GRDine

So after a grueling month and a half of boycotting the Dog Pit for not being served before close one evening, I decided I have too big of a weakness for chili dogs that the boycott could never last.  The Dog Pit on Monroe Center is now in good standings with GRDine.

Last week I was downtown for a meeting and when the meeting got out I just needed something quick and easy for dinner.  I considered the new Pita House next to the Dog Pit, but how could I resist eating unhealthy?  When I entered the Dog Pit, I was greeted by none other than who I had once referred to as Man-boy.  Let’s call him Keith (I don’t know his real name, but he deserves something other than Man-boy).  Keith wasn’t very busy and served me very well.  I went with a Junkyard Dog, and Frito Nachos…Fantastic!  It must have been my pent up guilt over the last little while I left Keith with a nice tip as an offering of my apology…Not like he’s seen this blog, but it made me feel a little better.

I’ve moved on.  I’ve forgotten the poor experience.  The previous experience has been masked by chili cheese Frito nachos.   We can all move on with the weight lifted off of our shoulders.  Go to Dog Pit!

-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

Amongst the urban sprawl on Lake Michigan Dr, in Standale, resides Mr. Gyro East Town Deli.  They are located at 3900 Lake Michigan Dr NW, and not even close to anywhere I would normally visit in the city of Grand Rapids as I live on the entirely opposite side of town.  Similar to 28^th Street or Alpine, they are packed between hundreds of small retail shops and fast food chains, and would be easy to miss unless you were looking specifically for the location.  I was with a few friends on the way to a softball game, and the usual chain options just didn’t strike any interest for a quick bite, and we stumbled across Mr. Gyro.

The Atmosphere

Mr Gyro is not very appeal from the outside or inside.  The outside is older and run down, and has a dozen different messages on the window ranging from their daily 99 cent hotdog deal to their lunchtime specials.  Upon entering, every seat in the house was empty.  The booths looked and felt ancient. The springs in the seats seemed to be sporadically placed as few have broken over the years (I had to position myself on one side of the bench to avoid the feeling of falling through the seat).  The walls were covered with “ethnic” posters, and the front counter was covered with self taken pictures of the food.  The menus were not only dirty and sticky, but also included the same not-so-fabulous images.  At this point I noticed a dozen or so awards they hproudly displayed on the wall where we were seated (At this point I wasn’t ready to entirely write them off).

Food

From the several signs on the outside windows, Mr. Gyro boasts Greek, Mediterranean and American food.  A very interesting combination as you could get a chili cheese dog with the lamb gyro.  On the American side of the cuisine offerings, they had a few burger and hotdog selections…all with the choice of cheese sauce.  Not being the biggest fan of Greek, I ordered a chicken ranch pita wrap with the “jumbo” upgrade, which I find out includes cheese fries and a larger drink.  My friend Neil opted for the same meal I ordered, and Brian went for the lamb gyro.

In Conclusion

The owners were friendly and the food turned out to be fantastic.  Perhaps my expectations were set so low based on initial appearance, that any degree of success came across as a huge win?  Next time I am driving past and need a quick dinner, I will consider this as an option.  The one piece of advice I would share with the owners: hire a professional food artist and photographer for the food images…that, and clean up those menus…So dirty.  -JD