Lenny’s Sub Shop – Kalamazoo
3290 Stadium DriveSo, this is my last full day off before I go back to work full time. It’s been three years since I’ve known I was going to get 40 hours a week and get a paycheck every week. The time off has been nice, but stressing over work hasn’t been all that fun. I’ve done alright picking up freelance and part time work, but that can be really stressful.
I actually start my new job on Thursday but I have one more freelance gig tomorrow so J suggested going out for lunch today. We had to do some grocery shopping anyway, so I figured why not.
I was planning on driving to a bar and doing the pub food thing like we usually do, but J said she wanted something “lighter.” There’s really not much in Kalamazoo that is “lighter.” I really wish there were more deli’s and sandwich shops that aren’t chains so we can have some variety instead of going to the same place whenever we’re in the mood for sandwiches.
While there are chain sub shops on almost every corner in town, there is one chain that we’ve never been to. They actually have two locations in the Kalamazoo Metro. One is on Westnedge and Romence in Portage, but we chose the one on Stadium in Kalamazoo. Read more…
The Birdcage
2702 E. Main Street- Kalamazoo, MI 49048
- (269) 414-6441
- No Known Website
- Menu
It’s a quick bachelor weekend for me. J and her mom took a trip to Michigan City for a little shopping and a spa day at Blue Chip Casino. The unfortunate thing, for me, is that the night they were gone, I was at work, so I didn’t get to take advantage and eat all the crap I don’t like to eat when J is here.
I did get at least one meal by myself and I decided to run across town to pick up some BBQ from a place I just recently learned about after seeing a couple reviews on Urbanspoon.
The Birdcage is a small BBQ joint located inside the Eastwood Market on Main Street in Kalamazoo Township. A few weeks ago when I drove by, the only telltale sign was a neon sign in the window that said BBQ and the smoker out in the parking lot. Today when I pulled in to the parking lot, I noticed a big white van with the company logo on the sign and a large sign hanging above the entrance advertising the restaurant.
When I opened the door to the market, I was immediately hit by the smell of that sweet, sweet smoke. It would be hell if I had to work in the market and smell that all day. No one way I would be able to resist. Read more…
U.P. North Sandwich & Pasty Co.
1256 Lincoln Road- Allegan, MI 49010
- (269) 355-1344
- No Known Website
- Menu
Since moving to Michigan, J and I have wanted to take a trip to the U.P. I was up there once…for about two hours for work and she drove through the U.P. when her family did the circle tour when she was growing up, but neither of us have really spent any time exploring the U.P. and their unique food options.
Luckily for me, I don’t have to go all the way up across the Mackinaw Bridge. I just have to go to Allegan.
I got sent to Allegan for work tonight and as I was leaving the shop, I planned my route so it would take me in to Allegan via M-89 from the east. The U.P. North Sandwich & Pasty Co. is on Lincoln Road (also known as M-89) on the southeast side of town. It’s a small white building with red trim and a yellow sign out front. J and I have driven through Allegan a few times on our way to Fennville…including last night when we went to dinner at Salt of the Earth, but we’ve never really stopped anywhere to eat. I had seen this building before and it did pique my interest. I was just looking for an excuse to go to Allegan to try it out.
I stopped in during dinner time on a Thursday night. There were a few people already in line in front of me looking over the paper menus that are available on the counter. Not sure what this place was before, but it has kind of a 50’s dinner feel. The counter is a mixture of tile and glass block and there’s not a whole lot of space. There are less than a dozen tables in the small area and the order counter and display case take up a good chunk of the room. Read more…
Al’s Beef – Oak Lawn, IL
5128 W. 95th StreetIt’s been way too long since we’ve been to Chicago. Way too long. Not only do I miss seeing our families, but man, do I miss the food.
We really needed to make a trip back to Chicago to pick up a lawmower from J’s parents. On top of that, J’s mom is spending the week with us and her step-dad is planning on coming up for the weekend, so we also picked her up so they wouldn’t have two cars in Kalamazoo. It worked out for everyone.
After getting back to J’s parents house a little after 3:00 Eastern, we loaded up everything that was making the trip back to Kalamazoo then headed to lunch. I really, really wanted to go to our favorite pizza place, but it’s closed on Tuesday’s. Yeah, that’s not odd at all. Closed on Tuesday?
Since pizza was out, I wanted Italian Beef. Most people run to Portillo’s which is a fine option, but it’s nowhere near as good as as Al’s Beef.
Al’s Beef is a Chicago legend. They have multiple stores throughout the region, but the closest to J’s parents is on 95th Street in Oak Lawn. It’s only been open a couple years and it’s in a newer development downtown. They share a building with Nancy’s Pizza which I’ve never had…mostly because if I’m going in the door, I want beef. Read more…
This came from the Millennium Restaurant Group email newsletter….
Millennium Restaurant Group is excited to announce their pending acquisition of The Wine Loft, and is eager to receive them into their family of restaurants. The Wine Loft has serviced the Kalamazoo area for over two years with the same commitment to quality and service as all other Millennium locations. As of March 1, 2011, Millennium Restaurant Group has taken over operation and management of the restaurant, located in the Haymarket building of downtown Kalamazoo, pending final approval of the liquor license transfer by the MLCC.
“We have always admired and enjoyed watching The Wine Loft grow into the Kalamazoo community,” says CFO and Partner of Millennium Restaurant Group Shelly Pastor. “When we were given the opportunity to welcome them into our group of restaurants, we were more than thrilled.”
