Press Release – 6th Annual Millennium Showcase
From a Millennium Restaurant Group press release….
Millennium Restaurant Group to Feature DuckHorn Vineyards Wines for Millennium Showcase
KALAMAZOO, Mich.—For the sixth year in a row Millennium Restaurant Group is excited to host the Millennium Showcase on Wednesday, March 21; an annual food and wine event where all of the Millennium Chefs will share a kitchen for one night as they each prepare a dish for this five-course dinner. The Chefs’ dishes will be inspired from the portfolio of wines by DuckHorn Vineyards as each dish will be paired with a specially selected wine.
With the addition of The Wine Loft to Millennium Restaurant Group’s family of restaurants, there will be a special strolling amuse reception before the plated portion of the evening begins. This reception will feature Chef James Allen of The Wine Loft and his culinary talents.
DuckHorn Vineyards, established in 1972 in Napa, California, offers a full and rich portfolio of wines. They have been praised for their commitment to quality, earning high accolades throughout their various vineyards and brands. According to their website, they strive “to understand the needs and opportunities presented by each specific terroir and microclimate.”
In addition to the five wines served, there will be additional offerings from DuckHorn Vineyards available for retail purchase. Those in attendance who are Millennium Rewards members will receive 25% off any retail wine purchased that evening, which will be available for pick up at Martell’s the following week.
This year’s lineup is as follows:
Course Chef Wine Amuse Chef James Allen The Wine Loft
Decoy, Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley, `10 89 Points – Wine & Spirits
Appetizer Chef Kirk McKinney Epic Bistro & Central City Tap House
Migration, Chardonnay, Russian River, `09 5 Stars – Exceptional – Restaurant Wine
Salad Chef Jason McClellen Martell’s
Migration, Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley, `08 90 Points-Wine Enthusiast
Reserve option
Goldeneye, Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley `08
90 Points – Wine & Spirits
Entrée Chef Eric Gillish The Union & Cityscape Events
Duckhorn, Merlot, California, `09 92 Points-Wine Enthusiast
Reserve option
Duckhorn,”Howel Mountain” Red, Napa Valley `05
92 points, two puffs – Connoisseurs’ Guide to California Wines
Dessert Chef Jeff Hanson Paraduxx Red, Zin Blend, California, `08 91 Points – Ken’s Wine Guide
The cost is $69 a person with wine pairing, and $49 a person without wine pairing. For the first time in the event’s six year history a reserve wine pairing option will be available for those who would like to sample a higher tier of wine for $79.
The event is slated to start at 6:30pm with doors opening at 6pm for a strolling amuse reception and meet and greet with The Wine Loft’s Chef James Allen
The sixth annual Millennium Showcase presented by Millennium Restaurant Group will be held at Martell’s—located in Parkview Hills—on Wednesday, March 21, 2012 at 6:30pm. Space is limited so reservations are required. For more information or to make a reservation, please call Martell’s at (269) 375.2105
Press Release – Breakfast with Slappy at Burdick’s For Breakfast
From an Old Burdick’s email
Poor Richards Cafe
1105 E. Crosstown ParkwayI know it’s only been a month, but even with the addition of a newborn, I still hate getting up in the morning. J decided to torture me a little bit and made an 8:15 AM doctor appointment for me.
The plan was for J and L to get up and go with me then we’d just go out to breakfast, but L wasn’t cooperating, so I just went by myself. By the time I got home, L was in a little better mood so we decided to go out to breakfast anyway.
A few weeks ago, I suddenly realized that Crosstown Parkway went all the way to King Highway. Stupid me. I was driving all the way through town when I needed to go out that way. I don’t know my brain was thinking Crosstown stopped at the Public Safety building.
As I was exploring this newly found shortcut, I saw a restaurant I had never heard of before. When I mentioned it to J, she said, “Oh yeah. I drive by there all the time.”
Poor Richards Cafe is on the corner of Crosstown Parkway and Mills Street. It’s a pretty large building with a green awning and entrances on both Crosstown and Mills. There are a couple of parking lots which really surprised both of us. Do they really need that much room? When we got inside, we figured out why there’s so much parking. The dining space is huge. Read more…
Big City Food Diner
2307 E. Main StreetLike I assumed, having a baby would really slow down our eating out. It’s been almost two weeks since J and I actually went out for a meal in Kalamazoo so when we got up this morning, I asked J to get L ready to go out….we needed to find a new place to eat.
A couple weeks ago, @jage9 asked me about a new place he saw pop up on Urbanspoon. I hadn’t heard of the place yet, but they had a website and menu online. Next time we were going to head out to lunch, I wanted to hit it up.
Big City Food is on the corner of Humphries and Main in Kalamazoo Township. Neither J nor I could picture where this actually was in town until we started to get close to the intersection. The corner building used to house a breakfast joint called Our Place. Neither of us realized that establishment went out of business.
We never made it to Our Place for breakfast even though they had some pretty cheap specials, so I can’t comment on whether much has changed since the new ownership took over. My guess is no because there is still a lunch counter in the small dining room that has only four booths and about as many tables.
