Kalamazoo Farmer’s Market
1204 Bank Street- Kalamazoo, MI 49001
- (269) 337-8899
- Website
One of the really cool things about living in Michigan is the abundance of fresh produce. Before moving to Lansing two years ago, I had never been to a farmer’s market. They’re not nearly as popular in Central Illinois as they are here. In fact, my mother-in-law, who worked in produce at a supermarket for 30 years went to her FIRST farmer’s market last week. It’s just not something that is promoted or executed as well in Illinois as it is here in Michigan.
J and I decided to get my butt out of bed earlier than I usually do on Saturday’s because my job has me working what is basically a second shift on weekends. If we can’t go out to dinner, we’ll go out to breakfast instead. After breakfast, we’re hoping to make the Kalamazoo Farmer’s Market a weekly trip.
Our first excursion to the market located on Bank Street just west of Portage Street in the Edison neighborhood was this past Saturday and we found a much bigger farmer’s market than we expected.
When we turned on to Bank Street from Stockbridge Avenue, we immediately noticed there were a lot of people. There were cars lining the streets and people walking in the neighborhood with bags full of fresh produce. It was around 11:00 by the time we made it there and our experience at other markets around the state is things start winding down by then. Not at the Kalamazoo market. Read more…
East Egg
6907 Sears DriveSeveral months ago when we ate at the Craftsman Chop Company, there was a new building being constructed in the parking. I noticed a sign inside that the new building was going to be a breakfast joint. Earlier this spring, East Egg opened and we’ve been making plans ever since to stop in for breakfast, but every time we drive by, there’s a line out the door.
J got me out of bed for breakfast on a Saturday morning. We thought maybe Saturday would be better than Sunday. No such luck. We pulled into the parking of the building on Sears Drive between Romence Road and the Crossroads Mall and still found people sitting outside waiting for a table. J didn’t want to give up so easily, so we parked in front of the Chop Company and made our way inside to see how long the wait would be.
There’s a hostess station right inside the door and an L-shaped bench that is not nearly enough room for the crowds we always see there on weekends. J checked in with the hostess who said it would be about twenty minutes. We noticed a lot of tables clearing out as we were standing there, so J put her name in and we stood in a corner to wait for our name to be called. Read more…
Sam’s Joint Restaurant – Plainwell
675 10th StreetMy second week on the job and I’m already picking up extra shifts. I like that. I’m not usually scheduled for Friday nights, but there was a shortage at work, so they asked if I could come in. I rarely turn down extra shifts, but being Friday and our newly crowned date night, J and I still wanted to go out for dinner. Initially, she thought about meeting me in Grand Rapids and finding some place up there, but instead opted for the closest thing for halfway.
I started looking for joints in Plainwell where we could meet. I know have a pretty good list of places we want to check out, but for our first venture into the Island City, I chose Sam’s Joint which is actually north of Plainwell proper.
Sam’s Joint is a little West Michigan chain. There are eight locations with the Caledonia restaurant being the Sam’s that started it all in 1977.
The Plainwell Joint is on 10th Street just north of 106th Avenue. If you’re coming from downtown Plainwell, Main Street becomes 10th Street. If you know the area better than I do, 106th Avenue actually intersects with US 131 so you can avoid the city.
Sam’s is an old red brick building that reminds me of fancy places from the 70’s. Sam’s Joint had a previous life, but the name actually escapes me. It’s still visible under the new sign out near the road. Read more…
Zeeland High School Dance Ensemble Fundraiser
You know the drill…these are becoming popular fundraiser tools. Click on the picture below (or right-click, save as), print it out and bring to the Buffalo Wild Wings in Holland on August 11. 20% of your bill will be donated to the Zeeland High School Dance Ensemble.
Cousin’s Tasty Chicken
1209 Leonard Street NEOh, how I love good fried chicken. Not sure how I found about this place, but when I got off work tonight, I decided to take a little detour before heading back to Kalamazoo. The reviews I found have called it the best chicken in Grand Rapids and I’m always up for the “best of” anything.
Cousin’s Tasty Chicken is in a strip mall on the corner of Leonard Street and Fuller Avenue. While the address of Leonard Street is technically correct, chances are, you’re not going to see the building from that road. I didn’t. I thought my GPS was wrong or that I had the address direction mixed up. When I turned off a Fuller on to Leonard, the GPS said it should be right at the corner. I didn’t see it. I drove up about half a mile then turned around and tried going into the strip mall on the corner. I was just about to give up and go find someplace else when I saw a sign on the corner of the building that looked like it may be my place.
Cousin’s isn’t all that big. There’s a small parking lot out front which is a little weird to get in to. You almost feel like you’re driving out of the shopping center to get into the little corner that holds this magnificent chicken. Read more…
From a Fair Food Matters press release…
Add some culture to your kitchen with “Eat Local, Kalamazoo” cheese making workshop
Find out how easy (and delicious) it can be to make cheese in your own kitchen when “Eat Local, Kalamazoo” presents “Curds and Whey: Making Cheese at Home.” This free event will take place Tuesday, July 13 at 7 p.m. at the Kalamazoo Public Library.
Lansing-based Gary Colles (“The Cheese Guy”) will demonstrate simple recipes to make at home, using nothing more than basic kitchen equipment.
Any cheese can be made safely in one’s home, said Colles, a process that takes no special skills or equipment – a large stainless steel pot, a slotted spoon, a meat thermometer, cheesecloth and a stovetop are the necessities.
Colles said there are around 1,300 different types of cheese in the world, but most stores carry only the 30 most popular varieties. “If you want to experience more than that,” he said, “you need to make them yourself.” The July 13 demonstration will focus on making cheese curds (“squeaky cheese”) from goat’s milk.
