tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79927565593905700122024-03-12T20:55:01.095-07:00EatingOurWayThroughGrandRapidsEatingOurWayThroughGrandRapidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18351265631263107341noreply@blogger.comBlogger142125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992756559390570012.post-55306510914721296772020-02-21T15:33:00.000-08:002020-02-21T15:35:49.123-08:00Las Rocas Postres y Taqueria, 2106 Division Ave S ~ 2/21/20<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We didn't think there were any Mexican restaurants in town that we haven't been to at least once but we found one today, and it was a great find. The entrance is off Andre Street where street parking is available. Christmas decor was still up :-)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was counter service so we stepped up to check out the menu. It's a good sign of authenticity when goat and tongue are on the menu. Oddly, hamburgers, hotdogs, and fries were also on the menu, added for obvious reasons I suppose (kids, American tastes). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Besides the usual items, they also specialize in fruity beverages - a lot of them - and claim to have the best coffee in town.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There was one woman working behind the counter and another in the kitchen, and no one else was in the place at the moment. Our food arrived fairly quickly and looked beautiful. One veggie taco and a bean burrito - both chock full of vegetables, queso, and rice. (This burrito puts Butch's bean burrito to shame, fyi.) Both were flavorful and delicious. Hot sauce is on the table so you make it as hot (or not) as you would like.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our second platter was a tongue taco, a shrimp taco, and a steak gordita. We don't know if they make their own tortillas here but they sure seemed fresh. The tacos were top notch but the steak in the gordita was overly salted. Other than that, the food here is wonderful, each entree nicely balanced and combined with plenty of fresh vegetables.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's not a cozy space but rather utilitarian. More tables would fit in the space but we're guessing a lot of their orders are take-out. There's one TV playing and we had to move out from under it due to the volume.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You will have to hazard your own guess as to maximum occupancy (find the sign :-) ).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While we were eating, a man came in and started talking to us, incessantly, and it became quickly clear he was a panhandler. That was a first for us in a restaurant. After about 3 minutes we told him we didn't want to talk any longer and he did an about-face and walked out immediately. He and the woman behind the counter greeted each other when he entered so he must be a regular.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Standing at a counter perusing a menu while someone is waiting to take your order always adds a little pressure to ordering. So if you go, pay attention to the extras and order the traditional chips and salsa that are brought out automatically in full service restaurants, because it's a tradition :-) Would we return here? Absolutely! Next time you're around Burton & Division, stop in for some excellent food!</span><br />
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<br />EatingOurWayThroughGrandRapidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18351265631263107341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992756559390570012.post-14728233226950897012018-12-30T17:25:00.000-08:002018-12-30T17:25:20.460-08:00Danzon Cubano, 1 Carlton Ave SE, Grand Rapids ~ 11/20/18<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Named after an Aaron Copland composition, the restaurant opened last October on the ground floor of the Fulton Square building (corner of Carlton and Fulton).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The owner is not Cuban but according to their website, he was inspired by Cuban immigrants fleeing Castro's Cuba. The site mentions one particular person, and that his father was friends with Ernest Hemingway in Cuba, but the connection between them is not made clear, and Hemingway is just irrelevant.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nonetheless, enter off of Carlton (street parking or park across the street at Family Fare) and you walk into a long rectangular space, tables laid out from the entrance to the far windows, with a bar on your left just after you enter. The entrance wall is covered by a map of Cuba and posters of well-known Cubans.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The bar is a lovely piece of work. Some (maybe all?) of the wood looks repurposed, and in a space that is otherwise not warm or cozy, the bar is a stand-out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We took a table at the far end of the restaurant and were promptly served by a friendly and informative server, Courtney.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We first asked what was behind this mystery door in the middle of the wall :-) It turns out it's a very small office.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After perusing the menu, we began our dining adventure with Tostones Rellenos (twice-fried plantains) stuffed with spicy shrimp. The plantain cups were spicy but the shrimp not so much. The house-made citrus & garlic sauce that was served with the plantains, however, called Mojo, was a delicious accompaniment! All in all, it was a very fine dish.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Cuban sandwich has been tried in pretty much every restaurant we have ever been in, so today it was a must-have and it did not disappoint. In fact, we are claiming that this is the best Cubano you will find in Grand Rapids (mojo-braised pork, ham, Swiss cheese, mustard, house-made pickles on Cuban-style bread), all the flavors blended and mashed together to form the perfect Cubano.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are many vegetarian options if you're dining out with non-meat eaters and the Tamal en Cazuela sounded too interesting to resist (Cuban-style polenta with bell peppers, onion, garlic and seasoned ground tempeh, served in a tomato white-wine sauce). It was impressive, full of flavor and texture contrasts.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We noticed that the tables near us were black and the rest of the room was filled with brown tables. The reason for that is the black tables are removed on the weekends for a dance floor. Color-coded tables :-)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With all of the windows it would be difficult to over-decorate but what they have done is tasteful and clever. Some tall greenery hides a service station.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We sat overlooking their patio, which we hope to enjoy this summer. We also appreciated the paper straws.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are looking forward to returning here soon. Danzon Cubano is a great addition to Grand Rapids!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span>EatingOurWayThroughGrandRapidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18351265631263107341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992756559390570012.post-31930369988927886272018-09-06T17:34:00.000-07:002018-09-06T17:37:34.328-07:00Jonny B'z, 701 Wealthy St SE ~ 8/24/18<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Opened in 2010 at 638 Wealthy, Jonny B'z moved across the street in 2016 into a remodeled gas station. It is such a great use of an old building.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">They remodeled the garage doors, which open on nice days for the main dining area.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A full bar and a hallway connect the dining area to the arcade section, unisex restrooms, and the entrance to the patio.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We've been here twice, the first time in June when there was a dishwasher failure and everything was served in/on paper goods. It didn't take way from the food, however :-)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These jalapenos were stuffed with brisket, swiss cheese, and peanut butter, and then wrapped in bacon. Served with tomato-bourbon jam, this combination of flavors was incredible although the description might sound strange. Creative goodness.</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Smoked pastrami with mustard on Nantucket Bakery rye bread was delicious as was the 'Pick 3' selection under the Smoked Meats section of the menu (wings, brisket, and kielbasa). Everything is smoked in-house.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On today's visit, we began with whitefish dip, which was nicely presented, great tasting, and soon to be off the menu for the season.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sometimes we order inadvertently very consistently, and so another pastrami sandwich was served, this time with a side salad.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Sloppy Jonny is also being discontinued and this messy smoked rib meat in sweet, heat sloppy sauce was a winner, except for the extra napkins needed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For a smoked-meat place, there are plenty of vegetarian options on the menu. The atmosphere is diner-like and comfortable. Service was superb on both of our visits (Mark was our server each time). They don't use styrofoam for leftovers which is always good to see. And for you hot dog loving fans, dogs are still prominently featured on the menu.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There is a small parking lot in front of the restaurant, which is convenient for customers looking to park but not so great for patrons looking out at car grills. The patio is a nice seating option, assuming it's under 90 degrees. If you're a smoked meat fan, or just want to experience a fun, neighborhood spot, be sure to stop in Jonny B'z.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Maybe someone soon will re-purpose the old Wild Bunch building across the street and Jonny B'z will have a better neighbor :-)</span><br />
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EatingOurWayThroughGrandRapidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18351265631263107341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992756559390570012.post-80698457001722551942018-07-24T12:34:00.000-07:002018-07-31T18:21:11.498-07:00Forty Acres Soul Kitchen, 1059 Wealthy St, SE ~ July 3, 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J4FOplRACsA/W1dv89Ib-PI/AAAAAAAACg8/6XtFypLwLYkT2G7Iq6pMuUzA4j6hEDucQCLcBGAs/s1600/20180703_150838.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J4FOplRACsA/W1dv89Ib-PI/AAAAAAAACg8/6XtFypLwLYkT2G7Iq6pMuUzA4j6hEDucQCLcBGAs/s320/20180703_150838.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This new restaurant opened mid-May and is truly a wonderful addition to the Grand Rapids food scene. Both the clever name and the established date of 1863 are hugely significant moments in American history.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The interior is modern, clean, and sleek, with large windows all around and minimalist decor.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There's a full bar and outdoor seating that wraps around the building.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Everything about this interior is cool, from the lighting to all of the outlets and charging stations. Kudos to the designers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There were so many things we wanted to try but we settled on Fried Green Tomatoes (served with tabasco-pickled okra & cajun remoulade) and Soul Rolls (black-eyed peas, collard greens, dirty rice, & chicken) for starters. Excellent choices on both accounts! The Soul Rolls in particular, we could eat everyday.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">From the 'Build Your Own Platter' section (choose protein, two sides + bread), the fried chicken was irresistible and arrived with the selected grilled corn and macaroni & cheese.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For an additional cost, other sides can be added and the cole slaw was an addition. Less creamy than we are used to, the slaw was tangy and tasty. Macaroni & cheese and corn were fantastic but the cornbread was a bit dry. The chicken was as delicious as you will find anywhere, crispy on the outside and moist inside.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The fried catfish platter was served on garden spaghetti and accompanied by fried okra. It was all well-prepared and for the most part delicious. The vegetables in the spaghetti were fresh but the tomato sauce was completely bland. It definitely needed some seasoning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Just for the fun of it, we ordered fried bologna sandwiches to go. And they were just as described: fried bologna on Wonder bread :-) but in desperate need of condiments.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are lots of vegan options and there are also catering and take-out menus available. As one last service to customers, each bill has suggested tip amounts listed: 18%, 20%, or 22% with the amounts broken down for you. Well done, 40 Acres! </span>EatingOurWayThroughGrandRapidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18351265631263107341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992756559390570012.post-67080231281520443802018-05-10T17:39:00.000-07:002018-05-10T17:39:35.847-07:00ROAM by San Chez, 250 Monroe Ave NW ~ 5/3/18<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We noticed this sign on 2/18/18 when leaving DeVos Performance Hall.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About a month later it was open and we made our way there today for lunch. As soon as we walked in, we knew we were somewhere special. The map-top tables, the huge windows, interesting glass lights (they look old), and cool artwork all added up for a pleasant and unique atmosphere.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's not a big place but it is charming. There are 6 tables for 4, and 6 more for parties of 2. The bar seats around 10 and a counter along the South window seats about 7 more. There are 2 long high-tops near the bar that look to seat 8 each.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The bar and high-tops appeared to be made from recycled wood to very cool effect. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The menu is small but so intriguing, emphasizing what they call global street food, 'they' being the owners of San Chez, who have been specializing in tapas since 1992.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our server politely asked if we needed help navigating the menu but we did not. Our first choices were the Kati Roll and Gua Bao (descriptions, along with source country, are included on the menu).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You also choose your sauces, with server recommendations. We had Ragili Ginger with the Kati Roll and soy sauce with the Gua Bao. We loved them both although the Kati Roll is really greasy. Maybe that's part of what made it so good :-)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our next two items were the incredibly huge Nolburger (with pork belly, peanut butter, & more) and Currywurst, served with a spiced, smoky tomato sauce.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And if we didn't think this place was cool enough, a trip to the restroom confirmed our impression.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The restroom interior was awesome as well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Being Dutch, we couldn't resist ordering the Oliebollen to go. By the time I remembered to take a photo there was just one left. And it was so much better than the ones I remember from my childhood. Those were dry, deep-fried dough with a raisin or two to be found. These were chuck full of cherries and apples. So either my relatives had it all wrong or Michigan/ROAM has improved the oliebollen!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ROAM has a full bar with a creative cocktail list, as well as many appealing non-alcoholic beverages.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We sat at the window and saw the chairs that are soon to be out on Monroe for some outdoor dining.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Being right across from DeVos Performance Center should be great for business. ROAM is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you like eating the same familiar things constantly and do not seek out new food experiences, this is not your place. For all the rest of you, set your sights on ROAM.</span><br />
