by Matt Simpson Siegel
Taste This
Dining second place to no one in regards to quality, freshness and inspiration. A vast array of exotic fish is line-caught, flown in and prepared fresh daily. Every facet of Gilly’s speaks to impeccable attention to detail. SERVING: Dinner OPEN ON: Closed on Sunday. GO THERE FOR: Fresh seafood at a great price.
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GP Sports 187 Monroe Ave. NW. 616-776-6495 SPORTS BAR. Three large screens, more than 30 HD flat screens, pool tables, video games, outdoor patio seating, pizza, signature burgers and more. SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Closed Sundays. GO THERE FOR: Score Big Burgers.
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G.R.P.D. (Grand Rapids Pizza and Delivery) 340 State St. SE. 616-454-9204 ITALIAN. The current GR location opened in 2004 as the first established pizzeria in the Heritage Hill district. A common meeting spot for local folks, business professionals and college students, a place where one could gather for a quick meal or a reflective lunch. It offers both hand-tossed pizza and Chicago-style stuffed pizza, as well as pasta, sandwiches, salads, and wings. Online ordering, too. SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Pizza.
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Grand Rapids Brewing Company 1 Ionia Ave SW. 616-458-7000 BREWPUB. Good for the environment and your palate, GRBC is Michigan’s first certified organic brewery and features a menu stocked with locally grown ingredients. With a diverse selection of beers on tap inspired by historical Grand Rapids figures and a hearty array of burgers, melts and handcranked sausages, this place represents the best of the Grand Rapids Brewing Company’s 120-year legacy. SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Organic beer and locally sourced food.
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Grand Woods Lounge 77 Grandville Ave SW. 616-451-4300 AMERICAN. The restaurant’s interior exudes a warm, casual ambiance reminiscent of the great eateries of the Pacific Northwest; the outdoor porch features two outdoor bars and a fireplace. Menu stocked with affordable appetizers great for sharing, plus salads, sandwiches, and entrées. Lots of domestics and microbrews, plus an array of martinis including the “Woodstini,” a tasty mix of Stoli Orange Vodka, mandarin oranges and raspberries. SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Cocktails.
Schedule Dining Sights | Sounds | Scene
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Graydon’s Crossing 1223 Plainfield NE. 616-726-8260 TAVERN. An authentic take on the English Pub, with a huge selection of beers on tap and a menu that includes classic English dishes like Fish & Chips, Shepherd’s Pie and Irish Stew, as well as Indian specialties like Tandoori Chicken and Tikka Masala. A great casual atmosphere for drinking and dining. SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Beer and authentic pub food.
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The Green Well 924 Cherry SE. 616-808-3566 Eclectic. REVUE’s “Free Market” columnist Steven de Polo writes, “Green Well is the best restaurant in GR.” The East Hills gastropub serves up an ever-changing menu featuring local
64 | REVUEWM.COM | May 2013
Left: The Zappa. Above: Co-owner Chris Sommerfeldt. Photos: Katy Batdorff
Restaurant of the Month:
Two Beards Deli
O
pen seven days a week from 7a.m. until 10 p.m., the younger bearded brother of the Cherry Deli and cousin to the recently closed 4th Street Deli serves up several dozen of the city’s exquisitely stuffed sandwiches and decadent salads. As for options, you can’t have too many more to choose from without causing irreparable brain damage and memory loss. The menu is split up into the sandwiches’ major stuffings, featuring turkey, ham, roast beef, corned beef and pastrami, chicken, sausage, vegetarian, vegan and salad wraps, all of which are named after bearded icons. For poultry picks, don’t pass up The Zappa, a wheat panini packed with pulled barbecue turkey, muenster cheese, red onion, pickle shreds and a tangy medley of barbecue mayo and Dijon mustard. The Yosemite Sam satiates the most rootin’ and tootiniest spicy appetites with jalapenos and sriracha sour cream, watercress, jalapeno jack cheese, tomato and red onions laid out over juicy roast beef on a fresh-made jalapeno sub bun. For
Cheap Eats: The Crow’s Nest If it’s 3 a.m. and you’ve got hunger pangs and little cash, this locally owned and affordable café (nothing costs more than $9) stays open 24 hours a day on the weekends. Ever-changing daily specials (posted conveniently on their Facebook) like The Lumberjack omelet, stuffed with bacon, pulled-pork, cheddar cheese and sautéed onions. Top it off with house barbecue sauce. For something sweeter, order the coconut French toast, a rotating special that is drizzled in chocolate syrup with raspberry coulis. It’s not just eggs and toast over here, the smoked turkey sandwich will put that store brand, pre-sliced deli meat nonsense in your lunchbox to shame. On toasted bread with red bell peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, herb aioli and smoked turkey (obviously), this is just one of many burgers and sandwiches to choose from, which run $6-$8.50. 816 S. Westnedge, Kalamazoo; (269) 978-0490
vegans, Charles Darwin sits in an avocado spread black bean salsa bâtard baguette, contemplating Cajun-seasoned tofu, cucumber, red pepper, grilled squash and zucchini. I implore the eating of Ewoks as well — a hot, grilled Polish sausage, red skin potatoes, caramelized onions and horseradish. Simply put: it’s pretty damn awesome and I couldn’t receive a straight answer on the sausage’s composition. Not to be overlooked, breakfast is served until 11a.m. and offers 12 of the best breakfast sandwiches in town. Served on English muffin bread or croissants, these will start your day or fill an early lunch perfectly. For the hungriest, Teddy Roosevelt is a fat helping of ham, turkey, sausage, chicken, kielbasa and bacon with Swiss and cheddar cheeses ... and tomatoes, onions, green peppers, and parsley because why not? n 38 Commerce Ave. SW, Grand Rapids, (616) 719-3802, twobeardsdeli.com
Downtown Market Outdoor Farmers Market Opening, May 4 If you haven’t heard about the $30 million project nestled in the crook of US 131 and Wealthy Street on Ionia Avenue, you can go back to your dumpster. On Saturday, May 4, the force descends upon Grand Rapids in the form of fresh fruits, vegetables and meats and more by the hands of local farms at the grand opening of Downtown Market. Grab your tote bags and head in early as the best cuts and picks will be gone before long. The proposed hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Grand opening of the indoor market will be later this summer. Downtown Market, 435 Ionia Ave. SW, Grand Rapids; (616)805-5308, downtownmarketgr.com