There are a ton of dent repair companies out there to choose from and I don’t think you’ll find any difference in results from one to the other, but what you will notice is price and service.

Unfortunately my car is black and although most of the seven dents are all small, they stand out like a sore thumb. I set out to find a company that offers paintless dent repair and ended up at The Dentest in Muskegon MI. They charged me for removing 5 dents, did one free and I chose not to repair the other (hardly noticeable). Total cost was $245 which included four doors and the hood and it took about 90 minutes.

Dents are removed by using a stainless steel rod to push the dent out from underneath. I had heard of using dry ice (see below) to remove dents but decided not to try it myself and have the pros fix the problems.

The staff was easy to work with and very professional. They have great coffee, plenty to read and even a secret bathroom behind a sliding wall – startled me when I saw an employee approach the wall, slide it open and enter!

The company has been around since the 90’s and was started by Frank Sundquist. Because of Frank’s professionalism, honesty and quality of service, The Dentest quickly became one of West Michigan’s top paintless dent repair companies.

The Dentest
Website: http://www.thedentest.com/
2124 Garland Drive
Muskegon, MI 49441
(231) 759-1541

I decided to visit Endurance Sports and have a pro outfit me with the right pair of running shoes once and for all. The owner (can’t get any better than that, right?) suggested the New Balance 1223 shoe which has ABZORB® SBS cushioning and the TS2 dual density medial post which accommodates the severe overpronator. What all that means, I don’t have a clue, but he sounded pretty enthusiastic and promised that shin splints would not be an issue!

The New Balance at Endurance sports includes an insert for extra cushioning inside a lightening dry lining which transfers moisture away from the foot. The N-Durance Outsole provides durability and is designed to provide upper midfoot structure and enhanced support. It also has midfoot support and torsional stability.

Long story short, this shoe is supposed to change my life! I recently entered a competition in which I need to lose 20 pounds in 6 weeks. With this new shoe, I should be able to easily meet that goal!

I though I would be paying more for the shoe because I was going to the pros at Endurance Sports in North Muskegon, but turns out that they are priced the same or less than a standard outlet store, a nice surprise.

If you get a chance, visit Endurance Sports and see for yourself what the pro’s can do for you!

See if you can spot that special someone

Endurance Sports
Website: http://www.endurancesports.biz/
1888 Holton Road
North Muskegon, MI 49445
(231) 744-9138

When asked to suggest a selection, the last thing you want to hear from the staff is ‘Everything is great’. You won’t find that at the Sardine Room, instead, you be asked a few questions and then offered a recommendation.

For a drink, I had the Pomegranate Martini which consists of 2 oz citrus vodka, 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice, 1/4 oz fresh pomegranate juice, 1 oz simple syrup all shaken with ice and strained into a chilled martini glass. A dash of rose water was added and garnished with flamed orange peel. If you haven’t tried one yet, you’ll be surprised!

Dinner was the Brandy Buttered Scallops and a Brandy Dijon Filet Mignon. These big beautiful sea scallops were pan seared and drizzled with brandy butter and served with the house rice. Not one grain of sand and by far the very best scallops I have had yet! I don’t say that lightly - I’m a big scallop fan and these were absolutely fantastic not to mention filling!

The Brandy Dijon Filet Mignon was a tender 8oz. chargrilled filet mignon covered with fresh mushrooms sauteed in garlic butter and finished with a creamy Dijon mustard / brandy peppercorn sauce. The steak was cooked exactly as ordered!

Established in 98, the Sardine Room with its striking 20 foot arched ceiling, stone fireplace and beautiful marble bar make for a comfortable, warm and inviting dinning experience. The owners, Dave Biesiada and chef, Chris Anderson bring years of experience to the table and make the Sardine Room what it is today. It is a must visit!

The Sardine Room
website: http://www.sardineroom.com
2536 Henry St
Muskegon, MI 49441
(231) 755-5008

We enjoyed a meal far removed from the chain restaurants that allowed us take our time and enjoy each others company. The ambiance was most impressive with low lighting, lots of space and awesome views of Lake Michigan with the lights of the pier off to the north.

We started out with a wonderful calamari appetizer that was mixed with roasted veggies dipped in marinara all dusted with pesto. The wine was a nice Italian Pinot Grigio and based on suggestions from Erin, our server, we decided to surf and turf it. Dinners started with a nice tossed salad. I opted for prime rib and lobster tail and my wife tried the filet mignon and stuffed prawns. They allow you to choose the cut of meat you would like and combine it with various surf options. Both were prepared to order and were wonderful.

Sides included various preparations of potatoes, vegetables, and rice. We tried the special side of the day which was sweet potato soufflé – Delicious. The dessert menu was pretty extensive with something for everyone. Erin convinced us to try their new Chocolate dessert which was absolutely fantastic!

The staff and service was perfect! Erin was a delight to talk with and made us feel right at home. The manager would stop by from time to time in a non intrusive fashion and make sure everything was to our satisfaction.

If you want to enjoy a superb meal delivered by professionals who make you feel special and not just another number, then the Bilmar in Grand Haven is the place. We’ll be back to review their other selections - Our only regret is that we didn’t discover this restaurant sooner!

