Grand Rapids
Of course I'm biased towards my hometown. Grand Rapids just keeps getting cooler and cooler. It's where I learned to love breakfast, and it's home to some of our favorite eateries, from Real Food Cafe to Little Africa to Yesterdog. Add in a beautiful downtown riverfront, art museums, gardens, great coffee, plenty of breweries, and you're set.
Food
Anna's House: creative breakfast spot with multiple locations around the city
Brewery Vivant: situated in an old church, BV brews farmhouse ales to go with its lunch and dinner menu
Downtown Market: market hall open daily with a mix of prepared foods and grocery vendors
Electric Cheetah: eclectic breakfast, lunch, and dinner spot, with fun decor and great food
Founders Brewing: my favorite brewery also serves up great deli sandwiches
Fulton Street Market: year-round market featuring 100+ vendors
Harmony Brewing: Eastown brewpub with interesting pizzas
Little Africa: all-vegetarian Ethiopian spot, our favorite restaurant ever. We think the food has healing properties. Order a pot of team and a mixed platter.
Marge's Donut Den: old school donut shop, a long-running favorite
Mitten Brewing Co.: cozy brewpub with good pizzas
Nonna Cafe: cute and quiet cafe in Ada
The Old Goat: a fun and creative eatery in Alger Heights
Real Food Cafe: our absolute favorite breakfast ever. Friendly and welcoming service. Not fancy, but well-executed and filling breakfasts. We haven't had a bad dish, but we love the eggs benedict, the Irish benedict, the cinnamon rolls, corned beef hash, Northland scramble.
San Chez: long-running local favorite for tapas, also serving brunch daily
Sundance Grill & Bar: simple but easy-to-love spot on 28th Street
Terra GR: formerly Trillium Haven, Terra focuses on local sourcing
Thai Express: casual strip mall spot with great Thai dishes
Wealthy Street Bakery: terrific bakery on historic, brick-lined Wealthy Street
Wolfgang's: another beloved local breakfast joint, located in Eastown
Yesterdog: rough-around-the-edges cash only hotdog spot. My favorite hotdogs ever. Two Ultras, please.
Coffee
Lantern Coffee Bar & Lounge: downtown coffee shop and bar with a neat subterranean space
Madcap Coffee (Monroe Center): flagship store downtown of one of our favorite roasters. Get the cafe miel or iced pour over.
Madcap Coffee (Fulton Street): smaller cafe and roastery for Madcap
Outside Coffee Co.: al fresco coffee stop with heated igloos in the winter
Rowster Coffee: another terrific roaster and coffee shop in GR
Beer
Brass Ring Brewing: fun neighborhood spot in Alger Heights
Brewery Vivant: a renovated church is the backdrop for this brewpub focusing around farmhouse ales
Founders Brewing Co.: my favorite brewery of all time, Founders has a beautiful and spacious taproom. You can't got wrong with their beers, but their stouts - in particular the Kentucky Breakfast Stout and Canadian Breakfast Stout - top my list.
Harmony Brewing: cozy Eastown brewpub with an eclectic mix of beers and fun pizzas to boot
HopCat: brewpub downtown with a monster beer selection. Head here for good grub and a constantly rotating selection of interesting brews.
Mitten Brewing Co.: baseball-themed brewpub in an old firehouse. Great beer paired with pizza.
Parks & Attractions
ArtPrize: bi-annual competition that sees the city filled with art and art installations. The community gets to vote on their favorite pieces.
Fishladder Park: fun park where you can watch the fish jump upstream
Frederik Meijer Gardens: world-class conservatory and gardens; outdoor amphitheatre hosts a popular summer concert series
Fulton Street Market: century-old outdoor market that runs year-round and features 100+ vendors
Gerald R. Ford Museum: presidential museum and library of the 38th president, who was born in GR. Beautiful location on the riverfront; also the final resting place of President and Mrs. Ford.
Grand Rapids Art Museum: the GRAM is a world-class institution downtown
Gand Rapids Public Museum: terrific museum on the riverfront that mixes local history with science, industry, and special exhibitions. Ride the carousel!
Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts: as the name implies, the UICA is a contemporary art center downtown
Read our Grand Rapids itineraries
Five Days in Grand Rapids
I documented five days at home for the holidays, exploring our favorite food, drink, museums, and parks.
November 2015
