3811 S. Westnedge AvenueJ and L were still in Bloomfield Hills for a figure skating competition and B was still at Nana’s so I had another night to eat out on my own.
I’m trying to find some places around town that I’ve been wanting to go to but didn’t want to take the kids. I had two days this particular week to do that and I’ve got a few more days coming up soon that I’ll also get to do that.
My pick this night was a newer brewing company in. I was planning on stopping for drinks anyway but I noticed they started a small sandwich menu so I could make it my dinner stop too.
Apoptosis Brewing Company is on South Westnedge Avenue at Parker Avenue in Kalamazoo’s South Westnedge Neighborhood. The building was previously a Big Apple Bagels that closed a few years back. This building was built specifically for that Big Apple Bagels after the previous location further north on Westnedge closed to become J. Gumbo’s (also now closed).
The building was built pretty close to Westendge so the entrance is in the back off Parker Avenue. there’s a nice big parking.
I walked into the brewery a little after 6:00 on Wednesday night. It was Euchre night. There was a group sitting at the table near the bar in the middle of the game. I took a seat at the bar and one of the guys at the card game turned around and said he’d be right with me. Only one couple had shown up so far for Euchre night so the bartender and the owner were playing with them.
The bar is in the spot where the order counter used to be when this was Big Apple Bagels. It takes up most of the width of the room. The beer selection is hand written on chalk board signs hanging on the wall. There are a couple of TV’s turned to sports and mug club member mugs behind the bar.
Off to the side of the bar is the board game area. This has become a staple at most smaller breweries. It works on keeping people there a little longer and getting them to grab one more drink. It also works for families, like mine, to give the kids something to do while mom and dad just try to enjoy the place.
The old dining room is still kind of a dining room. You have to come to the bar to put in an order but there are a number of tables in this room that are easily rearrangeable for larger groups. Gone are the big, plush booths and in is more pub like seating There’s also an outdoor area where a few people had gathered by the time I had left.
I started with one of the many IPA’s on tap. Say No More is a Hazy Double IPA. I enjoyed this one way too much. It’s no secret this is the kind of beer I really like anyway but this particular beer went down really easily. I kept have to remind myself that I had food coming and needed to save some of it.
That didn’t really work though. I needed another beer by the time the food came (which really didn’t take all that long). I got away from the IPA’s and ordered the Chocolate Seismic Wave. This is a really dark, thick Imperial Stout. As the name implies, there’s some chocolatey goodness in there.
The menu at Apoptosis is really simple. There’s a choice of five paninis and veggies with hummus
I ordered the Italian Panini. This sandwich is roasted turkey, smoked ham, salami, Provolone cheese, red onions, banana peppers, lettuce, mayo, and Italian dressing on pressed sourdough bread. The sandwich is simple but tasty. It comes with chips but you can also upgrade to the veggies and hummus for a little extra if that’s your thing.
The cost of my dinner and two drinks was a little over $25.
Don’t sleep on Apoptosis Brewing Company. A lot of start up breweries come in with some pretty basic beers but that’s not the case here. They have some really good beers. I’m glad they added a small food operation recently. We’re much more likely to go to a brewery where we can order food alongside some tasty beers.