Heights Eats

On a recent trip to Columbus we decided to make a stop at Schmidt’s Sausage Haus after seeing it featured on the Travel Channel’s Man V Food show. In general we are fans of sausage and I have German heritage so it sounded interesting.

The restaurant itself is kind of small and compartmentalized. The décor is rustic. The servers seemed to be primarily female and they were wearing German bar-maid dresses. We stopped by on a Saturday afternoon and found the restaurant pretty full, although we did not have to wait around for a table.

We browsed the sausage buffet, but it did not seem too fresh so Ben and I decided to share the sausage sampler and order a side of potato pancakes. We tried to convince Jonathan to order some sort of sausage, but he was more in a cheeseburger mood.

The Sausage sampler was plated on top of sauerkraut and served with a side of German potato salad and apple sauce. The German … continue reading

We visited Food Dance on a recent visit to my brother Ethan and his wife Maura in Kalamazoo, Michigan. My brother basically recommended it as the best place to eat in Kalamazoo, and, based on our (admittedly limited) experience, we definitely agreed.

The vibe is simultaneously homey (lots of hardwood) and slightly upscale, a bit like Crop Bistro in Cleveland. We ordered the Cheese Board and Curry Dusted Chickpeas to start and were very happy with both. The cheeses included blue, sharp Cheddar, hard Monterey jack, and Gouda along with some rustic crackers and excellent olives. The deep fried chickpeas had an almost overwhelming curry aroma but were actually mild enough for even Jonathan to enjoy.

To drink Ethan ordered a mojito. Most mojitos I’ve had at restaurants are cloyingly sweet, but his was perfectly minty and fairly dry. Both Sarah and I ordered the Short’s Soft Parade, a four berry rye beer brewed in … continue reading

Sarah and I recently visited Saugatuck, Michigan while in the area for my brother’s wedding. Saugatuck is a very small, picturesque town on the shores of Lake Michigan which is known for its community of artists. It reminded us a lot of Key West.

For lunch we visited Pumpernickels. We started off by splitting a cinnamon roll, which, while not a typical appetizer option, looked too good to pass up. It was unbelievably good, with so much cinnamon flavor that it almost tasted spicy (but it was plenty sweet as well). It was probably the best cinnamon roll I’ve ever had.

For sandwiches Sarah ordered the tuna salad on pumpernickel and I had a turkey, bacon and Swiss on cracked wheat. The sandwiches were fairly generously portioned and very fresh, but a bit heavier on the bread than I generally like. Sarah loves bread, so she was fine with the ratio. Jonathan had a peanut butter and jelly. They were really … continue reading

While on a recent trip to northern Michigan to visit family over the holidays, we stopped off in Ann Arbor to visit Zingerman’s Deli. We had been receiving their holiday catalogs and we thought pretty much everything in them looked really good — so we planned to stop on the way up north.

The deli itself is very small, and jam packed with all kinds of foodie goodness. There is an amazing cheese/deli section with expensive and exotic cheeses and deli meats. There is a small bakery counter with tons of different kinds of breads and sweets. There is also a small “alley” behind the bakery counter with vinegar and olive oil samples. The most impressive sample on our visit was the aged balsamic vingar, with a sweetness and consistency reminiscent of maple syrup but a much more complex flavor. There is also a small coffee counter and an area in the back of the … continue reading