Fourth Coast Cafe

I've kept this place a secret for far too long.

Out of all the little local coffee shop's I've ever been to, this one is by far the best. It gets a gold star in all key areas - food, convenience, friendly staff, atmosphere, and, of course, coffee.

Let me put it this way - I've been buying bags of their house roast coffee from this place for the past two years, despite the fact that it's several hours away from where I live.

Situated amongst student and adult housing near downtown Kalamazoo, Fourth Coast Cafe is a little corner coffee shop that packs personality and taste into a delightful and memorable package.

And yes, you read that correctly. This coffee shop is open 24 hours a day. A college student's dream come true, eh? Couple that with their bottomless coffee deal (unlimited refills for $7.50) and anyone can tackle finals week.

On top of Fourth Coast is a delightful cafe called The Crow's Nest, which serves breakfast all day and is open continuously from Friday morning to Sunday afternoon. This town knows how to cater to nocturnals.

Inside, Fourth Coast is a personality-filled shop with plenty of tables and outlets, corner booths to nestle into, and a long espresso bar in the back.
There's also a bakery in the back, so the coffee shop is always churning out fresh pastries and cookies. Much better than the cardboard-y plastic-wrapped scones that the chain coffee shops dole out.

A sampling of the day's fresh goodies:

Despite my continuing addiction to their muffins, I elected not to purchase a sweet that day and went with my usual coffee order: the Sweet Coast Capp. A classic cappuccino topped off with fresh whipped cream.

Since the coffee here is undeniably delicious, all of their lattes and capps are similarly tasty. You can even buy bags of their beans to take home with you if you're as obsessed as I am. And while they only have one or two types of beans available on sale per day, the store purchases from an enormous bean catalog and will order any bag of coffee a customer wants for in-store pickup. GENIUS!
In keeping with the nautical theme of the shop's name, Fourth Coast Cafe names all their specialty drinks after ship parts. One of my boyfriend's favorites is the Walk the Plank - a shaker full of espresso.
Fortunately for his cardiac system, he chose a less caffeinated cappuccino.

His sweet tooth was a little stronger than mine that day, so he also grabbed a vegan brownie.

I was also pleasantly surprised to see that Fourth Coast has begun selling merchandise. As an avid fan, I couldn't resist without grabbing something to take home with me....

For only $4? How could I not?

If you liked what you saw here, or if you're just a fan of coffee in general, you should follow this link to vote for Fourth Coast to win the Celebrated Service Award (the shop is listed under Portage, MI). 

Getting first prize would earn this shop a well-deserved $5,000 bonus, and you'd get karma points. It's that simple.

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Ann Arbor Restaurant Week

Hey everyone!

This post is just a friendly reminder that if you're going to be in or near Ann Arbor next week, you're a nobody if you're not checking out the delicious food that this town has to offer.

That's right, next week is Restaurant Week.

What is Restaurant Week? you might be asking yourself.

Restaurant Week in Ann Arbor is a foodie's paradise. 55 restaurants between State St. and Main St. combine forces to deliver delicious specials and two or three course meals at affordable prices.

It's basically my Christmas.

If you feel like pampering yourself with a night out, go for a restaurant's dinner special, which usually costs $28 for three courses. Or, if you're a student still feeling the sting of recent textbook bill, grab your friends together for a lunch at any participating restaurants. Some charge $15 for a two course meal, while others are selling a buy-two-entrees-for-$15 lunch special.

To get more info on participating restaurants and specific menus, click here.

And if you're not sure which restaurant to go to, feel free to check out the ones I've reviewed that are hosting specials next week.

Gratzi

Amadeus Restaurant

The Blue Tractor BBQ and Brewery

Frita Batidos

Grange Kitchen and Bar

Jolly Pumpkin Cafe and Brewery

Mahek

Mani Osteria & Bar

Marnee Thai

And if you happen to see me out, shoving guests out of the way to snap pictures of delicious dishes, please disregard my behavior. 

I do it for the food.

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Frita Batidos

After much poking and prodding from my friends (and a healthy dose of curiosity from myself), I finally caved in and went to review Frita Batidos.
Nestled on Washington right past Main St., this casual Cuban restaurant is a bit of a walk for students, but incredibly worth it. After all, when a Top Chef runs a restaurant of affordable burgers, fries, shakes and snacks, you've just gotta give it a chance!
Speaking of affordability, Frita's cuisine and atmosphere mimic that of an outdoor market or food cart. Between the low-priced handhelds and bleached picnic tables, eating here makes you feel like you're basking on the beach in the Cuban sun. I can imagine myself coming here often to escape the harsh Michigan winter.

