Kalamazoo Restaurants: Reviews & Recommendations

[NeroW]

Hello!

I can't believe I haven't asked this before, but are any of you from Kalamazoo?

The reason I ask is because I am, and I want to do my externship at one of the restaurants there. I am moving back to Kalamazoo after I graduate from c. school in Chicago, so I figure I might as well extern there and then continue working in that kitchen after graduation, if it all goes well. I'll be in Kalamazoo for about 10 months before I go to France in 2005.

Anyone working in a kitchen there right now? If so, where? If so, can you hook me up with a job? I am particularly interested in the Kalamazoo Country Club, The Park Club downtown, and that little galley kitchen at Arie's Singapore is awful cute

[Schneier]

I have friends in Kalamazoo, and I visit occasionally.

I never never found a restaurant that I thought worth going back to.

If you know of anything, anything, in the Kalamazoo area, please share it.

Please.

Bruce

[Alex]

I live in Grand Rapids, so Kzoo is not a food destination for me unless I'm visiting a friend or going to a concert there. However, imho these are, or at least appear to be, the most worthwhile downtown spots:

Food Dance Cafe: eclectic menu, Niman Ranch meats

Webster's: in the Radisson, dinner only, Wine Spec Award

Just Good Food: deli and specialty grocery, sandwiches

Epic Bistro and Bin 359: dinner only, wine bar (I haven't been there)

Mediterranean Cafe: breakfast and lunch (haven't been there in a while)

[Schneier]

Thank you.

[NeroW]

Schneier--

I didn't see your post until today. Alex has listed some of the better spots in Kalamazoo, and I would like to expound a bit on them and maybe suggest a few more.

Food Dance Cafe: eclectic menu, Niman Ranch meats

Webster's: in the Radisson, dinner only, Wine Spec Award

Just Good Food: deli and specialty grocery, sandwiches

Epic Bistro and Bin 359: dinner only, wine bar (I haven't been there)

Mediterranean Cafe: breakfast and lunch (haven't been there in a while)

Food Dance Cafe is mainly a breakfast destination for me. They have excellent Bloody Mary's and do quite a bit of early-day business. Chef Julie Stanley does indeed feature Niman Ranch meats, everything on the FDC menu is of the organic, sustainable-agriculture type--unusual for Kalamazoo. The waitstaff is friendly, young, and well-scrubbed--they remind me of Whole Foods employees if you know what I mean. I have several friends in the kitchen at FDC.

Webster's is currently under Chef Tony Masco, although I have heard rumors of some changes. This is a higher-end restaurant and as Alex says, is located in the Radisson Hotel. They are rated 4-diamonds by AAA. I have not been able to eat there, although I've drank in their charming little cigar lounge. They are closed for renovations until March '04. Webster's is my first choice for externship.

Just Good Food is a fantastic little deli downtown, across from the Secretary of State. In addition to produce and dry-goods items that are unavailable in Kalamazoo's other stores, they do a WIDE range of sandwiches. Their reuben is very tasty--one is enough for two. I have friends who work here as well.

Epic Bistro is good, under Chef Encarnacion Rios--quite a character I've eaten there 7 or 8 times. Once I was horridly disappointed, the other times I was pleased. Epic and another restaurant downtown--District 211--attract a kind of meat-market crowd on weekend nights. You know--martini-slugging, too-drunk-to-eat types.

I am not sure what the Mediterranean Cafe is, I suspect Alex might be referring to a little diner-type place near the State Theater downtown. Here are my rec's:

Arie's Singapore (downtown), Chef Mark Morey--very tasty British pub food, charming employees, bagpipers, etc. Arie's is a local chain that also has 2 restaurants in the Plainwell, MI, area. I have eaten at Arie's countless times and have never had a bad meal.

