H is for... Hilarious.... I mean Harvard Tavern

I know I just posted G but last night's adventure to our H restaurant needed to be blogged quickly!

Amy picked the Harvard Tavern in Cedar Springs based on the recommendation of a friend. (I may question the friendship!).  So we headed through dense fog into the middle of nowhere praying we didn't hit a deer on our way!  This place is really in a desolate spot and is lit by two old lights from the 40s.  Had there not been a fair number of cars in the lot I would not have gone in!  But we were brave and went in!  

Amy was the first thru the door and was immediately hit on by the rough redneck at the bar.  Good start!  We had been told to expect a redneck bar... Yep definitely a redneck bar!  We found a table and were quickly greeted by a waitress who asked what we wanted to drink.  They had a few beers on tap and some bottles/ cans available.  My friends who hate craft beer will like this place!  John and Greg were happy to at least be able to get blue Moon and killians.  

A few minutes later another waitress brings our drinks and says she's our waitress not the other girl.  "To be honest she was trying to steal my table and I wasn't putting up with that!"  We liked Brooke's honesty!! We asked what was good on the menu and she was able to give a number of recommendations.  We ordered chips and salsa for an appetizer (they do have an extensive list of fried anything!). 

 

So I always describe the restraunts decor etc so here is what stands out... Lots of keno and video games very old furniture,  clean but rugged bathrooms that had signs that said 

"HE PEES" and "HER PEES"... So redneck pretty well sums it up!

Greg's beer tasted a bit off so he had John taste it.  It was bad so they mentioned it to our waitress who took the glass and TASTED It THEN TOOK OUT HER GUM AND TRIED IT AGAIN!!! On the plus side she agreed it was bad! 

Greg ordered chicken enchiladas which were pretty tasty although quite salty.  It was a nice size portion and he had little to take home.

Amy had the bacon burger (they forgot to put cheese on it) and said it was good.  Not a huge burger like some places but just right.  She ordered the beer batter onion rings which were REALLY good! 

John had the 4 piece broasted chicken dinner with steak fries and coleslaw.  It was pretty tasty even though it was chicken on the bone which john rarely eats but we didn't really think they were going to be to excited if he asked for goat cheese or a dairy free item!  

I had the all meat chicken burrito with lettuce tomato and onion.... I asked for a half but the waitress basically told me not to order half sine it was only a dollar less and it warmed up well.  The whole burrito is HUGE!  By huge I mean I ate less than a1/4 of it and when I put it in the to go container was stunned by its weight!  We weighed my leftovers when we got home...2lbs 8oz!!!  Although a bit salty (I love salty and it was a bit too salty) it was really good.  The chicken was grilled chicken breast strips and the sauce was not overly spicy.  

We were not offered dessert and didn't have room any way.  We were invited to stay for the country band at 10 though... We passed on that.   Brooke our waitress was super chatty and we got st hear about her prior jobs at establishments that won't end up on this blog.  She was very excited about helping to pick our next adventure, I heard her telling everyone in the kitchen when I went into the "her pees" room!!!

Would we go back? Hmmm if someone wanted a redneck experience with decent food or if you were snowmobiling up there sure.  But, I personally would not rush back given many other choices!  It was a fun adventure and may win most memorable experience of the A-Z adventure!

G is for Green Well

Ok I admit that John and I have been to Green Well many time in fact it's one of my favorite places but we didn't pick it so....   We decided we would not order anything we had ever ordered before! 

Green well is in the Cherry street area right next to the old DA Blodgett orphanage now ICCF.  We went on a Saturday night which means it was packed! 40 minute wait but we went to the bar ordered drinks and were able to sit outside in a nice lounge area.  

We were seated inside which is comfy though crowded and a bit loud.  We are used to it so it didn't bother us.  Tao was our waitress and she was excellent!  We started with appetizers.  Greg and Amy ordered truffle fries with garlic aioli.  They were crispy and had great flavor... Addicting!  John and I ordered grilled veggie and goat cheese quesadillas  and I will say it might be one of the best items I've ever ordered at Green Well.  I don't know what kind of goat cheese they use but it was sooo good!  

