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

 

The Electric Cheetah, 1015 Wealthy St - 11/17/10

                         

We lunched here about a year and a half ago and did not enjoy our experience. Besides poor service and burned plantains, the noise volume was so high we could barely have a conversation. Today we thought we would give it another try.

The place was full and we had a ten-minute wait to be seated. We were offered a couple of seats at the counter but we waited for a table. (Interestingly, the only other time we’ve had to wait for a table was at The Real Food Café.)  There are about 20 tables in the place for 2, 4, or 6, and they are packed quite closely together. The counter at the open kitchen seats a few more. The decor is interesting with a burning cauldron hanging from the ceiling and a large cheetah painted above the kitchen.

With the open ceiling, wooden floors, and a room full of people, the restaurant still has a noise level issue. The Latin jazz music playing helped to drown out some conversations but thankfully the couple next to us was finishing up and soon left.

Our first order was hot goat dip served with grilled naan (leavened, oven-baked flatbread). Roasted tomatoes, garlic, and spinach were whipped up in a goat and cream cheese blend, and it was an amazing taste treat. The cheeses were enhanced by the other items and no one ingredient overwhelmed the dish. The naan was soft and fresh and we couldn’t get enough.

Next up was the “I’m Not My Brother’s Sandwich.” Grilled chicken, bacon, provolone, thousand island dressing, and tomatoes were served on a grilled sourdough bread with asiago cheese butter. Chips and a dill pickle were the offered accompaniments but fries were ordered instead for a $3.00 up charge. They come russet or sweet. In addition to the usual ketchup, three different aiolis were also available. Altogether, it was a well-prepared and balanced selection.

There was one special offered today and it was our second main dish. The grilled cajun chicken breast with spinach, onion, tomato, and lime/cilantro cream cheese arrived on ciabatta and was delicious. The lime/cilantro cream cheese was a fabulous touch.  

Except for the noise level, the Electric Cheetah has been completely redeemed for us. The food was innovative, house-made, and emphasized local ingredients. Our server was attentive and informative. The menu is a little too big, however, and must become difficult to manage at times regarding preparation and service.

Menus are online and the restaurant has a blog as well. The blog has some interesting information and photos about opening the restaurant but there has been nothing posted since July of 2009. I requested background information about the restaurant name via email but never received a response.

Visit the restaurant for the food but not for an intimate dining setting and not if you want a glass of wine or bottle of beer with your meal (they're still working on a liquor license). But do check out the restrooms. They are covered floor to ceiling with completed jigsaw puzzles!   

The restaurant has obtained its liquor license and held its first Happy Hour on 5/5/2011.

                                                                                                                                               

www.electriccheetah.com

http://blog.electriccheetah.com

 

Rock Fire Grille, 1144 East Paris - 11/10/10

Update:  The restaurant closed effective 1/10/11 for restructuring. No other information is available as of today.

About a year in existence, the restaurant had a name change some months back. The old Wild Fire Grille name was too similar to a Chicago chain of restaurants.

Walk into the Rock Fire Grille and you will be greeted by a friendly hostess and be seated at a table in a warm, inviting setting. If you remember Naya, the setup is the same. There’s a large bar with seating in the middle, two dining areas to the right, and a banquet room to the left. Decor is very minimal, consisting of the same “fire” wall art on three walls. There are salt & pepper shakers on the table, a note to the chef’s insecurity or knowledge of the restaurant’s clientele.

As the menu features seafood, we started with Two Way Tuna, sashimi grade yellow fin tuna served 1) pistachio crusted with raw honey & chipotle orange coulis, and 2) with pineapple, avocado tar-tare, and sweet soy sauce on wontons. The pistachio coating was noticeable but the honey & orange coulis were nowhere to be found. The second version was wonderful with all the flavors complementing beautifully on the crispy wontons.

Our next item was a wood-fried steak sandwich, ordered medium-rare. It’s described as  marinated flat iron, smothered onion, mushrooms, and provolone cheese on a homemade roll. Any marinade could not be tasted, however, and the salt and pepper on the table were a welcome addition. The bread was very fresh but the sandwich on the whole was quite bland.  

Sienna Chicken Penne was next up and consisted of sun dried tomatoes, spinach, chicken, and penne, tossed with a Parmesan cream sauce. The pasta was prepared nicely al dente, and everything combined wonderfully.

