Back in the early 70s, the Stafford family decided to open a restaurant down the road from us on Sixth Street in our little town of Alamo, and they christened it Staffordshire, complete with their family crest hanging on the wall and fancy white tablecloths. Never mind the cows grazing outside the windows. This was still farm country. It was the most exciting thing to come to town since the Miller IGA, which served everyone’s grocery needs until it outgrew its location at the four corners in Alamo and packed up and left for the larger little town of Cooper. At least we still had the Miller Gas station for the purchasing of Snickers bars and Marlboros.
Dan Miller and Jon Newby, taking a break so they can appease a customer and former classmate (Me).
After several successful years in business, Staffordshire closed, briefly reopening as The Shy Turtle before the restaurant changed hands again. In 1979, Fricano’s opened at this location, where their signature pizza was a mainstay in the area for 45 years. This past January, Fricano’s closed, with news that someone purchased the building, and a new restaurant would be opening soon.
If you happen to be from the Alamo area, you might remember a couple of boys from your school days. Dan Miller and Jon Newby were buddies growing up, and a few years later (Okay, many years later), they’ve joined forces again and have opened the delightfully named, Joe Shmoe’s Bar and Grill. While they offer the usual pub fare, they also have sirloin steak, traditional Italian entrees and a delicious thin pizza reminiscent of Fricano’s on the menu.
Awesome food and spirits, great surroundings, and two fabulous guys… the perfect recipe for Joe Shmoe’s. If you happen to stop in, say hi to Jon and Moose… I mean, Dan. Just a couple of great guys who grew up in Alamo and found their way back home.
Heidi McCrary
Heidi grew up in Alamo Michigan, and is the author of “Chasing North Star,” available wherever books are sold.
At the time, I didn’t know there was such a thing, as I scrolled through the wonderful selection of felines currently residing at our local shelters. I paused to look at few friendly faces, reading their descriptions. All cute. I kept scrolling, surfing… finally landing on a local Cat Café & Rescue site.
Scrolling down, I scanned the current lineup of inhabitants at the café, finally landing on a peculiar little one named Shiraz. Cute enough photo, capturing her staring at the photographer while perched atop a Keurig Coffee Maker. Reading the description, I discovered she was found wandering the streets. She had some medical issues that were dealt with at the vet, and now appeared to be healthy and looking for her forever home. I continued staring at her, knowing we were meant to be. I just needed to get past the phrase that came up more than once in her bio… “She can be sassy.” For those unfamiliar with cat-speak, that’s code for “Mean.”
OK, I rationalized. I’d be a little “sassy” too if I’d been roaming the streets for a while. Truth is, I respect a cat with a little attitude. Before my husband could say I was moving too fast, I signed us up for an appointment to visit with Sassy … I mean, Shiraz.
Now keep in mind, that when a place is called Cat Café, I envision a cute little shop with quirky painting on the wall of cats in period pieces, with a barista refilling my coffee as a kitten jumps onto my lap with her purring machine revving. Yeah, that’s not it.
First, there’s a fee just to visit with the cats, and I get that. There’s rent to cover, employees to pay, and cats to feed, neuter and comb. As we stood in line to enter the little building, we were vetted as I soon discovered that “Café” is a bit of a stretch. The only thing resembling a coffee shop in this place is the Keurig Coffee Maker sitting inside a gated room housing a surplus of cats in every size, age and color. No little café tables, no soft jazz playing in the background. Just a coffee maker and cats. Lots and lots of cats.
And still sitting on top of that Keurig was my new best friend Shiraz.
“I see she likes you,” the assistant said as I stroked Shiraz’s fur, making her purr loudly. “She usually doesn’t let anyone pet her.” I looked up, smiling just as a paw swiped across my forearm, creating an instantaneous flow of blood.
“Let’s allow her to settle down a bit,” my husband suggested as we joined the cat party with the other guests. As a petite Calico wrapped his tail around my arm, I scratched his neck, making him stretch for more attention. A loving cat that I’m sure will be a wonderful pet, I thought as I looked back at Shiraz, who was curled up on the coffee maker. A cat who appreciates coffee will also surely make the perfect companion, I rationalized. Once she gets to know me, we’ll be inseparable.
While I do appreciate a nice glass of Shiraz, our new cat had to endure a name change. Living in the golf world, she was soon answering to the name, Bogey. With her dark ears and paws, it’s apparent that Bogey is part Siamese. But her tortoiseshell stylings on her face give her a unique look. With a quick Google search, we discovered that Bogey actually falls under the breed subcategory called Tortie Point Siamese. (Fun fact: Nearly all Tortie Point Siamese cats are female.) While some cat registries recognize the breed, not all do, instead labeling this hybrid as a Colorpoint Shorthair.
Not surprising, many articles depict the Tortie Point Siamese as being sassy (There’s that word again). Loving, playful, vocal like their Siamese cousins, and doglike. Bogey’s been with us for four months now, following me everywhere through the house, and always receptive to affection and cat treats. And yes, you can teach a Tortie Point Siamese tricks. Like most Siamese cats, she’s a darter when a door opens so microchipping is a must.
And sassy? I still have the track marks on my arms to prove it.
By Heidi McCrary. You can follow Heidi at heidi@heidimccrary.net. Heidi is the author of “Chasing North Star,” available online wherever books are sold.
“Trivial,” “Blasé,” “A below average comedy,” “It’s about nothing,” “One of the worst Netflix original movies,” and “Worst film of the decade.” Just a few lines lifted from reviews for “Unfrosted.” And those were the kinder reviews.
“Unfrosted,” produced, written and starring Jerry Seinfeld and his arsenal of comedic friends takes a look at the pop-favorite Kellogg’s Pop-Tart, with the film attempting to deliver a lighthearted fictitious spin on how the beloved breakfast staple catapulted into the hearts of everyone and into every suburban toaster in 1964. Seinfeld, whose day job during the “Must See TV” era became a household staple in the 90’s. He really couldn’t act then and was fortunately surrounded with actual actors who did the comedic heavy lifting.
With so many people seeking out the hot docu-drama of the week on streaming services, it was only fitting that after backstories on Steve Jobs, Air Jordans, Uber, and a stalker, we’re left with the story behind the creation of the simple Pop-Tart. Don’t forget this is a comedy, and with the exception of the actual Kellogg’s logo, everything here is make-believe, and if you’re looking for any semblance of the city of Battle Creek, you’re better off buying a box of Rice Krispies.
“Unfrosted” is most definitely aimed at baby boomers, which isn’t exactly the lucrative target audience at movie theatres, and explains why the producers were smart to regulate it to Netflix. The comedy doesn’t really stretch, but then, this is Seinfeld. He’s still not a great actor, but once again, he is surrounded by a glorious variety of comedians and actors, like Melissa McCarthy, Jim Gaffigan, Amy Schumer, Christian Slater, Max Greenfield, and Hugh Grant who is priceless as a Shakespearian actor forced to make ends meet by donning the Tony the Tiger suit. Best cameo goes to Jon Hamm and John Slattery reprising their Mad Men roles. Can we ever see enough of Don Draper?
Colorful. In the spirit of a Saturday morning cartoon, the sets are as bright and colorful as a bowl of Froot Loops. “Unfrosted” doesn’t pretend to be what it isn’t. If you think the movie, “Airplane” is a stupid movie, you may want to skip “Unfrosted” and instead catch up the latest docu-drama on Netflix. But if you don’t mind laughing at silliness in spite of yourself, you’re in for a sugary treat.
