Big Apple Bagels – South Westnedge
3205 S. Westnedge AvenueSince we rented a movie from a Redbox last night we had to take it back today. We had to pick up something from the Walgreens on Whites and Westnedge anyway so that’s the one we went to.
I wasn’t planning on stopping for lunch while we were out, but as we were pulling in to the parking lot, J brought up Big Apple Bagels. She just got a handful of gift cards and offered to share with me.
There are two Big Apple Bagels locations in Kalamazoo. We were right next to the store on South Westnedge near the Cork Street intersection. The store is pretty close to the road and from Westnedge, there is a little alleyway that you could enter. The parking lot is in the back and accessible from Cork Street.
The entrance most people probably use is in the back of the building. It’s right off the parking lot, but there is an entrance on the Westnedge side of the building. When it’s nice out, there are tables outside so you can enjoy your bagel in the sunshine.
Before J brought it up, I had no idea Big Apple Bagels had a cafe menu. I always assumed it was just coffee and bagels. J stops there quite a bit in the morning to pick up coffee and/or breakfast. I had never been inside a store before. Read more…
Qdoba Mexican Grill – Portage
6800 S. Westnedge AvenueAnother lazy Saturday. The rain just makes it so hard to get off the couch. J had a taste for quacamole, but didn’t want to go to a restaurant. I wanted to pick up a movie. We figured out a way to do both.
We get movies from Redbox. The movie I wanted was available at the Walgreens in Portage near the mall. I made the reservation online then J mentioned there’s a Qdoba not too far from there. She had just eaten there a couple days ago, but likes the place enough that it didn’t bother her to eat there again. I’m pretty indifferent to the place. It doesn’t bother me to eat there, but I don’t crave it either.
The Portage location of the Denver, CO based chain is in a small shopping center just in front of the Crossroads Mall. The parking lot is only accessible from Westnedge. There are no other roads that lead in to and there’s no back exit or anything that will get you in to the mall.
The layout of the place is typical for the Qdoba chain. There’s a dining room as you walk in and a half-wall leads you towards the order area. It’s sort of layed out like a sandwich shop. Your food is made to order in front of you. You put in your order then you’re asked along the way how you want it customized. Read more…
Press Release – Dining Out For Life
I’ve seen this at a couple restaurants in the Kalamazoo area now, so I thought I’d pass it along. There are restaurants in both Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids participating. The following comes from the website Diningoutforlife.com.
Dining Out For Life® Offers Satisfying Ways to Raise Funds for HIV/AIDS
Thursday, April 29th in Over Fifty CitiesOn Thursday, April 29th, 2010, an estimated 250,000 people will dine out to fight AIDS in over fifty cities across the U.S. and Canada. Nearly 3,000 restaurants participate in Dining Out For Life® hosted by Subaru by donating a generous percentage of proceeds from the day’s meals to a local AIDS service organization. Money raised in each city stays in that city.
Actress and advocate Pam Grier joined Dining Out For Life as co-spokesperson (with Food Network host Ted Allen) to help raise support: “There is a resurgence of HIV among youth, gay men, women and ethnic minorities due to lack of education and the misperception that the epidemic is over and curable. Awareness and funds are declining — but you can help. Dine out on Thursday, April 29th for the most satisfying meal you’ll have all year.” Here is how to participate:
- Visit www.diningoutforlife.com and make a reservation at a participating restaurant near you on April 29.
- Contact the Dining Out For Life AIDS service provider in your city to volunteer.
- Follow us on Twitter @DineOut4Life and on FaceBook.com/DineOut4Life and join the world’s largest social dining event…TwEAT Out, Fight AIDS!
For a list of Kalamazoo restaurants, CLICK HERE
For a list of Grand Rapids Restaurants, CLICK HERE
Press Release – Smashburger Coming to Kalamazoo
So, I’m minding my own business and searching the Mlive.com classified ads (because as a Michigander, that’s just what you do) and came across a posting for a manager at a place called Smashburger. I did a Google search and found the following press release. The burger making process sounds a lot like Blimpy Burger to me which is one of my favorite burger joints. Already looking forward to trying one of these….
