Boonzaaijer Bakery
126 E. Cork StreetMy Mother-In-Law is coming to visit for a few days and it happens to coincide with her birthday. J wanted to get cupcakes or something sweet so she’d have a little birthday sweet when we got here.
Our instinct was to head downtown to Confection, but when we got there, we found the Cafe temporarily closed. That was a little bit of a surprise and put a damper on our plans. Confection has such great sweets and we were both looking forward to a chocolate ganache bomb.
As we were walking back to the car, J was kind of at a loss. She still wanted to get something, but didn’t know where to go. Confection was the only place I could think of that would do gourmet cupcakes, but I did bring up a bakery that I knew had pretty good cakes.
Boonzaaijer Bakery is on Cork Street just east of Burdick. When I was looking for a cake for J’s birthday, it’s the place that people kept suggesting to me. Boonzaaijer is owned by a Dutch family who immigrated from the Netherlands in the 1960’s. Read more…
The Electric Cheetah
1015 Wealthy Street SEI needed to get J to Grand Rapids with me one day this week. I had a situation where I had two cars in Grand Rapids and needed to get them both back home. J’s schedule makes it a little tough because when she gets home from work, she’s usually pretty tired and doesn’t want to commit to a two hour trip to GR and back. She was feeling wide awake and hungry when she got home from work today, so I offered to go out to lunch, but only if we could go to lunch in Grand Rapids.
I had been holding a place I knew she would like for the next time we went to Grand Rapids for something. She pretty much only wants to go to San Chez when we go north for shows, so I knew I would have to find a time when we weren’t going downtown for something if I was ever going to get her to try something in Easttown.
The restaurant I took her to was The Electric Cheetah on Wealthy Street just to the east of Diamond Avenue. The structure looks more like an office building than a restaurant with it’s contemporary glass front, but the inside of the restaurant looks more like what you expect on Wealthy Street.
When walking through the door, you come to a hostess station which is right next to a bar overlooking the kitchen. If you’re dining alone or just enjoy a show, this a really cool feature. Read more…
Dean’s Ice Cream
307 N. Sherwood Avenue- Plainwell, MI 49080
- (269) 685-6641
- Website
- No Online Menu
After a fantastic lunch at Walldorf Brew Pub and Bistro in Hastings, J and I decided to do some sightseeing in Barry County. We took the long way back to Kalamazoo which included a stop in Plainwell for some ice cream.
There are a couple options for ice cream in Plainwell and I hope to get to both of them eventually, but on this particular Sunday afternoon, we had to make a choice. I went with Dean’s Ice Cream even though we had to drive right by Plainwell Ice Cream to get there.
Dean’s Ice Cream is on Sherwood Avenue right next to the Riverwalk. What a great way to take a break from the trail. Anyway, the Dean’s building is brand new. The old building was the victim of an arson last September. The owners contemplated not even reopening because they are close to retirement age, but Dean’s is such an institution in Plainwell that they really had no choice.
The design of the new building mimics the old one. The building is about 90% kitchen. The public space is more like a long hallway. There are three windows that open so someone can take your order. The menu is hand written on poster board that is taped to the windows. Read more…
Walldorff Brew Pub & Bistro
105 E. State StreetIt’s been a while since J and I have eaten out at a place that wasn’t fast food or pizza. She hasn’t been feeling good lately and I’ve just been craving a good pub burger. When she woke me up this morning, she said she was feeling good and wanted to go somewhere for lunch.
Since I could pick pretty much anything I wanted, I decided to take advantage of the nice day and go for a drive. The restaurant I picked was the Walldorff Brew Pub & Bistro in Hastings.
The pub sits right on the corner of State and Jefferson in downtown Hastings. Parking is along the street and on a Sunday afternoon, we didn’t have a problem finding a spot close to the building.
When you walk in, the fermentors for beer are immediately to your right. You come to a hostess station that sort of straddles the two distinct dining areas. The right side is the pub which includes a full bar that has not only Walldorff’s own brews, but a some national beers as well. The left side is the bistro which is more of a dining room setting.
There was no one as the host station when we walked in. After waiting a few minutes, a waiter came up and was going to see us, but the host came back and said he’d take care of it. First, he had to tell the waiter that was standing there that one of his tables moved to the bar so he lost a table. He then turned to us and asked if we’d like to sit in the bistro or the bar. It didn’t really matter to us. We just wanted to sit down. He then said he had a booth but it would be just a few minutes to clean. We really didn’t care, but he seemed pretty persistent to sit us in that booth. It was the table the waiter who was just up there lost, so he was trying to replace that right away. I finally just said that was fine. He took an order on the phone then showed us to a table…but he didn’t have any menus. He sat us then didn’t go looking for menus. I had grabbed a paper menu when we walked in, so we could at least look at drinks. When the waiter came over and saw we didn’t have menus, he went looking for a couple so we didn’t have to share a small paper menu to place our order.