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<br />EatingOurWayThroughGrandRapidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18351265631263107341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992756559390570012.post-16744679611823087362018-04-27T17:00:00.000-07:002018-04-28T06:40:16.742-07:00Citizen, 2115 Plainfield Ave NE ~ 4/27/18<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Grand Rapids now has its own Tiki Bar and Restaurant and it is a cool little spot. Parking is around the back and you have to walk down the side of the building to get to the front door entrance.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are back doors, and most restaurants with parking in the rear also have a rear-door entrance but not here.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The walk through is nicely decorated, complete with patio lights.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And the patio is now open for business, which should do wonders for their street visibility.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At lunchtime, customers are invited to seat themselves. It was wide open so we picked a table in the middle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A padded bench runs along one wall, high-tops fill the center, and the bar is located on the opposite wall. The space is long and narrow, and creatively decorated.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are 17 menu items divided into Small Chow, Big Chow, and Hand Held Chow. We really wanted to try everything on the menu but settled on Fried Peking Duck Spring Rolls to start.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The sweet chili mango sauce nicely accompanied the duck, rice noodles, carrots and onion. Both of our next selections came from the Hand Held column. The Luau Burger arrived with grilled pineapple, marinated red pepper, sliced onion, spicy mayo, and huli huli bbq glaze on a Hawaiian sweet roll. It was big and messy, but pretty tasty. Unfortunately, the burger was overdone, particularly on one side. To be fair, we didn't ask for medium rare nor did our server ask how we wanted it done.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our second item was Banh Mi. It's not what you'd get at Ly's Sandwiches (4242 S Division) but it was decent and flavorful. Citrus marinated pork, herbed chicken liver pate, cilantro, pickles carrots and daikon with hoisin sauce glaze on French bread.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Of the three sides available with the Hand Helds, we chose spicy togarashi fries, and carrot and ginger salad (the third choice was smashed cucumbers).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The leftover boxes are superb (no styrafoam!) and the bill and receipt came as creatively as one would expect from this restaurant.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So we like this place, a lot, but think coming here for dinner is more interesting (or ordering from the Big Chow list). Thankfully, a group of us did just that a few weeks ago so I'm going to include a few photos from that visit just to round off this review. First of all, the cocktails. The reverse side of the food menu lists the alcohol selections: Tiki Bowls, Tiki Cocktails, Sake, Wine, Drafts, and Bottles & Cans. The cocktails are glorious to behold and even better to consume. Pictured here are Tiny Bubbles, Mai Tai, Little Grass Shack, Snowbird, and a weekend special, Tropical Negroni.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of us may have poked herself in the face with that long piece of green vegetation in the Snowbird :-) We started with the Ahi Tuna Poke,</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rCit3Dk7wDc/WuOx3iekUuI/AAAAAAAACcc/5ISr0v1XO-4il6mTvKY3BIDS9pHo08LhQCLcBGAs/s1600/20180420_183420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1432" data-original-width="1600" height="286" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rCit3Dk7wDc/WuOx3iekUuI/AAAAAAAACcc/5ISr0v1XO-4il6mTvKY3BIDS9pHo08LhQCLcBGAs/s320/20180420_183420.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and moved on to Pork Belly Ramen, Green Curry Noodle bowl and Pepper Steak Stir Fry. They have a very good chef. Service is also superb (both visits).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You can see why dinner is so much more exciting than lunch (unless you're drinking cocktails and eating bowls of food for lunch). The restaurant opened last November and should not be missed! (P.S. They have a fun instagram account at #citizengr)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>EatingOurWayThroughGrandRapidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18351265631263107341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992756559390570012.post-55043602589437684512018-04-11T15:49:00.000-07:002018-04-13T19:37:29.063-07:00Shelley's Kitchen, 1140 Burton St SW, Wyoming ~ 4/10/18<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We were looking for breakfast and bandied about the usual suspects: Real Food, Westsider, Peppermill, but we've been to all of them numerous times. Then we found Shelley's Kitchen. It's not new but it was new to us. The building is also not new and somewhat non-descript and a little seedy but there were people in it and we decided to check it out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And it is as cute as can be. It's tiny, with booths for four on the ends and booths for two the long way along with the counter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There is one restroom, for one, quaintly called the Necessary Room. It also is small.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We were promptly offered menus and we placed our beverage order. Our server returned in two minutes to take our order but we hadn't even looked at the menus yet. We mentioned we needed a few more minutes. That was fine but then she never returned. Fifteen minutes later we caught the eye of the cook with whom she was chatting and wrapping silverware. He told her to look behind her where we were both trying to get her attention. So there was one snafu but everything else went fine.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The oatmeal sounded good (brown sugar and raisins) on the the daily special page but our server suggested the baked oatmeal instead and offered to bring out a taste. How nice was that!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And it was delicious with raisins, apples, and cinnamon. Sold.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our toast substitutions were English muffins and we split a side of bacon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our other dish was a Western Omelette, and it was so greasy and yes, delicious; the omelette and English muffin were both dripping. This just solidified the whole 'greasy spoon' nomenclature :-).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">From a newspaper article on the wall, it looks like this place opened in 2001 and the neighborhood is obviously supporting it. The very large menu includes some Mexican dishes and lunch/dinner items. This is a breakfast-lunch place (due to their hours) but you could grab an early dinner here as well. We laughed at the senior menu (sorry, one pancake?).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Your bill has to be brought up to the counter and you do not know the amount until it gets rung up (ours was $23 something).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So there you have it. An altogether satisfying experience at Shelley's Kitchen and we would definitely return to try some of their lunch/dinner items. If you enjoy an old-school diner experience, this is your place. </span><br />
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EatingOurWayThroughGrandRapidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18351265631263107341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992756559390570012.post-21989658871714624612018-04-02T14:11:00.001-07:002018-04-02T14:11:21.332-07:00El Globo Restaurant, 2019 Division Ave S, Grand Rapids ~ 3/21/18<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y9twbiiMzOI/WsKTB9fz1mI/AAAAAAAACWQ/ksYqgnd89Z0OnM9ZOEdtjIUd16IRf6uzACLcBGAs/s1600/20180321_144108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y9twbiiMzOI/WsKTB9fz1mI/AAAAAAAACWQ/ksYqgnd89Z0OnM9ZOEdtjIUd16IRf6uzACLcBGAs/s320/20180321_144108.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We discovered a Mexican restaurant we had never been to so today we ventured in. It wasn't clear if it was just counter service because there were a lot of people clustered in the back by the counter. But we took a seat to find out. Soon enough a friendly server brought us our menus along with a small serving of tortilla chips, salsa, and two sauces, one slightly hot and the other a delicious mysterious avocado concoction.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wednesdays are $1 Taco days, yup $1, so it was busy. Most people came in for take-out but there were a few other booths occupied. Unfortunately, one other couple sat behind me and every time he leaned back, our shared booth wall pushed me a couple of inches forward.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The restaurant is long and fairly good-sized with booths along one wall and tables filling up the rest of the space. The decor is simple and the walls are covered with large paper posters. It's all tasteful.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Being Taco Day, it's what we had to go with: steak, pork, and tongue.</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0u719FPeJmY/WsKXf8dLjeI/AAAAAAAACW0/PANP6RO1ou4DzshCmfrQjMZSHqm5zTTOwCLcBGAs/s1600/20180321_140900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0u719FPeJmY/WsKXf8dLjeI/AAAAAAAACW0/PANP6RO1ou4DzshCmfrQjMZSHqm5zTTOwCLcBGAs/s320/20180321_140900.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And Gorditas being a favorite, we had to try one of those, here along with a chicken taco.</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8p3pIELtYKQ/WsKYLy4FwnI/AAAAAAAACXE/vZ2gUZkX3Co0RG0jAW3HY-M73n_kCVYRQCLcBGAs/s1600/20180321_140842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8p3pIELtYKQ/WsKYLy4FwnI/AAAAAAAACXE/vZ2gUZkX3Co0RG0jAW3HY-M73n_kCVYRQCLcBGAs/s320/20180321_140842.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We added sauce to all of them, the chicken was slightly dry without it (and the sauces were great), but the ample cilantro, fresh tortillas, and all of the other ingredients made up a fantastic lunch. And don't mind an occasional typo. It won't take away from your enjoyment of the food.</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UA0T7kBHWQc/WsKZyR7LIqI/AAAAAAAACXU/0Weik74X-wAwkPDnZAhU8gQZ0ufWv4xMACLcBGAs/s1600/20180321_134453.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1308" data-original-width="1600" height="261" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UA0T7kBHWQc/WsKZyR7LIqI/AAAAAAAACXU/0Weik74X-wAwkPDnZAhU8gQZ0ufWv4xMACLcBGAs/s320/20180321_134453.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our bill had to be paid back at the counter where everyone was picking up their take-out orders. There is also a back entrance which opens onto a city parking lot which we used. Parking is limited on Division at this location so just park behind the building. Service was great with a very friendly and informative server, and the place is clean, including restrooms.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Depending on when you come, especially on a Wednesday, you may have a wait. But if speed is what you want, you can always head to Taco Bell. If you want delicious tacos, this place will be worth your while.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span>EatingOurWayThroughGrandRapidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18351265631263107341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992756559390570012.post-50018100674559600322017-05-18T19:27:00.000-07:002017-05-19T12:02:36.011-07:00Butcher's Union, 438 Bridge St NW ~ 5/18/17<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's been open less than a year and we first visited back in February. We liked it even then. Just don't try to enter through the middle door.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is the old Monte's Lounge reborn into a very cool restaurant. The dining room and bar run front to back, side by side, and have an old speakeasy feel to them. (The owners, who owned Monte's, also own O'Toole's, now with outside seating, and have sold Rockwell/Republic on Division.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A portion of the ceiling in the back was cut out to create a courtyard and we were happy to see it coming last February,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">but we were happier to be sitting in it today, and charming it is.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There were 11 tables for 4 out there and it is much nicer than sitting at the few tables outside on Bridge Street with the cars driving by.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The menu changes with the seasons and we saw some items we remembered from last time but others were new. Here's a quick run-down from our February visit: Caribbean Spiced Meat Pies, Smoked Pastrami, and a BBELT (bacon, bacon pate, egg, lettuce, & tomato). All were superb, especially the Meat Pies, and our service.