can’t make it out to the coast, these Lansing eateries have you covered. Throw on some sandals, maybe a Hawaiian shirt, too, and try out some of the best seafood our area has to offer.  more

Strawberry shortcake never changes. You can tweak it, but the basic trifecta of strawberries, cream and cake is so stable that there isn’t much room for improvement. This means it’s near … more

A cocktail of rain, wind and even a little snow assaulted the farmers market last week. The fair-weather hipsters stayed home. So did the lemonade stand. Altogether, more farmers showed up than customers, and coffee was the only thing that sold out because everyone’s hands were cold. There was a steaming cauldron of chicken congee for sale at the Vietnamese sandwich stall, and had the cardboard bowls not run out, the congee would probably have sold out, too. more

Once, when my mom was out for a visit, she made egg salad sandwiches. The kids wolfed them down before I had a chance to nab a sample. Their mouths were still full when they asked for another round. more

Aharon Hebert and Will Green, co-owners of Bangos food truck, are opening up a new restaurant called Babe's Corner. more

Drinkers of bubble tea are bracing for the worst. Boba balls, the tapioca-based spheres that collect at the bottom of a cup of this wildly popular Taiwanese beverage, are reportedly in short supply. more

With coronavirus vaccines rolling out and the weather finally warming up and staying comfortable, it looks like it might finally be a good time to enjoy some fresh air and some good food in Lansing. more

Lansing 5:01 is hosting Michigan's very first rosé wine festival Saturday at Cooley Gardens. You can enjoy the latest burst of warm weather and pop the corks of delicious bottles of rosé wine.  more

My farmer friend calls them Chinese chives. She’s from China, so she would know. She sells them in painfully cheap bunches that I collect like firewood each week and stack in the fridge next to the eggs. more

Calling Westlund’s Apple Market a Lansing mainstay is quite an understatement. On April 11, the market reached its 100th anniversary — a remarkable milestone no matter what industry you’re in. more

Gardening is a conversation with the earth. The gardener does something, and the earth responds via the outcome. If you plant a tomato seedling upside down, for example, the earth will happily swallow it, thereby ending the discussion. more

With vaccines available to every Michigander over 16, restaurants in the Lansing area are hoping to prepare for a return to business as usual. The warmer weather won’t hurt, either. If you’re looking to venture out into the world again after a year of isolation, consider trying one of these restaurants that have recently cropped up. more

As spring comes to Lansing, its residents have much to look forward to. Vaccines are rolling out. That big boat is finally unstuck. And last but not least, there are new restaurants opening up around … more

The egg came first. Let’s just get that out of the way. For millions of years before humans domesticated the feathered lizards known today as “chickens,” countless generations of amphibia and reptiles, including dinosaurs, were laying eggs. The egg is an amazing system for nurturing young beings that’s just plain awe-inspiring when you think about it. It’s also a delicious and beautiful form of animal protein that no animal had to die for. more

Lansing has new digs for those looking to enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of a bar without the social pressures of drinking. more

Avocado toast is a provocative dish. That piece of warm bread loaded with a smooth green paste is also loaded with so much meaning and angst, and has become a battleground for many of today’s culture wars. more

Staunch protective measures first kept restaurants closed altogether, later prohibiting customers from dining indoors for several stretches in 2020 — some lasting months at a time. And many restaurants, even ones that had been in service for decades, have closed for good. more

I have nothing but tough-love for those who claim they can’t cook a pot of rice. Quit acting so helpless. Cook the rice. If you screw it up, consider what went wrong and adjust. Like you do when making a sandwich. Which is much easier to screw up than a pot of rice. more