For me it was the homemade roll that sealed the deal. I was at Lucky's Prime Time for the first time this week and there was plenty to impress me. First off: the service. Lucky's is clearly a restaurant filled with regulars, but the great thing about the staff is that they make everyone feel like a regular, even if it's their first time there.  The redecorated space, in navy and brick with dark wood, has been opened up, with booths around the edges and tables in the middle. A glass divider etched with "Lucky's Prime Time" separates the cozy new full-service bar from the dining area. Four …

If you wanted to open your own business, where would you start? Chris Masson, owner of All American Pet Resort, started by looking around at businesses that impressed him. One such business was where he took his boxer, Gordie, for doggie day care and boarding. "Even though I live in Rochester, I would make the drive down to Royal Oak so my dog could go to All American Pet Resort," Masson said. "Gordie is like a family member to us so it was important that he was somewhere we could trust." As a dog owner Masson was impressed with total transparency of the operation and the cleanliness. As a …

What kind of town is Rochester? After two months of doing business at the corner of Main and Third streets, owner Jason Mood from The Meeting House thinks it's "kind of a Happy Hour town." Today at 4 p.m. The Meeting House puts Mood's theory to the test with the restaurant's first Happy Hour. The Meeting House Happy Hour will be held daily from Tuesdays through Fridays, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Happy Hour specials include the Burger Plate for $5 and the Truffle Chicken Wings for 50 cents each.  "We'll also have deals on house wines, draught beers and other food and beverage features," Mood said…

In the end, Firebrick Gallery and Pottery Studio owner Christine Laikind wants to focus on the fun. But that's not to say it won't be through tears. After more than two and a half years, Laikind will close shop for the final time on Dec. 29. "It was not an easy decision to make," Laikind said. "There were a lot of tears on my part. I love this place. I love the people. I want to thank everyone for their friendship." For months Laikind had been personally funding the shop as business took a significant hit from the Main Street Makeover, she said. "We had planned for the construction, but the …

It's the season of miracles and that's exactly what Cristina Riha, owner of Cristina's Quilt Shoppe is hoping for. After seven years in downtown Rochester, including four at her current location on Second Street, Riha will close her doors for good at the end of this month. "It's an awesome town and I wish I could stay," Riha said through tears. "But for too long I was thinking with my heart not my brain. I just let it go too long." The liquidating of inventory started on Monday. Everything in the store is 15 percent off with the exception of the consignment quilt ladders. Riha said November …

I don't know where you were yesterday at 4 p.m. but there was only one place my "Around Town" duties would allow me to be. The Meeting House. It started when I  first wrote about the new restaurant last July and it has built up to nearly a fevered pitch. No matter where I go — shopping downtown, my childrens' school, Girls Night Out — everyone wants to know about The Meeting House.  So when the doors officially opened for the first time yesterday, I was there.  With all the interest, I wasn't even surprised that I wasn't the first one in the door. A party of four was in front of me, a party …

They say, "don't mess with a good thing." That's why the owners of the new Rochester Hills Jersey Mike's subs want you to try your sub "Mike's Way." Mike's Way has onion, lettuce, tomatoes, spices and "The Juice." "It's a flavor profile second-to-none," said partner/owner Bob Middleton.  "When the flavor is that good, you don't want to dilute it," partner/owner Bill Biga agreed. "You should enjoy the sandwich the way it was created." That's not to say other combinations aren't gladly accepted. Add banana peppers, hold the onions, add extra pickles. Your sub is custom-made in front of you, …

Bloomberry is the cultured frozen yogurt shop in the Papa Joe's plaza. But it's more than that. It's mom approved. Owner Rebecca VanLoon — a mother of two — is that mom. "I say it every day: this is the healthy alternative to ice cream," VanLoon said. "It's fat-free, gluten-free and 29 calories per ounce." Bloomberry Frozen Yogurt offers six flavors of soft-serve, including one dairy-free sorbet. There are more than 30 toppings to select from, including fresh fruit from Papa Joe's. The most popular toppings are peanut butter cups and cookie dough, although the gummy bears get a special nod …

A search for warm comfort food took us to Mamma Mia Tuscan Grille on a cold autumn night this week. Their soft opening last Thursday was so soft you may have missed it altogether, but the town's newest Italian restaurant is officially open for business in the location formerly occupied by Fortesa.  The space has been remodeled and brightened up from its last occupants. The wine room with the capacity to eventually hold 1,000 bottles of wine remains; there's also executive chef Derek Murray, formerly of Fortesa. Solid Italian fare Mamma Mia is owned by the same corporation that owns Paint …

It was once the brightest building in downtown Rochester, but now Refined Home is a little more, well, refined. And it's not just a paint job—turning the hot pink house on Fourth Street to taupe—that has changed about the home decor business. The shop has a new owner, though he's not new to town. Jonathan McGowen may have spent the past 10 years in California but he's home now and he says "there's no place like it." McGowen's family once owned The Chapman House; he ran the retail side of it from 1993 to 2002. Work took him to the West Coast, but it was family that brought him back. "I came …

