Fricano's of Alamo

Last night Aimee and I were debating about where to go for dinner. She was craving pizza, but I had pizza for lunch on Friday and was looking for something different. We made a compromise and chose an Italian restaurant that is pretty close to our home.

We decided to go to Fricano’s of Alamo. Even though Fricano’s has a Kalamazoo address, they are actually located in Alamo Township.

We arrived at about 8 PM and found the restaurant was still quite busy. We decided to sit closer to the bar because it felt a little more private as the main dining room was pretty full.

We were quickly greeted by a very friendly waitress named Kaylei. To start with, Aimee ordered a Martini and I ordered a Bell’s Amber Ale. I love Bell’s Beer and have not had an Amber Ale in a while so it sounded pretty good. We were not sure how the Martini would be because it was not on the menu.

Martini and Bell's Amber Ale

The beer was great as usual but Aimee’s martini was not as dirty as she hoped it would be so Kaylei brought out some extra olive juice. While this does fix the problem of the taste to a degree, it would have been much better if it was shaken into the drink. Aimee was not asked what kind of vodka she wanted in the martini and in hindsight we should have specified. We have a feeling that it was the cheap well vodka because the taste just wasn’t there and the drink was so inexpensive on our bill.

Caesar Salad and Bread

For our meals, Aimee ordered a mushroom and olive pizza. I was torn between the Italian sausage with peppers in a marinara sauce served over penne or my old Italian food standby: chicken fettuccine alfredo. I was torn so I asked Kaylei which one she liked more and she said that they both are very good, but she would order the fettuccine alfredo so I took her advice. Aimee ordered a side Caesar salad to go with her pizza and I also chose the Caesar salad as my side. I could have chosen two other salad styles or the minestrone soup.

Fricano's Pizza

Our salads were quite good and we were also brought out Italian bread with oil and herbs for dipping. The salad was fresh and the dressing was excellent. The Italian bread was simple, but has a nice flavor and was excellent dipped in the olive oil and herbs.

Aimee loved her pizza. Fricano’s still uses the same pizza recipe that they used when they first opened in Alamo Township back in 1979. Their pizza is excellent. It only comes as a 12” size and it has a very thin and crispy crust. The sauce, cheese and toppings were all perfect.

Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

I also thoroughly enjoyed my meal. The pasta was excellent, the sauce was rich and creamy, and the grilled chicken was prepared perfectly. The portion was large which is great because it let me have some leftovers for lunch on Sunday.

Fricano’s may be a little out of the way for some, but it is definitely worth the trip. We like the environment. It’s the perfect family place or a great place to dine with friends. Down to the simple red and white checkered table cloths to the locals stopping in for a quick beer, Fricano’s is famous for a reason. We can’t wait to go back in the summer. The views from the table side are beautiful farm fields with plenty of deer grazing on the warm, sunny grass.

Fricano’s of Alamo
7454 North 6th Street
Kalamazoo, MI 49009
(269) 342-0808

Erbelli's

This past Saturday night Aimee and were both hungry for pizza. That means one thing for us, Erbelli’s Pizza. If you have never tried Erbelli’s then you are missing out. They are hands down the best pizza in Kalamazoo.

Erbelli’s has a location in Portage, and in Kalamazoo. We prefer going to the Kalamazoo location off of Stadium because it is closer to home and it is larger and more modern. They have recently remodeled and included a large bar that is really sharp looking.

The restaurant was packed when we got there so we grabbed two seats at the bar and we were happy to see that Mike was working. Mike is a very personable bartender that makes a mean martini. As we debated which style of pizza to get, we ordered the Crazy Caesar Salad and to drink I ordered a Cabin Fever Brown Ale from New Holland Brewing Company and Aimee ordered a dirty martini.

Crazy Caesar Salad

The brown ale was a bit sweet and malty and an overall good brew. Aimee really likes the dirty Martini’s made by Mike. He topped them off with a variety of stuffed green olives. We were disappointed in the Caesar salad. The romaine lettuce was a bit too yellow, the croutons were from a bag, and the salad dressing was in packets from T. Marzetti. We feel that with the quality of food that Erbelli’s offers, they should be able to handle making their own croutons and having a salad dressing that is made in house and not served in a packet. Overall, the salad was nothing special that you could not make in a couple of minutes at home.

Erbelli's Square Pizza

For our pizza, we were torn of whether to order the pan or the square style crust. We decided to order the square because we always get the pan. Our pizza was half pepperoni and jalapenos and half mushrooms and jalapenos. As usual, the pizza was amazing. Everything about it is good. The crust is not too heavy or think and is nice and crisp. The sauce is truly one of a kind. It is the perfect blend of sweet and savory. They use just the right amount amount of cheese and only high quality toppings. You can also see and taste the flakes of parsley and oregano sprinkled over the top. We thoroughly enjoyed our pizza and luckily have enough left over for lunch on Sunday. After the meal we relaxed and talked a bit with Mike the bartender. I ordered a Bell’s Two Hearted Ale which is one of my all time favorite brews. It is a very hoppy India Pale Ale with a very floral bouquet.

Erbelli’s is really the best pizza restaurant in Kalamazoo and we try to go there at least once a month. Overall, you are safe to order everything on the menu as it is all top quality food. The only exception is the salads, which are slightly uninspiring.

Erbelli’s Gourmet Pizza
6214 Stadium Drive
Kalamazoo, MI.
269-375-0408