Learn how to make our featured cocktail of the month: The Siciliano from Principle Food & Drink in Kalamazoo, and watch an exclusive video tutorial with Principle’s Bar Manager, Dan Reinisch.
Whether they like it or not, craft breweries need to pair good food with their beers if they want to attract a diverse clientele. Ask a craft brewery owner these days and they’ll say that while they may lure people in with libations, they often earn repeat customers by pairing the liquid with interesting and well-executed food offerings.
Revue decided to visit three local neighborhood breweries who are doing just that, to sample their beers and food and see how well that pairing is working.
The air of mystery around Matchbox Diner & Drinks finally has been dispelled. Since Brandywine’s Eastown location closed, residents and passersby have wondered what the little spot at 1345 Lake Dr. SE would hold next.
With new restaurants opening all the time in Grand Rapids, the city continues to put new pins in its global cuisine map. From Bosnian to Ethiopian, restaurateurs make it easier every year to taste what the world has to offer without stepping foot on a plane. Here’s just a small handful of the many local establishments helping us expand our horizons.
With the return of Last Call, our goal is to highlight the craft of thoughtful, innovative cocktails created by local bartenders and mixologists. Our first drink, the Bitter Apple, comes from Long Road Distillers’ first-ever “Taking the Long Road Cocktail Competition,” which challenged local bartenders to create a premium libation with Long Road spirits. Maureen Di Virgilio from The Green Well in Grand Rapids walked us through her winning recipe.
Last year was a rough one for the credibility of media predictions, but here’s something we can state with absolute confidence: West Michigan’s star will continue to rise as a food destination. Or maybe it won’t! There’s no science to this, really.
In the spirit of quasi-informed speculation, Revue presents its list of Official 2017 Predictions for the eating/drinking scene in West Michigan. We stake our reputation on the inevitability of each of the following things 100 percent happening exactly as described. (Not really.) (It’s made-up.) (All of it.)
The future of West Michigan dining is here, and it feels a lot like the past. See examples from the oldest restaurant in Grand Rapids (Cherie Inn) and a new eatery (The Lazy Susan).
Mixed drinks from a tap. The very idea seems almost … sacrilegious, somehow, doesn’t it?
But with craft distilleries putting a deeper footprint in West Michigan’s food and beverage economy, spirit-makers are embracing yet another big-city trend — the draft cocktail. While the idea is relatively new, establishments in the area have found undeniable upsides to the format.
The path to opening a distillery can take many twists and turns. Just ask Nic and Joanna Merrill. The couple have been working on The Kalamazoo Stillhouse since 2013, when they purchased the building at 618 East Michigan Ave. Some three years out, they’ve yet to open, but the runway for them to start producing spirits is significantly shorter now.
Whether it’s a squat rocks glass carrying a perfectly crafted old fashioned or the long stem of a sophisticated martini glass, cocktails have an inherent style that speaks a language of personality and fine taste. It’s the reason you see so many people posing with an upscale drink in their Facebook profile pictures. But where exactly does the fascination come from? Check out these area bars who are creating cocktails that not only please the palate, but are also aesthetically interesting.