Bravo! (across from the airport) under Chefs Shawn and Terry Hagen--Italian food. Also very good. Try the wild mushroom soup. They have wood ovens and their pizzas are memorable. The wine list is a little ridiculously-priced, even for a place like Kalamazoo, but Bravo's is an institution and I've enjoyed many meals there.

The Black Swan, on Greenleaf Blvd., under Chef Helmut Klett--Kalamazoo's other answer to fine dining (besides Webster's). Swanky place and swanky food. I ate there once in high school, before I was too interested in food, so I am sorry I can't make a recommendation one way or the other.

There is another place downtown, the Union, under Chef Eric Gillish. The food is not spectacular, but it's a beautiful room, the staff is very friendly, and the bar makes it worth the trip. This is a music venue, and I've seen some great jazz and bluegrass acts there. If you go during the winter, try the jerked-pork and corn chowder. That's the standout, in my opinion.

In the past few years Kalamazoo has made some strides toward becoming, if not a food mecca, at least somewhere one can eat and be reasonably happy.

EDIT: to say that I can't recommend District 211 in good conscience. The staff has been rude 80% of the time, and the food is not remarkable--they are still firmly planted in the square-plate, shrimp-in-cocktail-glass era. However on Wed. nights they used to have a FANTASTIC jazz group in the basement.

Edited February 2, 2004 by NeroW (log)

[Alex]

Yes, Arie's. (Pronounced OAR-ies, btw.) I haven't been to the kzoo branch, only the two in Plainwell (about 10 min. down the road), and at that it's been many years. I liked the original Arie's very much It's a charming place, perhaps the embodiment of casual fine dining. It was my introduction to Whitefish Grenoble. The other is Arie's London Grill, also British pub-type food.

[MRX]

My little brother lives in Kalamazoo. I've been to Arie's - it was okay. Certainly not a destination. Sorry to say, most of my best eating experiences in Michigan have been in the kitchen or around the grill. There is one pretty good ice cream place (name escapes me) and a decent roadside car hop....but nothing like what it sounds like you'd be into.

[NeroW]

There is one pretty good ice cream place (name escapes me) and a decent roadside car hop....but nothing like what it sounds like you'd be into.

Are you referring to Plainwell Ice Cream? That's an excellent place. What's the roadside place?

MRX, most of my best food experiences in Michigan have also been at hole-in-the-wall places or in home kitchens, as you said. No, Arie's is not a destination--just reliable.

[casa]

NeroW, I'm the chef at a place called Chaps in Saugatuck (Douglas actually). If you're possibly interested in a summeer job, let me know. If you're going to be living in Kalamazoo, it's probably too much of a commute for you.

[Cicadia Seventeen]

I'm meeting friends in K-Zoo or somewhere halfway between Ypsilanti and Chicago. Can anyone recommend an interesting place for lunch? The friends eat exotic and we don't.

Any ideas would be much appreciated.

Cicada

Edited March 20, 2007 by Cicadia Seventeen (log)

[nsxtasy]

Bravo! is a good place to meet for lunch. It's not exactly exotic, but the food is good and it's open for lunch. It's also right off I-94, just a few blocks south of Exit 78, so you don't have to go all the way into downtown Kalamazoo. When you exit the highway, just follow the signs to Kalamazoo Airport; when you see the airport on your left, Bravo! is on your right. Open for lunch Monday-Friday and they do a nice buffet brunch on Sundays.

Bravo!

5402 Portage Road

Kalamazoo MI 49002

269-344-7700

[Cicadia Seventeen]

Wow, Lunch goes from 11:30 to 5, I like places where one is not rushed.

Thank you, nsxtasy

[Alex]

I'm a big fan of Food Dance Cafe in downtown Kalamazoo (about 4 miles north from Exit 76A). They use local ingredients whenever possible; otherwise, they strive for natural/organic, e.g., Niman Ranch beef. Lunch is served from 11-4, Tues-Sat.

[annarborfoodie]

If you want to go classic rather than eclectic, we had a great meal at Schuler's in Marshall a couple of months ago. The service was excellent and we enjoyed every minute of our evening there.

