The ethnic variety of restaurants around Kalamazoo has really grown. In nearby Mattawan we now have Nonla Vietnamese Street Food. Located downtown in a building that used to be Kazoopy's. The space is small but does have an outdoor patio in good weather. They also seemed to do a good carryout business. Street food is mostly pho or "noodle soup" and banh mi which means wheat bread and refers to sandwiches. These sandwiches use a bread much like baguettes due to the French influence in Vietnam. They then spread mayonnaise on the bread and add meat, pickles, cucumbers, jalapenos and other veggies. It seems most street food is in one dish. We tried the braised ginger chicken in a clay pot, which is a rice dish all in one bowl. It was very good and featured a marinade including star anise, cloves, cinnamon, pepper, jalapenos and fennel. This was served on jasmine rice with a fried egg on top. They do have a dessert of the day as well as a variety of soft drinks. Great addition to the food scene in this area! Check out the guide for more details.

Since 2014. Located in the former space of Arie's London Grill. This place has a very Michigan theme. Starting with the name The Lost Raven to honor the lost days when the Raven was common in lower Michigan and is now relegated mostly to the U.P. and the tip of the lower peninsula. The ingredients are mostly from Michigan including the beers, wines and spirits. I started with a "Michigan" mule using Michigan vodka along with their house made ginger beer. My wife had a special cocktail using Michigan made gin and fresh blueberries. For my meal I had a sandwich called the peachy pig made using peachy pulled pork, bacon, onion peach jam and arugula on a nice locally made bun. Very good! My wife had the crispy whitefish with tomato, greens and pesto mayo on brewers bread. I had a taste of that as well and it was also very good. They offer some very original items. Appetizers include pub poutine with nettle-leek gravy, truffle crème fraiche and Michigan cheddar curds. Also, try the great lakes fish cakes made with house smoked Lake Superior whitefish and arugula pesto. Soups include roasted lily using seasonal lilies, herbs, bread crisp and white cheddar. Nice selection of salads like pulled pork or steak and blue cheese. Other sandwiches are offered including veggie or burgers. Pasta dishes looked good with offerings like marinara and primavera as well as chicken and pork belly alfredo. After 4pm the menu broadens to include cassoulet, 1/2 chicken, tomato and fennel whitefish, lamb shank and top sirloin. This is a true Michigan farm to table place with a very nice atmosphere and very good food made in an open kitchen by people who care. A must visit place for our area!

New in 2014. Peruvians moved to our area to be close to family after retirement. Unable to find any Peruvian restaurants in the entire state of Michigan, they drove to Chicago when they craved their favorite foods from their homeland. Now, they have blessed our corner of the state with El Inka a Peruvian Bistro in Kalamazoo. Nice comfortable space with native decorations on the walls. They had a rotisserie oven shipped from Peru so they could bring pollo a lo brasa to us. The whole chickens are marinated in Peruvian spices and cooked rotisserie style. This is now their signature dish. I had purple corn drink to start which was interesting. We tried aji de gallina which was a creamy yellow sauce over chicken and potatoes and topped with a slice of hard boiled egg. Also, try the ceviche which is raw fish marinated in citrus and chilis and is the most popular dish in Peru. We did try dessert as well which was rice pudding with a little cinnamon and warm fruit compote on top. Very good! I have never heard of most dishes offered here so this will be an adventure as we return to try many other dishes. They have applied for a license to sell alcohol in the future. Check out the guide for more details.

This place is my favorite breakfast place. I have a lot of ones I really like, but this is the one. Most people do not even know about this place. They have never advertised and I didn't know they existed for their first 21 years even though I had walked and driven by many times. A friend with a cottage in Saugatuck asked if I had ever been to Ida Red's Cottage? I thought it was a rental. After he told me, I had to check it out. I have been going every chance I get since then. It is small with limited hours and the wait to get in is usually long. However, if you like everything made from scratch using only the best and freshest ingredients, you have to go get in line. The homemade raspberry muffins are perfect. Especially with a glass of fresh squeezed orange or grapefruit juice. Lots of omelets and other egg dishes. (Check the specials board) Great pancakes and waffles. Everything has a unique twist from Asian, Greek, or Spanish to whatever the cook wants to do that day. My wife loves the potato pancakes which are not a regular item. I would drive a hour just to have breakfast here. As long as I have been going, the same people seem to work there. This is as good as it gets. Check 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.

Since 2013. New to Kalamazoo, a Battle Creek mainstay has opened a second location. Hogzilla BBQ Pit brings real award winning pit BBQ to a new market. This place only has 2 or 3 tables and is mostly carryout. The menu is limited but offers some very good items like pulled pork, pulled chicken, brisket and rib tips. You can also order 1/4 & 1/2 BBQ chicken or 1/4, 1/2 & full racks of spare ribs. They also offer smoked sausage, chicken wings and Friday catfish fry. I liked the sides as well, especially the mac & cheese. They also have coleslaw, potato salad, spaghetti & bbq baked beans. Cornbread is also good. I had the pulled pork which was very tender with their unique bbq sauce which seems more vinegar based than most in the area. I did request a hot bbq sauce which came out thick and it was as hot as I would want. They do offer a couple of salads with one including smoked chicken. I want to try that on my next visit.