Smashburger Introduces its “Better Burger” to Southern Michigan
Franchise Agreement Brings Popular Fast-Casual Concept to the Kalamazoo area
KALAMAZOO, Mich. April 22, 2010 – Smashburger, a fast-casual, “better burger” restaurant concept has signed an agreement with Smash Venture, LLC to operate six restaurants in the Kalamazoo, Mich. metro area.
The deal with Smash Venture, LLC brings the number of signed franchise agreements to more than 350 and by year’s end, Smashburger will have approximately 100 stores open in more than 15 states. With a combination of corporate, franchise and joint venture partnerships, Smashburger has created a strategy that allows the Denver-based company to grow quickly and deliver its promise of a “better-burger” that maximizes guests’ time and dining experience.
Named for the cooking method used to create the perfect burger, Smashburgers are a one-third or half-pound ball of 100-percent—fresh, not frozen, Certified Angus Beef smashed on a flat grill to sear in the juicy flavors. To further the “better burger” experience, Smashburgers are served on a toasted artisan bun and topped with a selection of real cheeses, the freshest produce and top-quality condiments.
Smashburger is known for its savory burgers and serves up delicious Smashchicken sandwiches, Smashdogs and Smashsalads, with sides like veggie frites and rosemary and garlic-seasoned Smashfries. Burger lovers can pair their meals with beer, wine, Häagen-Dazs shakes and root beer floats.
“The team at Smash Venture, LLC has vast operational experience and will be a great asset for Smashburger as we enter southern Michigan’s communities,” says Smashburger President Scott Crane. “We are confident that our partnership will make Smashburger every city’s favorite place for burgers.”
“After trying Smashburger, I was very impressed by what I saw and tasted,” says Terry Henderson, SmashVenture, LLC CEO. “The time is right for Smashburger to enter Kalamazoo and its surrounding communities, because residents are looking for somewhere they can go to congregate and enjoy exceptionally tasting ‘better burgers’.”
Old Burdick’s Bar & Grill West
2747 S. 11th StreetFor quite a while now, we’ve been sitting on a Buy One Get One offer from Old Burdick’s. They’re not real hard to get. They seem to be printed on the back of every ticket for sporting events in Kalamazoo. We’ve actually got a handful of them, but the one I put away to use someday was a ticket from a football game at WMU last fall.
We’ve already been to Old Burdick’s downtown, so I wanted to give the west side location a shot. Old Burdick’s West is inside the Holiday Inn on 11th Street in Oshtemo Township. The hotel can be a little hard to find even though it’s clearly visible from US-131. When you turn the corner on to 11th Street from Stadium Drive, there is a sign that tells you turn in 500 ft. If you pay attention, there is another smaller sign and a left turn lane to get onto the access road to the hotel. Luckily, J had stayed at that hotel before we moved to town so she knew it could be easy to drive right by.
The restaurant is just past the registration desk when you enter the main door of the hotel. You walk down a long hallway that separates the bar area from the pool before you come to a hostess station. Past the hostess station is the main dining room where you have a wonderful water view. No, there’s no lake or river running by the property. You’re actually looking at the hotel’s pool. I kid because it’s really not that bad. We just both got a chuckle out of it, but it looks like you can get service out on the patio. I saw a couple servers bringing drinks out there. Man, my parents would have loved that. We always used to stay in Holiday Inn’s and this looks like one of those that was/is a “Holidome.” We loved the Holiday Inn for that reason. Read more…
KFC – Streator, IL
1702 N. Bloomington StreetA fast food review from a town four hours from here. Yeah, you don’t care. I don’t blame you. How about if I tell you I ordered the Double Down? Listening now? OK.
Streator isn’t a very big town, so dining options on the go are somewhat limited. There are a couple of fast food joints including a combo KFC-Long John Silver. The building looks pretty new. I have no idea how long it’s actually been there, but it’s in the new style of KFC. It’s on a pretty narrow piece of land that backs up to a Little League baseball field.
