Restaurant Week Grand Rapids 2012

According to Experience Grand Rapids President Doug Small, “We love this new timeframe for Restaurant Week and have had enthusiastic support, as well, from participating restaurants. August is the season for the freshest farm produce, fruits and meats raised and grown locally. Restaurateurs are excited about the opportunity to offer these fresh products from area farms on their Restaurant Week menus.”

Over sixty restaurants have signed on for Restaurant Week Grand Rapids with eight 1^st time restaurants also jumping aboard to take part in the event this year.

“We love this annual event as it brings new people into One Trick Pony to experience all of the things that we have to offer.  We’ll be serving many great summer selections using locally grown produce from Ingraberg Farms and meats from Byron Center Meats on our Restaurant Week menu. This more ‘seasonal approach’ makes this year’s event even more special than in previous years,” says Dan Verhill, Owner of One Trick Pony in Downtown Grand Rapids.

“The Gilmore Collection of Restaurants such as Rose’s, The BOB, Blue Water Grill, Mangiamo, Ottawa Tavern and Red Jet Café will be offering unique features. We have recently gone through a change to our menus at all of our restaurants. Restaurant Week will give us one more opportunity to highlight our brand new offerings and to also feature fresh-from-the-farm specials during the peak of harvest season,” says Greg Gilmore, Owner of the Gilmore Collection of Restaurants in Grand Rapids.

“August is perfect for Restaurant Week with the wide variety of earth-to-table offerings at the peak of harvest. We are glad that Restaurant Week is focusing on 'farm fresh' this year. This philosophy has been at our core from day one with Bistro Bella Vita and has continued with The Green Well and Grove. Fresh, natural, food straight from the local farm tastes best and is better for our local economy. Restaurant Week menu items will include cheeses from local farms such as Lakeview Cheddar Farm and Grassfield Farms Cheeses, fresh lettuces and produce from Mud Lake Farms, Hamm’s Farm and Ingraberg Farms, and local meats from S&S Farms," says James Berg, Essence Restaurant Group Managing Partner.

Other new happenings during Restaurant Week include more restaurants offering wine and beer pairings from Trinchero Family Estate wines, Black Star Farms and L.Mawby, as well as, Founders Brewing Company all who are sponsors of Restaurant Week Grand Rapids 2012.

There will also be a new mini-event for Restaurant Week called the “Grand Cocktail 2012” contest in partnership with Great Lakes Wine & Spirits, one the Restaurant Week Grand Rapids 2012 partners. All participating restaurants in Restaurant Week Grand Rapids will be eligible to enter up to two cocktail entries into the contest using Barcardi Oakheart Spiced Rum (released in 2011)– and – Grey Goose Cherry Noir (a brand new release)spirits products being offered on the market thissummer. The cocktail contest will kick off early at participating restaurants in order to allow the public to taste the cocktails eligible for a “People’s Choice Award” within each spirits category and to vote for their favorite on the RestaurantWeekGR.com website.

“All of this makes for a lively fun event where we have the chance to profile Grand Rapids’ wonderful culinary talent and the vitality of summer in our cool local neighborhoods, suburbsand in Downtown. Celebrating in Grand Rapids through the “Art of Dining Out” is the best way to cap off a great summer.” added Doug Small, President of Experience Grand Rapids.

Here are some reasons to enjoy Restaurant Week Grand Rapids 2012:

The Art of Dining out is  “all about discovery”. “Getting out into the restaurant community to discover new places to dine is fun whether you do it with friends, family or co-workers. This is a great time to discover new settings and ambiance, new food; new wine, beer and spirits pairings within a known price point – 3 courses for $25 – and at some restaurants – 3-courses at 2-for-$25. (Beverage selections are an additional cost, but still affordable.)

The Fresh farm focus will be more evident during Restaurant Week Grand Rapids 2012 due to the new timeframe which is the peak of the summer harvest season.

$1 from every Restaurant Week meal sold gets donated to the Secchia Institute for Culinary Education at GRCC – teaching culinary excellence to new chefs who will grow culinary excellence within our community.The first two years of Restaurant Week Grand Rapids resulted in nearly $40,000 of scholarship funds being distributed to this program.

Restaurants participating in Restaurant Week Grand Rapids 2012 include:

Amore Trattoria Italiana, Bar Divani, Blue Water Grill, Bistro Bella Vita, Bobby J’s*, Bonefish Grill*, Brann’s on Leonard, Brewery Vivant, Charley’s Crab, CitySen Lounge at CityFlats Hotel, Cygnus 27, Fire Rock Grille, Grand Woods Lounge, Grove, HopCat, Honey Creek Inn, Houlihan’s*, Louis Benton Steakhouse, Noto’s Old World Italian Dining, Mangiamo!, Marco New American Bistro, Marn E. Walkers*, McFadden’s Restaurant & Saloon, Olive’s Restaurant & Bar, One Trick Pony Grill & Taproom, Ottawa Tavern, Pearl Street Grill, Peppino’s Downtown, Pietro’s Italian Restaurant, Radix Tavern*, Red Jet Café, Reserve GR, Rockwell Republic, Rose’s, Rush Creek Bistro, San Chez Bistro & Café, Shiraz Grille Persian & Mediterranean Cuisine, six.one.six, Schnitz Ada Grill, SpeakEZ*, Spinnaker Restaurant, Stella’s Lounge, Sundance Grill & Bar, The BOB: Monkey Bar, JBar, Gilly’s, Bobarino’s, Tavern on the Square, Timbers Inn, The Acorn Grille, The Bistro at Courtyard by Marriott Downtown, The Bulls Head Tavern, The Green Well, The Walker Roadhouse*, Trillium Haven*, Watermark Grille, The Landing Restaurant at the Riverfront Hotel Grand Rapids, The Melting Pot, The Viceroy, Tre Cugini, Z’s Bar & Restaurant.

*1^st time restaurants to Restaurant Week Grand Rapids