31.8.11

six.one.six

How much more hometown can you get than naming a restaurant after the local area code.  It's also very hip hop. As you can see by the website, there is nothing hip hop about the six.one.six.  (Incidentally, Grand Rapidians seem to be fond of the area code 6-1-6.)

I had a chance to experience brunch at the six.one.six.  Juli was invited along, but apparently she had "just eaten."  The six.one.six (as the locals call it, truly it should be called six.one.six sans "the") is the restaurant in the JW Marriott, a fairly recent addition to to the Grand Rapids skyline.  It was my first brunch experience there, but was privileged to accompany a well seasoned crowd.

Within moments of arrival I was confronted with a choice.  Coffee or Madcap coffee?  Why Kelly chose the house brew is beyond me.   I can only imagine it was because she was presented with an entire carafe.  There is no volume of coffee that can compete with the smooth finish of Madcap.  It is coffee with intense flavor and no bite.  It's meant to be savored and enjoyed.  To call this a morning wake up brew would be insulting to the quality.

Atmosphere: 3/5: We were there when it was a little slow, so it's hard to gauge.  But even if it would have been full, it would have been a huge room, with cold seating.  The major bonus was that we were accompanied by a one year-old and she fit right in.  
One year-old pictured here.  This makes her appear as if she has an unoptimistic disposition, but this could not be further from the truth. Also, this picture was not taken in aforementioned restaurant, it was stolen from facebook.
Service: 4/5: This is specifically speaking to the brunch which is predominantly self serve.  By in large, the servers were available when you needed coffee, a plate cleared, or a gluten free cup of yogurt.

Presentation:5/5:
This is likely the best looking buffet I've ever seen, and I've been to the Old Country Buffet. Nothing scared me.  The fruit looked like each slice was individually placed on the tray (even the raspberries), rather than tossed into a heap. All of the eggs were cooked to order so there was no chafing dish that harbored a single 6 dozen scrambled egg.   

Technique: 5/5: I'm speaking to three items specifically here.  1) The omelette.  Chef made a perfect omelette.  The egg was not crispy and dry.  Neither was it dense and overbearing (It's quite a tragedy that Juli wasn't able to attend as she is particular about overbearing omelettes.  I'm certain this would have pleasantly surprised her.).  
2) The bacon.  Who can put bacon in a warmer and have it it come out crispy? 
3)The yogurt.  To call this yogurt, yogurt seems misleading. When I was presented with the cup of yogurt I momentarily wondered if I had just been served a scoop of Breyer's All Natural Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.   I took a bite and knew that I had eaten a hybrid of Breyer's All Natural Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and my mother's homemade whipped cream. 

Taste: 5/5: I'm not sure if it's Grand Rapids or me.  But I love going out to breakfast.  Maybe it's because it's my culinary Achille's heel.  Maybe it's because Grand Rapids has a lot to offer in the breakfast department.  But the six.one.six brunch skyrocketed to the top of my favorite breakfast list.  Everything was impeccable.  If you know me, you know I exaggerate.  And if you've been, you know I'm not exaggerating right now.  Have I mentioned the waffles yet? They were crisp enough that you could take a real bite out of the waffle, yet they melted in your mouth. Whether you chose the syrup or fruit topping was irrelevant.  The waffle spoke for itself.   

Value: 4/5: There is only one reason I'm knocking this down from a 5 to a 4.  And that is because some people expect breakfast to come cheap.  It must be the early bird phenomenon.  I'm prepared to admit that someone out there may not be willing to pay $15 for breakfast.  I will, however, clarify that this is brunch.  It covers both breakfast and lunch.  Think of it as $7.50 for breakfast and $7.50 for lunch.  That doesn't sound horrible.  And if you eat like I did you can probably allocate some of that cash towards your dinner budget as well. 
I'm willing to recognize that this isn't the most appetizing photo on the planet.  But it is the only photo on the planet that I posses of this afternoon.  Others exist.  They are just not in my possession. 
Overall Experience: 5/5: Personally, I thought the money was well worth it. Tina brought to our attention that we didn't have to choose between a sweet and salty breakfast.  How often do you stare down a breakfast menu?  What will it be?  Strawberry Stuffed Pancakes?  Eggs Florentine?  Do I want diabetes for breakfast or a cardiac arrest?  How about both? 

