BC Cupcake Factory
503 Military AvenueFound them! It took me a couple trips working on the vague recollection of some Grand Rapids co-workers, but I finally found the gourmet cupcakes I was looking for a couple weeks ago.
Turns out, there is no kiosk or shop at the Lakeview Square Mall. Nope. The cupcakes are actually at the Springfield Farmers’ Market.
The BC Cupcake Factory is part of Bill’s Hot Dog Factory. The yummy looking cupcakes sit on the order counter in glass display cases. I ended up getting lunch and four cupcakes on my journey to the Cupcake Factory.
There were only a dozen or so on display, but there were so many that looked good, I didn’t know where to start.
Well, not totally true. There was one that just jumped out of the glass dome at me. It was the Chocolate Dream. This simple cupcake is dark chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream frosting and chocolate chips. I had a really hard time waiting until lunch was over to dive in.
I don’t know if my mouth has stopped working or what, but getting a large cupcake like this in my mouth has become a challenge. Either my mouth is getting smaller or the cupcakes keep getting bigger…I’m leaning towards bigger cupcakes. Read more…
Bill’s Hot Dog Factory
503 Military StreetRemember a week or so ago when I was talking about cupcakes in Battle Creek? Well, I had to go back to Battle Creek to pick up my 4-Month Old Mower that wouldn’t start from Sears. Before another trip to B.C., I asked the two co-workers who told me about these elusive cupcakes exactly where they found them.
They both knew it was a pizza place across from the ANG Base, but didn’t know what the name of the place was. Co-Worker #2 and I got on The Google and figured it out. It was Bill’s Pizza Factory. Before I went, I got on to the Facebook page for Bill’s and found the cupcakes were actually at Bill’s Hot Dog Factory.
The hot dog restaurant used to be out on B Avenue North in a Shell Station next to Harper Creek High School. That closed back in January and they’ve been selling the dogs out of the pizza place on Helmer Road. A couple months ago, the hot dog place got a new place.
Bill’s Hot Dog Factory recently opened a new shop inside the Springfield Farmer’s Market which is in Begg Park off of Military Street just west of Dickman Road in Springfield.
The Hot Dog stand is open 6 days a week even if nothing else in the building is open along with them. The restaurant isn’t much more than a cutout order window and some tables set up in the common space of the Farmers’ Market. Read more…
Press Release – Julia Child 100 Year Birthday Dinner at Bravo!
From a Bravo! Restaurant & Cafe email….
Happy Birthday
In honor of what would have been Julia Child’s 100th birthday,
Bravo! will be serving recipes by the famous
cookbook author and television personality.
The Julia Child 100 Year Birthday Dinner Menu
*****
Vichyssoise
Chilled Potato and Leek Soup with Cream
$5.00
*****
Filet Of Sole Bonne Femme
Fresh Filets of Lemon Sole Simmered with Mushrooms,
White Wine and Cream and Served with French Green Beans
$24.00
*****
Chicken Coq au Vin
Chicken Simmered in Red Wine with Mushrooms, Pearl Onions,
and Bacon and Served with Fresh Vegetables
$22.00
*****
Dark Chocolate Mousse with Grand Marnier
Dark Chocolate folded with Meringue, Whipped Cream and Grand Mariner
$7.00The birthday celebration will be available
Weds. August 15 through Sunday August 19, 2012.
Paw Paw Brewing Company
929 E. Michigan AvenueWhen J’s told me her mom was coming this week, I was told we had to hit up a brewery one night. Like me, J’s mom has gotten in to craft brews pretty recently and loves coming to Michigan to not only see her grand child, but it seems like no matter where we go to eat, we can always find great craft beers on tap.
After J and L went to bed, J’s Mother-In-Law and I decided to head to Paw Paw. I was under the impression Paw Paw Brewing Company didn’t serve food so J and I never made the stop. The place opened right around the time J got pregnant, so she couldn’t drink and now that we have a little one, we don’t really go to breweries where we can’t eat.
The Paw Paw Brewing Company is on the east side of town on Michigan Avenue. We just take Red Arrow Highway from Oshtemo and not long after entering the Paw Paw city limits, the white building with the word “Brewery” on top sits on the north side of the road.
The parking lot is pretty small and I wasn’t sure if I should use the lot for the neighboring business that I initially turned in to. I sort of went around the block and found a spot on the east side of the building near the beer garden. Read more…
Frankie’s
56951 N. Main StreetI used to watch a lot of Food Network. A lot. J and I used to plan trips based around what restaurants were featured on the various shows. Then, I got a full time job and work nights. I don’t watch a whole lot of Food Network anymore. That’s too bad because it seems like there are a lot of Michigan and Chicago restaurants being featured recently…the two places I eat the most.
