Nice breakfast with homemade goods!

I especially like breakfast places that bake their own items. This is that kind of place. The Biscuit Cafe in Holland's Old Town area has an owner who has a culinary degree from Colorado, studied in Provence, France and Asti, Italy. Add to that she worked at both Bar Divani and Everyday People Cafe. All this background has led to a special restaurant where only the best ingredients are used and cooked properly. Try the fresh baked biscuits with a swiss scramble using real gruyere cheese. Maybe cover that biscuit with housemade onion jam. How about french toast made from their walnut cranberry focaccia bread or homemade brioche? They offer pancakes made from their housemade cherry almond granola or try the banana pecan pancakes made with housemade candied pecans. The meat comes from the local Montello's Meat Market with offerings like South African boerwors sausage. They have lots of omelets and scrambles to choose from and you can choose coffee, espresso or several loose leaf teas. For lunch try the pulled pork with tomato gravy or maybe braised beef. They also have tuna, greek, ham & cheese or a cubano sandwich. This place is worth a drive. Check out the guide for more details.

Take a drive out to the farm!

This place defines my "hidden away" category.
The Farm House Bakery & Restaurant near Vandalia is really out in the country and is actually located on the farm! I really like breakfast places that are also bakeries because the toast is so good. Add to that the donuts, pastries, bismarcks, cinnamon rolls and apple fritters, you may have to take some of your omelet home. This place is a store, bakery and restaurant. Nice lunches and great breakfasts. The bread is made with hand ground grain for each batch! The salad dressings are all made in house and are available for sale. I liked the sweet and sour. All this is good but their real specialty is their pies! Several choices all made from scratch in house. Have a nice breakfast or lunch, then purchase some bread, dressings and pies to go. Neat place with very nice people operating it right on their farm. Sometimes you may even get to go on a horse drawn buggy ride. Check their website for special events. Check the guide for all the details.

Best burger in Jackson?

This place has won the Jackson Citizen Patriot readers choice award for Best Burger for several years in a row. Schlenker's Sandwich Shop has beaten some very stiff competition. Jackson has some great burger places! Maybe it helps that they have been open since 1927. This is a small burger joint that seats a few people around a U shaped counter. The burgers are served wrapped in wax paper. Fries and pie are good. Great burger! Click on their name in this paragraph for more review and details.

Great pizza near Jackson

This place has one of the best stuffed pizza's you will find. That and a great sports bar atmosphere make Klavon's Pizzeria & Pub a must visit. They have a large menu with lots of other pizza, sub and sandwich offerings, including burgers. Click on their name in this paragraph to be taken directly to their info. Take the whole family or just go watch the game. Very nice place! It is worth the short trip in the country to get to it.

Hidden away in Jackson

You could visit Jackson for years and never find this place. Someone has to tell you about it, then you have to map it, because it is a former house in a residential neighborhood. However, it will be worth it when you find the Oak Tree Lounge. This place is a popular lunch spot for downtown workers and a nice bar and grill for dinner. Known for their five daily homemade soups from original recipes, like white chicken chili, corn chowder or creamy tomato. Great burgers and many other sandwiches. How about hand dipped fish? Small place but cozy. Many original items like their voo doo chicken sandwich. You will see why this place is a local favorite. Full bar and great food. My kind of place.

New addition in South Haven

You may think I am starting to lose it, but you have to prove me wrong. Check out the Lakeside Entertainment Center bowling alley with attached bar and restaurant for a really nice menu! How about their famous seafood chowder as a prelude to all you can eat whitefish on friday night. Do you like mahi mahi, lake perch, alaskan pollock, clam strips or yellowfin tuna steak? They have it served several ways. Like steak instead? How about a new york strip, prime rib or a blackened delmonico. Nice sandwich selection, but be sure to try the burgers. The pizza looked very good as well. Like wraps? Try the moroccan chicken wrap with a spinach dressing. Lots of appetizers like oysters on the half shell or shrimp jammers. I would not have believed this place was good if I had not tried it more than once. Check out the guide for details.

New place added in Buchanan on the River!

