Pompeii’s Pizzeria & Italian Eatery

Feeling hungry for some home made Italian food that will fill you up? Take a stab at this restaurant, Pompeii’s Pizzeria and Eatery. Offering some of the best pizzas and pasta dishes around you won’t find any form of disappointment in this restaurant. If you don’t want to come here for the restaurant’s food, come here for the wide array of wine and spirits, they’ll likely have anything you could ever want to get.

Now, this restaurant has its pros and cons, just as any one does. I’ll start with some pros.

Appetizers

Pompeii’s offers plenty of appetizers, from “Pepperoni Stix” to “Garlic Escargot”, and I can genuinely say that just the starters you’re given could easily be your entire meal. Not only are you served any appetizers you order, but you’re also given a salad and bread to dip in oil. We chose the Pepperoni Stix to accompany the salad and bread this time, and were not disappointed. It was easily enough for three, more than enough actually.

Be mindful of the need to portion oneself when eating at this restaurant! You’ll never make it through your meal if you don’t.

Entrees

Pompeii’s entrees are exactly what you would think they would be: pizza and various forms of pasta. The lovely spin you get is everything is homemade, and much of it can be viewed from where you’re sitting. I thoroughly enjoyed their spaghetti and meatballs (I’m not always the most adventurous) while my companions enjoyed the “Andoullie Sausage & Chicken Jambalaya” and the “Steak Medallion Siciliano”. Both agreed that their meals were more than satisfactory.

(Pictured: Spaghetti and Andoullie Sausage & Chicken Jambalaya)

Dessert

Though I was full to bursting, I just had to take a try at their Tiramisu. The sacrifice of my stomach was well worth the taste, which was far sweeter than what I’m accustomed too. There’s barely a hint of espresso in this little slice of cake. Whether you like it will be based on how important you think the coffee flavor is to the dessert. I’d certainly recommend it.

Overall Atmosphere

This restaurant offers a nice, warm feel to it. You can choose between two rooms to dine in, one being near to the kitchen and the other separate, though containing a bar (of sorts). The decor is charming, with paintings adorning the walls of the front room and the masthead of a ship high upon the wall of the back room. This is a good, slow-paced family restaurant that serves food that both adults and children will love.

(Pictured above: back room and bar)

(Pictured above: front room)

Cons

Though not pictured, this restaurant has one very large flaw. There is very little parking. As in, less than ten spaces available. If you want to go here, be ready to have a search for a parking spot before you’re in the doors. Another problem that is seen here is a slight lack of room to walk, at least in the front room. The back room offers more space.

Consensus

Hands down, I would recommend this restaurant, if only for its good tasting food. It’s not just your run of the mill generic Italian food, it’s actually prepared fresh and with good ingredients. Sure, you might have some parking problems. But they’ll be well worth it in the end.

Link to site:

http://www.pompeiis.net/

Logan’s Law

What’s circulating in St. Clair county Michigan? Logan’s Law. This is the story of Logan.

Logan, A sweet 11 year old Husky, who in March 2012 suffered a terrible burn when an unknown person came into his yard, unprovoked, and threw an acid based chemical in his face while Logan was in his kennel.
After many weeks, countless prayers, and lots of love, Logan’s wounds steadily healed but the scars remained.
It became the mission of Logan’s family to get an animal abuse registry law passed in the State of Michigan. This Law would make a registry of those convicted of animal abuse, and require all animal shelters to refuse sale or adoption of an animal to anyone on this list. This new Law would be named “Logan” after the dog.
On July 9th, 2012 Logan lost his fight to the treatment and side effects of the attack. Logan is gone, but the fight continues. Help us make sure no other animal suffers like Logan. (Written by Matthew Falk, not myself)

So what can we do to make this brave little law pass? Sign the petition. Talk to a representative. This is something that many of us feel strongly about, with many animals being dumped just outside of Port Huron. Please help make a difference.

Sign the petition here:
http://www.loganslaw.com/

The Quay Street Brewery

The sun shines down upon you while you sit upon a vine covered balcony as boats race past you to return from or begin their journeys. Sound nice to you? It was surely nice for me. This view is available only at the Quay Street Brewery, Port Huron’s finest location for delicious beverages, entrées, and desserts.

Food and Drinks
My adventure in the great brewery began with a simple Coke and grenadine, a cherry flavoring. The duck tenders were calling me, and they were deliciously fried with almond slivers and a sweet and sour sauce served as a dip.

For an entrée, I decided to go with a slightly spicy black bean burger. The taste really jumped out at me, with a topping of fresh salsa and the usual lettuce as well as onions. At first I was a bit hesitant to dive into a burger made of beans, but it was surprisingly delicious. I’d recommend this burger to both veggie lovers and anyone who likes refried beans, strange as that sounds.

One of my companions who enjoyed the meal with me had the Sesame Salmon, and remarked upon its surprisingly spicy flavor, and I learned firsthand that the Brewer’s Chicken Sandwich is remarkably delicious! (None of that disgustingly burned chicken, mind you.) All of the foods that I have tried at this restaurant have proved to be worth my money.

As an extra, the drinks here are highly recommended for any takers, as their alcoholic and non alcoholic are delicious. They offer home brewed beers and drinks alike, and they’re certainly made to please.

