Graydon's Crossing, 1223 Plainfield - 6/6/12

A beautiful day in early June required outdoor dining and Graydon's Crossing it was. 

We love the outdoor patio but haven't yet been able to enjoy the 2nd story

deck (never open when we're there).

The indoor restaurant area has dark wood, tall-backed booths and a long, attractive bar that exude cool pub ambiance. But we've enjoyed the food more on previous occasions.

Jerk and Jicama was our starter and the Jicama fries were interesting, as was the key lime aioli sauce. The fried clams were tough and chewy.

The Baingan Bharta was pretty to look at but tasted quite bland. The promised carmelized onion could not be found and the curried Dal had no kick to it. The chick peas and eggplant blended well and perhaps it was just our expectations that went wrong.

Drunken Drip Beef sandwich was their version of a French Dip and we added onion rings as a side. Pepperoncini and Italian seasoning make this their own, and it came on a toasted roll with provolone. The onion rings were huge and well prepared, as was the sandwich.

The menu is varied and frequently changes, the service is consistently good, and the atmosphere is wonderful. If you don't know Graydon's Crossing, do yourself a favor and stop in.

http://www.graydonscrossing.com/

Our June 2010 Visit

The Winchester, 648 Wealthy SE - 4/26/12

This is one of our "go-to" places when we can't decide where to eat, aren't going to necessarily write-up a review, and just want some interesting and unique food.  So we've been here dozens of times, have already written it up twice, but today decided to share our wonderful lunch.


Our service was superb, as per usual, with a friendly and informative server. We love the changing menu and started with the shrimp nachos, which came highly recommended. Our server did not steer us wrong.

Small pieces of black tiger shrimp came atop curried granny smith chopped apples and guacamole (dig down a little so as to not miss the tart apples that combined wonderfully with the guacamole and shrimp). The drizzled sweet soy sauce and house-made tortilla chips made this an excellent appetizer choice. We did run out of chips before we consumed everything else, but we still had our forks.  


And who could resist a crab BLT? Soft-shelled crab was flash-fried and sandwiched with bacon, locally produced lettuce (Vertical Paradise Farms, a greenhouse farm in Caledonia), nicely spicy mayonnaise (specifically, sesame-sriracha kewpie Japanese mayo), and cherry tomatoes. Served on a toasted vienna roll from a local bakery (Nantucket Bakery), the well-prepared and delicious sandwich required multiple napkins and was accompanied by house-made black pepper kettle crisps. 

When asked for an opinion regarding the ordering the gator po' boy or the fish tacos, our server did not hesitate for a second: fish tacos. It's been several years since we've ordered fish tacos after having a horrifying, fishy experience at another restaurant, so this choice was a bold move. 

As it turned out, our server was right again. Just the list of ingredients will make your mouth water: lemongrass coriander rubbed tilapia, latin citrus slaw, saffron aioli, and grilled locally made El Milagro flour tortillas, served with fire roasted vegetable salsa and house-made plantain chips. Although we preferred the kettle crisps over the plantain crisps, the tacos are highly recommended. 


The Winchester looks for local food sources for its ingredients, and in season, looks no further than across the street at its own garden.

And don't miss their fantastic food truck around town and at special events.

Best Food Truck Name Ever

They have a very active presence on facebook and twitter, both as The Winchester and What the Truck (Twitter as @TheWinchesterGR and @tacotruckGR). Find the ever-changing menu on their website: http://www.winchestergr.com

6/15/12 - Here's a nice shout-out from USA Today.

Brewery Vivant - Belgian Tradition, Local Mission, 925 Cherry St SE - 2/18/11

An old funeral chapel now holds a very unusual pub/brewery that should not be missed.  The large, wooden doors still have “Chapel” written above them. Walk in and you are in a small foyer with a hostess station and t-shirts for sale. Upon entering the pub, you will be treated to vaulted ceilings and stained glass windows.

It feels more like a monastery than a chapel, however, with somewhat austere decor. The floor is concrete and the walls are cinder block. A large cabinet holding goblets sits back in what was the apse, and a horseshoe bar, which seats about a dozen, extends from the cabinet into the middle of the place.