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fast forward to today, and we started with the Mild Mannered Meatballs served over Polenta. We couldn't get enough, especially of the Polenta. The meatballs were nicely seasoned and not overly salted.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Next up was the Summer Strawberry Romaine Salad with Chicken, sprinkled with quinoa and covered with Poppy Seed Vinaigrette. All in all, a wonderful and fresh combination.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is a meat and whiskey place and while we held back on the whiskey this time, we didn't on the meat. Here are the Double Cheeseburger and the Smokehouse Barbeque Pork sandwiches.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The burger was not ordered to taste (not asked, not requested) and came medium well but was still juicy with tons of flavor. The apple barbeque sauce and cole slaw made the pork sandwich a delicious mess but the side of snap peas was a mistake as they were not chewable. When they get older, they get more fibrous so that was unfortunate.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Just in case you were wondering, here is your whiskey list, from back in February. That list remains for another night.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Your tab comes with a postcard, which is cute but I'm not sure how many postcards are still used these days.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The dining room doors open to the street, which we love. You're almost outside.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is a great atmosphere with excellent food and service, and blue skies smiling.</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gBH11LKwU-o/WR7zXwMxI3I/AAAAAAAACV0/Zm1mmXw6K8ca3b3HPC-JZtPjbP-IUbPaACLcB/s1600/P5180006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gBH11LKwU-o/WR7zXwMxI3I/AAAAAAAACV0/Zm1mmXw6K8ca3b3HPC-JZtPjbP-IUbPaACLcB/s320/P5180006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.zomato.com/grand-rapids-mi/butchers-union-grand-rapids-grand-rapids" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Butcher's Union, Grand Rapids and other Restaurants in Grand Rapids, Michigan"><img alt="Butcher's Union Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/17862004/biglogo" style="border: none; height: 34px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a> </span></div>
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EatingOurWayThroughGrandRapidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18351265631263107341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992756559390570012.post-30600163566781078172017-05-15T15:07:00.002-07:002017-05-18T12:43:02.274-07:00Fusion Dish, 400 E Division St NE, Rockford ~ 5/12/17<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is not the easiest place to find or it may just be the fault of failing GPS. Either way, the restaurant is located in a strip mall just off Wolverine Blvd (M-44) and the signage is small.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We finally honed in on the location and were happy we persisted.</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ceMLB4UAs2Y/WRj_13CBXzI/AAAAAAAACRA/plcxii1Cjx80S_3z3fA3iG5KONmx0LWagCLcB/s1600/20170512_122640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ceMLB4UAs2Y/WRj_13CBXzI/AAAAAAAACRA/plcxii1Cjx80S_3z3fA3iG5KONmx0LWagCLcB/s320/20170512_122640.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We thought it might be counter service when we first entered but there was a server working the small room. There were four tables for 2-4 along each side wall and a table for 8 filling the center of the room. A 7-page menu greeted us, with the last page containing the lunch specials. There were two pages of appetizers/soups, one with dinner selections, one with noodle selections, one for fusion cuisine, and one listing beverages with a brief kid's menu.</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZjoe9fY97w/WRkA1DkGVaI/AAAAAAAACRM/VOrOvOeCicwTDL9JouXNAjCSWNz-SIPvQCLcB/s1600/20170512_133400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZjoe9fY97w/WRkA1DkGVaI/AAAAAAAACRM/VOrOvOeCicwTDL9JouXNAjCSWNz-SIPvQCLcB/s320/20170512_133400.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">They have an interesting way of updating their menu :-)</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CWuXj2aFrLg/WRkCPR57wzI/AAAAAAAACRY/_q4Q51qDBkAuSNXdSrd4klckgRXtE93IwCLcB/s1600/20170512_130838.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CWuXj2aFrLg/WRkCPR57wzI/AAAAAAAACRY/_q4Q51qDBkAuSNXdSrd4klckgRXtE93IwCLcB/s320/20170512_130838.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As is our way, we had to start with hot and sour soup. It came in an interesting bowl and was more than adequate but lacked the requisite tang that makes the hot and sour soup from Wei Wei Palace & Beijing Kitchen the best you will find in Grand Rapids.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The dumplings (Gyoza, Hong Kong pork dumplings) were typical, not extraordinary, but nothing to complain about.</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-66WC7n36-gQ/WRkFG0v5TBI/AAAAAAAACR0/cyCLSpwUddY-kIId_1tBE37Zts_onx-9ACLcB/s1600/20170512_131017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-66WC7n36-gQ/WRkFG0v5TBI/AAAAAAAACR0/cyCLSpwUddY-kIId_1tBE37Zts_onx-9ACLcB/s320/20170512_131017.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The lettuce wraps, however, were extraordinary. Very flavorful and we could easily have consumed two orders.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our first main dish was Thai Sweet Chili with Pork, spice level 6 (1-10). Fresh and spicy!</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YzRWTOvEuTI/WRkGsWTbptI/AAAAAAAACSI/pJ_d-1BmJZMGTzeJo1PnYTFM-4EBetUygCLcB/s1600/20170512_132116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YzRWTOvEuTI/WRkGsWTbptI/AAAAAAAACSI/pJ_d-1BmJZMGTzeJo1PnYTFM-4EBetUygCLcB/s320/20170512_132116.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Next was Thai Fried Noodles, spice level 4, and this photo says it all. It was delectable.</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EK6ZTz2joLc/WRkG3EYac0I/AAAAAAAACSM/7gMgZLWn0r4KkEXk8FjqOWsAYe7F4RKLgCLcB/s1600/20170512_132151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EK6ZTz2joLc/WRkG3EYac0I/AAAAAAAACSM/7gMgZLWn0r4KkEXk8FjqOWsAYe7F4RKLgCLcB/s320/20170512_132151.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Last up was Peanut Noodle. The 'crazy good peanut sauce' ended up being sweeter than expected due to the coconut milk (not listed in the ingredients) but it was enjoyable nonetheless.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Finding the restroom is quite an adventure. Walk down the hall, follow the homemade signs, and end up in their kitchen, in the one male/female restroom in the place. It was an interesting journey.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There might be an issue with some of their electrical work. This was found on both sides of the restaurant. But maybe that's totally kosher.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The place does a big to-go business and has been here for several years, according to our server. Decor is mostly tasteful, the food and service are good, and the atmosphere/set-up is a little strange. But the large menu has plenty to choose from so it's worth a trip, if you can find it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <a href="https://www.zomato.com/grand-rapids-mi/fusion-dish-rockford" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Fusion Dish, Rockford and other Restaurants in Grand Rapids, Michigan"><img alt="Fusion Dish Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/17378307/biglogo" style="border: none; height: 34px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a> </span><br />
<br />EatingOurWayThroughGrandRapidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18351265631263107341noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992756559390570012.post-849278560304687972016-08-18T18:51:00.000-07:002016-08-19T08:48:13.596-07:00Garibaldi, 3375 S Division Ave ~ 7/22/16<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This place is not the easiest to locate but the food will make it worth your while. From what we could find, this is the third location for this restaurant, all of them being on Division (1627, 2850). When we hit 34th Street we knew we missed it, so we circled back and took a turn down this driveway.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The entry was less than welcoming and we couldn't tell if it was even open.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was, and we saw this huge old space that was mostly empty, populated here and there with businesses, some shuttered, some manned. But we found what we were looking for.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There were a few people in the place and we picked a table and checked out the counter menu that had not too many English translations (know your Spanish).</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LFucjXbiJq0/V7ZMyNUeC2I/AAAAAAAACOU/0XgHa18T4dUkhQuS5xL8zA2Wo-NVrhH6wCLcB/s1600/P7220003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LFucjXbiJq0/V7ZMyNUeC2I/AAAAAAAACOU/0XgHa18T4dUkhQuS5xL8zA2Wo-NVrhH6wCLcB/s320/P7220003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Gorditas were our choice, along with a guacamole start. And this guacamole, chunks of avocado, chopped tomatoes, and cilantro, was accompanied by homemade pita bread chips. It was a great beginning!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It looked like a family business and the food was made and served with care. Nothing was rushed and everything was obviously homemade. </span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JJoEj46YjMg/V7ZQVmjZHBI/AAAAAAAACO0/WIwDW3Hp_TooV8t-cPxiACLUvcUROiwfwCLcB/s1600/20160722_115036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JJoEj46YjMg/V7ZQVmjZHBI/AAAAAAAACO0/WIwDW3Hp_TooV8t-cPxiACLUvcUROiwfwCLcB/s320/20160722_115036.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The rice needs special mention as it contained chopped vegetables and had more flavor than you'd find in most (any?) Mexican restaurants. The steak gorditas were just as great. We loved this food located in a place that shares the space with two other ongoing businesses.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We'd like to come back to try the pupuserias and more from Garibaldi but the venue is a little iffy. We wandered through the "mall" on our way out and it was eerie.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It looked like a multi-purpose space but with no people around today</span>.</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SPTQzua2q9w/V7ZUJPj2l5I/AAAAAAAACPk/zVp92-g5HoIsdTBPrkKProolap7cM42IwCLcB/s1600/P7220011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SPTQzua2q9w/V7ZUJPj2l5I/AAAAAAAACPk/zVp92-g5HoIsdTBPrkKProolap7cM42IwCLcB/s320/P7220011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So check it out if you want some great, homemade food in kind of a shady space where people will stare at you and you'll be looking over your shoulder. Garibaldi does have its own entrance if you want to skip the empty mall walk, and like we said, the food is fantastic.</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-68LZwN_NhEA/V7ZUeSkNgEI/AAAAAAAACPs/E1d3ROOjibYtwYwh9CK_GFXUTtqxHG3LACLcB/s1600/P7220012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-68LZwN_NhEA/V7ZUeSkNgEI/AAAAAAAACPs/E1d3ROOjibYtwYwh9CK_GFXUTtqxHG3LACLcB/s320/P7220012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.zomato.com/grand-rapids-mi/garibaldi-restaurant-grand-rapids" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Garibaldi Restaurant, Grand Rapids and other Restaurants in Grand Rapids, Michigan"><img alt="Garibaldi Restaurant Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/17376632/biglogo" style="border: none; height: 34px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a> </span>EatingOurWayThroughGrandRapidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18351265631263107341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992756559390570012.post-57489266169657813522016-07-22T20:03:00.000-07:002016-07-23T06:31:09.699-07:00Iron ~ 25 Ottawa Ave SW<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This address always struck us as a great location, being right next to the Van Andel Arena. But its history, up to now, has proved us wrong. Margarita Grill closed there in 2008, due more to assaults than to the location. The subsequent reincarnations, 25 Kitchen and Bar <a href="http://eatingourwaythroughgrandrapids.blogspot.com/2010/03/25-kitchen-bar-25-ottawa-sw-382010.html">(2010 review)</a> and the very short-lived McKays tried to utilize the same huge space (2 levels) but didn't make it. This new business owner (who also owns Osteria Rossa) made a smarter decision and took a little more than half of the original space. And it's a very fine space.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rustic and sleek at the same time, the interior is tasteful, warm, and welcoming.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We were promptly greeted, seated, and given the lunch menu.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We could not resist trying the tomato soup made with heavy cream and served with a mini grilled cheese. The grilled cheese arrived in the soup, which first delighted us but subsequently dismayed us as we couldn't figure out how to consume it. It was a messy but delicious item.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The menu is intriguing and interesting and we finally settled on our two choices. The apple grilled cheese sandwich was doubled up with cheese, gouda and cheddar, and with the charred apple, radish sprouts, and mustard, made an outstanding selection.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The "Sherminator" was massive, and spectacular. The beef patty was topped with mystery Iron sauce, crispy onions, fried cheese curds, horsey slaw, and bacon. And it arrived medium rare, as ordered.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We could see the outdoor patio from where we were sitting (lack of shade kept us dining inside),</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JuUZam-IqKI/V5LMA9UFsRI/AAAAAAAACM8/KxLRxPwkuqIY8U1Xkj4Ybt3aoqdRZ5H7QCLcB/s1600/P6240143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JuUZam-IqKI/V5LMA9UFsRI/AAAAAAAACM8/KxLRxPwkuqIY8U1Xkj4Ybt3aoqdRZ5H7QCLcB/s320/P6240143.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and we checked it out before we left. A bar and a fireplace seating area have been added and the patio is altogether pleasant and inviting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The interior dining area holds tables for 2 or 4, and high tops are located in the bar area which also contains one large booth. Two silent TVs are above the bar and a classic rock and roll soundtrack was playing throughout. Restrooms are single use, unisex (that's how you do it). If you're going for dinner, reservations are recommended. You can find their website at www.irongr.com and they have an active page on facebook. Check this place out and you will certainly become a fan!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.zomato.com/grand-rapids-mi/iron-grand-rapids-grand-rapids" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Iron, Grand Rapids and other Restaurants in Grand Rapids, Michigan"><img alt="Iron Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/18309573/biglogo" style="border: none; height: 34px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a> </span><br />
EatingOurWayThroughGrandRapidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18351265631263107341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992756559390570012.post-88575318074471906412016-07-09T15:20:00.000-07:002016-07-09T19:52:41.906-07:00Chinatown, 69 28th St SW ~ 6/21/16<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In business since 1975, the restaurant began its life renting the space from the owners of Robert Hall (that long ago defunct clothing store). When a 1980 fire destroyed the building, business owners Alex and Alice Lin bought the real estate and rebuilt the restaurant. They've been here ever since. And we know this because Alice told us.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When we walked in Alice was the only other person we saw in the restaurant. She was working behind the bar with a TV playing but immediately upon our being seated, the TV was turned off and a wonderful, greatest classical hits music track began playing. <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Seldom heard </span>in most restaurants, we found it even more interesting and enjoyable playing here. The air conditioning was also fired up and we had the place to ourselves. (There were three cars parked out front when we pulled up, which must have belonged to employees/owners. It's a good plan because we wouldn't have stopped in if there wasn't a car in the lot.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The bar was filled with lucky cats, a side dining room was darkened, the Japanese Steakhouse wing has been long closed, but the lunch area was pleasant and traditionally decorated. About eight tables and two booths filled out the space and could obviously handle the lunch crowd, which today was us.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We started out big with the Genghis Khans Platter for two.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dumplings, Crab Rangoon, BBQ, Shrimp Toast, and Egg rolls made up this appetizing array. We followed it up with Hot and Sour soup, always judged against that produced by Wei Wei Palace. This was sweeter but full of vegetables and still commendable.</span><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zDLDaTpruhU/V38Mpa_-tfI/AAAAAAAACKo/L05Vc-gh3h46mCjKX1mgnwOai7ZQhjiOwCLcB/s1600/20160621_131142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zDLDaTpruhU/V38Mpa_-tfI/AAAAAAAACKo/L05Vc-gh3h46mCjKX1mgnwOai7ZQhjiOwCLcB/s320/20160621_131142.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Each dish took its time arriving and in the meantime, Alice introduced herself to us and gave us the history earlier related. When we ordered our main dishes, she mentioned that food was cooked fresh and to order, and spice levels ranged from 1-10. We were happy to wait and enjoyed chatting with her. She delivered our main dishes and continued to chat, and continued, but that was our fault because we asked questions. Eventually she left us to our food.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Szechuan Pork was well prepared, spiced up to level 8, contained crunchy vegetables and the asked for hotness, and was an all around great dish. Our next entree was one of the Signature Dishes, Bird's Nest Double Happiness ~ irresistible, ordered at spice level 7.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Shrimp and chicken were stir-fried with crispy vegetables and were supposed to be served in a crispy noodle basket. It wasn't much of a basket but it was appealing all the same. We usually avoid shrimp in an Asian restaurant because they tend to be rubbery but this was not the case here. A signature dish indeed. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We were entertained by various instructions found in the restaurant.</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YBaKEfY_azs/V38Uyi4rdzI/AAAAAAAACLM/VNWVVz3_buAcSLMJi8jb10IOBjWcillvgCLcB/s1600/20160621_133001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YBaKEfY_azs/V38Uyi4rdzI/AAAAAAAACLM/VNWVVz3_buAcSLMJi8jb10IOBjWcillvgCLcB/s320/20160621_133001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The owners have tried to sell the business previously and maybe still are (we found a 2010 YouYube listing from a local realtor). Running this business since 1975, they are probably ready to retire. The building is huge and they are only utilizing a portion of it. So enjoy this satisfying food while you can in this iconic building with its interesting history. And be sure to say hello to Alice, the friendliest hostess/server/owner in town. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Social media accounts are inactive or inaccurate so just check out this place in person. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.zomato.com/grand-rapids-mi/chinatown-wyoming" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Chinatown, Grand Rapids and other Restaurants in Grand Rapids, Michigan"><img alt="Chinatown Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/17378490/biglogo" style="border: none; height: 34px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a> </span> EatingOurWayThroughGrandRapidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18351265631263107341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992756559390570012.post-55789463764211234102016-07-06T15:48:00.001-07:002016-07-06T15:51:57.547-07:00Social Kitchen and Bar, 435 Ionia Ave SW ~ 6/8/16<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The restaurant opened in the Downtown Market this past spring and today we walked through its doors. It's taken up the entire open dining area that customers have used since the market opened but this is a much better use of the space (probably not from other vendors' points of view, however).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A wall divides the restaurant into two parts, dining room and bar, both about equal in size.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">High tops fill up the bar area along with much counter seating.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The dining area continues the salvaged material decor and is equally interesting.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">From the dining area we could see into the open kitchen that also had a pizza oven on the side.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We were promptly seated and provided with a lunch menu and a make-your-own-salad-bowl option.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We did not avail ourselves of the social greens menu but started with chicken and waffles, probably one of the strangest combos to ever come out of the South :-) But if you take a momentary break from being health-conscious, what's not to love about a buttery waffle and maple syrup topped with some chicken. It was a small and tasty treat.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">An egg sandwich was next, layered with guacamole, sriracha, tomato, cheddar cheese, and house-made bacon. Some fresh greens accompanied the sandwich. Buttery toasted bread held the ingredients that combined just fine, especially if you like a dash of sriracha with your food.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Turkey burger was touted as being house-ground and to be served with parsley salad, sriracha, garlic mayo on homemade pita bread. Add options included bacon and a fried egg.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This sounded good but the egg being over easy instead drenched the sandwich in liquid, which would not have been bad except that the dish was served on paper on a tray. One cannot attempt to fork and knife a soggy burger when paper is your base. In addition, the bacon was too tough to bite and, with the rest of the sandwich being soft, made the entire thing a mess. On top of all that, there was no detectable seasoning to the turkey. A little seasoning and being served on a plate might salvage this item.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We added a $6.00 side of fries because they came highly recommended. But seriously, how many people would you need to consume this tray full of fries, as good as they were? A quarter of the size and price might be an improvement.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">They have their own restroom facilities downstairs (I think the rest of the market uses the facilities on the 2nd floor), and there's a nice patio outside of the bar that looks out onto the parking lot.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">They have rolling doors to close off their space for private events or for when the rest of the market is closed. Overall, Social Kitchen and Bar is a robust and interesting addition to the Downtown Market. </span><br />
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/grand-rapids-mi/social-kitchen-and-bar-grand-rapids-grand-rapids" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Social Kitchen and Bar, Grand Rapids and other Restaurants in Grand Rapids, Michigan"><img alt="Social Kitchen and Bar Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/18337712/biglogo" style="border: none; height: 34px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a> EatingOurWayThroughGrandRapidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18351265631263107341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992756559390570012.post-1588039981109598102016-06-08T20:13:00.001-07:002016-06-09T04:55:20.260-07:00Wheelhouse, 67 Ottawa Ave SW ~ 6/1/16<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Other than the 30 or so Wendys that Meritage Hospitality operates, they also own Twisted Rooster, Crooked Goose, and Freighters Eatery and Taproom (the latter in Port Huron). Each of the three is an individual restaurant, not a chain, but Wheelhouse is the first of their restaurants to be built from the ground up. And it's obvious. When you walk into Twisted Rooster, you know you're stepping into a place that used to be something else. But when we walked into Wheelhouse today we had a moment of deja vu when we were greeted by 4 hostesses at the hostess table.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This space is the ultimate in cool. The entry opens into a sweeping bar with high tops, seating for about 25 at the bar, and some dining tables.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Further to the left is what they call a porch, with windows opening, rattan furniture, and doors that can close off the room for private parties.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The decor is subdued and tasteful, and where we were seated in the bar dining area, we could look out at the Van Andel Arena. This has to be a great location for concert goers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We started with these lovely crab cakes: jumbo lump crab, fennel with orange slaw, and peppadew aioli. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The orange slaw and aioli made these the perfect crab cakes, and the presentation wasn't bad either.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our first main dish was Grilled Prawns. They were not overcooked and beautifully combined with fried green tomatoes. They were not enhanced, however, by the roasted corn chow chow, aka, popcorn. The popcorn didn't add anything to the dish but a bit of visual variety. And the green onions would have been better chopped. Pretty to look at but difficult to consume. The dish was complemented nicely by the corn grit aioli and tomato vinaigrette.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Spaghetti Carbonara gave us us nothing to complain about. Pancetta, garlic, parmesan and pecorino, egg, and parsley along with al dente pasta made a lovely dish, and one to be ordered again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So the meal was great, service even better, and we were taken by this painting hanging on a wall leading into the porch. The color stands out in this otherwise black-brown-beige but very tasteful setting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We were hoping it was a local building by a local artist but alas. It's a non-identified building by an artist in Texas that was enlarged on canvas for the restaurant. Still a nice accent but it could have been more interesting and local.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We checked out the dining room located at the right of entry as we left. Booths and a continuation of the same tasteful lighting and decor really recommend this restaurant, located at the base of the new Arena Place. And if the good food continues, this is sure to become a downtown favorite! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.zomato.com/grand-rapids-mi/wheelhouse-grand-rapids-grand-rapids" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Wheelhouse, Grand Rapids and other Restaurants in Grand Rapids, Michigan"><img alt="Wheelhouse Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/17861998/biglogo" style="border: none; height: 34px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a> </span>EatingOurWayThroughGrandRapidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18351265631263107341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992756559390570012.post-91106787030139923142016-05-27T18:25:00.000-07:002016-06-03T06:11:38.084-07:00Little Lucy's Cafe, 1747 Plainfield NE ~ 5/27/16<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This place opened just last Monday and, as indicated from the lunch time crowd, people are hearing about it. Upon entry, we found ourselves in the bakery and noticed it was empty of goods. Upon questioning, we were informed that the bakery would officially open next Tuesday (5/31). The hostess station was just to our left and we were promptly seated, after being asked if we lived in the neighborhood. Alas no (is it still okay that we're here?). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The narrow restaurant space has ten stools along the street window, three tables for two and two for four located along the far wall.The opposite wall shared by the bakery contains a window between the two spaces and ends in the open kitchen, which is surrounded by an L-shaped counter. Filling in the space are about ten flexible tables for four.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Decor is clean and minimal with the light colors seeming to perfectly suit this cheery breakfast/lunch place. