GRDine

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

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

Grand Rapids lacks true sports bars.  Sure, I have highlighted a few that I have enjoyed in the blog previously (Uccello’s, My Bar, and Vitale’s in Ada).  When you look at the number of eating and drinking establishments in Grand Rapids, you have to be shocked by the slim count.  Z’s is a true sports bar and staple of Grand Rapids.  I’ve spent many a time at Z’s cheering for the Pistons or cursing the Lions.

Z’s has a great location downtown, but is tucked away slightly on Campau Ave.  It is a stone throw away from the BOB.  However, Z’s never seems to be very busy.  It is a pretty small establishment that vaguely reminds me of the bar from Cheers.  However, I’m pretty sure no one ever remembered my name, and the crowd varies drastically depending on the night.  They have a huge U shaped bar that wraps around the entire interior and takes up 80% of the seating. Around the bar they have a handful of booths and tables.  The largest TV would be a screen that is pulled down in front of the Golden Tee game.  I’m not going to go out of my way to say this place is pretty, but it feels like a comfortable place to go and watch the game. (I forgot to take pictures, and unfortunately nothing is available online.  It is a bit of an eye sore, but you should try to see past that.)

The food is surprisingly good.  It’s nothing gourmet, but it is on the higher end of the spectrum when it comes to bar/pub food.  They like to tout their ribs.  The baby back ribs are very good… However, I wouldn’t call them the best in town.  It’s a safe bet to go with the burger or the make your own pizza.  The pizza is fantastic!

In order to truly call yourself a local you have to experience Z’s!

-Jon

So have you been listening to WGRD and heard about the Recession Buster Pizza deal?  Are you out of work and want a free pizza?  What’s the catch?  When WGRD announces free pizza at Mafia Mike’s, you can pick up your free one topping with proof of unemployment.  When this deal is not active, you can get a free 12 inch one topping with a $12 purchase.  Not a bad way to market in this economy.

You wanna Pizza of me?

So unfortunately I have a job (kidding) and am not able to take advantage of this sweet deal, BUT I can fill up on pizza for lunch for no more than $3.  Where can you fill up on $3 anymore without grabbing the 2 for $1 hot dogs at the gas station?  (Please do not take that as a suggestion)

A co-worker and I were out for a quick lunch earlier this week and were trying to avoid the humdrum fast food.  It is really difficult to find a good lunch without the wait.  The only exception, close to the office, would be Olive Garden…Even then there is a gamble on the wait.  So our direction was north of 4 Mile on Alpine.  I had faintly recalled a pizza by the slice establishment by Jimmy John’s, but could vaguely recall the name of the establishment.  However, as soon as I saw the name Mafia Mike’s, I was able to connect it with the radio spots I had heard.

The location is in a small retail strip right on Alpine, and has a few seats inside for their lunch crowd.  The employee working the register mentioned they were offering $1 pizza slices for lunch (apparently this is a daily special).  It was a no brainer and we jumped on the offer.  Our new friend even gave us a complimentary slice.

The pizza reminded me a little of the Vitale’s on Leonard.  The crust was rich and the sauce had the perfect tang.  I give this place a ten based on value.  Worth a lunch trip if you work in the Walker/Alpine area.

-Jon Dodge

I’ve eaten at Uccello’s on multiple occasions.  This has always been my go-to sports bar when I actually want quality food (Buffalo Wild Wings seems to the go-to for a lot of people…and don’t get me wrong…I enjoy my wings, but the food is not quality when you put it up against a great establishment like Uccello’s).  In my opinion, Grand Rapids lacks a larger selection of sports bars.

Saturday night I went to the Uccello’s on Beltline specifically for the food as there wasn’t a game on I wanted to see, and the Lion’s playback game wasn’t starting until 7:30.  A few of my friends were all out driving around and we decided we needed a central spot where we could convene and grab a quick dinner and a beer.  I was specifically interested in pizza and beer (Uccello’s is specifically know for their pizza.  Faro Uccello has been in the pizza business for years and has a very interesting story.)

The wait staff was extremely friendly, and sat us on the bar side as soon as we entered.  I noticed they had nearly one sever for every table.  Either they were not planning for a slower night, or this supports Faro’s philosophy to provide the customer with more than they expect (The service is incredibly attentive and friendly).

They just happened to have a pizza and beer special to satisfy my exact craving…$14.99 got me a pitcher of beer and a 14 inch, 2 topping pizza.  No joke, I would have ordered this exactly even if the special was not available.  Besides the pizza, the table shared an order of cheese fries and their famous Pizza Puffs (fried and seasoned pizza dough that can be dipped in marinara or cheese sauce).

Saturday night I realized that Uccello’s pizza beats Big Bob’s for my favorite pizza in town.  You have to support this local chain.  -JD

Located near the intersection of Diamond and Wealthy, this pizzeria (http://www.brickroadpizza.com/) boasts some of the best pizza-certainly New York style pizza- in Grand Rapids.  MLive’s own Tricia Woolfenden seems to agree that BRP is delicious  http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2008/12/brick_road_pizza_co_is_multipl.html

The Brick House Pizza entrance

The Ambiance

Walking into the restaurant my wife and I were immediately greeted by one of the owners as she escorted us to our table.  As we sat down, we couldn’t help but notice the spaciousness of the restaurant, making it uber kid-friendly (no more squeezing in high chairs into an impossibly small space).   

The Service

Impeccable.  Our waitress was on top of all of our needs, attentive, and not to overly friendly.  Can you imagine my shock when she didn’t try to up sell us with a dessert?  Fantastic.  I can’t tell you how sick I am of restaurant management thinking it’s ok to try and up sell the customer, all under the guise and self-deceit of  “giving customers more options”.

