Erbelli’s Gourmet Pizzeria, Italian Bistro & Pub (Portage)
8342 Portage RoadMy Friday night overtime took me to south Kalamazoo county last week I had a bit of time between my regular Friday shift and my overtime Friday shift so I took my time figuring out what I wanted for dinner.
It was Friday night, so that usually defaults to pizza. I don’t always have time to get a pizza but I did this week so I started looking at my options.
It didn’t take me long to figure it out. I had a gift card that needed to be used and I had the time to go a little out of my way. That made the decision a little bit easier.
I picked the Erbelli’s Gourment Pizzeria, Italian Bistro & Pub on Portage Road in Portage. It has been years since we went to this location. We live just around the corner from the Stadium Drive location and go there every so often. The last time we went to the Portage location was way back in 2009 right after we moved to Kalamazoo. It was our New Year’s Eve date.
The Portage location is on Portage Road north of Zylman Avenue. The pizza joint shares a parking lot with Kelvin & Co. which sits a little behind the building. The shop isn’t very big and the parking lot can be a little tight when coming in off a busy Portage Road.
I really have no memory of our first trip and only trip to this Kalamazoo area staple. I just remember it was New Year’s Eve and we were both exhausted. I was looking forward to a fresh perspective.
I put my order in online before leaving my downtown Kalamazoo office. I was having trouble putting the gift card in so I opted to pay once I got there hoping they’d be able to run the card. I don’t know how long we’ve had it. J had gotten it from work a while ago and forgot about.
I stopped at the Speedway across the street to grab a couple of drinks and got a car wash so by the time I got to Erbelli’s, I was past the ready time I was given when I ordered.
The restaurant is much smaller than I would have expected (or remembered). The bar is tucked in to the first room you come in to. It’s a small L-shaped bar with only about half a dozen seats with several TV screens hanging on the back walls.
The pick up window is a very small cutout right next to the bar area. There was no one there when I walked up and it took a few minutes for someone to come to the window. I handed the guy my gift card first and asked if he could see if it would run. He didn’t have a problem with it so it left me with me with a bill of right around $13 for a small Detroit style pizza with three toppings.
I was on my way out the door but there is a decent sized dining room right off the entrance. It was early on a Friday night so most people were grabbing their pizzas to go instead of opting for the dine-in option.
My order was for small Detroit style pizza with cupped pepperoni, basil, and roasted garlic and the pizza came loaded with all three.
I love Erbelli’s pizza. I always have. When ordering for the family, we usually get their thin crust round pizzas. Those are good but I really like the Detroit style. I’m the odd man out so it’s not something I get very often.
The pizzas was just overflowing with toppings. The small pizza is only four slices but it’s four very filling slices. There is a really good crispy edge to the soft, buttery crust. The pepperoni have a char all the way around them and add a bit of a crunch with each bite. Some Detroit style pizzas can be light on sauce but this one has it oozing off each slices. It’s just a really solid, really delicious pizza.
I’m always happy when I have an Erbelli’s pizza. They’re a little more expensive than the typical delivery pizza place but the pizzas are also so much better. Like I mentioned earlier, I haven’t been to this location in close to 15 years but that’s only because we live much closer to Stadium Drive. The Portage location has it’s own charm with the same delicious pizza.
SW Michigan Dining 