The Acorn Grille at Thousand Oaks
4100 Thousand Oaks Dr. NE, Grand Rapids
thousandoaksgolf.com/acorn-grille, (616) 447-7750
This is a week of threes for The Acorn Grill. Enjoy a delicious three-course meal with three different options for each course. Start the night out right- and light- with delectable crostinis paired perfectly with an entrée from the sea, land or air. Put an end to your sweet tooth craving with a chocolate hazelnut tart with strawberries.
Applebee’s
applebees.com, seven participating locations
Alpine, Cascade, East Beltline, Gaines Township, Grandville, Walker, Wyoming
So you’ve had the Applebee’s “Choose Two,” but don't stop there. This week, you get to choose even more. Start with a more classic appetizer and once that’s done, the fun begins. Try out the Chicken Freshcado or Shrimp Scampi Linguini, if seafood is more your taste End the night with a salty, sweet bite and try the Salted Caramel Pretzel Bites.
Bobarino’s at The B.O.B
20 Monroe Ave. NW, Grand Rapids
thebob.com, (616) 356-2000
You’ve had fish and chips, now take it to the next level. For Restaurant Week, Bobarino’s is bringing you Bob’s Brew Battered Local White Fish. Throw a little sweetness into the mix and try the homemade chocolate pudding and its pair, an oatmeal milk stout made in The B.O.B’s brewery.
Brewery Vivant
925 Cherry St. SE, Grand Rapids
breweryvivant.com, (616) 719-1604
Things just got better for Brewery Vivant with a menu that will leave your mouth watering the minute you walk in the door. Give your tongue a present and enjoy the three-course meal prepared with local seasonal vegetables from the Vivant Garden. Finish the meal off with a dessert so rich and delicious, it just might take two to finish.
Buffalo Wild Wings
buffalowildwings.com, five participating locations
Ionia, Wyoming, Celebration Dr., 28th St., Alpine
It takes two to tango at Buffalo Wild Wings this week, with a deal you can’t beat. Start your meal right with an appetizer for two. And while we may be all about sharing, it’s probably best if you order your own main course. Don’t go too far though, there’s still dessert to share. Choose from one of Buffalo Wild Wings' signature desserts for a perfect end to dinner.
CitySen Lounge
83 Monroe Center, Grand Rapids
cityflatshotel.com, (616) 451-1892
For those of you looking for a place a little more accommodating to your diet, CitySen Lounge kept you in its thoughts with this menu. Try the lentil loaf — both vegan and gluten free. And you health nuts out there… don’t worry. With farm to fork ingredients you can enjoy your food without worry. If this isn’t enough... then pair your dinner perfectly with a refreshing locally brewed beer.
Cork Wine & Grille
1600 Galbraith Ave. SE, Grand Rapids
corkwineandgrille.com, (616) 949-0570
It’s time to break out the long-stemmed glasses and say a cheer to your friends. Cork Wine & Grille is bringing you a stacked menu of entrées that will have your mouth watering. But the food is just the tip of the iceberg. Each dish is paired perfectly with savory and dry wines fit for a king.
Cottage Bar & Restaurant
18 LaGrave Ave. SE, Grand Rapids
cottagebar.biz, (616) 454-9088
Enjoy your favorite classic recipes with a new, flavorful twist. Try a juicy smokehouse burger topped with a smoked Gouda cheese and in-house smoked barbecue pork. If that filling patty wasn’t enough, then it’s a good thing there’s dessert. Try a brownie bar with extra chocolatey goodness that goes even better with one of the many pairings from the Cottage Bar and Restaurant.
Fajita Republic Cantina
2183 East Beltline Ave. NE, Grand Rapids
fajitarepubliccantina.com, (616) 272-3047
It’s time to spice things up this week, Mexican style. ¡Qué rico! Start off your meal with a little work. That’s right. Work. Featuring DIY guacamole, pickiness is out of the question. Now that you put in some effort, sit back and enjoy one of seven different options to choose from (can you really go wrong?). End the meal just right with a Tres Leches cake that will have you begging for just one more bite.
