Griffin Grill & Pub
38 W. Michigan AvenueWhen we lived in Lansing, we had a somewhat Sunday afternoon tradition. We would always make a run to Horrocks to do our shopping for the week. There’s no Horrocks in Kalamazoo, but there is one not too far away in Battle Creek .
I really just wanted to get out of the house. I didn’t care where we went, I just wanted to do something other than run someplace for lunch, so I suggested we go to Battle Creek.
We still did need lunch, so we started looking for a place in Battle Creek. We’ve both had people recommend a Mexican place, but we had Mexican last night, so that will have to wait. Instead, we found a bar downtown.
Griffin Grill & Pub is on Michigan Avenue north of Capital Avenue in downtown Battle Creek. It’s a pub with a fairly plain storefront. As we were driving by, I was actually attracted to the building next door that looked either empty or closed. In fact, I drove right by the place without seeing it. I was going to drive around the block so we could do another drive-by.
As we drove behind the place on State Street, we found a big parking lot. I pulled in and as we got closer, I actually found the backdoor entrance to the pub and saw people coming out, so we knew it was open. We found a parking spot and headed for the backdoor.
When you come in the back, there’s a long hallway that leads to the main bar. We sort of stopped and waited. A waitress told us to find a seat anywhere. She pointed out that the bar was smoking and there was another room that was non-smoking. That’s where we headed. Read more…
The Big Burrito
5036 W. KL AvenueAgain…wasn’t planning on being home for dinner. Since I was, I sort of settled on the fact I wanted tacos. I was just going to go to Meijer, get some ground beef, and make them myself, but J said she wanted a Slurpee. That worked out pretty good because I seem to remember a Mexican place right next to the 7-Eleven in Oshtemo Township.
Big Burrito is on KL Avenue at the Drake Road intersection in Kalamazoo. It’s part of a small strip mall that also has the aforementioned 7-Eleven and a Cottage Inn Pizza.
As we turned on to KL Avenue from Drake, we noticed the parking lot looked pretty full. We kind of told ourselves all the people were probably getting Big Gulps or picking up pizza’s, but really, everyone seemed to have the same idea we did.
You order when you first walk in. There’s a counter with a single cash register. The menu board is in an awkward position high on the wall to the left of the cash register. I noticed a paper menu on the counter and grabbed it which made it easier for us to see what they had.
I wanted tacos and J wanted guacamole. We ended up with four tacos. I got three with just beef, cheese, and lettuce. J got one with beef, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and sour cream. We were given two paper boats of chips and two bowls of salsa just for ordering, but J wanted guac so she got a medium order and two more boats of chips. We finished dinner off with a Sprite for me and a blended margarita for J. The total was a little over $18. We grabbed our tray with chips, salsa, quac and a bottle of mild sauce and headed for a table….but there were no available tables. Everyone was full, so we took a seat at the bar. I’m still amazed how crazy the place was. All the tables were full and there was almost a line out the door waiting to order. Read more…
Union Caberet & Grill
125 Kalamazoo Mall DriveWell, I wasn’t supposed to be home today. I was actually on my way to Canada this morning when I got a phone call telling me to go home. The company I was to work for didn’t get all the right paperwork, so they couldn’t use me. On the plus side, I still get paid about 75% of what I was supposed to make because they cancelled me the day of the job.
Since I wasn’t planning on being home, we didn’t have any food in the house for lunch. J got home from work a little earlier than usual and I was already up, so we headed out for lunch again.
I wanted to go somewhere downtown and I wanted a burger. We’ve drove around downtown Kalamazoo several times, but never really walked around.
I ended up finding the Union Cabaret & Grill online and was happy with what was offered, so that’s where we went. The restaurant is on the bottom floor of the Kalamazoo City Center on Kalamazoo Mall Drive just south of Michigan Avenue.
Today’s visit was the first time I had been to the Union, but it was actually J’s second. Before she was transferred to Kalamazoo, she came over here once a week last summer to fill in. After work one night, a group of co-workers invited her out for drinks and they went to the Union. Read more…
Free Auntie Anne’s Pretzels
Yup….free pretzels. Tomorrow at Auntie Anne’s (there’s one in the Crossroads Mall for you Kalamazoo folks….in Grand Rapids, there’s one in the Woodland Mall and Rivertown Crossings)
From 10 AM to 3 PM tomorrow, you can pick up one free Original or Cinnamon Sugar pretzel.