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 2001. However, Timothy's Restaurant at the Gordon Beach Inn is in a building that opened in 1924. Very cool atmosphere in this old fashioned inn. Tim Sizer is a well trained and well traveled chef that has a unique philosophy to cooking which combines contrasting features of color, texture and flavors to make your meal an experience. He was runner up in Best Chef America. I started with the homemade clam chowder which was excellent. They are also known for their fire roasted tomato bisque. They have appetizers like crab cakes, calamari and bang bang shrimp as well. My entrée choice was fish which was a horse radish crusted Michigan whitefish with balsamic glaze and lemon aoli. My wife had the salmon with an Asian sesame sauce. My friend had the walleye with strawberries and a sauce I can't recall. This really is unlike any other fish place I have been. Not that fish is all they do. Also, try the ribs, lamb, duck, steaks, chicken or pasta dishes. All are served uniquely in Tim Sizer style. Other fish offerings include scallops, sea bass or grouper(coconut macadamia nut crusted)! I will try the grouper next time. They have sandwiches, salads and a full bar with a decent wine list. All desserts are made in house. Special 10 entrée's for $10 are offered in the off season so...no reason not to make the trip. The hours are limited off season so be sure to check the guide for more details.

New in 2013. The latest Millennium Group offering is now open in Portage. The Centre Street Tap House is similar to the Central City Tap House located downtown Kalamazoo connected to the Epic Bistro. Portage has more room than downtown and easier parking. Great atmosphere and lots of TVs to watch the game. I like the lamb sliders or the bangers and mash. Nice burger selection along with many other sandwiches. Lots of great appetizers including tater tots and deviled eggs. For entrees, try the gourmet mac and cheese or the flat iron steak. Like craft beer? Large selection with both local and international quality beers both on tap and in bottles. The wine lovers can buy by the glass and they even have wine on tap! This place did a good job for us the second day they opened, so it looks like a nice addition to Portage.

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 in 2011. This place near Gun Lake in the former O'Neil's Restaurant has quickly become a favorite. Called Sand Bar & Grill, they have renovated this place inside and out including a very nice outdoor deck. It is both a family welcoming restaurant with a kids menu and a nice place for drinks in the comfortable bar area. They patty their own burgers including one made with Italian sausage. These are served on a pretzel bun. Try the housemade white chicken chili which has won several awards. They have a long list of appetizers including a meatball bucket, sliders or thick cut onion rings. We tried the all meat skewers in a bucket. We ordered 3 with shrimp and 3 with steak. On a second visit my wife had the shrimp and chicken. The bucket was filled with grilled veggies and the meat was quality and cooked perfectly. I highly recommend these. They have lots of other sandwiches, wraps and paninis as well as steaks and pastas. Nightly specials and a full bar with several craft beers makes this worth a trip. Nice place and nice people! The owners work there everyday. Check out the guide for more details.

This place is new in 2013. In a great spot on top of the hill overlooking South Haven's harbor and lighthouse is Taste small plates & martinis. They do have big plates if you like with offerings like a filet, catfish, ribs or blackened chicken. We went for the small plates. My wife had their chicken sandwich with avocado and swiss on a butter roll and would go right back for that same one again! I had the pork flautas which were tasty as well. Others are mussels, Cuban shrimp, catfish or bay scallops scampi. They have several others and even cold plates with cold smoked salmon, crab napoleon or meat, cheese & olive. The last one uses brie and manchego for the cheeses. Soups include their signature tomato parmesan bisque and a daily special. They offer some salads like the goat cheese and beet or heirloom spinach. Small kids menu. Full bar with martinis being the specialty. Last but not least check out the desserts like blueberry mouse or bananas foster crepes. Great view from the front west corner seats. Check out the guide for more details.

New Southern Comfort place

This place does not look like much from the outside with need of updating and a gravel parking lot, however HamBone Café near Fennville and Saugatuck is redone on the inside of the building which is very nice and comfortable. The menu is the draw with meats being slow cooked on site along with biscuits made from scratch. How about the lunch I had, featuring a bowl of pinto beans with their delicious ham served with a grilled cornbread muffin and green onions. Soup or salad came prior.  Try their hand breaded chicken fried steak for breakfast or dinner. Cover the biscuits or the chicken fried steak with their homemade sausage gravy. Lots of omlets, pancakes and French toast offerings for breakfast as well as your toast or lunch sandwich will be made with house baked bread or some from a local bakery. Even the bacon is thick sliced and smoked. Use for lunch as well on their xtreme BLT with five slices! The ham is "bone in" and so is the ribeye steak which is offered for dinner. You could even get the ribeye with tiger shrimp either grilled or deep fried. For dinner they also offer pork chops with apple chutney, pot roast  or roast turkey dinner with stuffing. Kids menu available. No alcohol. Don't miss desserts like Texas sheet cake, peach cobbler or Kentucky butter cake. The cook is proud of his food and will come out to see how everyone liked their meal. Check out the guide for more details.