While I don’t watch a whole anymore, I did see in the local media that Robert Irvine’s show Restaurant: Impossible taped a show in Three Rivers. It hasn’t aired yet (airs September 5), but I still would like to check the place out to see what Mr. Irvine came up with….and it’s kind of a better idea to do it before the show actually airs.
I had never been to Frankie’s before today so I have no idea what it looked like before. The restaurant is on Business 131 or North Main Main Street to the south of US-131 on the north side of Three Rivers. There is somewhat of a train theme to the place as it sits right next to the railroad tracks.
When you walk in the door, there’s actually a choice of two doors from there. One leads in to the bar area while the other leads in to the dining room. It doesn’t really matter because once inside it’s actually one big space, but we chose the dining room door anyway.
The dining room and bar area have somewhat of a modern barn feel to it. Again, no idea what the restaurant used to look like so I can’t compare. I’ll have to watch the show to determine how much actually changed. Read more…
Angelo’s Italian Eatery – Portage
5401 Portage Road #4The last several months, I have blogged a lot about a co-workers new found love of Mancino’s grinders. After reading these posts, my mother-in-law got curious. She had never had a grinder.
Said Mother-In-Law came to town this week to bring us some new car seats that she got a good deal on. After she got to town, J said we should go find grinders for lunch. How could I argue with that.
I found out a few months ago that Angelo’s Italian Eatery does a pretty good grinder. Usually, I go to the Ravine Road location, but there really isn’t a dining room there. There’s another location by the airport so that’s where we went.
Angelo’s Italian Eatery is on Portage Road. It’s just to the north of the main entrance to the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport. The restaurant is in a strip mall, but the space is actually quite large. The order counter is in the back near the kitchen and the rest of the space is filled with tables.
I didn’t have much to think about as we looked at the large menu hanging on the wall. As I usually do, I ordered the 16″ Pizza grinder and a large Pepsi. My Mother-In-Law followed my lead with an 8″ Pizza Grinder while J ordered an 8″ Turkey Club. Both of the ladies got a regular drink which brought the total to just over $31. Read more…
Big Bob’s Pizza
661 Croswell Avenue SEAnother long day at the office on Saturday. When my dinner break finally popped up, I was hungry. Sure, I had eaten at Five Guys earlier in the day, but one meal, even a big one, is nowhere near enough for this growing boy.
It just seemed like a pizza night, so I pulled up a menu for Big Bob’s Pizza in East Grand Rapids. I had heard really good things about the place.
Right away, the BBQ Chicken pizza jumped out at me as something I had to have. I put in an order for a 14″ thin crust. The guy on the other end of the phone told me it’d be about 20 minutes.
Big Bob’s Pizza is in Gaslight Village near the intersection of Croswell and Wealthy in East Grand Rapids. The building looks more like a house than a business. A large parking lot out front eliminates any doubt that this is a pizza joint. Read more…
Press Release – Farm To Fork Veggie Dinner at Food Dance
From a Food Dance email
VEGETABLE SEASON, IN ALL ITS GLORY
Prime veggies of the season from our various local farmers will fulfill your every veggie whim. We have vegetables from these farmers every day, but this is a chance to
really let them shine. Only vegetables will be used in each of the four courses. Vegetarians, don’t miss this one. Omnivores, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. You
can also visit the farmers at the Kalamazoo Farmer’s Market. $50 per personJust click to make event reservations.
Press Release – Garden Hop
From a Fair Food Matters press release…
Hop through community gardens in August
At least two dozen area community gardens will take part in the “Garden Hop,” a community-wide garden tour and scavenger hunt, taking place throughout town from August 10-20.
The event is coordinated by Common Ground, a collaborative effort whose goal is to support community garden projects throughout Kalamazoo County, with a special emphasis on those serving low-income residents.
In addition to learning more about the great variety of garden projects in our community, participants can take part in a scavenger hunt. Anyone who correctly answers 12 questions about local gardens will be entered into a prize drawing.
