What we've been eating in Grand Rapids: A year of the local food scene

Eat your heart out! 8 new Grand Rapids restaurants to check out in 2018

Whether it’s a second location, a new iteration, or a new concept entirely, Grand Rapids foodies have a lot to look forward to in 2018. From the recently opened Westside Social Tavern to the promise of Gaia’s triumphant return, here’s a small taste of some big flavors coming to Grand Rapids this year.

10 food trucks to watch this summer

Spring has rolled into summer and all of the food trucks around West Michigan are following suit. While you spend the day with your friends and family, be sure to check out one of these 10 unique food trucks. Hire one for a special event, stop by Food Truck Fridays at Riverside Park, grab lunch at Rosa Parks Circle, or visit each food trucks’ Facebook pages to stay updated on where each will be heading next.

Neighborhoods of GR: What the North Quarter CID's plan means for Cheshire Village

Open to the air and business, Citizen Tiki Bar is the first of several new restaurants opening in the Creston business district.Thanks to the North Quarter Corridor Improvement District (CID), residents along Plainfield on the North East side can expect new development in the area. Approved in 2012, the North Quarter CID’s Development Plan seeks to foster a sense of place in this area using infrastructure and beautification projects meant to boost tax revenue and encourage investment from entrepreneurs.

New retail and food service oriented businesses, like Creston Brewery, Citizen Tiki Bar and Restaurant, and Switchback Gear Exchange, have opened in the area, with some like Citizen choosing the more transparent storefronts encouraged in the plan. The improvements Grand Rapids has already seen in both the Creston and Cheshire business districts will help to lay the groundwork for long term design projects, some of which are larger infrastructure investments.
 

Neighborhoods of GR: Making Monroe North a riverside destination

Linear RestaurantThe Monroe North district was equally appealing to co-owners of Linear Restaurant, Todd Hoort and Chris Weimer. Opened earlier this year, Linear is a modern-American restaurant located in the newly constructed 1001 Monroe Avenue NW, known as Homes at River’s Edge, developed by Orion Construction.

“One of the main things that we were excited about was the building and that is was on the river,” says Hoort. “The opportunity to be on the river and in the Monroe area was really enticing to us.”

“We’re Grand Rapids. We should really be focusing on the River as being a highlight of the city. I think that’s been lost in the past and it’s starting to come back around,” he adds.

Having looked at a few other possible locations in the City, the appeal of Monroe North could not be beat. “It’s a really pretty area of the city. There’s lot of nice parks and the bike/walking path that goes along the River. All of that really plays into what inspires us as a restaurant,” Hoort says.

As a dining establishment, they are looking to stand out from the crowd. “We want to bring a different experience to Grand Rapids dining. We’re trying to offer something new — different options, foods that you’ve never tried and push the vegan and vegetarian envelope. We really think that’s the way people will move towards dining,” he adds.
 

Midtown food corridor expands with Marcona On Lyon's healthy Mediterranean offerings

Kameel Chamelly’s small empire at the corner of Lyon and Union in Midtown has expanded yet again, this time to welcome the new farm-to-table style, Mediterranean-inspired bistro, Marcona on Lyon. Co-owned and concepted by fine dining chef Matt Overdevest, the new restaurant benefits from both Overdevest’s love for Mediterranean flavors and the kind of Mediterranean-influenced cuisine which regular customers of Martha’s Vineyard have become accustomed to.

Chamelly’s businesses at the corner of Lyon and Union have become an increasingly key anchor in the area, as both a destination specialty grocery hub for suburbanites and a neighborhood market on which locals rely for everyday staples. Since opening in 1982, Martha’s Vineyard has slowly added more businesses in response to neighborhood demand.