New in 2014. Add one more Micro Brewery to the Kalamazoo craft beer scene. One Well Brewing is well located just off the highway on Portage Road and in the large and diverse Millwood neighborhood. Their name comes from the concept of a well being a common meeting place for a community. I think they can become that with the neat atmosphere of rustic woodwork and a neat wrap around bar. They are very into the local arts community and were hosting a Kalamadoodle event the night we visited. No food yet, but they have free popcorn and cheap peanuts so far. I tried the Bad Adz brown ale named for the company that did a lot of the woodwork. Very nice beer. I also tried the SimcoeRillo IPA made with Simcoe and Amarillo hops. Also, a good example of a craft IPA. I finished with the Xalapa which was a jalapeno infused blonde ale. Fairly mild with nice overall flavor. The owners were working behind the bar. Great atmosphere, good beer and nice people! Check out the guide for more details.

This new place has turned the table on a bank. Building a nice restaurant in a former bank building strikes me as irony. The Vault Coffee House and Wine Bar opened in January in downtown Vicksburg. Not only is it downtown, it is also on part of a lake called sunset pond. Overlooking this pond is their very large outdoor patio which will be fun as the weather warms. The owners are former coffee shop people and I think intended this place to be more of a coffee shop and wine bar. While being that, it has also morphed into a popular restaurant. Nice sandwiches with a twist like the wrap my wife had called the Baja with chicken and avocado. I had their soon to be famous stuffed olive burger. On our second trip I had the soup and sandwich special which offered a very nice seafood bisque and a good deli style ham sandwich. My wife had another wrap. This time it was the Thai wrap with peanut sauce that she liked a lot. They are also getting known for their house made potato chips. They offer breakfast with crepes, French toast and their excellent coffee. Dinner includes the sandwiches described above along with steaks and pasta. The daily specials are always worth checking out. Kid and family friendly. Nice space in front with couches for relaxing with your coffee or wine. Growing wine selection and good craft beer choices. Live music sometimes, so check their facebook page. Nice owners Clint and Michelle with a true desire to offer Vicksburg a special place for food and drink. Check out the guide for more details.

Nice deli with great corned beef!

 

 

This place is on a side street in downtown Chelsea, but well worth looking for. Mike's Deli has a neat atmosphere and offers over 65 sandwiches not counting "create your own" options. They have 17 cheeses and 9 types of Zingerman's bread to serve them on. Did I mention 14 salad dressings to put on your cobb, bing or strawberry salads? Mostly boars head meats and some very nice sides like soup, chili, baked beans and potato salad. The corned beef is just like in the big cities! This is a real deli with a neat atmosphere and great food. Check out the guide for more details.

Wood Fire Oven used for half the menu!

This place in downtown Dowagiac has great atmosphere. With high tin ceilings, exposed brick walls, curved large front windows, wood floor, open kitchen and art on the walls all giving the Wood Fire Italian Tratorria a great setting. None of that would matter if they couldn't follow it up with food to match. Well, they do. Starting with the bread plate offering three kinds of breads with dipping oil including the usual herbs to which they add balsamic vinaigrette. The wine selection is nice with a page dedicated to Italian whites and reds. We had the quattro formaggio(four cheese) pizza made in their open wood fire oven and we also split a pasta marinara. I added a homemade italian sausage link on the side. Both meals were fantastic. Just bursting with flavor and cooked perfectly. We had some very nice wine by the glass and would both drive the hour to get there anytime! They do offer desserts which we had no room for on this trip. Lots of salads, soups and antipasti. Several other pizzas are offered. They make handmade ravioli which I will try on my next visit. Over half of their offerings are cooked in the wood fire oven. Some other entrees include chicken cacciatore, pork tenderloin, oven roasted salmon or walleye and Italian pot roast. Oh, they also roast ribs in their wood fire oven. This place is fairly pricey but has such a variety and quality I think it is still a good value. Don't miss live music two or three nights a week. Check their website for details. Check the guide for more details and enjoy!

History and TexMex

This place has a great atmosphere with artifacts from the Alamo. Engravings of Davy Crocket and Jim Bowie are displayed along with a cannon and a bowie knife. Neat pictures and historical decorations throughout make this New Buffalo TexMex place a neat experience. El Rancho Grande also has excellent food. The chips were some of the best I have had. The hot salsa was in my top three and the carne asada was so tender I would compare it to a new york strip steak instead of the skirt steak used. My meal also had very good rice and beans, guacamole, tortillas, roasted mexican onions and cheese quesadillas. Everything was great. My wife really liked her nachos as well. They also have all your usual favorites along with desserts, kids menu and a full bar featuring margaritas and a full line of Mexican beers. I can't wait to return and try the ribs, chili, mole or the bowie garlic chicken. Yes, they have menudo and another less familar soup called pozole which is pork and hominy. Check the guide for more details.