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The only piece of decor/signage we didn't like was the restroom locator sign, asking if we "Need to Tinkle." Everything else is very tasteful. </span>Our server appeared quickly and after giving us menus, asked us if we were from the area. Again, alas no.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We were thrilled with the diverse and interesting menu ~ this is no "Real Food" menu (no offense to Real Food lovers). (But don't fear that you can't get a standard breakfast ~ you even have the option to build your own breakfast.) Our first order was Chorizo and Crawfish Etouffee, with an over easy egg. The last time I had Etouffee was in New Orleans, and this dish did not disappoint. Crawfish, chorizo, celery, onion, red pepper, and tomato, in all its buttery deliciousness, was served over basmati rice, and topped by the egg.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our next dish was Cheesy Grits with Sausage Ragout, also topped with the optional egg, this time poached. Slightly sweet overall, blue corn grits were melded nicely with ricotta cheese and the spicy breakfast sausage with bell pepper and onions. The side of bacon didn't fare as well. We like it crisp but we could taste the burn on these that apparently got away from the cook.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These lovely terrariums were on every table, just more evidence of the care that has gone into this restaurant. And the entire staff is friendly, informative, and efficient.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are narrow windows leading into the next space over, which will be turned into their next venture, Brighton Graye's Bistro. We could see work going on in there, a staircase leading up, and furniture boxes galore. We were told it would be opening in about a month.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It looks like an outdoor patio is also in the making, which will make everyone in Grand Rapids very happy due to our short season of nice weather.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This latest venture of L & B Portfolio (Graydon's Crossing, Logan's Alley, Derby Station) has really provided a great addition to the neighborhood and eliminated an unused, vacant building. Neighbors (and others who'd like to drive over, thank you very much) can enjoy coffee and baked goods to go, dine in for breakfast or lunch, or have dinner in what we assume will be a lovely place next month. We'll be back to check them out and to try more items from Little Lucy's menu.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Find them on facebook and on their website: www.littlelucycafe.com</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.zomato.com/grand-rapids-mi/little-lucys-caf%C3%A9-grand-rapids-grand-rapids" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Little Lucy's CafƩ, Grand Rapids and other Restaurants in Grand Rapids, Michigan"><img alt="Little Lucy's CafƩ Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/17861996/biglogo" style="border: none; height: 34px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a> </span><br />
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EatingOurWayThroughGrandRapidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18351265631263107341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992756559390570012.post-71291957413626532482016-03-30T18:47:00.000-07:002016-03-30T18:47:52.156-07:00Jia Yuan, 3500 Remembrance Road, Walker ~ 3/17/16<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We read about this place and decided to stop in for lunch, and it was so worth it. We were late for lunch so had the place to ourselves. When we walked in we seemed to surprise the woman at the counter. But she gave us our paper menus and we took a seat to decide what we wanted to order.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It wouldn't be the Hunan Tirple Delight :-)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We always check out the hot and sour soup in any new to us restaurant and our server/proprietor dished it out from the lunch buffet counter.</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yg1GJ1Eh2EQ/VvxxvxwadHI/AAAAAAAACAY/VH9dMltz7osfV4Co-8tNij4KMqmOgWSIg/s1600/20160317_144006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yg1GJ1Eh2EQ/VvxxvxwadHI/AAAAAAAACAY/VH9dMltz7osfV4Co-8tNij4KMqmOgWSIg/s320/20160317_144006.jpg" width="223" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was hotter than most but quite good and a close second behind our always favorite from Wei Wei Palace.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most dishes here are served in take-out containers which is convenient for all but were heavy on styrofoam, which is not good. Customers pick up their utensils, napkins, etc. from a central shelf that also contained kids' entertainment tools, which was cool. There were pitchers of water in the cooler from which we replenished our waters. It was a little like being in their living room and we liked the atmosphere, complete with kids' drawings lining the walls.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This looks to be a two person, man and wife operation, and other than immediately bringing our soup, cooked everything else to order. English was understood but everything was written down in Chinese. And back to our initial ordering, when we stepped back up to the counter and placed our very large order, she wanted to take the menus back from us but we kept them to use as placements and reference. Hope that was ok :-)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the soup & wontons, the Szechuan Beef and Hunan Pork Vegetables arrived.</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-40eBKEUu4OY/Vvx1GPmoquI/AAAAAAAACBE/tOvgOcvMuKQJjAKOctdrexv2ExUJrXpBQ/s1600/20160317_144932.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="144" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-40eBKEUu4OY/Vvx1GPmoquI/AAAAAAAACBE/tOvgOcvMuKQJjAKOctdrexv2ExUJrXpBQ/s320/20160317_144932.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vegetables were crisp, pork was a little tough, but all in all, very respectable dishes. We liked the plenitude of vegetables and the plates not filled up with rice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Under the Special Combination Plates we selected Jia Yuan Special Chicken. It came neatly in its own styrofoam container :-( with what we think might have been the best egg roll we ever tasted. It wasn't stuffed with no-name, no-taste fillers and was actually enjoyable with flavor, as was the chicken (General Tso style but not as sweet, and spicier).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The last dishes to arrive were Singapore Mei Fun Lo Mein and our dumplings. Usually the dumplings would have arrived earlier but these were obviously made with care and had an extraordinary, thicker, wonderfully textured shell. We requested pan fried and they accommodated us with these lovely items.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Lo Mein dish looked appealing, the noodles were great, but there was an overwhelming spice in this dish we could not identify but did not care for (maybe Madras curry?). We're generally fans of curry in food but there was something about this one we didn't like.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The men's bathroom had a sign on it not to use and a trip to the women's wasn't good. Pretty dirty.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After all of our dishes were served, the man and wife came out and sat at a table next to us and began to eat. But before he sat down, he walked into the men's room and used it :-)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We had probably interrupted their planned lunch with our arrival which is why we received a disconcerting look when we first walked up to the counter. But kudos to this hard-working couple who puts out such great food! This is not your typical Chinese restaurant and although they have sweet and sour items on their massive menu, the food preparation is superior and highly recommended.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.zomato.com/grand-rapids-mi/jia-yuan-walker" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Jia Yuan, Grand Rapids and other Restaurants in Grand Rapids, Michigan"><img alt="Jia Yuan Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/17376522/biglogo" style="border: none; height: 34px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a> </span> EatingOurWayThroughGrandRapidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18351265631263107341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992756559390570012.post-15891376390751452632016-02-02T19:11:00.000-08:002016-02-18T16:59:22.544-08:00Taqueria Maravatio, 1100 Chicago Ave SW<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Today we drove on a whim down Grandville/Chicago Avenue to see if we could find a small, unknown, local restaurant ~ because we love doing that. We happened on this place straddling a corner at Chicago Drive and Godfrey, across from Holy Name of Jesus Parish on Godfrey and a McDonalds on Chicago Drive.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Aztec or Mayan art decorates portions of the six-sided building but around back it's plain with the parking lot and two entrances.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When we walked in it looked like it was counter service and we did the awkward looking-around-trying-to-figure-out-the-place-thing with the locals staring at us. But we spotted a woman waiting on a table so we grabbed two menus off the very large counter and took a seat.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The place holds about 11 tables/booths wrapped along the exterior wall which is lined with windows so everyone has an outside view, except for this table for two. And there's a big booth down at the end.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The kitchen is open from the counter view and we spotted two men working there. The one and only server was continually cleaning when not waiting on customers. And the place is spotless. When I later walked into the Ladies' Room I saw washing your hands instructions in Spanish and English, along with the old washed-the-floor water. Well, at least it was washed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We were quickly served chips and salsas, green and red, and both with a nice kick.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Water took a bit longer to come by and unfortunately arrived in large styrofoam, lidded cups. But the food did not disappoint. We selected from a simple two-page menu, complete with a hamburger with yellow cheese :-)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We each picked two tacos and a gordita. Steak, Chorizo, and Barbacoa tacos, and steak Gorditas. There was absolutely nothing to complain about. Fresh cilantro, plenty of limes, and other vegetables accompanied our food.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And most importantly, the tortillas are made in-house and that was obvious. This place rivals San Jose Taqueria and should definitely be visited. We needed to go back to the counter to pay, and that took a while on the old cash register. While I was waiting, the cook put a huge bowl of soup/stew on the counter and I asked our cashier/server if that was for her. She said it was and it was a concoction of meat and vegetables and soup, and she hadn't eaten all day. It was steaming hot and looked delicious! Hey, that wasn't on the menu...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are two TVs back to back but nothing was playing, just a low-key music soundtrack. <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">D</span>ecor consisted of a picture of John Paul II and a painting of a pope with Mary. But with all those windows, there isn't room for much more.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The tables are numbered by a taped up paper number. Not so classy but whatever works.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There were crazy locks on the way out, modified during the day by tape.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There's not much internet information available about this place but it looks like it used to be the El Kiosco Tapatio Restaurante. What is was before that we have no idea. It looks like it was some sort of fast food chain. But this is a lovely reincarnation of a unique building and an obvious local favorite from what we observed. Freshly prepared food in a clean, local restaurant with house-made tortillas - what more could you ask?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.zomato.com/grand-rapids-mi/taqueria-maravatio-1-grand-rapids-grand-rapids" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Taqueria Maravatio, Grand Rapids and other Restaurants in Grand Rapids, Michigan"><img alt="Taqueria Maravatio Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/17861994/biglogo" style="border: none; height: 34px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a> </span>EatingOurWayThroughGrandRapidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18351265631263107341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992756559390570012.post-25372802737591811442015-08-26T17:44:00.000-07:002016-03-30T19:04:00.630-07:00Raad's Mediterranean Grill, 962 Cherry St SE ~ 8/11/15<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We've been hearing about this place and finally made it there today for lunch. It's been in business for two years and when we walked in today, it was empty. That can't be good.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are about nine tables set in a pleasant atmosphere and six chairs lined up against a street-facing window.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We walked in and were greeted with "to go or here?" Not the most welcoming greeting by our server. We seated ourselves and perused the 6-page menu. Appetizers & salads, two pages of entrees, beverages-smoothies-desserts, an ala carte and kids page, and a lunch menu. We had to start with a few appetizers ~ Samosas and Falafel. Our server, "is that all?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The samosas were served with delicious tzatziki sauce and the falafel arrived draped in tahini and parsley. This was all made to order and we waited for it, but it was worth the wait. We next ordered from the entree menu, Gyro and Kafta. Each entree comes promised with salad, rice, hummus, fresh pita bread, and optionally served as a wrap or plated. We took plated. And we need to talk about the salad first.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We'd like to eat this everyday, seriously. There's a lemony dressing (house recipe) that tops off radishes, parsley, tomatoes, onions, lentils, pita chips made on the premises, and pomegranate seeds. The salad is alive with flavor and texture and is altogether amazing. The Gyro then arrived.