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.

Bombay Cuisine, 1420 Lake Dr SE - 4/20/12

This is a crowd-pleasing place for lunch as evidenced by the packed room. We found one open booth that put us in a corner of a short hallway (leading into the attached Queen’s Pub) that’s behind the buffet (and a tall plant). So we couldn’t enjoy or experience the main room ambiance (which is charming) but we were happy we had a spot.

The lunch buffet is popular and our server assumed that’s what we wanted. But she brought us the requested menus and our water, and then disappeared. After about 15 minutes she returned and apologized for forgetting about us; she was used to lunch patrons eating from the buffet (service was perfect from then on - attentive, friendly, and informative).


From this very interesting two-page menu, we chose Samosa for our appetizer. The pastry puffs were filled with a slightly spicy combination of potatoes and peas and were hearty and delightful, and very large. The chutneys that accompanied them were just ok for us. We also ordered a side of garlic-topped Naan so had plenty of food before we even ordered our entrees.

Chana was selected from the Vegetarian Specials category and was an excellent choice. Garbanzos, green peppers, and onions were served up in a flavorful tomato sauce with basmati rice and plain Naan. It could have been spicier but we did not ask for it. All the same, it was nowhere near bland and the rice was cooked to perfection. (On the way out we perused the buffet and found Chana to be included; it didn’t look nearly as good as ours.)

From the Traditional Lamb Dish category came the Rogan Josh, also with basmati rice and plain Naan. The mild lamb flavor infused the entire dish, and the sauce came spicy, as requested. The combination of lamb, garlic, onion, ginger, tomato, peppers, and who knows what else made this dish a savory treat.

Nothing came out in a hurry and everything was freshly prepared. The timing between appetizers and main dishes was perfect and we were never rushed. In its defense, the buffet is huge and is your economical best bet.  We prefer to order from the menu, however, sometimes to negative effect (see Palace of India review, 2010.).


But Bombay Cuisine did not disappoint and we can’t wait to go back. They don’t have a website that we could locate but you can access their menu via mediafire.com; the menu there is not exactly identical to that of the restaurant but it's close. Find the menu link on their facebook page.

Rose's Restaurant, 550 Lakeside, East Grand Rapids - 4/11/12

Now a member of the Gilmore Collection, part of this building once belonged to the Ramona Amusement Park (1897-1955). Historic pictures line the restaurant hallway, and as a nod to Mr. Rose’s popcorn stand that served customers until the 1980s, the current Rose’s ends your meal with a small cup of caramel corn.  

Located on Reed’s Lake, the main dining area is quaint and a bit rustic; the cozy, heated patio provides year-round seating; and the deck offers the best view of all. Not quite warm enough today for the deck, with no heat lamps running, we opted for the patio, which was a lovely setting on this sunny day.

The menu is reasonably sized and ranges from sandwiches and soup, to pizza and pasta. We bypassed it, however, and selected from the specials, beginning with hummus trio. Fresh vegetables and pita bread chips came along with the trio: edamame, black bean, and roasted pepper. Each flavor was unique and distinctive, with the roasted pepper being our favorite. We didn’t leave much on the plate.

A steak burger, ordered medium-rare, came precisely as ordered. It was deliciously juicy and topped with bacon, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, and onions.  Also listed but barely detectable was orange-jalapeno jam. A bit more of it would have gone a long way to make the burger more remarkable.

From the small plate specials, the described pan-seared diver scallops were irresistible. Being diver scallops, they were sure to be fresh(er), and what a treat they were. A peanut, cilantro, ginger vinaigrette accompanied the scallops along with roasted vegetables; spicy, fried wakame topped off this beautiful presentation. The dish is highly recommended while the scallops are available.

Although the hostess was unfriendly and almost rude, our server was perfect: prompt, efficient, and friendly. This is a very popular place, particularly in the summer time, so plan your visit accordingly and expect a wait time during prime dining hours. Or take a late lunch and walk right in. Either way, you’ll appreciate the view, and the history, of this East Grand Rapids landmark, and you just may enjoy the food as well. 


Find them on facebook and at www.gilmorecollection.com 

Erb Thai, 950 Wealthy St SE - 3/15/12

We have written up a few other Thai restaurants in Grand Rapids over the past couple of years but haven’t visited Erb Thai, until today.  On the corner of Wealthy and Diamond, the restaurant looks bigger than it is. 

