GRDine

Quarterfinals- Matchup #3- Lewandoski’s Market vs. Kingma’s Market

Kingma’s Market

This is the first place that I have visited before.  I try to get in Kingma’s as often as I can just for the atmosphere.  They have a decent garden center that has seasonally correct products like pumpkins, Christmas trees and all sorts of plants.  They also carry local cheeses, Michigan beers, a wide selection of bulk foods and their great meat counter.  I went in Saturday to buy kielbasa and noticed that they don’t even call it kielbasa.  They refer to it as Polish sausage.  The guys behind the counter all seemed to know what they are doing.  The rest of my shopping experience was good including a friendly cashier.

Lewandoski’s Market

This is the place that started my quest for kielbasa.  I have longed to visit Lewandoski’s, but because of their hours, I haven’t made it until Saturday.  Their store is in what looks like an old house.  Meat seems to be their primary business with the counter across the back of the store, but they did have some convenience grocery items and a few frozen foods available.  They advertise handmade perogies, but I didn’t indulge.  The staff seemed to be made up of 6 high school aged girls and one older gentleman.  He was working the register (no plastic) and said almost everyone is family.  It’s nice to hear that true family businesses still operate.

When I got home the car smelled of the wonderful spices in my fresh kielbasa.  I cooked both sausages as I have in the past and gave them a shot.

The Kingma’s sausage was smaller in girth than the competition; it was also dryer and less spicy.  It also had a tougher casing which I do not enjoy.  I’d say it was more suited for folks who don’t like kielbasa but want to try it without jumping all the way in the pool.  I like kielbasa and was not interested in just getting my feet wet.  Lewandoski’s sausage was larger around and had more spice flavor.  It seemed juicy and exactly what I expect from kielbasa.

So for me the choice was simple: larger sausage, more flavorful and calling it what it is all point to Lewandoski’s as the winner in this matchup.

Future Matchups:

Sobie vs. Vanball’s- Mar. 6

Frank’s vs. 20th Century- Mar. 20

Since starting GRDine back in June/July, I have experienced some of Grand Rapids Best and Worst dining establishments.  I have always loved talking to friends and family about some of the good and bad experiences we have shared around Grand Rapids cuisine.  Restaurants typically have the most interesting stories that go well beyond the food.  These stories range around family struggles as they look to make it in a new city, to the efforts the owners make to be green or buy local.  The stories are endless…

So why is it that the restaurant industry seems to be in the stone ages when it comes to digital/social media???  Restaurants make it or break it based on word of mouth…and now everyone has the ability to participate in these conversations, yet so many still don’t have websites, or an online menu.  Think about the endless conversations that take place on a daily basis around your brand.  It is likely that you don’t have a clue because you aren’t participating in the space.  Now think about how much of that information could be misguided, or inaccurate?  Being a part of the community is now beyond knowing your physical neighbors.  Take a minute to Google, Facebook or Twitter search your restaurant, your name, your competition.  Do you like what you see?

Some of my favorite restaurants are also restaurants that I have had correspondence with online.  Some of these brands even initiate the conversation.  Take a look at Founders, San Chez, and Green Well on Facebook.  These establishments understand the importance of being a part of the conversation.  People who use Social Media like to define themselves by the brands they follow.  Become a part of their image.  Share your stories.  Talk to your customers before they come in the front door.

-Jon

PS: This note was written as I was searching online for photos of several restaurants.  I also enjoy the history of how many of these establishments came to be.

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

There is something magical about going to a baseball game in the summer.  It’s a place where calories are not counted, and hot dogs are considered  health food.  Ok…That is just my delusional stance to justify the junk washed down by a few brews.  However, now I am able to put it all in perspective since the 53^rd Burger was introduced this year.  I can eat three hotdogs, one pulled pork nachos, and several beers and still not reach the magnitude of this beast of a burger.

The 53^rd Burger was made famous this year at the Grand Rapids Whitecaps stadium.  This burger (which should probably be illegal) is constructed using 5 third pound beef patties, 5 slices of cheese, a cup of chili and cheese sauce (oh the fake stuff is good!), and I believe I saw a ton of ranch on there as well.  It could probably feed 100 children in Ethiopia (Who am I kidding?  I could feed several villages.  I still can’t figure out why so many foreigners hate America).   Once the burger is constructed it comes in at 4 pounds (equating to roughly 5,000 calories) and is severed in a pizza box that is unable to shut entirely.

To make this situation even more gluttonous, people continue to try and consume this burger in record pace.  I was told last night that the current record holder has finished in just over 13 minutes.