Yummy

The Food

BRP uses local ingredients whenever possible right down to using Founders Pale Ale in their crust. 

We started off with the breadsticks which were twisted by hand and baked fresh.  The pizza ccame out delicious.  We ordered a hand-tossed (NY style) pizza with sausage, pepperoni, and ham.  I really regret that we didn’t try the only (that I know of) Chicago style deep dish in town, but we were in a hurry and it takes, as it should, 35-40 minutes to bake.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that their vegan and vegetarian menu seems excellent with an abundance of choices.  Clearly, they are trying to cater to food lovers of all persuasions.

Breadsticks

The Summary

I think that if you like pizza you would certainly have to try Brick Road Pizza.  Taste, service, and commitment to local make it a “to do” for any serious Grand Rapids diner.

This local chain can be seen throughout Grand Rapids at a few different locations.  However, each Viatle’s location has their own special taste.  From what I understand, each location is run by a different member of the family, and the only difference comes in the form of the pizza sauce they make.  Vitale’s in Ada is known for their sweeter sauce.  Honestly, the Vitale’s on Leonard has the best sauce of the local chain…but this is strictly my opinion as my family and friends all rave that this place has the best pizza sauce.

Vitale’s Ada lives in the small row of retail in downtown Ada.  From the front there isn’t much to see.  When you enter you will notice their pickup and delivery station where a lot of the action takes place.  Moving past the delivery station you will notice a very bland dining area, and the stainless steel buffet station.  I have not had their lunch buffet, but I understand it is a great Friday night treat.  My treat is when you file through the first two sections into the recent addition…the sports bar.  Vitale’s did a fantastic job of creating a fun atmosphere with a focus on sports, great food, and good beer.  I can always count on getting my Oberon here.

On my last visit, I gave the calzone a try.  Being that I’m not the biggest fan of the sweeter sauce, I opted for a side of the pizza sauce.  I ordered my calzone with mozzarella, pepperoni, homemade sausage and green olives.  The concoction resulted in a very delicious meal.  I did use the tomato sauce, but in moderation.  Too much sweet in the sauce just doesn’t work for me.  The only complaint would be my meat/cheese ratio to bread…there were several bites that consisted of bread only.

Vitale’s is a staple in Ada, and I will continue to visit their sports bar and sample from their huge selection of sandwiches, pastas, and pizzas.  You can even order online!  Check it out.  –JD

Faros Pizza is a nice little Italian Pizzeria located at 3963 28^th st near East Paris.  I was questioning whether or not I should be writing about a place that I’ve never been inside of (they deliver to my house), but then my wife was like “Why Not?  It’s pizza.”  Touché.

The Ambiance?

The only Faros I’ve been in before was their old Northland Drive (E Beltline near Plainfield) location and that has since turned into a Mamma Mineos Pizza (that will have to be a future blog destination).  The inside wasn’t anything special, which I don’t feel would be necessary anyway since when you go to a pizzeria you’re going for one thing and one thing only:  the pie.

The Pie

Normally I get the hand tossed, but last night I was feeling a little crazy and got the pan (with pepperoni and sausage).  Faros touts its sauce with good reason:  it’s delicious.  The pie itself is not overly sauced (pan or hand-tossed version) which is a huge plus with me.  The crust was the right thickness for a pan pizza, but my complaint would be its very bland.  I feel this doesn’t mean as much when you order a hand-tossed pizza because other things are highlighted like the toppings and cheese, but in a pan pizza I feel the crust should get more consideration.  The cheese is very good as is the sausage, but the pepperoni is sliced a little thin for my taste.  I like a thicker cut of pepperoni.

Sides

My wife likes Faros solely for the breadsticks.  They’re covered in butter, a hint of garlic, and draped in Parmesan cheese.  When you dip them in Faros signature sauce, the combination is truly excellent.  They are truly some of the best breadsticks in Grand Rapids.

The Summary

Overall Faros has very good pizza, and if you’re a breadsticks person this should be the place you keep coming back to over and over.  –TM

Big Bob’s originated on Straight Street in 1983, and then moved to Plainfield, from there to Hall Street, and finally to the Gas Light Village on Croswell Ave.  I had never heard of the place until a good friend of mine in the Gas Light Village insisted I gave it a try for dinner a few months back.   I was so impressed with the food that my wife and I brought out of town guests there as part of their “Grand Rapids” experience for the holiday weekend.

Big Bob’s has a pretty interesting menu ranging from pizza, pasta, some Mexican selections, to gelato.  I’ve personally have not had any meals beyond the “build your own” pizzas.

I pride myself in loving big, meaty deep dish pizzas, but when I come here I build something I typically would never order anywhere else.  Last night I stayed true to my favorite self created pizza.  I start with a hand tossed crust with olive oil as the base, and the typical mozzarella as the cheese.  I will then add spinach, artichokes, jalapenos, and green and black olives.  The end result is a fantastic concoction that has resulted in several repeat trips.   Below isn’t even the largest size.  I believe this is the 14 inch.

My good friend Brian thought it would be a good idea to try the calzone.  At a base price of $7.95, this massive entry could easily fill up 2 adults.  However, with Brian’s selection of marinara meatballs and pineapple, he was stuck with the whole meal.  Looks good from the picture though, right?

Lastly, I would suggest that you place your order to go, and pick it up yourself.  Delivery tends to take around an hour, and service in the restaurant has always been slow.  Not a bad thing if you have nowhere to go and looking for a relaxing dinner.  – JD