Press Release – Brew Hop Tour
From the Calhoun County Visitors Bureau website…..
Calhoun County Visitors Bureau
Calhoun County Brew Hop
Arcadia • Bell’s • Dark Horse
Tour the microbreweries on
Saturday, November 10
The tour includes:
– Tour 3 breweries: Arcadia, Bell’s and Dark Horse
– Tastings at each brewery
– Commemorative glasses from each brewery
– Souvenir cooler
– Overnight accommodations at McCamly Plaza Hotel
– Transportation between breweries
– Lunch from Cornwell’s Turkeyville USA on Saturday
– Dinner at Arcadia Brewing Company on Saturday *drinks on your own
– Breakfast at J.W. Barleycorn’s Sunday morning
– Tax and gratuities
– ParkingSchedule:
– Meet at McCamly Plaza Hotel in Downtown Battle Creek between 9:30 – 10:00 a.m.
– Tour Bell’s new brewing facility
– Sample Bell’s beer and shop merchandise in their original facility
– Tour Dark Horse Brewing Company
– Tour Arcadia Brewing Company
– Dinner at Arcadia Brewing Company
– Bus leaves Arcadia at 7:00 p.m. back to McCamly Plaza HotelThe cost:
Register today! Seats are limited!
Registration will close on Friday, October 26 at 5:00 p.m. Pricing includes everything listed above.
Questions? Call 800.397.2240 or email brewhoptour@battlecreekvisitors.org
Visit the Calhoun County Visitors Bureau website to register!
Press Release – Sausage Making Class at Food Dance
From a Food Dance email…
The saying goes “Laws are like sausages, it is better not to see them being made.”
Nonsense. When working with whole meat pieces, there’s nothing to fear. Chef Robb will teach the techniques of processing, grinding, stuffing, casing, cooking and, of course, eating. You may discover your inner Abe Frohman. $65 per person.
Just click to make event reservations.
Tim Hortons Cafe & Bake Shop – Portage
5709 S. Westnedge AvenueAnother chain opens in Kalamazoo. I was pretty indifferent when I saw a Tim Hortons was opening in Portage. I’ve never had anything against Tim Hortons and I’ve actually enjoyed some of the sandwiches I’ve gotten there recently, but it’s nothing I was really looking forward to.
J and I needed to make a trip to Babies ‘R Us so I suggested we check out the new Tim Hortons on Westnedge just south of I-94 in Portage. The Canadian franchise moved in to the building that used to be Fazoli’s and totally remodeled the place. There are a couple of areas with chairs in front of a fire place for the coffee drinkers, but as J pointed out, there’s no wi-fi….which is kind of a trademark at coffee houses.
The rest of the space is a combo of tables and counter space looking out the window at Westnedge.
J and I were in the lunch mood and when we walked so we went looking for a sandwich menu….and never could find one. The LCD menu boards were pretty, but there was no sandwiches anywhere. We knew they had sandwiches because there was an employee behind a counter that said “sandwiches.” We just couldn’t find the menu.
The employees pointed to a paper nutritional information pamphlet taped to the counter. My guess is there was something wrong with the menu boards. There is just no way that is how they usually do sandwiches. It didn’t have any pertinent information about each sandwich. Just the name and nutritional information. Read more…
Jaspare’s Pizza and Italian Food – Gull Road
6050 Gull RoadSunday’s have become the day of the week that I like to give J a little time to herself. I don’t usually end up giving her much, but most of the time, L and I go for a little ride to pick up dinner.
This past Sunday, I was trying to come up with someplace on the other side of town to get dinner. We had just had pizza from Cottage Inn the day before, but I was still in the mood for pizza and wouldn’t ya know it, there’s a pizza place on the East side that I haven’t been to yet.
Jaspare’s Pizza and Italian Food has a few stores in the Kalamazoo area. In fact, we had eaten at one on the corner of Sprinkle and Kilgore before they moved down the street.
The Gull Road Jaspare’s looks like it is in one of the old style Pizza Hut buildings. It’s right next to Rose City Motors across the street from “The Walmart.”
The Jaspare’s website says they are going to have online ordering soon, but it’s not available yet, so I had to do it the old fashioned way and call in my order. Read more…
Press Release – Harvest Fest
From a Fair Food Matters press release…..
Harvest Fest brings a day filled with music to Southwest Michigan
The annual Southwest Michigan Community Harvest Fest, celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, brings a full day of music, food and fun to Southwest Michigan.
