Jersey Giant Subs – Oakland Drive
7886 Oakland DriveMy little girl is 1! J and I have been asking ourselves how that happened for a couple weeks now. It seems like yesterday we were hanging out on the sixth floor at Borgess. My co-workers are already reminding me that it goes by fast as they take sent their babies off to college this year.
Along with turning one, it was time for L’s one-year check up at the pediatrician. We go to Borgess ProMed Pediatrics on Angling Road in Portage and L’s appointment was late in the afternoon. Neither one of us had eaten lunch yet and it was pushing dinner time, so I suggested a sandwich that would take care of both meals.
Jersey Giant Subs has opened their third Kalamazoo area location by taking over the space once occupied by Soup’R Heros on the corner of Oakland Drive and Centre Avenue in Portage right next to Full City Cafe.
If you’re familiar with Jersey Giant Subs, you won’t find any surprises in this new location. There’s a large open dining area with the order counter along one of the side walls. The large menu board with all 16 of the subs hangs behind the counter.
J and I eat at the Drake Road location quite often, so we both already knew what we wanted. I’m guessing the lady in front of us had never been to a JGS before as she was having a hard time grasping the concept….which really isn’t all that hard to grasp. Read more…
Press Release – Gourmet Cooking Classes at Salt of the Earth
From a Promote Michigan press release….
Gourmet Cooking Classes Come to Fennville’s “Salt of the Earth”
Hungry Village Tours and Salt of the Earth bring exclusive cooking lessons to the table.Saugatuck, MI – “Knead it,” “Grind it,” and “Toss it” at Salt of the Earth this winter! Join your friends at Salt of the Earth (SotE) for an exclusive glimpse into their kitchen as they present three intimate evenings with Chef Matthew Pietsch. These events will be demonstration based with hands-on elements throughout. Each event will begin at 6 p.m. and will last two to three hours. Included in these events will be a light, simple meal as well as recipes and instructional handouts.
“Salt of the Earth is typically closed on Tuesdays,” said David Geen of Hungry Village Tours. “Chef Matt is opening the restaurant specifically for these lessons so we have full use of the kitchen, restaurant, and most importantly, the complete and undivided attention of the chef!”
Tuesday, January 29th – “Knead It: The Secrets Behind SotE Seedy Salt and other Bread Techniques”. Salt of the Earth is known for their exceptional hearth-baked breads, including their signature loaf, Seedy Salt. Learn the secrets behind the SotE wood fired oven, wild cultured yeast, cold fermentation, and how to bake bread as it has been baked for hundreds of years. After the lesson, a simple dinner will be prepared and enjoyed with Chef Matt. Included with the lesson will be recipes for a simple approach to achieve SotE quality bread at home. Each participant will receive fresh-baked bread to bring home!
Tuesday, February 26th – “Grind It: The Art of Making Sausage”, also features a Michigan craft beer pairing. Pork is King at Salt of the Earth! SotE has featured its own house-made sausages since day one. Here is a chance to discover which cuts of meat are best to use, along with how to simply season pork. Discussion and demonstration will cover marinating, grinding, casing, and techniques for cooking a perfect link. As an added bonus, Michigan craft beer pairings will be explored with the flavor profiles in each sausage.
Tuesday, March 26th – “Toss It: Wood-Fired Pizza and Wine Pairing” will complete the series. At the centerpiece of the Salt of the Earth kitchen is an artisan wood fired oven. Chef Matthew has spent years perfecting SotE’s pizza dough and is anxious to pass this knowledge on. Amazing hand tossed dough combines with fresh locally sourced ingredients to create the perfect pie. Using a few special techniques for the crust, and under the direction of Chef Matt, participants will enjoy creating their own signature pizzas. Discussion will include tips to prepare amazing pizza at home. In addition, SotE Sommelier Jeremy Duggan will lead the group in a wine pairing discovering which varietals best accompany the pizza.
Classes will be limited to 20 people to maximize the experience. The cost for each event is $50.00 per person plus tax and gratuity. For more information and reservations, call Hungry Village Tours at (269) 857-1700 or Salt of the Earth at (269) 561-SALT, or visit www.hungryvillagetours.com or www.SaltOfTheEArthFennville.com
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store and Restaurant
5581 S. 9th StreetWell, winter sure hit in a hurry, huh? With the threat of an ice storm coming in at some point on Sunday, J and I wanted to get our errands done fairly early in the afternoon. She was really wanting to get to Meijer and get the grocery shopping done, but first, I wanted breakfast. Sunday is the one day of the week that we still have some time to go out for a meal and I wanted to take advantage of it.
