Almont's Country Smoke House

Interested in wild game jerky or sausage? The Country Smokehouse in Almont is known throughout the nation for their excellent meat products.  The store is huge and on a mid-week afternoon, there were tons of customers. They do very little advertising as it is all word-of-mouth. You can't miss the venue with the giant bull out front and the moose splayed on the PT Cruiser rooftop. Summertime weekly barbecues are well attended as they crank up their giant smoker and dish out giant turkey drumsticks, buffalo burgers, pulled pork sandwiches and slow cooked barbecue ribs.  All their sides are homemade also.  And to think, they started some 25 years ago out of a one car garage. It's the American dream come true. Their manly gift boxes make outstanding presents.

Gratiot Central Market in Detroit

On a recent trip to Eastern Market in Detroit, a young couple had no idea there was another whole area to explore just on the other side of the expressway.  With a convenient pedestrian walkway tunnel, you slide over to the Gratiot Central Market where sights and lovely smells abound. They specialize in meats of all kinds. Here's where we come to buy our shish kebobs, ribs, corned beef, Amish chicken and yellow fin tuna. Most of the 1915 building has been rebuilt due to the two fires it has suffered.  The most recent was in 1995. At least they saved the gorgeous terra cotta wall on Gratiot. Check it out.