Pastry House Hippo: Novi, Michigan

You may have noticed my love of baked goods. If you haven't, you must be new here-welcome! I don't often splurge on bakery baked goods. I make my own or, if I'm in a hurry, I grab something from the grocery store. Last week, though, I was making a trip into Novi to support a fellow 3-Day walker who was having a fundraiser and it gave me a perfect excuse to visit my favorite Asian grocery store (One World Market). While I was in town, I wanted to try an Asian bakery as well. After a quick internet search, I found Pastry House Hippo, which happens to be located across the street from the grocery.

This place was great! As soon as you enter this tiny shop, you grab a tray and a pair of tongs. Then all you have to do is pick out your pastries. I had my sons with me and the four-year old had quite a time making up his mind. You see, one of the highlights of this bakery is their adorable little animal rolls called an pan. They are exquisitely detailed and fun. They are also filled with chocolate cream, strawberry jam or sweet bean paste. You can see the ones we picked out in the pictures. I also had some raisin-filled melon bread. Everything was delicious! The next time I go, I'm going to try some of the savory combinations. I also hope I can get there around lunch time for a steamed pork bun. I read some reviews complaining that the items were pricey, but for the work involved I had no problem paying the $1.50-$2.00 each bun cost. More than a doughnut, sure, but doughnuts don't take this level of artistic endeavour.

If you're going to head over, here's a couple tips. First, they are located off Grand River in the same strip mall as the Library Pub and Anjishin Noodle House. Second, they only take plastic on orders over $10, so make sure you have some cash on you. Lastly, they have a website but it's in Japanese, so unless you're fluent, it's not incredibly helpful. I highly recommend Pastry House Hippo. Grab some sushi across the street at One World Market and some dessert over here and you're set!

Cinco Lagos: Milford, Michigan

Ok, again, I apologize for the lack of pictures. We went to Cinco Lagos on the same day we went to The Burger Joint. Since the camera battery died without a single picture being taken...well, you understand.

I really like Cinco Lagos. I've been there twice and made sure to try a couple different items. I've had the roasted chile relleno and the tres sopes. Both were fresh and tasty. The pork belly in the tres sopes was especially delicious and the roasted chile rellano was really complex and full of flavor. My husband enjoyed his fajitas and we all loved the bread pudding and banana-changa (a banana and almond paste deep fried in a tortilla with a chocolate dipping sauce). My four year old stuck with his old standby, the cheese quesadilla, but he had no complaints and was happy to share the dessert! Not only is this a local restaurant but Chef Brian Polcyn is diligent about sourcing everything locally as often as possible. If you're looking for a bit more upscale take on Mexican cuisine, but still want to stay local, visit Cinco Lagos on Main Street in Milford, Michigan!

The Burger Joint: Milford, Michigan

First, I must apologize for a lack of pictures. Our camera battery died as I was trying to get a picture of the outside of the restaurant. *Sigh* Oh well, use your imagination and you'll be fine!

The Burger Joint, on Main Street in Milford, Michigan, is awesome! It's a small place where you order at the counter and then wait for your number to be called. Their meat is ground locally just for them and their fries are hand cut. At our table, we ordered a salmon burger (a special for Lent), a kid's cheeseburger, a Joey burger, and a custom burger with garlic aioli, bleu cheese and burnt onions. Every sandwich was delicious and perfectly made. The fries and coleslaw were also wonderful.  We were there in the middle of the afternoon on a Saturday and there was a pretty steady trickle of customers, but we only waited about 10 minutes for our freshly made food.

All-in-all The Burger Joint was a great place for a quick, casual meal and I will definitely go back!