NCAA's March Madness brings about a tangible form of religion to many, especially those who prefer public places of worship, which feature booze, food, and, most importantly, cable sports packages us salt of the earth people cannot quite afford. For your own mental reparation, here is your dining guide to the crème de la crème of sports pub grub across West Michigan.
The Grand Slam Platter at Saugatuck's Spectators Sports Bar & Grill (6432 Washington Rd.) has all you could want in an appetizer: BBQ Ribs, Chicken Wings, Mozzarella Sticks, Jalepeno Poppers, Bottle Caps & Portabello Mushrooms. After completing that, your BMI may be as high as Marquette's Final Four chances. The ribs fall off the bone and have a unique tangy sauce that makes everyone else's anachronistic Bull's Eye clones crud. The 26 TVs will cover your basketball needs, free Wi-Fi for your online Vegas betting, and a private banquet room for closeted Villanova fans.
The Score (5301 Northland Dr., Grand Rapids) is the stock market trading floor of sports enthusiasts: boisterous, chaotic, men berating anyone for their opposing team allegiances, 60 HD TVs and an eternally running sports ticker. Coordinator Brandon Monroe says you should "show up for the Basketball Tournament with a PS3 grand prize, fight for their VIP leather chairs for the NCAA championship, play darts, shoot pool, play videogames, or enjoy the private cigar room" while nursing your Pain In The Ass, a frozen rum runner pina colada combination. And if your team bows out ungracefully early, indulge in its revitalized burger menu, featuring the half pound Guacamole Burger (Black Angus topped with guacamole, onion straws, buffalo sauce, melted Mexican cheese, lettuce and tomato on a soft, toasted bakery bun), the Hangover Burger (Black Angus topped with fried egg, peppered bacon, American cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayo, toasted bakery bun), or if you are burgered out, the Grilled Tilapia Fish Tacos: flour tortillas, tilapia, shaved lettuce, diced tomatoes, shredded cheese, pico, sour cream, ancho sauce and a side of fresh, grilled pepper salsa with refried beans and Spanish rice on the side.
Since October, downtown Grand Rapids finally has its very own sports lounge with Peppino's Downtown Grille & Pizzeria Sports Lounge (130 Ionia Ave. SW). Located in the former EQ3 furniture store, the family friendly Peppino's has made great use of space and augmented the 100-year-old building with a fully operational bar, decent wine list, and a heated hearth with leather chairs to kick back and gorge. General Manager Mark Stankus presses that it is a restaurant first and foremost, yet the 52 flat-panel HD screens (many implanted into the booths themselves) showcasing any/all sports say otherwise. Bribe your boss into Okaying your department's attendance at the Peppino's Work-In on Thursday, March 18 for the opening rounds of the NCAA tournament with the sound ON. For $100, your company may reserve a table and help raise $5k to replace all the basketball backboards and rims for the Grand Rapids' Parks and Recreation Department. Peppino's offers free WiFi and many prizes and gifts for those in attendance. Call in sick if you can't convince your boss.
Plus, the food is fantastic-cheeses, sauces, dough-all created in-house and not from a can or freeze-dried bag. The menu is predominantly Italian and includes its signature thin crust pizza, a staple in the community since 1976, but also has your standard game day fodder of wings, burgers and Tex-Mex. Highlights include The Downtown Burger topped with provolone, onion rings, and ancho sauce; the blackened Black & Bleu Top Sirlion smothered in bleu cheese; or the Create-a-Pasta, which puts you in the chef's hat to develop your own bastardized dish of Italian goodness.
Burnt out on basketball? Hit up the Muskegon Lumberjacks for some hockey goodness. Adjacent to L. C. Walker Arena in downtown Muskegon, Racquets Downtown Grill (446 W. Western Ave.) will still cater to basketball fanatics, and Chef Yosef Johnson has his hand in the interesting menu enhanced by the fresh herbs and spices grown in the front window. While toying with their quiz boxes and outfoxing those lesser than you, try the deliciously indescribable Taco Soup or the standard traditional American fare of burgers, steaks, sandwiches and wraps.
After lighting a candle for WMU's Broncos, Kalamazoo county residents should drop by Fat Tony's Grille & Sports Bar (5222 Portage Rd., Portage) and nosh on the Mount Vesuvius Nachos, a mountain of tortilla chips smothered with cheese, scallions, tomatoes, black olives, and jalapenos, or the Albuquerque Turkey Sourdough Sandwich loaded with chipotle, smoked turkey, cider-cured bacon, lettuce, tomato, guacamole, and red onion. Curb your carbo-loading with an epic game of darts or pool or loll in a food coma while watching someone else's championship dreams come true.
