Now that's a chicken dinner!

Nothing beats a family style chicken dinner and there's no better place to enjoy one than in Michigan's 'Little Bavaria.' Frankenmuth, Michigan is known for its German architecture, The Bavarian Inn (and Zehnders across the street), Bronner's Christmas store, quaint gift and sausage shops, and the sounds of accordians and horsedrawn carriage rides. But those that know beer are well aware that Frankenmuth has a rich brewing history as well. I was lucky enough to be in Frankenmuth this past weekend and stopped in at the Frankenmuth Brewery. After striking up a conversation with the valet parking dude, I learned that his grandfather was the original owner of the brewery way back when! A tornado demolished the original brewery in 1996, but they managed to rebuild. Frankenmuth Brewery now operates as a restaurant/brewpub on the Cass River. Some of the original brew kettles sit outside the current modern facility; one is acting as a canopy over a bar, another is on cinderblocks. If you're ever on I-75 near north of Detroit and south of Flint, be sure to stop in and check it out. They also offer brewery tours fairly regularly but, alas, I had to be moving on.