The Bil-Mar Restaurant has been owned and operated by the Meyer family since 1969. The original owner combined his son and daughter’s name (Bill and Margot) to form Bil-Mar. The restaurant has a loyal following and has catered to local and foreign visitors alike.

“Come for the view, stay for the taste.”

Bil-Mar Restaurant
Website: www.bil-margrandhaven.com
1223 S. Harbor
Grand Haven, MI 49417
(616) 842-5920

This is exactly why I bring my car into the dealership – that is, until I discovered mobile oil change. It’s all about trust and On The Spot Mobile Oil Change exudes just that, trust and professionalism.

Carl Macconach operates a clean, high tech oil change system that services your car right on the spot, be that spot at work, home or storage. I like the fact that Carl is local. Word of mouth is everything and Carl goes above and beyond to make sure you’re satisfied.

The mobile oil change is not limited to just cars, they also service boats, trucks, fleets and more. On the spot is a professional, fully insured full service oil change business that also covers broken headlights, tire rotation (never wait in line again!), radiator flushing and more.

How much is your time worth? With On the Spot, the service comes to you!

On the Spot Mobile Oil Change
Website: http://www.otspot.com
15531 Pine Street
Grand Haven, MI 49417
(616) 638-6084

The decor gives the visitor so much to look at that you’ll never remember waiting for your food to arrive (which is already fast).

I’m late on doing this review and it’s a basic one, but trust me, I have eaten here many times and can never remember having anything but exceptional service and great food.

I’ll make sure to update this review next time I visit and also try to order something other than their ribs which is going to be hard to do: )

Hobo’s Tavern
1411 Whitehall Road
North Muskegon, MI 49445
(231) 719-0247

Built with a theme that centers around the Great Wall of China, the House of Chan offers a wide selection of the world’s best wines and extraordinary cuisine prepared by master chefs from Hong Kong and China.

Not only can you find traditional Chinese food, but specialty dishes as well, such as their Cantonese Dishes which include Beijing Shrimp, Szechuan Chicken and Shredded Peking Sauce Beef.

To our surprise, they are the only place we know of that offers a true surf and turf. I have yet to try the New Zealand Lobster Tails and Filet Mignon, but I plan to center my next visit around this combination and will be sure to report back!

Joe’s Steak House

House of Chan also has a section for American dinners called Joe’s Steak House, which offers Prime Rib, Porterhouse Steaks, Fried Lake Perch and more. Although I plan to visit Chan’s soon, if you beat me to it, please leave a review!

So far, the House of Chan offers the Best Chinese American Buffet we have had in Muskegon. Joe takes great pride in his restaurant and as we have mentioned before, the best managed restaurants are those where the owners are personally present.

Buffet or Traditional Dinner, stop by the House of Chan for a remarkable experience!

House Of Chan
Website: http://www.houseofchan.net/
375 Gin Chan Ave
Muskegon, MI 49444
(231) 733-4346

BLT Muskegon is located on a channel that connects Bear Lake to Muskegon Lake, then onto Lake Michigan and is the perfect place to dock your boat and fill up with food and drinks.

There is a hometown feeling to the tavern that puts one at ease the minute you walk through the door and staff are as friendly as they get.

BLT Muskegon

The Bear Lake Tavern is now under new ownership. Knute Beckstrom, who also owns Beckstrom Mold Technologies in Muskegon, has made a number of positive changes. One change you cannot miss is the overall cleanliness, such as the shine from the kitchen, which grabbed our attention.

I always say, the best restaurants always seem to be the establishments where then owner is personally involved. The Bear Lake Tavern has great food and great service; stop by Muskegon’s BLT and test them out for yourself, the price is right and you’ll love the food!

Wireless? When we stopped by, they did have free internet access with a SSID of BLT.

Bear Lake Tavern
360 Ruddiman Avenue
Muskegon, MI 49445
(231) 744-1161

I recently visited Rafferty’s for the Texas hold’em and although the game was great, the service was awful! We sat in the bar section to have a few drinks and unwind (the bar was empty) when the waitress informed us (very rude) that we should be sitting at the bar, not the table and that the little round tables with comfortable chairs overlooking the lake were for dinning customers. The area was empty and it was long passed dinner time; the seats were nice, but not that nice!

Although we didn’t have food, I can point you to some people that did and report very bad service. I simply did a search on Google and grabbed the first reviews that came up, both just happened to be bad!

These two reviews are by different people who have both visited Rafferty’s in Muskegon and both gave the restaurant very bad reviews, visit here to see the reviews.

Rafferty’s Dockside Restaurant
730 Terrace Point Boulevard
Muskegon, MI 49441
(231) 722-4461

I have an extremely steep lawn and called a number of lawn care companies for quotes. Many said they were not interested and the ones that were, wanted more than you would expect.

After a recommendation from my neighbor, I called Schutter’s and had a complete lawn care maintenance plan at a price I could afford. I also use them for fall clean up as well.

If you’re looking for professional, affordable and timely service, give Schutter’s a call and ask for Eric.

Schutter’s Lawn Care
1014 Mills Ave
North Muskegon, MI 49445
(231) 744-2084