Going out to eat has been getting a little bit tougher as L is getting older. When she was little, we could keep her in the carrier and she would be fine. After the carrier, we were still getting pretty lucky with a high chair and something to keep her distracted. Now, she’s pretty mobile and doesn’t want to sit still. She wants to crawl/toddle around and check out all the other customers in whichever restaurant we decide to eat at.
Because of all this, we’ve been hitting chains more. It’s not ideal for us as far as food goes, but it works a lot better when we’re in a place where there are a lot of other kids and it’s nice and loud.
It has been several years since I’ve eaten at a Cracker Barrel. I believe it was New Year’s Day about fifteen years ago. I don’t remember much about that breakfast (it was before I was 21, so no, I wasn’t drunk or hungover…no, seriously…I really didn’t drink until I was like 22…) and for some reason, I have never been back to a Cracker Barrel restaurant even though they seem to be everywhere.
The Kalamazoo area Cracker Barrel is right off I-94 at the 9th Street exit in Texas Township. It’s a little hard to get to. While the address is technically 9th Street, you have to follow an access road past the Microtel Inn to get in to the large parking lot. Read more…
Press Release – 6th Annual Chefs Challenge
From a Promote Michigan press release…..
Ricobene’s – Pulaski
5160 S. Pulaski Road #108When it comes to finding a restaurant in Chicago, my Father-In-Law is always my go-to. He’s an electrician, so he never spends very long in the same spot when it comes to work. Having worked at different job sites all over the Chicagoland area, he’s a good resource whenever J and I are looking for something new to eat.
Quite a while ago (probably a couple years), he suggested a pizza place that used to have a location not far from where they live in Oak Lawn. That location is now closed, but I passed a different location on 159th Street in Orland Hills a couple days ago which reminded me of the recommendation.
Orland Hills isn’t a terrible drive from my in-laws, but I decided to Google map to see if there were any closer.
I’m not sure if it’s any closer, but I did find a Ricobene’s on South Pulaski Road not too far from I-55. It’s one of four remaining locations in the Chicago area. There’s another one in the city on 25th Street as well as the location in Orland Hills and one in Bolingbrook.
Ricobene’s kind of covers all the bases when it comes to Chicago food. They do pizza. They do beef. They do Chicago Dogs. Yup, all the bases. Read more…
Revolution Brewing
2323 N. Milwaukee AvenueThe last couple of times we went home, J and I had planned to leave the baby with Grandma and go out for dinner. Before L, J and I went out to eat all the time. It was a way for us to relax and do something we enjoy. Since L, we’ve still gone out to eat, but it’s much more stressful now so we avoid the fancier pubs we used to love.
When we made a trip home in the beginning of December, we tried two nights to go out, but J wasn’t feeling great, so we passed. I still decided to make a trip downtown and tried to make a stop at Revolution Brewing. The place was so packed that night that even getting a seat at the bar would have taken over an hour, so I went for Italian beef instead.
We were back in Chicago for L’s first birthday. We spent Saturday at Gymboree Play & Music in Orland Hills with friends and family, but we still planned on staying in the Chicago area for a few more days.
On Sunday, J and L took a late morning nap then J asked if I wanted to go in to the city for lunch. I didn’t want to push a brewery on her since she isn’t really a fan of beer, but she suggested one…and how could I say no to that? Read more…
Press Release – Special Inagural Dinner at Bravo!
From a Bravo! Restaurant & Cafe press release….
57th Inaugural Meal
Celebrating The Bounties Of American Cuisine
Since 1901, the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies has been responsible for the planning and execution of the swearing-in ceremonies and the meal following the Inauguration of the President of the United States at the U.S. Capitol. Come to Bravo! next Monday through Thursday and you, too, can enjoy this same meal as prepared by our chefs. This special meal is also available to go. No matter what your political leanings, we all need to eat. Come on out and enjoy what the leaders of our country have created for the inaugural celebration.
2013 Inaugural DinnerMenu Steamed Lobster Tail *****Hickory Grilled Bison *****Hudson Valley Apple Pie A package price for all 3 courses $48.00 President Obama’s menu includes American delectable items that Bravo! has gone to great lengths to replicate. The American specialties of lobster tail, a grilled cut of bison, followed by a delicious apple pie headline the meal. Inaugural meals have a rich tradition in Washington. Members of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, led by chairman Charles E. Schumer, include Senator Lamar Alexander, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Speaker of the House John A. Boehner, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. They are tasked with planning the sit-down meal for 200 guests, which include the president, vice president, members of their families, the Supreme Court judges, Cabinet members, and Congressional leaders. This is the seventh time in U.S. history that the constitutionally mandated inauguration date of Jan. 20 has fallen on a Sunday. The last time was for President Ronald Reagan’s second inauguration in 1985. When this occurs, the public ceremonies traditionally are held on the following Monday, which this year coincides with Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. It is the second time that this federal holiday has coincided with a Presidential Inauguration; the first was President Bill Clinton’s second inauguration in 1997. |
The Big Burrito – Portage
3774 W. Centre AvenueFor some reason, J has been craving Mexican food a lot lately. Whenever we can’t think of something for lunch, we usually gravitate towards The Big Burrito. They have an easy online ordering system and they have something all three of us really like.