FireRock Grille
7177 Kalamazoo Ave., Caledonia
firerockgrille.com, (616) 656-9898
I don’t know about you, but I would rather have two hearts than one… Bell’s thinks so, too. Pair Bell’s Two Hearted IPA with FireRock’s sirloin steak and you might not be able to eat fast food ever again. Served with blue cheese mashers and asparagus, then seared to perfection with Cabernet Demi-Glace, there’s no wrong option at the FireRock Grille.
Grand Rapids Brewing Co.
1 Ionia Ave. SW, Grand Rapids
grbrewingcompany.com, (616) 458-7000
Grand Rapids Brewing Co. is putting a new twist on an American classic: fries. Instead of those pesky potatoes, enjoy beer-battered green beans fried to perfection. Then, go for round two with a bourbon-and-bacon-glazed meatloaf made at the only 100-percent-certified organic brewery in the Midwest.
Green Restaurant
2289 East Beltline Ave. NE, Grand Rapids
greenrestaurantgrandrapids.com, (616) 447-8294
Vegetarians and burger lovers alike, you’re in the green during this week. Ever had tzatziki on a burger? Try it on a classic patty or for a healthy change, swap out that old beef patty for a homemade veggie burger that taste so good it must be fresh.
HopCat
25 Ionia Ave. SW, Grand Rapids
hopcat.com, (616) 451-4677
Taking a classic and changing it is something HopCat mastered when the beer bar made the tomato-and-basil caprese flatbread. Topped with cherrywood smoked bacon bits, this flatbread blows all others out of the water. They didn’t stop there though, with a muenster burger making a splash on the menu.
Licari’s Sicilian Pizza Kitchen
2869 Knapp St. NE, Grand Rapids
licarispizzakitchen.com, (616) 608-6912
So this week's focus is on pairings… but nobody said you had to drink your pair. Licari’s Pizze Rubaeus, an irresistible pizza with crust made with Founders Rubaeus Ale, is the perfect summer meal. Follow it up with a Rubaeus Cheesecake, prepared on an Amoretti cookie crust, it’s guaranteed to satisfy from the first bite.
Lindo Mexico Restaurant
1292 28th St. SW, Wyoming
lindomexicorestaurant.com, (616) 261-2280
While eating with other people is fun, it’s such a pain when everyone can’t agree on a appetizer. Lindo Mexico fixed that this week with a trio appetizer dip, so everyone can enjoy their favorites. And Lindo Mexico didn’t stop there. With locally produced tortillas from El Milagro Tortilleria along with locally grown produce, when they say “farm to fork,” they mean it.
McFadden’s Restaurant & Saloon
58 Ionia Ave. SW, Grand Rapids
mcfaddensgrandrapids.com, (616) 454-9105
I know I feel fancy when I eat risotto, and now you can too. With a creamy vegetable risotto making its debut during Restaurant Week, you can’t go wrong. Finish the meal off right with a sugary-sweet treat, featuring a spiced caramel apple gelato.
The Melting Pot
2090 Celebration Dr. NE, Grand Rapids
meltingpot.com, (616) 365-0055
Take a dip with the Melting Pot for Restaurant Week and experience fondue like never before. Try a Pale Ale cheese fondue and enjoy the beer flavor minus the slightly groggy effects. And you can’t really go to a fondue place and leave without the dessert. Dive into a pot of chocolate with an assortment of sugary goods to dip.
Mitten Brewing Co.
527 Leonard St. NW, Grand Rapids
mittenbrewing.com, (616) 608-5612
The only thing possibly better than cheese itself is cheese and beer. Try a triple crown beer cheese crostini and start your meal out right. Move on to a pulled pork pizza prepared with Mitten barbecue sauce. Finish the night off with a vanilla milk stout ice cream served with a fair favorite, elephant ears.
