One of my many regrets is not discovering Lansing's Green Door Blues Bar and Grill on Michigan Avenue until a few years ago. When I lived in the neighborhood behind the bar, I rarely went there because I spent most of my time in East Lansing. If only I had known. For those who aren't regular patrons, I'll go ahead and regret your decisions as well.

I should start by saying the Green Door doesn't have the same "people in the street" feeling of other establishments. It's located in the middle of Michigan Avenue a few blocks from Mac's Bar. It shares a block with a bookstore, a café and a barber shop. Compare that to East Lansing's bar district (seven bars in two blocks).

The Green Door is on an island. And that's part of what makes it nice. It has a community quality. One can talk to others and the music isn't cranked up to 11. That doesn't mean there isn't music: It is a blues bar. Six nights a week, one can expect to find a live band on stage, but before the band begins one can hold a conversation without yelling, "What?" every other word.

It's the kind of place that is conducive to interaction. The establishment has an open layout with tables — not booths — placed in a large area between the bar and stage. Along this border is another area with a pool table and some extra seats along the wall. It's a good place to bring a group to watch a game or just shoot the breeze.

In some ways, the Green Door is unremarkable. It's not dull, but it doesn't hit you in the face with anything. It is a place that knows it has a great vibe, but does not need to shout about it.

Green Door 2005 E. Michigan Avenue, Lansing greendoorlive.com

That kind of attitude brings in "neighborhood" types. There are middle-aged men in fedoras wearing tweed jackets mixing with 20-somethings in skinny jeans and puffy jackets. There's a hipster, a gangster, a musician, a professor, a graduate student, nurses, nine-to-fivers, maybe even a pool hustler. The last time I was there, they all came together to bob their heads to an eclectic band called Global Village. Everything fit.

Pro tip: Get there early to avoid the cover charge. A few years ago a doorman told me the cover charge was to keep out the drunkest MSU students. I don't know whether that is true, but the offhand remark reflects the Green Door's halfway status. It has a community look and feel, a neighborhood vibe. It's a blend; not as dark and intimate as Stober's Bar, but not as laissez-faire as Mac's Bar, the Somalia of Michigan Avenue. It straddles the line and does so successfully.

You'll find a good selection of whiskies and liquor. A look at the cooler, conveniently located behind clear glass behind the bar, showcases just enough of every kind of beer to keep a large cross-section of people happy. It caters to a wide enough variety of people that it could be considered vanilla, like a person who never offends, but also never distinguishes him or herself. In reality, it is toned down, drawing its excitement from its live music lineup and its unique atmosphere from its patrons.

It doesn't come off as a place that wants to overwhelm with sound or cover for shortcomings with aesthetics. Just come in, sit down and try the beer of the month.

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Drinks We Love: "The Green Beelzebub"

The Green Door's signature drink, I'm told, is called the "The Green Beelzebub:" an exciting mix of Malibu Passion Fruit, melon liqueur and energy drink. It has a pleasant, crisp taste. Sweet, without a doubt, but it avoids the cloying sweet of drinks such as Four Loko or Pucker.

When I first ordered the drink I thought, "Now, I'm pretty sure this drink does not refer to Beelzebub AKA ‘Lord of the flies.' That would be weird."

I mean, the Passion Fruit and melon blend together very well, like a Sweet Tart, before merging effortlessly with the energy drink (which tastes like every energy drink ever). It was more refreshing; not exactly a term used to describe a prince of hell.

Instead, the name makes more sense as an allusion to Absinthe, which was also known as "The Green Fairy." It has been said the ingredients in Absinthe make one more lucid and clear headed. In that same vein, I think "The Green Beelzebub" is a refreshing pick-me-up, a bright palette cleanser between drinks.

TOP FIVE: Hot Chocolate

1. Pablo's Mexican Hot Chocolate
311 E Grand River Ave., Old Town Lansing

Made with bitter, Mexican chocolate and whole milk tended over low heat, then frothed with a molinillo (a type of wooden whisk), this version of hot chocolate is a labor of love. It is watched scrupulously while on the stove to ensure the milk doesn't burn, and muscle goes into giving the final product its creamy, foamy consistency. Pablo's adds its own secret blend of spices to give the hot chocolate a cinnamon-y, slightly spicy taste.

2. Great Lakes Chocolate and Coffee Co.'s Hot Cocoa
500 E Michigan Ave, Ste 190, Lansing

Rich and sugary, made with melted chocolate.

3. Biggby's Dark Hot Chocolate
Various Mid-Michigan locations

A dark-chocolate rendition of the classic.

4. Espresso Royale's Mint Hot Chocolate
527 East Grand River Avenue, East Lansing

A pump of peppermint syrup gives this nostalgic drink a kick.

