CilD's Profile
Grand Rapids dining
Go to San Chez downtown near VanAndel arena for great tapas in a beautiful setting. Stay away from the B.O.B., at least for food. Someone recommended it for us last week when I was in GR. There are at least three Gilmore restaurants in there (a neat old renovated building). We went to Gill's Blue Crab. Although my entree (blackened fish) was pretty good, the others in our group were rather disappointed in their food, and I felt like I was in a sport's bar or an Applebee's type place. That's the only Gilmore restaurant I've eaten in, and it makes me skeptical of their other places.
Traverse City, MI - good eats?
Last fall we had a nice lunch at the Cullinary Institute - can't remember the exact name of it, but anyone up there would know. Very nice service and within your price range. You may need a reservation??? Maybe someone else will post more on this. We also scheduled a tour of the training area after lunch, which was nice and informative. Their lovely dining room overlooks the lake. I'll be up there in August and hope more recommendations will appear here.
Saugatuck, MI recs?
Second the recommendation for Everyday People's. In my opinion this is the only really good restaurant in the area. There is a place on the Blue Star between Saugatuck and Douglas on the lake side called Blue Moon or something like that. I've had pretty good food there, but it's been a year ago. It's very non-descript on the outside - an old yellow brick motel, but fixed up very nice and artsy inside.
Why does my basil die so quickly?
Somehow I screwed up my above post. What it should say is: I store basil in my refrigerator drawer, but not for more than a few days. I'm going to try the "balloon" idea posted by Claudette! Parsley keeps great (up to two weeks) if washed (I usually cut off the long stems), NOT dried, just drained a little, and stuffed into a glass jar. The remaining moisture helps keep it fresh. Put on the lid and refrigerate. I do the same with cilantro, but it won't keep quite so long.
Why does my basil die so quickly?
Oops, I forgot to tell you to put the lid on the jar in case you were wondering.
Eating near Washington University
Yes, go to the Loop. And I second Riddle's Penultimate. Be sure to walk around and see what else is there. I had great Ethiopian a few years back, can't remember the name of the place. And if you have time go to the Central West End. I used to like Balaban's a lot, but it may have changed. For the better? Or not? Anyway, check out the area along Euclid north of Maryland over to McPherson and around that intersection. Maybe someone else will recommend specific restaurants. This area and the loop both have good vibes.
Breakfast in Holland, Saugatuck, 196 Route
Ditto. I think this is the best place in Saugatuck/Douglas area. I love the tapas plate, and see it on the brunch menu as well as the lunch.
what is the most useless gadget in your kitchen
Oh, I forgot to mention the big, heavy and costly pasta maker attachment for my Cuisinart food processor. The pasta clogged up in the machine and it was a huge mess. A really bad purchase. I don't know if they still sell this item, but be forewarned - don't buy!!!
what is the most useless gadget in your kitchen
The most useless thing I wasted around $30 on a few years ago was a waffle maker size red electric quesadilla maker I bought at Target. It took too much space and the quesadillas it made weren't very good - a frying pan does a much better job. Maybe it was because the no-stick stuff on the surface made it so you weren't suppose to use oil or butter or at least not much - so the quesadilla came out dry. I gave the stupid thing to my son who also didn't use it and ended up unloading it at a thrift shop. Also, someone once gave me a salad shooter. I tossed that out fast, another space taking piece of plastic junk.
ReLo to Grand Rapids, MI
Well, I'm not the best responder to this. I live near Kalamazoo, and go to Grand Rapids now and then, but really don't know the restaurant scene. My favorite place in GR is SanChez (tapas) downtown. It has a big menu, the food is really good and it has a nice ambiance, but may be a little bit upscale for what you're trying to find. Gaia (209 Diamond near Fulton) is a vegetarian place that has wonderful food and great freshly squeezed juices. The menu is eclectic and includes some good Mexican choices. This place is not at all up-scale, a place you can comfortably read a paper or book while you sip coffee or wait for your food. I like the atmosphere, but some would complain it's stuck in the 60's - that suits me fine because I guess I have one foot stuck back there. Teshlou's Little Africa is nearby on Fulton. The food is wonderful, Ethiopian but a little different from what I've had in other Ethiopian places. Terrible decor. Definitely not up-scale, a one man operation - Lou cooks and serves. Also, there's a Thai place I haven't eaten in on 28th St: Thai House. I hope someone will let us know about that place. I hear it's very down-scale - tiny place with no decor in a strip mall. I did hear it's suppose to be good, but have no idea if it would meet your expectations for Thai. I don't know of a decent Chinese place in southwest Michigan. I haven't been to the one you mention. Last summer I had lunch at Charlie's Crab (a more up-scale place downtown) with a bunch of friends and we were all very pleased with our food. Good luck! Let us know what you find.
Which things are okay to cheap out on?
Buy spices and herbs in the bulk section of your local co-op and some natural food stores. Apparently in grocery stores you're paying mostly for the container. In addition, they won't be "irradiated" as are most standard brands.
HELP! Just moved to Kalamazoo. Need Chowish Food.
Martini's is my absolute favorite right now. They just added a very cool sit-down area - until recently it was a take-out place. The menu is somewhat limited, but food is consistently wonderful. I don't eat meat, but sometimes wish I still did so I could enjoy the pork and chicken sandwiches which everyone says are great. I love the veggie saute and veggie sandwich, house salad and pizza - ($2 for a slice). Pastas are also nice, and they have some really nice wines by the glass, and a variety of unusual beer. Great casual atmosphere. I also really like Cosmo's and the pub on the first floor (O'Duffey's) with it's beautiful bar. Menu is eclectic with vegetarian options. Brunch here is the best in town. In the same area is Crow's Nest - great breakfasts and very vegetarian friendly. No alcohol. I really like this place, but I have to add that it isn't consistent - some meals have been fantastic and others not up to par. Although they're serving dinner now I think of it as more of a lunch place. I just recently went to R. Stanley's for the first time and totally enjoyed my meal. They specialize in southern cuisine - I had fried catfish, cheese grits and fried green tomatoes and loved my meal. Others in my group ordered crayfish, and that day they had soft shell crab sandwiches as a special. Large menu. I want to go back and try more! Another new place is Sushiya, 242 E Kalamazoo Ave downtown (door and parking in back). We were pleased with our sushi, and on weekdays only they serve box lunches which looked good on the menu. Atmosphere in here made me feel like I was somewhere other that Kalamazoo, which isn't a bad way to feel in February. I've eaten at Fandango several times and have concluded that it isn't all that great. There's a really good Tapa's place in downtown Grand Rapids that totally outshines Fandango, and I love Cafe Iberico in Chicago, so I guess I'm spoiled. I've only eaten in Epic Bistro once. It was good and pricy. Black Swan is another like that. I think they're owned by the same person, maybe The Union is as well. I know he owns four or five around town. For Indian food I like Saffron on West Main in the same area as Tiffany's. Chinese in Kzo is all bad right now. For Mexican there are MiRanchito's scattered around town, once owned by various members of the same Mexican family, and still are as far as I know, so they're all a little bit different. I like the one in Otsego best. In fact, I like it very much. And definitely go to Bell's - great music sometimes, too. In the summer sit out back! Unlike the other poster, I also enjoy Kraftbrau.
Hope you find something you like, and stay out of the chains!!!
Good chow in Holland, MI
I like 'Til Midnight, but it's been awhile since I've been there. I live in southwest Michigan, but not Holland.