One Trick Pony
136 Fulton St. E, Grand Rapids
onetrick.biz, (616) 235-7669
One Trick Pony takes raw ingredients further than most with a raw vegan summer salad topped with a champagne vinaigrette. Break away from the chill and spice things up with a Thai vegetable pasta prepared with summer squash noodles in a light peanut soy sauce. Finish the night off with a raw berry tart.
Reds on the River
8 E Bridge St., Rockford
redsontheriver.net, (616) 863-8181
Forget the crab, go for the duck with Reds on the River’s Duck Rangoons. But the adventure through the wilderness isn’t finished yet. Try rabbit wrapped in crispy-smoked bacon. Or if the wilderness isn’t your thing, switch it up and go for a dessert prepared with Michigan farm-fresh berries.
Reserve Wine & Food
201 Monroe Ave. NW, Grand Rapids
reservegr.com, (616) 855-9463
While Reserve may be the name of the restaurant, its food cannot be contained. For you soup lovers out there, try the cold beet and cucumber soup, perfect for a summer day. For those breakfast-for-dinner fans, potato pancakes are the way to go. Served with Lake Michigan Whitefish, you won’t want syrup with these flapjacks.
RiverHouse Ada
445 Ada Dr. SE, Ada
riverhouseada.com, (616) 432-3345
Start the night out right with an heirloom tomato and gazpacho sorbetto salad. Then take your standard barbecue chicken and add a little Korean twist to it made perfectly with shiitake mushrooms and asparagus. And you can’t forget the dessert; grilled peaches with mascarpone and chocolate mint.
Rush Creek Bistro
624 Port Sheldon St. SW, Grandville
rushcreekbistro.com, (616) 457-1100
Chef Boyardee should be a little nervous with Rush Creek Bistro’s ravioli. Start the meal out right and enjoy house-made ricotta-filled ravioli. Make it even better and enjoy a crispy roasted pork so tasty and flavorful that you just might forget that ravioli. Finish the meal in style with a rum-drizzled pound cake and pair it with a Black Farms Dry Reisling.
Shiraz Grille Restaurant
2739 Breton Rd. SE, Grand Rapids
shirazgrille.com, (616) 949-7744
The summer season just got taken to the next level with this week’s menu. Enjoy a cool-and-creamy yogurt soup to start the meal off right. Then, Persian white rice is making its appearance as a perfect side to a classic summer meal: Kabobs. Finish the meal off right with pistachio baklava that will leave you wanting more.
SpeakEZ Lounge
600 Monroe Ave. NW, Grand Rapids
speakezlounge.com, (616) 458-2689
While this lounge may be EZ, its food is not. Have you ever had a lamb pop? Try it with potato cakes and a sage burre noisette. Once that plate is licked clean, switch it up and enjoy a little tofu in a morel mushroom tofu stir-fry. Bring the meal to an end with a rum and plum cake served with ice cream.
Spinnaker
4747 28th St. SE, Grand Rapids
hiltongrandrapids.com/dining, (616) 957-0100
You might just clam up while trying to decide what to eat at Spinnakers, but that’s OK. Enjoy a New England clam chowder soup, a classic, with chunks of bacon that make the flavor that much better. Then enjoy a thigh or two, thanks to Heffron Farms. Served with a risotto out of this world, you’ll forget you never left Michigan.
Stella’s Lounge
53 Commerce Ave. SW, Grand Rapids
stellasgr.com, (616) 742-4444
Stella’s is known for its gourmet burgers, but let the restaurant show you what else it can do. Vegans to the front to try the No Spring Parmesan Chicken Sandwich, made out of a patty that’s not quite chicken, but tastes even better. Don’t forget, this week’s focus is on pairings, so skip the punch this time and try a craft beer with your meal.
Terra GR
1429 Lake Dr. SE, Grand Rapids
terragr.com, (616) 301-0998
Combinations are endless at Terra GR — just when you think you’ve tried it all, the restaurant is shaking things up. Try a watermelon and heirloom tomato salad so juicy and sweet, you won’t even need a drink. If that doesn’t do it for you, then enjoy a charred kale and tomato pizza made just for you with capers, feta and mozzarella cheeses and roasted garlic butter.