5. Starbucks' Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate
Various Mid-Michigan locations

Steamed milk and mocha sauce get the royal treatment with the addition of toffee nut and vanilla syrups, whipped cream, caramel sauce and a sprinkle of turbinado sugar and sea salt.

Bars We Love: The Peanut Barrel

521 East Grand River Ave., East Lansing
peanutbarrel.com, (517) 351-0608

Not a soul is roving the streets on Saturday night at 10 p.m.

It's a game night in East Lansing and everyone is either shoulder-to-shoulder in the bars, or shoulder-to-shoulder in the Izzone.

Knowing this fully, venturing downtown to the Peanut Barrel seemed like it could be dangerous - the "we never got seated, we couldn't get a drink, we couldn't see the game" kind of wager that one takes when belatedly trying to get a seat at a bar during halftime.

The stakes were raised further because the Peanut Barrel seems like it's perpetually packed, especially in the summer, when there can be an hour wait for outside seating during peak hours.

But on this chilly December night, we are pleasantly surprised. We snuggle right up to the dark-wooded bar with the third quarter in full swing and have Long Island Iced Teas, for which the Peanut Barrel is legendary, delivered to us moments later.

The Peanut Barrel, in addition to its cheap pitchers, derives much of its popularity from repeat customers addicted to Papa Joe's Cheeseburger, named after owner Joe Bell. From there, the menu features variations of Papa Joe's, like the Rodeo Burger (the same plus bacon), and the Olive and ‘Shroom burgers. The waitresses won't ask you how you'd like it cooked. There's a system here, and all burgers are treated equally, grilled to what has been deemed the perfect temperature.

The chefs work magic in the small kitchen, serving up sandwiches, pitas, burgers and inordinately sized servings of chili cheese fries (one pound of fries, topped with 12 oz. of chili and a quarter pound of cheese).

All the sandwiches and burgers come with Detroit brand Better Made potato chips and a pickle, or a heaping pile of thick-cut French fries for a slightly higher price (the burgers cost around $6 with fries, which, frankly, is the way to go). Vegetarians can find a garden burger on the menu, as well as the veggie pita, which spills over with lettuce, tomato, red cabbage, green onions, celery and parsley.

Bell began running the Peanut Barrel on July 1, 1980, after it had already been in business seven years. Regulars here know the drill and don't need a menu to order. The crowd is a blend of rowdy students, couples and grizzled veterans. The gray-bearded man nursing a Molson Golden next to me has been coming here weekly for 25 years. Why?

"It's the folks that work behind the bar. They're friendly people," he says, giving a nod to the bartender.

The bar itself is the same mixture of new and old. All manner of Spartan paraphernalia is hung on the walls and placed on shelves, accompanied by quirky items like a wooden, sombrero-clad parrot drinking Corona, a line of bowling pins above the bar flanked by a mini Michelangelo and Statue of Liberty, and vintage posters for Old Gold Cigarettes, Claber Girl Baking Powder and Twenty Grand razors. If looking around hasn't tired you out, the bar also has plenty of diversions like darts, pinball, Pac-Man, pool, an updated jukebox, and five televisions.

Which brings us back to the game. There are no mounted, wall-sized high-def flat screens here, but you can see the action from almost every position in the bar. No one is here for the dazzling displays you might find at a sports bar down the street. Yet the Peanut Barrel is the perfect place to watch the game.

There is an unpretentious, cozy sense of camaraderie and community that is amplified by the bar's long persistence in East Lansing. Students, alumni and locals cheer together, sigh together and guzzle Miller Light together.

And if you were wondering: no, there's not an actual barrel of peanuts hiding somewhere behind the bar. There is, however, a large box filled to the brim, and your peanut bowl will never run out.

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Drinks We Love

Peanut Barrel's Long Island Iced Tea
Equal parts vodka, gin, rum, triple sec and a dash of sour mix and Coke.

I ask the bartender to specify any brands he prefers using to create the death threat of a drink, and he shakes his head. Customers may request top-shelf liquor, but it's not what they usually use.

"It's a lot of liquor, so... it can get really expensive," he said.

No kidding. I have to remind my friends that Long Islands aren't always served in a pint glass. I've ordered them elsewhere, they are usually served in what I'm sure is a miniature size, and I'm always taken aback with a mixture of entitlement and scorn.

The bartender estimates that 1.25 oz per liquor variety goes into the drink; it's shaken with ice and re-poured, and garnished with a lemon. This drink will put hair on your chest, and to prevent East Lansing stores from being cleared of all their shaving supplies, the Peanut Barrel limits each customer to two Long Islands.

Despite what you'd like to think, it's not your long underwear that's making you look a little heftier than usual.