I met Matt for a late lunch on Saturday afternoon. Since it was game day, Matt was reppin his U of M pride.

 
After a few confusing moments of reading the menu (here's a hint: Fritas are the cuban-style burgers topped with fries on a brioche bun, and Batidos are creamy tropical milkshake/smoothies), we settled on two Fritas.

I ordered a fish frita topped with cilantro-lime salsa.

Matt ordered a yummy passion fruit batido...

..and an enormous chicken frita topped with muenster cheese and cilantro-lime salsa.

Since I didn't order a batido, I had to grab something sweet for dessert...
My choice? Churros with chocolate español.

I mistakenly ordered a full order of churros (3), thinking that each one would be pencil-thin and 5-6 inches long. In reality, these monsters are each about the size and width of my forearm.

For those of you who are wondering, the chocolate español is a thick cup of cinnamon-infused hot chocolate.

And yes, the objective with this dish is to dip your churros into the chocolate.

I don't recommend drinking the chocolate plain, but it makes a decadent dipping sauce for your churros! Given the sheer size of this dessert, I recommend coming here with a friend for a sweet afternoon snack.

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DJB's Big Burger

I'm going to let you in on a secret - my favorite burger joint.

Surprisingly, it's not a quaint and colorful down-home fries and burger grease bucket like most would expect. Quite the opposite. Diamond Jim Brady's, generally known as a high-class bistro, happens to be my first stop when I'm craving some serious high-quality burgers and fries for a reasonable price.

Let me give you a quick tour of the restaurant..

See what I mean? Not exactly the place you'd expect to find a great burger. And they certainly aren't the emphasis of this restaurant. After all, the majority of their menu consists of high-priced (but exquisitely made) fish, steak, and chicken entrees, so they generally cater to an upscale crowd. I started going here with my parents awhile back, and generally ordered salmon, potato-encrusted whitefish, etc. However, the light shined on me two years ago when my friend Courtney came out to eat with us and ordered a DJBs Big Burger.

Since then, I've never been able to order anything else off of their menu.

But for now I'll stop babbling and let the pictures communicate....

Let me just interject that these fries are a gift from God. Imagine Arby's curly fries, only thick-cut and 10x tastier. Ketchup would honestly be an insult to these fries.

I believe I've made my point.

But, to emphasize a bit more, let me point out that the basic DJB's burger and toppings with fries is NINE DOLLARS.

You heard me.

NINE DOLLARS.

This is a comparable price to Red Robin's, which sits right across the street, but the flavor and quality of the burgers are anything but comparable.

My addiction to DJB's Big Burger has gotten to the point that my friend Maria and I go here every time we want a reward or to celebrate a recent accomplishment. We even call them our "celebratory burgers.

In addition to the excellent food, I also appreciate DJB's attention to detail, even when serving a simple dish like a burger. When you order one, you won't see a waitress rush by and slam ketchup and mustard bottles down on your table without so much as a glance at you. Instead, your ketchup and mustard are brought to you in adorable little serving dishes.

And, of course, when Maria and I are celebrating something, we must get dessert...

The pick this time was a scrumptious Bud's Brick House Sundae. Gooey, caramely, and delicious (with fresh whipped cream!).

Now that your stomach is rumbling and you're ready for a taste, ditch the chain restaurants and go get your own addiction to DJB's.

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Tomukun Noodle Bar

Just a quick spur-of-the-moment post today, but I have to tell everyone about the delicious dumplings and fresh rolls at Tomukun Noodle Bar. This little Asian joint sits on 505 E. Liberty, and its modern interior makes it a hit during their late night hours (surprisingly, these occurs on Fridays and Saturdays from 10pm - 2 am!). 

While their name highlights their noodle entrees, I have to admit that they are quite pricy, especially considering the numerous cheaper joints just around the corner. However, their hidden gem is their super-cheap appetizer menu!

I don't know about you, but my favorite part of Asian cuisine is the appetizers - gyozas, crab rangoons, fried squid, edamame, etc. So I was delighted by this super-cheap collection at Tomukun:

Dumplings (4) - $3
Pork Buns (2) - $6
Fried Octopus - $3
Edamame - $3
Summer Rolls (2) - $4
Seafood Pancake - $7

Ordering every appetizer would only cost $26, which is an excellent deal if you split the bill with a friend or two! I certainly plan on doing this soon, but for the time being I grabbed dumplings and summer rolls.

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