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hummus, rice and gyro were beautifully presented. As we are waiting for the Kafta, the owner and/or chef stepped out to ask whether I'd like tzatziki or garlic sauce (he whispers 'garlic'). How could we not take the garlic :-). He then notices our notes and camera. "Are you food critics?" Well, we do have a blog. "Why didn't you tell me? I would have taken good care of you." No. That's not how we like to review restaurants. And when the Kafta finally came out he accompanied it, chatting up the food, and due to his hovering we neglected to get a food photo, until the leftovers arrived at home :-)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are 16 spices in the rice, according to our chef, and the garlic sauce and the rest of the food was well prepared and fresh. The garlic sauce was a great recommendation so don't miss it. We asked about the lack of customers and our guy said it's always like this because no one knows about them, which is sad because the food is wonderful. It's made as it is ordered, table for table. Pita bread is brought in from Detroit and was promised with the Kafta entree but never arrived so we can't comment on that other than we didn't get it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ideas for improvement? Train your servers to be more welcoming and customer savvy. Add building signage and update the tacky sandwich board sign. Clean the one bathroom customers use. Avoid loud conversations between the server and chef while customers are waiting for food, and don't make customers listen to your phones ring as well as to your subsequent conversations. And maybe change the soundtrack to a consistent mideastern vibe rather than a random jazz/pop thing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Online reviews complain about the prices but there is a lunch menu available with reduced costs. We hope he stays in business and maybe he does well enough with take-outs and catering to stay alive.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The smoothies were recommended to us by the chef as being all natural with no added sugars, etc., so we took two to go. Delicious! Check out this place, at least for the falafel, hummus, garlic sauce, and the salad! They have local delivery service and you can find them on facebook and at www.raadsgr.com</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Sad Update 2/18/16 ~ we drove by earlier this week and the restaurant is closed and the building vacant.</i></span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.zomato.com/grand-rapids-mi/raads-mediterranean-grill-grand-rapids" target="_blank"><img alt="Click to add a blog post for Raad's Mediterranean Grill on Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/17378500/biglogo" style="border: medium none; height: 34px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a> </span>EatingOurWayThroughGrandRapidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18351265631263107341noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992756559390570012.post-35243494810937704712015-04-21T18:53:00.001-07:002015-04-21T19:22:27.114-07:00Sushi Kuni, 2901 Breton ~ 3/26/15<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They call themselves a Japanese Fusion restaurant and five years ago moved into the space that used to be Shogun.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Enter this establishment and you are immediately struck by the lovely ambiance. The lighting is dim and the decor subtle and tasteful. The place is divided into two areas, this row of booths and small tables upon entry,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and another dining area with a few larger tables, a few booths, and the sushi bar.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The menu features Korean dishes, sushi, and Asian Fusion, so there are choices galore. Sometimes this style of restaurant tries to be too many things to too many people but we think it works here overall.</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And we started with tempura and dumplings.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The shrimp tempura was a little bland but the dumplings (beef gyoza) were great. The sauce enhanced the flavor of these perfectly prepared and not overly fried dumplings.</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So o</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">n to the entrees.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two of us are huge fans of Udon, those thick, chewy Japanese noodles, so two dishes soon arrived ~ Vegetable Udon and Spicy Seafood Udon.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The mildly flavored broth in the vegetable dish was excellent and the spiciness of the seafood dish broth slowly built up while eating. Both are classic dishes well prepared, and the noodles had the perfect, chewy texture we hoped for. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chef's Choice Sushi was our third dish, and it was fine although not as fresh or well-cut as that found at Maru.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The soundtrack playing was really interesting and we couldn't quite figure it out. It was completely instrumental and each of us recognized different tunes ranging from "Pure Imagination" from Willy Wonka, a theme song from Lord of the Rings, a praise chorus worship tune, and a Metallica hit. It was a unique and strange soundtrack for our lunchtime dining :-) But o</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ur major complaint was that the overhead light at our booth was disconcertingly bright and not centered over the table so it only bothered the person it shone upon.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Find them on facebook but they haven't posted since November of 2014. And their website at sushikuni.net is halfway functional and doesn't reflect their current menu. In order to read the menu pages that are there, at least three clicks are required to get it to a readable size.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So check them out in person. The atmosphere is great and we'd like to go back to try some of our favorite Korean dishes. And be aware, you have to walk through the Suma wrestler's curtain legs to find the restrooms (and notice the aforementioned blinding booth lights in this photo!).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2u53cLtbSMk">Pure Imagination ~ Willy Wonka</a></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/154/938981/restaurant/Sushi-Kuni-Grand-Rapids"><img alt="Sushi Kuni on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/938981/biglogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 34px; width: 104px;" /></a></div>
EatingOurWayThroughGrandRapidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18351265631263107341noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992756559390570012.post-64187977064045104242015-03-22T16:42:00.001-07:002015-03-22T16:42:16.963-07:00Cabana Tres Amigos, 1409 60th St ~ 3/10/15<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We've heard good things about this restaurant so drove out to Kentwood to check it out. It's housed in a big building that must have been something else in a previous life. There's not much else around it but residences, and nothing to draw you to the area. But being family-owned, we were in.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We walked in and found a large entry way with a weird decor mix of Aztec-ish paintings and a blow-up beer can. A large dining room to the left was empty but for one couple. We were seated in an aisle of booths running along the kitchen, the width of the building. Everyone else was seated there too, except for that one lucky couple in the dining room.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Straight ahead from the entry was the bar, containing a few booths along the back, mirrored wall and fairly large u-shaped bar seating. A patio was also visible, which would be lovely on a summer night. Our server immediately announced that they had coke products and a full bar. Good to know.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d7kq_2iOJvM/VQ9CPA2gUZI/AAAAAAAAB4c/2SQi9Ukt158/s1600/DSCF0503.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d7kq_2iOJvM/VQ9CPA2gUZI/AAAAAAAAB4c/2SQi9Ukt158/s1600/DSCF0503.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So we were seated in the 7-booth alley and while we were waiting, we were treated to the sound of jack hammers going off in the bar (probably just a drill but it was jackhammer loud). We asked our server what was going on and she informed us, in a necessarily loud voice, that Keno was being installed in the bar. Well-timed construction, not. Fortunately, the work ceased after about 15 minutes, just minutes before we were headed for the door. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Perusing the pretty typical, large Mexican restaurant menu, we looked through five full-sized pages that contained an additional insert for features. And we started with Chorizo con Queso. The homemade Mexican sausage and cheese sauce made for a mighty fine dish. The cheese was mouth-watering delicious and not too rich as to be overwhelming but rich enough to make us want more. The Chorizo was mildly spicy and could have been hotter but that was fixable at the table.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We asked our server if she had a favorite and she promptly recommended Carnitas ~ pork marinated in a secret family recipe, which was listed as one of their specialties. It had to be tried. The pork was tender and the secret family recipe marinade brought a lot of flavor to it. Accompanying the pork were peppers, pico de gallo, refried beans, rice, and corn (or flour) tortillas.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Being greedy to taste more food than two people could/would normally eat, we ordered two additional dishes, Tacos al Pastorale, and Shrimp Empanada (Empanda on the menu). (Our server asked us why we were ordering so much food - why would she care? :-)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The tacos were fine but we were taken by surprise by the empanada because we expected the traditional concoction ~ pastry stuffed with good things. Because we didn't pay enough attention to the menu description (even with all that time), we discovered that instead of pastry, a filet of tilapia was the vessel for the shrimp. And it kind of worked. All would have been good but the promised orange and limes were nowhere to be found, and their citrus, acidic presence was missed. Avocado, tomatoes, cucumbers, and pico de gallo were fresh but didn't make up for it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The menu categories range as follows: starters, salads, nachos, vegetarian selections, features, house specialties, from the gulf, fresh taste of old mexico, fajitas and burritos, combinations, tacos enchiladas burritos, lunch specials, gringo grub (consisting of a chicken sandwich, and burger and fries), desserts, and beverages. We mention these only because you can't find them on their website.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And if you're checking out their website, be sure your speakers are turned down or off. Because immediately Cielito Lindo will begin blaring. Search as you might for the full menu, you won't find it. You can try clicking on price options, which will provide a specific dish, but there are no food categories from which to search. Their facebook account is also under-utilized. Other than one posting in 2015, the others go back to 2011. And if it's your first time looking for this place, this is the street signage to look for. The restaurant has none.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Obviously, this restaurant is relying on its loyal, local customers and we imagine they are many. If we lived nearby, we would return as well. But we can't recommend driving out there from Grand Rapids when we have Maggie's Kitchen, El Granjero, and La Taqueria San Jose right here. There's no reason to drive Kentwood for good Mexican food, but maybe for the summer patio and full bar!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sidenote on the women's bathroom ~ you can look right over the top of the stalls ~ very poor design feature so be forewarned!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">www.cabanatresamigos.net</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/154/1475953/restaurant/Grand-Rapids/Cabana-Tres-Amigos-Kentwood"><img alt="CabaƱa Tres Amigos on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1475953/biglogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 34px; width: 104px;" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span>EatingOurWayThroughGrandRapidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18351265631263107341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992756559390570012.post-6933118195689458032015-01-29T15:45:00.000-08:002015-01-29T15:47:26.379-08:00Pupuseria El Salvador La Original, 4639 S Division Ave ~ 1/20/15<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Driving south on Division Avenue is always an interesting ride and we've discovered some unique little restaurants doing that. But someone mentioned this place to us (thanks, Sarah Scott!) so today we drove down Division with a specific destination in mind. And we missed it the first time. One our way back north, we spotted the sign and turned in to find the small, set-back restaurant.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We weren't sure at first if it was counter-service only so stood about for a minute or two trying to figure it out. A friendly man soon greeted us and told us to sit wherever we would like and he warned against sitting by the windows. Good advice as we froze anyway away from the windows but it was a bitterly cold day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The restaurant felt small at first with booths crammed everywhere but when we did some calculating, it appears the space could hold upwards of 50 people. Ten booths are back to back with each other and there are five smaller tables and chairs along the side wall. Today we shared the place with one lone soul.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A large menu is posted on the wall but our server also brought us the huge 9-page menus to peruse. Some items are described in Spanish & English, others just in Spanish but there are pictures galore. It was difficult to make a decision with so many choices. And for those of you looking for breakfast choices, if you can wait until 10 or 11am to eat, there is a full page of breakfast selections whose descriptions were very tempting. Other than the menus, there was very little wall art, this being one exception.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our server was patient as our indecision was obvious and he suggested we start with guacamole. He asked if we liked it hot but he didn't trust our "yes" because we had to make it hotter when it arrived. But fresh & flavorful it was, complete with the avocado pit and a wedge of lime.