Upon entry, you are greeted by the counter on your right, and small tables along the large windows on your left that continue along in an “L” shape past the counter. Although there were restaurant employees at the counter, no one greeted us and we were unsure if we were supposed to order at the counter or if we would be served at our table. We took a table at the bottom of the “L” and waited to find out. It felt a little like sitting in a long, abandoned hallway but we did have privacy. And a friendly server soon came along with a carafe of water for us.

The two-page menu was a very reasonable size for a Thai restaurant (dwarfed by Thai Express and Angel’s Thai Café, and larger than Rak Thai Bistro). 


There were plenty of choices for appetizers and we began with Veggie Fresh Rolls: lettuce, carrots, green onions, cucumbers, rice noodles, and cilantro wrapped in soft rice paper. The rolls were served with a sweet sauce topped with peanuts. It was lovely to behold and taste. They were indeed made fresh and the sweet sauce enhanced the flavor of the vegetables beautifully.

Unfortunately, the dish arrived without napkins, chopsticks, or silverware and we had to ask for them upon our server’s return. 

The Raa Naa noodles sounded irresistible so they became our first selection. Tofu, bean sprouts, pea pods, broccoli, mushrooms were sauteed over thick, rice noodles and served with a garlic, brown sauce. (The leftovers carried out subsequently leaked sauce all over my jeans and shoes but that’s another story.)

The noodles had a good consistency and were not over done; the dish is marked on the menu as being a customer favorite and we can understand why. 

Our next item was the Peanut Broccoli with Shrimp (Ram Long Song - the Thai name has a much better ring to it). The menu describes it as broccoli, string beans, and carrots stir-fried in creamy, sweet peanut sauce. The white rice was above par for an Asian restaurant, and the shrimp was fine as was the sauce. But the broccoli was a bit scarce considering the name of the dish.

The most important thing to know about this restaurant is that they will deliver the spice level for which you ask.  Instead of the far-ranging 10 spice levels found elsewhere, they offer six, beginning with mild (no spice).  Fresh peppers are used and the increments start with ½ tsp up to Erb Thai hot with 3 tablespoons. 

Out of the six levels, the Raa Naa noodles were ordered at three and the Peanut Broccoli at four. We were both happy with our spice levels and really appreciated receiving what we ordered.

So to sum up, the ambiance is not great but our food was fresh, nicely presented, and very well-prepared. The menu is excellent with a made-to-order spice level, and our server was friendly and polite. The small restaurant is a worthy addition to the Thai food scene of Grand Rapids. If you complain that your food was too “hot” then you didn’t read and believe the menu. 

Erb Thai is on Facebook and Twitter, and you can find their website at: www.erbthaigr.com 

Previously reviewed Thai Restaurants:

Angel's Thai Cafe - 1/7/10

Thai Express - 5/6/10

Thai Cuisine - 11/3/10 (closed)

Rak Thai Bistro - 12/22/10

Thai Chef - 4/13/11

Nu-Thai Bistro - 8/18/11

CitySen, 85 Monroe Center NW - 2/13/12

We first visited this restaurant, located in the City Flats Hotel, last December and were totally taken with the setting, the service, and the food. Today was almost as good.


In contrast to their restaurant CityVu in Holland, CitySen is on the first floor with a street view, obstructed by the window trim. What you see are headless bodies strolling by. In summer, with the windows open, it’s probably much better.


The setting is classy and modern. Two booths are available at the windows (with the aforementioned obstructed views), and high top tables and other tables for four and two lead up to the bar. Other small rounds wrap around beyond the bar. The menu is small, specific, and interesting.

In our earlier visit, we started with shrimp and sausage gumbo, which was good but the shrimp was nowhere to be found being over-powered by the sausage. Today we began with the Veggie Roll (sticky rice, avocado, and spicy kimchee).


Followed by the Spider Roll (tempura soft shall crab, cucumber, spicy mayo in sushi maki roll), we have to conclude that sushi is not their specialty. The rice consistency was mushy and tasted of cream cheese. The seaweed wrap was very, very fishy tasting and overpowered everything in its wake.

The lobster spring rolls were another matter and very worth ordering, as are the risotto cakes (mushroom risotto cakes with ratatouille and parmesan crisp). All was fresh and crisp, with balanced flavors.

