Little Foodie in the kitchen

Foodie friends! We know it's been awhile. We've been busy chasing around this little one year old! But we promise we will be back in the swing of things soon.

In the meantime, here is a pic of Little Foodie exploring the kitchen.

See you soon.

Plainwell Ice Cream

You may find it hard to believe that this Foodie has lived in Kalamazoo for 5 years (almost to the day) and JUST visited Plainwell Ice Cream for the first time.  My friends, it is true. We jumped in the car and make the trek out to Plainwell - construction and all - to meet our friends for some ice cream.

So, what's the big deal about Plainwell Ice Cream? Well, a few things in my opinion:

1) The sheer number of flavor options! I wish I would have counted them, but I didn't. And, not just your run of the mill chocolate- vanilla- strawberry- cookie-dough business, but some creative ones like Salted Caramel (which I ordered of course!), Key Lime Pie (one of their top summer sellers), and Peanut Butter Fudge (which made its way to Paul's cone!). And, as any good ice cream shoppe should, you could taste flavors before deciding.

Kate's Cone featured: Salted Caramel on the bottom and French Silk on top

Paul's Cone featured: Peanut Butter Fudge on the bottom and Pecan Praline on top

Mr. Foodie's and my cones

2) The quality of the product is high. I don't know the story behind Plainwell Ice Cream (I should remedy that) but the ice cream was creamy, the flavors were distinct and well balanced, and I am guessing the ingredients are of high caliber.

3) That was the best darned waffle cone I have ever had. Period. Made in-house, no doubt.

Little Foodie was digging this treat

4) The staff were friendly and welcoming.  Little Foodie also got in some flirting with the ladies.

5) And the building itself is charming with an old soda-shoppe-type feel.

Long story short, Plainwell Ice Cream is worth the drive. I have had my fair share of excellent ice cream (Check out this post featuring two amazing Columbus, Ohio ice creameries... Jeni's and Graeter's. Both TOP NOTCH) and Plainwell Ice Cream holds its own in this race.


http://www.plainwell.org/cgi-bin/display.pl?uid=129

Confections with Convictions

When Dale Anderson posted the following on the Kalamazoo Foodies Facebook page, we didn't know just what we were in for:

Dear Kalamazoo Foodies: It would be fun to meet you, to talk about delicious food, and to see what you think of our chocolatey treats. First-timers always start with a free sample from the case. Stop by sometime soon! Dale, from Confections With Convictions (116 E. Crosstown Pkwy., Ste, 101, Kalamazoo, MI 49001 (269) 381-9700 www.confectionswithconvictions.com)

After some scheduling issues, we finally made a trip to Confections with Convictions to check them out.  We are so very glad we did! We were greeted by Dale himself  who smiled from behind the case of beautiful treats.  After introductions, Dale starting telling us about each treat as if they were his children. The confections are not only beautiful but they are incredibly flavorful too. He has such thoughtful combinations (my FAVORITE BY FAR: White Chocolate Truffle with Vanilla, Walnut, and Poppy seeds! Who comes up with that?) and quality ingredients.

His story, including his convictions, are on his website. The concept is truly inspiring. Dale is an amazing artist with a keen sense for chocolate. I was delighted when days later I saw him featured on the Maranda show on WOTV 4.

What the foodies tried: Kentucky Sorghum Molasses Caramel with Applewood Smoked Sea Salt & Poppy Seed, Walnut, and Vanilla Truffle

What the foodies bought to take home:
1.  Poppy Seed, Walnut, and Vanilla Truffle X 2
2. 65% Dark with Honeycomb
3. Maple Butter Crunch
4. 72 1/2% Ecuadorian/Peruvian Blend Truffle

Even Little Foodie was in wonderment!
He couldn't stop staring in the case even though he wasn't able to try any of the treats

Next time, Little Foodie, next time.

five forks out of five

Little Foodie Lately

Checking out the menu at the Kalamazoo Beer Exchange

First Trip to the Farmer's Market

Enjoying the Farmer's Market

Not old enough for a beer at Bell's just yet. I guess this water will have to do!

Walking with daddy in the Bell's beer garden

Covered in blueberries and getting sleepy!

Kalamazoo Beer Exchange (for Dinner)

A few notes before we dive into this exciting post...