New in August 2009. How about a nice upscale but casual barbeque place overlooking the St. Joseph river on a scenic drive road just north of town. Check out the Wheatberry Restaurant & Tavern in Buchanan. Everything made from scratch including the barbeque sauces. Try pulled pork, beef or chicken with the sweet and tangy or the spicy sauce. Nice bar and great selection of Michigan beers and wines. Hardwood floors, paper tableclothes and a chalkboard menu give this place a special upscale yet casual feel. This is worth a nice scenic drive along the river or take time to visit Michigan's only cave. Check it out! Look in the guide for details and more review.

Happy 50th anniversary!

This place is a well known landmark in Kalamazoo. Bimbo's Pizza since 1959! I really like the renovations and the old feeling of this building. Plenty of seating, great atmosphere and great pizza. Be sure to go and help them celebrate their 50th. Very few places around reach this 50 year mark, so I want to recognize this and share their accomplishment with you all! Check the guide for more details.

New place added in Texas Corners

I had heard that chef Shane Sheldon was opening his own place and looked forward to its opening. It is here and it is called BOLD Restaurant & Catering. Self described "simple foods...big flavors". Shane is not the chef but brings his food philosophy to the menu. This is a casual fine dining place with a nice selection of "small plates" and "big plates" which are full dinners. Very nice place with a neat concept. Everything has that chefs touch with a little something extra. They have a neat wine concept that allows you to try a different wine with each course by buying it in 3oz segments. Check the guide for more details and description of our dining experience there.

Did you ever go to Emilio's?

Emilio's closed in 1992 and was located on Michigan Ave. in the Wattles Park area of Battle Creek. It was very unique and had a very loyal clientele. We drove from Kalamazoo to Emilio's at least once every two weeks just for lunch! The man, the food, the atmosphere were unmatched. However, his lead cook for 23 years opened her own joint in Marshall in 1993 on the east end of downtown and calls it Oye' Amigo's. She even has a tribute to Emilio in her restaurant and is serving all my old favorites from the original recipes. The best hot sauce I have ever had. Great guacamole (try a spoon for only two dollars)! I order the tortilla shells dry, but they are good with butter as well. I was a young man going to Emilio's and I still love going to Oye' Amigo's every chance I get. Check it out even if you never heard of Emilio's.

Out of the area, but worth talking about!

Most of you have heard of Ann Arbor's famous Zingerman's Deli. Many are not aware of their other restaurant out near I94 at Jackson Rd. This one is called Zingerman's Roadhouse and is a large, nice, sitdown and be waited on place. Bon Appetit calls the Roadhouse one of the "top 10 new barbecue restaurants". Chef Alex Young and staff offer "really good american food!" as it says in their self description. Regional dishes are served using the best and freshest ingredients possible. Well known products like Nueske's applewood bacon, Pasolivo olive oil, American Spoon and of course corned beef from Zingerman's deli. These products or others like them go into their Tennessee Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Texas Beef Brisket or Chesapeake Bay crab cakes. Don't miss their mac and cheese with vermont cheddar or their burger which is ground fresh twice a day. They have daily specials and a full bar however, be prepared for higher prices than you are used to. Check out the guide for more details. Very good food!!

Chicago comes to Kalamazoo!

If you like the great sandwich joints in Chicago that serve italian beef, italian sausage and chicago dogs. You have to check out Pops Italian Beef & Sausage at the Campus Point Mall in Kalamazoo. Since 1980 in Chicago. Now with 10 locations including 2 in Indiana and now Kalamazoo. The beef and sausage is cooked and cut right on location. They also have burgers, gyros and chicken sandwiches available. You no longer have to do a "road trip" to get an authentic Chicago style italian beef. However, you could do a late light run since they are open till 3am Thursday-Saturday. More details in the guide.

New place added in Sumnerville

Since 1835. I am not kidding. This is the oldest business in Michigan. Andrew Jackson was President when the Old Tavern Inn opened in this tiny town. Not only is this a place worth finding because it opened during our 7th President (Lincoln was number 16), they also have very good food. Known for their goulash, fried chicken and burgers. They also have fish, soups and sandwiches. Full bar and menu for the whole family. Check out the guide for more details.

