Coffee & Treats in Portage

Though the recipes are kept secret, the ingredients that go into Y'OPA Frozen Yogurt's eponymous dessert are proudly publicized. Yogurt-makers blend real dairy and fruit purees with probiotic cultures to create a rotating selection of flavors, nearly all of which are low in sodium and cholesterol. Said flavors run the gamut from nonfat birthday cake and sugar-free wild strawberry to seasonal options, such as chocolate mint. Only the toppings outnumber the self-serve shop's flavors. More than 70 – including fresh fruit, cookie dough, and baklava – can smother each customized treat.

At PlumCrazzy, patrons can satisfy their sweet tooth and grab a quick lunch in one stop, with a menu filled with ice cream, shakes, cupcakes, build-your-own sandwiches, hot dogs, and more. Noontime diners can build their own sandwich, selecting from a variety of meats and cheeses and then piling on the fixin's ($5.50). For dessert, PlumCrazzy serves Michigan favorite Plainwell ice cream, with 39 regular flavors—six seasonal, seven sherbet, and three no sugar added varieties are also up for grabs, including the popular cake batter, black raspberry, molten chocolate cake, or strawberry cheesecake. Cap a meal with a small sundae ($4.50) or single-scoop waffle cone ($4). On Wednesdays, customers can BYOB—bring your own banana—for a $3.50 banana split (regularly $6).

Big Apple Bagels' menu warms bellies with sandwiches crafted from homemade bagels and bread. The extensive selection of sandwiches includes the gourmet Mediterranean Veg-Out, which pairs a choice of hummus or cream cheese with a heap of veggies worthy of a farmer's safety deposit box ($5.25–$5.29). The three tiers of the clubhouse, a sky-high piling of roast turkey, baked ham, and swiss cheese, are latticed with lettuce, tomato, and mayo ($7.49). The breakfast B.L.T. explodes with its namesake fillings and a corona of cream cheese ($3.49–$4.49). Surprise coworkers with a dozen bagels ($8.39) or use the flour circles for your Barbies' annual hula-hoop tournament.

Heilman's Nuts & Confections uses 90-year-old recipes to create a varied assortment of house-roasted nuts, tempting confections, and delicious treats. From gift baskets to individual assortments of candies and nuts, customers are sure to find a thoughtful birthday present, celebrate special events, or start grassroots movements to turn March 4th into Rain Check Valentine’s Day. Pay sweet-tooth ransoms with a half-pound box of cherry cordials ($12.25), a one-pound box of home-made caramel corn cooled on marble slabs ($7.75), or a box of hand-stretched peanut brittle ($8.75). For a sippable supplement to classic Heilman's bites, pair a one-pound box of presidential mixed nuts ($17.25) with a pound of fresh, flavored or blend coffee ($13.50 and $12.50 respectively).

Barista Blues West styles itself after an Italian café, creating a place where guests can sip and dine as they catch up with old friends. From the early hours of the morning onward, the staff creates the fresh-baked goods, soup du jour, and deli sandwiches that come stocked with more layers of meat than a linebacker on an all-kebab football team. As guests savor their meals with a hot tea or a bubbly italian soda, they can socialize at a sunny table or watch musician Michael Angelo strum and sing on select evenings.

Voted Best Student Hangout and one of the best venues for live music and performances by the Kalamazoo Gazette, The Strutt presents crowd-pleasing American fare and nightly musical entertainment for stimulating study breaks or an evening out. The menus feature appetizers that include the black-bean-queso dip ($5.95), and heartier stomach stuffers, such as The Sloppy José, which puts a spicy, south-of-the-border spin on a classic dish ($4.95). Meanwhile, meat eschewers can chew on plentiful vegetarian options, including the roasted-veggie quesadilla ($5.95) or the Blue Apple salad, with apples, raisins, red onion, toasted almonds, and gorgonzola tossed in shallot vinaigrette ($6.95). A full bar, extensive beer list, and nightly drink specials complement any meal or musical act, and the plentiful brunch –– with live jazz on Saturday and bluegrass on Sunday –– and breakfast make this spot a go-to from day to day after.

Proprietor Giti Henrie entices gourmands with delectable locally sourced café fare and cupcakes, sans added hydrogenated oils and preservatives. Fork into breakfast with the crab-cake eggs bennie, a dungeness crab cake layered with canadian bacon, poached eggs, avocado, and a lemon-hollandaise sweepstakes prize ($12), or savor the oven-baked french toast with brandied caramel sauce and fresh blueberries ($8). The mushroom bacon burger ($10) or the Surf's Up burger, with spicy shrimp, pancetta, avocado, and chili sauce ($12), melt the mouth and inspire the plastering of bovine pin-up posters around one's kitchen. If sharing is on the agenda, opt for the tuscan pizza ($10), a bubbly-baked dough disk slathered with marinara sauce, kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes, chicken, and a feta-mozzarella cheese blend.