1) This is our first sponsored post! Thanks, Downtown Kalamazoo, Inc. for your support of Kalamazoo Foodies. You like us, you really do! ;)

2) I am excited to introduce the newest addition to the Kalamazoo Foodies blogging team... PAUL, aka Mr. Foodie.  Mr. Foodie joins me for most meals, and though he won't accept the title, is also a total foodie. I believe he will bring a great new perspective considering he is male AND he eats red meat - not exclusively, but sometimes. . . like at this meal where he had the meatloaf!

Little Foodie checking out the beer board

What Kate Ate: Bar Chips with House Made French Onion Dip and Roasted Wild Mushroom Crepes

 This was not our first trip to the Kalamazoo Beer Exchange. We went a few years ago for Paul's birthday and had appetizers and beer. We've also been a few other times for drinks. We have always liked the beer menu as we typically are able to find some of our favorites, but had not really had much off the menu. We had a free evening and the opportunity to dine in Downtown Kalamazoo, so we thought that we would give the menu a shot.

As you can see, Little Foodie was along for the ride. You may be thinking, 'a baby at the Beer Exchange? That seems inappropriate!'   You know, we weren't even sure about it, so we called ahead to make sure they had high chairs. What do you know, THEY DO! This place is GREAT for kiddos. It's loud enough that your child doesn't bother others with noise. There are lots of things to look at and distract them. Only warning... when the market crashes, there is a very loud siren that may startle your child. Hopefully, they will rebound quickly like ours did, but it definitely was scary for a minute or two.

Bar Chips with French Onion Dip

Alright, onto the food... we splurged a bit and went for the Bar Chips mainly because, well, we don't get out a whole lot anymore and they sounded good. GOOD SPLURGE. When they arrived, Paul and I looked at each other with that, 'there is no way we will eat all of these .' However, we made a pretty sizable dent. The chips are perfectly seasoned, not too greasy, just the right cut/thickness and hard to resist. Add the French onion dip and you have an unbeatable combo. I highly recommend this zero calorie (yeah right!) treat!

Roasted Wild Mushroom Crepes

Now let's talk dinner. I was intrigued by many things on this menu. There are some tasty sounding sandwiches, a salad or two that had some prime ingredients, but the Roasted Wild Mushroom Crepes just kept calling me back. One reason... the caprese salad on the side. You know how I feel about a caprese salad, right? Then, the description of the crepes themselves (spinach, boursin, balsamic drizzle) contained all things I love. So, the crepes it was. This dish was really great and really unexpected. Previously, when I thought of the Beer Exchange, I thought about bar food, maybe glorified bar food at best. So wrong. This plate could have been served at any number of fine dining establishments. The caprese was fresh and really everything you could want in a caprese - thick slices of fresh mozzarella. Huge basil leaves. Firm but still juicy tomatoes, and a balsamic drizzle that danced over the crepes as well. And the crepes? I took my first bite and was floored. No ingredient stands out, they dance together nicely wrapped up in the light crepe. Only possible complaints were that the mushrooms took FOREVER to cool down, and the spinach was in large pieces which slid out when trying to grab a bite. The spinach issue may be fixable. Mushrooms stay hot, I get that. But, honestly, this dish was a real surprise and one that made me move the Kalamazoo Beer Exchange up on the list of places to go for a great meal in Kalamazoo.

And, special shout out to Cody, our fantastic server. He was super  knowledgeable about both the beverage and food menus, made great recommendations, seemed like he is a big fan of the food (which I think shines through clearly for some servers and is something I love to see personally), and was really friendly. He even got some huge smiles and played "peekaboo" in with Little Foodie.

All in all, a great dining experience. I do believe we will be hitting up the Kalamazoo Beer Exchange again -  hopefully soon!

four golden forks out of five

What Paul Ate: Bar Chips with House Made French Onion Dip and Home-style Meat Loaf

I would echo Kate's take on the Bar Chips.  They were just the right thickness, seasoned perfectly, and fried without being greasy.  I could have eaten them all night long.

Great outdoor seating... perfect for festival watching

Now as to my entree, I happen to be a meatloaf connoisseur, or at least think I am.  I've had it in lots of greasy spoons and in many a sports bar.  My mother makes a good meat loaf and I make a mean turkey meat loaf (yes, I still consider that meatloaf).  The Beer Exchange's version happened to be very good, but it was the sum of the parts that made it great.  

