Omar and I decided to re-enact one of our first dates so we jumped in the car and headed out to the Clarkston/Waterford area. We decided we would eat at the restaurant from our first date, Heroes BBQ and Brews on Huron in Waterford. Our first date was fun, we started here, ordered some crab cakes and had a few cocktails and we were looking forward to returning.
What we did not take into consideration is that it was July 3, and never considered that the restaurant would be closed due to the fourth of July! We didn’t find out this little tidbit of information until we pulled into the empty parking lot.
Going with the flow and determined to not have our night messed up, we headed to the second stop on our walk down memory lane, the Overtyme Bar and Grill on Dixie. We loved the Overtyme. Food was always great, and we enjoyed sitting at the bar playing Buzztime trivia sipping on a Ice Tea vodka and lemonade. I was happy to make the spontaneous change as the chicken nachos at Overtyme just can’t be beat and Omar loves their burgers. My mouth was watering! Imagine our surprise when we pulled into a second empty parking lot and found this place closed for the holiday as well. Now what do we do? We remembered that we visited another local restaurant, the Deer Lake Inn, also on Dixie Hwy, but a wee bit more North. We once again headed out, hoping and praying that this place was open. To our relief, their were cars in the parking lot, not many but enough to know we were going to be fed.
Deer lake Inn, a Kruse and Muer Company, never disappoints. Once the bartender offered me a challenge saying they had the best Calamari around, and I assured her I hate Calamari, so the bet was, if I hated it, she would buy it. I tried it, and surprisingly it was delicious. Even with a “free” appetizer on the line, I had to admit that this Calamari was really good. Nothing like the deep fried ringlets or tiny disgusting octopi I am used to, but tender Calamari, sauteed in garlic, banana and cherry peppers. It was really good.
Tonight however, after loading up on their amazing bread, I ordered the filet (I know you are all shocked) and Omar ordered the ribs. We sat outside on the wrap around patio, with a beautiful view of the field and parking lot and enjoyed a warm summers night. Our food was cooked really well, the ribs being very flavorful and sticky sweet, but perhaps a bit overdone. The filet was cooked perfectly, sides delicious, and did I mention the bread? UMMM the bread!!
After a delicious dinner we decided to head over to a special place we stumbled upon one day. The “Garden of Healing and Renewal” at McClaren Medical Center on Sashabaw. It is a beautiful strolling garden, with dragonfly and butterfly scuptures, fountains and a “labyrinth” that winds to a center point that has a acoustical anomaly that makes everything really quiet, the world washes away and it sounds like you are in a tin can. Very odd.
Omar and I were alone that day in the gardens, and I was standing in the center of the labyrinth being silly when he called me over to the bench to sit by him. It was here that he completely surprised me, got down on one knee and proposed! He was so romantic and said such beautiful things. It was such a perfect day, and looking back I am surprised that Omar never got flustered that all his carefully laid plans kept getting goofed up, but as it turns out the day was exactly was it was supposed to be. I said yes of course, but were you even questioning it?