New sit down Pizza joint

Nice to have the former "Cruisers" place in Portage reopen with a sit down pizza joint. This old and new place is called Jac's Cekola's Pizza which is using the old pizza recipe from Star World for those who remember. It is thin crust with a great sweet pizza sauce and I like the homemade italian sausage with visible fennel seeds. They have a full bar with a great beer selection. They even have my favorite Dragon's Milk on draft! Large menu (which may change) currently has lots of other pizza toppings, garlic breads, pastas, soups, salads, burgers, sandwiches and entrees. They also have lots of appetizers like nachos and wings along with desserts. The space has been completely redone and has its own atmosphere. Lots of large flat screens and a game area so bring the whole family or come watch the game. But, whatever you do, get the pizza!

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Heading to Ann Arbor today?

Since 1911. Check out this historic bar and restaurant in Chelsea. The Wolverine Food & Spirits is a classic bar that also serves good food. Back in 1911 it opened as an all night diner for travelers and truckers using then major highway US 12. In the '60's started serving liquor by the glass and now is known for steaks, burgers and fish. They are especially known for their award winning flat iron steak(Michigan beef contest 2005). Fish specials daily. I had a burger and a bowl of their homemade chili and was impressed. Large menu has something for everyone, so take the whole family. Large screen TV's if you want to watch the game. If you are so inclined they do offer a liverwurst sandwich. Check out the guide for more details. Note: I don't suggest you wear all green if you visit today even though you would match the color of their awning??

New "old" Burger joint just opened!

Newly opened burger joint in the old Nisker's location on S. Westnedge in Portage is Lou Nisker's State Burger. Mr. Nisker has returned to reopen his old location with a newly redecorated and improved place. He heard his former restaurant he originally opened in 1986 and sold 20 years later had closed. With a couple of old friends he returned to town and opened State Burger in the same spot. All burgers are prime ground sirloin made fresh daily and never frozen. Fresh buns baked daily in their own ovens and several homemade products like 6 marinades, sirloin chili, sweet sirloin beans and State BBQ sauce. Chicken, beefalo, fish, hot dogs and veggie burgers also. We really like the hand cut curly fries. Hand dipped shakes and South Haven s'mores. Kids menu. Welcome Lou Nisker back to town after a couple of year absence! Check the guide for more details.

Burger and a car wash?

This place in Mattawan seems out of place until you go in and see a nice burger joint and sandwich shop. Chamois Burgers serves fresh burger never frozen, grilled on a nice char grill and served on a fresh bun. Simplicity and quality make a good burger in my world. Indoor seating, ice cream and subs come with the package. Not to mention their chicago dog! Good fries with skin on. For those of you who do not already know, a chamois is a porous leather used to dry a car after washing. It is pronounced "shammy". I only add this as so many have ordered the "cham oyz" burger that it is getting funny. Check the guide for more details and if you spill any food on your car you are in the right place!

Time to feature one of my all time favorites!

This place calls itself Saugatuck's "Marquee dining spot". What looks like an ordinary neighborhood bar with a marquee is in fact one of the area's best dining stops. Phil's Bar and Grille has some great items like their lobster cobb salad or the portabella mushroom sandwich. I really like the broasted chicken dinner and the burger is fantastic! The burger is served on their in house baked ciabatta bread. I get the gorgonzola cheese on mine. Everyone is still talking about the gorgonzola dip. They are also known for ribs and have been voted "best bar & grill" on the lakeshore. All salad dressings, sauces and soups are housemade. Everything we have tried has been delicious! The atmosphere inside is quaint with brown paper tablecloths and crayons so you can draw. Full bar with very good drinks. They have a small outside seating area. When you are finished you get a small cup of animal crackers. Check out the guide for details.

New place added in Paw Paw

New in 2010. This place has a very gregarious owner(Tim) who may even come out to meet you and shake your hand while carrying a package of his top quality hot dogs. Red's Root Beer Drive-In in Paw Paw is a nice addition to the area dining scene. I really liked the chili dog on my first trip and I really liked the hamburger on my second. These along with other offerings like chicken, fish and pulled pork sandwiches are available in a basket that includes coleslaw or apple sauce and fries. With my dog and burger I had a frosted mug of fresh made daily homemade root beer. Tim makes the root beer fresh every morning from their own recipe. They have a much larger menu than most other root beer places in the area, in total square footage and in items offered. The menu hangs down from the carport. Carhops take your order and deliver it on trays that hang over your window. You can also get onion rings, fried mushrooms and poppers. For dessert try a rootbeer float, cone, brownie sundae or Red's special seasonal desserts from the special board. Recently it was strawberry shortcake. Nice place with very good food!

After the fire, better than ever!