Each side wall contains three large booths or alcoves, and a long row of unfinished wooden, communal tables with benches extends from front to back. Three or four smaller tables fill out the area. The atmosphere is rustic and spacious. A small balcony is located above the entry and light streams in through the stained glass window.

The brewery is located in an attached building that once was a repair shop, and tours are promised for sometime this spring. There’s also talk of an outdoor beer garden to be located in an area facing Cherry Street.

The lunch menu is small and contains eight interesting selections. (The dinner menu is much larger.) Our first choice was Lobster Corndog, described as Maine lobster, cornmeal and vivant farmhand butter, house remoulade, with pomme frites. It was  accompanied by a garlic, bearnaise-mayo. The dish was quite delicious and the cornmeal coating was not overwhelming. It was enhanced by the remoulade, tasting of lemon and pepper.

Our second choice was the burger. It consisted of 8 ounces of a “chef-selected blend of humanely raised hanger steak, top sirloin, and short ribs.” It was served with tomato, butter bib lettuce, onion, and bacon marmalade, and was also accompanied by pommes frites with the bearnaise-mayo. Cheese and bacon were added for a $2.00 up-charge. It was a lovely burger, and very well prepared.

You won't find salt and pepper, or ketchup, on the tables. It's a good sign of a confident chef.

Beer flights are offered, and at the time of our visit there were eight brews listed. (We both enjoyed the two we chose but that’s for another time.) One may also select from two hard ciders, and a Chardonnay or Cabernet Franc.

There’s a lot more that can be said about this very unique place and we would suggest checking out their website for more information and menus. It’s not inexpensive (the burger was $12.00, but where else can you order a burger made from hanger steak, top sirloin, and short ribs?). You will receive quality food and brew. Above all, drop in to experience this pub in person (and don't miss the innovative restroom sinks!).  

www.breweryvivant.com

Rockwell’s Kitchen and Tap, 45 S. Division - 1/27/11

The restaurant emphasizes locally produced, fresh ingredients, which means the menu changes with the seasons. We hadn’t been there since last April and thought it was time for a return visit.

It’s a long, narrow, two-story restaurant with wonderful dark wood booths, tables, chairs, and a lovely bar. When the outdoor deck is open, it’s accessed from the 2nd floor. The ambiance is that of a welcoming, neighborhood pub.

We took a booth with a street view and were promptly served.  From the ten “shared plate” offerings, we selected kobe steak rancheros for our appetizer. The grilled marinated steak was served with spanish rice, roasted salsa, crispy onions, and a poached egg. The combination was delicious, and the dish was exquisitely presented and prepared.  

We didn’t want salad or sushi for our main courses so we were left with the nine sandwich selections. The Niko sounded interesting with prosciutto cotto, mortadella, cappicola, spinach, tomato, red onion, olive spread, and provolone, served on Nantucket sour dough bread. It was an interesting combination of flavors and an enjoyable change from more mundane sandwich fare.

Braised pork loin, garlic greens, spicy giardiniera, provolone, au jus on a Nantucket French roll made up the Italian pork sandwich. The overall taste was slightly muddied because there were so many competing flavors. It was a bit over-complicated. The pork was lightly seasoned and the roll was very fresh. Orzo salad or chips accompany the sandwiches, and fries can be added for an additional $2.00.

Other than the idle hostess continually staring at us, we had no complaints about the service. Our server was helpful and attentive. The kitchen and the deck are shared with the adjacent Republic, which is not open for lunch. Check out the basement to see a very interesting part of this old building. You will feel as though you’re in a catacomb while searching for the lower level restroom.

Great pub atmosphere and interesting food choices make Rockwell’s worth a visit. Menus are online, and the restaurant will validate one hour parking in the parking ramp behind the restaurant.

www.rockwellsgrandrapids.com

The Derby Station, 2237 Wealthy St SE – 11/24/10

We had passed this by a few times last summer and decided to visit this East Grand Rapids restaurant today. We walked in and were greeted by a mostly empty restaurant and an offer to seat ourselves. The entrance is off Wealthy and brings you into the middle of the restaurant. Tables and a few booths are located on either side and the bar is located straight ahead. A large outdoor patio is off to your left.