Harvest Fest, a program of Fair Food Matters, is an annual, community-wide celebration of food, farming and sustainable living. It will take place Sunday, September 16 from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Tillers International, 10515 East OP Avenue, Scotts, Michigan.
Providing the soundtrack to the day’s festivities will be:
- The Sloan/Chapman Duo (11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m.): Acoustic country standards and originals
- Smallmouth (12:45-1:30 p.m.): American folk, gospel, classic rock and alt-country that takes listeners back to the traditional hootenanny and folk club shows of the past
- The Dani Jamerson Duo (2:00-2:45 p.m.): Acoustic country, rock, pop and blues, including Nashville-penned originals
- The Celery City Sodbusters (3:15-4:00 p.m.): Square dancing with caller Mike Clark
- Elisabeth Pixley-Fink (4:30-5:30 p.m.): Singer-songwriter debuting selections from her first full-length album “Bloodroot,” featuring an interactive community art project.
In addition to the musical lineup, Harvest Fest keynote speaker Malik Yakini, founder and the executive director of the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network (and recently named one of five recipients of the James Beard Foundation Leadership Award), will lead a discussion on food sovereignty beginning at 2 p.m.
Harvest Fest will also include numerous family activities and food and farm demonstrations, all free of charge with paid admission. See the complete schedule of activities at www.fairfoodmatters.org/harvestfest.
Admission is $10 per carload, $1 per person for busloads of 10 or more, and free for bicyclists.
Press Release – Wild Game Dinner at Bravo!
From a Bravo! Restaurant & Cafe email….
Wild Game Dinner
Paired With 5 Bravo! Handcrafted BeersThursday
September 20
6:00 p.m.Please join us for our 5 course dinner featuring unique
preparations of game dishes $65.00
A Bravo! 4oz handcrafted beer paired with each course $5.00
Menu
*****
Beer Battered Brook Trout
with Lemon Aioli and Fried Green Beans
Blonde Ambition – Blonde Ale
Pale Malts blended perfectly with a small amount of wheat that produces a light and easy to drink beer*****
Pan Seared Black Pepper and Rosemary Encrusted Quail
Deglazed with Pale Ale and enriched with butter
A-dam Good Beer – Pale Ale
A well balanced and crisp American Pale Ale with a nutty biscuit flavor*****
Duck Breast Marinated In Amber Ale
Grilled and Served on Mixed Greens with Basil Vinaigrette, Fried Pasta Crouton, and Toasted Pinenuts
Chef’s Ale – Amber Ale
A crisp and uniquely bright flavor with a hoppy finish*****
Roasted Wild Boar
With wild mushrooms and Citra Hop Reduction Sauce
Summer Daze – I. P. A.
A very hoppy beer with tangerine and pineapple characteristics*****
Chocolate Mousse Torte
Baked Chocolate Mousse Shell Filled with Creamy Chocolate Mousse Center
Porterhouse – Brown Porter
Light hops with coffee and caramel malts and a short refreshing finish
Press Release – Southwest Michigan Community Harvest Fest
From a Fair Food Matters press release….
10th annual Harvest Fest brings food, fun and family activities to Southwest Michigan
The 10th annual Southwest Michigan Community Harvest Fest will take place this year on Sunday, September 16 (rain or shine) from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Tillers International, 10515 East OP Avenue, Scotts, Michigan.
The Harvest Fest, a program of Fair Food Matters, is an annual, community-wide celebration of local food, local farming and sustainable living. Last year’s Harvest Fest drew an estimated 1,750 people.
This year’s event will focus on food justice and food sovereignty, and will feature keynote speaker Malik Yakini, whose presentation begins at 2 p.m. Yakini is executive director of the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network, whose programs include the D-Town Farm (a seven-acre urban farm), the Food Warriors Youth Development Program, and the Ujamaa Co-op Buying Club, which gives Detroit residents an alternative method of buying high-quality food at below-retail prices. He was recently named one of five recipients of the 2012 James Beard Foundation Leadership Award.
The Music Tent will include entertainment from a number of local musicians, including The Celery City Sodbusters (“a mighty fine old-time band from Kalamazoo”) and Elisabeth Pixley-Fink, who will release her new album “Bloodroot” as part of the festivities, and lead attendees in a community art and gardening project.
In addition, Harvest Fest offers family tent activities throughout the day, local food vendors, food and farming demonstrations, and exhibitor tents featuring everything from information to artwork and artisanal goods.
Admission to Harvest Fest is $10 per carload, or $1 per person for busloads of 10 or more. Admission for bicyclists is free.
