Village Baker
Hotcake Haven!
Some of the Tri-Cities’ hottest cakes, ranked By Ryan Cotton
My interest in pancakes began when I was six years old. I tapped my front yard maple tree and boiled down my maple syrup in middle school. In college, I held pancake breakfasts for hungover partiers. I tap our backyard maple tree every February now and lend my century-old Vermont spiles to others for the same sweet outcomes. When I became a public official, pancakes took off the rough edges from the previous night’s council meeting — Morning Star’s (711 Washington Ave in Grand Haven), Sporty’s (6 S. Beechtree St also in Grand Haven) and Idle Hour’s (213 W Savidge St in Spring Lake) hot coffee were best at clearing my residual head fog. Along the way to find the Grand Haven area’s best pancakes, friends and family blurted out titles for me to consider: “Best Flapjacks in the Tri-Cities” and “Grand Haven’s Hottest Cakes.” So, which Tri-Cities eatery offers the best pancakes? Read on. 22
THE STRATEGY 1.
I ordered the eatery’s heartiest pancake mainstay and ranked each on five criteria: service, presentation, décor, taste, and size.
2.
I granted up to five points for each factor and totaled the scores.
3.
Lastly, I recorded the prices and came up with an overall ranking of Gold, Silver, or Bronze.
HERE’S WHAT I FOUND: •
Want size? Go to Stanz Cafe (1118 Washington Ave in Grand Haven), Rainy Days Cafe (121 N Beechtree St also in Grand Haven), or Village Baker (617 E Savidge St in Spring Lake).
•
Are you a fan of buttermilk pancakes? Go to Pine Street Cafe (401 Pine St in Ferrysburg), Stanz Cafe, or Village Baker.
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11/3/23 12:20 PM