For our entrees John and I split the Pho which was a Vietnamese dish with chicken sausage, broccoli, cabbage, cilantro, vermicelli, and miso broth.  We would have liked more veggies in it but it was very good.  

Amy ordered the Chicken chopped salad.  It has a bit of a spicy bite to it but the size was just right and she enjoyed it.  

Greg ordered the pulled pork with polenta and we all thought it was delicious! The pork was tender and had great flavor when combined with the polenta.  

For dessert we had the chocolate stout cake with vanilla gelato, and Greg and Amy had the root beer waffle with gelato and root beer syrup.  Both were pretty good and more than enough for two.  

I love Green Well, I always recommend it to people and once again I say you can never go wrong at the Well!  The staff is always great, the specials are unique, they use local food as much as possible and it is pretty reasonable!  

F is for Flat Landers!

I must confess I used my veto in order to get to go to Flat Landers!  John's pick, Flat River Grill was chosen, and I'm sure it is great.  However, it is part of the Gilmore Collection and I wanted to try an independent new restaurant.  

Flat Landers is located on Michigan NE between Eastern and Diamond.  It has only been opened about 6 months.  It looks like its in a strip mall but that ends the second you walk in the door.  We decided the vibe was warehouse rustic urban meets retro.  There is a lot to look at!  We were greeted quickly and shown to a table in the lower area.  It's sort of a bi-level place...  We were given the summer cocktail menu and told they are a barstillery!  They distill their own whiskey, moonshine, rum, gin, vodka, and bourbon.  Nick was our waiter and was full of great advice as we selected our cocktails.  Greg had the front porch sweet tea, Amy had the lemon shine, John had the best darn gimlet off the regular menu, and I had the blueberry mo hee to!  The drinks were beautiful and tasty!  They do offer beer on tap as well as a nice selection of bottles and wine!

We ordered two appetizers, fried pickle planks with spicy ranch and bar cheese with celery, chips, and fried pretzel bread.  The pickles were a big hit with those who like pretzels, and the bar cheese and pretzel bread were worth a trip back!   

The food is as locally sourced as possible with the meat coming from the butcher right next door!  They call their food hillbilly chic... Who isn't curious about that!?!

I ordered the mahi fish tacos as did Amy.  They had nice flavor and were not overly spicy.  They are served with their yummy kettle chips.  Greg had the Flat Lander burger which was served with beer cheese, bacon, pork BBQ, and a fried egg.  Greg decided it was likely the best burger he had ever eaten!!! John had the southern pulled pork sandwich and loved every bite!  The prices are very reasonable (all sandwiches are under $10).  

You probably would not go to Flat Landers for dessert... They have 3 varieties of hobo pies.  Yep, just like camping!  They were ok just not very memorable.  Adding toppings, cinnamon sugar or something would help.  

We loved Flat Landers and will put high on the list of places we will be returning to soon.  It's a fun restaurant / bar and they even have a tiny stage for musicians called the bird cage.  Perfect spot for a casual night out with friends!!!

E is for .... Epic Bistro

We finally made it to E!  John won the letter E with Epic Bistro in downtown Kalamazoo.  We made the one hour drive last Saturday to the downtown Kalamazoo mall area.  Located right on Kalamazoo Mall Drive the area is very similar to the Monroe Mall area in Grand Rapids.  

We arrived around 7 and found the place nearly empty which made me a bit nervous!  We were seated in the dining area which is filled with nice tables and has great decor.  Exposed brick, cool wine closet and a kitchen that is open to the dining area.  I would describe the place as upscale casual.

Our waiter greeted us and said his name so quickly none of us caught it.  Probably best since he was the only disappointment of our evening.  He had a tough time with Amy's questions about flavored vodka, and didn't really have a clue about what was available at the bar.  We had to ask if there were any specials, which Greg ended up ordering.  There were a few more issues throughout dinner.  He just came across as very new...we later learned he had been there 3 years. 