New place in Manitou Beach near Jackson

How about a log cabin built in 1950 near beautiful devils lake. Lyons Family Dining and Tavern is very nice and features a large stone fireplace. Soups made from scratch, nice choice of fish such as whitefish lightly breaded and deep fried or pan fried perch. Steaks, chops and chicken are all offered along with many appetizers, salads and sandwiches. Known also for their tavern burger and some nice pastas. While this is a place to take the whole family, they do have a nice drink selection including a made in Michigan wine list. Nightly specials such as Thursday burger night or Saturday prime rib. Take a drive along the lake and enjoy this fine out of the way restaurant. Check out the guide for more details.

New restaurant added in Kalamazoo

This place is a nice addition to the Kalamazoo dining scene. The Mandwee brothers who brought you Tiffany's Wine Shop have opened an authentic middle eastern restaurant they have named Zooroona Restaurant and Lounge. In arabic zooroona means "come visit us". Nice atmosphere with a large menu offering many chicken, beef, fish and lamb dishes. Add a great salad selection, wraps, soups and desserts and you have a winner! Try the turkish coffee or the iraqi cardamon tea. No alcohol. Check out the guide for more details.

New place added in Allen

Step back in time to a place that feels like going to grandma's for dinner. The Outpost Grille in Allen is old country style with mismatched furniture and antiques everywhere. That makes sense since it is in the center of Michigan's "antique capitol". If you like antiques, you will love it here and if you don't care about them try this restaurant anyway. Home cooking with a nice menu of comfort foods for the whole family. You may not see your grandma here, but you will see someone's grandma. Mostly lunch type offerings like sandwiches, burgers and soups along with ice cream, shakes and desserts. They are only open during the day, so don't go at dinner time. Great place for Sunday dinner buffet. Check the guide for hours and other details.

New place added in Harbert

This place is a rare treat for Southwest Michigan. We have an upscale Middle Eastern dining spot called Cafe' Gulistan which means "the land of the Roses". With a Kurdish cuisine, this place has some unique offerings and is the only place in the area serving beers and wines from the Mideast. It is the only place in Michigan carrying Turkish wines! The atmosphere is cozy and exotic at the same time. In the summer months you can enjoy outdoor seating in their very nice garden area. They have nightly specials and prices range from $10-$30. The Hummus has a nice twist with olives on top. I liked the Antepli Yahnisi served with basmati rice. Nice lamb, chicken and shrimp dishes. The baklava for dessert is made in their kitchen. Check out the guide for details.

New place added in Coloma

You will think I am kidding when I tell you about the great broasted chicken at the Hot Spot Cafe in Coloma. What is so surprising is not just how good it is, but their amazing Sunday special. A friendly down home cafe with homemade food. It is about the fried chicken, but they have lots of other homemade dishes on their large menu. Even if you can't get in on Sunday after 4pm because of the line out the door...try their food any other time at regular price and it is still a great bargain! Check the review in the guide for the "deal" I am referring to.

Enjoy!

New place added in Paw Paw

How about a place where the chef is the owner and used to be the chef at the Black Swan? Go to Paw Paw and try Cafe' 237. Bill Sutcliffe does a great job with farm to table cooking. He even makes the thousand island dressing from scratch for his top selling reuben sandwich. The corned beef is cooked and cured inhouse. I liked the goulash (not what you think). Chalkboard menu changes frequently with lots of new ideas. Lunch and dinner except weekends when breakfast is available. Check out the guide for a full review and details.

Two places added in Battle Creek

How about a place that has been in Downtown Battle Creek since 1932! I just made my first visit?? Old fashioned good food, cafeteria style at Shrank's Cafeteria. This place closes at 6pm and is not open on the weekends, however catch them when they are. The place looks pretty plain and old fashioned but the food is very good!

I was pleasantly surprised to find one more good Mexican place in Battle Creek. Antonio's is small but has a nice atmosphere, good service and very good food. Starting with the made from scratch quacamole and homemade chips. They have nice nightly specials and are easy to get to on Columbia just off M-66.

Check the guide for details on both places.