They hear it a lot at Paint Creek Cider Mill. "I didn't know you served food here!" Well-known for their fall fare of cider and donuts, Paint Creek Mill is under new ownership and making some changes: they are expanding their menu and staying open year-round. Check out that photo on the wall Owner Ed Granchi has a long history with Rochester and with food. The Rochester High School graduate managed both Mind Body & Spirits and Rochester Mills Beer Co. before purchasing Paint Creek Cider Mill. "It was a no-brainer when a local landmark came up to own and operate," Granchi said. "I have 15 …

Thomas Wolfe said it most famously: "You can't go home again." But, then again, the author never had the chance to meet Chris Nadjarian. If you take a chair at Nadjarian's new salon, Aura, located in the picturesque Victorian at the corner of University and Pine, and ask him if he's from around here, his answer might surprise you. "I'm from right here," Nadjarian said. "I grew up in this house." A second shot Nadjarian's father, Andre, bought the house in 1980 and converted the main floor into a hair salon. Nadjarian, then a teenager, moved into the apartment upstairs with his dad. "There …

When a new neighbor moves in, they are usually showered with welcome gifts, even if it's just plates full of cookies. Lucky for The Rainbow Connection, when a new Noodles & Company comes to town, they're the one giving a gift. Noodles & Company, now open in The Village of Rochester Hills, is donating 100 percent of today's sales to The Rainbow Connection. "We like their mission," Michael Endres, director of marketing, said, "And we really like how the money stays in Michigan." The Rainbow Connection is a Rochester-based charity dedicated to granting wishes to Michigan children with life …

Lytle Pharmacy on Main Street has been around a long time. And they've been sellling beer for a long time, too.  "We've sold beer here since the Prohibition," owner Bob Lytle said, then added with a chuckle. "Probably even during the Prohibition." But now the Lytle Pharmacy beer cooler has a more personal touch. They're selling New Belgium Brewing Company's Fat Tire Amber Ale. What's so personal about a beer brewed in Colorado? Bob Lytle's son, Bo, is a brewer for New Belgium. Bo Lytle, a Rochester High School graduate, has been working at New Belgium's world headquarters for the past 10 …

It may be a bit of a stretch to call it the sensation that's sweeping the nation, but a spot of bubble tea is becoming a popular afternoon break at Hepburn's Crepe & Coffee in The Village of Rochester Hills. Hepburn owner Deanna Birg has seen a bubble tea following "all across the board. There are a lot of college kids drinking it, but I see 10-year-olds and 70 year-olds drinking it, too." What makes bubble tea so popular? "It's chewy, it's amusing, it's fun!" Birg said. "Just look at the straw!" That is one big straw Bubble tea originated in Taiwan during the 1980s. Birg discovered it more …

There's doing what you love and there's doing what is right. And if you happen to be lucky — and talented — sometimes those can be one and the same. Adams High School seniors Olivia Millerschin and Matt Heim are using their musical talents this weekend to help raise awareness for ovarian cancer at the "Turn the Village Teal" event. (Teal ribbons are used to raise awareness of ovarian cancer.) The event, held Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m., is sponsored by Michigan Ovarian Cancer Alliance and The Village of Rochester Hills. Participants can wear teal to register to win prizes including $50 Village …

In a town that includes miles of scenic trails and hosts the annual Brooksie Way, it only makes sense that Trekt Outdoors has opened on Main Street. The store, locally owned, sells outdoor equipment, apparel and gear for men, women and children. "I would say Rochester needed it," store manager Farra Rust said with a smile. Put to the test Rust runs. Outdoors. Every day.  "I put the stuff to the test," Rust said. "When you speak from experience, that sells it." Rust's favorite thing in the store right now are Salomen running shoes.  "They have trail grip, great for making transitions and …

Fresh, New York-style thin crust pizza has arrived on the western side of Rochester Hills, and it has a distinct Eastern Market flair. 112 Pizzeria Bistro, located in the Adams Marketplace Plaza between Meijer and Walmart, may have opened only months ago, but owner Jimmy Younan has been experimenting with pizza for seven years. "I was inspired by a guy at Eastern Market," Younan said. "I consider him one of the greatest pizzamakers around." After perfecting his dough, Younan, "a lifelong food-service guy," looked for a place to open his pizzeria, named for his son's birthday, January 12.  …

It's surprising what you can find when you do a little digging.  While all sorts of historical finds — from trolley tracks to human bones — have been made up and down Main Street during this summer's makeover, history has also been uncovered at the corner of Main and Third. When Jason Mood and Chris Johnson, owners of The Meeting House, looked to improve the facade of their new restaurant they found a lot of rotten wood. Not exactly what they were hoping for.  But underneath the decayed facing, they liked what they found.  A long history of a meeting place The building at the corner of Third …

Who's your Tiger? You may have seen the commercials or perhaps the banners down at Comerica Field asking this very question. For North Hill Elementary School staff and students, the answer is easy. After a pitching career in Major League Baseball, including one season with the Detroit Tigers, Rochester High School alum Andrew Good has returned home to Rochester to teach fifth grade at North Hill. "It's very cool. I feel very fortunate to be in one of the best districts in the state," Good said. The Tigers begin a three-game series today against the Indians in Cleveland; they are one game …