The founder and creator of the Single Girl’s Guide to Eating Out encourages women to dine out confidently, helping you worry a little less about where to go and a little more about what to order. 

Admittedly, I’ve never had a banana. Foie gras? Non, merci. But there are those out there who eat pâté like it’s pudding. These are the sort who point at me and laugh. I gave haggis a try once. The offal’s flavor tasted like a rusty bicycle. I spit it out. Still, I felt it, that thrill of exposing my palate to the dark side. Pushing the gastronomical boundaries, even an inch, can feel like a point of pride. And burgers and pizza do grow drab when a world of strange awaits. So take a break from the usual, make a risky pick, and you might discover a new favorite. To the adventurous foodie, here are some regional selections to challenge your curious taste.

This month, we sat down with Keith Allard, proprietor of Wikiwiki Poke Shop, Grand Rapids’ first of the kind. At the risk of rambling, I will briefly say that Wikiwiki is as singular a dining experience as I’ve ever seen in this town. Playfully serious, the atmosphere Allard’s crew has curated feels like a meme Instagram page opened a restaurant. And it’s good. I shamelessly heaped the contents of my “La The Darkbowl” onto Migos’ Sour Cream and Ranch flavored Rap Snacks and just could not believe how well the two paired. Before Wikiwiki, that sentence would have been grammatically correct, but semantically useless. With Wikiwiki, it could just be lunch.

Forty Acres Soul Kitchen, a modern adaptation of traditional Southern-style food opening this month, will be Grand Rapids’ only African American-owned full-service restaurant — that means a host, waitstaff, full bar and food menu. Let that sink in for minute. In the state’s second-largest city of 200,000 people. In 2018.

When suckling the last globs of sauce from a rib, gnawing at the thing for remaining bits of meat, circling a good clean bone, it becomes hard to imagine any cuisine quite as savage as barbecue. It wears no disguise. Order up a joint’s three-meat platter and look at your dish. What you’ll find is a plate of animal parts torn asunder, plus a square of cornbread as distraction. Meat. It’s so obviously central to barbecue that you’re not wrong to wonder why anyone bothers with baked beans at all.

Whether the words “home cooking” make you cringe or recall your favorite Steak Au Poivre recipe, we all have strong feelings about it. Some claim to be ramen noodle experts, while others use every square inch of their counter space to store the latest kitchen gadgets. With a rise in one-pot meals and BuzzFeed Tasty videos over the past year, it’s never been easier to call yourself a home chef.

For some of us, getting through a meal without any pain is just too boring. Most spice fanatics opt for Indian or Thai, but if you’re looking to expand your spice horizons, West Michigan has plenty to offer. We’ve rounded up some of the most blazing hot dishes around that don’t sacrifice flavor for suffering.

There’s a new French restaurant in the heart of Grand Rapids and frankly, it’s about time. Most western cooking dances around — if not completely bows in supplication to — classic French cookery and technique, but it is understandable, however, that a region so laden with Dutch heritage could dodge a brasserie for so long.

Well, it’s a new year. We’ve all white-knuckled our way through the first full year of our 45th President, and perhaps our self-care routines have lapsed a little? I know mine have! So let’s eat right. 

Here’s my experience on a one-day tour of salads from around Grand Rapids, some from rookie establishments and some old favorites.

For Thanksgiving, you could make your own pies, but to save time (or save face, if your crust game is lacking), leave it to the pros. Whether you're looking for the perfect dessert for a get-together or craving something hot and hearty, we’ve got you covered.