This place has had instant success in Portage. Monelli's Italian Grill & Sports Bar lives up to its name. Nice Italian menu along with burgers, pizza and a large selection of craft beers. Large television screens to watch the game decorate most walls. This is the second location, the first being in Grand Rapids. Lots of appetizers so you can snack through the games. Try the boom boom shrimp or the portabella crostini. Lots of salads like caprese or avocado and strawberry. I had the lasagna which was very good and I especially liked the sauce. My daughter had the vodka sauce and was very impressed. The meatballs are very good and next time I will have spaghetti and meatballs. Look at entrees and you can even get a meatball dinner. They have steak, chicken and fish for dinner including Italian meatloaf and Sicilian marinated steak. They also have paninis wraps and subs. I also want to try their Stromboli soon.

This place is new in 2015. Located in the old Bennigan's, Aubree's Pizzeria and Grill on Kalamazoo's North-East side is a nice place for sports viewing with a beer and a good pizza. Part of a small Michigan chain from Ypsilanti's Depot Town started in 1972. Decent beer selection, lots of pizza options and a full menu of burgers, sandwiches and appetizers. I really liked our pizza which had a very nice crust and tasty sauce. I look forward to going back for the burgers etc.

I read in one of my beer magazines that a bar in Delton was brewing their own beer. I had been past Tujax Tavern many times and thought it was just a small town bar. I decided to check it out for the beer and found a couple of nice brews and a very good restaurant. My beer was a Mud Lake Stout which was very good. It does look and feel like a local bar, but they have a chef and an expanded kitchen which allows them to prepare some pretty impressive stuff. Their burger is fresh ground to their specifications and never frozen. I had a burger and thought it was very good. They make their own bread, pizza crust, salsa and as many other items as they can. The bread is even sold by the loaf from a bread display which can include cookies, croutons and muffins. Next time I want to try the burger with peanut butter and jalapeno jelly. They have daily specials listed on the in house board. They also have a smoker and make great brisket and corned beef. They are well known for burgers, pizza on their house made crust, brisket and their reubens. They have lots of other sandwiches, wraps, salads and appetizers as well. I do want to go back at night and try some chef specials like pan fried walleye or perch. I would also like to try the whitefish Grenoble or one of the pasta dishes. This place was a nice surprise and I can't believe I am just finding it. Nice place and nice people. Check out the guide for more details.

Since 1907. This landmark bar/restaurant sits on historic North Territorial Road which was formerly a horse trail. The historic Inverness Inn sits across from the Inverness Country Club golf course near North Lake not far from Chelsea. The Main dining room is a log cabin with a stone fireplace and a mounted moose head. This bar/restaurant has good food. I liked the burger with homemade potato chips and a Bell's beer. The menu is large with lots of other burgers, appetizers, salads and sandwiches. They also have lots of interesting dinner items like ribs, steak, fish and chicken. They are also known for their south of the border offerings and are reputed to be one of the best places to get pizza in the area. I have lots of things to try on my next visits! They offer a kids menu and some nice desserts, so take the whole family. Live entertainment on Friday and Saturday. They also offer a lighter menu with smaller sized meals. Full bar and neat history make this a must see place. Check out the guide for more details.

New in 2013. At least as a sit down place. Maestro's Pizza at 12th Street and Milham Road by Wedel's Nursery has moved from being a take out place in the nearby party store since 2011 to their own space in the nearby strip mall. The local owners are Matt and Deanna Watson who run this sit down pizza and sandwich place with a full bar. Excellent thin crust pizza cut in triangles so you can fold it and eat it New York style. The dough, sauce and Italian sausage are all homemade. The mushrooms are fresh, not from a can. I am looking forward to my next visit to try the salads and a calzone with a frosty mug of beer. Great location, local owners and excellent food make this a winner. 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!

Italian food with an American flair

This downtown Hastings place is housed in a 100 year old building that used to house the local newspaper. High tin ceilings, brick walls and wood floors give this restaurant an impressive location and atmosphere. The Seasonal Grille is mostly Italian with an American flair. Opened in 2010 with lots of housemade dishes featuring local, seasonal ingredients. Justin Straube likes to change the menu 4-5 times a year. Nightly specials like the pork loin with mango sauce I had or the grilled chicken with citrus sauce my wife had are common. Justin's dad makes an appetizer with homemade andouille, italian sausage and meatballs. Full bar, pizza, sandwiches and seafood make this space complete. Oh, I almost forgot to mention the slice of "mile high" housemade chocolate cake we finished with while listening to live music. This is a very nice, casual place with great atmosphere and food. Check out 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.

Nice place on Green Lake

This place on Green Lake actually has a Caledonia address. Sitting across the lake with a nice view is Maria's Pizza and Italian Restaurant. The pizza is very good either hand tossed or thick crust. Some special pizzas like Hawaiian with coconut or BBQ chicken. Nice pasta dishes as well. We had the manicotti which were hand filled and covered with their delicious, sweet housemade sauce. The lasagna is all housemade as well, along with all their sauces. The sausage is also housemade and mom makes the meatballs. Try the meatball sub or any of their 17 subs. Kids menu is available. Other offerings include American food like fried chicken, hamburgers or fish. They even offer some Mexican items with housemade burrito sauce. Salads and soups include BBQ chicken or taco salad and minestrone, clam chowder or chili soups. Desserts include cannoli, tiramisu or ice cream. No alcohol. Nice simple place with a great location and very good food! Check out the guide for more details and a map.