Any business, non-profit organization or individual can be a sponsor, exhibitor or program advertiser for Harvest Fest. In addition, event organizers are seeking volunteers to help on the day of the event. Sponsors for this year’s event include the Audubon Society of Kalamazoo, Better World Builders, Four Elements Energy, Michigan Land Trustees, Michigan State University (Center for Regional Food Systems), Michigan Organic Food and Farm Alliance, People’s Food Co-op, Sawall Health Foods, Van Buren Conservation District and Wiltse Kitchens.
Fly Inn
626 10th Street- Plainwell, MI 49080
- (269) 685-1554
- No Known Website
- Menu
My day was whacked. I got home from work Sunday morning at about 12:30. I fell asleep around 2:00 then was woken up to come back to work around 4:00.
When I got back home around 8:00, J and L were just starting to stir. I crawled in bed with them and we played with L who seems to be super happy when she wakes up in the morning.
We had talked about just going back to sleep, but then, almost in unison, our tummies growled. Breakfast sounded better than sleep at that point.
A few months ago, we tried to go to the Fly Inn in Plainwell on a Sunday for breakfast. What we didn’t know is that they close at noon on Sunday. We pulled in at about 11:55, so we ended up at Player’s Grill for lunch instead.
We decided to try again since it was 8:30 meaning we would get there in plenty of time.
The Fly Inn sits right next to the Plainwell Municipal Airport near the corner of 10th and 106th Avenue to the north of the city limits. The restaurant sits north of the corner and is sort of surrounded by the airport. You can arrive either by car or airplane. Read more…
Press Release – Grass Fed Beef Sale at Whole Foods
Worth a trip to Ann Arbor? From a Whole Foods press release…
Whole Foods Market® Ground Grass-Fed Beef One-Day SaleFeaturing $4.99 per pound beefAUSTIN, Texas (August 27, 2012)–At Whole Foods Market stores nationwide, ground grass-fed beef will be on sale for just $4.99/lb Friday, September 7 (10 lb limit per person). Grass-fed cattle graze on the feed that best suits their digestive systems—grass. As for all Whole Foods Market beef, the animals are raised without antibiotics or added hormones, on ranches that have been certified to Global Animal Partnership’s 5-Step™ Animal Welfare Rating program.
Grass-fed beef is a leaner choice than grain-fed, and it has a more favorable ratio of omega fatty acids. Since it’s lower in fat, grass-fed beef runs the risk of drying out or becoming overcooked more quickly than grain-finished beef. Here are some recommended cooking tips from our butchers:· Don’t cook grass-fed beef cold; it is best when removed from the refrigerator about 15 minutes prior to cooking.
· When cooking on the grill, let the flames burn down more than is recommended for other meat. Also, it doesn’t need as much cooking time.
· When cooking in the oven, lower the oven’s cooking temperature by 25°F, and the cooking time will stay about the same.
· Always use tongs, never a fork, to turn your beef; don’t press or flatten during cooking in order to retain precious juices.
These are a couple of Whole Foods Market favorite grass-fed beef recipes:
· Apple and Cheddar Grass-fed Beef Burgers
· Lebanese-Style Grass-Fed Beef Kabobs
· Or use grass-fed in any of these 25 ground beef recipes
Black Owl Cafe
414 Walbridge StreetThis past weekend, I saw a lot of Twitter posts about a new coffee shop that opened downtown. I lamented on Twitter that I really wish I was a coffee drinker because there have been a couple of shops open recently that look really interesting. One of those shops saw my Tweet and told me I should come in anyway as they have a lot more to offer.
So, J and I talked about it, but we were still a little hesitant because they don’t have a huge sandwich menu, but this afternoon, J saw on Twitter that they were smoking pulled pork today and that convinced her.
Black Owl Cafe is the new venture by the people that used to operate The Strutt. This new coffee shop is in downtown Kalamazoo on Walbridge Street right off of Kalamazoo Avenue. I’m not really certain what this building used to be, but it’s a perfect setting for a little coffee shop.
I say little because that’s exactly what it is. There are only three tables plus a stand up bar along the wall for seating. There is a nice patio and a couple more tables under a big tree outside, but it’s not exactly the huge venue The Strutt used to be.
The place was actually pretty crowded when we stopped in for lunch at 2:00 on a Monday afternoon. All of the tables were full and there were a couple people in line in front of us when we walked through the open door into the shop. Read more…
SW Michigan Dining 