Celebrity Grill Challenge
From D & W Fresh Market’s website.
Los Amigos – Portage
633 Romence Road- Portage, MI 49024
- (269) 323-2910
- No Known Website
- Menu
A couple days ago, J and I ran to Stein Mart just to do some browsing. We had never been to the Stein Mart in Portage and J was looking for a couple low cost outfits for this weekend. As we were driving through the parking lot at the Shoppes at Romence Village, we drove right by a Mexican place. We’ve both been in that shopping center many times and I’m sure I’ve seen it before, but whenever we get in the mood for Mexican, we never think of it. J said then we should come back later in the week.
When she got home from work today, she asked if I wanted to go for Mexican. I figured why not and again, thought of someplace else first. As we were walking out the door, J said she’d rather go to Los Amigos.
Los Amigos is a pretty common name for Mexican restaurants. We visited a local chain in Lansing that used several variations of the name. The Los Amigos in Portage is in the Shoppes at Romence Village on Romence Road across from the Crossroads Mall. There is no apparent association with the Lansing stores, but they do have another restaurant in Muskegon. Read more…
GRPS Fundraising at Brann’s Steakhouse
From a Grand Rapids Public School e-mail
Do you have lunch plans today? What about dinner? If not, consider visiting one of several Brann’s restaurants because Brann’s will donate 15% of your bill to support GRPS! You must print and present the attached email certificate.
Brann’s is a proud supporter of GRPS and holds monthly “GRPS Fundraising” days just like the one happening today. Included in the attachment are certificates for the remaining monthly fundraising events. Mark your calendar: July 13, August 17, September 14, October 19, November 16, and December 14.
Special thanks to Brann’s for their continued help and support!
CLICK HERE to get the flyer with coupons. Only good at Grand Rapids locations.
Press Release – Corks for Conservation
From a Binder Park Zoo press release…
Corks for Conservation
Wine Tasting Event at Binder Park Zoo!
BATTLE CREEK MI, June 10, 2010— Did you know that there are more than 10 wineries located in southwest Michigan? Come to Binder Park Zoo’s second annual Corks for Conservation wine tasting event on Friday, July 16th from 6:00pm to 10:00pm and sample some of the best wine Michigan has to offer! Enjoy the Zoo after-hours with live music, delicious hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction, live animal presentations, and of course wine from several Michigan based wineries, all while helping conserve endangered wildlife!
The cost of attending this special event is $40 for individuals and $75 for couples. Special VIP tickets are available for a wine tasting class hosted by Mark Reincke of Mega-Bev to be held just prior to the event at 5:30 for an additional $15 per person.
“Although hampered a bit by the weather, last year’s inaugural event was very well-received,” stated Andi Kornak, the Zoo’s Curator of Collection and event chair. “Guests enjoyed an evening stroll through the Zoo while enjoying the atmosphere, entertainment, and of course, fantastic wines from some of Michigan’s best wineries. It really was an elegant evening and everyone had a fantastic time.”
Event guests will receive a commemorative wine glass and be able to sample wine at several different locations throughout the Zoo. Each station will feature a different winery and a delicious hors d’oeuvre provided by participating sponsor, Panera Bread. The participating wineries are St. Julian Winery, Black Star Farms, Hickory Creek Winery, Warner Winery, Lawton Ridge Winery, Sandhill Crane Vineyards, Sleeping Bear Winery and more. New this year is a beer station featuring Arcadia Brewing Company selections.
Proceeds from this event will go to support the many conservation efforts that the Zoo is involved in including 17 different American Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plans, piping plover conservation, Karner blue butterfly conservation, and partnerships with the International Snow Leopard Trust and the Cheetah Conservation Fund.
Participants must be over the age of 21 and able to present a valid ID upon entry. Tickets are limited and must be purchased in advance. Tickets are available online at www.binderparkzoo.org and at the zoo office. For more information visit the Zoo’s website or call 269-979-1351.
Founder’s Fest This Weekend
From Founder’s Brewing Company….
Founders Fest is an annual party that takes place directly in front of our Brewery in downtown Grand Rapids. It is our celebration with our community, friends, and fans and features live music, local food vendors, a local artist’s market, and of course plenty of Founders beer!
