Kalamazoo dinner recommendations?

Hi Everyone,

My wife and I are going to K-Zoo on Saturday to see a concert at The State Theater. Wondering if anyone had any dinner recommendations for pre-show. We were going to hit up Bell's (probably still will) but their menu looks pretty limited and too casual for our nice evening away from Chicago.

Thanks!

Rob

i have been to these place's in k-zoo

wildbull 139 S. Edwards Street
Kalamazoo, MI 49007
western style ,fun place steak's are ok burger,s are good
& drinks. had the mach. bull there last time i went .


ole peninsula brewpub
200 E Michigan Ave
Kalamazoo, MI 49007

(269) 343-2739
good fod &drinks


sakura 2
6749 S Westnedge Ave
Ste G
Portage, MI 49002

(269) 327-6666
www.sakura2hibachi.com
great food

and hootters on westnedge

I'll be passing through Kalamazoo on Saturday, to. My only stop will be at Sweetwater's Donuts, recently mentioned in the Saveur 100 issue. They're open 24/7, so try to find some time for a snack.

Sweetwater's Donut Mill
2138 South Sprinkle Road
Kalamazoo, MI 49001
(269) 388-4613

3333 Stadium Drive
Kalamazoo, MI 49008
(269) 372-3636

We definitely plan on hitting up Sweetwater's on the way back. If you sign up on their email list, you get 1/2 dozen donuts free.

www.sweetwatersdonuts.com

soltro79 wrote:We definitely plan on hitting up Sweetwater's on the way back. If you sign up on their email list, you get 1/2 dozen donuts free.

http://www.sweetwatersdonuts.com

Thanks for the tip!

My folks live in Kalamazoo. My #1 rec would be Food Dance. Good, fresh ingredients and a pretty creative menu. Great beers on tap (always changing). Also, not too far from the State Theatre.

401 East Michigan Avenue
Kalamazoo, MI‎ - (269) 382-1888‎


Just a block or two from the State is Fandango, which is a tapas place. Also good.

247 South Kalamazoo Mall
Kalamazoo, MI‎ - (269) 226-9800‎


and Epic Bistro...great wine list

359 South Kalamazoo Mall
Kalamazoo, MI 49007-4843

Enjoy the State Theatre! Haven't been there in a while, but they always had some great MI beers on tap there.

stevez wrote:

soltro79 wrote:We definitely plan on hitting up Sweetwater's on the way back. If you sign up on their email list, you get 1/2 dozen donuts free.

http://www.sweetwatersdonuts.com

Thanks for the tip!

I just picked up my free 1/2 dozen. I got a nice assortment of their novelty flavors (mounds bar, german chocolate, etc.) as well as some classics. I also picked up a few other items including some of the best glazed cake donut holes I've ever tasted. The regular chocolate cake donuts are good, but nothing to write home about. I'll report back once I have tried some of the more unusual flavors.

Food Dance seconded, either for brunch or dinner. Their prices are shockingly high for Kalamazoo but the food is high-quality.

Ari's London Grill (British pub) is close to the State Theater and pretty good, semi-casual, small and comfortable, great service and solid British-Indian food:

214 W. Michigan Ave.
269-381-9212

We enjoy Great Lakes Shipping Co. as well, it's not downtown but it's a five-minute drive from the State Theater. It's a chop house, very old-school:

4525 W. KL Ave.
312-375-3650

Webster's is good, it's been some years since I went, but it's one of the "fancier" restaurants in Kalamazoo. It's in the Radisson Hotel downtown. Think small-town "contemporary American" food, but you have your safer steak-and-potatoes, etc. as well. They have a great little bar area, separate from their main dining room, which is one of my favorite places to drink in Kalamazoo:

100 W. Michigan Ave.
269-343-4444

DEFINITELY go to Bell's and enjoy a beer in the garden.

Have a good time!

The Union (http://www.millenniumrestaurants.com/union.php) is owned by the same people as Epic Bistro, and I'd highly recommend either one.

All great suggestions... We ended up having to choose Mangia Mangia because we were pushed on timing and found two empty seats at the bar prior to the show.

It was fine, but hopefully we'll able to try these suggestions the next time we're in Kalamazoo.

also been to the
HANGAR bar&grill
on west main
k-zoo
great burger's ,fries

stevez wrote:I'll be passing through Kalamazoo on Saturday, to. My only stop will be at Sweetwater's Donuts, recently mentioned in the Saveur 100 issue. They're open 24/7, so try to find some time for a snack.

Sweetwater's Donut Mill
2138 South Sprinkle Road
Kalamazoo, MI 49001
(269) 388-4613

3333 Stadium Drive
Kalamazoo, MI 49008
(269) 372-3636

Stopped by on Saturday afternoon. Been getting Sweetwater's for years.

Also grabbed some items from Ray Rays. Friend and I split a Maxwell St Polish, MJ Burger, Italian Beef (wet w/sweet peppers).

Maxwell St Polish we both thought was terrific, coarse grind, great flavor.

Italian Beef was very good also, the gravy was more flavored like a French Dip au jus as opposed to the gravy we're used to in Chicago area.

MJ Burger was just ok, burger was cooked very well. We didn't ask, but if the burger could be cooked to a MR or Med, it would have likely been a very good burger.

Ray Rays Italian Beef & Sausage
1715 Miller road
Kalamazoo, MI 49001
FB URL: https://www.facebook.com/rayrayskzoo/?r ... 8059982758

I've had the opportunity to gig semi-regularly in Kalamazoo these past few years and want to put a star next to Shawarma King, particularly Shawarma King #3 on Drake Road, where the owner hangs out. The entryway is a kiosk of excellent imports from mahmoul and coffee to multiple varieties of sumac and pickles. I commend the specials board and the Lebanese drink fridge from yogurt to sodas. The shawarma is subtle, but not dry - very steaky for the beef and whole-roast flavor for the chicken. The real stars are the Iraqi kebab, hummus, shell-shaped kibbeh, grape leaves, and fattoush with their ultra-thin pita. Their chili lime fries are really funky and umami-satiating like some of the oilier imported Aleppo pepper, and served with some lethal toum. Worth the upcharge.