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We were surprised with the complimentary lentil soup which we happily consumed. And after further conversation with our server, we started with two pupusas & fried plantains. One pupusa was steak and cheese and the other was jalapeno pepper and cheese. These were divided amongst us and were such a treat! The pupusa is a thick tortilla, but with twice the flavor, and stuffed before cooking, which can be opened like pita bread and filled with additional items, like the fermented cabbage slaw that accompanied it. Or the cabbage can just be placed on top of the pupusa and eaten like a taco. Our server assured us that both methods were acceptable :-)</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4xogaZTj6aI/VMq4PNqF9OI/AAAAAAAABzc/3SX-6lJ0-XE/s1600/DSCF9031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4xogaZTj6aI/VMq4PNqF9OI/AAAAAAAABzc/3SX-6lJ0-XE/s1600/DSCF9031.jpg" height="258" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The fried plantains were exceptional, particularly due to the crema y frijoles that came along with them. We were advised to mix the sauces together before dipping the plantains. And we can assure you that you have not tasted anything like those sauces in any other Mexican/Spanish restaurant here in Grand Rapids.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We could have stopped there but were so thrilled with this new-to-us food that we ordered more, knowing we'd take the bulk of it home with us. Pork tamales, steak tacos, and taquitos rounded out our meal here (well, there were three of us :-) ).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We were all happy with our choices, and again, this is so much better than the stuff served up in your average Mexican restaurants, but the stars of this place are the pupusas and the plantains with the sour cream and bean sauce. The ingredients are fresh and the food is prepared after you order it. Here's our server in the kitchen doing just that.</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UAt7XcHhuXw/VMq7n8MJnPI/AAAAAAAAB0E/Z-rgmRSRjrk/s1600/DSCF9038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UAt7XcHhuXw/VMq7n8MJnPI/AAAAAAAAB0E/Z-rgmRSRjrk/s1600/DSCF9038.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was one other person working in the kitchen and when we asked about the history of the place the information was a little spotty but apparently it's been open about 10 years with ownership changing hands among family members.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The restaurant is book-ended by a car wash and a laundromat that explained the "no change" signs on the door.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r9kl1gFI_XE/VMq-CE6CvOI/AAAAAAAAB0Y/9_XjX2DJF2I/s1600/DSCF9048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r9kl1gFI_XE/VMq-CE6CvOI/AAAAAAAAB0Y/9_XjX2DJF2I/s1600/DSCF9048.jpg" height="185" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And although the neighborhood might seem a little dilapidated with 24/7 security cameras necessary, don't be dissuaded from checking out this place. We have 29 more pupusas to try in this Rincon Magico (as they call themselves). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They are on Facebook, and their current hours, per our server Joseph are as follows:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Monday-Thursday ~ 11:00am - 8:30 or 9:00pm</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Friday & Saturday ~ 10:00am - 10:00pm</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sunday ~10:00am - 8:30pm</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are so happy to share another local gem with you and regret that it took us 10 years to find it!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/154/938903/restaurant/Grand-Rapids/Grand-Rapids/Pupuseria-El-Salvador-La-Original-Kentwood"><img alt="Pupuseria El Salvador La Original on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/938903/biglogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 34px; width: 104px;" /></a> </span> </span><br />
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EatingOurWayThroughGrandRapidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18351265631263107341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992756559390570012.post-52648277303511685222014-12-21T13:29:00.000-08:002014-12-26T17:59:56.573-08:00Taqueria Garcia, 3536 S Division ~ 12/19/14<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ten days ago we lunched at Pho Soc Trang, located in the Asian Shopping Center at 4242 S Division, and on our way back north, we spotted several small hole-in-the-wall restaurants that we noted for another time. And today was one of those times. Located just north of 36th Street, the place will be missed if you blink. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The sidewalk sign alerts drivers to the existence of this restaurant, which takes up the right half of the building pictured above.</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-anmZ_i2Ri2I/VJcrPzjgLwI/AAAAAAAABxM/SlVrlqRb574/s1600/DSCF8017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-anmZ_i2Ri2I/VJcrPzjgLwI/AAAAAAAABxM/SlVrlqRb574/s1600/DSCF8017.jpg" height="320" width="242" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Parking is available in the back of the building and we walked around to the entrance, curious to find out what the restaurant was like. We were greeted by a small space containing eight tables for four and four booths. Three other customers were there and two of them gave us a look somewhere between appraising and disapproving. But the young man standing behind the counter gave us a brilliant, friendly smile as we walked up to figure out what to order. Menus are on white boards on the wall and we eventually made our choices while he patiently waited. There are ten taco choices, five gorditos, and one sope.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He disappeared into the kitchen and we took a booth along the windows. Matt then had some fun with the mirrors (there are three of them hanging on various walls). There were three large pencil drawings hanging above us, two of large breasted women and the other maybe a Mexican Clint Eastwood? Viva mi Raza was written on a couple of them ~ "Long live my People," certainly a worthy sentiment. The Virgin Mary under a garland also joined the decor. And Pirates of the Caribbean was being shown on the T.V.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another customer walked in, sat down at a table, and received table service. So it is available but you have to know what you want unless you can read the whiteboards from your seat. Our counter man soon brought us our tacos, the first dish being one pork and one steak, nicely smothered in cilantro and onions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Matt ordered three ~ pork, steak, and beef tongue.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0ZGx8CZ206A/VJcyKoX8fGI/AAAAAAAAByA/1fmcRdhTgKo/s1600/DSCF8012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0ZGx8CZ206A/VJcyKoX8fGI/AAAAAAAAByA/1fmcRdhTgKo/s1600/DSCF8012.jpg" height="199" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Three unmarked sauces were brought out for us, spicy, hot, and hotter. After a few taste tests we each picked one suitable to our taste buds. We had no complaints and the tacos are definitely recommended. We didn't like them as well as those at <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: red;"><i><a href="http://eatingourwaythroughgrandrapids.blogspot.com/2012/05/taqueria-san-jose-1338-s-division-5112.html">Taqueria San Jose</a></i> <span style="color: black;">but this place is certainly worthy of a visit. Tortillas weren't doubled or slightly fried like at San Jose but everything tasted fresh and there was no lack of flavor.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">For the price conscious among you, these tacos are $2.00 each. That's right. And the restaurant is a small family business. The cook is the father of our server and usually his daughter is there helping as well but our server had enlisted the help of a friend today. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">They are on Facebook and here is their December 17 posting: </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">"Correccion va aber Barbacoa, Pansita, y Consume el 27 De Diciembre.
Abrimos a las 9 de la maƱana gracias. Correction there will be Barbacoa,
panista, and consume made out of goat on December 27. We will be open
at 9am thank you." What's not to love about this unique little place on South Division? We'll be back to try the gorditos and sope!</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">Hours:</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday ~ 9:00 am - 8:30 pm</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">Friday, Saturday ~ 9:00 am - 10:00 pm</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">Monday ~ Closed </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">Support
another of Grand Rapids' many local restaurants, ignore the national
chains, and reviews of the same, that make every neighborhood just a little less interesting, put
locals out of business, and cause all cities to look like Any City,
U.S.A. This family is doing their part.</span></span></span></span> </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"> <a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/154/1772966/restaurant/Grand-Rapids/Grand-Rapids/Taqueria-Garcia-Wyoming"><img alt="Taqueria Garcia on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1772966/biglogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 34px; width: 104px;" /></a></span></span></span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span>EatingOurWayThroughGrandRapidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18351265631263107341noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992756559390570012.post-63291125581704662222014-12-20T17:23:00.000-08:002014-12-20T18:15:28.183-08:00Wine, Beer & Food Festival ~ 11/22/14 (Copied over from All Things Grand Rapids: http://bit.ly/1qOwGNy)<h2 class="date-header">
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We didn't plan
ahead this year due to uncertain travel plans but ended up attending
Saturday night. By the time we planned it, all the restaurant pairing
tickets were already sold out but we were able to secure tickets for a
Champagne tasting with menu by TerraGR.</span><br />
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<b><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4j6DfMDRifs/VI3wdRVTWkI/AAAAAAABJ_4/F8dgGiy35p0/s1600/DSCF7330.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4j6DfMDRifs/VI3wdRVTWkI/AAAAAAABJ_4/F8dgGiy35p0/s1600/DSCF7330.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The tickets
weren't clear as to where the tasting was to take place and indicated
only DeVos Ballrooms. We asked at the Info Booth and they sent us to the
office, who sent us to the ticket taker who flagged down an event
coordinator who directed us to walk to the other end of the showroom and
head to the balcony over the Beer Garden. Off we went, with 15 minutes
before our start time, sweating bullets.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We fought our
way through the crowded floor, climbed the stairs to the balcony, walked
the entire distance and finally asked at another Info Booth at the far
end. This man took pity on us and asked a worker to take us where we
were supposed to be, which was a smaller balcony off of the Beer Garden,
which we had walked right passed and missed due to lack of signage. So
whew! We finally made it and our host asked us if we had tickets. Oh,
yes indeed. His comment? Ah, they oversold our tickets. But no matter.
They set up more chairs and accommodated us very politely.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The tables for
the tasting were stretched out along a narrow balcony and our two hosts
did their best to serve all of us while imparting relevant and pertinent
information.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Champagne
selections were "Grower's" selections from the Champagne Region of
France provided by Imperial Beverage, represented by Bradford
Hammerschmidt. We appreciated how refreshingly not overly-sweet each
selection was (and we also discovered we had a mutual friend).</span><br />
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<b><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F7uPlDsEDVs/VJDQYjz2sGI/AAAAAAABKow/OSydWx3o9GA/s1600/Scan0045.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F7uPlDsEDVs/VJDQYjz2sGI/AAAAAAABKow/OSydWx3o9GA/s1600/Scan0045.jpg" height="320" width="187" /></a></b></div>
<b>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Chris McDonald
from TerraGR was our food source, and he provided our Charcuterie and
cheese plate, complete with tasting suggestions. Dancing Goat Chevre,
SarVecchio, Grassfields Fait Gras, Tirrell Stilton Bleu, house-smoked
trout spread, Baked Crostinis, house-pickled vegetables, Michigan
honey, dijon mustard, and housemade lemon marmalade. The food was
exquisite and we can't wait to get back to TerraGR.</span><br />
</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1IfLBR5ofYM/VI337gaBWxI/AAAAAAABKAs/bZoqy2W00xc/s1600/DSCF7382.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1IfLBR5ofYM/VI337gaBWxI/AAAAAAABKAs/bZoqy2W00xc/s1600/DSCF7382.jpg" height="194" width="320" /></a></b></div>
<b>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Finally our food was mostly gone, and most of the glasses were turned over. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was a
wonderful event other than its inauspicious beginning and we highly
recommend it. We also had a great view of the main floor.</span><br />
</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FiQxXJUJYts/VI347I_4WdI/AAAAAAABKA4/QPXqIvdCKfY/s1600/DSCF7387.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FiQxXJUJYts/VI347I_4WdI/AAAAAAABKA4/QPXqIvdCKfY/s1600/DSCF7387.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></b></div>
<b>
</b>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ynH-Xi7r0TY/VI35RnjW1TI/AAAAAAABKBA/ymB38iwY6MQ/s1600/DSCF7372.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ynH-Xi7r0TY/VI35RnjW1TI/AAAAAAABKBA/ymB38iwY6MQ/s1600/DSCF7372.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></b></div>
<b>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-H4rQrMTRFXg/VI35YdWrvnI/AAAAAAABKBI/geJvqmo36MY/s1600/DSCF7405.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-H4rQrMTRFXg/VI35YdWrvnI/AAAAAAABKBI/geJvqmo36MY/s1600/DSCF7405.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></b></div>
<b>
</b>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We also had a bird's eye view looking down.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LWXUQd7A-I4/VI36d_QglnI/AAAAAAABKBY/v43iF2J37Lw/s1600/DSCF7376.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LWXUQd7A-I4/VI36d_QglnI/AAAAAAABKBY/v43iF2J37Lw/s1600/DSCF7376.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></b></div>
<b>
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<b><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MG9ylsICt9w/VI36qU9wjKI/AAAAAAABKBo/b016-rT97x8/s1600/DSCF7398.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MG9ylsICt9w/VI36qU9wjKI/AAAAAAABKBo/b016-rT97x8/s1600/DSCF7398.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></b></div>