That's OK! You, along with about a million other people, are contemplating a method to compensate for your vast indulgence in holiday revelry. People who wish to keep pesky pounds at bay should read up on healthier menu options.

Discerning the redeeming qualities of restaurant food can be a formidable task. It's difficult to know the details of your meal's preparation. (Did the chef use butter or olive oil? How much salt? How much sugar? How many calories? Are my arteries going to hate me for this?) At some chain restaurants, the nutrition information is obtainable upon request or online, but often, the facts aren't available, and when they are, they're usually not pretty.

REVUE Mid-Michigan to the rescue. Here are some yummy items to keep in mind.

 

Spotted Dog Café
221 S. Washington Square, Lansing
(517) 485-7574
American

A favorite for Lansing businesspeople on their lunch breaks, the Spotted Dog Café offers charm and substance, with made-to-order salads (dressing always on the side) and specialty sandwiches (choose from a plethora of breads and cheeses like smoked Gouda, Havarti and Jarlsberg). Salads can be made with mixed greens or spinach, as well as standard leaf lettuce, and many of the salads incorporate fresh fruit like nectarines, pears, strawberries and blueberries as a healthy, antioxidant-rich addition to standard salad.

Choosing a spinach salad over one made with iceberg lettuce will give you almost your entire daily requirement of dietary fiber (one cup equals 20 percent), and a huge dose of antioxidants, anti-inflammatory carotenoids and bone-healthy Vitamin K. Vegetarian options are bountiful here, but meat-eaters can find high-quality, low-calorie meats like smoked turkey and chicken breast.

Woody's Oasis
1050 Trowbridge Rd., East Lansing / (517) 351-2280
Mediterranean

The foundation of Woody's Oasis is Mediterranean cuisine, a heart-healthy eating plan that emphasizes good fats, fruits, veggies and fish. Herbs and spices replace salt as the main seasoning, and carbohydrates come from whole grains and legumes. Hummus, a staple in the diet, is full of Omega 3 fatty acids and monounsaturated fat, as well as vitamin B6 and manganese, a mineral that supports enzyme function. Studies have suggested a link between Mediterranean eating and reduced risk of cardiovascular mortality, as well as reduced cancer rates. Try any of Woody's kabobs, the meat is grilled instead of fried, and Lebanese rice replaces bread as the main carbohydrate.

But not all Mediterranean options are created equal. Be wary, for example, of fried items on the menu like falafel. Avoid spinach pie and meat-stuffed grape leaves, which are surprisingly high in calories.

Seif Foods
325 City Market Dr. (at N Cedar St.), Lansing / (517) 347-9987
Mediterranean

Though it's not a traditional sit-down restaurant, Seif Foods in the Lansing City Market specializes in gluten-free and sugar-free healthy take-out, with bountiful vegan and vegetarian options as well as baked goods. Co-owner and Culinary Arts professor Magda Seif teaches courses on vegetarian cuisine and Middle Eastern cooking at Lansing Community College.

Sindhu Indian Cuisine
4790 S. Hagadorn Rd. Ste. 132, East Lansing / (517) 351-3080
Indian

Sindhu makes the list because its traditional tandoori-style meats are baked in a clay oven called a tandoor, which uses extremely high temperatures to cook the small pieces of meat quickly. This makes the meat tender and avoids the caloric sacrifice of other cooking methods that utilize oil or breading. Sindhu's tandoor dishes like chicken tikka, fish tikka and lamb peshwari are flavorful, lean, protein-rich options. Sindhu's Aloo Gobi is another healthy dish made from cauliflower and potatoes in a tomato-based sauce. One of the main spices in Aloo Gobi is turmeric, which studies suggest may boost your liver's ability to detoxify blood and fight disease. Avoid cream-based soups like the Dal soup, as well as anything that uses the word "pakoras"- these dishes are usually breaded and fried.

Maru Sushi & Grill
5100 Marsh Road, Ste. A1, Okemos / (517) 349-7500
Sushi and Hibachi

Maru Sushi & Grill is the go-to place for beautifully presented, high-quality sushi, which can actually be a vitamin-rich, low-calorie source of nutrition. Try the Tuna Roll or the Salmon Roll-both are simple and classic, made with nori, rice and fish; more than half the 200 calories in one of these rolls come from protein, which means that you'll feel fuller, longer. For something more substantial, order the Rainbow Roll, which is essentially a standard California Roll (nori, rice, avocado, surimi) with assorted sashimi arranged on top; since it has more calories, a single roll should fill you up, and you'll benefit from the nutrients in the variety of raw fish. Don't forget to order a pot of green tea, which boosts metabolism.

Of course, anything labeled "tempura" is battered and deep-fried, and rolls like the Philadelphia Roll that contain cream cheese add unnecessary calories to an otherwise smart meal.