This time I got them carry out from the Erbelli’s Portage location. I ordered a 14 inch Erbie bread and two pan pizzas which were the New Yorker and the Captain Shish Kabob Pizza. The Erbie bread is always a hit. The cheesey goodness and garlic and Italian seasonings makes it the best cheezie bread in town. The New Yorker is for anyone who loves pepperoni. This pizza has two different kinds of pepperoni. It has a large cut pepperoni under the cheese and then their regular on top. It is loaded with flavor and the kids loved it. The Captain Shish Kabob Pizza is a little bit more oriented for adult taste buds as it was not like any pizza the kids have ever had before. The adults loved this pizza though. On this one, instead of pizza sauce, it is Erbelli’s own buttermilk ranch and Frank’s Red Hot for it’s base. On top is marinated grilled chicken, smoked applewood bacon, mozzarella cheese, sliced red onions, green peppers, juicy pineapple and sharp cheddar cheese then it’s swirled with our tasty BBQ sauce. I’ve never had a pizza quite like this. My brother-in-law could not get enough of it.

I wanted to take some pictures of the food but I had to take the dog out for a quick walk when I got home. When I got back, I found that everyone was already divouring the food so it was too late for a good picture of what these masterpiece pizzas looked like.

So, if you are in the mood for Kalamazoo and Portage’s best pizza, you can rest assured that you can find it at either of Erbelli’s locations.

Erbelli’s award in the Best Pizza category comes as no surprise. The restaurant has earned awards in this category for years, including a spot in the 2000 Readers’ Choice Awards and five years running as the Best Gourmet Specialty Pizza at the Portage Pizza Fest. This year, however, they moved up to the number one spot to claim the top award for the entire area.

Another award Erbelli’s is proud to accept is the #1 Best Italian Restaurant in the area. Past of this win is attributed to dedicated owner Greg Erb’s frequent visits to Italy to pick up new ideas and concepts. As a result, diners enjoy authentic Italian flavors and get the full experience of a welcoming Italian restaurant. Additionally, Erbelli’s was also voted the first runner-up for Best Family Restaurant and the #1 Best Place for Lunch in the Kalamazoo area.

A new award for Erbelli’s this year was the #1 Best Wait Staff award. This is a huge honor for Erbelli’s. At the restaurant, they have always placed a high value on service, training wait staff for at least two or three weeks before letting them take tables on their own. Plus, waiters and waitresses at Erbelli’s pride themselves on getting to know customers by name, which adds a personal touch to the dining experience.

With the recent expansion of Erbelli’s to include a full bar, it’s a huge honor for them to be included in the Best Martinis category. Erbelli’s earned the second runner-up spot in this section.

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