GRDine

Quarterfinals- Matchup #2- Ralph’s Food Market vs. 20^th Century Market

Ralph’s Food Market

I went in Ralph’s on Friday night.  I’ve always been hesitant to go in this place due to its surroundings looking a bit rough.  It was the weekend of the super bowl which also coincided with the first of the month.  Wow, were they moving meat.  Narrow aisles, family size everything and some cashiers who wouldn’t make it through harassment training.  Ralph’s was highly recommended by a few people for doing custom meats but they don’t even have a meat counter.  They had lots of variations on sausage available: kielbasa, kielbasa in a family pack (over 4 lbs of kielbasa in a sack), kielbasa with beer, kielbasa with mustard, bulk chorizo, bulk Italian sausage, breakfast links and bulk breakfast sausage.  They also carried a rich variety of other ‘questionable’ meat products one example being whole rabbits (which are imported from China for some reason.)  I went with the standard fresh kielbasa.

20^th Century Market

Saturday morning 20^th Century was hopping.  There were about a dozen people packed in this tiny little store front that is made smaller by the long meat counter.  Again, the place and the clientele were questionable.  One thing that made my wait a little better was the sample offered on the counter.  I’m not sure what I was eating though I’m pretty sure it was standard kielbasa but I had no idea how long it had been out, how it was cooked or if it was going to make my intestines explode.  It was good though.  The staff was friendly enough and they seemed to have quite a large variety of meat products like other sausages, fresh meat and jerky.

I prepared the kielbasa in the same way I had the others, in a pan with water.  The Ralph’s specimen was very flavorful with spices.  Other than that it was all fat.  The kielbasa from 20^th Century Market was less flavorful to start, but then intensified.  I found that this was a clear advantage over Ralph’s.  The other factor that propelled 20^th Century past Ralph’s in this round was the fact that it was actual meat.  This isn’t some junk that got shoved into a casing, it is actual meat.

So, after the second matchup we have eliminated Ralph’s and Parkside Marketplace.  There were two different reasons for their loss but also two clear victors in Frank’s and 20^th Century.  It will be interesting to see how they match up against each other in the semifinals on March 20.

The next matchup is on February 20th between Lewandoski’s Market and Kingma’s Market.  Both are unknown with regard to kielbasa.  Lewandoski’s is what started all of this so I hope it lives up to the expectation.  I’ll be the judge.

Future Matchups:

Lewandoski’s vs. Kingma’s- Feb. 20

Sobie vs. Vanball’s- Mar. 6

Frank’s vs. 20^th Century- Mar. 20

-John Chapman

A Co-worker of mine recently pitched me the idea of covering his efforts to find the best home-made Keilbasa in Grand Rapids.  Normally this blog would only discuss local restaurants, but I don’t see why local markets shouldn’t have a chance to be highlighted in John Chapman’s efforts.    Here is his challenge…

My Mission (John Chapman):

To find the best ‘home made’ style fresh kielbasa in Grand Rapids.

Why did I take on this arduous and potentially dangerous task of self-inflicted cholesterol?  I wanted to get some kielbasa as a special ‘manly’ football meal for the conference championship weekend.  I had driven past Lewandoski’s Market on Walker Ave. many times, but have never had an opportunity to stop in when they are open.  To continue that trend, when my son and I got there they were closed!  But my persistance was rewarded when I wandered around the West Side of town to find my first matchup of kielbasa.  After that, I realized that this needed to continue; matching up handmade kielbasas until I had found a winner.

The eight sausage-makers in the running are:

Frank’s Market

750 West Fulton St.

Parkside Marketplace

1153 West Fulton St.

Ralph’s Food Market

655 Leonard St. NW

20th Century Market

610 Bridge St. NW

Lewandoski’s Market

1107 Walker Ave. NW

Kingma’s Market

2225 Plainfield Ave. NE

Sobie Meats

3919 Remembrance Rd. NW

Vanball’s Meats

3442 Plainfield Ave. NE

Quarterfinals- Matchup #1: Frank’s Market vs. Parkside Marketplace

I went in Parkside which is a nice neighborhood grocery store and was greeted by a gentleman behind the meat counter.  I asked for about a foot of kielbasa not knowing how to order (do you order by length or weight?)  He and I exchanged some friendly banter and I was on my way.  The cashier was also very friendly.  Great service.

When I saw the sign for Frank’s I was on Fulton and had to turn the car around.  This usually happens with signs that say jerky, homemade sausages, and quality meats.  The building reminds me of the hardware store in my hometown; wood floors, high ceiling, big windows, interesting smells (here it was smoked kielbasa, I’m not sure why the hardware smelled.)  There were several younger guys working behind the counter that seemed like they might like to be doing something other than working.  The guy that helped me was nice enough though.  He got out my sausage from the case, walked down and rang me up and I was on my way.