J laid down for a nap with L after she got home from work and told me to put in an order around 1:00. She assumed I’d just go to the one closest to our house at KL and Drake, but since I had some time and hadn’t been to the Portage location yet, I decided to go for a drive.
The Big Burrito takes over the space once occupied by The Real Deal: Classic Burgers and Shakes (and the Spicy Pickle before that ) in the Woodbridge Shopping Village on Centre Avenue just to the east of US 131.
The layout of the restaurant hasn’t changed much from The Real Deal. The only big difference is they added a separator between the order area and the dining area. That was the part I always thought was weird at The Real Deal. You could literally put your ass in someone’s burger while you were trying to order.
The color scheme has changed from the blues, greys, and stainless steel to the brighter colors of green, red, and yellow to name a few. Read more…
Press Release – Cooking Class Schedule at Bravo!
From a Bravo! Restaurant and Cafe email blast…
2013 Cooking Class Schedule
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Cooking classes are led by award winning Chef/Owner Shawn Hagen of BraVo! Restaurant. These classes are light, hands on and geared for the novice cook to the experienced chef. Chef Shawn with years of experience of playing with food will be informative. He entertains while guiding you to create wonderful meals as you learn some of the tricks of the trade. Students will January 15 or 16Cheese Glorious Cheese. Artisan Cheeses in 8 different unique recipes March 5 or 6An Exposition of Wine and Food Pairing. Chef Shawn demonstrates recipes while guests sit and enjoy the flavors paired with selected wines from wine steward Nick Chard May 21 or 22Breakfast in Bed. Shawn’s favorite morning recipes for food and drinks September 17 or 18Spicing Up Your Life. Learn how blending spices can create whole new flavor sensations that will add new life to old recipes. October 15 or 16Winter Warm Up. Soups to keep you warm all winter long from Classes are from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm and are $65.00 per person. Class tickets are on sale at the restaurant, or by calling 269-344-7700. |
Press Release – Kalamazoo Beer Week at Food Dance
From a Food Dance email blast….
Greenbush Adjuncts Tasting
Saturday, January 12th • 2-4pm • $23 per personCoffee. Cherry. Maple syrup. The possibilities seem endless.
Enjoy hors d’oeuvres and sample six beers with a little something extra added from Greenbush Brewing, Sawyer, MI. These guys started as home brewers and are now one of the hot new breweries in Michigan. Come meet the brewer and have an informal Q and A about adjuncts, or anything else you want to talk about.
Learn to Homebrew with Bell’s
Monday, January 14th • 6-8pm • $38 per personOr just sample beer, talk ingredients and mingle.
Join us for this special event featuring Bell’s General Store. Sample home-brews and Bell’s beers, while learning about homebrewing from an expert and take recipes home with you. A Bell’s representative will walk through the steps of successful homebrewing, review the costs, equipment, the best ingredients, procedures, tricks and tips. Come mingle with local home-brewers, learn about the homebrewing community in Kalamazoo and walk away with all the knowledge and inspiration needed to brew quality beer right at home. Something for all levels of homebrewing.
Special Beer Cocktails
Tuesday, January 15th • All DayDiscover a whole new world of mixology.
This is Mad Max beyond the Boilermaker. We’ll have beer cocktail specials all day. Food Dance’s mixologists Kevin and Megan have created signature beer cocktails using craft beers and quality ingredients. Because one can’t live on beer alone.Featuring Brewery Vivant in Cans
Wednesday, January 16th • All DayNo shotgunning please.
At Brewery Vivant, they draw inspiration from the small farmhouse breweries that dot the countryside in Southern Belgium and Northern France. They take notes from these breweries’ artistic approach and explore their own interpretations of traditional styles using a mix of old world and new world ingredients and methods. They package in cans for the sake of the environment. We’ll be featuring four different beers, so come raise some cans and experience their take on the ancient art of brewing.New Holland & Arcadia
Brewer’s Throwdown
Thursday, January 17th • 6-8pm • $45 per personWe cook. They pair. You judge.You will not want to miss this! Arcadia’s Tim Suprise and New Holland’s Fred Bueltmann are throwing down for a second time – and the battlefield is your palate. We will prepare a menu of 4 small plates, Fred and Tim pick their pairings, you blindly taste, and then vote for your favorites. Great food. Great beer. May the best beer win.
Click here to make reservations.
SW Michigan Dining 