Unusual for lunch, we were served warm, buttery dinner rolls with parmesan garlic butter. We added a tomato basil soup (just ok) and a fresh house salad, which brought our tab to just over $48.00. Our server was friendly and prompt, and it’s a very pleasant atmosphere.

www.rockfiregrille.com

 

Thai Cuisine, 48 Fulton St - 11/3/10

Update: The restaurant has closed as of 1/12/11.

                                                                                                                    

The former Dragon Room now houses the 2^nd location of Thai Cuisine (the other is in Kalamazoo). There’s a very large bar in the middle of the room, and booths and tables fill the space around it. The ambiance is subdued and classy but somewhat marred by a menu taped up in the window, and paper posters depicting various Thai dishes.

Our appetizer choice was Tod Mun Pla. The menu does not tell you what it is but our server explained and recommended it. The six-piece dish consisted of fish cakes with scallions, deep fried. They brought some heat of their own and were finely complemented with hot sauce. Unfortunately, they were a little too chewy.

We’re big fans of hot and sour soup and order it whenever possible to keep our running comparisons (no restaurant tops Wei Wei Place to date). This was Thai hot and sour soup, however, and it came in an interesting serving bowl. The ladle was not well-suited and made serving awkward. Ingredients were onion, galangal, lemon grass, tomato, kaffir lime leaves, and chicken (one can choose from chicken, tofu, veggie, shrimp, or seafood). The very slightly sour flavor was completely overwhelmed by the heat. If you prefer more hot than sour, you’ll enjoy this soup.

 The Special Dishes page has eight selections and we each chose one. Steak Jeaw was described as pre-sliced filet mignon and Asian vegetables, topped with Steak Jeaw’s own chili ginger garlic sauce. The steak was medium-rare as requested, tender and delicious. The vegetables were cooked perfectly, arriving slightly crisp. The exceptional sauce was a tasty blend of flavors.

Our second special was Curry Steak, pre-sliced filet mignon with rich curry sauce and Asian vegetables. The sauce was a delicious curry and again, the vegetables were cooked lightly and were plentiful. The steak in this dish was completely different, however. It came medium-rare as ordered but was tough and chewy, a very poor cut of meat. Each of these specials was $22.00, which should guarantee quality steak.  

The menu is large and includes a page of lunch specials ranging from $8.00 - $12.00. Dishes are rated with either one pepper or none but the servers will ask if you’d like medium, medium-hot, or very hot.

Service was not rushed and the setting is much nicer than Angel’s Thai, for example. The food was uneven but that could have been due to a new chef, whose first day was today.

www.thaicuisinegr.com 

Corez Wine Bar, 919 Cherry St - 10/13/10

Update: Corez will be closing 11/13/10. The restaurant was purchased by the owners of The Green Well & Bistro Bella Vita and will be re-opening in a few months.

Tucked into a refurbished law office building across the street from The Green Well, Corez is easy to miss with its low-key facade. Walk in and you will find a modern restaurant with minimalist decor, open ceiling, contemporary art, and overall a very stylish ambiance. The room is divided into two sections, and the bar runs along one wall with a wooden slat ceiling arching over it. Tables and chairs fill both sections and there is a small outdoor patio out front for nice weather days. When it’s crowded, the restaurant is noisy due to lack of carpet and close proximity of tables. However, today for lunch we were alone for most of our meal.

The menu, small and innovative, changes with the seasons. One may pick from nibbles, sandwiches, pizzas, small plates, and not so small plates. We chose moules frites to start. The mound of mussels was steamed in garlic, white wine, and cream. They were excellent and the wine sauce was an exquisite complement. Hand-cut fries accompanied the mussels and did provide a nice balance. But they were too heavily salted.

Since the mussels were good, our first sandwich selection was the crispy whitefish. The server returned immediately to inform us that the whitefish delivery had not yet arrived for the day. Although this was disappointing, we were pleased by the fact that the seafood was delivered daily. The pulled chicken sandwich was ordered instead and it made a fine substitute. The sandwich arrived covered in a mustard barbecue sauce with white cheddar cheese, house made pickles, and fresh greens. The barbecue sauce blended well, enhancing the flavors rather than overwhelming them. The greens were decidedly fresh and served with a subtle dressing.

Our next dish was the honey and chili glazed pork ribs. The small ribs were beautifully presented over a carrot and raisin salad. The ribs were tender and flavorful, but this dish was not well thought out. The overall taste was too sweet, particularly when combined with the salad. We expected more heat to balance out the sweetness and the honey flavor simply overwhelmed everything. The dish is far from a failure but it needs some conceptual work before it can be considered excellent.