As far as the product, I prepared each one the same way; in a pan with water.  Nothing fancy, I wanted to taste the product, not what I added to it.  Between the two, the victor was Frank’s.  It had more flavor and a tender casing.  The Parkside kielbasa was more bland and the casing was getting in the way, almost enough for me to not finish it.  Frank’s was the winner hands down.

The next matchup is on February 6th between Ralph’s Food Market and 20th Century Market.  Both come with recommendations but I think 20th Century will come out on top due to its focus on meat.  I’ll be the judge.

Future Matchups:

Ralph’s v. 20th Century- Feb. 6

Lewandoski’s v. Kingma’s- Feb. 20

Sobie v. Vanball’s- Mar. 6

*Feel free to share your thoughts on John’s adventure.

As the weather continues to get colder and the snow continues to fall, restaurateurs are providing menu items that go beyond what Mom use to make.  I’ve noticed a lot of warm comfort foods making it on to many of the restaurants that I like to frequent…but with a twist.  Are simple foods making a comeback?  I’ve noticed twists on items such as oatmeal, chicken noodle soup, and the most prevalent mac n cheese.  I just so happen to have tried mac n cheese at a few restaurants I’ve visited over the last couple of weeks.

Red’s on the River – Cajun Mac N Cheese

My favorite thus far was at Red’s.  I have a weakness for Chorizo and will likely order any dish that contains this spicy meat.  I know what many people are thinking.  Why would I order Mac N Cheese at a restaurant that is known for amazing Steak and Seafood dishes?  This was the third restaurant where I noticed Mac N Cheese, and I did it for the blog.  This is honestly the first time I made a decision on my dining for the blog.  Typically, anything I write is something I naturally come across.  This Mac N Cheese is made with Spanish Chorizo, andouille sausage and chopped onion tossed in a creamy cheese sauce on cavatappi noodles.

Thornapple Daily Grill – Lobster Mac N Cheese

Another fantastic spin on a classic was recently made available at the Thornapple Daily Grill.  This was the first time I had seen lobster added to mac n cheese.  I was intrigued and rewarded for taking the chance.  The flavor was simple and perfect.  The dish included campanelle pasta, four cheese sauce, and herb panko.

The Green Well Gastro Pub – Adult Mac N Cheese

This was my least favorite of the three.  The consistency was a little soupy, and I didn’t feel like they took a big enough risk with a “signature item”.  I’ve heard others rave about this dish, so it could have been my experience.  They do have the new menu, so they may have tweaked the preparation of this dish.  They make their Mac N Cheese with corkscrew pasta, chicken, ham, bacon, peas, tomatoes, caramelized onions, mushrooms, 4 cheeses, and bread crumbs.

What other local restaurants serve up their own version of the MNC?  -Jon

Don’t let the title lead you to believe that there are any fundamental differences between the Georgio’s in East Lansing verses the Georgio’s in downtown Grand Rapids.  The menu, service and preparation are all the same, but the key difference comes down to something so specific that gives me an entirely different point of view of the GR Georgio’s…the time of the visit… (Perhaps it wasn’t the time, but the state of mind?)

The moment I read on GRNow.com that Georgio’s was going to be opening a location in downtown GR, I started spreading the word on Twitter, on Facebook, and to all of my close friends in the office.  For anyone who hasn’t gone to Michigan State, or even visited East Lansing, they were in for a serious, pizza loving treat.  I visited them for the first time in close to 7-8 years just two weeks ago.  I brought three close friends to share in the experience at around 8pm.  I decided to go for two of my favorite slices, the potato bacon, and the regular potato.  Both slices come with a thin layer of freshly sliced potatoes, cheese, chive and drizzled with sour cream.  I ordered a side of ranch to dip as well.  This was the specific order I would place at 2-3am in college that would almost be enticing enough to get me to leave the bar early.

The pizza was good, but not like I remembered from college.  Perhaps I had built it up so much in my head when I heard they were coming to town that they couldn’t reach this unrealistic expectation?  Either way, they have nearly 50 pizza by the slice options that will leave me coming back for more.  Some examples: Stuffed Meat, Mac n Cheese, Taco, Buffalo Chicken, Barbecue Chicken, and the list goes on and on and on…

I recommend that you give it a shot…especially if you are leaving one of the bars on Ionia at 2am.  –Jon Dodge

*Pics from GRNow.com

Looks like The Green Well is going to be launching a brand spanking new menu.  Thanks to Jennifer Luth over at Clark Communications I was able to get the inside scoop.  I look forward to checking it out.  Here is the release:

For Immediate Release

December 22, 2009

Contact: Craig Clark (616) 550-2736 or craig@clarkcommunication.com

The Green Well Gastro Pub launches revamped menu with culinary creations new and renewed

23 new or tweaked menu items offer a taste of The Green Well’s passion for innovative cuisine

(GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.) Locally-minded gastro pub, The Green Well (www.thegreenwell.com), has offered a unique menu since they opened their doors just over two years ago at 924 Cherry Street in the East Hills district of Grand Rapids. This month, they have released a completely reconstructed menu that offers different variety and selection that upholds their mission to be ever-changing.

