First Coffee, Then Beer; Are Pickles Kalamazoo’s Next Big Thing?

Over a two decades ago, much like the rest of the country, Kalamazoo began going gaga for gourmet coffee. Coffee places were popping up faster than pimples. About the same time on this timeline, Larry Bell began brewing beer and we all know how that worked out. Now, are pickles the next frontier?Now, Kalamazoo's Derek Richmond has created the Kalamazoo Pickle Company and with it, the Richmond pickle.

Reading some PR, Richmond, who is a professional food photographer, and his daughter, one day several years ago, were disappointed by the pickles they got and decided to do better. And a business was born.

There's a video on the Water Street Coffee joint website that shows the process. Water Street Coffee is selling his pickles.

I stopped there this afternoon and bought a jar. They're pricey, but the pickles are good. I think these pickles would go great with a Chicago Hot Dog, or a good Bloody Mary.