More details at http://www.freepretzelday.com
Press Release – Taste of the Chamber
From a Kalamazoo Regional Chamber of Commerce press release….
Taste Of The Chamber Features Food Sampling Of Area Restaurants Feb. 25
Experience the many flavors and cuisine the Kalamazoo Regional Chamber of Commerce members have to offer at the annual Taste of the Chamber from 5 to 8 p.m., Feb. 25, at the Kalamazoo Country Club, 1609 Whites Road.
The Chamber’s banquet facility, caterer, and restaurant members will provide samples of their menus and services at the Taste of the Chamber. This popular event provides Chamber members and the community an evening of networking while sampling local menu selections.
“This is one of the largest events that the Chamber hosts and we found it to be a great opportunity for our members to experience a variety of culinary cuisine in one central location at an affordable price,” said Steward Sandstrom, CCE, president and CEO of the Chamber. “We are fortunate to have great local restaurants and delectable culinary providers in Kalamazoo to expand our taste buds. Bring you family, friends and co-workers for an evening of samplers that is sure to whet your appetite.”
Some of the participating restaurants include: All Stirred Up, Confection Bakery and Café, Fire Bowl Café, Lawton Ridge Winery, Mangia Mangia, Noodles & Company, Pop’s Italian Beef & Sausage, Greenleaf Hospitality Group Catering, The Union Cabaret & Grille, Webster’s Restaurant, The Wine Loft, Zazios, and many more!
Admission is $10 for prospective members and $5 for Chamber members. To purchase tickets, click here. If you are interested in participating as a vendor, contact Jim Mishler or Laura Pecherski at (269) 381-4000 to secure your spot. For more information on the event, contact Ginger Koester at (269) 381-4000 or gkoester@kazoochamber.com.
Summer Thyme Cafe & Bakery
3928 W. Portage Street- Kalamazoo, MI 49001
- (269) 552-4500
- No Known Website
- Menu
J and I moved our Friday lunch date up by a day because I have to work tomorrow. When she came home from work, she suggested eating out today. She beat me to it by a matter of seconds. I was going to say the same thing.
It’s not very often that J specifies either a place or what she wants to eat. She usually lets me pick. What’s funny is the days she does want something specific are usually the days I want a burger. She makes a better case for wanting to eat a little healthier or lighter, so I always go along with what she wants.
Somehow, I stumbled upon reviews for a cafe on Portage Street that was getting rave reviews calling it “A must eat in Kalamazoo” and proclaiming “Five Stars are not enough!”
Summer Thyme Cafe & Bakery is in Kalamazoo’s Milwood neighborhood in a small shopping center on Portage Street near Lakeway Avenue. The center is not very big with only four businesses and the parking lot was full. I assumed they were for the cafe and I assumed right. There wasn’t a spot in front of the building, but there is a sign for more parking around the back. We headed back there.
The shop has a back entrance with a marker board telling you to head to the front to wait to be seated. You walk through the whole dining room when you do this, but it’s easier than walking around the building. Read more…
Press Release – People’s Food Co-Op Is Moving
From a press release….
CITY OF KALAMAZOO PARTNERS WITH PEOPLE’S FOOD CO-OP EXPANSION
Kalamazoo, Mich. – People’s Food Co-op and the City of Kalamazoo’s Brownfield Redevelopment Authority are currently working out the details on the relocation and expansion of People’s 40-year old natural grocery business.
The new site, located at 507 Harrison Street, is a brownfield site in River’s Edge, a targeted area of redevelopment just northeast of downtown where the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority has been focusing its efforts. People’s Food Co-op will complete a block which already contains two brownfield projects – MacKenzies’ Bakery and One Way Products.
The $1.7 million project includes construction of a 6,000 square foot building and the creation of at least six additional part-time jobs. The move will allow People’s Food Co-op to increase its retail operations to four times their current size. This increased space will provide room for a much-expanded prepared foods department with limited seating, the addition of a fresh meat section, and expanded local and organic produce, grocery, bulk foods, frozen, and refrigerated offerings.
People’s Food Co-op is a community-owned business, with over 750 individuals and families owning a share of the business and receiving discounts and rebates as a return on that investment. To be successful with this project, People’s is looking to raise over $450,000 in loans and equity from owner-members.