While he was getting the menus, he also put in our drink orders. J went with a lemonade. I couldn’t decide between the IPA or the seasonal wheat. I ended up going with the Hopnoxxxious IPA. The beer had a nice bitter flavor with a hint of a citrus. I thought about downing it and going for the Sundancer Summer Wheat, but instead decided to enjoy it and enjoy it I did. Read more…
Dallas Deli
3660 Byron Center Ave SW- Wyoming, MI 49519
- (616) 530-3399
- No Known Website
- Menu
A few weeks ago I was driving down Byron Center Avenue on my way to work and I drove by a little BBQ place just south of 36th Street. I didn’t catch the name or even if it was even open, but I saw a smoker out front with a stack of wood. I didn’t have time to stop, but I knew I had to go back.
When I did finally get a break long enough at work that I could venture back out to Wyoming, I took advantage of it. The problem was, I couldn’t remember if the shop was on Clyde Park or Byron Center, so I first drove down Clyde Park. When I got to 52nd Street, I knew I was on the wrong road, so I headed east to Byron Center and headed back north until I found what I was looking for.
Dallas Deli is a really small BBQ joint just to the south of the intersection of Byron Center Avenue and 36th Street. The building and parking lot is shared with beauty shop. Dallas Deli is primarily a take out restaurant as the public portion of the building is only big enough for four tables and they are crammed in to that little space.
There’s a counter that juts out from the kitchen and there are menus available right next to the cash register. There’s also one on the wall behind the cashier. I spotted that one when I walked in and immediately saw they had a pulled pork sandwich. I knew a sandwich wasn’t going to be enough alone, so I made it a dinner and added a side of macaroni and cheese and corn on the cob. Read more…
Goodrich Kalamazoo 10
820 Maple Hill Drive- Kalamazoo, MI 49009
- (269) 345-7469
- Website
Exciting day for us. We went out to breakfast and, after a nap, went to a movie. There are several out I want to see right now and I’ve tried to get J to go for the last few weekends, but she hasn’t felt up to it. She was feeling pretty good this particular Saturday night so we decided to go out.
The movie she wanted to see was Bridesmaids. We had our choice of theaters because all three are playing it, but the choice was made to just stay close to home.
The Goodrich Kalamazoo Theater is just off Main Street on Maple Hill Drive. I drive that portion of Main Street all the time and never had any clue where the theater actually is. You can’t see it from Main Street even though it’s only a block off. As far as theaters go in Kalamazoo, I like the Rave downtown. J didn’t feel like going downtown and the tickets are a little cheaper at Goodrich.
The Goodrich Kalamazoo 10 isn’t one of the big, new fancy theaters. The outside is a pretty plain design with a small parking lot directly in front and a larger parking lot to the north. Being a Saturday night in June, the theater was pretty full yet we were still able to find a parking spot fairly close main entrance. Read more…
Julianna’s Restaurant
2105 Lake StreetWorking weekend overnights. It’s great because I’m off by 9:00 and I’ve now got the whole weekend to do what I want. It’s bad because I’m exhausted. When I got home this morning, I was a little surprised to find J still in bed. She’s usually up by the time I got home and I had figured we’d go to breakfast. Not wanting to wake her, I crawled in bed, but waking her is exactly what I did. As we laid there talking, she heard my stomach growling and asked if I wanted to go to breakfast. I did, so we got up and went.
Julianna’s Restaurant is a place we’ve known about almost since we moved to Kalamazoo a year and a half ago. We didn’t go right away because it was definitely a “wait until the smoking ban” place.
Ok, so I know the smoking ban has been in place for a while, but Julianna’s isn’t really near anything or even on a road we travel often so I would be reminded about it.
The restaurant is on Lake Street right at the intersection with Business Loop 94. When you pull in to the parking lot, you expect a greasy spoon diner and that’s exactly what you get Julianna’s. Read more…
The Parlor at Cherry Hill Market
721 Cherry Street SE- Grand Rapids, MI 49503
- (616) 776-0266
- No Known Website
- Menu
You would think that I’d stop for ice cream on one of the 95+ degree days and not on the one when it’s pleasantly warm out, but that’s exactly what happened. I was out of the office with a couple co-workers and one of them mentioned she wanted ice cream. I’m not really familiar with Grand Rapids, but she knew a place that another co-worker had recommended. Once she said it, I knew what she was talking about.
