Bruce was in town last night. Saw him at 4pm mass at Corpus Christi

The reviews online at yelp are all excellent.

(01-20-2013 03:12 PM)MC Rocket Wrote:  Bruce was in town last night. Saw him at 4pm mass at Corpus Christi

Bruce and his wife bought a home near the University and he spends his off-season here. He'll be at the restaurant and going to UT athletic events pretty much every day until training camp.

(01-20-2013 03:28 PM)BrianNowicki Wrote:  

(01-20-2013 03:12 PM)MC Rocket Wrote:  Bruce was in town last night. Saw him at 4pm mass at Corpus Christi

Bruce and his wife bought a home near the University and he spends his off-season here. He'll be at the restaurant and going to UT athletic events pretty much every day until training camp.

It would be great to have him work with the QB's.

(01-20-2013 12:15 PM)FMRocket Wrote:  Me and my wife stopped in after the Rocket b-ball game yesterday... Pretty much what I expected, and in a positive way... Definitely more upscale than the Applebees and Olive Garden type restaurants of the world... An appetizer, house salad, and four drinks came to under $40... Not bad, only downside, no Chevas Regal available at the bar...
I believe that Gradkowskis will make it in the longrun because of its proximity to the surrounding affluent areas, and folks visiting UT will have a very nice dining establishment on campus to patronize...

FMR they were out of Chevas because I drank it all on Friday night.

Good food, good times, good place.

Somewhere in this thread I read that this could perhaps be an option for parents/families when they come to visit their student, I guess it's an option, but me personally, I wanted to get away from campus for a few hours when my family came to visit.

Go to a nice restaurant - and EVERYTHING was nice compared to my steady diet of Wendy's, Taco Bell, Arby's, Subway, that Chinese place in the student union and cafeteria food - go to a couple stores, get some groceries... not go three minutes away from my dorm to have some fine dining. Maybe I'm in the minority, don't know.

I CAN however see it being a good tool to "wine and dine" potential recruits. Hell of a nice thing for a visiting football player to see a guy that played here a decade or so ago who's still in the NFL has his own place - on campus.

I hope it works, time will tell.

From the Toledo Free Press:

http://www.toledofreepress.com/2013/01/1...way-plaza/

(01-21-2013 10:00 AM)Rocket65 Wrote:  From the Toledo Free Press:

http://www.toledofreepress.com/2013/01/1...way-plaza/

Thanks for posting....some of the posts here made the place seem too upscale to survive.The picture looks like a casual, neighborhood style place. What were people expecting....a dive bar with 50 cent drafts? Tough to get a decent ROI strictly targeting college students. Lol...anyhow, I hope it works and the local community supports it. Its success will lead to further investment in the area.

There are plenty of low to medium end places for everyone to eat near campus. Having a very nice UT themed restaurant on the UT campus is exactly what was needed. I will be going there next time I am in town.

(01-21-2013 10:12 AM)TampaRocket Wrote:  

(01-21-2013 10:00 AM)Rocket65 Wrote:  From the Toledo Free Press:

http://www.toledofreepress.com/2013/01/1...way-plaza/

Thanks for posting....some of the posts here made the place seem too upscale to survive.The picture looks like a casual, neighborhood style place. What were people expecting....a dive bar with 50 cent drafts? Tough to get a decent ROI strictly targeting college students. Lol...anyhow, I hope it works and the local community supports it. Its success will lead to further investment in the area.

What was expected going from all the posts when it was first announced, probably wasn't what it is. As I recall, most did expect it to be a place suitable for the college crowd. I don't recall the owners ever saying that is what it would be.

You brought a thought to me though. The complex management wisely stayed away from the barf at the curb kind of place. A "college hangout" would have turned away the other businesses I think. The area still could use some college hangouts, maybe closer to Byrne or across Dorr but you're right, Gateway isn't the place for that.

I'm still waiting for the website before I go. $77 burger meals are out of my league. If that's a misrepresentation, I hope to try it out.

(01-21-2013 11:51 AM)eastisbest Wrote:  I'm still waiting for the website before I go. $77 burger meals are out of my league. If that's a misrepresentation, I hope to try it out.

Keep in mind that $77 included more than just your normal burger meal. Appetizer, dessert, mixed drink, and wine if I remember correctly. I don't know how much his wine was, but I've seen glasses of wine at restaurants for $25 or more.

(01-21-2013 01:50 PM)BrianNowicki Wrote:  

(01-21-2013 11:51 AM)eastisbest Wrote:  I'm still waiting for the website before I go. $77 burger meals are out of my league. If that's a misrepresentation, I hope to try it out.

Keep in mind that $77 included more than just your normal burger meal. Appetizer, dessert, mixed drink, and wine if I remember correctly. I don't know how much his wine was, but I've seen glasses of wine at restaurants for $25 or more.

For a better estimate, I got the burger, fries, soda, and split appetizer, and after tip was a little over $25

Heck of a lot of crybabies and cheapskates on this thread. I also expected better reading comprehension skills from Toledo fans. I applaud Bruce's reinvestment in the place that gave him his start. Going slightly upscale is a sensible decision.

I'll try it out, maybe it would be a great spot across the parking lot or elsewhere in the area for a sports type theme bar

(01-21-2013 02:02 PM)Time4Church8 Wrote:  

(01-21-2013 01:50 PM)BrianNowicki Wrote:  

(01-21-2013 11:51 AM)eastisbest Wrote:  I'm still waiting for the website before I go. $77 burger meals are out of my league. If that's a misrepresentation, I hope to try it out.

Keep in mind that $77 included more than just your normal burger meal. Appetizer, dessert, mixed drink, and wine if I remember correctly. I don't know how much his wine was, but I've seen glasses of wine at restaurants for $25 or more.

For a better estimate, I got the burger, fries, soda, and split appetizer, and after tip was a little over $25

Some of us just aren't meant for "fine" dining. lol

If it were a specialized restaurant, a menu I'm not going to find in just about every neighborhood, I'd probably go for it. There ain't a burger, fries, soda, and split appetizer on the face of this earth to get me part with $25 (under normal, not starving, situations), no matter how nice the tables. There's not even a view.

If they are really intent on the Ottawa Hills/Old Orchard market, I'm afraid I'm as pessimistic as Potts. Old Orchard/Ottawa Hills, those are family areas aren't they? As much as I would want anything with Grad's name on it to succeed, I don't think it's going to happen on that menu.

If lunch is suitable to the college crowd and I mean STUDENT and evening it can become a hob-nob, a upscale hangout for professionals... I've posted before, I thought that area could use a Law School hangout. Eh, they're the experts. I'm sure they'll adapt if they need to.

All the best though!

Here's their menu they have posted on Facebook:

(01-21-2013 03:43 PM)MidnightBlueGold Wrote:  Here's their menu they have posted on Facebook:

Thanks and all but did you have to post that so close to dinnertime? Looks like Chowder 'n Moor's will reap the benefitof that decision. I'm starving. But I'll get to Grad's.

that lunch menu looks alot more what i was expecting and better for us poor folk haha

(01-21-2013 03:59 PM)H2Oville Rocket Wrote:  

(01-21-2013 03:43 PM)MidnightBlueGold Wrote:  Here's their menu they have posted on Facebook:

Thanks and all but did you have to post that so close to dinnertime? Looks like Chowder 'n Moor's will reap the benefitof that decision. I'm starving. But I'll get to Grad's.

Heard Chowders and More, airport highway closed a few weeks ago.

E-