Redline BBQ Smokehouse and Catering
5275 Beckley RoadUnless you just started reading this blog yesterday, you know my affinity for BBQ. I love the stuff. Can’t get enough of it.
I’ve been pretty lucky find some good BBQ in the past in Battle Creek. Both J and I have enjoyed OT’s Up in Smoke (both the Beadle Lake Road cart and the Capital Avenue store) and I really like what is now Hogzilla (it was Sonny’s BBQ Pit when I ate there).
Earlier this year, another BBQ joint opened up on Beckley Road just off I-94 on Battle Creek’s south side. Redline BBQ Smokehouse and Catering takes up space in a small strip mall just off the Interstate 94 near the Lakeview Square Mall.
I made a special point to set my alarm so I would get up early enough for J, L, and I to make a trip to Battle Creek before I had to go to work. The restaurant isn’t open on Sunday (my weekend day off) and I’ve been wanting to check this place out since it opened….and for whatever reason, I had a hankering for some BBQ when I went to bed Friday night. Read more…
Dunkin’ Donuts – Kalamazoo
3102 S. Westnedge AvenueNow that I’m getting up early with a baby every morning, I’ve been looking for places with quick breakfast options. Most of the time, I just go to McDonalds because I’m a really big fan of the Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit. Most people are addicted to McDonalds fries. Not me. I love the breakfast sandwich.
A couple months ago, J found out that Dunkin’ Donuts was opening a new store on South Westnedge at the corner with Whites Road behind Jimmy Johns. I grew up with Dunkin’ Donuts. It used to be a real treat to get Dunkin’ Donuts instead of the typical gas station long johns.
Things have changed quite a bit since my childhood. Dunkin’ Donuts is so much more than just doughnuts. Today, it’s more like a coffee shop that happens to have donuts. Almost half their sales is coffee. I’ve never been a coffee drinker, but most of my friends would rave about Dunkin’s coffee. When I lived in Peoria, one friend would make me take him there after a night of drinking. He would get coffee. I would get a long john.
The first of what could be three Kalamazoo locations opened on July 2. It took me four whole days to actually work up the energy to get going in the morning and make it over there. Read more…
From a Fair Food Matters press release….
Fair Food Matters’ canning classes begin July 14Whether people have some experience with canning or none at all, Fair Food Matters will once again offer community canning classes, so everyone can proudly proclaim, “I celebrate summer because I can!”
Homesteader, aquafarmer and master canner Lori Evesque will lead students step-by-step through both water bath and pressure canning, providing the skills to safely preserve Southwest Michigan’s bounty to enjoy all winter long.
Classes will take place in the Fair Food Matters’ Can-Do Kitchen (511 Harrison Street, Kalamazoo). Each class is $35 per person, or $40 for those wishing to contribute to a scholarship fund to help those who can’t afford the regular class fee.
Two products will be canned per class, varying in complexity and depending on seasonal availability of produce, and all participants will take home two cans per class. People are invited to register for one or all four classes.
Beginner classes will cover the basics, from equipment and safety to techniques and recipes, with a focus on vegetable and fruit products. Each student will take home a copy of the Ball Blue Book of Home Canning. Beginners’ classes take place on:
- Saturday, July 14 (2-5 p.m.)
- Thursday, August 23 (6-9 p.m.)
Advanced classes, designed for those who have some canning experience, will offer a refresher of the basics, along with more advanced recipes and techniques. Advanced classes take place on:
- Wednesday, July 18 (6-9 p.m.)
- Saturday, August 25 (2-5 p.m.)
To register, please visit www.fairfoodmatters.org, or call (269) 492-0261. For general information on canning, or to find out about scholarships, please email canning@fairfoodmatters.org.
These classes are made possible thanks to donations from the People’s Food Co-op and Centre Street Market.
Press Release – Farm to Fork Dinner at Food Dance
From a Food Dance press release…..
CLOSER. FRESHER. BETTER. AND EXTRA SPECIAL.
Every week we get deliveries from Norm and Karen of Carlson Farms. From pastured chickens to farm-fresh eggs we know we’re getting the best the rolling hills of Decatur, MI has to offer. You’ll taste the love in each of the four courses — and know that it came from local people who care about their food and those who eat it. We’re proud to partner with local farms to bring you the freshest ingredients possible. $50 per personJust click to make event reservations.
From a Promote Michigan press release…
Five Guys Burgers and Fries – Portage
6286 S. Westnedge AvenueI have never been so excited for a chain restaurant to open. I think I’ve been pretty clear about my love of Five Guys Burgers and Fries over the past couple years. Every time I’ve been close to one, I’ve stopped and told you just how much I love the East Coast burger chain. You’ve been forced to read my blubbering comments and look at my delicious pictures from Orland Park (IL), East Lansing, Detroit, Gurnee (IL). I spared you a post from Chicago Ridge because I thought you had seen enough.
A week ago, my cholesterol got really scared when we finally got a Five Guys of our own right here in the Kalamazoo Metro.