We also learned that it was taste of Kalamazoo a few blocks over which explained the light crowd.

Greg, John, and I shared a a bottle of Cab by NxNW while Amy finally ended up with a cocktail.  We placed our order and were quickly brought some warm delicious bread.  Our meals came a bit later.  

Amy had the filet of beef with a redskin potato mash, and asparagus.  She was thrilled with her meal and found the portions generous and done perfectly.  

Greg had the special which was a blackened mahi mahi with lime rice and a pineapple, corn, and cilantro salsa.  He loved it!  The mahi was fresh and had great flavor with just the right amount of heat.  I tasted it and was impressed even though I'm not a big fish eater.  

John and I split the ribeye with frites and truffle oil and grilled asparagus.  They did a nice job of splitting the meal and we both had PLENTY of food! The steak was cooked perfectly and the frites were fabulous!  All of us had asparagus and loved it... Well maybe not Greg.

We had decided before dinner to look elsewhere for dessert based on our waiters crummy performance, however after an amazing dinner we looked at the dessert menu.  Greg and I ordered the  salted carmel soft pretzel bread pudding!  Yes it was a bread pudding made with soft pretzels instead of bread then covered with a yummy salted carmel topping.  It was positively delicious!!!!

John and Amy shared an upside down apple tart.  They had no trouble devouring that either!  

We all agreed we would return and ask for a different waiter.  

Upside down apple tart

Salted carmel pretzel bread pudding

***bonus time

After our wonderful dinner we headed over to the Kalamazoo Beer Exchange.  Located in a super cool old building a few blocks from the restaurant, it ia a 2 story place with a bar on the lower level and a restaurant upstairs.  The place was packed but we found a table in the bar.  This is unlike any bar we had ever been to!  The exchange in the name comes to play as all the beers on tap (there are many) are listed on screens throughout the place.  Every fifteen minutes the prices per glass go up or down based on supply and demand.  There are occasional market crashes in which all prices drop for five minutes.  We had a GREAT waitress Lori who won us over in seconds!  We will definitely be back!

D is for Dusty's Wine Bar

After a slight delay due to my unplanned surgery we finally made it to our "D" restaurant!  In case you were wondering there were very few places in Grand Rapids that began with "d".  Two of us chose Dusty's which is located in Okemos east of Lansing!  The other entries were Donkey Taqueria and Downtown Trini's in Sparta.

So we headed out for our road trip which was abou an hour and twenty minutes from Jenison.  We were able to make reservations thankfully because they were busy.  You enter the restraint through a little wine and food store.    We were seated on the porch which is enclosed and only a little chilly.  The vibe is casual but very nice.  The inside seating area was warm and cozy.

We were given water after being seated and our waitress came a few minutes later.   Dusty's has a large drink menu including wine, beer and cocktails.  We selected a bottle of Cabernet from Josh to share.  We were served warm house made rolls with our wine.   We skipped appetizers and ordered entrees which came with a choice salad.  John had the chopped salad which had olives, salami, egg, onion , pine nuts, and a honey Dijon vinaigrette.  I had the baby green salad which had cherries, spiced walnuts, red onion, tomatoes, Brie, and a heavenly Jamaican curry vinaigrette.  Amy had the Caesar with key lime Caesar dressing.  Greg opted for soup instead and had an Asian steak soup.  The salads were a great size and delicious.  We were hungry and totally forgot to take pics... Sorry!

John and I split the special of the night which was New York strip with a bordelaise sauce, potato mash and vegetable (blend of asparagus, beans, broccoli, and spinach).  They split the plates perfectly and we had plenty of food.  The steak was cooked perfectly and was very tender!

Greg ordered the three cheese penne rigate with chicken which was delicious! A slight heat came from the Jamaican jerk gratin.  The portion was huge!

