profile piece: the strutt

Because i didn't have the pleasure of catching owner Darren Bain for an interview until a few hours ago, this piece is lacking a concluding section which i hopefully will finish in an hour or less. For fairness and deadline's sake, here is my review of The Strutt thus far. Can't wait to read all of your profiles! :)

The Strutt: “More than just coffee” by Lindsey Scarlett

Owner Darren Bain is proud to assert the coffee that they indeed roast themselves at The Strutt is imported directly from a farm in Guatemala. Along with some Kenyan blends, the variety of ground beans can be seen hanging from the ceiling in individual paper bags over the front counter, with their logo “Kalamazoo Coffee Company” printed on each bag. Aside from the tasty selection of café drinks, including “love potion number nine,” and a healthy selection of fruit smoothies and tea, this funky venue on the corner of Academy and Stadium Drive has so much more to offer than just coffee.

The atmosphere could on the one hand be described as a peaceful space for studying and relaxing. The antique-looking fireplace white Christmas lights strewn about the perimeter of the room and generally low lighting add to the soothing aura of the front room. On the other hand, returning patrons experience a new invigorating experience each time they stroll into The Strutt. Freckled with fliers for upcoming shows, benefit concerts, and nightly specials alternated with an eclectic collection of abstract paintings from local artists and students, the avocado colored walls suggest the eclectic taste of the staff.

If the décor won’t do it, the menu certainly confirms the creativity cultivated here. The colossal cup of creamy cocoa, zesty goat cheese salad and the savory chocolate and raspberry “crêpe dolce” were enough to win my heart, and my taste buds. But according to a group of friendly college-aged customers playing monopoly, the Mediterranean Plate, complete with hummus, pita, olives, tomatoes and baba ganoush is a favorite appetizer, and the Pollo pazzo pizza, adorned with blackened chicken, carmelized onions, and three different cheese specimens is nothing less than scrumptious, “it’s hard to just choose one though, all of the pizzas are good.” Don’t get the wrong impression, this isn’t a pizza joint. There is an array of panini sandwiches as well, and on the weekends, The Strutt serves equally inventive brunch platters from nine to one alongside local Jazz musicians on Saturdays and a Bluegrass band on Sundays.

The relaxing food coma you may experience after stuffing yourself with healthy and delicious food perfectly contrasts what one may experience on a typical night at the bar in the back room of The Strutt. While there are plans in the making of having a Brewery in the basement space, he is still trying to gain the support of the landlord who owns another brewery in town and is a little weary of the competition that could ensue. “He doesn’t need to be worried, the clientele here is completely different than the crowd at his other brewery, he’ll come around soon though, I can feel it” reports Bain optimistically. Although they don’t brew their own beer quite yet, the beer menu behind the counter boasts an assortment of more than thirty different beers, plus on tap there is the tried and true Pabst Blue Ribbon, and the Kalamazoo locals favorite Oberon, along with three unique brands of beer, “Crooked tree,” “Dragon’s Milk,” and “Rogue Dead Guy Ale.” The colorful and artistic handwriting on the menu is interrupted by a cartoon drawing of a pirate with an eye patch directly under the final selection.