The servers are knowledgeable and helpful. The executive chef (Chad Miller) is also the owner of Bloom, another restaurant serving wonderfully innovative food. One of the owners (Mike Dombrowski) is the former sommelier at the Chop House and former wine buyer for Art of the Table. The bartender creates his own drinks and offers house infused spirits. The wine cellar is extensive and servers are happy to recommend pairings. Years of experience and knowledge spill over into creative, fresh, and delicious food and beverages using local and/or house made ingredients.

Our tab was around $35.00 and menus are online. This restaurant ranks among our favorites and you shouldn’t miss it.           
                       
www.corezgr.com

The Chez Olga, 1441 Wealthy St, SE - 10/6/10

Remember Rafav’s Mexican Restaurant in that crazy building where you had to struggle to find the door because it was disguised as a tree? It now has a new tenant, The Chez Olga. The restaurant opened in July and is run by a couple from Haiti who immigrated to Grand Rapids in 1993. After a failed clothing store, they started a catering business that evolved into the current restaurant. Featuring Caribbean and Haitian cuisine, they invite you to “feel the heat.”

It’s not a large restaurant and the configuration is close to how it was as Rafav’s but the decor has changed and is simplified. A few booths remain and there are about 12 tables filling out the restaurant.

We checked out the appetizers and decided on pate with chicken. This is described as a Creole pastry, fried or baked, and filled with chicken, beef, or vegetables. We ordered them fried, with beef, and they arrived very hot and quite greasy. Similar to empanadas, these were better with more flavor. However, they were not served with plates so it was messy eating with grease dripping everywhere.

The Chez Olga signature dish is the gumbo shrimp and chicken served with rice, so we had to try it. Rice arrived in a large bowl accompanied by a small bowl of gumbo in red sauce. Our second dish was the Chez stir fry, a blend of onions and peppers with beef. It arrived in the same manner as the gumbo and they looked almost identical. The chef who served them to us was confused as to which was which. We sorted it out and enjoyed both dishes immensely.

When our order was first taken, we were asked by the very charming Olga to select our spice level, which ranged from 1 to 10. Having never been there before, we played it safe and chose 5, but it wasn’t hot enough. If you like your food quite spicy, 7 or 8 would probably be more appropriate. Overall, everything had big, bold flavors making Chez Olga an interesting option and something different in Grand Rapids.

The website contains their menu along with opportunities to make donations to Haiti.

www.chezolga.com
 

Tokyo Grill & Sushi, 4478 Breton Rd SE - 9/29/10

 

Located in a half-alive strip mall at 44th and Breton, the restaurant opens up into a large room that greets you with a sushi bar. The room is lined with booths against two walls and the rest of the place is filled with roughly 20 tables for two or four. At the front and back of the room there are two private dining areas, each of which contains the low, Japanese table-style dining. These rooms require reservations and prohibit shoes.

The booths and the private rooms offer a semblance of privacy but otherwise you’re in an open room dining with everyone else. Because of this, and the tile floor, noise was an issue. (From our booth I could hear voices from the other side of the room.) But all in all, it’s an inviting atmosphere.

Service was prompt but a bit rushed throughout our lunch. However, other posted reviews have indicated the opposite experience. Since there were very few people in the restaurant, we did not expect to be pushed as much as we were.

We started with wasabi sumai. The wasabi flavored steamed pork dumplings came with a house dipping sauce. They were tenderly prepared and quite delicious. Before it arrived, we were served miso soup, which was not as good as what we’ve had elsewhere.

Our first main dish was beef hibachi. Broiled marinated beef came with homemade sauce, onions, mushrooms, zucchini, and broccoli. It was a very tasty combination of flavors and well prepared.

Next up was the shrimp tempura lunch box. This was a most impressive presentation and a great way to sample more offerings. It arrived with California rolls, vegetable dumplings, chicken katsur, salad, rice, deep fried shrimp, and vegetables. Overall, the lunch box was great. Unfortunately, the shrimp, perhaps the weakest part of the dish, was overshadowed by the California rolls and dumplings.    

Lunch and dinner menus are online. The restaurant was clean, the food was fresh, and the staff was friendly and helpful. It’s definitely worth a visit.

www.tokyogrillsushi.com