Jac’s Cekola’s Pizza
7638 S. Westnedge Avenue- Portage, MI 49002
- (269) 321-2121
- Website
- No Online Menu (yet)
Don’t take this as complaining. I love my job, but the one downfall is that I have to take vacation days to do things normal people get to do.
J and I made plans a while ago to see our favorite comedian, Jim Gaffigan, perform at this year’s Laughfest in Grand Rapids. He was performing at the Ford Fieldhouse at 8 PM. A person working a regular job would have no problem working a full day and still have time to go out to dinner before the show. Since I work Friday nights, that’s not possible. So I took a vacation day.
Things have changed a lot since L came along. J and I can’t just go out on a whim like we used to. Before buying tickets to the show, I had J ask her mom if she would come babysit.
Luckily for us, she was excited to do so. She came on Thursday morning and since I didn’t have to work on Friday, we all decided to go out for lunch.
About a week ago, I noticed a post on another blog about a new pizza place in Portage. It was the first I’ve heard of it and whenever I hear about new pizza places, I make it a point to get there as fast as I can. Read more…
Press Release – St. Patrick’s Day at Central City Tap House
From a Millennium Restaurant Group press release…
Press Release – St. Patrick’s Specials at Food Dance
Press Release – Culinary Clash for Boys & Girls Club
From a TaDa Event Coordination Facebook post….
Chefs Set To Do Battle Again For Boys & Girls Clubs
Tuesday
MARCH 20, 2012Radisson Plaza Hotel and Suites
100 West Michigan, Kalamazoo, MI 49007DOORS OPEN
6:00 PMDINNER and SECRET INGREDIENT REVEAL
7:00 PMSemi-Formal Dress Requested
FireKeepers Casino and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kalamazoo cordially invite you to a culinary competition that you won’t soon forget.
The Culinary Clash will showcase some of the greatest culinary talent in West Michigan as head chefs from FireKeepers Casino team up with four other highly experienced chefs from the Greater Kalamazoo area. The result will be an exciting showdown between two teams who will thrill guests with their culinary skill and creativity. A secret ingredient, revealed at 7:00 pm, will be at the heart of each culinary creation. Each dish will be tasted by a panel of judges who will score on Taste, Plating, and Originality.
While witnessing this exciting face-off, guests will enjoy a four-course plated dinner that showcases cuisine from both Greenleaf Hospitality Group and FireKeepers Casino. Tickets are $125 each and can be purchased through the Boys & Girls Club or by clicking here.
All proceeds from this event support the positive programs and activities at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kalamazoo
BE A PART OF THE ACTION!
Want to play an even bigger role in the excitement? The 5th Judge position will be auctioned off starting Friday, February 24th and ending Sunday, March 10th. Bid now! And new this year, guests will have the opportunity to enter a drawing to win a taste of one of the dishes created by the competing teams on the night of the event. Drawing entries can be purchased at the event.
Pizza Hut/Wing Street – Oshtemo Township
6840 W. Main StreetWell, we got sucked in by a commercial again. It’s not entirely a bad thing it’s just that we haven’t had much luck the last few times we’ve been to a Pizza Hut. We had a pretty miserable experience at one in Lansing and and not quite spectacular one at the Westnedge carry-out location. Still, the $10 Dinner Box seemed like too good of a deal to pass.
Even though it was a beautiful day, J and I spent it like we do most Sunday’s. On the couch watching NASCAR. We had already went out for breakfast so we didn’t want to press our luck by going out for two meals with a seven week old baby.
Sometime during the race, we saw a Pizza Hut commercial for the $10 Dinner Box and J said that sounded really good. Around 4:30, I jumped online and placed my order via pizzahut.com. Right on the front page, they had a ad for the meal so I didn’t even have to search the website for it.
The closest Pizza Hut to us now is the one on West Main near the intersection with 9th Street right in front of the Menards. It’s in the same small shopping center as D’Nicio’s Parlour.
My email confirmation said the order would take less than fifteen minutes. I walked in to the store at almost exactly that time my order was supposed to be ready. I didn’t notice it on my drive in, but there’s actually a drive thru pickup window on the east side of the building.
There’s really not a good place for pick up inside. I didn’t realize this location is a full sit down restaurant, but I went to the host station and told the guy I was there to pick up an order. He took me back to the closest computer and looked up my order. I had to pay in store because they wouldn’t take payment online for some reason. Read more…
Press Release – Nothing But Bubbles II
From a Main Street Ventures press release……
Please join us for…
Nothing but Bubbles II
Friday, March 30th
6 p.m.
Enjoy a variety of sparkling wines and a selection of small bites at The Chop House.
The Menu:
A fine selection of gourmet cheeses, fresh tomato bruschetta, smoked salmon with a fresh cucumber mousse, shrimp cocktail, mini lamb chops, and a delectable selection of La Dolce Vita mini-desserts.
The Wines:
NV Tabor Hill, Grand Mark Brut (Michigan)
2006 Olivini, Lugana Brut DOCG (Italy)
2006 Gloria Ferrer, Blanc de Blanc (Sonoma)
NV Segura Viudas, Reserva Heredad Cava (Spain)
NV Langlois-Chateau, Cremant de Loire Rose (France)
2005 Gerard Bertrand, Cremant de Limoux Rose (France)
Reserve your spot today.
Call (888) 456-3463
Reservations are required.