It’s a comfortable, pub atmosphere with an open ceiling, dark wood paneling, tables, and booths, which all contrast nicely with the lighter wood floor. We seated ourselves in a high-backed booth and were promptly provided with a large beer/wine menu along with a smaller food menu.

It apparently began as a sister restaurant to Graydon’s Crossing but has since modified the menu. Few traces of British/Indian food can be seen although Fish & Chips is still available. Instead, the emphasis is on fresh, local ingredients, and the menu has many creative and interesting selections. By the time we looked up the online menu to assist in writing a review, it had already changed to December selections. The menu not only changes but is also kept up-to-date online.

We began with the mushroom and tomato bruschetta, and it was amazingly delicious. Sauteed tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, pearl onions, and an herb goat cheese spread were served on grilled bread, topped with an over easy egg. The egg is a European influence and it was a suitable addition. Everything combined beautifully.

Our first main dish was pumpkin gnocchi served with andouille sausage, sauteed wild mushrooms, and leeks in a black peppercorn parmesan cheese sauce. Overall it was a tasty and well-prepared dish, but the andouille sausage overpowered everything. A little less of it, and in smaller pieces, would have resulted in a much more balanced item. 

The second main selection was grass-fed lamb, braised with white beans, parsnips, carrots, garlic, and wintergreens, and served in a rich creamy sauce. It was topped with gremolata and parmesan crisps, and served with crostinis. Everything was nicely prepared and presented. We’re both fond of lamb, not mutton, and this was perfect.

The Derby Station presents a welcoming atmosphere, friendly and prompt service, and good food. But if you just want drinks at an attractive bar, you will still be more than satisfied with the available selections. What more can you ask for in a neighborhood pub?

12/29/12 Revisit  - We had horrible service, i.e., our server brought menus and then did not return for over 15 minutes. We had no water, no wine, and couldn't get an appetizer ordered. Then we had to return a bottle of watery wine but did finally enjoy great bruschetta. All of our entrees were lukewarm but otherwise alright. Seated in the dining room behind the bar is not a good place to be.

                                                                                                          

www.derbystation.com

 

Walker Roadhouse, 3272 Remembrance Rd NW, Walker - 6/4/10

Several years ago, we came across this place en route to another restaurant, and we’ve returned several times. Like some of the other restaurants under the same ownership (e.g., J. Gardellas), this has a great pub atmosphere and offers cordial, intimate settings.

The restaurant is divided into three sections. The bar and the dining area form a large “L,” with the dining room the smaller part. Both are filled with dark wood - columns, floors, booths, tables, and the bar itself, along with other interesting detail and decor. Off the bar, several openings connect to what we called the “porch” that held around ten tables of varying sizes. But the wood is gone; the floor is tiled, we sat on wicker chairs (too low for me), and windows are everywhere; the inside wall is old exterior brick, painted yellow. So it’s a nice, bright, sunny place to dine but totally lacks the ambiance of the rest of the roadhouse. And it’s loud, as it is really just one big room with nothing to divide one party from another. It’s all in what you’re looking for - and next time we’ll request to be seated in one of the other two areas. (Think about the “porch” at the Cottage Bar - seating of last resort.)

There were fourteen appetizers ($6.00 - $9.00) and they didn’t hold many surprises.  One of the more interesting-sounding was Bang Thai Shrimp: shrimp lightly breaded and flash fried, Thai chili sauce, shredded lettuce, and chow main noodles. It was a superb dish; the chili sauce was very zestful and the addition of the noodles made a great textural combination. When we found ourselves with a few left over, we realized they served about a dozen of them - not the usual appetizer offering (earlier this week we received six at San Chez). However, we had to ask for small plates on which to eat them.

The rest of the menu consisted of soups, six salads, four wraps, six burgers, twelve sandwiches, and eight house specialties. Other than the specialties and the dinner menu, prices generally were below $10.00. Menus are online and the lunch menu varied slightly from the menu we saw today.

