Category Archives: Clawson

A New Favorite? Sabbath Coffee Roasters

2024, Clawson, Food, Michigan,

Since we moved away from Tallahassee, we have been searching for a local coffee shop that is comparable to our beloved Lucky Goat. We love Lucky Goat because they have great coffee and make the creamiest lattes that we’ve found anywhere. (Plus, they get some delicious pistachio muffins from a local bakery that are AMAZING, but that’s another story and another quest.) They also are the best foam artists that we’ve found, always giving us our caffeinated delights with a cute image on top.

We have found some good places, like Birmingham Roast and Kahve, but were still seeking out that elusive creaminess. When we went to Kahve, we had initially found both it and Sabbath Coffee Roasters, located quite close to each other on different corners of 14 Mile Rd and Main St. However, at the time, Sabbath had a long line out the door, so we decided to try Kahve first.

Today, after our brunch at Biscuits and Gravy, we decided to give Sabbath another try and grab a coffee to go before Donald had to start work. As soon as we pulled up, we saw a sign on the door alerting customers to continue the line outside – a clear indication that they frequently have more customers than can fit inside the store.

Upon entering, we saw that it was a very small space. You could only fit maybe 3-4 people in line in front of the counter before you hit the front door, and there was no indoor seating for you to enjoy your coffee (although, there was an alley with some outdoor seating available immediately adjacent to the shop). This area looks like it would make a really cute Instagram spot when the twinkle lights are lit at night. It appears to be part of a historical area, with a plaque on the outside of the shop’s building.

Inside, Sabbath is interestingly decorated with a variety of skeletons (including a skeleton dachshund!) and dinosaurs.

They have a small cold case in the lobby area with some Liquid Death water and their own branded Nitro Cold Brew.

We took home with us a bag of coffee beans: Liturgy, which is supposed to have notes of plum, milk chocolate, and açai berry. As for the coffee selections, Donald tried their Hot Pot of Gold and I tried a Honey Cinnamon Latte. They were as creamy as we had been hoping for! We may just have found our new favorite coffee spot! We didn’t take a look at the coffees before we traveled home with them, but even after a car ride, you can still see my heart and Donald’s leaf.

If you have any other great coffee shop recommendations, please send them our way!

— Jenn & Donald

Trying Out a New (To Us) Brunch Spot: Biscuits and Gravy

2024, Clawson, Exciting Adventures of the Everyday, Food, Michigan, Weekends, , , ,
Chicken Statue on top of the building

The white building with the large chicken on the roof is a familiar sight to those who live near Clawson, MI. It has been a few different restaurants, but most recently it has been renovated into a very popular brunch destination called Biscuits and Gravy.

Google Maps showing Biscuits and Gravy just north of Clawson's downtown area

Given that it’s located just steps from downtown, the restaurant’s footprint is a bit small – both inside and out. The parking lot fits almost exactly the number of cars that the dining tables can accommodate, meaning that if there is a wait for a table, you may also encounter a wait for a parking space. That said, the staff does a great job of managing turnover, and we only had to wait a few minutes for a table.

While cozy, the dining area had a light and airy decor, with touches of (fake) greenery throughout. The tables were well-spaced and the seating was more comfortable than most. We were greeted by coffee served in small mugs, which was clearly a deliberate decision meant to keep our coffee fresh and hot at all times. The servers were constantly circulating to refill mugs and replenish our supplies of creamer and sugar, without us having to ask for a thing!

Our eyes were bigger than our stomachs as we ordered the Big Breakfast, Meat Lovers Omelette, and the titular Biscuits and Gravy. The plates came out of the kitchen heaping with deliciousness! The bacon was extra crispy the way we like it, the grits were yummy, and surprisingly, they even managed to elevate the toast, which was light and crispy with the perfect butter taste!

The only, super minor, quibble that I had was, unfortunately, with the biscuits and gravy. It’s one of my favorite comfort breakfast foods, so I order it a lot in various locations. This version fell a bit short in my estimation, in comparison to the robust, seasoned offerings familiar to true Southern kitchens. However, this was just my opinion. Donald, our “true Southern boy,” delighted in their version, praising the biscuits for their homemade, old-fashioned quality akin to cornbread. I have to admit, those were the largest biscuits I’ve ever seen served with an order of biscuits and gravy! For just $1 more, you get two instead of one, so you can’t go wrong with ordering the set and splitting with your table mate!

Overall, we loved our experience at Biscuits and Gravy and plan on making a lot of return visits. We haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of their menu, but our bellies are already excited!

Happy Saturday!
— Jenn & Donald

Morning Coffee in Clawson!

2023, Adventures with Donald, Clawson, Food, Michigan, , ,

These have been some beautiful days in Michigan, and this weekend looks to be more of that: temperatures in the mid to high 70s and sunny. Donald and I have been feeling like getting away, so we looked up flights and various places we could go. We *almost* booked a flight to Orlando or Denver, but eventually decided to wait until we had a 3 day weekend. We thought about going up north to the Traverse City area, but it looks like next weekend may be peak fall color, so we are tentatively earmarking next weekend for that trip.

While he worked his afternoon shift on Friday, I spent my evening dreaming up possibilities. By the end of the night, I didn’t have anything concrete in mind – with one exception. I wanted to have a leisurely early morning with Donald at a local cafe enjoying a latte and some pastries. We are always looking for a local coffee place that reminds us of Lucky Goat or Black Dog (some of our favorite coffee shops from Tallahassee). This morning, we searched and found two candidates, both in Clawson: Sabbath and Kahve.

We initially went to try Sabbath first, but there was a line out the door. Popularity is a great indicator of a place’s appeal, but we didn’t feel up to the wait or the crowd. Luckily, Kahve is less than a block away on the other side of Main St. We were able to find on-street parking quickly.

It was already a gorgeous morning. We took a moment to take in the cute downtown area. Clawson has a lot of charm for a small city.

Walking in, the cafe was really cozy with armchairs and a sofa in addition to the traditional table and chairs. It is decorated in a Mexican/South American theme with art and textiles on the walls and vases of fresh flowers scattered throughout.

Donald and I shared the cheese croissant and pumpkin muffin. I had a raspberry white mocha, and he enjoyed a cinnamon vanilla latte. After finishing our drinks, Donald wanted something cool, so we shared a mango smoothie. All of it was delicious! That mango smoothie… heaven!

Of course, I spent a majority of my time photographing the flowers, but we also looked briefly at what we might want to do today. Donald was excited to get a jump on my mom and be the first one to text “Good morning!” She noted that Clawson was having a fall festival today that she might like to go to. We just know that with the weather so beautiful, we would like to spend some time outdoors today.

I hope you have a fantastic day as well! Please let us know what adventures you find yourself in this weekend!

— Jenn & Donald