GRDine

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