The Parlor at Cherry Hill Market is on Cherry Street at Packard Avenue. As the name implies, the ice cream shop is part of a larger market complex. They’re in the same building, but I don’t believe you can move between the two businesses without going outside.
The building is in the historic East Hills neighborhood so as you would expect, the building has gone through many transformations over the years. The distressed hardwood floors and exposed red brick walls compliment the rustic furniture that is placed around the large L-shaped ice cream case.
There was a couple people in front of us when we walked in so we had time to look over the large ice cream menu. My two co-workers were very excited and wanted something fun. Boring ol’ me was planning on going with the Cookies ‘N Cream standby, but something else jumped out at. Read more…
From a Millennium Restaurant press release…..
The Wine Loft to Expand Menu to Include Locally-Made Artisan Desserts
KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Millennium Restaurant Group-owned The Wine Loft is expanding its current menu to include a new artisan dessert line created by Lindsey Pompileo, the owner and founder of The Cupcake Zoo. The Wine Loft has chosen to work with Pompileo to embrace local talent and showcase her expertise in the field which is exemplified through the success and quality of her business.
“I am a self taught baker who has always loved anything in the form of sweets,” says Owner and Founder of The Cupcake Zoo Lindsey Pompileo. The Cupcake Zoo is a local, web-based cupcake bakery that specializes in making a truly unique and gourmet baked good. Additional specialties include vegan, gluten, and dairy free cupcakes which allow everyone to have an opportunity to enjoy this beloved childhood treat. The mission Pompileo has in place for her company is to offer creative options by use of only the best ingredients available, which will transcend to the new dessert options at The Wine Loft.
The Wine Loft has become a staple in the community for their wide selection of wines and its relaxed lounge setting in the heart of downtown Kalamazoo. The new dessert menu comes in a series of changes—including the addition of draft beers to the menu, as well as new tables and chairs—which will allow The Wine Loft to offer a more diversified experience for its patrons.
“We are excited to have Lindsey join our staff at The Wine Loft,” says The Wine Loft General Manager Katie Hallin. “Last weekend, our guests had a sneak peek at the new dessert menu and the response was amazing. The Wine Loft will be the hot spot for that late night dessert paired with a great port.”
The expansion of the current menu will compliment the wide array of wines offered by pairing them with unique dessert options. The Wine Loft will utilize these changes to accommodate more late night patrons for those enjoying all that downtown Kalamazoo has to offer. Desserts to be added include:
- Cake Truffles (flavors changing weekly to accommodate fresh ingredients)
- Strawberry Bread Pudding
- Blackberry Shortcake
- Cupcakes (flavors changing weekly to accommodate fresh ingredients
“I love the charming city of Kalamazoo and the people that reside in it so this has turned into an incredibly rewarding experience,” says Pompileo. “I had the pleasure of working for Millennium Restaurant Group for six years at Epic Bistro before starting my own business. Not only did I gain so much knowledge of how beautiful and fun the art of food can be, I also made lifelong friends. I find it only fitting that my business is moving forward alongside such a great company.”
For additional information regarding the new dessert menu at The Wine Loft, please contact The Wine Loft at (269)343.9227, or visit them online at www.kalamazoowineloft.com. For more information about The Cupcake Zoo, visit them at www.cupcakezoo.com.
Maestro’s Pizza
4824 W. Milham Avenue- Portage, MI 49024
- (269) 372-2222
- No Known Website
- Menu
My last night eating on my own and I was hungry for pizza. There’s a convenience store that I frequent quite often when I do freelance work because it’s on the way my employer’s home. It’s usually a pretty early morning so I really need a Pepsi.
About a month ago, I stopped in and saw some construction starting to happen inside the store. I asked the clerk what was going on and she told me they were building a pizza place. A month later, J and I were driving to the mall and we use that route to avoid Westnedge. I saw a sign that the pizza joint had opened. This morning, I stopped in to get my Pepsi and grabbed a menu so I could call in my order once my workday was over.
Maestro’s Pizza is inside the Sunny Mart on the corner of Milham and 12th Street in Portage. It’s a very small part of the store that is taken up by the pizza joint. In fact, it can’t be much more than a 6′ x 9′ box. I think there may be prison cells larger than the kitchen they are working in. It’s nothing fancy. The walls are plywood that are not finished. There is an opening in the front where there is also a warming oven where they keep pizzas warm for pizza-by-the-slice service during lunch time Monday through Saturday. Read more…
SW Michigan Dining 