Ok, I will admit it. I have been cheating ever so slightly on this wellness journey. I know I will never be that person that eats only organic foods, chemical free, and carefully scrutinize everything I eat and drink. The secret for me will be everything in moderation and I will try to make better food choices.
That being said, I did not cheat much for my birthday. A few noodles, a bit of rice, no cake, no decadent indulgences. I have not had a lot of cravings since this new diet, but now found myself with a craving for a good French Dip sandwich. I started my search so Omar and I could go out to the right place to satisfy my craving. A few restaurant names came up, but one kept coming up more than others. Ernie’s Kings Mill in Clinton Township.
It was Saturday night on Labor Day weekend, so we did not expect it to be too busy, but we still headed up pretty early. When we arrived there was only a couple people at the bar, and a few filled tables. We sat at the bar and greeted by a very friendly bartender, Tom. Tom was funny and quite the character. Omar ordered Bulleit 12-Year Rye over ice. Although we have had Bulleit Rye many times, we had never tried the 12-year. It had sweet, citrusy notes, with a citrus and caramel taste with a toasty warm finish. It was very good, and one we need to add to our collection. I opted for my standard Soda with lime and stayed happily on the wagon.
We ordered to start a small Village Salad, adding lettuce. It essentially was a Greek Salad, but was so fresh with big chunks of cucumber, fresh yellow & red tomatoes, large chunk of feta, red onions, kalamata olives (pitted – nice touch!), artichokes, beets and peppadew. It came dressed in what had to be a homemade Greek dressing, not to heavy on the lemon, with the right amount of seasoning. We are so happy we ordered the small and split it – it was giant! We wound up taking at least ½ of it home.
The salad came with a loaf of hot, delicious bread. Lightly seasoned, toasty yet chewy in the middle. The bread reminded us of the awesome bread through the Kruse & Muer restaurants.
Then we split the French Dip as to not be too gluttonous. I ordered grilled onions on the side, and we got extra au jus. Even splitting the sandwich, it was so large and filling that we didn’t need our own. The sandwich had a generous amount of lean prime rib, tender, with no fat or gristle to be found. It came on a perfect Italian loaf, that held up great with the au jus. A side of horseradish sauce was the perfect accompaniment. I tell you, this sandwich did NOT disappoint. It was fantastic and satisfied all cravings I had. The sandwich came with homemade chips, which I usually love, but I did not eat as to not cheat too bad.
Omar ordered a second drink. 3 Olives Dirty Martini, but with Aviator Gin instead of 3 Olives Vodka. The martini did come with 3 olives. One blue cheese stuffed, one stuffed with anchovy and one stuffed in a peppadew. Omar loved the olives, but not a fan of Aviator Gin. He thought it was too sweet for his taste.
We enjoyed the banter with Tom, and also Frank, who, as we found out, has been working at Ernie’s for 30 years. This place seems like a hidden gem. It has been there for such a long time, but we have never been! There are a number of bars to sit at, a big room for showers and smaller events and a large banquet room in the back. There is also a covered outdoor area as well as full outdoor seating.
I know this doesn’t happen often but we LOVED this place. The ambiance, Tom’s conversation, the food. All two thumbs up!!