Amy tried the hanger steak with mango garlic and key lime mojo and served on a bed of avocado chimmichurri.  The steak was also served with potato and green vegetables.  She ordered it medium but it was well done when it arrived.  She ate it and said it was still tasty but would have been better medium.

Dusty's has a great dessert menu so we indulged and ordered the fudge fondue which was huge and served with a great variety including bananas, strawberries, angel food cake, cookies, pretzels, etc.

We all agreed it was w.orth the drive and there were plenty of items we could have tried.  If you are headed towards Lansing plan ahead and make a reservation.

Prices were reasonable for a nice restaurant with entees ranging from $17-34.  All the portions were huge so splitting is very easy to do!

C is for ... Crooked Goose

C is for Crooked Goose in Standale on Wilson Ave just south of Lake Michigan Dr.

Last night We headed out to Crooked Goose.  We arrived at 6:45 prime eating time so we expected a wait. The place is quite small and obviously the little sister to Twisted Rooster on the Beltline.   We were told it would be about a 30 min wait.  So we headed over to the bar to grab a beer while we waited.  They have a great selection of Michigan Microbrews on tap as well as your standards.  We are all micro fans so we were happy with Atwater, Perrin, Founders, and Bells.  The hostess found us just under 30 minutes later and seated us at a booth way in the back.  I liked this spot because it wasn't loud or crowded.  There are some tables by the bar that might have had a very different feel.  We were greeted quickly by our waiter Phillip.  We already had our drinks so he offered to check back in a few minutes.  

We were starving so we ordered two appetizers which arrived quickly.  The Crooked Loaf is like garlic bread only better!  It is made fresh when ordered and served piping HOT in a paper bag.  It has great garlic flavor but is not oozy and greasy the way some garlic bread can be.  We had no trouble devouring that!!!  We also ordered the sweet and spicy volcano straws.  A very large basket of fried onion straws is served with a volcano sauce on top.  The onions are the sweet part... The sauce is spicy.  Amy and felt it was really spicy and would ask for less sauce, but the guys loved the heat!  Again, devoured before I could get a picture!

We all took different directions for the entrees.  They do have pizzas which looked good but none of us tried one so I can't tell you much about those. 

John opted for the fried bologna sandwich which is served with sweet pickle potato salad.  The bologna is a huge thick hunk topped with an onion mustard coleslaw.  John liked it and would likely order it again, but he did think it could use a little spice.

Amy ordered the Fish and Chips.  The plate had 3 HUGE pieces of cod deep fried as well as a nice portion of steak fries.  The fish was quite heavily battered and tasted ok but was not anything special.  The fries are very good with nice seasoning.  After eating one of the pieces Amy did not think she would order it again.  

Greg ordered the Sweet and Spicy chicken sandwich (against Amy's advice)!  The chicken breast was small for the bun, dry, and lacked flavor.  The steak fries were the best part of his meal.  We will be ordering for Greg next time!!! 

I had the hit of the night, the Lumberjack burger.  It is a large burger served with onion straws, bacon, bourbon BBQ sauce, and Gouda cheese.  It was delicious though I only ate a 1/4 of it!  Everyone sampled it and decided it was hands down one of the best burgers we had tasted in a while!  

We were pretty full but the Crooked Brownie beckoned to us so we shared the large dish of a brownie that was filled and covered with toasted marshmallows, peanut butter cups, choc chips, nuts, Rice Krispies and like 5 other things... What can I say, it was pretty good!!! 

At the end of the night we agreed we would return but likely for beer, appetizers, and BURGERS!  They have quite a few burgers on the menu so we will try those next time!!!!  The prices are very reasonable with the average price 9-11 dollars for entrees.  

Our waiter chose the D restaurant from our choices so we have our plan for April.... Stay tuned!!!

For  those who are curious the other C choices were City Flats in Holland, Cascade Roadhouse, and Corner Bar.

