HopCat is opening yet another set of doors this Saturday, Oct. 8 in Kalamazoo.
In Kitchen Confidential, the bestselling chronicle of the food industry’s colorful underbelly, Anthony Bourdain warns of the mayhem and mediocrity that can occur “when the chef starts thinking of himself as an artist rather than a craftsman.” But can food be art? Revue asked some of the area’s top chefs to explain what in the restaurant world, if anything, qualifies as artistic.
Several restaurants have firmly established themselves in West Michigan as go-tos for vegetarian-friendly menus. But if you can’t always convince your friends or significant other to patronize those, you can still find good vegetarian food in unexpected places. Consider this your guide to off-brand, below-radar veggie cuisine in Grand Rapids, broken down by meal.
A roundup of top outdoor dining spots in Grand Rapids and beyond.
In an era when people want to know more about the origin of their food, many are starting to pay closer attention to how those tasty animals were treated before they became sustenance. At the forefront of that movement is heritage meats. Grand Rapids’ very own Duba & Co. is one of two (two!) purveyors of heritage meat in the United States. This month, I rode along with owner Jeff Duba to visit Matt Burdick at Idle River Farms in Burlington, Mich. to talk about the ins-and-outs of heritage animals and the rapidly growing interest behind them.
If you want to start a heated food fight, tell a group of people where to find the best tacos in town.
For reasons unknown, tacos and burritos seem to be America’s most divisive foods and everyone has his or her own favorite spot. With that in mind, what better way to decide who is king than a taco crawl through the streets of Grand Rapids? Here's a quick route.
This month I sat down with the new owners of Bartertown Diner, Crystal Lecoy and Thad Cummings, to chat about their vegan diner’s recent transformation and revamped plant-based menu. Find out the reformist restaurateurs’ noble game plan and how they’re handling the business after taking the reins from former Bartertown owner Ryan Cappelletti.
After a long day’s work there are few things I enjoy more than curling up, Ron Swanson-style, with a thick, juicy hunk of animal meat and an equally luscious single-malt scotch.
While my appetite for vast quantities of meat is admittedly less than the mustachioed libertarian of Parks and Recreation fame, I do possess a vigorous ferocity for cuts of all shapes and flavors.
Holland-based Coppercraft Distillery plans to make a big splash in its third year as the official spirit for the Tulip Time Festival.
Fresh off of winning a bronze medal for its Rum and a gold medal and best in class honors for its Cask-Strength Bourbon at the American Distilling Institute Expo last month, the craft distillery partnered with 13 local restaurants on the Copper Trail, a passport promotion running from May 7-31.
By the time you read this list, it will probably be inaccurate. Ten years ago, the arrival of a new restaurant concept in little ol’ Grand Rapids was an extraordinary, blessed occurrence. Now, it seems not a day goes by without the announcement of a trendy new brewpub, small-plate restaurant, beer garden, artisan cocktail bar, tasting room or gourmet coffee purveyor, often attached to a mixed-use development and usually accompanied by a sleek Squarespace website.