2010 features music from:
LOTUS (Philly)
GREENSKY BLUEGRASS (Kalamazoo)
FRONTIER RUCKUS (Detroit)
THE WILDFIRE (Grand Rapids)
MICHAEL & BENJAMIN RILEY (Grand Rapids)
FBC ALLSTARS (Grand Rapids)
LARRY AND HIS FLASK (Oregon)
DJ SPYDRE MURPHY (Grand Rapids)as well as other various entertainers! NOTE: No one under 21 years old will be admitted.
Date: June 19, 2010 3:00 PM
Location
Founders Brewing Co.
235 Grandville Ave SW
Grand Rapids, MI 49503 [map it!]Price: $12.00
Info Line: 616-776-2182
Website: http://www.foundersbrewing.com
Tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com
Husted’s Farm Market & Cider Mill
9191 W. Main Street- Kalamazoo, MI 49009
- (269) 372-1237
- Website
Before our bad day began last Wednesday, it actually started out with some pretty good news. I got a job. A part-time job, but a job in my field doing what I love doing. Since it’s part time, I will be working weekends and the job is in Grand Rapids, but it’s a job I’m really excited about and hope I can turn into full time. As a policy, I don’t blog about work and I’m not even going to give you hint as far as where it’s at, but expect to see a few more Grand Rapids and West Michigan reviews in the coming months.
I actually start this coming Thursday and because of that, I had to cancel a visit my parents had planned for next weekend. After I called to cancel, my mom figured it could be a while before I have a free weekend either for them to come here or me to come home. She has to work Saturday night’s so she asked if they could just make a day trip on Sunday. J and I were both up for that, so they quickly changed plans to get up early Sunday morning and drive to Kalamazoo for the day.
When they talked about coming next week, we had actually planned a trip to Fennville to pick strawberries and eat pie. Since they were going to be in the car for six hours, I didn’t want to make them drive an extra hour each way to get to Fennville. I couldn’t find a U-Pick strawberry place in Kalamazoo, but I did find a farm market that sells fresh picked ones. Read more…
T.G.I. Friday’s – Kalamazoo
5650 W. Main StreetA couple weeks ago, I happened to check my credit card points and noticed we were really close to hitting a reward. Once we got there, I decided to go with a restaurant gift certificate. It’s always nice every now and then to get a meal and not have to pay for it. Our credit card company had a few popular choices, but I went with my favorite chain.
T.G.I. Friday’s is in Oshtemo Township just off US-131 on Main Street. It’s a real hard entrance to find if you’re not familiar with it. There were a couple cars in front of me that both went too far and had to do a U-Turn at the gas station next door.
The building sits back off the road. You have to hit what looks like an access road to get to the parking lot. Speaking of parking lot, another weird set up. There are a few spaces in front of the store, but the majority of the parking is behind it. For a pretty popular chain, everything about the location seems odd. It’s a place you can see from the highway, but getting there can be a little rough.
We decided to make Friday night date night and we decided to spend that Friday night date night at T.G.I. Friday’s. I had just opened the mail and found the gift certificate and I figured we could get a pretty cheap meal since we don’t normally go over $25 bucks anyway. Read more…
Gallagher’s Eatery & Pub – Kalamazoo
4210 Stadium DriveIf you remember from Wednesday, I mentioned something about J and I having a pretty bad day. It started out innocent enough. We drove to St. Joseph to meet her parents for lunch. When we got there, they were having problems with their Harley, so we had to drive them back to Chicago. We spent about five minutes there and turned around to come back to Kalamazoo. Just as we were passing the Paw Paw exit, I put my foot on the gas pedal and the pedal went to the floor. The accelerator cable snapped. I got off the road safely, but had to call a tow.
We took the car to Seelye Ford where they had never seen that happen. Because of that, they didn’t have the part in stock so it would be an extra day before we could get the car back.
I got a call from the dealership just before noon that everything was fixed and ready to go. It worked out good because J was just getting off work and since she didn’t have a car, I had to go pick her up. We went to get her car then headed out for lunch.
Just down the road from Seelye Ford is Gallagher’s Eatery & Pub. We’re not out in that part of town much, so I thought we should take advantage of being there and check out this Irish pub that boasts a pretty good size beer menu.
