Binder Park Zoo
7400 Division Drive- Battle Creek, MI 49014
- (269) 979-1351
- Website
I got a pretty abrupt wake up call this morning. My wife jumped back into bed and started pushing me out. It was almost a child-like enthusiasm. “Get up! Get up! Let’s go to the Zoo!” I eventually gave in because it was almost 11:30, but hey, it’s still a Sunday.
We’ve been wanting to check out the Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek since we lived in Lansing. We always talked about it, but never did it. J finally decided we were going to go. The weather looked great, so why not?
After grabbing lunch in town, we headed out to the Zoo which is on Division Drive southeast of town. It’s a pretty short drive from both the Beadle Lake Road exit if you’re coming from the east or the M-66 exit if you’re coming from the west.
Neither of us really knew what to expect. Most places we have lived in the past have had a zoo in the middle of the city. Binder Park is outside of town and they really take advantage of the space they occupy.
The parking lot is down a long, narrow drive way. It was a pretty busy Sunday afternoon, but there was plenty of parking pretty close to the entry. We found a spot then went to get in line for tickets. There are six ticket lines and they all had a pretty long queue when we go there. It took five minutes or so to get through the line, pay the $25 for two adults, and get on our way. Read more…
OT’s Up-N-Smoke B.B.Q. – Capital Avenue
450 NE Capital AvenueThere’s not much you can’t get me to do if you bribe me with BBQ. J knows that. I was awakened bright and early this morning (well, 11:30, but bright and early for me) by a very cheerful J. She wanted to go to the Binder Park Zoo. We’ve been talking about since we lived in Lansing, but never made the time for it. While I was sleeping, she looked up hours for a BBQ place we knew we liked in BC and found they were opening at noon, so she did her best to convince me to get out of bed.
After a little prodding, she finally got me up and we headed to Battle Creek. There are two locations for OT’s Up-N-Smoke BBQ. We stopped at the cart on Beadle Lake Road on our way to Mt. Pleasant a couple months ago. This time, we decided to check out the storefront on the corner of Capital Avenue and Wabash Avenue just Northeast of downtown Battle Creek.
Like the cart, there is no dining room at OT’s. It’s a strictly carry-out business, but they do have a couple old wooden picnic tables in the parking lot.
Inside, there’s a three foot counter that searates the small waiting area from the kitchen. There are trophies and plaques on display from all the BBQ competitions they have been to and placed in. There are also a few chairs if you have to wait for your food.
Most people that were coming in on this Sunday morning seemed to be regulars. They all knew to call ahead and when they walked in, they were greeted by name. We were the odd balls. Read more…
Fandango Tapas Bistro
247 S. Kalamazoo MallLike I mentioned last night in post about Fletcher’s Pub, May 15 is an anniversary for J and I. It marks the one year anniversary of our engagement. I’m not usually one that gets wrapped up in every little anniversary, but I wanted to do something special for J. So much has changed since last May. We’re married. Obviously, but we’ve moved to yet another new city and started another exciting step in our lives.
I had a few ideas for dinner, but the menu at Fandango Tapas Bistro on the Kalamazoo Mall actually jumped out at me. I had never looked at it before because I never thought I liked tapas. That opinion was based on ignorance. I didn’t really know what tapas was. Being a hamburger and pizza guy, tapas bars always sounded scary to me
We made our way downtown and found a parking spot about two blocks from the corner of Kalamazoo Mall and South Street where Fandango takes up the bottom floor of a corner building. The Mall was hopping. I was really excited to see so many people walking around. There was a show at the State Theater, but every restaurant we walked by had a waiting list. Sucks to wait, but it’s nice to see a healthy restaurant scene.