Fried Bologna Sandwich

Fish and Chips

Lumberjack Burger

Sweet and spicy chicken sandwich

Crooked Brownie.... Plenty for 4,

B is for Bostwick Lake Inn

We had some nice choices for the letter "B": Bar Divani, Bistro Chloe Élan, Bistro Bella Vita, and the winner of the draw, Bostwick Lake Inn.  

Located on Belding Rd in Rockford, the Inn is right on Bostwick Lake, which I'm sure will be lovely in a few months!  On a bitter cold night though the place was warm and cozy!  We had reservations so we were seated right away in a nice booth.  We were gad we were not at one of the middle tables which seemed tight as the place was full.  

We were greeted quickly by our waitress, Maureen who was friendly but very busy.  She told us all of the beers on draught which were impressive if you enjoy Michigan craft beers like John and I.  Greg was pleased with the selection of Red wines and ordered the Oberon Cab.  We like that even though Amy ordered a bottle of beer it was poured into a frosty glass at the table!

They had a nice variety of appetizers so we ordered the crispy Brussel sprouts and the queso and chips.  The Brussel sprouts were crispy on the outside and had great flavor with a blood orange oil / balsamic.  In a weak moment, Greg tried them and LIKED them!  I would have preferred they quarter the sprouts to get more flavor all the way through but we would order them again.  The queso was served with the local favorite Charley's chips and was delicious but we ran out of queso before the chips.  

There is a nice variety on the menu with fish, burgers, sandwiches, steaks, pizzas, and some nice specials.  Amy ordered the perch which came with fries and a side.  The perch was exceptionally good, tasted fresh and not at all fishy!!!  Greg ordered the BBQ pulled pork pizza which had nice zing but not overly spicy; he loved the seasoned crust!  John had the flat iron steak which was grilled perfectly and served with Brussel sprouts and fries.  He said the fries were nice and crispy and he was pleased to get more Brussel sprouts.  The steak was delicious!  I opted for one of the specials which was a beef and roasted mushroom risotto.  The beef was tender and there was a generous amount of mushrooms.  The portion was very large so I took half of it home.  

The desserts looked too good to pass up so we split the monster cookie sundae and the salted carmel brownie goblet.  Both were fabulous! The brownie was served with ice cream and whip cream and was  served in a large goblet.  The cookie was skillet baked the topped with ice cream and whip cream.  

The restaurant is warm, casual, and family friendly.  It is an old place that is now owned by the local Gilmore Collection and seems to be similar to what one would expect of a Gilmore place.  We would all go back and recommend it for a casual night out.  Call ahead for a reservation since it fills quickly on the weekends,

A few people have asked for prices to be listed in our reviews.  Most places have the menu on their websites but I will give a basic rating of affordable or expensive :-).  My feeling is that you can eat mat places affordably if you order carefully.  You can also rack up a big bill quickly if you a order appetizers, desserts, and drinks.  Bistro has many items under $10 so I would consider it affordable.  

We have already selected a C restaurant so stay tuned!  You can follow this blog by adding your email to the above link!

https://www.thegilmorecollection.com/bostwick.php

You can see that we dove into dessert before taking pics!!!

A is for Amore!!!

I must admit there are not many restaurants in west Michigan that begin with "a", so Amore Trattoria Italiana was the choice all four of us.  Of course we were in the middle off winter storm warning but that did not deter us from heading north to Alpine and 6 Mile.

Amore is a place one could drive by without noticing, however the packed parking lot seemed like a very good sign.  As Amy and I entered ( of course we let the guys go find a parking spot, it was freezing!!!), we were warmly greeted by the manager and hostess.  We were early for our reservation so the manager invited us to the bar to have a drink while we waited.  There were two bartenders and both suggested we look at their martini menu.  They had a tremendous variety and we each chose a different one.  They were presented beautifully and were some of the best we have tried.  I ordered the Toto which is an espresso martini, the bartender asked how sweet I would like it and informed me that he makes his own whip cream vodka, score!   Be sure to check out the pictures!  By the time we tasted our martinis and settled our tab our table was ready.
   We were seated in the back dining room in a comfortable booth.  The restaurant is comfortable and inviting but not fancy or stiff.  The hostess took our coats which was a nice touch.  Our waitress was Jennifer, who has been with Amore from the beginning.  I could go on and on about her but let's just say she made us feel so much like family that we were showing each other pics of our dogs before we left!