There are two entrances to get inside. One goes to the Eatery side. The other to the pub. We went to the Eatery, but once we got in there, we found a sign that said the dining room doesn’t open until 5:00, so we headed to the pub. Read more…
Battle Creek Cereal Fest This Weekend!
From the BC Festivals website. For a full schedule of events, click here
The Battle Creek Cereal Festival is an event that celebrates the City of Battle Creek and features the World’s Longest Breakfast Table, and new events that celebrate a community proud of its rich and varied past. The event will include a parade, concerts, and healthy living activities, events that help provide food for the food banks and information tents that will offer an interesting array of heritage to our visitors. This event will help explore the many faces of Battle Creek’s heritage including the birthplace of the cereal industry, the home of former slave and abolitionist Sojourner Truth, Seventh-day Adventist visionary Ellen White, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg who transformed health care in the nineteenth center and cereal industry magnates C.W. Post and W. K. Kellogg.
Be a part of history and a long tradition in Battle Creek, join the 2010 Cereal Festival Parade. The Parade will take place on Friday, June 11, 2010, kicking off at 6:00 p.m., in downtown Battle Creek. We encourage everyone to pull together groups, businesses, floats, walking units, bikes, strollers, etc., etc., etc., to be a part of this extravaganza as we kick off the 2010 Cereal Festival featuring the World’s Longest Breakfast Table which will be a day-long family event on June 12th. We encourage children to decorate bicycles, parents to decorate strollers and children to dress as their favorite cereal character. To become a part of this exciting event click here: PARADE APPLICATION
The morning begins with the Cereal City Classic. All races (5K, 10K and 5K Fun Walk) begin at 8:15 a.m. All races leave the YMCA from the corner of Clay Street and Penn Street.
The World’s Longest Breakfast Table (free to the public) will be served from 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m., on Saturday, June 12, 2010, in downtown Battle Creek. Activities will continue throughout the day including kayaking, climbing wall, historical displays, physical fitness stations, Vendors, Community Garage Sale, and entertainment, concluding with a children’s movie in the evening in Mill Race Park. The movie will be rated PJ – which means come down in your favorite pair of pajamas, bring your blanket or snug sacks and stretch out on the Park grass great movie viewing.
From a Fair Food Matters press release….
Can the burgeoning urban gardens of Detroit provide a model for Kalamazoo – and other “post-industrial” American cities?
Find out when “Eat Local, Kalamazoo” presents “The Greening of Michigan: A Vision for Post-Industrial America.” The presentation will take place Thursday, July 1 at 7 p.m. at the Douglass Community Center (1000 W. Paterson). It is free of charge and open to the public.
In the late 19th century, Detroit was called the Paris of the West for its architecture and open public spaces. Its industrial muscle soon made it one of the nation’s most populous and affluent cities.
Since 1950, Detroit has lost nearly half its population and more than 15,000 businesses. Some 70,000 vacant lots now cover one third of the city’s 139 square miles, and Detroit is now viewed as an icon of post-industrial America.
However, hope is blooming today in numerous community gardens and urban agriculture projects taking place throughout the city.
The Greening of Detroit, for example, has planted 60,079 trees, cleaned 1,379 vacant lots, and established 800 family, community and school gardens growing more than 130 tons of food since the organization began in 1989. The Detroit Free Press recently named this non-profit organization one of 16 “Michigan Green Leaders.”
For the “Greening of Michigan” event, Greening of Detroit Director of Urban Agriculture Ashley Atkinson will join local activist Olga Bonfiglio and some of Kalamazoo’s urban farmers for a look at how communities can make the transition from manufacturing to agriculture.
Detroit’s gardens produce thousands of pounds of fresh, nutritious (and typically organic) produce for its residents. A recent study from Michigan State University found that Detroit could grow 76 percent of the vegetables and 42 percent of the fruits it needs to feed its entire population. Local food production could also generate $200 million in sales and at least 5,000 jobs.
In addition, urban gardens address larger social issues, such as reducing crime, cleaning up blighted or vacant lots, connecting people to nature, nurturing leadership in citizens young and old and improving property values.
“Detroit is growing food and growing hope,” said Bonfiglio. “I haven’t seen such pride in that city since my younger years in the 1950s and early 1960s.”
“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 committee 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.
SW Michigan Dining 