Andrea MacMichael

Food and Travel Seminar

Intended publication: The Index

Restaurant Review of Crow’s Nest

            Don’t get confused. That skinny staircase is actually the way to the restaurant. That lady wearing khaki pants up there is one of the waitresses, and those glass doors to your right, well, even though it’s so tempting to push through them, they won’t get you to a table at Crow’s Nest any faster. What they can give you is a warm cup of tea or coffee to sip on as you wait for the line on the staircase to move.

            Crow’s Nest is a cozy breakfast spot that is nestled amongst a café, a tattoo parlor, and various other establishments in the diverse Vine neighborhood of downtown Kalamazoo. It truly is nestled—other than the prominent black banner on the outside of the brick building bearing the words “Crow’s Nest” in a cute font resembling chalk, maneuvering through the crowd outside the entrance requires some experience. If you’re like me, you’ll quickly end up in the café, that is, Fourth Coast Café, on which Crow’s Nest sits. It turns out, however, that grabbing a drink a Fourth Coast isn’t so bad, and is actually a common practice when waiting in line on the stairs for Crow’s Nest. Usually a line reaching the sidewalk outside sends people running for another place, but these savvy Crow’s Nest goers gently sipped from their coffee cups and acted as if standing on a crowded staircase for 30 minutes waiting to eat brunch is normal.

            Despite my raging hunger, the long wait was surprisingly manageable. We were greeted at the top of the stairs by a friendly hostess who took us to a table approximately two steps away that met up with the railing of the staircase. After standing on the dark, slender staircase, I expected the top to open up to a vast sea of tables and chairs. It was the smallest restaurant I have ever eaten at, but, as I hoped, the top of the stairs led us to a bright, inviting space. As we took our seats, the waitress already prepared with water glasses in-hand, I couldn’t help but revel at how interesting it was up here, in the restaurant. Colorful vase-patterned half-drapes decorated the many windows and complemented the golden yellow paint and wooden trim of the walls. Every single table was full—large families and couples were represented in the small space. There was enough room for conversation, and enough room for the high volume of people dining there.

            The menu was simple, but intriguing. Nearly a whole column was devoted to eggs—all kinds of scrambled egg variations, omelets, breakfast burritos, and more. They had all the basics, oatmeal, pancakes, and they had more. They had burgers, salads, sandwiches, and somehow it all sounded incredible. I decided to go for the banana bread French toast with a side of scrambled eggs and bacon. Not long after we ordered, my plate arrived. A beautiful, thick hunk of banana bread with a lovely fluff of whipped cream sat in a thin pool of sweet brown syrup sprinkled with tiny nuts. My fork couldn’t help but dig in again and again. The banana bread was superbly moist and tangy, perfectly complemented by the sweet syrup and crunchy nuts. The whipped cream provided a light and refreshing taste to the wonderful flavor blast that entered my mouth. It was only a passing though that it tasted nothing like French toast. It was a delectable piece of warm banana bread taken to the next level. I also tried the berry cream pancakes. The fluffy golden brown discs were a delightful taste of sweet, strawberry softness, but the small pile of strawberries left me wanting more. Where are the other berries? It was a tasty, however disappointingly simple plate consisting of pancakes, some strawberries, a dollop of whipped cream, and a dusting of powdered sugar. On the savory side, I tried the biscuits and gravy with potatoes. This starch heavy dish was extremely satisfying, despite its mediocre presentation. The chunky gravy looked as if it had been left to dry on top of the biscuits, however the taste was beyond my expectations. The buttery, fluffy biscuits mopped up the thick, creamy gravy with sausage bits, while the small potatoes chunks on the side bursted with flavor. The potatoes were crispy on the outside, producing a satisfactory crunch in the mouth and made up for the strong pepper and salt seasoning that the gravy lacked. My friends and I ate in record time, devouring our food delightfully in the cozy glow, not even noticing that the waitress never came to ask us whether we were enjoying the meal. Oh, the side of scrambled eggs and bacon I mentioned earlier? Yeah, I forgot about those, too. They looked like a sad afterthought on the oversized plate they were served on, and tasted mainly of butter and glistened with it, too. But, the price of the food being so reasonable, it wasn’t that upsetting.

            I would go back today to order the banana bread French toast. There are clearly some sparkling dishes on this menu that set Crow’s Nest apart from other breakfast restaurants in the Kalamazoo area. The artsy, quaint atmosphere is unique, cozy, and fun. The service is appreciable, but more than anything, the food is worth a try. People come back again and again and wait in long lines because it is special to get a spot in the limited seating they offer, and it is special to taste dishes that are better than your average pancakes and sausage. If you’d like more privacy from the constant flow of people coming in and out, and constant service, maybe there is a better place. You will most likely have to wait in line, or plan your trip out to brunch if you’re on a tight schedule, because waiting in line seems to be part of the gig. As for the food at 2 am? Well, I guess that is a reason to go back.