In February, BarFly Ventures closed the 10-year-old McFadden's restaurant, pub and dance club to redesign the space and replace the concept with a British-style pub, The Waldron Public House. With a completely revamped menu, The Waldron claims to serve the best fish and chips in Grand Rapids — a bold statement, but does it live up to the promise? Here is our dining writer's assessment.
Too often I’m guilty of turning down dessert at the end of a meal.
That was not the case this month, because I sat down with Katy Waltz, the talented head pastry chef at Brewery Vivant. Waltz, 31, of Grand Rapids, talked desserts and beers. Here’s what she had to say.
Every self-respecting person has a go-to chili recipe, forged and perfected in the foul depths of innumerable Michigan winters. If not, then at the very least, everyone should have a set of finely calibrated preferences for chili that is served to them.
Like, how much kick? What kind of meat, if any? How chunky/liquidy? Sweeten or don’t? What kind of beans?
How much garlic?
In any case, chili is personal and these equations are not to be messed with.
In this year’s Wine & Spirits Guide, we look at why Michigan wine tastes the way it does, where to meet all your local cider and mead needs, and why rosé may be the hottest drink of the summer. We also asked local distillers how to drink their favorite spirits, with recipes and all. Basically, if it’s not beer and it has alcohol in it, you’ll find it here.
Long Road Distillers' new whisky series, Short's Brewing Co. releases the special edition "Batch 5000", The People's Cider Co. gets a tasting room, plus a huge list of upcoming breweries, meaderies and distilleries.
The Black Heron on the West Side of Grand Rapids makes The Jungle Bird with a tincture of the sunset shone warm about the verdant lime wedge.
In this cocktail, the Campari and pineapple burst onto one’s palate like a phantom grapefruit lemonade inception. This Bird alights upon the tongue.
When I reveal that I’m a food writer, inevitably, I hear the same things. “That would be fun.” Yes, it is. “How do you find a good restaurant?” Well, the answer is simple. Choose a restaurant (really, any one will do), sit down and order food, then determine whether or not you’d come back. I promise, there are no secrets here.
For beginners in the West Michigan veggie game, finding tasty vegetarian and vegan dishes can be problematic. Where should you start?
Here are just a few local spots offering more than a house salad. Revue has you covered on breakfast, lunch and dinner, too.
While the term “meat and potatoes” doesn’t exactly elicit expectations of a culinary adventure, Fennville’s Salt of the Earth does its part to prove otherwise. If you aren’t familiar with Salt of the Earth, it is a Midwestern, ingredient-focused establishment that sources all of its food within about a 50-mile radius of its doors.
GRCC’s world-renowned pastry chef Gilles Renusson talks about keeping up with cooking fads, social media, the Food Network and gluten-free diets