I'm certainly going back for this brunch.  The menu changes as the seasons change so I know I won't tire of it.

25.8.11

Geography

It has come to our attention that certain of our readers are not entirely aware of where Grand Rapids is.  That's okay.  We're happy to help. 

Grand Rapids may not be on the way to anywhere, but it is a great place to be.  While some residents bemoan the harsh winters, we say that if it's warm enough to snow it's not too cold.  Some complain of too few restaurants and museums.  We say that we have affordable housing and it's easy to find parking.  Some say the shopping is dull.  But we remind them that Grand Rapids has the internet too.  

It really is a great town.  It's walkable.  It's bikeable.  Everything is within fifteen minutes by car.  New restaurants pop up every summer. 

Speaking of the summer, a forty minute drive will get you to the beach. 
And they don't let scary German Shepherds roam the beach which is a bonus.  We've seen those pictures on E! of celebrities playing Frisbee with their dogs in Malibu.  Who wants that?

The neighborhoods are heavily wooded which turns the landscape into a color wheel every fall.  


We believe Grand Rapids has a lot to offer.  But there is one thing we will never claim.  Grand Rapids is not on the way to anywhere.  It is certainly not a rest stop between Chicago and Ann Arbor.  We deeply regret that one of our readers is stopping in Grand Rapids on his/her commute from Chicago to Ann Arbor.  It sounds like this is a rather important job.  Being such we would imagine that sleep is coveted.  It seems that our reader's commute is taking an additional hour on an already lengthy trip.  
Image courtesy of MapQuest.  Orange Circle around Grand Rapids courtesy of Windows Paint.

We recommend you spend your nights in Kalamazoo and discover what the locals there already know.  



17.8.11

And the Winner is.....

Juli.

Technically the winner wasn't Juli, it was Jeff Mauro,  but Juli really wanted Jeff to win.  They both should have known that Susie Jimenez didn't stand a chance against Judge and Food Network Senior Vice President of Marketing, Susie Fogelson's, school girl crush on the Sandwich King. 

For the finale Juli and Megan wanted to demonstrate their individual POVs*.

Juli: (in progress)
"My dad made guacamole this way."
Recipe: California Guacamole

(Disclaimer: This is not a picture of Juli's guacamole.  Neither is it a picture of anything mentioned within this post. Rather it is a picture of Juli's Mango Salsa and Avocado Margarita made the day prior.  Technical delinquency has delayed the publishing of more apropos selections.)

California Guacamole:

1 diced tomato
1 diced avocado
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
Juice from half a lime
Salt to taste

Combine and enjoy. 

Actual Photograph of the Guacamole
Megan: Be Inspired By That Which Is Inspiring
"I really wanted to use tarragon."  
Recipe: Grilled Fillet and Asparagus with Tarragon Aioli

Fillet: Lightly coat steak in olive oil.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Sear steak on directly over coals, four minutes on each side. Move off of direct heat and cook for another ten minutes, flipping only once.  Remove from grill.  Let stand ten minutes before slicing.

*This plating is NOT Gordon Ramsey approved*
Asparagus:  Lightly coat in olive oil.  Place directly over coals for approximately six minutes turning once.

Tarragon Aioli:  In a blender combine: egg yolk, tarragon, salt, lemon juice, and garlic.  Once yolk begins to thicken, slowly drizzle in olive oil. 


White Wine Spritzers: 
1 part intolerable white wine
1 part sparkling water with natural lime flavoring 
2 fresh basil leaves
Splash of Lacy's orange juice that she really didn't like anyway
Freshly squeezed wedge of lime
Serve over ice


Atmosphere: 5/5: Juli's couch is very soft. Her TV is very large. 