This place has been around under current ownership for 10 years, however they were damaged when the place next door burned. After being closed for 7 months, they have rebuilt a very attractive place. The Broadway Grille in downtown Union City is family owned and operated with a very nice menu and some unique offerings. They bake some of their breads in house. I had the french dip on the house baked bread and was very impressed. They have a wide variety in their menu from sandwiches to mahi mahi dinners. Known for their wraps, south of the border items(with housemade pico de gallo), large salads or salad bar, toasted grinders, steaks, chops, ribs and housemade desserts. Add a kids menu, a full bar and you have a very good pizza place. Oh yeah, the pizzas! They are housemade with lots of styles like bbq chicken, herbivore or carnivore. This place is hard to pin down because in a small town everyone has their favorites and Scott caters to his customers, however you can bet it is good and designed to put a smile on your face. They will have outdoor seating soon. Check out the guide for more details.

New place added unlike any other!

"Yooper" food comes to Southwest Michigan. Allegan in particular is the host hometown for U.P. North Sandwich & Pasty Co. How about a made from scratch pasty with a side of beef gravy from a family who recently moved here from the Upper Peninsula. They also feature a "cudighi" sandwich which is a homemade italian sausage patty served several ways. Hot subs, cold subs and specialty sandwiches like the dirty reuben or the pecan chicken salad croissant. Lots of salad choices like chicken apple vineyard, greek or chicken club. Soups and several sides are available as well. This food is excellent and a one of a kind experience. The place is fairly simple yet nice and you order at the counter, yet when they bring you your food it becomes very special. Some very nice desserts and Upper Peninsula candies and fudge sold at the counter for the "too go" crowd. More details in the guide.

New addition in South Haven

This place has done the unexpected.
Willy O's Pizza & Grille has created a following in a town that already had several good places for pizza. This thin crust style is so good that they won 2nd place in a national pizza contest in Las Vegas for their regular pizza and 1st place for their gluten free version. The dough, sauce and sausage are made fresh daily with their own recipes. They also cook their own corned beef for their gourmet reuben pizza. Lots of sandwiches, calzones and appetizers. Salads and seasonal soups are served. Desserts include a blueberry-pineapple pizza or upside-down cheesecake bites. You can buy Lorraine's homemade chocolates at the counter. Sit down seating in the dining room or outside during warm weather. Go in for some great pizza and see their national championship trophy! They do "call ahead" or regular take out as well.

New place added in Saugatuck

This is not something you would expect to find in this little harbor town. However these people from Kentucky have brought real southern BBQ to town in a brand new restaurant called The Hickory Pit BBQ. They make you feel right at home and want you to enjoy the food from their roots. I can't wait to get back to town for another of their pulled pork sandwiches. I also want to try the real Kentucky specialty soup called burgoo which is traditionally cooked outdoors in iron kettles over an open wood fire for 12 or more hours. They also have brisket, ribs and chicken along with all the fixins' like cornbread, baked beans and potato salad. Try something original like the bar-b-que pie, smoked bologna or smoked ham! Finish with their pie of the day. Everything made from scratch by people who want to put a smile on your face.

New Dutch place added in Holland

I finally found a real Dutch restaurant! I always wondered if there was such a thing. deBoer's Bakkerij & Dutch Brothers Restaurant finally does the trick. This place has been around since 1956 and at the current location since 1998. A real mix of old and new with old world Dutch treats and baked goods mixed with modern popular items. From old world Dutch croquettes & pea soup to mahi mahi fish tacos. From the Amsterdamage to the barefoot hippy this menu is very unique. My favorite breakfast places are those with a bakery attached and this is one of the best. Don't miss the banket almond stick, the pig in a blanket, the dulce banana rhumba french toast, klompen cakes or the lekkerbekje for dessert. They will be roasting and grinding their own coffee real soon as well. This place is worth a trip for breakfast or lunch. Plan on taking something home from the bakery. Check the guide for all the details.

New Orleans style deli & bakery

New Orleans comes to Middleville in the form of Big Easy Deli & Bakery. The owners had lived in Gulf Shores, AL for several years savoring New Orleans style food from their close proximity and because that style is very prevalent all over that part of the gulf. Open for breakfast and lunch you could start your morning with local roasted coffee, a housemade muffin, pastry or strudel and move on the Bourbon Street croissant. How about a nice quiche with house baked bread for toast. Lunch has that same great bread in several sandwich options like a pulled pork po'boy with coleslaw on top or a shrimp po'boy. Their signature sandwich is the muffelatta which rivals any I have had on Bourbon Street. Don't miss the gumbo. The owner is up at 3am baking her breads, muffins and turnovers so we can enjoy all this homemade goodness. Daily specials like red beans and rice on Monday and jambalaya on Tuesday. Always chef choice fish on Friday. This place is worth a drive so check it out. More details in the guide.

New addition Pub

Since 1959. This place has always had very good food but was a little smoky for the guide. However, you need to try The Pub in Richland. If you have never been or not in quite awhile like me, go back and check it out again. They are most famous for their burgers. They also make homemade potato chips and big beer battered onion rings. All soups are homemade and their fish sandwich is hand battered pollock. You could also try the 14 piece hand battered perch dinner or their 1/2 pound pot roast. They are a bar with TV's for sports and Nascar special wing deals. On Saturday you can stay past 9pm and enjoy the Karaoke! Nice place. 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.