<b>
</b>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2_p3wLc-hrI/VI36jrLTmGI/AAAAAAABKBg/Um-i9louEZY/s1600/DSCF7397.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2_p3wLc-hrI/VI36jrLTmGI/AAAAAAABKBg/Um-i9louEZY/s1600/DSCF7397.jpg" height="284" width="320" /></a></b></div>
<b>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We continually
saw these two in their bridal dresses wandering about the place and
finally figured out that they were promoting the photographers.</span><br />
</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2bR96SJL1Io/VI3-Ucts6zI/AAAAAAABKB0/dDSD58REg68/s1600/DSCF7401.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2bR96SJL1Io/VI3-Ucts6zI/AAAAAAABKB0/dDSD58REg68/s1600/DSCF7401.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></b></div>
<b>
</b>
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<b><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wwfLw8sp4Oo/VI3_X53cYoI/AAAAAAABKCI/jTdgoyMXnAs/s1600/DSCF7404.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wwfLw8sp4Oo/VI3_X53cYoI/AAAAAAABKCI/jTdgoyMXnAs/s1600/DSCF7404.jpg" height="235" width="320" /></a></b></div>
<b>
</b>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> But all I could think of were these two from "The Shining." :-)</span></b></div>
<b>
</b>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vv7ovMA5_lQ/VI3-qcRDoJI/AAAAAAABKB8/uhxq7iF35nQ/s1600/symmetry%2Btwins.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vv7ovMA5_lQ/VI3-qcRDoJI/AAAAAAABKB8/uhxq7iF35nQ/s1600/symmetry%2Btwins.jpg" height="236" width="320" /></a></b></div>
<b>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">They carried out their mission and the photographers seemed to be busy, especially when the backdrop fell on the subjects.</span><br />
</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_Q0hCYxlnvc/VI3_jF4rQKI/AAAAAAABKCQ/qv5tBKcSDg4/s1600/DSCF7395.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_Q0hCYxlnvc/VI3_jF4rQKI/AAAAAAABKCQ/qv5tBKcSDg4/s1600/DSCF7395.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></b></div>
<b>
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<b>
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<b>
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<b><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J-3nhwlD64s/VI3_3OOOwII/AAAAAAABKCo/NFpVJn_s6zc/s1600/DSCF7410.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J-3nhwlD64s/VI3_3OOOwII/AAAAAAABKCo/NFpVJn_s6zc/s1600/DSCF7410.jpg" height="271" width="320" /></a></b></div>
<b>
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<b><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u4PtUpS4MK8/VI4AAb_hLuI/AAAAAAABKCw/AiVKR2wKyJo/s1600/DSCF7438.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u4PtUpS4MK8/VI4AAb_hLuI/AAAAAAABKCw/AiVKR2wKyJo/s1600/DSCF7438.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></b></div>
<b>
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<b><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wL686-84wgY/VI4AH9Rcf7I/AAAAAAABKC4/EN-TnESOYIA/s1600/DSCF7439.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wL686-84wgY/VI4AH9Rcf7I/AAAAAAABKC4/EN-TnESOYIA/s1600/DSCF7439.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></b></div>
<b>
</b>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here is our elusive balcony afterward from the floor.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2_UqP06QcXM/VI4DCSUu6PI/AAAAAAABKDc/NvZrFVfd3xk/s1600/DSCF7435.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2_UqP06QcXM/VI4DCSUu6PI/AAAAAAABKDc/NvZrFVfd3xk/s1600/DSCF7435.jpg" height="191" width="320" /></a></b></div>
<b>
</b>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> From above and below, it's a swirling mass of humanity.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eMpeD62jZIQ/VI4A-OOd4LI/AAAAAAABKDA/Jjy9myFWeXk/s1600/DSCF7394.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eMpeD62jZIQ/VI4A-OOd4LI/AAAAAAABKDA/Jjy9myFWeXk/s1600/DSCF7394.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></b></div>
<b>
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<b><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nvBV8Bjx9H8/VI4BIJfBNkI/AAAAAAABKDI/3mwYdJeV-ak/s1600/DSCF7432.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nvBV8Bjx9H8/VI4BIJfBNkI/AAAAAAABKDI/3mwYdJeV-ak/s1600/DSCF7432.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></b></div>
<b>
</b>
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<b><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v_vFO_DXKsg/VI4BO3B_kyI/AAAAAAABKDQ/Bv0JPEmnOMY/s1600/DSCF7433.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v_vFO_DXKsg/VI4BO3B_kyI/AAAAAAABKDQ/Bv0JPEmnOMY/s1600/DSCF7433.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></b></div>
<b>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We needed more
food at that point and wandered along the edges to find the food
vendors. Our first two stops were Fire Rock Grille and Ju Sushi.</span><br />
</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OLSTftlWGrg/VI4DqLFq4aI/AAAAAAABKDk/y2AlS1pnTwI/s1600/DSCF7418.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OLSTftlWGrg/VI4DqLFq4aI/AAAAAAABKDk/y2AlS1pnTwI/s1600/DSCF7418.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></b></div>
<b>
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<b><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rNvcxPA8nw0/VI4Dws-wtII/AAAAAAABKDs/31iOmhP2YU4/s1600/DSCF7427.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rNvcxPA8nw0/VI4Dws-wtII/AAAAAAABKDs/31iOmhP2YU4/s1600/DSCF7427.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></b></div>
<b>
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<b><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-usTmp1_suyE/VI4D5AUsRgI/AAAAAAABKD0/xxCYEvBh0y0/s1600/DSCF7428.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-usTmp1_suyE/VI4D5AUsRgI/AAAAAAABKD0/xxCYEvBh0y0/s1600/DSCF7428.jpg" height="209" width="320" /></a></b></div>
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<b>
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<b><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZksmuBQichE/VI4ExMj9L5I/AAAAAAABKEM/zbXXXuDaDus/s1600/DSCF7430.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZksmuBQichE/VI4ExMj9L5I/AAAAAAABKEM/zbXXXuDaDus/s1600/DSCF7430.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></b></div>
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<b><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7bHVVp8z9Bk/VI4E4F3UbXI/AAAAAAABKEU/o1eiyIS13j8/s1600/DSCF7459.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7bHVVp8z9Bk/VI4E4F3UbXI/AAAAAAABKEU/o1eiyIS13j8/s1600/DSCF7459.jpg" height="218" width="320" /></a></b></div>
<b>
</b>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was time for some spirits and using up the last of our tickets.</span></b></div>
<b>
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<b><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Bv8_4CVg78/VI4FSgkEN2I/AAAAAAABKEc/2s309pRxp-o/s1600/DSCF7434.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Bv8_4CVg78/VI4FSgkEN2I/AAAAAAABKEc/2s309pRxp-o/s1600/DSCF7434.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></b></div>
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<b><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XKB94GQ7uSQ/VI4FZYeNdgI/AAAAAAABKEk/55VyjfEVwq8/s1600/DSCF7450.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XKB94GQ7uSQ/VI4FZYeNdgI/AAAAAAABKEk/55VyjfEVwq8/s1600/DSCF7450.jpg" height="267" width="320" /></a></b></div>
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<b>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zQuyiwElod0/VI4FyDeLo4I/AAAAAAABKE8/nvA76qdTcpw/s1600/DSCF7455.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zQuyiwElod0/VI4FyDeLo4I/AAAAAAABKE8/nvA76qdTcpw/s1600/DSCF7455.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></b></div>
<b>
</b>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Photo bombed by this guy :-)</span></b></div>
<b>
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<b><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z5GS3wOORUk/VI4GbotJfrI/AAAAAAABKFI/GVNfpfvH_zA/s1600/DSCF7453.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z5GS3wOORUk/VI4GbotJfrI/AAAAAAABKFI/GVNfpfvH_zA/s1600/DSCF7453.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></b></div>
<b>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We found Michigan's Holy Water and by then vendors were shutting down or already gone.</span><br />
</b><br />
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<b><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2irCtJDBI34/VI4Gu9_Bm0I/AAAAAAABKFQ/63ghgTiMfxo/s1600/DSCF7443.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2irCtJDBI34/VI4Gu9_Bm0I/AAAAAAABKFQ/63ghgTiMfxo/s1600/DSCF7443.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></b></div>
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<b><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AP4QZ3DtRGc/VI4HUHYw1II/AAAAAAABKFo/PdGpKSaD4Gg/s1600/DSCF7416.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AP4QZ3DtRGc/VI4HUHYw1II/AAAAAAABKFo/PdGpKSaD4Gg/s1600/DSCF7416.jpg" height="320" width="186" /></a></b></div>
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<b><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9EBwWntUHGs/VI4HazmCvYI/AAAAAAABKFw/H0i2SQtiEZc/s1600/DSCF7417_edited-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9EBwWntUHGs/VI4HazmCvYI/AAAAAAABKFw/H0i2SQtiEZc/s1600/DSCF7417_edited-1.jpg" height="221" width="320" /></a></b></div>
<b>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The last treat of the night was this elaborate ice cream bar. See you next year!</span></b></div>
<b>
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EatingOurWayThroughGrandRapidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18351265631263107341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7992756559390570012.post-3639184342575375962014-12-04T19:05:00.000-08:002014-12-05T18:09:46.118-08:00Menna's Joint, 44 Ionia Ave SW ~ 12/3/14 <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Part of a local Michigan chain, this seventh location is the only one that's not built in a college town. But seeing that it is on Ionia Avenue, Grand Rapids' restaurant/bar alley, they are probably doing just fine. Every night they stay open until 3:30 or 4:30 am, depending on the night. But first we had to find the entrance.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We walked toward their awnings to the first available door but that went nowhere. So we turned around and entered under the apartment awning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The place is small and with counter service. There are six booths, two standing-only high tops, and two sets of five stools facing the street ~ and one small church pew.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stepping up to the wall menu, we tried to decipher what we were looking at and had to have "Dub" defined for us, and there are all kinds of them listed, 23 to be exact (prices range from $5.00-$8.75). It's not a burrito and it's not a wrap but something in between due to the grilled tortilla. There are also a couple of salads and soups available as well as "Munchies" (French Toast Sticks with Syrup and Mac 'N Cheese Bites along with the usual Mozzarella Sticks, Chicken Tenders, Onion Rings, and Cookies?).</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So we each selected a Dub and waited down at the end of the counter for our food.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is our food being prepared.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While we waited we took a good look around and decidedly felt like we were in someone's college dorm room. All the requisite signs and posters were there, and Corn was playing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are two TVs, one in each corner and each showing some daytime TV, no news or sports, and one with an ill-placed lamp.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our food was ready in about 10 minutes. Whether you take it to go or for here, it arrives the same.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's the Gyro Dub opened up. This wasn't the best choice but it was my own fault. Why get anything Gyro-like other than at Sami's Pita House? So it was okay but very light on tzatziki and without that distinctive gyro flavor.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our second sandwich was the Chik'n Philly: chicken, swiss, onion, green peppers, mushroom, topped with Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Probably a better choice than the Gyro but still nothing extraordinary. We did both like the grilled tortillas, however. They are a nice vehicle for the ingredients and add a crispy texture to the sandwich.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We tried one side, the loaded fries ~ red skinned potato cubes deep fried and topped with cheddar and bacon. But every bite tasted burned. They apparently sat in the deep fryer a bit too long and we couldn't finish them (see photo above with the unwrapped Dubs).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just on a whim, the next day I stopped in during lunch to try one of the Breakfast Dubs and selected the Classic to go: scrambled egg, cheddar, and potatoes. The order-taker wisely suggested that I add something, and I took the menu suggestions and added bacon, onions, and green peppers for an additional charge of $1.50 on the $5.00 sandwich. This dub was much more enjoyable than our other choices and had an even blend of ingredients.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I spoke to a neighborhood friend who regularly stops in and he mentioned that the food quality depends on who is cooking. So there you have it ~ inconsistent quality but at 3am in the morning, I'm sure no one cares. Just like they won't care about the "Extras" on the menu being called "Hook Ups."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The restaurant is not looking for business lunchers and won't get many. Menna's knows its niche and it's late night. There was one couple dining in when we had lunch, and three people came through for take-out. Today there were four people dining in. The owners may also want to get some permanent signage on the restrooms.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All that being said, and in spite of the cliched, dorm room-kit decor, this place beats all other fast food restaurants hands-down. Your food is prepared when you order it. And you can also avoid supporting the ubiquitous national chains seeping into our downtown by frequenting this local chain. Online ordering and delivery are available, and they are currently looking for drivers. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/154/1847781/restaurant/Mennas-Joint-Grand-Rapids"><img alt="Menna's Joint on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1847781/biglogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 34px; width: 104px;" /></a> </span>EatingOurWayThroughGrandRapidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18351265631263107341noreply@blogger.com0