Grand Rapids dining

[Chip415]

Hi everyone,

I'm going to be heading to Grand Rapids in early October for a weekend. What are some of the cant-miss restaurants in town? Thanks!

[nsxtasy]

My personal favorites in Grand Rapids are:

Leo's (seafood) - my FAVORITE restaurant in GR - www.leosrestaurant.com
Bloom (contemporary American) - no website AFAIK
Bistro Bella Vita (Italian) - www.bistrobellavita.com
Rose's on Reed Lake (bistro) - www.rosesrestaurant.com

Rose's is part of a group of about a dozen restaurants which are all quite good - www.thegilmorecollection.com

If you're willing to travel 40 miles southwest to dine at a place that doesn't accept reservations but has spectacular food, I'd add Everyday People Cafe in Douglas. www.everydaypeoplecafe.com

I haven't been to the restaurants in the Amway Grand downtown, but Cygnus 27 and the 1913 Room are highly regarded. www.amwaygrand.com

For additional information, see the following topics:

www.chowhound.com/topics/379217 - comprehensive topic about GR food, mostly concentrating on "cheap eats" but with some other types of places also mentioned

www.chowhound.com/topics/388578 - Restaurant Bloom

www.chowhound.com/topics/413534 - topic on Saugatuck, includes my report on Everyday People Cafe

[Chip415]

Thanks for all the info, nrsxtasy! I'll definitely look into all those places and report back. Take care!

[Kelli2006]

NSXtasy, thanks for the G-R recommendations. I will will going there on the weekend of Oct.19th for parents weekend. I'm always looking for something different than the 28th street chains.

[nsxtasy]

This past weekend, I went on my annual pilgrimage to Grand Rapids. I wanted to try one place I haven't been before, and to have one meal at a place that I've previously enjoyed. Here is my report on my two dinners.

Friday night, I ate at Red's on the River, in Rockford, northeast of GR. I had never heard of it, but I happened upon their website (at www.reds-live.com ) and the menu sounded great. I should mention that several of the items on the website menu were not on the menu when I dined there, but there were plenty of other great things to choose from.

I arrived earlier than my reservation, and used the time to walk around the cute town of Rockford, which has a lot of interesting shops, and a walkway overlooking the river and dam/falls. Red's has a lovely setting and decor, with understated contemporary style, looking out over the river next to the restaurant.

I started with the mussels with sausage (I forget whether it was chorizo or andouille) in a white wine broth, which were excellent. I also had the seafood bisque, which had lobster, shrimp, and crab in a "rich cream broth" (which had that dark red color and richness that you only get from lobster shells) topped with puff pastry. Very good, very rich. I had a side portion of the pear and stilton salad (with baby greens and walnuts, with a light apple vinaigrette) which was absolutely fabulous. Also note that even though this was the "side portion", it was quite ample as a side salad, not at all skimpy. (In addition to the $5 "side portion" they also offer an $11 "large portion", but if you're eating an entree too, I recommend the smaller version.)

For the main course, I had the seared duck breast in mustard sauce, served with duck leg confit and pureed butternut squash topped with apple slices. This was reasonably good (particularly the squash), although not "hands down best duck I've ever had" (if that's what you're looking for, go to Everyday People Cafe). I skipped dessert (although the desserts on the menu sounded great; I just didn't have room).

I liked Red's a lot, and look forward to returning in the future.

On Saturday night, I went to Leo's. Let me say it again: I love, love, LOVE Leo's. There's just something about it - I'm not sure whether it's the freshness of the fish, or the delicious preparations, or the unusually spacious (tables far, FAR apart) dining room with its elegant, contemporary decor - whatever it is, it is really a favorite of mine.

This visit, I started with mussels and had the baby greens house salad. Both were quite good. (I hate to make comparisons with another restaurant, but the salad at Red's was truly exceptional.)

For my main course, I had a dish whose name I forget (it's not on their current website menu - it had a name like a seafood hotpot or stockpot or something like that). It consisted of lobster, scallops, and filet fish in a cajun cream sauce, served over rice. This was FANTASTIC. What was really unusual about it was that the sauce was spicy and tasty, but didn't overpower the fish in it; the lobster chunks tasted like lobster, and the scallops tasted like scallops. I loved it.