Fandandgo was no different than any other place on the Mall. There was a wait. The hostess told us 45 minutes which didn’t seem that bad. I was looking past her at the bar to see if there were any seats while J was putting our name in. There wasn’t, so I assumed we were going to be stuck in the doorway since there’s really no room for any sort of a waiting area. Instead, the hostess asked for a phone number and said she would call when out table was ready. I’ve had to wait at a lot of restaurants and I’ve never had a place offer to call me when a table was ready. I thought that was a nice touch. Read more…
Fletcher’s Pub – Oakland/Winchell
3013 Oakland DriveToday was just a lazy day. We made plans to go out to lunch to kick off a weekend of celebration. May 15, 2009 was the day we got engaged. We don’t really have any concrete plans, but we wanted to do something special.
J’s car was in the shop, so I was waiting for a phone call about that when I got a phone call about some work. It’s for a company I’ve been trying to get in with, but so far hadn’t heard anything. I was surprised and really excited when I answered the phone and it was them asking if I was available tonight.
While really excited about the prospect of getting my foot in the door, my stomach knotted up like it always does when I work for new people. That made me not very hungry. J suggested we go out for lunch since we wouldn’t be able to go out for dinner, but neither of us really had a taste for anything.
Since that was the case, I decided to play it safe and go to a place I knew we’d like. Fletcher’s Pub in the Oakland/Winchell neighborhood is part of the Main Street Pub chain. We’ve had nothing but good experience at Main Street and University Roadhouse, so I had no reason to believe Fletcher’s would be any different. The pub is in Oakwood Plaza that sits on Oakland Avenue at Whites Road. I had never been there before but I knew it was there. Most of the store front sort of run together, so you need to look for the signs to find the right place. Read more…
Biggby Coffee – Westnedge & Old Kilgore, Portage
5132 Westnedge AvenueI’ve never been a coffee drinker. J, on the other hand, enjoys a specialty coffee every now and then. She chooses to go to Biggby most of the time just because of it’s ties to Michigan. We got to Lansing after the whole Beaner’s thing so there’s no residual resentment from us for changing the name. Heck, when we were first told about the change that happened right before we moved to Michigan, J had to explain to me why the name was offensive. I’ve never heard it as a slur before, so I couldn’t figure it out.
We had to run J’s car out to the shop tonight and on the way home, she suggested swinging by Biggby. I was actually on board this time because of the advertisements I’ve been seeing around town for Frozen Hot Chocolate.
The Biggby closest to us is on Westnedge Avenue in Portage in front of the Lowe’s. It’s a strip mall that sits really close to the road. There’s not a whole lot of room for two way traffic in front of the building. Most of the time, we hit the drive thru as Biggby sits on the corner, but since we were both getting drinks, I parked in front and we went in.
The decor is pretty typical of a coffee house. There are tables and chairs for people wanting to take advantage of the WiFi and get work done while they’re downing a coffee. There are also some comfy chairs to sit and socialize. The order counter is tucked into the back corner. The wall behind the counter is the outside wall and there are two holes cut in to the side of the building for the drive thru. Read more…
From the Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan website.
Dates: Thu May 13, 10
Time: 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Type: Kalamazoo Region, Special Event
Location:
The Wine Loft, 161 E. Michigan Ave. Downtown KalamazooTaste four wines paired with complimentary Girl Scout Cookies. Artisan cheese selections also provided.
A portion of the ticket sales will support GSHOM Commu nity Partnership Programs, providing Girl Scout and Leader scholarships to our local Girl Scouts.
Reserve your tickets at (269) 323-1300 ext. 220
Click here for more information.
Kankakee Elks Golf Club & Lodge – St. Anne, IL
2283 Bittersweet DriveMother’s Day brunch. Gotta love it. Last year, J and I met her parents in St. Joseph for brunch at the Pump House Grille. This year, we were going to be in town, so J suggested getting both sets of parents together for brunch. Initially, we planned on some place closer to Chicago, but J’s parents are Harley riders and saw the opportunity for a ride. They asked if there was any place in Kankakee which is close to where my parents live. Only one place I could think of.
The Kankakee Elks Club is on Bittersweet Drive just off Heiland Road not too far from Aroma Park, IL. The address is technically a St. Anne address, but the club is closer to both Aroma Park and Sun River Terrace. It looks like a gated, private club, but it’s actually open to the public.
