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Grove. A restaurant with a very short name and a big story to tell. It's in the Eastown area in Grand Rapids. And it describes itself as "A Celebration of Fresh, Artfully Crafted Cuisine." We'd heard a lot about it, and after having visited the restaurant, we couldn't agree more! Open only since 2012, it rapidly achieved recognition as one of Grand Rapids' top restaurants.
The Grove is also distinctive in that it features menu items that contain fresh, locally-grown (and locally-raised) ingredients... like Van Eerden, Miedema Produce, Inc., Otto's Chicken in Middleville (which raises "the freshest, antibiotic- and hormone-free chicken"), Ham Family Farm in Allendale (popular vendor at the Farmer's Market in Grand Haven), the well-known fourth-generation business Heffron Farms in Belding, and The Fish Monger's Wife (Muskegon).
We visited the Grove on Friday evening, September 12. Our reservation was at 6:30 p.m. And, since Bari was traveling in France, Spain, and Italy , we invited a "Substitute Diva" to join us for the evening - Cari Draft, the Owner/Founder of EcoTrek Fitness (famous for its Whole Food Bars, which you can pick up at Meijer). So our table for four included Carla Hill, Kelle Lynn, Nancy Levenburg, and Cari Draft.
It seems only natural that a restaurant that features farm-to-market cuisine would have a menu that's constantly changing. So, Grove displays its menu on high-tech, easy-to-navigate tablet computers.
Nancy chose the S&S Chicken Liver Pate as her first course (Kelle wish she had too!), which was delicious... served with pickled plums and plum jam.
As a second course, Cari chose the "Crispy Mushroom Cannelloni": local mushrooms, goat cheese, roasted leeks, cipollini onions, farm beans and an onion soubise (basically a roux with onion purée)... to die for! This was melt-in-your-mouth delicious with every bite. We later learned that Cipollini onions (pronounced chip-oh-lee-knee) are usually grown in the wild and are difficult to find. Definitely worth the search; however, as they are so mellow and sweet.
As a third course we pictured the Jamaican Jerk Braised 4H Pork Shoulder. The sweet-spicy jerk sauce paired with veggies and the crunch of pumpkin seeds was outstanding.
Dessert? Oh my!!! We tried two: the Salted Dark Chocolate Fudge ($5) and a trio of ice cream and sorbet ($5). The Fudge dessert (pictured on top) was scrumptious; "brown butter dipped Field & Fire brioche", with a bourbon syrup and creme fraiche. Perfect portions to share and not feel overdone. We enjoyed them all, with the smoked peach sorbet as our least favorite.
Everything on Grove's menu is priced individually. However, "Taste of Grove" at $35 offers you the opportunity to choose three items as your first, second and third courses. We declined to order appetizers - "Snacks" on Grove's menu - which are priced at one for $5, three for $12, or five for $18. In fact, in retrospect, we think it might be pretty easy to make a meal on snacks alone. |
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| We loved our server, Nathan, since he called every one of us "Miss" the entire evening! |
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| First Course: Chicken Liver Pate |
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| Second course: Crispy Mushroom Cannelloni |
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| Third course: Jamaican Jerk Braised 4H Pork Shoulder |
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| Salted Dark Chocolate Fudge |
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| We got a kick out of the fact that the two men next to our table had on the exact same shirt. Then we looked around the room and noticed there were a total of eight men wearing plaid that night! |
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| We enjoyed a Vanilla Sour Cream Ice Cream, a Ginger Berry Sorbet, and a Smoked Peach Sorbet along with our fudge. Diva Tips: Make a reservation well in advance. We made our reservation about three weeks in advance; Grove was packed. And there's only limited seating in the bar. Plan for a 45-minute drive from the lakeshore, because if you want to park on the street, you'll probably need to set aside a few minutes looking for a parking place. Brewery Vivant is right next door...a popular spot for downtown GR college students. Grove, however, offers valet parking for $10. If you're a twosesome that prefers smaller portions, you might consider either the smaller plates or splitting the "Three Courses for $35." In fact, Nancy ran into a couple from Spring Lake who were doing precisely that (sharing three courses) pre-symphony. Grove Restaurant 919 Cherry Street SE Grand Rapids, MI 616.454.1000 Mon-Thur 5 pm - 10 pm Fri-Sat 5 pm - 11 pm Sun 5pm - 9 pm Follow us on Facebook! www.westmichdiningdivas The Divas want it to be noted, with all due respect, that the views and opinions shared in this venue do not represent those of the Grand Haven Tribune and are entirely based on each individual experience we encounter. Perhaps on any other occasion, they may differ. |
