
Table Talk: A Restaurant Roundtable

Beyond the Grapes: Wineries with More to Offer

Jules Winnfield, Samuel Jackson’s gun-toting character in Pulp Fiction, once famously said, “Hamburgers! The cornerstone of any nutritious breakfast.” And while that was a scripted, flippant remark, a true burger addict would never turn down a mouthwatering patty at any time of day.
Luckily for you, Revue’s staff is stocked with extreme Hamburglars. Here’s some staff picks, detailing not only their favorite burger joints, but particular must-haves on their menus.
Maybe soon, West Michigan will finally get a Big Kahuna Burger… I hear they've got some tasty burgers. In the meantime, here are a few existing spots on Revue’s radar. —Rich Tupica
Of the pleasures that are acceptably indulged in public, few are more guilt-inducing than digging into a decadent dessert. Gluttony, after all, is the most measurably deadly of the seven so-called deadly sins.
But don’t you deserve to treat yourself? Who knows, maybe you don’t. Luckily, you don’t need our permission. What we can offer is guidance. Below is a list of top-shelf West Michigan spots that will fill the dessert-shaped hole in your life.
This month I sat down with Kate Leeder: A St. Louis native, closeted Bud Lite fan and co-owner of Aperitivo — a cheese, charcuterie, wine and beer shop at the Grand Rapids Downtown Market (435 Ionia Ave., SW). Bonus: The shop is paired with a bar featuring a sampling of its select stock.
If you’re looking for someone to geek out with over cheese, or for the best wine to pair with Pringles (yes, Pringles), perhaps you should pay Leeder and her staff a visit. You’ll never look at wine the same way again.
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.