When we walked in the door, we were greeted by a voice from the kitchen who told us to take a seat anywhere. We had our choice as we were the only ones in restaurant at the time, but as we ate, a few more people trickled in for a late afternoon lunch on a Sunday. Read more…
Press Release – Wine Loft Hosts Welcome Week
From a Millennium Restaurant Group press release….
The Wine Loft to Host Week-Long Celebration for “Welcome Week”
KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Starting Tuesday, February 28, downtown Kalamazoo’s The Wine Loft will be inviting the public for a week-long celebration as they offer daily features from 5pm-8pm each night. The festivities are brought on by the restaurant’s purchase by locally owned and operated Millennium Restaurant Group, welcoming them into their family of restaurants.
The Wine Loft has been under Millennium Restaurant Group management since March 1, 2011. As of late January 2012, the restaurant group has finalized their purchase of the restaurant.
From Tuesday, February 28 until Friday, March 2, The Wine Loft will be offering wines at special retail prices, complimentary bites, and unique wine programs each day which include:
- Tuesday, February 28
- Wine Education “How Bubbly is Made” – learn about how sparkling wines are made
- Wednesday, February 29
- Strolling Reserve Wine Features – Every hour they will be opening a bottle of one of their amazing reserve wines, and offering it at greatly discounted prices by the glass. The wines will also be available for retail.
- Thursday, March 1
- Introduction to Food and Wine pairings – Learn about pairing food and wine, even at a chemical-reaction level.
- Friday, March 2 – ArtHop Party
- Blind Tasting Discount – guests will be blindfolded, and for each aspect of the wine they can detect (varietal, region…etc) they will be given a higher percentage off coupon for a future visit
- Introduction to Food and Wine pairings – Learn about pairing food and wine
- Strolling Reserve Wine Features – Every hour they will be opening a bottle of one of their amazing reserve wines, and offering it at greatly discounted prices by the glass. The wines will also be available for retail.
- Wine Education “How Bubbly is Made” – learn about how sparkling wines are made
- Live Music from DJ Ben Angelo starting at 7pm
The Wine Loft’s regular menu, service, and weekly specials will also be offered throughout the week.
The Wine Loft will be hosting a week-long celebration of daily features for “Welcome Week” from 5pm-8pm starting Tuesday, February 28. For additional questions about the event, please contact The Wine Loft at (269) 343.9227.
Tim Hortons Cafe & Bake Shop – Wyoming
1550 28th Street SEI can’t believe that I would ever get tired of burgers and greasy food, but it seems like I’m eating out a lot more now that we’ve had the baby. Well, maybe not eating out a lot more, but eating a lot more fast food. After a while, even a burger doesn’t sound all that great to me….and that scares me a little.
I decided I wanted to try something new when it came to sandwiches. I always like the local deli option, but the ones that are open at night are few and far between and deli’s can be expensive. As for the national sandwich chains, they all start to taste the same.
As soon as I got to work on Saturday, I got sent on an errand that took me just past the intersection of 28th and Burlingame in Wyoming. I was still a few hours from dinner, but a new restaurant caught my eye and I decided to head back that way when my lunch break rolled around.
Tim Hortons isn’t new to me, but it is fairly new to the area. The Canadian chain has a presence in the Lansing area where J and I ate at a couple different locations. At that time, I called the sandwiches “s0-so.” I don’t really remembering being all that impressed, but that was three years ago and the menu has changed quite a bit in that time. Read more…
Irving’s Market & Deli
125 S. Kalamazoo MallThey ain’t kidding when they say a baby changes everything. Instead of looking for a new pub to eat at, we’re looking more to take out food. With L being only three weeks old, we’re very hesitant to go out for lunch even though both of us are fairly confident we can handle a public meltdown.
We decided today that we really needed to get out of the house. Groceries were a top priority, but lunch was a close second. We wanted to drop some of the clothes L grew out of already at the Gospel Mission so my suggestion was Irving’s Market & Deli.
We have been to Irving’s a few times while walking around the Kalamazoo Mall, but have never eaten lunch there together. J ate there one day with a co-worker, but I never had.
The small market and deli is on the ground floor of the Kalamazoo City Centre. There’s a large deli almost as soon as you walk in with hot sandwiches, fresh salads, and even a salad bar. The rest of the space is set up as a market with gourmet items as well as a decent sized craft beer selection. Just past the cash registers, there’s a small dining area with a few tables. Should those tables be full, like during the lunch rush, there are also tables outside of the market in the hallway that are available for use by Irving’s customers. Read more…
The Grove Makes New York Magazine’s List of Top New Desserts
The Grove Restaurant in Grand Rapids East Hills Neighborhood showed up on New York Magazine’s list for 101 of America’s Most Crazy-Awesome New Desserts. The dessert honored is Jennings Brothers’ Red Cornmeal Financier.
http://newyork.grubstreet.com/2012/02/101-best-new-desserts-in-the-country.html#photo=53×00003
Press Release – Get Your Orders in For Fat Tuesday at Sweetwater’s
From a Sweetwater’s Donut Mill email..