Service
The serving had both positives and negatives. Our server was efficient, polite, and we never had to worry about running out of refreshments. Whenever we were remotely close to running out he would come by and refill it. The only true problem we were face with for service was the long wait for our food, although the restaurant really was not busy at all. I’d give five stars for personal service and three for food waiting time.

Overall Atmosphere
This is truly one of my favorite restaurants to be at because no matter the time of year, it brings a sense of calmness and offers a place to watch life go by. In the summer it’s quite enjoyable to sit down by the river and feed the ducks some of your bread, or to just watch the ships pass by, especially during boat week. There’s often a double bass and piano playing for the enjoyment of patrons, and the decor is quite tasteful. This is just another of the many nice places to go in downtown Port Huron.

Link to their website:

http://quaybrewing.com/

 

McMorran Place

The McMorran Place auditorium was built in 1955 and is home to many of the city’s sports. If you live in Port Huron, you’ve undoubtedly traveled here for a good ole’ hockey game! This two ice rink complex and auditorium house a number of hockey teams that are part of the Port Huron Minor Hockey Association as well as the local NAHL team, the Port Huron Fighting Falcons. It also houses the Port Huron Figure Skating Club, the Patriots Arena Football Team, and the Blue Water Derby Girls. Other events, such as the Shrine Circus pictured below, take place throughout the year as well.
Is it just me or is the elephant laughing?

McMorran has been a place that I’ve lovingly traveled to and from throughout my childhood for various hockey games. What can I say, I’m a rink rat! (Born and bred.) It’s easy to see how this building was once a proud attraction of the city, but it has certainly seen better years. The boards in the main rink are incredibly outdated, being made of wood and unable to give at all to the tremendous pressure of hockey players hitting each other. It also needs other maintenance done that just can’t be afforded. With the general decline of the city due to the seeming growth of nearby Ft. Gratiot, its attendance has significantly lowered and it is now in a state of disrepair. Ultimately though, it’s still an amazing place to go on a family trip! There’s constantly events going on, from the wildly popular McMorran Bridal Show to the hockey and football games, and even the incredible Rocky Horror Show. (If you haven’t seen it, then you need to. NO CHILDREN.)

Photo credit to Lathan Goumas 

Another major event that occurs yearly is the Silver Stick Invitational tournament. If anyone out there is a fan of youth hockey, then you should certainly come out and visit during the Silver Stick’s weekend. Upon every trip to Port Huron I take, it’s plain to see that this building is one of the icons of the city, with its neighboring building, the Pavilion, having a tall, brick lighthouse soaring into the air.

If you’re not a fan of hockey or bridal shows, you can also come out for the often-playing SC4 community and jazz band. While this old building might need some serious repairs, it must be known: it’s still the best place to travel to for a family fun night in Port Huron. Sadly, the H.A.C. (Huron Athletic Club) restaurant and bar closed a while back, but another restaurant is soon to replace it. No matter what though, if you’re hanging around Port Huron for a while and need something to do, come on down for a hockey game. You might just find yourself with a cup of beer in your hand and yelling jeers to the opposing team!

Until next time,

Calli

Link to the McMorran Place website:

http://www.mcmorran.com/

Feel free to float me an email at Calli_Morris@yahoo.com if you need help finding out what to do if you’re traveling in Port Huron!

The Raven

If you want an amazing location to eat in Port Huron, look no further than the Raven Café. Located on Military Street, this café is a great place to eat, drink, and meet with friends. It houses a sizable collection of books, and hidden within the shelves or the drawers on the second floor you can find a number of notebooks written in by patrons of the restaurant.

Food
The food is, quite simply, delectable. It has an admittedly unusual menu, listed with Edgar Allen Poe’s poems for names, but each has its own uniquely delicious taste. I’ve found love with their ‘Blackwood’ Fajita Quesadilla and the Grilled Hummus Veggie Wrap, but in truth I’ll take anything on the menu they offer.
Drinks
Drinks are, however, in a completely different category. Their coffees have a taste all their own, and I have come to find that there is a drink for every person. A favorite of many, including myself, is their Irish Mocha Cream. Over all, their best item (in my own personal opinion) is the Strawberry Banana smoothie, a semi-healthy blend of fruits and vegetables. The Raven also offers a variety of alcoholic beverages at their downstairs bar.
Overall Atmosphere
You truly will be surprised with the friendliness of the staff as well as humor to make anyone laugh. There is a coziness to the building, and a sense of being surrounded by a home-like atmosphere. You’re surrounded by books, coffee, and technology of varying sorts along with the option to sit on the available couches upstairs, and you will find that their lineup of musicians bring pleasing music to the ears.

I 100 percent recommend The Raven Coffeehouse to any and everyone in the Port Huron area. Be it with friends or family, you will for sure fall in love with this cozy little nook of a café. You can find more details about the menu and location at their website: http://www.ravencafeph.com/
Happy eating everyone!
-Calli

The Blue Water Bridge… At Night

The city’s beautiful centerpiece at night. All recognition goes to the photographer Paul Bartoszek.

A Big Hello

Well, this is my first post and I might as well introduce myself. My name is Calli, and I am a writer, musician, and perhaps anything I choose to be on a given day. What is the point of my blog, you may ask? I’m here largely to talk about life in Port Huron. We’ll just have to wait and see how this goes, yes? Feel free to float me a message or ask me for critiquing on both writing and music pieces, as those are certainly my fortes. (Look at me, making music puns!) I’ll see you on the other side of the river!
~CM