Spectators Sports Bar & Grill
6432 Washington Rd., Saugatuck
spectatorsrestaurant.com, (269) 857-5001
The Score
5301 Northland Dr. NE, Grand Rapids
thescore-restaurant.com, (616) 301-0600
Peppino's Downtown Grille & Pizzeria Sports Lounge
130 Ionia Ave. SW, Grand Rapids
peppinospizza.com, (616) 456-8444
Racquets Downtown Grill
446 W. Western Ave., Muskegon
(231) 726-4007
Fat Tony's Grille & Sports Bar
5222 Portage Rd., Portage
(269)342-9200
You've made a New Year's resolution of getting in shape and eating healthy. Granted, the turducken stuffed with cranberry-brisket fried in lard or the fatback on Kwanzaa didn't help. Luckily, you can still eat out without becoming stuck in salad hell.
Eating healthy doesn't mean counting the calories you're allowed, but includes how your food was prepped and created from the get go. Is there such a place that makes everything from scratch? Salt of the Earth (114 E. Main St., Fennville) does, except for the cheese. Open since August, Salt's Executive Chef Matthew Pietsch has taken the Italian theory of cooking and mixed it with Americana.
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Hearthstone Bistro Marie Catrib's The Green Well |
"Simple preparations focused on quality of ingredients. No fillers, no hormones, no additions," says Pietsch. "We use local and seasonal ingredients as much as possible. We bake our own breads and everything is from scratch-even our own ketchup and mayonnaise. We use local vendors at any and all opportunity, mostly within 60 miles."
Sit down in the café up front, the dining room in back, or at the bar and sample a shared plate of Farmer's Table Greens grown hydroponically when not in season. Have the seared, thick salmon steak with baby spinach and Dijon, but withhold the bacon or have a cup of 4 Bean Chili with one of their many Stratas- I recommend the chicken and spinach, or an Italian-New Orleans muffaleta on sourdough, with mortadella, sopressata, black forest ham, provolone, and Kalamata olive salad spread. Musical shows are held weekly at the bar, with six beers on tap and a lovely liquor selection.
The Hearthstone Bistro (3350 Glade St., Muskegon) has been serving some of the greatest fare in West Michigan for more than 30 years. Swanky and comfortably lit with touches of Paris upon the walls, the Hearthstone offers plenty of healthy opportunities for the weight conscious. Begin with pan seared Sesame Ahi Tuna with wasabi, orange ginger, and ponzu sauce. Skip the steak section of the menu in favor of its salads. Yes, salads that can be customized as you see fit.
The Asian Cashew Salad is a leafy medley of Napa cabbage and romaine with toasted sesame seeds, crushed bell peppers, scallions and more paired with a spicy Thai peanut dressing. For something with an Italian twist, dig into the Crispy Milanese Chicken Salad, a sautéed boneless chicken breast whacked thin, breaded with parmesan cheese, grape tomatoes, mushrooms, more scallions, Applewood smoked bacon and mixed greens with the house vinaigrette of creamy parmesan served with grilled focaccia bread. The Hearthstone also offers a full bar and numerous wines to wet your lips, but perhaps you should stick with a water and lemon wedge.
Want to eat at a luxurious, yet affordable, healthy place? Try the KT Omelette at Marie Catrib's (1001 Lake Dr., Grand Rapids). It makes for a sumptuous breakfast, with tofu, ginger, garlic, zucchini, onions and spinach sautéed in olive oil with Marie's special seasoning. Add gluten-free toast and a full pot of Turkish coffee and you'll be ready for winter. Or venture over to The Green Well (924 Cherry St., Grand Rapids) for its Roasted Vegetable Quesadilla padded with mushrooms, squash, and greens served with garden salsa. Chow on the Free Range Chicken served on a bed of black beans and rice with Chimichurri sauce and grilled pineapple salad.
Stick with eating at any of these unique, healthy green places and maybe you can allow yourself some boxed chocolates for Valentine's Day.
New Foodie Spots
Martell's
3501 Greenleaf Blvd. Kalamazoo
millenniumrestaurants.com, (269) 375-2105
Chef Trent Mead reinvigorates the menu at the former Black Swan, now the new Martell's. Open since September after heavy renovations, the elegant dining experience above Willow Lake on the Southside of town is perfect for a dinner date away from Lake Effect snow. The grilled swordfish is superb and the pasta choices are mesmerizing. Lunch features are pared down, but their emphasis in wines will have you wanting to stay all day.
