Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet

What do Jimmy Fallon, Wolfgang Puck, and Louper Jason P. have in common? Their love of Kalamazoo grills! Coincidentally, Louper Jason P. said to me, I want to talk to you about BBQ's just as I was editing this week's Loupe. He introduced me to the wonders of Kalamazoo, and this story is one of innovation through necessity. Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet started its life over 100 years ago as Kalamazoo Sheet Metal. About 15 years ago the Founder's grandson pivoted away from sheet metal (I have seen many bankruptcies tied to the fortunes of the Detroit automakers) and leveraged its skills and knowledge to make outdoor cooking equipment; its notable innovation was the hybrid fire grill which is capable of cooking with charcoal, wood or gas. This system gives the chef domain over heat and flavor, and offers the convenience of gas to accelerate the preparation, cooking, and clean up. The entire device consists of durable steel, so there are no weak links in the system. Kalamazoo believes that grilling is an art, as such each Kalamazoo artisan that works on your grill signs the inside of the door! I'm also intrigued by the countertop pizza oven they make that produces Neopolitan pies in less than 3 minutes when fully heated. It may not be cheap, but it is a great product and will make you the envy of grillers all over. My guess is if you see a Kalamazoo grill, you're in for a good meal.