1001 Lake Drive Southeast
Grand Rapids, MI 49506
Hey Grilled Cheeseheads, I'm back! I've made the long journey back to the Midwest to take up residence in Grand Rapids, MI. I'm pretty stoked, I heard (which could be a total exaggeration) that GR, at one point, had the most restaurants per capita in the U.S. I'd believe it though, every other door seems to be a cafe or a bar or eatery. I've already begun my list of grilled cheeses to experience, it seems everybody has a different recommendation. So hopefully this means I will be a little more timely on posting!
Name: The Adult Grilled Cheese
Ingredients: "A sinful combination of feta, goat, and cream cheeses with a drizzle of olive oil and cracked red pepper grilled with fresh tomatoes and basil on your favorite bread." You can pick from a variety of breads-Challah, white, wheat, rye, whole wheat herb, branny oat (?), and a bunch of gluten-free options.
Sides: You get a pickle and are offered potatoes. These are grilled herby potatoes in a bowl. A BOWL of potatoes. I got asked by a woman what I was eating from afar when I dug into my bowl of potatoes.
Price: $8.69
Thoughts: First thought: I'm not sure if I can get that in my mouth. It's absolutely huge. (snicker snicker). Second thought: I know this was gonna be great if you had just left the bread on the grill a little longer. It was a bit under-grilled and I'm sure it'd be a hot mess if they'd cooked it with all that creamy cheese on it so I understand that the insides weren't warmer. A little browner and a tad hotter and it would've been heavenly. Upon first bite this sandwich was creamy and herby (ah basil!), definitely not your average grilled cheese. A nice mix of cool like sour cream and spicy from the cracked red pepper. You get a tang from the goat cheese but I can't recall much saltiness from the feta. Sometimes the herbs tasted like pesto and then it was almost like a strange bagel from all the cream cheese. Overall, I liked it quite a bit but couldn't finish due to size and potato intake.
Marie Catrib's had been recommended as one of the staples of Grand Rapids, friendly to all kinds of people which was obvious because it was packed. Be prepared to stand in line if you are going at rush hour (lunch.) I did see the real Marie and was too shy to talk to her, but was told she gave out goodies to those who were patiently waiting for a seat. There's cool art on the walls and even cooler (tattooed) boys working the grill as the kitchen is open to see, flipping potatoes and talking to each other like no one else was there. Note to self: Try not to sit directly next to door in the middle of a typical West Michigan winter, brrr!
Score: ◥◥◥ 1/2
*Bonus: So I know all of maybe three people in this city. I have a knack for the inevitable to happen to me, which proved true when I ran into a certain old flame eating with his mom. Awkwardness aside, it was good to have company and familiar faces to share in my first tour stop here. I've been told for being a big city, Grand Rapids has a very small feel, everybody knows everybody in some way. I'm starting to see.
If you're into locally grown and raised food then you'd be very happy here. If you have special dietary needs I think you would be too.
Got a little nervous so pictures are limited.
2 comments:
don't be too shy to say hello to Marie, she's a lovely person and will tell you such great stories about how she came to be in Grand Rapids. I'm on the east coast now - originally from GR. Enjoy your time there!!
Thank you Cheri, I would like to hear her story. Might have to go at a slower time. Hope you are enjoying the east coast-I miss it a lot!
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