We both selected from the house specials, the first being Maple Bourbon ribs. This was a half rack, slow cooked, served with Maple Bourbon barbecue sauce (hence the name :). They were good and the meat pulled easily off the bone without resorting to eating with one’s hands. But they were a bit charred on the bottom. They were served with french fries and cole slaw, both fine but nothing extraordinary.

We’ve had recent discussions regarding the difficulty of finding well-prepared eggs. Is it because we are used to how we prepare them at home and it’s never the same? Can an omelette be made with the eggs actually tasting good and not overdone, or they are just there to contain the added ingredients? Is it such a small space between underdone and overdone that only a top chef can achieve perfection? Weighty egg questions...

So our second dish had to be the Chorizo Omelette: three eggs, chorizo sausage, black beans, corn, peppers, onions, and Colby Jack cheese. It was served with salsa, sour cream, and fried red skin potatoes. The ingredients were a savory treat, particularly with the added salsa. The eggs? Slightly overdone and no flavor. Egg issue to be continued...

Service was perfect - friendly and attentive - and our bill came in under $40.00. It’s worth the short ride to enjoy this charming pub. 

www.thewalkerroadhouse.com   

      
     

                           
                               

Mill Creek Tavern, 3874 West River Dr NE, Comstock Park - 5/26/10

This very comfortable, casual restaurant is divided in two by a narrow hall; it used to separate the smoking bar area from the non-smoking room. We had lunch in the long, narrow bar that features a very lovely, old wooden bar, wooden booths, and about fifteen tables of various sizes. Big groups can be accommodated with a very large half booth and several large tables, and a more intimate setting can be found in one of the high-backed booths. The dark wainscoting shows some wear as does the wood floor, but both add to the charm. Five TVs are strategically placed throughout the room, and interesting, old photographs (sports, Grand Rapids, and more) adorn the walls. Restaurant interior photos can be found on their website and are much better than any we took today.

It was fairly crowded when we entered and it looked like mostly neighborhood patrons with a few business groups. Three servers were handling everything, including the bar. They worked cooperatively as we were helped at various times by two of them, both friendly and polite. The young lady who ended up being our main server was the doppelganger of Kristin Chenoweth, although we don’t know if she can sing (we’ll just leave it at that).

Our appetizer selection was Southwest egg rolls: black beans, chicken, and corn, wrapped in phyllo dough, and deep fried. The menu stated they were served with salsa but they came with chipotle ranch sauce. When we inquired, our server was surprised that salsa was listed because they “never serve that with the egg rolls”. She brought the salsa anyway - very thick and spicy - but the chipotle really did work better. Salsa overwhelmed the great flavors of the egg rolls. Phyllo dough by its very nature is light and these egg rolls were an excellent choice.

Next up was the Mill Creek burger, ordered medium rare, and with fries. Unfortunately, it came medium well. Every accompaniment was good - bacon done just right with melted Colby cheese blending with the haystack onions. Fries were thick, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and lightly salted - fine fries. Too bad about the burger.

Our other item was the Mill Stack: roast beef sauteed with mushrooms and bean sprouts, topped with melted mozzarella and served on a ciabatta square. It was a good meal; the beef was tender and the bean sprouts added an interesting, crunchy texture. Ciabatta was fresh. Homemade potato chips were included and they were over fried, many of them actually had a “burned” taste.

Service was prompt and attentive but not rushed. Dinner and lunch menus vary slightly, and both are online. None of the items will surprise you except for maybe the mussels. Most items are under $8.00 with dinner going a bit higher. The menus we were brought at lunch time listed the website as www.millcreektavern.com - not quite. You will find them at the site listed below. The group that owns Mill Creek also owns a few other bars/pubs, J. Gardella’s, Bull’s Head, Walker Roadhouse, and more. We’re fans of all three, by the way. Next time you’re near Fifth Third Ball Park, try this neighborhood restaurant/bar and enjoy a warm, friendly, pub atmosphere.

www.millcreektaverngr.com