Grand Rapids Downtown Market's first restaurant

Ganders Grand Rapids will be offering Michigan-themed courses for this year's Restaurant Week GR. — Ganders Grand Rapids will be offering Michigan-themed courses for this year’s Restaurant Week GR.

Designed to encourage residents to “Taste the City,” the seventh annual Restaurant Week GR kicks off today.

The 10-day event highlights participating restaurants that offer a special $28 three-course meal — either for one person or two — through Aug. 21. All menus are designed to showcase the creativity of local chefs who are asked to prepare dishes that are both unique and use local seasonal ingredients.

More than 60 area restaurants are participating with most of the restaurants being downtown. I did take a few minutes to glance through the list. There are two restaurants in the Kentwood area ] participating in this year’s event, FireRock Grille, 7177 Kalamazoo Ave. SE., and Ganders Grand Rapids, located in the DoubleTree by Hilton, 4747 28th St. SE.

Participating in this year's Restaurant Week GR is FireRock Grille. — Participating in this year’s Restaurant Week GR is FireRock Grille.

FireRock Grille offers traditional American food. Within its three-courses, the restaurant has a number of options featuring items from such Michigan companies as Grand Rapids’ Founders Brewing Company, Detroit’s Corridor Sausage Co., New Buffalo’s Green Spirit Farms and Scottville’s Myopia Mushrooms.

Ganders Grand Rapids is know for its Michigan-themed menu with its three-course offerings following that theme. There are Michigan Bacon Burger Sliders along with a salad featuring Michigan blueberries and among the desserts you could select the Beer Brownie Bells featuring Two Hearted Chocolate Caramel Brownie from Kalamazoo’s Bell’s Brewery paired with Ashby’s Sterling’s Michigan Pot Hole Ice Cream along with peanut brittle and cream.

Right on the border of Grand Rapids and Kentwood is Taqueria El Rincon Mexicano, 2055 28th St. SE which is featuring Mexican-themed three-course selections. Those selections includes Chicken Breast in Poblano Sauce, Lomo Saltado and vanilla and chocolate churros with mango ice cream. Also close by is Crowne Plaza’s Aryana Restaurant and Bar, 5700 28th St. SE, which offers American cuisine.

For something a little different try the Dominican cuisine of Mi Casa. — For something a little different try the Dominican cuisine of Mi Casa Restaurante.

There are no restaurants in Wyoming participating in this year’s Restaurant Week GR, however I did find the nearby Mi Casa Restaurante, 334 Burton St. SW. This is a Dominican-themed restaurant and so its three-course selections are just that. Selections include the Dominican stew Sancochito, Cusco con Camarones, Shredded Beef with Twice Fried Green Plantain (Ropa Vieja con Tostones), Smashed Green Plantain with Pork Crackling and Fried Pork Rib Belly (Mofongo de Chicharron de Puerto) along with rice pudding, flan and sweet beans.

A couple of other Restaurant Week GR restaurants that are close to Wyoming and participating are FireRock’s sister restaurant Rush Creek Bistro, 624 Port Sheldon SW, Grandville, and Byron Center’s Railside Bar & Grille, 2500 76thSt. SW. Both offer American-style cuisine.

If you plan to participate in Restaurant Week GR, here are few suggestions:

1. Review the restaurants and menus at RestaurantWeekGR.com. Select about five or six you would like to visit.

2. Some places fill up quickly, so make reservations at the restaurants you are interested in.

3. Come about 5 – 10 minutes in advance of the reservation. If you did not make a reservation, plan to arrive 30 minutes to an hour earlier than when you plan to eat as there may be a wait.

4. Ask for the Restaurant Week Menu as well as the regular menu.

5. Enjoy

For complete menu details, directions and other restaurants, visit www.restaurantweekgr.com.

by Erin Cataldo

The Grand Rapids Downtown Market announced last week that Slows Bar-B-Q, the nationally renowned barbecue joint based in Detroit, will open a new, full-service, barbeque restaurant inside the Downtown Market. It is the first restaurant to commit to the Market, and the restaurant’s first expansion outside of Detroit.

Slows Bar-B-Q Grand Rapids will be located in the Market’s southeast side, at the corner of Ionia and Logan streets. It will feature a similar menu to the Detroit location, including slow-cooked barbecue favorites such as brisket, ribs, pulled pork, smoked turkey, jambalaya and more, along with several dozen Michigan-based artisan and craft beers on tap. The restaurant plans to open in spring 2015.

“Slows is a notable success in downtown Detroit. Its up-cycled atmosphere, delicious menu, commitments to their communities and their craft make them an ideal addition to the Downtown Market,” says Mimi Fritz, president and CEO of the Downtown Market. “Unlike any other place, the Market offers us the chance to know our food and the people who make it. We are thrilled to introduce Slows and their authentic take on barbeque to West Michigan.”

The Market is tasked to create a thriving ecosystem of food entrepreneurs who commit to locally produced ingredients and to community building. Created by owners, Chef Brian Perrone, Phillip Cooley and others, with the intention of becoming a neighborhood joint and a contributing force in the community, Slows has become the anchor of a neighborhood’s commercial revitalization and a Detroit destination.

“The Downtown Market is just the type of community-centered, neighborhood location that fits who we are,” says Brian Perrone, executive chef and co-founder. “We are completely devoted to barbecue — studying it, making it and teaching customers about the process. We are excited to join such a great group of artisans to create a friendly, welcoming, accessible and open environment.”

In addition to its restaurant space, Slows plans to expand its popular Slows-To-Go service, which includes catering. The program will launch with special events at the Downtown Market and plans to expand to serve a larger area in the future.

Slows opened in 2005 on Michigan Avenue, at the edge of downtown Detroit, in Corktown, across from the long-abandoned Michigan Central Station. Today it has become one of the most popular barbecue joints in Michigan and has received significant recognition in national food and entertainment media. It is owned by Brian Perrone, Phillip Cooley, Ron Cooley and Mike Metevia.

“If it’s possible for one restaurant to have done more than its share for Detroit, it’s Slows,” adds Fritz.

Construction on Slows’ Grand Rapids location will begin in early 2015. The restaurant plans to open in spring of 2015.