Five Guys Burgers and Fries opened their doors last Monday on South Westnedge in the Southland Mall right next to Weight Watchers. I, unfortunately, was out of town on Monday so I couldn’t wait in line for the doors to swing open. In fact, it wasn’t until Wednesday that I loaded L up in to her car seat to get me some delicious burgers.
I wasn’t really expecting a line out the door on Day #3, but I was expecting it to be a little busy. The parking area in front of the store was pretty full and there was a steady stream of people going in, but there was also a steady stream coming out. Read more…
Brookfield Zoo
3300 Golf Road- Brookfield, IL 60513
- (708) 485-0263
- Website
Our last day in Chicago was probably the one we had been looking forward to the most. We had planned a trip to Brookfield Zoo with J’s mom and my parents.
Growing up less than 40 minutes from the zoo, J has spent quite a bit of time there. I can vaguely remember a few trips when my brother and I were pretty little, but my family grew about 70 miles from the suburban Brookfield Zoo.
The plan was to get there as the zoo was opening at 9:30. Since we would take surface streets from J’s parents, my parents, who would take Interstates most of the way, decided they would just meet us there.
Our plan worked pretty well as we pulled in to the south gate of zoo just after 9:30. I don’t know why, but it was kind of surprising to me just how “urban” the zoo was. It’s a 216 acre zoo in the middle of suburban Chicago. In fact, just to get to the south gate, you drive right through the Riverside Brookfield High School campus.
The first gate you come to is for the parking lot. Without a zoo membership, parking is $10/car. After parking the car and loading up the stroller, we then headed for the admission gate. Zoo admission is $15 for adults. L is still well under the age that we have to pay so it was just the three adults who had to pay to get in. Read more…
4010 W. 11th StreetThis is one of those times that I didn’t get a say in lunch. I mean, I probably could have, but it was J’s mom’s birthday, so I just kept saying it was up to her.
Her first choice was the Limestone City Grill and Lounge in Palos Heights, but we didn’t check the hours. Once we got there, we found they didn’t open until four and it was just a little before two, so we had to come up with a Plan B.
J’s mom and step-dad came up with a few ideas before her mom remembered a place we saw after breakfast two days earlier.
Quigley’s Southside Irish Pub & Craft Beer Bar is in the same strip mall as Niko’s Breakfast Club on the corner of 111th and Pulaski in Oak Lawn. The big draw for J’s mom and I was the “Craft Beer Bar.” The craft beer industry in Illinois is miniscule compared the Michigan scene. It’s not common to find at least one or two crafts on tap in bars like it is here.
J called ahead to make sure they were open and they were. Quigley’s is a sports bar first and foremost and since both the White Sox and Cubs were playing, it would make sense that the TV’s were on and all the guys who play Sunday Morning “Church League” slow pitch softball were taking advantage of the wing and drink specials. Read more…
From a Millennium Restaurant Group press release……
Shorts Brewing Co. to be Featured at Central City Tap House July 9 Through July 15
KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Shorts Brewing Company—brewing out of Bellaire, MI since 2004—will be taking over downtown Kalamazoo’s Central City Tap House the week of July 9, 2012. Central City Tap House currently has 20 beer taps; 10 of which are import craft beers, while 10 are American craft beers (including a hand-pull cask). During this week nine Shorts beers will be featured on the American side of the taps.
This is second annual tap takeover from Short’s Brewing Co, the first taking place in July 2011.
“Last year’s event was so successful, we decided to do it again” says Central City Tap House General Manager Brandon Banicki. “Plus, it allows us to showcase one of our favorite breweries in the state of Michigan.”
Due to the fact that many of Short’s beers are seasonal and in limited quantity, Central City Tap House does not yet know the full list of beers featured. A representative from Shorts will be in the restaurant on Wednesday, July 11 at 5pm, to answer any and all questions about the beers, as well as to hand out some goodies from the brewery.
Central City Tap House welcomes Shorts Brewing Company July 9 through July 15 as they take over nine taps. For more information call Central City Tap House at (269) 492.0100
Al’s Beef – Taylor Street, Chicago
1079 W. Taylor StreetAfter a couple days at my parents house, J and I headed back to the Chicago suburbs to spend time with her parents. After J and L went to bed, I decided it was time to get the sandwich worth driving to Chicago for.
I wanted, ney, needed an Al’s Italian Beef. There’s all sorts of discussion over who has the best beef, but to me, there’s no comparison. I like Mr. Beef. I like Portillos. I LOVE Al’s.
Now, I could have saved myself some time and money by going to the Al’s just a few blocks from my in-laws, but what’s the fun in that? Instead, I hopped on the Stevenson and headed towards University Village.
This location on Taylor Street between Aberdeen and Carpenter Streets is the original Al’s Beef. The other locations are all franchise locations. They’re all delicious, but there’s just something about the Taylor Street location that you can’t get at the franchise.
It was a busy Saturday night near the UIC campus which made parking a little bit of a struggle. There’s street parking all along Taylor Street, but I wasn’t having any luck as I was approaching the red, lighted awning with white lettering. As I pulled up to the building, I noticed a parking lot. I didn’t see any signage that prohibited parking there, so I pulled in and found an empty spot near the back by the alley. Read more…
SW Michigan Dining 