Gimmicks provides flavorful food, unique activities for date night

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Blueberries float in a blueberry lemonade at Gimmicks for Food and Fun on June 2, 2023.

Cheese oozes out of a calzone at Gimmicks for Food and Fun on June 2, 2023.

Pretzel bites served around a dish of beer cheese at Gimmicks for Food and Fun on June 2, 2023.

Gimmicks for Food and Fun features lots of outdoorsy and adventurous decorations inside Valley Lanes at 5021 Bay City Road in Midland.

A moose head mounted over the bar at Gimmicks for Food and Fun inside Valley Lanes at 5021 Bay City Road in Midland.

The bright blue river and one of the bridges at the Lost Pirates Adventure Golf course in Valley Lanes on June 2, 2023.

A plant filled walkway at Lost Pirates Adventure Golf course in Valley Lanes on June 2, 2023.

Hole 7 at the Lost Pirates Adventure mini golf course featured a rock tunnel behind the bright blue waterfall and pirates decor.

The Lost Pirates Adventure Golf course features plants, bright blue water and lots of pirate decor inside Valley Lanes at 5021 Bay City Road in Midland.

Gimmicks for Food and Fun is located inside the Valley Lanes Family Entertainment Center in the Valley Plaza Resort at 5021 Bay City Road in Midland.

Dining Out With The Daily News

Isabelle Pasciolla

Politics and Government Reporter

[email protected]

Over the weekend, my boyfriend and I discovered the absolute hidden gem that is Gimmicks for Food and Fun inside the Valley Lanes Entertainment Center.

Despite the multiple events I’ve covered at the Great Hall and his numerous stays at the former Best Western hotel growing up, neither of us had realized there was an entertainment center at Valley Plaza Resort.

Gimmicks for Food and Fun

5021 Bay City Rd, Midland, MI 48642

Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday12 to 11 p.m. Saturday12 to 9 p.m. Sunday

(989) 496-2037

http://valleylanesmidland.com/dining/

Salads, pizza, sandwiches, burgers

Situated on Bay City Road, kitty corner to Costco, I’m rather shocked that I hadn't noticed the sign for the bowling alley or Gimmicks, but I’m certainly glad I’ve discovered it now.

Upon entering Gimmicks, I was surprised at how beautiful it was. In the town where I grew up, the restaurant at the bowling alley was really just a bar with some food items. Gimmicks is nothing like that.

As someone who loves hiking and kayaking, I was all for the decor with a kayak hanging from the ceiling, images of mountains and lakes on the walls and, of course, the lovely moose head hanging out over the bar.

In addition to the decorations, the restaurant was incredibly clean, the wood floors shined and we were even able to snag a table next to the gorgeous fireplace.

The number one reason why I wanted to try Gimmicks is because they offer pretzel bites. Pretzel bites have always been my favorite appetizer, but it is surprisingly difficult to find restaurants that offer them. The pretzels were soft and perfectly salty, but what I really loved was the beer cheese dip. I don't usually enjoy beer cheese, but this dip tasted almost like nacho cheese. It wasn't overly spicy, but it definitely had a nice flavor kick that I enjoyed. For $5.99, it was the cheapest appetizer on the menu and certainly something I will be getting every time I go.

I ordered a blueberry lemonade to drink, which looked absolutely beautiful with nice, cold blueberries floating in the drink. The lemonade itself was almost a little sour, which I enjoyed because it didn't have any sort of sugary taste or feel to it.

Our lovely waitress suggested I try a calzone for an entree. At Gimmicks, calzones come stuffed with mozzarella cheese and three toppings of your choice. I went for bacon, pepperoni and chicken - just to get all my protein for the day, I suppose.

I honestly don't think I can pinpoint what was so amazing about this calzone. All I can say is that I will definitely be getting it again. The chicken in particular was packed with flavor and rather juicy. The pizza sauce for dipping was also delicious and almost a little sweet.

The entree was certainly worth its $12.99 price as it was rather large. I only got through about a quarter of it while at the restaurant and was able to enjoy the rest of it for days to come. I also added a side of fries to my meal for $6.99, which seemed a little steep to me, but at least I was able to enjoy leftover fries for lunch the following day.

There were no desserts on the menu, but that was perfectly fine for us because I was practically jumping with excitement to check out the rest of the entertainment center, in particular the miniature golf.

Mini golf was one of those hobbies I picked up during the pandemic and got halfway decent at until I stopped playing at the end of last summer as I went back to school for my final year at Central Michigan University. Now, with the weather warming up, it was time to get back in the swing of things (pun absolutely intended). I knew it would be interesting to play with my boyfriend, who loves golf and can be a little competitive.

I was blown away by Lost Pirates Adventure Golf. The decorations at this indoor mini golf were better than those at some outdoor courses I’ve been to. From all of the fake plants to the bright blue waterfall to the unique use of logs and bridges, I just knew when we walked in that it would be a great time.

We decided not to keep score, especially after I got a hole-in-one at the second hole. Going through the entire course took about 30 minutes. My boyfriend said he wished the course were bigger or that the holes were a bit longer, but I reminded him that it is all indoors, so there's only so much space to work with.

After the game, we went to the arcade and competed in basketball and bean bag toss. With our 115 tickets, we were finally able to get dessert - a few pieces of Laffy Taffy and some Airheads.

Overall, it was one of the most fun nights I’ve had in quite a while. I was very pleased by the prices for activities as well. Tickets for mini golf were only $6 per person and we were able to play five games at the arcade for only $10.

My boyfriend and I usually spend our time outdoors, but I’m glad we were able to discover this hidden gem and turn a Friday night at the local entertainment center into a special memory to cherish.

Email reporter Isabelle Pasciolla at [email protected]