Jennifer listed off a LONG list of specials and gave a few recommendations off the regular menu.  A few things you should know about the four of us, Greg detests veggies, John is allergic to dairy, and Amy and I are usually more interested in what is on the dessert menu!

We skipped appetizers, soup, and salad after reading the dessert menu :-), and ordered our entrees.  Based on Jennifer's recommendation, John ordered the rabbit modifying it with a wine and mushroom reduction instead of the cream sauce.  I ordered the ravioli of the night which was vegetable and chose the bolognese sauce from the 5-6 options I was given.  Amy ordered the lasagna, and Greg ordered a chicken dish.

The bread on the table was fabulous and obviously made in house like everything else! We usually order a bottle of wine to share at dinner so we inquired about any recommendations.   The wine list is all Italian wines with information about the regions including a little map!  We opted for a wine that was not on the list but part of a special shipment they had ordered.  The manager arrived at our table with the bottle, an aerator, and a carafe.  He chatted with us while he prepared the wine.  We ended up telling him how we were already blown away with the service in the restaurant and explained our blog.  He told us that their staff is trained to treat everyone like family and not a number to get through.  Well done, Amore!

I have no idea how long it took our food to arrive because we were just enjoying our time.  It seemed to be perfect timing.  The rabbit and chicken dishes were nicely presented with a zucchini side and some delicious potatoes.  The ravioli and lasagna were in large pasta bowls.  The lasagna is 13 layers and HUGE!  We may be weird but we all usually try each other's food so when I share our thoughts they reflect the group!  The lasagna was the best we had ever tried, it had amazing flavor but was not heavy.  The ravioli was amazing with very tender pasta, the right amount of filling, and a delicious sauce.  John was the adventurous one who tried the rabbit, the wine and mushroom reduction made the dish (the kitchen staff even brought out a little dish of extra sauce for him).  The veggies and potatoes were delicious and complemented the meat well.  Greg's chicken dish was very tasty and a great dish if you are avoiding carbs but if you are at Amore, live it up and try the pastas or something unusual like rabbit!

Time for dessert! There is a great selection of Italian desserts, so we chose a variety, Chocolate truffles rolled in toffee, salted carmel gelato, and a chocolate carmel tiramisu!  All were simply an amazing way to end a fabulous meal!  Guests are also given a complimentary chocolate liqueur made by chef Jenna.

At one point in the evening Chef Jenna came out to chat with us.  She was so warm and friendly, we had a great time sharing wine making stories!

At the end of the evening I tried to figure out how to make Amore start with a B, C, D, etc!  We left wondering if there were any places that could top our experience at www.amoretrattoriaitaliana.com/www.amoretrattoriaitaliana.com/. No worries we WILL be back!

How it all began...

I love dining out!  My husband, John and I are fortunate to have good friends who love the dining out adventure as well.  Greg and Amy have a friend who suggested the idea of eating at places based on the alphabet.  So we decided to begin a new adventure for the next two years.

HOW IT WORKS:
Each month each person will submit the name of a restaurant that begins with a specific letter.  The goal is to try places we have not visited before.  One restaurant will be drawn from the four.  Each person will have one veto vote to use if they are completely opposed to the selection.  We will choose the next place at the previous months restaurant.

BLOG REVIEWS:
Each month I will blog each of our reviews including service, food, and atmosphere.  I will try to include photos as well.  We are blogging mostly so we will remember where we have been but we thought a few others might enjoy reading our adventures.

THE ADVENTURE BEGINS TONIGHT...Amore!