One Stop Coney Shop
154 E. Fulton St. Grand Rapids
onestopconeyshop.com, (616) 233-9700
Coneys have taken GR by storm within the past decade, but this one has a style its own. Have a cone of Belgian frites (read: fries) with salt and vinegar, and mow down a GR-style coney (chili, dill relish, mustard, ketchup, onions). Subtle touches to the Detroit dogs are standard, but come love the Chicago with its poppy-seed bun, dill spears, and sport peppers. Pitas, chili, and a Greek salad are among other tasty options for the non-dog caring crowd. Hot dog connoisseurs rejoice!
November's annual contribution to the canon of American hunger rests in pumpkin pie, turkey and stuffing. What this has to do with what actually happened-learning to catch eels and plant corn-I can't say, but I'd like to give thanks to the true Indians, whose spices catalyzed Europeans to trek the globe for them.
"Just because it is spicy does not mean it is hot. Most Indian dishes have 20 to 25 spices and herbs. That's why they're considered spicy," said Sheetal Singh, hostess and wife of chef Kanwarpreet "Channi" Singh at the family owned and operated Saffron (1710 W. Main St.) in Kalamazoo. "But you can have it as hot as you want, too," she chimes.
Saffron offers 44 house specialties at modest prices. Skip the lunch for a decadent dinner with sinfully crunchy Chatpay Aloo (barbecued potatoes) while enjoying a Kesari Regal (an icy shaker of Chivas Regal, lime juice, a splash of ginger ale, fresh mint, and of course, saffron) served in a martini glass. Novices can enjoy the first class service and have the Saffron Chef Special, a complete six-course meal for less than $20. Vegetarians are privy to a wide selection. Opt for the Nutty Navratan Korma, a vegetarian friendly dish with more flavor than any traditional American cooking could contain.
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Saffron Palace of India Indian Cuisine Bombay Cuisine India House |
The gold tasseled, rust-red draperies hanging in the windows at Palace of India (961 E. Fulton St.) offer a relaxed dining experience away from the bustling Fulton traffic jamming west of Diamond. Here, you should favor the lunch buffet for the Butter Chicken. The rice is steamed to perfection, nan made fresh, and the onion pakora's availability is limited to the size of your stomach, all for less than $10.
Located at the tip of Eastown, mainstay Bombay Cuisine (1420 Lake Dr. SE) has outgrown its original space and transformed ye olde Pizza Hut into a modern swanky atmosphere. Lacking semblance to India, Bombay patrons now enjoy roomy, open bar seating with a focal point on food and its new, extensive wine collection. Ask which wine to pair with their Chicken Vindaloo, a hot spicy dish from Southern India that is complete with chicken breast pieces with a dark red sauce. Servings are large for typical Indian entrees. Prices, albeit steeper, are not overbearing.
Indian Cuisine (1520 Wealthy St. SE) offers a more casual alternative to Bombay. Offering a variety of settings in which to enjoy your meal, the front bar is well-lit, featuring benches and pillows, formal dining tables and Indian décor for those who want to step outside of Michigan's gray haze.
The French Quarter pastel architecture in the main dining room has touches of India in the doors and fixtures, replicating a Delhi courtyard, accentuated by traditional music. Arrive early for the juiciest pieces of owner Raul Campbell's Chicken Tikka Masala. Campbell, originally from Bombay, takes pride in his North Indian delicacies.
Server Megan Gogo, mused that there are too many flavors to favor, and suggested those hesitant to delve into a specific dish should "take a piece of nan and load it up like an Indian Gyro."
If you are looking for a similar menu with comparable prices to Bombay but prefer a more exuberant atmosphere, check out Taste of India (4445 Breton SE), or the more quick-staffed in-n-out India House (3760 Division SE) for a less-expensive a la carte lunch and dinner menu. Either way, you can't go wrong with Indian faire.
New Foodie Spots
The Electric Cheetah
1015 Wealthy St. SE Grand Rapids
electriccheetah.com, (616) 451-4779
Along the revitalized Wealthy Street strip east of Eastern, The Electric Cheetah's ever evolving menu will have you stuck deciding between Pineapple Pulled Pork, East Coast Pulled Pork or a Sticky Pulled Pork sandwich. Their fall menu won't be around forever, and the made-from-scratch pies are savory and filling in Executive Chef Cory DeMint's original flare on standard American food stuffs, which is claimed to stem from Spain, local farmers, and grandma.
Wealthy Street Station Deli & Grill
1157 Wealthy St. SE Grand Rapids
(616) 451-0238
Limited seating is the only problem at the Wealthy Street Station Deli & Grill. Boasting the best of American, Mexican, and Polish short-order, this restaurant will leave you full of some of the best food Wealthy Street has to offer. Attack the half-pound Station Burger and its deep fried jalapeños and onion, smothered in chipotle and cheddar cheese, or get in touch your inner Pole with kielbasa, kraut, pierogies AND cabbage. And for the Mexican menu? It covers what the fast-food joints have, but far better.