Both meat lovers and vegetarians have choices here and for the former, we can recommend the Cubano: black forest ham, crisp pork belly, gruyere, pickles, dijon, mayo, on a hoagie bun. And the tenderloin sliders that consist of three mini beef tenderloin sandwiches with steak butter will melt in your mouth. Add blue cheese if you wish.

Sauteed shrimp with brussels sprout leaves, pork belly and horseradish cream sauce was beautifully created and presented. 

All in all, this is a lovely dining experience. The service is consistently excellent with very knowledgeable and polite servers. In the summer, they offer an outdoor patio. It’s not a full dining experience, but if you stay away from the sushi you will enjoy the remaining small plates that are offered. If you’re a hotel guest, this is a wonderful on-site lounge/restaurant during your stay.
http://cityflatshotel.com/grandrapids/bistrobar/citysen/dinner/

Las Cazuelas, 411 Wilson NW - 1/5/12

Sometimes we just drive to see if we can spot a small restaurant we’ve never heard of, and today we found Las Cazuelas, just off Lake Michigan Drive. It’s a small restaurant holding seven booths and two tables. A man greeted us and we saw a woman through the window opening to the kitchen. Other than that, we had the place to ourselves.

Our host let us take our time with the four-page menu (one page for kids) and promptly brought us corn chips and mildly spicy, full-flavored salsa. We enjoyed them while we perused the menu and found we had to go right to the main dishes. 

Our first choice was #10, fajita las cazuelas with chicken. Grilled breast of chicken, bell peppers, and tomatoes, with the usual rice and beans, was an delicious dish with fantastic, homemade tortillas. The rice and beans were a step above the usual Mexican restaurant offerings.

Our second dish did not fare as well. The #6 choice was flank steak with one enchilada, accompanied by rice, beans, and tortillas. The cheese enchilada was amazingly delicious but the flank steak was a poor choice, probably more a customer error. It was tough and more like beef jerky with an unpleasant flavor, so lesson learned.

Overall, it reminded us of the wonderful Cafe San Juan, but a bit bigger, and with disconcerting wall noise.  We were seated in a booth against the adjoining wall of another business and kept hearing a scrambling sound. Mice? Rats? We finally asked and were informed that birds fly down into it from a roof vent and get trapped. Alrighty then.


Overall, the food is well-prepared and above par, along the lines of El Granjero and Maggie’s Kitchen. They’ve been in business since 2005 and can be found on twitter @LasCazuelasRest and on Facebook as a “friend,” not as a page to “like.” Take a drive out and support this small, local, and very worthy business. The cheese enchilada alone will make your trip worthwhile.

Cherie Inn, 969 Cherry St - 12/1/11

Anyone who has lived in Grand Rapids for any length of time knows this restaurant, and it’s a very cool little spot. You will find it where Cherry, Lake, and Diamond streets converge in the East Hills business district, and it’s open for breakfast and lunch (closing at 3pm, and closed on Mondays). 

Cherie Inn claims to be the oldest restaurant in Grand Rapids (opening in 1924) and it occupies a building that’s at least 100 years old. It’s divided into two long, narrow dining areas, and we love the eclectic setting, complete with tin ceilings, camouflaged restroom doors, and a small art gallery. 

Since there weren’t appetizers with which to start, we defaulted to the soup of the day and were happy we did. Tomato Florentine soup came with chunks of tomato, celery, carrots, pasta, and a nice dose of thyme.

We were here last March and remembered the Cherie burger as being amazing. Delivered once again medium rare as ordered, and on a pretzel roll with provolone cheese and kettle chips, this burger has to rank among the best in Grand Rapids. It’s topped with lettuce, tomato, french friend onions and cajun mayo. If you would like more fat and flavor, you may also add bacon.

Our second selection was a special of the day: a roast beef wrap served with wasabi mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, red onion, and cheddar cheese. On the whole, we don’t go for “wraps,” and don’t even like the name. But this time it was a winner. The flavors were beautifully balanced and the sandwich was very wrap worthy. Wasabi mayonnaise was the magic ingredient.

Our server was wonderful - the perfect blend of good service and great personality. We have not visited the restaurant for breakfast but it seems to be a love or hate thing based on online reviews. 


We learned from an online video that the owner (since 1997) pronounces the name Cherie with the accent on the second syllable, and not “cherry.” Now you know.
Video


The restaurant is very interactive on Facebook, where you can also see their specials. Otherwise check out their website at www.cherieinn.com