Amber and I are kicking off the 2019 tour with a visit to Klavon’s! The Vandercook Lake location opened it’s doors in 2014, and has become a “go-to” location for locals and visitors alike!
Justin Klavon started his career in pizza as a teenager and quickly found that he had an aptitude in business as well as in the culinary space. His first venture Justin Tyme Pizza opened in Clark Lake MI, and quickly spread to three locations before he conceptualized Klavon’s. Klavon’s began as a small sports bar concept in Rives Junction MI, and has since brought Chicago style stuffed pizza to the forefront in Jackson County. But Justin wasn’t done yet! His concept took on a new look and feel when he developed the Vandercook Lake location. The restaurant is much more high end sports bar than pub and pizzeria. Justin credits his staff for the success of his restaurants, and would eventually like to create an available franchise model for loyal employees looking to be part of the companies growth. Klavon’s looks forward to opening it’s Mason MI location later in 2019, and to be honest I can’t wait to see how Justin’s vision grows and changes with each addition!
@Tour_the_Town got permission from store manager Marissa, to take some photos and share our experience with you. We want to thank her and the Klavon’s staff for being so lovely to us and allowing us to share your story! Because it was an incredibly busy Saturday night we made our visit quick, snapped a few pics, and got our pizza to go. One of the many perks of this location is the drive up window, however anytime we can we visit and stay to watch a game on the tv chandelier, or hangout with friends we do. The vibe and atmosphere are outstanding.
Spring and summer bring new opportunities to enjoy Klavon’s as they open the patio for additional outdoor seating. Large groups are welcome, and reservations making seating availability a breeze. Need space for an event? No problem! Klavon’s “K-Lounge” seats up to 25 guests with private servers for your convenience. They have literally thought of everything!!
Now let’s talk about what’s really important here… THE FOOD! Klavon’s offers a full menu from appetizers, soup and salads… to burgers, wraps and of course their famous pizza! They haven’t forgotten the most important details offering dessert menus, and specialty drink menus all presented on I-pads when you’re seated for a convenient way to browse and choose your favorites.
We selected the hand- made tortilla chips with their specialty peach salsa, pepperoni pinwheels, a small “Detroiter” pizza, and a specialty barbecue chicken stuffed pizza, a personal favorite of mine! We were feeding 5 adults and two teenage girls and there was more than enough to go around, we even had some leftovers.
The tortilla chips were restaurant made, thin, crispy, lightly salted, and totally addictive. Couple with the handmade peach salsa it was a perfect starter. The peach salsa is just what you would expect, very fresh, lightly sweet, with a little heat. A nice light way to start a meal.
The pepperoni pinwheels will get your mind turning about that delicious pizza that’s one it’s way! Pepperoni, and Mozzarella wrapped in a yeasty handmade dough the bottom of the pinwheel is coated in a delicious crust of parmesan, and romano cheese. So Yummy!
And on to the main event! The pizza!!! The Detroiter is a new menu addition and I my husband couldn’t eat it fast enough lol. This authentic Detroit-style pizza is topped with pepperoni, Italian sausage, peppadew peppers and a blend cheeses. It’s finished with a signature tomato sauce, ricotta cheese, oregano and pecorino. It has some spicy notes, but is a deeply satisfying pizza unlike anything I’ve tried before.
My all time favorite pizza from Klavon’s though is the barbecue chicken Chicago style stuffed pizza. This monstrously sized pizza starts two layers of crust filled with chicken, bacon, mozzarella, red onion, and topped with a sweet barbecue sauce and parmesan cheese. One slice fills me up and it’s so delicious!
If you’re interested in a fun night out with some delicious, and uniquely creative dishes. Visit Klavon’s pizzeria and pub. You can peruse their menu by visiting their website http://www.klavons.com or follow them on twitter @klavons or find them on facebook! Thanks for following along! Behind the scenes pics will be shared all week on instagram @Tour_the_Town
