Lansing should count itself lucky. They are home to the first Scalawags Whitefish and Chips restaurant south of Petoskey. If you have ever had the privilege of eating at one of the Scalawags restaurants, you know what I mean.

The first location was Mackinaw City. The first time (and every time after) I ate there the fish tasted so good and fresh that you would have swore that the fish jumped out of the lake and landed in the fryer. I must confess that this testimony is coming from someone who really doesn’t like fish.

No, really. I don’t. This is the only place that I will go out to eat and order fish. Ask my wife, she will tell you that I am not a big fish fan. That is how good Scalawags whitefish tastes.

I try and eat at Scalawags at least once per year. That used to mean I would have to at least go as far north as Petsoskey. That is no longer true. I only need to steer my way over to the town I called home for a few years – Lansing. Well, okay, the restaurant is located in Okemos which is a suburb of Lansing.

Technicalities aside, if you are ever in Lansing, Petoskey, Cheboygan, Mackinaw City, or potentially Traverse City (no official word yet, but they might put one in there) you have to give Scalawags Whitefish and Chips a try. You can usually have dinner for two for under $20.

Check out Scalawags Whitefish and Chips at their website. They are one of the few restaurants I have seen that actually have prices for their menu items posted online. There are also sections with customer comments, maps to their various locations, and if you are interested in bringing Scalawags to your town – an application to purchase a franchise.