GRDine

So I’m sure our loyal readership is wondering why my inaugural post is going to be about a place that semi-contradicts the mission statement by : A) Not being in Grand Rapids (it’s in Berkley) and B) Not talking about the food. The reason is said restaurant was one of the inspirations for this website. Chez Panisse is run by Alice Waters who goes one step (a very important one, btw) beyond organic: sustainable/local. This means that she uses area farmers who use sustainable practices, and thereby in the process she gets ultra-fresh ingredients. Why does local matter? Why does sustainable matter? I’ll break this down very simply for those among us who don’t know: we have a finite amount of resources on this planet and no amount of NPK is going to change that. In fact, said fertilizers are actually harming the environment (read Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma).

Food needs to be produced in a manner that future generations can continue to plant and grow without the fear of the land being stripped of all its nutrients. Local is important because it works three-fold: 1) It props up local business, 2) It requires shorter travel so less resources are used and less pollution is presumably made, and 3) it establishes a regional cuisine as a default, giving an identity to an area (one to be proud of, no matter where you are from). So there you go, the inspiration for this blog: fresh, local, sustainable. Obviously this doesn’t mean that one can find local ingredients in restaurants all of the time (especially during winter time in Michigan), but it should be a goal to incorporate as much of the “local menu” as possible.

There are two parts to Chez Panisse: the upstairs and downstairs. The downstairs requires a reservation months in advance on the weekend, is pre fixed, and the menu changes daily. The upstairs is not pre fixed, the menu is more static, and it is a little easier to get into (though not easy). Since my wife and I flew in last-minute to visit friends in Nob Hill the downstairs option wasn’t going to happen. After calling and being put on the waiting list, we were notified about an hour beforehand by the restaurant that indeed a spot in the upstairs had opened up for us. After a 30 minute BART ride from Embarcadero and a short walk down Shattuck…poof we were there. On her website (www.chezpanisse.com), Alice Waters goal was to create an eating experience that felt like she was entertaining in her home, and she has definitely captured that. Although the restaurant sits in the middle of a college town it feels like a cozy, upscale cottage when you walk in with its exposed wood casting an omnipotent presence throughout the exterior and interior. The service from start to finish was exceptional: questions answered thoroughly, friendly, but not overly-nice in a way that is annoying and trite. The wine list was excellent, complementing the regional cuisine, while having price points that were sure to make everyone happy. I ordered a flight of three different Zinfandels for $18. The appetizer was oysters which , having had them for the first time, was eye-opening and delicious. Honestly, I don’t remember the main entrée well (and I don’t feel guilty because this wasn’t the point of the post)except to say it was delicious. Overall this restaurant has set the bar for what a restaurant should be in every phase, and I will be using it as a reference for all Grand Rapids restaurants.  -TM