The meatloaf was seasoned nicely without overpowering the meat itself.  The mushroom and onion ragout had a deep, dark, red tint and unique taste, almost like they deglazed the pan with burgundy.  The garlic mashed potatoes were fluffy and delicious.  The peas and carrots were, well, peas and carrots.  However, they didn't have that fresh from a can taste; they actually tasted fresh.  

There was so much on my plate I could not finish it all.  I'm sure that gorging on Bar Chips prior to the main course had something to do with that, but this is a meal that will certainly leave you satisfied.  

I will also say that Cody was a great help, especially with beer selection.  I am sure a lot of you may disagree with me, but hoppy beers are awful.  Much to my chagrin, it seems like the "it" thing for brewers to do is add as many hops as they can to their beer.  Some day they will brew quintuple hops brews and I will cry.  But I digress...I told Cody what I did and did not like in a beer.  Cody suggested the New Belgium Heavenly Feijoa, and he was on the money.  Crisp, clean, refreshing, slightly fruity, tart, and completely pleasing to the palate. It went well with both the chips and the meatloaf.  I will have to track this one down in the future.  The only bad part was that I purchased it prior to the price drop a few minutes later when it was $2.00 cheaper.  That's what you get when you play the Beer Market, I guess.

I had a great time and a great meal.

four golden forks out of five

Little Foodie endorsed!

Check out the Kalamazoo Beer Exchange for yourself!

Little Foodie getting big!

Our little foodie is getting so big!
Look at him helping daddy with his delicious homemade sweet potato puree!

East Egg (Richland)

That One Breakfast with Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, House Potatoes with Cheese and Onions, and a Pancake (First and Second Visit), and Crepes with Strawberry Compote and Yogurt with Granola (Third Visit)

This post is long overdue,I realize. As are a few others (can we say "anniversary dinner in December!?!"),  but better late then never, right?

I had been to East Egg once before. The one in Portage. For lunch. And, was unimpressed. Nothing too fancy. The food was ok. I wasn't planning on going back.

During our first visit after a lovely hike with our friends!

Then our friends who also have a little one suggested a morning of fun including a family hike and breakfast at East Egg in Richland. Sounds fun, right? So, off we went on our adventure. And, an adventure it was. We got really turned around on our hike and ended up having to walk a large section on a busy road. Oh well, as ended with no incidents. Next, it was off to breakfast.

East Egg was highly recommended by them. And, we love breakfast, truly we do. I was not surprised by the bright and cheery decor. It was much like the location in Portage. Bright colors. Lots of sun. A nice spot to wake you up! They also recommended several items from the menu including corned beef hash. Mr. Foodie jumped on that option, while I declined and ordered a large breakfast for my hungry self.

The food was delivered to our table, and it didn't look unlike other breakfasts I had. And, in many ways, it is a common breakfast-type joint. But, the difference is the care that goes into crafting these plates and the fresh ingredients they are using.

Visit #2! Eating pears with Grandma Marme.

The house potatoes with cheese and onions (there is an upcharge for that) were OUTSTANDING! So good. My mouth is watering now thinking about them. And, holy pancake, Batman! I love pancakes, and this one is up near the top of my list. Fluffy. Flavorful. A perfect sponge for the maple syrup. YUM!

I was so blown away with East Egg for breakfast (did I mention that all their breakfasts are under $7???) that we went back the following weekend when my parents came for a visit. And, I ordered the exact same thing. (And, note the picture, Lil' Foodie was in on the fun this time!)

I was there again this past weekend with a group of other mom friends and their babies and branched out to try the crepes with strawberry compote and the yogurt with granola. Another home run. The crepes were thicker than I am used to with crepes, but they were soft and the strawberries were the perfect compliment.

 All that said, I would go back to the one in Portage to try breakfast, though the Richland location is more conveniently located to our home.

Do not overlook East Egg. There are several locations in the area. The breakfast is outstanding!

four golden forks out of five

 http://www.easteggs.com/

A Future Foodie???

Someone seems to LOVE watching mommy and daddy in the kitchen! How happy does that make this Foodie? SO HAPPY!

The little guy watching daddy make dinner

He is also a regular at a local favorite, Bell's Eccentric Cafe.

Our first trip to Bell's as a family!

A Foodie Hiatus

Well Foodie fans... we will be taking a hiatus as we will be a little tied up for the time being.. 

 I'd like to introduce you to the newest Foodie...  Mr. Isaac.

I promise we will return.