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.

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Here is a look at their take out menu on the right. Today I got the brisket meal. The meat is flavorful and tender. It comes with a horseradish sauce on the side too. On the side it comes with a crisp coleslaw and backed beans with sausage. It’s a hearty meal that is a great change of pace from other restaurants in the area.

People loved their pulled pork too, but I’m not big on pulled pork in general so I don’t order it often. Their smoked chicken salad sandwich may be my favorite. The smoked chicken really stands out. By far the best chicken salad that I have ever had.

I highly recommend visiting Barrett’s Smoke House. Go their and pickup some of their great smoked meats to go. Be sure to also pick up a take out meal and check out all of their great side dishes that they have in the cooler too.

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A new burger joint has opened up in Kalamazoo. Well, reborn or resurrected may be a better way of putting it. Nisker’s been a local favorite for their char broiled taste with their delicious burgers, dogs, curly fries and all around great menu. Lou Niskers started the business back in 1986 after a career as a professional hockey player.

A few years back, Lou sold the business but it kept the same name. The food was still good, but many locals said that the restaurant was just not the same. The good news for us is that Lou along with two business partners, John Hempel and Earle Martin. Together, they reopened the business as Lou Nisker’s State Burger.

When you first walk in, you see why it is called State Burger. There is a feeling of being on a road trip with the décor of the establishment. As you walk in, you follow the yellow dotted line to the register where you place your order. Trying to figure out what to order the first time is almost overwhelming since the place smells so good and everything on the menu makes you want to try it.

You place your order at the register which is an area that is decorated with license plates from across the country. After you place your order, you take a step to the right and choose what toppings you want for your burger, dog, sandwich or wrap. Again, the toppings look so good it can be hard for some to make a decision. If you are unsure of what to order just go with one of the State burger classics, you can’t go wrong there.

On my first visit earlier in the week, I ordered the organic “New Buffalo Beef-alo Burger.” This 6 oz. organic burger has ½ the calories of lean beef and 75% less cholesterol than a roasted, skinless chicken breast. For a side I had their famous curly fries. The meal was great. I had never had buffalo meat before and I was pleased. I will definitely order it again.

I had an errand for lunch that brought me in the vicinity of Nisker’s State Burger again later in the week and I had to stop in. This time I ordered two chili dogs and an order of curly fries. Next item I think I will just order one chili dog as they are very filling. Their dogs are ¼ pound and are 100% beef. There is something about the way Lou cooks these that make them different than any other dog in town. The chili is made in house from ground sirloin. The buns are made in house every morning and are put on the grill to give them a bit of a crunch and added flavor.

Part of what sets The State Burger apart from other burger joints are what they call “The State Burger Advantage”:

• 100% Prime ground sirloin burgers made fresh daily – No preservatives and never frozen!
• Fresh buns baked daily in their own ovens – original and wheat
• Include as many State toppings or sauces as you wish – 18 different choices
• Homemade marinades (6), sirloin chili, sweet sirloin beans and State BBQ sauce
• 100% organic “Beef=alo” and veggie burgers
• They use only: Skinless, boneless chicken breast, Ground all-white meat turkey, Certified Angus Beef for their steak, 100% all-beef hot dogs, Canola Oil for cooking
• They hand cut their curly and sweet potato fries daily from whole Idaho potatoes
• Their hand-dipped shakes and malts are made with real ice cream, not soft serve

Check out Lou Nisker’s State Burger for yourself at:

6385 S. Westnedge Ave
Portage, MI 49002
269-324-4866

Curry Corner

This past Saturday, after doing our dreaded taxes, Jeff and I decided to try out a newly placed Indian Restaurant called The Curry Corner.  Indian is one of our favorite cuisines and we wanted to see how this small restaurant compared with its competitors-Indian Cuisine in Portage and Saffron on West Main Street.

Jeff previously visited The Curry Corner for their lunch buffet on one of his Friday lunch hours.  Then, On a separate occasion, Jeff brought home their carry out and surprised me with my favorite Indian dish of all time-Palak Paneer!   This dish consists of Indian homemade cheese with spicy creamed spinach, naturally served over simple rice.  The Palak Paneer at The Curry Corner was one of the best I have ever tasted.  Come to find out, Nira, the owner and recipe- inventor makes her Palak Paneer with mustard greens instead of spinach.  She says it gives the dish a stronger flavor.

Sambar

After tasting their carry-out, I was excited to dine in.  Nira greeted us at the door and sat us at a nice table for two.  They had several specialty drinks, but Jeff and I were content with water and tea, which were both included in the buffet price of $8.99.  The tea was a fragrant orange pekoe tea from India, steeped with hot water, and milk.  I especially took note of Nira’s high quality H20, she used in the tea, as well, as in our drinking water.  When it comes to water, I can be a bit of a snob.  I am not a fan of our well water or the city water of Kalamazoo or Portage, so filtering is key to clean cooking.  It’s all in the details.

The buffet had six courses, three of which were vegetarian.  We both started with the Sambar, which is described as a sweet and sour soup.  I normally don’t care for the combo of sweet and sour, I am more of a spicy, salty kind of girl, but the soup was just that-spicy and salty.  After the soup, I had a little bit of all three vegetarian dishes with fluffy rice with peas on the bottom.  The first dish, Dal Makhani, had lentils combined with spices.  I didn’t have seconds of this one because the others dishes were better.  The second dish was Kadhi and I was surprised to see it was made of pureed chickpeas with curry.  It was pretty spicy and had almost a lemon butter flavor that was one of a kind.  My favorite dish was the Bindi Masala, which was made from baby pumpkin.  I never would have guessed pumpkin was the main ingredient.  The sauce was super spicy and delicious.  Come to find out Nira invented that dish while sleeping one night and now it’s her husband’s favorite dish too.

Jeff's Plate

Jeff loved the vegetarian dishes, but his favorite of the meat dishes was the butter chicken. The sauce was a nice blend of cream and spice and he went back for seconds.  There was one goat dish, but Jeff opted out of trying that one.

We definitely recommend trying the Curry Corner if you like Indian Food, or even if you are just looking for something new to try. Take out is a great option to; just call ahead and pick up your order on the way home from work.  The food is made with care and love and it is really like a true Mom and Pop kitchen.

Curry Croner
7630 S Westnedge Ave
Portage, MI 49002
(269) 327-6325