Gardens scheduled to take part in the 2012 Garden Hop include (all located in Kalamazoo, except where noted):
- Beauty From Ashes Garden, 4225 Waldorf Street
- Bloom Room at Parkwood-Upjohn Elementary, 2321 South Park Street
- Cameron Street Garden, 1812 Cameron Street
- Campus Beet Garden, 1205 Summit Avenue
- Common Ground Garden Resource Shed, 1519 E. Michigan Avenue
- DeLano Farm at Kalamazoo Nature Center, 357 W. E Avenue
- Douglass Community Association Garden, 1000 W. Paterson Street
- Growing Community Garden, 2800 Gull Road
- Growing Matters Garden, 2119 N. Westnedge Avenue
- Historic Stuart Neighborhood Garden, 703 West Willard Street
- Hummingbird Butterfly Garden at Kalamazoo Nature Center, 7000 N. Westnedge Avenue
- Jolly Garden (Kalamazoo College Garden), 1324 Academy Street
- Kalamazoo Central High School/FCCLA Community Garden, 2432 North Drake Road
- Oakwood Community Garden, 2529 Springmont Avenue
- Recovery Garden, 118 E. Paterson Street
- Roots of Knowledge Garden at Woodward Elementary School, 606 Stuart Avenue
- Schoolcraft UMC Community Garden, 342 N. Grand Street (Schoolcraft)
- Tabitha Farm Urban Homestead & Community Garden, 111 Dixie Avenue
- Trybal Revival Community Garden, 1429 E. Michigan Avenue
- Trybal Revival Eastside Ecogarden, 1517 E Michigan Avenue
- Vine Neighborhood Community Garden, 615 S. Westnedge Avenue
- Wall Street Community Garden, 311-316 Wall Street
- Wellspring Community Garden, 120 Roberson Street (garden on 100 block of Bush St.)
- YMCA Community Garden, 1001 W. Maple Street
Garden Hop tour guides, with a final list of participating gardens, and scavenger hunt entry forms will be available on August 10 at the Common Ground website (http://commongroundkalamazoo.com/Events.php), and at the following locations:
- Douglass Community Association, 1000 W. Paterson Street
- Eastside Neighborhood Association, 1301 E. Main Street
- Edison Neighborhood Association, 816 Washington Avenue
- Fair Food Matters, 323 N. Burdick Street
- Kalamazoo Nature Center, 7000 N. Westnedge Avenue
- People’s Food Coop, 507 Harrison Street
- Stuart Neighborhood Association, 530 Douglas Avenue
- Vine Neighborhood Association, 511 W. Vine Street
The Garden Hop is made possible through donations from Old Dog Tavern, People’s Food Co-op and Wenke Greenhouses.
Press Release – The Livery To Celebrate 7th Anniversary
From a Promote Michigan press release…..
The Livery – Benton Harbor Celebrates its 7th Anniversary
Festivities Planned for Friday, August 17 & Saturday, August 18
(BENTON HARBOR, Mich) – The weekend of August 17-18 will prove to be a big one for The Livery microbrewery in downtown Benton Harbor, in celebration of its 7th anniversary.
The weekend kicks off Friday, August 17 with a show by the iconic Americana/alternative country songwriter and performer Robbie Fulks, with guest Robbie Gjersoe. Showtime is 8pm and tickets are $20 in advance ($25 day of the show). On tap Saturday will be a special beer called ERUPTION – a collaboration among the brewers of The Livery, Brewery Vivant in Grand Rapids and Arbor Brewing/Corner Brewery in Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti. This Flanders-style red ale was fermented entirely in sour wood barrels; a raspberry version will be available as well.
On Saturday, August 18, the party moves to The Livery’s newly renovated beer garden, where Chef Wally Rouse will be grilling and local music legend Dave Carlock will be spinning all the smooth grooves from 2-5pm. Brewmaster Steve Berthel and assistant brewer Dave Sawyer will be releasing limited quantities of 10 rare and old barrel aged beers they have bottled. A few of the standouts: UMAE UMAMI – a wheat wine aged for 2 years with stanley plums; CHERRY TAXMAN – a Russian imperial stout aged for over a year in bourbon barrels with tart cherries and cocoa nibs; and UNKNOWN SOLDIER – a Belgian-style amber ale aged for 2-1/2 years with a variety of peaches and nectarines. There will also be a tap release of 5th DIMENSION – a Belgian IPA aged in sour barrels for 1 year; MAILLOT JAUNE – a French farmhouse ale aged in sour barrels for 1 year; and TAXMAN – a Russian imperial stout aged for 1 year in bourbon barrels. ERUPTION, in both forms, will be available on Saturday as well.
For more information on The Livery’s 7th Anniversary Celebration, as well as tickets, visit www.liverybrew.com (or call: 269-925-8760). The Livery, at 190 5th Street in Benton Harbor, Mich, is a proud member of the Michigan Brewers Guild.
SW Michigan Dining 