While Millennium Restaurant Group plans to keep the esthetic and overall feel of The Wine Loft intact, they do have plans for a few small changes in the upcoming months, including expansion of menu and seating options. The current Wine Loft staff will remain intact and will also join the Millennium family.
Venture Foods and West Michigan Wine Loft Inc., the owner of The Wine Loft, have decided to go in a different direction with their business endeavors. Through the years they have brought the Kalamazoo community such restaurants as Qdoba, Big Apple Bagel, and most recently SmashBurger.
For additional questions about the operation change at The Wine Loft, please contact Millennium Restaurant Group at their main corporate office at (269) 375.1193
Press Release – Fieldstone Grill Easter Egg Coloring Event
From a Millennium Restaurant Group press release…..
Fieldstone Grill to Hold Third Annual Easter Egg Coloring Event
PORTAGE, Mich.—For the third year in a row, Fieldstone Grill will be hosting a no stress, no mess Easter egg coloring party on Saturday, April 23, from 11am-3pm, just in time for Easter.
“We always like to celebrate holidays with the whole family here,” says General Manager of Fieldstone Grill Lisa Hojnacki. “We always have such a great time. The staff really looks forward to this event.”
The staff at Fieldstone Grill will be hard at work making Easter egg baskets for each child. Each basket is $7.95 and includes 8 eggs to color, along with decorating supplies various treats and treasures. Basket price does not include lunch.
“It’s the perfect way for the whole family to enjoy the creative side of Easter,” says Hojnacki. “Let us take care of the mess, while you and your family enjoy coloring eggs, the view of natural wetlands, and a delicious meal.”
Easter egg coloring will take place on Saturday, April 23, from 11am-4pm at Fieldstone Grill (3970 W. Centre in Portage). For more information, or for reservations—which are strongly suggested—contact Fieldstone Grill at (269) 321-8480.
Oberon Is Flowing In Kalamazoo…
….yes, I went to Old Burdick’s with a large crowd of kids ten years younger than I am just to get my first glass at 12:41 AM
Brick Road Pizza Co.
1017 Wealthy Street SEIn a little over a week, for the first time since moving to Michigan three years ago, I will have a full time job. It’s still in Grand Rapids, so my commute hasn’t been shortened, but I am leaving the southeast side of the city and moving out to the northwest. Before I move on, there are still a few places in East Hills that I want to eat at, so in my last two weeks, I’m trying to get to every place that’s on my list.
I have no idea why I’ve waited so long because Brick Road Pizza Company has been on our to-do list since before I even started working in Grand Rapids. I keep putting it off because I’m lazy and I prefer to order pizza online. They don’t have online ordering, so I just keep avoiding. No more though, I sucked it up and made the phone call.
The Brick Road Pizza Company is on Wealthy Street SE just to the east of Diamond Avenue. As the name implies, they are on a part of Wealthy Street that still has the old brick pavers on the road. The building is an older building in a really eclectic neighborhood and their style of pizza fits right in. Read more…
Press Release – Fair Food Matters’ Can-Do Kitchen celebrates second incubator graduate
From a Fair Food Matters press release…..
The Fair Food Matters’ Can-Do Kitchen, the region’s only commercial kitchen/business incubator, has graduated its second business in five months: Natalie St. Louis has launched her own retail shop.
The Cheese Lady, an 800-square foot shop located at 7035 West Q Avenue in Kalamazoo’s Texas Corners (near the “Fresh on Q” Farmers’ Market), will be a purveyor of fine cheeses, specialty foods, cheese boards and knives, farmers’ market baskets, and eventually, beer and wine. Combining the feel of an old world European market with a bistro, The Cheese Lady will offer 50 different cheeses, some local – such as Reny Picot from Benton Harbor – as well those from other states, and imports from around the world.
St. Louis originally found inspiration in a Muskegon store of the same name. The owner of that store took St. Louis under her wing, and encouraged her to open her own retail location.
In June 2010, St. Louis got started in the Can-Do Kitchen, repackaging bulk cheeses for retail sale. The Can-Do Kitchen provided her with food safety training, help in obtaining her own food license, and a low-risk environment in which to start small and find her niche. Selling her local, domestic and imported cheeses under the name “Say Cheese!” at local farmers’ markets, St. Louis built a network of loyal customers.
Store hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. The shop is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
The Cheese Lady is the second successful graduate of the Can-Do Kitchen, joining Kurry Guru, maker of ready-to-eat, vegetarian Indian meals.
The Can-Do Kitchen, a program of Fair Food Matters, incubates small food businesses and increases the availability of foods made locally with local ingredients. Later this year, the Can-Do Kitchen will relocate to a brand new facility in the new People’s Food Co-op building (507 Harrison Street).
Zingerman’s Deli
422 Detroit Street“Drive to Ann Arbor for a sandwich? That’s crazy,” you say. “Not at all,” I say. “Not when that sandwich is Zingerman’s.”
Well, yeah. That’s pretty much what J and I did today. Sure, we made up other things to do, but I think we both knew the purpose of the trip was to go to Zingerman’s.
Since I started working part-time last summer, days off together have been very, very rare and they usually involve a trip or a commitment. I don’t think we’ve had a day off where we didn’t leave Michigan. Since we went to the Sugarland concert last night in Grand Rapids, J decided to use a vacation day today so she wouldn’t be exhausted at work. It worked out great because I had the day off too.
Our plan of attack was to revisit some places we used to go often when we lived in Lansing. First up, the Tanger Outlets in Howell. That used to be a bi-monthly trip and where we bought all of our clothes. Moving away has probably helped because neither of us could really remember the last time we went shopping for ourselves since moving to Kalamazoo. Read more…
SW Michigan Dining 