It was after dinner time by the time I got off work and pulled in for something I could eat on the go. I went in to the store because I hate the very idea of drive thrus and if I’m by myself, I go in to the store about 99% of the time.
For a chicken joint, this KFC is pretty nice. Chicken places always seem to collect grease. This one looks like it’s new enough that they’re still keeping up that new car smell if they can help it.
I went to the counter and didn’t even look up at the menu which has both the KFC selections and the LJS selections. I knew what I wanted.
I ordered the Original Recipe Double Down and a Pepsi. The girl working told me it’d be cheaper by about two bucks if I went with the combo meal, so I did and got fries. I don’t ever remember seeing fries at KFC before. I’ve seen potato wedges, but these were actual french fries. The meal cost a little over seven bucks. Read more…
Mr. J’s Hot Dogs & Gyros – Streator, IL
111 E. Bridge StreetOne of the biggest things I can do in my line of work is make friends. When it comes to finding work, it’s usually who you know. Lucky for me, one of my buddies back in Illinois is having a hard time finding guys to work during the week, so when he can’t find anyone else, he calls me.
I headed to Streator, Illinois to shoot a high school baseball game for the local cable company. It’s not a huge paying job, but work is work and it’s with guys that I genuinely like working with. Since it didn’t pay my normal rate, I didn’t want to spend money on a hotel, so I decided to make the four hour trip (one way) shoot the game then drive back to Kalamazoo.
When lunch time rolled around, I was hungry. It had already been a long day for me and the game was still three hours away. I bolted from the school and went looking for someplace to eat.
As I was turning around to head back towards a place I saw on the way in, I found a little hot dog stand on the corner of Bridge and Park Streets. It wasn’t much, but it’s definitely in the style of hot dog/gyro places that populate towns all over the state.
It seemed to be a pretty popular place. There were quite a few cars in the parking lot and a line once I got inside. There are only a handful of tables inside. Read more…
Harding’s Friendly Market – Centre Ave.
3750 W. Centre Avenue- Portage, MI 49024
- (269) 323-7380
- Website
The quest for dinner. It seems to be getting harder and harder to get inspired. I just haven’t been in the mood to cook so I’ve been eating roast beef sandwiches that has caramel coloring in it. What the hell is that, btw? Yeah. I’ve been eating crap.
Anyway, we needed some stuff dry cleaned and tailored, so we found a dry cleaner on Oakland and Centre in Portage that would do both. I needed a suit cleaned for a dry cleaner which was going to be quicker than the sewing we needed done. When I went to pick it up, I thought I should find a grocery store and get something for dinner.
I knew there was a Harding’s somewhat close. We actually found it one day on our way home from Texas Corner’s when we got off US 131. The store is in a shopping center at Oakland at Moorsbridge Road. The shop fits seamlessly into the center. Like many of Harding’s stores, it’s not a big box type store. The store is more like a neighborhood market.
What initially attracted me to this particular Harding’s was the signage that promoted a cafe. It’s not something that’s really unique to this store, but unlike the other stores that I have been to, they have an actual seating area. You can buy food from the self service deli and sit to eat after paying. Read more…
Dairy Queen – Lovers Lane
3130 Lovers LaneTalk about killing two birds with one stone. I had a few errands to run tonight. We needed bread, so I needed to go to the Aunt Millie’s Bakery Thrift Store. I needed Coke Zero, so I had to go somewhere. J said she wanted ice cream with dinner. I could accomplish all three tasks on one street.
After getting bread then heading to Harding’s for Coke, we headed to the Dairy Queen on the corner of Lovers Lane and Cork Street in Kalamazoo’s Milwood neighborhood. The store is right on the corner and there are entrances from both streets. The entrance from Cork Street probably isn’t the preferred entrance anymore, but you can enter there then drive around to the back where there’s a much bigger parking lot. Actually, that’s exactly what we did.
