Conrad's Grill
Conrad’s Grill has opened in the former Glaze Teriyaki space at 563 State St. The small chain out of East Lansing, Michigan, specializes in grilled tortilla wraps stuffed with tater tots, a choice of protein, cheese and a variety of sauces. In that sense it is similar to its neighbor Salads UP, a small chain out of Ann Arbor that makes grilled salad wraps. Both are on the ground floor of The Hub student apartments.
Conrad’s, founded by a Joseph Conrad (not the guy who wrote Heart of Darkness) in 2007, has four other outlets (three in East Lansing and one in Chicago) and calls itself “Home of the Tot Wrap,” although just off the top of my head I can cite tater tots in burritos at Burrito Drive and, of course, Taco John’s inclusion of the tot-like Potato Olé in its burritos — although I suppose technically a Potato Olé is not a tater tot and a burrito is not a tortilla wrap. No quid pro quo!
The menu features breakfast, chicken, chicken tender, steak, and bacon wraps, plus two veggie versions. Sides include: more tots, waffle fries, mac ’n cheese bites and fried pickles. As the Conrad’s website notes, “It’s late-night salvation. It’s a dignified morning-after cure.” And not for nothing is one of the breakfast wraps called “The Hangover Helper.”
Crandall’s Peruvian Bistro, located at 334 State St. since 2013, has closed its doors, but is hoping to open in a new location.
Crandall’s, once a supper club famed for its fish fry, was located where the Tornado Steak House is today. It moved to the Depot at 640 W. Washington Ave. in the early ’90s and closed there in 1993. Ivan Pimental took over the business, opening a carryout version on University Avenue in 1994. For a while there was a second branch on Monona Drive, and in 2009 the restaurant provided food at the now-defunct McFarland ballroom Con Safos. Pimental introduced Peruvian food when the restaurant moved to State Street.
And right next door, Rollicious, 330 State St., which served Indonesian rolled ice cream and Hong Kong bubble waffles, has closed.
On the west side, La Torta Loca will be opening in the long vacant 7005 Tree Lane, former home of KJ’s Curry Bowl. The Mexican restaurant will specialize in Mexican sub sandwiches, or tortas.