“When we say, ‘new menu’ we really mean it,” said Rob Tamburello, General Manager of The Green Well Gastro Pub. “We have completely revamped the format as well as changed or added 23 new menu items.”

A few of the new and unique menu items include: a new vegetarian section, Kobe sirloin, free range chicken and the pork and goat cheese crepe.

“At the Green Well we are always striving to be on the cutting edge of the Grand Rapids/West Michigan food scene,” said, Rob Tamburello. “So we thought that change was in order.”

The Green Well has also updated their website for easy browsing through full menus for lunch and dinner, drink options, gift cards, events and even Twitter updates.

More on The Green Well Gastro Pub:

The Green Well Gastro Pub, an Essence Restaurant Group establishment, serves honest fayre with local flair in a LEED®-certified green building located in East Hills. The menu features a global range of eclectic flavors prepared with ingredients from local farmers, and a wide array of local craft brews and wines.

Little Bangkok has been existing under my nose for some time, but I have failed to notice it.  Perhaps the bland Thai Food sign wasn’t enough to draw my attention.  What has gotten my attention however, Thai House has shut down for a month, and will not reopen until next year.  In searching for a close alternative, I have heard amazing things about Little Bangkok so decided to give it a shot Friday night.

Located on Cascade Road near Forest Hills Ave, this establishment is a little hidden from view.  It clearly has a following as the place remained packed with customers dining it, and coming in for consistent take-out.  Their dining room couldn’t hold more than 20 people, but they do a great job of preparing meals quickly and turning tables over.

For the sake of comparison, we decided to order the equivalent to what we would order at Thai House.  We ordered the Tofu Pad Thai and the Gang Gai (A Shrimp Curry Dish with Bambo Noodles).  We were initially disappointed with the serving size.  The price of their food is roughly the same as Thai House, but the portions do not come close.  At Thai House, these two dishes allow for two full dinners.  At Little Bangkok we were forced to order another dish just to fill up.  There were no leftovers, and we were stuck with a much larger bill.

The food was very delicious.  The only complaint I would have would be the consistency of the Pad Thai noodles.  The noodles were a little runny and not at all sticky.  Good flavor none-the-less.

I don’t think we will be making a return unless we have thai craving before my local favorite, Thai House, opens up once again for service.  -Jon

I’m pretty sure I have just been introduced to the best burger in Grand Rapids.  I would have made the argument for Cottage Bar, but Choo Choo Grill blows there burger out of the water.  Have you even heard of this place?  I wasn’t aware until I was introduced by co-worker Dan Willey last Friday (That’s right…I promised the shout out by name!).

Located on a very large lot in a very small red building (Old Train Station I do believe), on the corner of Leonard and Plainfield, the Choo Choo Grill has been serving up one of Grand Rapids best burgers for a very long time.  Any Grand Rapidian  needs to experience the Choo Choo just once…then you will be addicted for life.

Did I mention this place is small?  The Choo Choo has nothing more than a grill, a malt machine, a counter than fits maybe 10, and two booths.  You have to come early or late.  Never be on time or you’ll be waiting to be seated.

When I went on Friday, I went with a group of four.  We left around 11:30 in hopes of beating the lunch crowd.  We were lucky to find the last 4 seats available at the bar as another couple had just finished.  Before I had a chance to review the mish mashed menu board I was approached for my order.  Once you do review the board you notice that you really can only have three things…a burger, steak fries, and a shake.  I opted out of the shake to make sure a food coma didn’t kick in later in the day (I would soon find out that was inevitable).  I went with the standard half pound burger cooked to order.  The option to take on the Legend will be saved for my next trip (consisting of two half pound patties before the toppings are added).