Fat Tuesday, the culmination of Mardi Gras, is an annual tradition rich in history and delight. Fat Tuesday, marks the beginning of Lent as the last day to indulge in worldly pleasures for forty days. In some communities, they call it “Paczki Day.” This year, Fat Tuesday falls on Tuesday, February 21st.
One of Fat Tuesday’s iconic “worldly pleasures” is a filled pastry called Paczki (ponch-key). Sweetwater’s Donut Mill created its own special Paczki twenty-five years ago. Since then, Sweetwater’s paczkis have become a popular tradition throughout Southwest Michigan.
One of Sweetwater’s trademarks is making the biggest paczkis around.You not only get a paczki that is bigger, but a paczki with bigger taste and bigger enjoyment! What the heck…that’s what Fat Tuesday is all about!
Sweetwater’s paczkis come in a variety of lusciously-filled flavors including Bavarian crème, cherry, blueberry, lemon, strawberry, apple, raspberry,
chocolate crème and vanilla crème.
Fat Tuesday is, by far, the busiest day of the year for Sweetwater’s. To ensure you don’t miss out and have plenty to share with family, friends and co-workers, this email is to let you know that we are now accepting advanced orders. Just call any of our three locations and let us know how many (one dozen or more) you would like of your favorite kinds and we will have them boxed and ready for you to pick up on Tuesday, February 21st.
Share the fun with family, co-workers and friends! Whether you buy one or twenty-dozen, every order comes with a free string of colorful Mardi Gras beads!
Sweetwater’s…“Donut make you smile!”
Press Release – Grape Expectations February 24
From a Volunteer Kalamazoo press release….
GOOD WINE. GOOD FOOD. GOOD CAUSE. GREAT PARTY
Grape Expectations Supports Volunteer Kalamazoo
KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Join us Friday, February 24, 2012 from 7pm to 10pm at the Radisson for an exciting night benefiting Volunteer Kalamazoo – it’s our 7th Annual Grape Expectations. Tickets are $60. Party goers will enjoy:
- Fantastic international wine selection of over fifty different wines from Tiffany’s Wine and Spirit Shoppe
- Local wine favorites from Tempo Vino Winery of Kalamazoo
- Delicious food from eighteen of our community’s finest restaurants
- Yummy beer samplings provided by Arcadia Ales
- Tasty sips from New Holland Artisan Spirits
- Fun music from Kalamazoo’s own Red Sea Pedestrians
The food is absolutely fabulous as area chefs put out their best in a spirit of fun competition. Restaurants include BOLD, Bravo Restaurant & Café, ChocolaTea, Comensoli’s Italian Bistro & Bar, Cosmos Cucino, Epic Bistro/Central City Tap House, Food Dance, fuel (unpredictably vegetarian), Full City Café, Gordon Water Systems, Rustica, The Cupcake Zoo, The Gatsby, The Wine Loft, Tiffany’s Deli, Webster’s PRIME, Zazio’s and Zeb’s Trading Co.
The music this year is top-notch! The Red Sea Pedestrians are a one-of-a-kind, full-blown, instrument-swapping fusion between tradition and the here-and-now. We’re talkin’ high-energy world-beat grooves, hypnotic laments from the earth, songs of celebration and wonder, all filtered through the band’s original vision. We’re delighted they are bringing their best to our party.
Our raffle is surely one of the best around. Join in on the fun and purchase raffle tickets onsite for a chance to win great prizes. Raffle packages include weekend getaways from the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee, The Hyatt Lodge in Oak Brook, IL and a Staycation from The Radisson Plaza Hotel in Kalamazoo. Or win the “Taste of Kalamazoo” package which includes a number of gift cards to dine at local restaurants. In addition, we have gifts and services provided from The Greenery, Great Lakes Plastic & Hand Surgery, photographer Oliver Howell and many, many more. Tickets are $10 each or three for $25.
But we’re not done yet… if by 10pm you find yourself looking to continue the party – join us at Grape Expectation’s first ever After Party. Dance the night away at Loft310 (located at 310 E. Michigan Avenue, use The Gatsby entrance.) The $15 cover fee includes a hot dance floor, DJ Patrick spinning real vinyl records (funk, disco, deep and classic house), eats provided by Qdoba, give-aways, a cash bar and more. Tickets are available in advance on our website or at the door until midnight. (21+ bring valid ID).
Best of all, this is one fun party that benefits Volunteer Kalamazoo — an important resource that helps make Kalamazoo a great place to live by connecting volunteers to the nonprofit organizations that need their help. This party helps generate the revenue we need to accomplish our great work!
Don’t miss out! Grape Expectations is held on Friday, February 24, 2012 from 7pm to 10pm. The After Party is immediately following Grape Expectations from 10pm to 2am. Visit www.volunteerkalamazoo.org or call 269.382.8350 to purchase tickets.
SW Michigan Dining 