"Where do you want to eat?"
Never again does this have to be a shoulder-shrugging, fifteen-minute debate with your family, significant other or roommate. Grand Rapids' first
Restaurant Week is happening Nov. 4 –13. Whether you view it as an excuse to get out and try that one restaurant you've been meaning to get to or 10 days to feast, it's certainly a reason to get out of your dining room and into someone else's.
Over fifty restaurants will feature a three-course menu for a fixed price of $20.10 in addition to their regular menu. Each restaurant will be featuring something that doesn't exist on their current menu, and some even have more than one option for each course.
From Z's Restaurant & Bar and Peppino's Downtown Grille and Pizzeria to six.one.six and Cygnus27, you can give your taste buds a tour of the city, whatever your flavor.
While some might wonder about paying $20.10 for a meal at a place they normally consider their go-to burger joint, others might be excited about going to a fancy restaurant for just $20.10. You'll be having a treat anywhere you go -- it's really just about what you're in the mood for.
"Not everyone's comfortable going to the 1913 Room -- even for a good deal," says
Doug Small, event organizer and president of
Experience Grand Rapids. "But that's the beauty of the variety of venues that can really make people feel comfortable. Some people want to wear a sweater and jeans and other people that feel this is their time to pull out their one necktie and go."
Plus, as Bar Divani Chef Brad Bosscher points out, "If a place with a usually lower price point is going to be offering something for more than normal, they're going out of their way to impress."
Downtown wine spot Bar Divani is offering three themes for their three-course tasting menus including "A Taste of the Orient," Mediterranean, and American-style dishes.
"I'm really excited about my menu," says Bosscher. "I hope people are open to broadening their horizons a little, and get a little more dangerous with their dining. This is definitely a cool thing, and it'll stir up some activity in the city."
Osta's Lebanese Cuisine in Gaslight Village, one of Restaurant Week's ethnic cuisine offerings, is featuring three courses of favorites and throws in an extra bonus with a delicious new dessert.
"Grand Rapids is becoming more adventurous with their dining," says Chef John Aouad, who's been with Osta's for 20 years. "I hope people step out of the box and try something new. When you find a new favorite, your world changes."
Serving up new ideasSmall says he's working to enhance the city's overall destination appeal.
"
ArtPrize highlights our art scene, the
Pure Michigan campaign highlights the area's natural beauty, and now, Restaurant Week celebrates our dining scene," he says.
This week gives the creatives in the kitchens around town an excuse to try something new.
"We want to celebrate the chefs. They are artists and artists like to display their work," says Small. "We've asked chefs to dream a little, to create a fun menu and show off their artistic ability."
It's a greater Grand Rapids event occurring countywide and not just downtown, but in the neighborhoods too. Any restaurant could participate, after first paying a small fee. Small modeled the event after Denver's Restaurant Week, which quickly grew from 75 restaurants to almost 250.
"We were excited to get 50 restaurants our first year," says Small.
It's a welcome addition to the city's calendar. Right before the holidays and the
Wine and Food Festival, Restaurant Week makes November in Grand Rapids a celebration of food.
Keeping it localRestaurant Week also brings attention to the fact that Grand Rapids has a few bragging points when it comes to dining. We have Michigan's only AAA Five Diamond restaurant and one of the top culinary schools in the nation,
Secchia Institute for Culinary Education -- local restaurant San Chez is operated by Secchia Institute graduates. Plus, a slew of restaurants like 25 Kitchen & Bar, Corez Wine Bar and The Green Well put an emphasis on using locally sourced foods on their menu. Vegans will want to check out Stella's Lounge while carnivores might want to try Louis Benton steakhouse.
Basically, Grand Rapids is a great place to be hungry. Or thirsty. Cocktail lovers will find prohibition-era cocktails at The Viceroy, specialty martinis at Bistro Bella Vita or vast beer options at Hopcat. Each spot also offers its own unique atmosphere -- scenic dining, live entertainment, theme-restaurants and architectural aesthetics can be deciding factors.
"I think Restaurant Week is a wonderful idea," says Aouad. "It is giving great exposure to Grand Rapids' finest restaurants with very diverse menus and atmospheres. Its exciting to see how such a wonderful community like Grand Rapids can come together for the common good of all."
$1 of each meal served at Restaurant Week goes towards a scholarship for Secchia Institute for Culinary Education students at GRCC. Check out all the great menus and make your reservations (although not required) at
RestaurantWeekGR.com
Nicole Corley is a Grand Rapids-based writer who hates to cook, but loves to eat and therefore welcomes Restaurant Week. She is a copywriter at local advertising firm
Grey Matter Group and covers music for
On the Town.
Photos:
Doug Small -Photo Courtesy of Brian Kelly
Students of the
Secchia Institute for Culinary Education preparing and serving custom food creations (3)
Mayor George
Heartwell wears his honorary chefs coat at Restaurant Weeks kick off
Photographs by
Josh Tyron -All Rights Reserved