[Alex]

If you want to go classic rather than eclectic, we had a great meal at Schuler's in Marshall a couple of months ago.  The service was excellent and we enjoyed every minute of our evening there.

←

This was the first Michigan restaurant I ate at, back in 1969 while on a jaunt around the East and Midwest. It impressed the heck out of us college boys, I'll tell ya.

Here's their web site.

[Cicadia Seventeen]

I'm a big fan of Food Dance Cafe in downtown Kalamazoo (about 4 miles north from Exit 76A).  They use local ingredients whenever possible; otherwise, they strive for natural/organic, e.g., Niman Ranch beef. Lunch is served from 11-4, Tues-Sat.

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Thank you!

[Cicadia Seventeen]

If you want to go classic rather than eclectic, we had a great meal at Schuler's in Marshall a couple of months ago.  The service was excellent and we enjoyed every minute of our evening there.

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Thank you!

[kartoffel]

If any of you are beer fans, I highly recommend Eccentric Cafe, part of Bell's Brewery. Bell's is some of the best beer being brewed in the states these days, and hard to get outside of the midwest. Decent food, too.

http://www.bellsbeer.com/

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/287/?view=beerfly

[Cicadia Seventeen]

If any of you are beer fans, I highly recommend Eccentric Cafe, part of Bell's Brewery.  Bell's is some of the best beer being brewed in the states these days, and hard to get outside of the midwest.  Decent food, too.

http://www.bellsbeer.com/

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/287/?view=beerfly

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This sounds like a winner! Thank you.

[san]

cosmo's cucina was by far my favorite restaurant in kzoo. really nice room on the 2nd floor of a 100 year old building.

http://www.cosmoscucina.com/

it appears to only be open for dinner and breakfast on the weekends, but still is worth a trip if you're there at night.

[Cicadia Seventeen]

cosmo's cucina was by far my favorite restaurant in kzoo.  really nice room on the 2nd floor of a 100 year old building.

http://www.cosmoscucina.com/ 

it appears to only be open for dinner and breakfast on the weekends, but still is worth a trip if you're there at night.

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Looks like breakfast goes until 3PM so that's workable.

Thank you.

[lucylou95816]

Hi, not sure if this is the right forum, but I will be spending 1 week in Kalamazoo in a couple of weeks. I'll be staying at the Radisson, with only hotel shuttle as my transportation. What are some worth seeking out restaurants in that area? Thanks in advance for your help.

[nsxtasy]

This is the right forum. You might want to check three previous topics for recommendations:

Lunch recommendations Kalamazoo or Mid Michigan

Michigan

Kalamazoo, Michigan

Edited February 6, 2008 by nsxtasy (log)

[Alex]

Hi, not sure if this is the right forum, but I will be spending 1 week in Kalamazoo in a couple of weeks.  I'll be staying at the Radisson, with only hotel shuttle as my transportation.  What are some worth seeking out restaurants in that area?  Thanks in advance for your help.

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Yes, this is the right forum; nsxtasy is right on top of things, as always.

It's good you're staying at the Radisson -- it's by far the best hotel in the area. The high-end Webster's, at the hotel, has a very good reputation.

Food Dance is just down the street from the Radisson. If I lived closer I'd eat there all the time. Bell's Eccentric Cafe is fun and isn't far from the hotel. Just Good Food, in the Rose St. Market, makes killer sandwiches, cookies, etc. It also is close to the hotel. Cosmo's, noted in one of the aforementioned threads, looks good, but I've never eaten there so I can't make a personal recommendation. It's not terribly far, but you'll want the shuttle.

Edited February 6, 2008 by Alex (log)

[lucylou95816]

thanks for the suggestions, I always love the egullet community when going to a new area. Last year, I was going to Paso Robles and got a wonderful recommendation, so I will look into those for sure. Thanks!