Ron “The Shovel” Lovelace has had a couple run-ins with the 53^rd Burger.  In his first attempt, he not only consumed the beast, but did so in 17 minutes without trying.  Being the modest individual that he is, he decided he was going to break the record and create a media event around his record breaking attempt.  When I spoke to Ron last night, he seemed very confident that he would not only break the record, but do so by 3 minutes.  The man had champion written all over his face.  I ask to take a celebratory picture prior to his attempt as you will see below.

At the beginning of the third inning, Ron took an approach he had not previously tried; he decided to dip the 8 inch bun in water to allow him to consume the carbs quicker.  I believe this was the wrong approach for any amateur as the water will easily add weight that he was not anticipating.  I have been thinking about how to say this as non-descriptive as possible…but about 4 minutes into the attempt, his body did not agree with the current pace and decided to fight back…Yup he returned his first serving.  According to Whitecap official rules…this disqualified his attempt.

Ron is a champion in our eyes.  He had the courage to not only attempt the record, but declare it to all of Grand Rapids.  GRDine offered him a second chance with a 30 minute break, but he politely declined.

Disclaimer: Seriously…Do not eat this burger.  It will likely take 5 years off your life.  -JD

REVUE is a publication distributed across all of West Michigan on a monthly basis.  They recently released their August edition in over 500 local establishments and @ www.revuewm.com.  In their August edition they covered all that is Hot in West Michigan, from politicians to bartenders to blogs.  GRDine was listed as the Hot Blog.

Here is our mention:

HOT BL OG:

GRdine.com

When John Dodge and Trevor Mauk started their blog six weeks ago about eating out, it was supposed to be a hobby. Within days, though, the pair behind GRdine.com started getting emails from strangers asking for recommendations, wanting to write for the blog, and even asking what was up at a recently shuttered restaurant that was being renovated.

“We’re already being seen as pseudo experts,” says Dodge. GRdine doesn’t feature reviews or news, per se. The posts are about the experiences that Dodge, Mauk and a few friends have had at local restaurants. The writing is straightforward and unaffected. Not all of the experiences that get blogged about are good: When Dodge got booted out of the Dog Pit in downtown GR at 2:17 a.m., he blogged about it and told readers he’d be boycotting the popular, late-night hot dog spot. Unlike many in the local media, Dodge and Mauk aren’t afraid to keep it very real in their posts. “I want it to reflect the conversations we have with each other,” Dodge says. “We don’t hold back when we talk to each about a restaurant, why would we hold back when we put it on the site?” —Brian Edwards

Thank you REVUE for recognizing our work.  We will continue to bring our readers great content! –JD

Two of Grand Rapid’s late night hot spots are leading the inevitable trend (law) of taking their establishments smoke free!

The leading argument for taking all restaurants and bars smoke-free tends to revolve around lost revenue because customers come to bars to smoke… And some hillbillies go as far as to claim they will move out of Michigan if a smoking ban were to go state-wide.  Please move…

The repercussions of smoke-free states have been minimal…just look at New York or California.  My experiences with smoke free establishments in Chicago have been fantastic; Food tastes better, I tend not to tire as early, and I am less likely to receive the dreaded hangover.

The Details:  As of August 17, 2009, Republic is smoke free. Smoking will still be permitted on the deck at all times and on the enclosed porch after 11pm.

Props to the owners of Rockwell’s and Republic for taking a stand and enforcing this change.  Honestly, this is a factor that will likely drive me to your establishments more often.  On behalf of the people who frequent your restaurants and bar… Thank You! -JD

Simple.  Just debate your favorite sandwich spot in Grand Rapids, and GRDine will provide you with a gift card to that location.

Details:

1. Debate your favorite lunch spot in the comments section of this post.

2. Re-tweet the Twitter post for free lunch plus naming your favorite lunch spot.

3. Follow @GRDine on Twitter and direct message your favorite restaurant(you may do 1 through 3 for 3 entries).

3. Make sure to do this by Friday 5pm EST.

3. One winner will be selected at random on Monday, July 20th and a gift card will be mailed.

Good Luck!

In my first blog post I wrote about my experiences with Cherry Deli.  The place rocks!  I did have one complaint about their hours in general.  I was just informed that the hours on Saturday and Sunday have been adjusted!

Saturday 11am to 8pm & Sunday 11am to 4pm

I’d like to think GRDine made this happen!  Thanks Cherry Deli!  I will see you very soon…

-JD

See original post here: http://grdine.com/2009/06/19/grand-rapids-kingpin-deli-cherry-deli