The burger was absolutely delicious.  It had the right combination of beef to bread to grease and left me wanting more.  This was a prized experience I look forward to sharing with family and friends.  Enjoy!  – Jon

There is a new player in the Grand Rapids area that goes by the name Wild Fire Grille (not to be confused with the Wildfire chain by Lettuce Entertain You).   Located on East Paris in the same complex as Bone Fish and Daniel’s, Wild Fire Grille has replaced Naya.  When I first heard about the arrival of Wild Fire I was excited that a Lettuce Entertain You restaurant would be coming to Grand Rapids, but I was sadly mistaken.  Lettuce Entertain You operates over 31 different restaurant concepts, of which most of them are extremely popular and delicious.  Ok, so now I was able to push that wrong association to the side, I could give Wild Fire a fair shot.

We had reservations for last Saturday around 5:30…which is extremely early, but we were celebrating my mother-in-laws birthday and had other activities planned for the evening.  I make a point of the time because when we arrived, the parking lot was entirely empty and we were likely the first to arrive.  It got a little bit more traffic later, but the house was definitely not packed.  Perhaps due to the lack of patrons were escorted to a private dining area, and the service was very attentive (maybe overly so…in fact the server seemed as though he joined us for dinner.  I would have been happy to pull a seat for him.  He was very nice however.).

The menu is very diverse but places a focus around seafood and steak.  Entrees range between $15 and $30.  We started out with a couple orders of their “famed” Sticky Lime Fried Shrimp ($8).  I would compare this to the Bang Bang Shrimp for Bone Fish, but sweeter.  I could have used an entire meal around the shrimp alone, just amazing.  I went with the Lobster Asiago wood fire pizza($15).  It was very good, but a bit on the rich side.  Another popular dish as the table were the Scallops St. Jacque (Sauteed Sea scallops, buttermilk whipped potatoes, braised spinach, finished with sherry mushroom cream sauce. $17).

The food and service were good, but there are a lot of good fine dining restaurants in Grand Rapids.  I don’t see myself going out of the way to dine there again anytime soon.  If anything, it made me miss Bone Fish.  Do I sense a Bone Fish entry coming soon?

-Jon

What do you get when you take an EQ3, gut it, and add over 250 seats to a 10,000 square foot warehouse?  You get the best new arrival to Grand Rapids in some time…Peppino’s Sports Lounge.

Just after EQ3 left the space

You probably know Peppino’s for the delicious take-out pizza with over 10 locations around Grand Rapids.  The owners decided to take that delicious taste, expand it to several new menu items, and match it with the perfect compliment…Sports.

The new sports lounge is located on Ionia, and will give other bars and restaurants on the street a run for their money.  Then they added an assortment sports memorabilia, 46 flat screen TVs, including screens inside most booths. Behind the concrete-topped bars are 36 taps offering 20 draft beers.  This place can beat out any other sports bar on several different levels.

Besides the incredible location, and the several beers on tap, and the several TVs, and the good prices, the menu dives deeper than what you would expect in a sports bar.  They have dishes like the Taste of Italy, Chicken Spiedini, Sicilian Ribeye, and of course pizza.  Since I know Peppino’s primarily for their pizza, it was difficult for me to deviate far from the comfort zone.  I tried their build your own calzone and filled it with pepperoni, sausage, bacon, and green olives.  The beast of a calzone was incredible and not a doughy as what you might get at other pizza establishments.

I have decided that this is now my new favorite Sunday Football spot, and can’t wait to try out some of the other dishes.

-Jon

I’m surprised it took me this long to get over to Bull’s Head since starting this blog.  Bull’s Head truly encompasses an establishment that tries to be everything to everyone, and they do a damn good job of accomplishing this.

The first time I visited, I went primarily for drinks for friends.  The menu seemed limited, but the drinks were plentiful.  I actually went around telling friends that they lacked significantly on the dinner selections, and that the food was primarily upscale bar-fare.  I couldn’t have been more incorrect.  Over the last week I actually made two trips here; once for dinner upstairs and once for lunch downstairs.  The experiences couldn’t have been more different.

Dinner upstairs:  The setting moves beyond the tavern look and the setting is white table cloth with full dinner menu including some of their signature Buffalo and Ostrich burgers, but expanded to include Smoked Gouda Chicken Pasta and Sashimi Tuna Steak.  The service is friendly and alert since this portion of the restaurant can’t seat much more than maybe 40 patrons.  Prices are comparable with restaurants of the same caliber.  Not to mention…once you are done with dinner you can retreat to the lower level for a few libations.

Lunch:  At lunch you are presented a completely different menu that focuses on appetizers, salads and sandwiches.  There are a few lower prices lunch entrees that stuck out as well…a great value.  I opted for their Cuban and was not disappointed.

The bottom line is that this place will suit you well whether it is a quick lunch with a colleague, dinner with a significant other, or happy hour to late night drinks with your friends.  It is not easy to pull off the dining trinity, but Bull’s Head has a great thing going.

-Jon