First, a little back story. Growing up in a town of just 750 people, we had very few options when it came to dining out. There were two family restaurants in town and then the Dairy Queen out by the Interstate. It was only half a mile or so outside of town, so we could ride our bikes and most of my friends had their first jobs making both hot eats and cool treats. Hell, my mom even worked there for a while after my brother and I started school. If it wasn’t for our paper routes, my brother and I would have probably worked there too. It’s just what you did growing up in a small rural community.
It goes without saying, DQ has a special place in my childhood. That is, until they closed that building and moved five miles north to the new gas station where it remains to this day.
I really haven’t eaten at a Dairy Queen outside of my hometown in the ten years since I moved away. Only once or twice have I seeked out the DQ.
Today was one of those rare visits just because I knew the DQ we were heading towards had both hot food in addition to the ice cream. Read more…
Press Release – Grand Rapids Restaurant Week
From a Grand Rapids/Kent County Convention & Visitors Bureau press release…
Grand Rapids Inaugural Restaurant Week will kick off on November 4, 2010
Underwritten by Grand Rapids / Kent County Convention & Visitors Bureau and Grand Rapids Downtown Development AuthorityGRAND RAPIDS, MI (April 19, 2010) – Grand Rapids / Kent County Convention & Visitors Bureau announced today that it will launch Grand Rapids Restaurant Week from November 4 – 13, 2010. The dates were chosen to create a Month of “Celebrating Dining Out”. The timing for Grand Rapids Restaurant Week occurs within the same month as the Grand Rapids International Wine and Food Festival to take place November 18 – 20.
During Grand Rapids Restaurant Week an estimated 60 of the best fine dining restaurants will offer a 3-course menu for a fixed price of $20.10 in addition to their regular menu. A dedicated website will be created for Grand Rapids Restaurant Week and will include information about the 3-course dinners that each participating restaurant will offer over the 10 day event. Diners will also be able to book reservations on the website for many of the restaurants participating in
Grand Rapids Restaurant Week.
The advantage offered during Restaurant Week is that restaurant goers can plan and save for multiple experiences at various restaurants over the 10-day event. In other cities groups make “dining out” within Restaurant Week an opportunity for social gatherings with friends. Many restaurant goers “weigh in” on the best offers from all of the restaurants using social media, such as Twitter and Facebook.
According to Doug Small, President of the Grand Rapids / Kent County Convention & Visitors Bureau, “Having experienced the creation of Restaurant Week in Denver while I was the Sr. Vice President of Denver’s Convention & Visitors Bureau I saw the amazing turn out for Restaurant Week. Participating restaurants and restaurant goers both benefited from the experience and every year the event has grown stronger. We found that once people were introduced to a restaurant for the first time, they were much more likely to return to it after having a positive experience. We need to put a focus nationally on the fact that this community has the destination appeal that you can’t find in other cities, and I think a Restaurant Week is a great way to do that.”
Each restaurant will donate $1 from each 3-course Grand Rapids Restaurant Week meal purchased to create a scholarship for Secchia Institute for Culinary Education students at Grand Rapids Community College.
Randy Sahajdack, spokesperson for the Secchia Institute for Culinary Education commented, “We are excited to take part in this event with our own student run fine dining restaurant The Heritage located on Fountain Street in the Applied Technology Center. When we learned that the Secchia Institute for Culinary Education would be the recipient of donations from restaurants participating in Grand Rapids Restaurant Week we were surprised and delighted.”
Restaurant Week has been successfully launched in key U.S. cities since 2002. New York, Chicago, Boston, Denver, San Diego, Miami, Atlanta and Philadelphia are a few of more that 26 major cities nationwide, plus a growing number of smaller communities who host Restaurant Week. In addition to showcasing Grand Rapids’ great dining options, Grand Rapids Restaurant Week will spur both locals and out of town diners to revisit old favorites and, best of all, try new places.
Restaurants wanting to participate in Grand Rapids Restaurant Week can email RestaurantWeekGR@gmail.com to communicate their interest.
The public can follow comments about Grand Rapids Restaurant Week on Twitter using the hashtag #GRapRW.
SW Michigan Dining 