Technique: 4/5: An incident with a pepper mill in Megan's kitchen knocked this score down. 


Cooking Tip: Don't get the twisty thing that grinds the pepper confused with the twisty thing that opens the mill.  If you do, you may end up with whole peppercorns covering your steak, asparagus, counter top, stove top, and kitchen floor, along with locations to be unveiled over the coming days. 

Taste: 5/5: Julie's guacamole was diced to perfection. The red wine vinegar added a depth of flavor typically foreign to the subtle fruit.  The steak was grilled to perfection.  Seared on the outside.  The pink center held its richness.  But for the spear that hid in its charring a whole peppercorn (see technique for details.), the asparagus was tender but not soggy, crisp but not crunchy.  The heavy texture of the aioli was pleasantly  balanced by the acidity of the lemon juice and freshness of the tarragon.  We both went back for seconds.


Value: 5/5: The great thing about cooking at home is that the purchase of the groceries is far enough removed from the completion of the meal that the price of the food isn't considered or even calculated.  In fact, it feels free. 


Overall Experience: 4.5/5: Juli's experience was slightly better than Megan's as Megan was rooting for Susie Jimenez to be The Next Food Network Star.  In the end, however, Juli and Megan both agreed that it was unlikely that either of them would watch either show.  They have Jamie Oliver.  There is little room in life for Jaime Oliver and another chef.


*POV: Point of View










9.8.11

Coast Guard City, USA

In an effort to make ourselves feel better about ourselves some number of years ago our society dove headfirst into a culture of political correctness.  It is labeled as such because it isn't real.  It's political.  Just for show.  To be clear Grand Haven, MI was the original Coast Guard City.  There are now twelve, but Grand Haven was number one.  The natives are proud of this designation and celebrate it every year with a parade, a carnival, and extended curfews.

Since I've lived in West Michigan, it has always been my goal to not go to Coast Guard Festival.  100,000 people packed into a town designed to hold 10,000.  Impossible parking.  Blazing heat.  Porta-Potties.  But this year I was invited by someone who calls Grand Haven her hometown.  She encouraged me to experience Coast Guard Festival as a local.  And so I took her up on her offer.

Atmosphere: 4/5: I had to downgrade atmosphere merely because of the rain.  It wasn't the fault of the festival, but it did put a slight damper on the first three hours of the day. As usual festivals and parades have a way of drawing every kind of person out of the woodwork, including people you didn't know existed and didn't know could exist.  

Service: 3/5: This was predominantly a self serve operation.  Everything was accessible if you were willing to walk for miles or kick small children off of their scooters to steal them. 

Presentation: 5/5: I'm going to focus solely on the parade here. The little girls loved the queen floats.  There was the Blueberry Queen, the Red Flannel Queen, the Gerber Baby Princess Queen, the Ferrysburg Queen, and of course the Coast Guard Queen. My favorite float was the Holiday Inn float, which appeared to be the Holiday Inn sign from the hotel lobby perched on a truck bed. My favorite group was, by far, the AARP sponsored Mickey Mouse Club. The Muskegon Heights marching band was a close second with its krumpin' teens.

Technique: 4/5: Again, I'm going to focus on the parade, which felt like the largest portion of the day.  The inclusiveness of this spectacle was inspiring.  Not only were Queens and Clubs allowed to have floats, but so was every marching band, realtor, plumber, builder, car dealer, and cross dressing clown.  The only error in execution was the two hour wait between the end of the parade and beginning of the Clown Band performance which lead me to believe that this Band was something that one ought to enjoy. 

Value: 3/5: Cost: One full day. I would like to have the time back spent listening to the Clown Band in the Eagles Pavilion. The two minutes I watched them at the tail of the parade was beyond sufficient. I also wouldn't mind giving back the bruises incurred while loading scooters into the trunk of a car.

