Brite Eyes Brewing Co. in Kalamazoo is a nice place with a great atmosphere and good food and drink. It is also a coffee shop offering breakfast and deli style lunch offered the rest of the day. My wife had a nice salad and I had a stacked hot ham and cheese sandwich which were both very good. I also have had the beers twice which were both flights. I have tried all but the mango IPA. I liked the blonde ale, the pale ale and the regular IPA. The seating area includes stools at the bar and tables. The dining room is two stories with a loft area which is not open to the public, but creates a nice feel. The windows are large and look over the city. When I paid at the counter, I spied a dessert which was a peanut butter crunchy square that was excellent. The menu is limited but offers some nice things. Good food and good craft beer! My kind of place. Check the guide for more details.

This place just opened in December of 2013. Kevin and Cindee Tibbs have created a neat atmosphere on a great corner next to the State Theater in downtown Kalamazoo. Tibbs Brewing Company seats 55 and offers 3-5 taps each day along with a chalkboard menu with a few items like nachos, sandwiches and some tasty pretzels from Renzema's Bakery in Parchment. You can try small glasses of the beers before committing to a pint. The day of my visit they offered an IPA, a Citra and a very nice Porter. I am a fan of Porters, so that was my favorite. I also really liked the pretzels. I have been to this space many times in my life as it was various restaurants. They have kept the spirit of the space and made a nice addition to the downtown beer scene. Nice place and nice people. Check out the guide for more details.

New in 2013. The name and location is new, however the downtown Jackson Grand River Marketplace evolved from Sleeping Bear Winery and Bad Bear Brewing Co. which was at the Concord exit. The new place is large and able to accommodate their new deli, winery, brewery and restaurant all under one roof. They also have room for a nice stage for live entertainment. This place has very good food made with top quality ingredients that you can see or buy many of from the deli. They are probably best known for their pizza, which is very good. The brewpub also offers some very nice deli sandwiches and burgers. The winery has a tasting area and a large selection. I am a big fan of porters and this brewery offers a constant rotation of several porters which have all been good so far. They brewer is very creative and has several other unique beers for you to try. This is the indoor area next to the Jackson Farmers Market. Check out more details in the guide.

New in 2013. This place has made a serious investment in Portage to become the town's first micro-brewery. Latitude 42 Brewing Co. is a first class effort by Joe Stafford and co. to offer great beers and excellent food to go with them. The atmosphere is very nice. Set up like a cross between a sports bar and a brewpub. I had the burger on the second night they were opened. I had to wait a little for it which was expected, however, I got a very good burger cooked the way I ordered with hot crispy fries. Great job handling a "quiet" opening that resulted in as much as a two hour wait for a table due to the crowds! I tried the powerline porter and the milk of amnesia stout which were both very good. I had tried the red beard before at a city of Portage outdoor concert. The red beard is a good summer beer. Nice place with good beer and good food. I noticed familiar employee faces from around the area. They also did a good job of hiring an excellent staff. Their brewer from Hawaii also knows what he is doing. I am sure more good things will come from this group! Check the guide for more details.

New Brewery with food!

New in 2011. This place is small but cozy and located on the main four corners of Decatur. The Patchwork Brewing Co. currently makes four beers and will soon be making six. This is one of only two woman owned breweries in Michigan. They are currently open only Thursday through Saturday. The menu has some nice pizzas and sandwiches. They use fresh ingredients locally procured as much as possible. I had the muffaletta sandwich which was very good. My wife had the pizza and would come back again when in the area. The beers consist of one ale, two IPAs and a "breakfast" stout made with oatmeal, maple syrup and coffee. I liked the breakfast stout alot! Check out more details in the guide.

St. Patrick's Day! Where to eat?

Lots of good places to celebrate and eat meat! In particular corned beef with cabbage. This is the celebration in the middle of lent. St. Patrick (387-461a.d.) was from England and was brought to Ireland by raiders and held captive for six years. Later, after getting free and returning home he became a priest and returned to Ireland to spread the gospel. Legend has it that he used the 3 leafed clover to explain the Trinity to his pagan audience. He became the Patron Saint of Ireland and the date of his death is celebrated with a feast day. The celebration in his honor originally was bacon and cabbage. Their bacon was more akin to canadian bacon or ham. In the late 1880's the Irish in the U.S. were too poor to afford the bacon and their Jewish neighbors introduced them to corned beef, which was cheaper.
Check the guide under cuisine for Irish/English pubs. Many of the breweries that offer food will have a nice feast today with a special Irish brew. Also, several bar and grills will offer specials for today. In the guide, search under specialty for Irish food. Have fun, take in the green river in Chicago or the green ice at Wings Stadium. Wear some green and celebrate this patron saint with some good food and drink!

Looking for some BBQ takeout for this weekend?

Check out some great takeout BBQ to go with your camping, beach or cookouts this weekend! One of my favorites is Hog Wild BBQ in Holland. I also like Ranch House BBQ in South Haven. Good pulled pork at The Walldorf in Hastings and Arcadia Brewery in Battle Creek as well. Nice addition to burgers and dogs! Check them out in the guide.