Bartenders play many roles, depending on the bar and the patron — armchair psychologist, liquid pharmacist, philosopher of debauchery and so on. Between all these roles, they play a valuable (crucial, even) part in the community. Ask pretty much any bargoer their favorite barkeep and the name of at least one enigmatic drink-slinger will rise to the top. 

Earlier this year, Revue asked West Michigan that very question with our Best of the West survey. Here, we chat with the top 3 winners.

During this year’s ArtPrize, downtown Grand Rapids was filled with the expected sights — oversized artwork, misused crosswalks, the guy riding a fish bicycle. But there was a surprise greeting visitors who flocked to the eighth-annual event: Food trucks. All over the place. With lines in front of them.

By nature, distillers are a reflective lot. They make spirits and then often store them away in barrels for years on end to allow the wood and alcohol to mellow into a delicious quaff. That time-consuming process creates opportunities for introspection — and drinking, of course. Revue asked distillery owners from around West Michigan about their favorite spirits and cocktails. Here’s what they had to say. 

This week, Rockford Brewing Co. took its new kitchen for a test drive with a multi-day soft opening.

Just a few years ago, most breweries could get away with treating their food menu as a greasy afterthought — maybe a few token appetizers or sandwiches to keep the regulars warming the barstools.

But breweries in Beer City and throughout West Michigan are learning, sometimes the hard way, that a successful operation needs more than just good beer to distinguish itself in 2016.

There’s no shortage of primo fish to reel in from our state’s tens of thousands of inland lakes (including four of the largest lakes in the world) and 300-plus rivers. And yet, nothing compares to an oceanic jewel like fresh king or coho salmon. That’s where Fish Lads comes in — purveying only the finest fillets in Grand Rapids’ own Downtown Market. We talked with Jeff Butzow, owner of Fish Lads, about his aquatic philosophy and plans for the new meat emporium, Carvers, set up just a few feet away.

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.