Overall Experience: 5/5: Because I was with locals I had access to flushing toilets, something that most out-of-towners would have to forgo, which enhanced my experience. Neither did I need to worry about parking. But most importantly I laughed. I laughed at adults riding a child's scooter. I laughed at children grooving to the Clown Band. I laughed at the AARP sponsored Mickey Mouse Club. And there was spontaneous laughter triggered by things I cannot even recall. 

*Note to our readers: Juli was unable to attend Coast Guard festival and was therefore unable to participate in this rating.*





4.8.11

Bonus Post

Dear Readers*,

We're assuming that every post is a delight therefore any additional post is a bonus.

We'd like to officially apologize for our lack of photography. While we are excellent tasters, experiencers, and opiners, we are not technologically savvy. That is not to say that we don't have strong opinions on technology. We just don't know how to use all of it efficiently.

Pictures will come.

Maybe even an 8mm iPhone video. Faux nostalgia at its finest.

Regards,

Juli and Megan

*(I had no intention of plagiarizing Kate DiCamillo. It just came out that way.)

3.8.11

Questions From Our Readers: One

Our readership has rapidly grown to three (including ourselves). We never intended this to go so far. We wanted to dialogue with each other, in public, about our local eating experiences. It never occurred to us that others would want to join in on our conversation. But the readers have spoken and for that we truly feel blessed.

And now to address our first Question From Our Readers:

Juli and Megan,

My wife and I are going to be in West Michigan next weekend. I was hoping I could take her to a nice romantic restaurant in Holland or Grand Rapids. Do you have any suggestions.
Sincerely, John

John,

First we would like to thank you for your question.

Secondly, we do not claim to be experts in romance, however we will gladly share our thoughts on the matter if you feel you need guidance.

Lastly, but by no means leastly, we will answer your question. Yes. We have dozens of suggestions, but we'll narrow it down to a more manageable few.

There is a challenge in this as you did not submit a picture or bio with your question. Romance is mysterious and can be found in many places in many ways. We don't know where you find romance. Is it riding with your lady on the back of your four wheeler through muddy trails? Or is it an overly contrived candle lit dinner with a rose petal pathway into an abyss? For the sake of simplicity we are going to guess it's somewhere in between.

Holland:
CityVu: Great view. Local. Natural. LEED certified. A walk along the beach for dessert.

Grand Rapids:
Rose's On Reed's Lake: Is this the most romantic restaurant in Grand Rapids? No. Is the website remotely helpful? No. But it's on a lake. It's reasonably priced. And arguably it has the best outdoor seating in Grand Rapids.

The Reserve: Looking for a Big City feel? Great atmosphere. Interesting menu. Incomparable wine list. By far your best shot.

The Green Well: We're not going to begin to suggest that the atmosphere here is going to spark any flames. But the menu will. They have specials that rotate daily. They have staples that are hard to sway from. There's a small bar. There's a small patio. The hand dryer in the women's bathroom is unparalleled. They say it's eco friendly. And we've no choice but to believe them.

Fugi Yama: Look, John, We're not sure if you're reading these little blips first or clicking on the links first. If you're clicking the links first then we know that you believe our credibility is tainted. Hear us out. Get it to go. G.R. Roll. Spicy Yellowtail. Crazy Tuna. Pick it up and head out to the beach, or to a concert on the lawn at the Fredrick Meijer Gardens, or your room at the J.W. Marriott.

We said it before and we'll say it again, we don't know where romance is made. Maybe all you need is a scoop of ice cream or a pronto pup.

Good luck, John. And let us know how it goes.

After this post was submitted, "John" regretfully informed us that he would not be making this trip out to West Michigan because of his wife's reluctance to leave their newborn baby overnight. John, if you decide to do the romantic getaway on a later date, let us know and we will be happy to give you any updated information on hotels and restaurants. GR is a booming metropolis and you just never know what's going be next on the menu of cool places to go. So, you'd better ask us, because we do. Enough said.