If you're anything like me, you appreciate the signs of spring with trepidation — is this really the end of winter? Indeed, with high temperatures breaking 60 degrees accompanied by a chilly, strong wind, the weather can be confusing. Thankfully, there's no mistaking a carrot cupcake as a signifier of Easter soon to arrive — especially when that cupcake comes from the new Mid-East Pastry Delight. Eastsiders have become familiar with owner Malek Maatouk's handmade creations at its store in Sterling Heights for many years, but that location is better known for bulk orders of a wide range of …

I might ruffle a few feathers in saying this, but I love seemingly-excessive Christmas decorations around town. Garland adorning every retail streetlight cannot come soon enough, in my opinion. Why not? I'm sure it's good for the economy. That said, the Pumpkin Spice Latte has been a well-regarded fall drink of choice for years — just ask the Starbucks Coffee Company themselves. The syrup may be artifically-flavored pumpkin, as opposed to the fresh stuff I wrote about last week, but in combination with spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves, and the delicious whipped cream, I'll take it. …

Waking up early on a weekend morning can be difficult for me at this time of the year. Due to the shorter day, longer night, and, to be honest, football on television, I usually prefer to stay in bed for as long as possible during autumn. This past weekend, I made sure to rise and shine in order to make it to Zoe's House of Pancakes for breakfast in order to try pumpkin pancakes, which had caught my eye from the menu the last time I was wandering Orchard Mall. I'm glad that I did. After hearing from management that the pumpkin was fresh — not canned — and that the pancakes came with an …

There's something exciting to me about the prospect of new business, especially a restaurant. In the location where Dairy Queen used to be, Princess Mediterranean Grill now occupies on the east side of Orchard Lake Road just north of 14 Mile Road. The menu might not bowl over Middle Eastern cuisine connoisseurs, but for people like me, who like all sorts of different foods from a friendly host, it's just right. Hopefully it will stick around. Princess has served its brand of falafel, tabouli, and fattoush for about one month in the same spot and shouldn't be missed. For four bucks, my …

I don't penalize chain restaurants, so I've long been a fan of J. Alexander's. The fish and scallops dinners are famous in my memory; the interior is intimate without being cheesy, it's even a good place to watch sports. When I read on Twitter recently that the location in West Bloomfield had a new menu, I wasted little time in figuring out my next available time to sample the wares. Perhaps thankfully, it was explained to me, J. Alexander's has no new menu. Rather, staff told me at lunch time Monday that the lunch and menu options had been better separated to accomodate for a larger lunch …