I had heard the Tapas place in Benton Harbor had closed and a new, very good restaurant had opened in the same space. Near the Pipestone Mall is Cravings Bistro and Pub which opened in 2012. This place is a little hard to describe so here goes...casual, steak and seafood with a Cuban emphasis. Very unique menu with appetizers such as plantain chips & salsa or jumbo blue crab & corn cakes. One of their salads features goat cheese. I started my meal with their signature lobster bisque made with real crab and a touch of sherry. Excellent! Main dishes include lime cilantro chicken breast, guava BBQ chicken, plantain encrusted salmon or try the 20oz porterhouse. For pasta lovers how about portabella mushroom ravioli or Thai shrimp penne. I went for the house paella with pulled pork, sausage, saffron rice and ficama which they kicked up to extra spicy per my request. Also excellent! They have seafood or vegetarian paella as well. Sides include South American green rice, fried sweet plantains or mac & cheese. They are open for lunch with burgers like the South American burger using a  mix of chorizo and beef or other sandwiches like pulled pork or their Cuban. Kids menu, full bar and live entertainment on Thursdays make this a happening place. These people love food and love sharing it with you. Check out the guide for more details.

Since 1992. This place is a landmark. Clara's on the River in Battle Creek is located in the former Michigan Central Depot train station which was built in 1888. It is worth a visit just to tour the building and read about its history. This place has the largest fireplace I have ever seen in a restaurant. Great atmosphere and a 17 page menu that will allow everyone in your party to find something they like. Known for Sunday brunch and for great drink selections in their bar(several ice cream drinks). They also have good food of all types from burgers and pizza to ribs. I went for lunch and had their chili which was very good along with a rueben which also was very good. Nice place for family outings or business lunches. Right on the river with a nice view and an outdoor patio looking over the river in nice weather.

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.

Great view of the lake with "low country" food

New in 2012. This place has a great view of the Lake with lots of windows making Fat Cam's at Garver Lake worth the drive to the Edwardsburg area. The facility is two floors with a nice open atmosphere. The food is very good with lots of "low country" influence. The sandwiches for lunch are not ordinary. How about a shrimp po'boy with remoulade sauce or bbq pulled turkey? They do have other sandwiches and burgers as well. Appetizers include crab fritters. Other "low country" cuisine starts after 4pm and you can try the one I had called Gumbo Ya-Ya which is their signature item. It is southern stew with shrimp, andouille sausage, turkey and veggies served over rice with some great hush puppies. Also, check out the blackened catfish or the bayou pasta tossed in a cajun alfredo. They do offer a ribeye steak and even have one offered on the kids menu. Chicken breast, salmon or a porterhouse pork chop round out the dinner menu. Full bar with mojitos and lots of micro-brew selections with local influence. For dessert do not miss their already famous bread pudding! Nice place with great view and very good food. Check out the guide for more details.

New breakfast place added

This Portage breakfast joint is worth a visit. The Daily Grind Cafe just north of West Lake is very cozy with very good food and great service. You can sense the owners pride in all areas. The omlets are excellent and filled to the max with quality ingredients. The sausage is ground fresh daily. The bacon is thick sliced and the steaks are tender. My toast and potatoes were done just right. On an earlier visit I had the crunchy french toast with corn flakes cooked into the batter. They also make homemade biscuits and gravy. With that they won the "best breakfast" in Kalamazoo county award from the gazette. I have not tried the burgers for lunch which are also fresh ground, however they won 2nd place for their burgers in the gazette as well. Cozy place with good food and local owners working everyday in the place! What more do you want? Check out the guide for more details.

West Lake Drive In has reopened!!

Since 1962. This place has been a landmark in Portage and even opened one year before Portage was a city. Now with only its second owner in its history, the Neeb family has reopened one of my favorite spots. Many people love the West Lake Drive In and the good news is the Neebs are going to keep it open until the end of October. Gravel parking lot and beautiful view of West Lake make this setting one of a kind. The food is the other draw. I really like the burgers including the olive burger. The fries are good and so are the onion rings. I also really like the perch sandwich while my wife loves the grilled cheese. I always get a milk shake although they do have very good root beer. I hope this place stays unchanged including the carhop service. Since the Neebs grew up on the lake they know what makes this place special. Good luck to them and thanks.

Good Mexican fast food

New location in 2012, original opened in 1967. Because I really liked the first two locations of this Mexican fast food place, I was very happy to see Taco Boy open in Plainwell. In 1985 while doing contract work in Mt. Pleasant, a former CMU student introduced me to this family owned place. Later we discovered the "original" location on Plainfield Avenue in Grand Rapids. I have been stopping by there for years on our way "up north". I like the green meat and bean burrito(super). They now have 7 locations still run by the family. Their claim to fame is the fresh homemade quality ingredients. Refried beans are hand sorted and made fresh from scratch everyday at each location. The beef has chunks of beef in it and the spicy pork is chunked as well. Great hot sauce and generous portions. They are good hearted people that treat their employees well and do not waver on quality ingredients. This new location has some grand opening jitters, but give it a chance and I am sure it will be up to par soon. Check the guide for more details.