For dessert, I had creme brulee. Creme brulee is a fairly standard dish, but it varies in quality from one place to another, and Leo's is one of the very best.

This visit again reminded me of why I love Leo's.

[Mestralle]

I also love Leo's. If you check out their website, they've posted their gazpacho recipe, which is really good. (Yes, it uses bottled Italian dressing, but that makes sense and is in my mind forgiven, as it's an adaptation of the Muir/Charley's Crab recipe, which is where Leo spent many years.) I made it the other day, and despite making more than three quarts, it's just about gone, which is pretty amazing considering my husband doesn't normally eat veggies.

Now if they'd only post the recipe for that amazing cajun cream sauce...

And I agree that the creme brulee is always fantastic. They tend to alternate flavors, and I've had vanilla, orange, white chocolate, milk chocolate and dark chocolate, all amazing.

Thanks for the heads-up on Red's. My parents live out near Rockford, so I'll check it out.

[nsxtasy]

Adding a rating for my several outstanding dinners at Leo's. For an example, see details above.

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Leo's
60 Ottawa Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503

[CilD]

Go to San Chez downtown near VanAndel arena for great tapas in a beautiful setting. Stay away from the B.O.B., at least for food. Someone recommended it for us last week when I was in GR. There are at least three Gilmore restaurants in there (a neat old renovated building). We went to Gill's Blue Crab. Although my entree (blackened fish) was pretty good, the others in our group were rather disappointed in their food, and I felt like I was in a sport's bar or an Applebee's type place. That's the only Gilmore restaurant I've eaten in, and it makes me skeptical of their other places.

[nsxtasy]

I've eaten at several of the Gilmore restaurants, and I think they're generally pretty good, including Gill's Blue Crab, and I think they're consistently good. Not unusually great, but very good, with consistently good food and service in a nice atmosphere. Each of them is different, though. Like you, I thought the food at Gill's is pretty good. As for the atmosphere, most of the Gilmore restaurants have an atmosphere that is unique and enjoyable. The BOB (letters stand for "big old building") is a unique space, far different from the cookie-cutter Applebee's, but granted, the open space plan makes for a blending of those several restaurants there, some of which are more bar than restaurant. That's just what the BOB is like; if that suits your needs, it's fine. Rose's on Reed Lake, OTOH, is a stand-alone restaurant a few miles southeast of downtown, and the setting is entirely different; it really is right next to a beautiful lake, with some of their dining space on an outdoor patio overlooking the lake, as does their indoor space. So it's absolutely lovely. And again, the food and service are both good (although wait times can be long on Saturday nights). Blue Water Grill is similar to Rose's; the menu is similar (you can see all the menus on the Gilmore website) and they have an outdoor patio. The architecture of BWG is a bit more unusual. I've also been to Thornapple Valley Grill in Ada several times, but not recently, and their menu has changed in various ways; I haven't been there in a while and I'm not sure what it's like these days. All in all, I think the Gilmore restaurants are nice places to go, and are worth considering when looking at finer dining options in Grand Rapids.

[rtv]

i was at san chez 2 night ago...Most enjoyable!! we sat at the kitchen "bar/counter" a great place to be.. every dish that left the kitchen was shown to us and explained! everything we had was excellent! definitely will return next time in GR

[beachmouse]

One thing about that time of the year and GR is that you're getting into the peak of local apple season. I'd hit up some of the local places not only for apples but also cider made on site.

[prison chef]

absolute best cider in GR area is at Hill's Farm Mkt 6159 Peach Ridge on the NW side of GR, Has won statewide awards. Can't wait for fall.

[internettie]

Surprisingly innovative and delicious food. I live in Santa Fe, NM which is a gourmet heaven, so was very pleased and surprised to have such a wonderful dinner at Bistro Bella Vita in late August. The waitress suggested that as local tomatoes were in season and esp good this year, she could ask the chef to add them to the Caesar salad -- what an amazing treat! Exceptional risotto and pasta dishes -- out of the ordinary, wonderful flavor combinations. Good wines by the glass. A welcoming and comfortable atmosphere. Do not miss it!

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Bistro Bella Vita
44 Grandville Ave SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503