Market on Michigan Avenue

• 119 E. Michigan Avenue
• Kalamazoo, MI 49007
• (269) 775-1445
• Website
• Menu (Posted on Facebook page weekly)

It wasn’t too long ago downtown Kalamazoo had Irving’s Market and Deli.  I would go there a few times a week and either get something off their hot bar or pick up a salad.

Then, Irving’s closed…..and for several months, there was no market downtown.

About the same time Irving’s closed, it was announced that a new market was opening on Michigan Avenue.  It took about eight months, but late last month, Market on Michigan Avenue held their Grand Opening.

Market on Michigan Avenue…or MOMA..is on Michigan Avenue right next to the Subway in downtown Kalamazoo.  The business takes up two storefronts.  One used to be the Biggby Coffee.  The other has been empty for quite a while.

The prepared food part of the store is in the old Biggby location.  They do a hot bar during the lunch rush.  They set it up right in front of the window so you have to see it when you walk by on the sidewalk.

The hot bar menu changes daily.  They post what’s expected on the hot bar for the week on their Facebook page.  It was BBQ day the day I chose to stop in (that was intentional on my part).  There’s a large table near the hot bar with all of the extras….BBQ sauce, silverware, napkins, etc.

In addition to the hot bar, they also do “Signature Sandwiches.”   Right now they have four options and those are ordered the deli counter.  You also have the option for prepared salads.  The kind of stuff you typically see in a deli.  As for the actual grocery part of the deli, there is a meat counter with fresh meat and homemade brats that you can take home for dinner after picking up lunch.

The other storefront is where most of the market side of the business is.  There are metal shelves stocked with pantry staples.  There’s not a large variety but they do carry most of the items downtown dwellers would need without having to drive to a larger grocery store.

The food from the deli is paid for on the market side but you do have to stop and get it weighed at the deli counter.  I grabbed a can of Mt. Dew from the cooler in the back (they don’t have 20 oz. bottles) and headed up to pay.  Hot bar is $9.99lb. and I got about a pound and a half of food.  The total was just under $15 with my drink.

I picked this day to go to MOMA specifically because I saw that they had BBQ on the hot bar.  I did a variety so I could get a taste of everything.

I got more brisket than anything because…come one, it’s brisket.  I grabbed three large slices of brisket out of the pan.  They were tender and really juicy. There was a nice salty but not too salty bark on.

I grabbed a little bit of the pulled pork just so I could get a taste of it.  The pork is finely shredded and covered in a thin Carolina style sauce.  The sauce didn’t really add much to the meat but it didn’t detract from it either.  There wasn’t much in either flavor or spice.  The pork itself was pretty delicious though.  Tender and juicy the way pulled pork should be.

I was a little hesitant but I decided to try the Roasted Cajun Potatoes.  The potatoes were sliced pretty big so I was worried they would be somewhat raw in the middle but that was not the case.  The outside has a nice crunchy texture while the middle was cooked all the way through but soft and airy.  I actually kind of wished I had grabbed a little bit more of these.  They were much better than I imagined they would be.

Market on Michigan Avenue is another great option for lunch in downtown Kalamazoo but it’s also a great market for people who live downtown.  It’s not going to replace a hypermarket shopping trip but if you just need a few things…or you’re looking for a delicious prepared meal, MOMA will be able to take care of that for you.