Colles fell in love with hand-crafted cheese after a trip to England introduced him to the world-famous Stilton Cheese. British laws require that Stilton must be made from locally produced milk. After that, he said, “I had to find out more about cheese,” and as he did, “I had to start to make the different cheeses.”
Cheese making is fun, said Colles, who has been doing it for 11 years, “and you can make it taste just the way you want.”
“Eat Local, Kalamazoo,” a program of Fair Food Matters, is a season-long series of events designed to increase the community’s awareness of and appreciation for local food. It is led by a coalition of area businesses and non-profit organizations, and is sponsored by Bravo Restaurant & Café and the People’s Food Co-op.
For the latest information on upcoming events, please visit www.eatlocalkalamazoo.org.
Schlotzsky’s – Portage
6005 S. Westnedge AvenueWasn’t planning on eating out today, but we had to run an errand when J got home from work, so it was just easier to do so. Neither of us really had a taste for anything and I didn’t want fast food.
I had mentioned it several times in the past, but I finally decided just to stop at Schlotzsky’s on Westnedge and Milham in Portage. I only had one other experience at the chain deli. It was December 2, 2002. Now, most people would think that because I remember the exact date that something horrible happened with that experience. Not so. It was my first day of work in Peoria.
I don’t really remember that trip. I was so nervous that I was starting a new career in a new city that lunch was the last thing on my mind.
What I do remember about that trip was that I didn’t hate it. I have a feeling I would remember something like that no matter what the circumstances, so I’ve been wanting to try it since we first passed it shortly after moving to Kalamazoo.
Schlotzsky’s shares a building and a parking lot with Little Caesars. The lot is an L-Shape with entrances off both Westnedge and Milham. There are also entrances to the building from either side. Read more…
Sandmann’s
1200 Wealthy Street SEStill working on getting to know Grand Rapids. I haven’t ventured too far from my place of employment because I really don’t know where to go. When dinner rolled around tonight, I remembered a place I drove by on Thursday. I wasn’t in the mood for BBQ then (I know…that’s shocking), but I was tonight, so when dinner rolled around, I headed down Wealthy Street again.
Sandmann’s is on the corner of Wealthy Street and Fuller Avenue. It looks to be an old garage or gas station. The building is really a throwback with the rounded exterior, the garage doors on one side and the clock above the sign on the facade.
Parking is minimal on the property. There are only a few spots and they are very tight. You may be better off if you can find street parking in the area or there is a big empty lot across the street. I’m sure that’s probably private property, but at least it would be easy in, easy out if you can find a way in it.
The inside of Sandmann’s is very small. There’s actually only room for two tables and not much out. As far as on site dining options, it’s either one of those tables if it’s not busy or a few picnic tables out front if it’s nice out. There seemed to be half the staff taking a break on those tables when I was there, so that was out of the question too. Read more…
From a press release…..
CALLING ALL ICE CREAM-LOVERS:
Eat FREE Ice Cream to Help Generate $10,000 for The Salvation Army
Denali Flavors and Country Fresh Pair to Give Away 10,000 Scoops of Moose Tracks Ice Cream
$1 Donation Will be Made to Kroc Center in Grand Rapids for Each Scoop Eaten
West Michigan-based Denali Flavors, developers of the legendary Moose Tracks flavor of ice cream, has partnered with Country Fresh Dairy to host an ice cream give-a-way on the first day of summer, June 21st.
Ten-thousand scoops of Moose Tracks will be given away at Rosa Parks Circle; for each scoop eaten, Denali Flavors will donate $1 to The Salvation Army’s Kroc Center in Grand Rapids to support programming for underprivileged youth.
The event is free and open to the community, so ice cream-lovers must unite to make new programming at The Salvation Army’s Kroc Center in Grand Rapids a reality this fall.
All media are invited to attend.
WHO:
· Denali Flavors Moose Tracks ice cream
· Country Fresh
· The Salvation Army
· 10,000 ice cream fans interested in supporting local community programming
WHAT:
· 10,000 scoops of FREE Moose Tracks ice cream
· $1 donation for each scoop given-away to support new programming for underprivileged kids at The Salvation Army’s Kroc Center in Grand Rapids
WHERE: Rosa Parks Circle
Downtown Grand Rapids
WHEN: Monday, June 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
The Real Deal: Classic Burgers & Shakes – Kalamazoo
2901 Howard StreetContinuing my bachelor themed weekend, I slept in late, rented a movie and headed out to get burgers for lunch. A few weeks ago, I blogged about a new burger place in Portage. I mentioned then that they really don’t have anything for J since all they do is burgers. Since she’s out of town, I figured this was my chance to check out the second location in Kalamazoo.
The Real Deal: Classic Burgers & Shakes is only a few weeks old. My first visit to the Portage store was back on June 4th just a few days after they opened. I really liked the burger and fries I had that day and have been looking for an opportunity to go back.
The Kalamazoo location of The Real Deal is in the Campus Pointe Mall on the corner of Howard Street and Michigan Avenue near the campus of Western Michigan University. The restaurant takes up a corner location in the same strip that hosts Pop’s Italian Beef and Geno’s Pizza.
One of my only complaints about the Portage location was the way the space was set up. I felt that the order counter infringed too much on the tables near it and it could lead to some uncomfortable situations during peak times. The Kalamazoo store has a much better setup. There are two entrances. One on each side of the building. The entrance that is on the Howard Street leads you in to the dining room. The entrance on the Michigan Avenue side brings you right to the order counter which fronts the open kitchen where you can see your food being prepared. The menu board is actually off to the left and somewhat hidden. They do have paper menus on the counter as well. Read more…
SW Michigan Dining 