I have been to the Elks many times in the past but always for weddings. It’s a pretty popular spot to get married in the Kankakee area. To my family, the Elks Club has always been a sign of elegance. It was a place you held your wedding if you have a little extra money. To J and her family, Elks Clubs have always meant something different. When we lived in Peoria, the Elks Lodge was always a place for drug deals and shootings, so when I mentioned the Elks for Mother’s Day brunch, she looked at my kind of skeptically. I assured her, it was not like Elks Clubs where she’s from. Read more…
Wings Around The World – Chicago, IL
510 E. 75th StreetFor as popular as they are, you’d think it wouldn’t be hard to find a great wing carry-out place. Most places that serve wings are bars or restaurants. Finding a great take out place isn’t as easy as I’d expect it to be.
Last September, my brother set up my bachelor party. I didn’t want to do the usual things. I wanted to go to a Sox game and eat. We made plans to go for pizza after the game, but we needed something before the game. I searched for weeks to find something we could pick up and take to the ballpark and do a little tailgating. What I found is the best wings I’ve ever had.
Wings Around the World is on 75th Street a few blocks east of MLK Drive. It’s not one of Chicago’s best neighborhoods, but I had no qualms about going by myself at night to pick up wings. If you’ve ever had them, you would know why.
The building is strictly carry-out. There’s a large public space inside, but there are no tables. There’s a bench to sit on if you have to wait, but that’s it. It’s really just a big open space with a pick up window.
When we ordered in September, we got 100 wings and split them up between five of the thirty possible flavors. The two that stuck with me were the parmesan and the fire jerk. Read more…
Top Notch Beefburgers West – Oak Lawn, IL
4720 W. 95th Street- Oak Lawn, IL 60435
- (708) 422-5544
- No Known Website
- Menu
Let’s talk about burgers again, shall we?
Top Notch Beefburger is one of those places that has been on my list for quite a while now. It’s a place that J grew up going to with her grandma, but we always found some excuse to try some place else.
The Oak Lawn location in a strip mall at the corner of 95th and Hilton Drive near Cicero Avenue is the second of two Chicagoland locations. The other location is a few miles east on 95th Street in Chicago’s Beverly neighborhood.
The Chicago location has been around since 1942 and they’re using the same recipes and techniques that were used in the original shop on W. 79th Street. The burgers are prepared by de-boning and grinding USDA choice butcher rounds and the fries are fresh-cut daily.
The Oak Lawn Top Notch is tucked in to a corner of a strip mall. It doesn’t look like the store is going to be very big, but once you get inside, you realize your eyes are deceiving you. It’s a rather spacious set up with a pink and turquoise color scheme. The space has the feeling of a fifties family diner. On one hand, it’s comforting. On the other, it’s a little dated. Read more…
Palermo’s 95th Pizza & Restaurant- Oak Lawn, IL
4849 W. 95th StreetI feel like I should explain my idea of the perfect pizza. Not that I feel the need to validate my opinions, but at least give you an idea of why I’m so hard on pizza joints.
We all have a pizza joint we love. Mine is in Oak Lawn, IL. A few years ago, I had never heard of the place. In fact, it was a few months after J and I started dating that she even brought me to her family’s favorite place.
I blogged about Palermo’s 95th on Mid-Michigan Dining, but thought I’d bring the issue up again here so the new set of readers can understand why it seems like I don’t like most pizzas. The thing is, it’s not that I don’t like them. It’s just that they just don’t come close to the pizza that I compare everything to.
Palermo’s 95th is near the intersectino of 95th Street and Cicero Avenue in the southside Chicago suburb of Oak Lawn. It’s not just a pizza joint. It’s actually a pretty fancy Italian restaurant that happens to do an incredible pizza. There is a formal dining room with white table cloth service, but there’s also a carry-out window in the back. Read more…
SW Michigan Dining 