“We are so excited to be able to offer a way for the community to invest in good food, in local farming, and in our own economic success” says Chris Dilley, General Manager of People’s. By expanding their storefront, People’s expects to increase the amount it purchases from local farms and processors ($100,000 in 2009) and to expand on existing programs, including the relocation of the 100-Mile Farmers Market to the new site.
Another innovative aspect of the project is the inclusion of 1,400 square feet of space to be leased to Fair Food Matters’ Can-Do Kitchen, a food business incubator which will expand their support of local entrepreneurs in the creation of unique products for resale
Sweetwater’s Donut Mill – Stadium Drive
3333 Stadium DriveAlright. I’ll admit it. I was one of those people today. I was one of those people who ate nothing but paczki’s for lunch. Yes, I planned it that way. I went to bed last night looking forward to it.
Paczki Day is something that’s pretty new to me. J introduced me to the Fat Tuesday tradition just three years ago when we took my mom to a doctor’s appointment in Chicago. We got talking about them then went looking for a Polish bakery on the north side of town after lunch at Weber Grill downtown.
Since then, we’ve always went looking for a bakery on Fat Tuesday. Last year, we found them at Quality Dairy in Lansing. This year, we had to find yet another place.
Our first stop was Sarkozy’s Bakery in downtown Kalamazoo, but we were way too late. It didn’t look right when we pulled up and the store was empty. We walked in to find more emptiness. Some guys slicing bread told us they were out of paczki’s until tomorrow morning, but they will have them all week. Read more…
Zazios
100 W. Michigan AvenueFor our first Valentine’s Day as a married couple, J and I are doing a lot of things that we did for our first Valentine’s Day together. The presents are similar although there were a few extras this time and our dinner plans include an Italian restaurant.
That first Valentine’s Day was just three short years ago when we still lived in Peoria, IL….well, actually Morton, IL (yes, the home of Morton Buildings), but we worked in Peoria….well, ok, we actually worked in Creve Coeur, IL (which means heartbreak or sad heart in French…funny, huh?). Both are “suburbs” of Peoria.
We had been dating for six months and were well aware that a big move was probably in the near future. I know it sounds crazy, but I knew that J was “the one” and even though the thought of moving scared the crap out of me, I never thought twice about it.
We spent that first Valentine’s Day at an Italian restaurant in Peoria that I had wanted to go to since I had moved to town five years early. Rizzi’s on State was the name of it. It’s in this great old building on Peoria’s Riverfront. We had a late reservation and we both had to work the next day, but it didn’t stop us from enjoying what would be the first of many.
Fast forward to 2010. The first Valentine’s Day since our September wedding. Since we’re still fairly new to Kalamazoo, I didn’t really know where to book a reservation. I had seen Zazio’s on TV and seen the billboards around town. We both like Italian, so I made the res. Read more…
Celebration! Cinema Crossroads
6600 Ring Road- Portage, MI 49024
- (269) 323-0447
- Website
Ten years ago, I probably wouldn’t have been writing a food blog. I probably would have been writing a movie review blog. When I was in college, I saw everything in theaters. When I wasn’t going to the theater, I was at Family Video picking up classic movies or bad horror movies.
Things change. Movies got expensive and I didn’t have much free time. Still, I took full advantage of my Netflix subscription and still watched 15-20 movies every month.
Then J and I started dating and I actually had someone to spend my free time with. We still watched movies, but not as much. Instead, dining out became our thing. It’s something we both enjoy and in most cases, we can get a meal for the price of movie tickets and popcorn….oh yeah, and we really don’t have the same taste in movies.
Since we started dating, we have gone to a handful of movies. All romantic comedies….and The Hangover. I’m not complaining. Some of them I would have watched on my own. One of them, not a chance in hell *cough*Sexinthecity*cough*
Since she started seeing the previews, J has wanted to see Valentine’s Day. Well, it came out tonight and she brought it up. She sold me by saying, “We can have movie theater popcorn for dinner.” Eh, ok.
There are multiple theaters in town playing the movie, but we chose to stay close to home by going to Celebration Cinema Crossroads behind the Crossroads Mall in Portage. The physical address is Ring Road, but it’s easier if you just go into the mall parking lot and drive around to JCPenny. You’ll see it. Read more…
SW Michigan Dining 