Space is limited.
$39.95 per person
(Tax and gratuity not included.)
Information at: (888) 456-3463
Press Release – New Community Garden in Kalamazoo
From a Fair Food Matters press release….
“Common Ground,” new community garden project, launches in Kalamazoo
Common Ground, a community-wide effort to promote and support gardening in neighborhoods, schools, churches and shared properties throughout Kalamazoo County, was announced today by the project’s sponsoring organizations.
A collaboration of Fair Food Matters, the Kalamazoo County Land Bank, Kalamazoo County MSU Extension/Master Gardeners and the Kalamazoo Nature Center (with funding and support provided by other organizations), Common Ground is designed to support community garden projects throughout Kalamazoo County, with a special emphasis on those that serve low-income residents.
Information and resource-sharing are at the heart of this effort, which will provide free classes and workshops, a free garden tool lending program, grants and even the prospect of land acquisition and improvement, thanks to community funds and support of organizations that recognize the value of gardens in community development.
Common Ground will be based in a new garden shed on Kalamazoo’s East Side built by volunteers and the Kalamazoo County Land Bank.
Resources offered through the project include:
- Garden-starting grants: Grants of between $250 and $1,000 are available to help new gardeners start or improve community garden projects this spring (deadline to apply: March 31).
- Community Garden Resource Shed: This 216-square-foot building houses garden resources (such as shovels, tillers and wheelbarrows) for Kalamazoo County residents involved in the tool-sharing program or beautification projects through the Land Bank. In exchange for volunteer time, area residents can borrow garden resources. Garden plants and seeds will also soon be available at no cost.
- Education: Want to know how to start a community garden? Or maybe how to get rid of critters, save seeds, turn yard waste into rich compost, or water your garden using rain barrels? Common Ground partner organizations will provide classes and workshops, as well as information about other classes throughout the community.
All area community gardeners are invited to find out more about Common Ground on Saturday, April 21, during a “Very Open House” to be held on Kalamazoo’s East Side. Details will be announced soon.
For more information, visit the Common Ground Kalamazoo website at commongroundkalamazoo.com or like us on Facebook.
Burdick’s For Breakfast
100 W. Michigan AvenueI’m still kind of working out this new sleep schedule. I’ve always been someone who likes to sleep pretty late, but with a newborn, that just isn’t possible. J is still on maternity leave, so I’m not having to get up for every feeding/diaper change, but that’s about to come to an end.
This morning, I heard J talking to L as she was changing her diaper and she needed my help getting new clothes and a new diaper cover. It’s right around 10:00, so when I walked in to the nursery to help, I asked J if she just wanted to get L dressed and go to breakfast. I keep forgetting it’s not as simple as just jumping in the car and going like it used to be.
Still, J jumped at the chance to go to breakfast since we haven’t done that since L was born. It just took a little bit longer than it used to for everyone to get ready.
We headed downtown towards The Radisson. I got an email a few weeks ago from Old Burduck’s for a special event with K-Wings mascot Slappy at something called Burdick’s For Breakfast. I had no idea what this was until I found a page on Facebook.
Burdick’s For Breakfast is on the second floor of the Radisson next to Webster’s Prime. When they first opened the space, they called it Burdick’s Breakfast Express but have since changed the name to Burdick’s For Breakfast. It’s in the space that was previously used by Sol World Cafe. Read more…
Old Mill Brewpub & Grill
717 E. Bridge StreetI can’t tell you how many times I’ve driven by the old Eesley Mill in Plainwell and though “That would be an awesome place for a restaurant.” Apparently, I’m not the only one who has thought that as a new brewpub & grill opened up late last week.
Old Mill Brewpub & Grill takes up a space in the front of the old mill on Bridge Street on the east side of Plainwell. The brewpub is one of those ironic things since John Eesley was actually a proponent of prohibition. While it’s called a brew pub, they’re not actually brewing any of their own beer….yet. In the meantime, the only beers on tap are Michigan beers.
We went to a pretty late lunch on a Monday afternoon. There was only one other couple in the restaurant at the time, but the waitresses told us they’re already doing better than expected. The underestimated their business on opening weekend and actually ran out of a few taps.
J and I headed to a table while the owner grabbed us a high chair for L. He picked up a couple menus off the hostess station on his way so we could look them over while our waitress got our drinks. Read more…
A. Papanos Pizza – Kingsley
120 S. Brownson AvenueI’m not even going to try to explain why I was in Kingsley, but the fact it is, I was and I needed something to eat. My co-worker and I sort of drove around town looking for something, but Kingsley isn’t that big of a town. At first, all we could really find was a Subway and a bar and grill. I was leaning towards Subway, but it wasn’t really what I wanted.
Before heading to dinner, we had to meet someone at The Rock Youth Center just off the main drag in downtown Kingsley. As we were leaving, I noticed a pizza joint. My co-worker and I immediately looked at each other and said, “dinner?”
A. Papanos Pizza is a small Northern Michigan chain. They have five locations including the one in Kingsley plus a location in Germany. Yup, this small Michigan chain has gone international.
Since we just happened to notice the store as we were driving, we didn’t call ahead our order. We walked in to the kitchen area where a menu board hangs above the counter. I knew I was just going to get a pizza but they do have a number of toasted sub sandwiches as well as wings. Read more…
SW Michigan Dining 