Blog

I know I said I would use this blog project to explore new things in the city I haven’t yet tried. But sometimes, you just want the old reliable. Sometimes you get a craving for something you know is good. I don’t just want to celebrate what’s new to me in the city. I want to celebrate what’s great to me in the city, too.

So when my husband and I are batting around dinner ideas, naming off restaurant after restaurant we could try for the first time, we both decided that what we really wanted was a big draft list and some crack fries. And for that, there’s really only one place to go.


HopCat is getting to be a household name across the country. They opened on Ionia Street downtown Grand Rapids in 2008, and in the last seven years, they’ve opened six more locations. What started off as a one-of-a-kind local bar is becoming a fast-growing franchise.

I may be a bit biased, but the Grand Rapids location is definitely the best one (I don’t have to see the others—I just know). It’s won accolades such as the #3 Beer Bar in the World and #1 Brewpub in America. It’s friggin’ awesome to be able to say that I can go to the #1 Brewpub in America pretty much whenever I want.


And we do go to HopCat whenever we want, which is often. Awards aside, it really is, hands down, my favorite place to eat in all of Grand Rapids. It’s the place I recommend to everyone who visits. I know that I can tell someone to go there and they will not disappointed.

It’s a rather tiny place, actually. It squeezed itself into an old already-existing building on the corner of historic, brick-paved Ionia Avenue. Tall tables are wedged in between support pillars, forming narrow aisle ways on each side. Round booths and long wooden tables fit snuggly up on the wall and the large bar adorns the other wall. On busy nights, it often requires a bit of patron-dodging before one can belly up to the bar.


And yet, it’s always a chill place, even when it’s busy. People are just calm when they hang out at HopCat. Perhaps people are just too busy savoring a delectable brew from the 49 rotating taps to cause much of a raucous.

People always mention the crack fries at HopCat for good reason. Crack fries are not just a gimmick. They are aptly named for their addictive deliciousness. They season the fries with a sprinkle of spices and a dash of heaven. They use the same spice combination on top of their Killer Mac & Cheese, which takes the ordinary dish to a transcendent level (I also like my Killer Mac & Cheese with bacon and tomatoes added). But tonight, I went with my favorite, the BarZee Burger, which has beer cheese slathered on it and is topped with bacon (sans jalapenos for me).


No matter how successful HopCat becomes or how many other locations it opens, the HopCat in downtown GR stays the same. It’s the same atmosphere, the same great food, the same awesome and diverse beer selection. It’s still just a hometown bar. Even if it wasn’t the #1 brewpub in America, it will always be the #1 brewpub to me.

*For more information about HopCat, visit their [website](hopcat.com).*

I planned a national conference in Grand Rapids before I up and quit my job. When I was collaborating with the Marketing Specialist about a conference logo, we both thought of the monumental bright red Calder scupture that stands in the middle of the city. When I sent the logo to my conference-planning counterpart at the corporate office, she said it was great, “only what is that red squiggly thing?”


Our city logo, courtesy of [City of Grand Rapids](http://grcity.us/Pages/default.aspx)

As a Grand Rapidian, I see that “red squiggly thing” constantly. It’s in our city logo. It’s on customized t-shirts. Since I have been here, it’s been the symbol for the city, and I never thought to question it.

But now I’m starting to wonder why a red squiggly thing IS the symbol for our city. What does it mean? Why is that statue even there?

And what I’ve discovered is a history of controversy and scandal.

Grand Rapids likes to claim a lot of titles. We are Beer City. We are Furniture City. We were the first city to put fluoride in our water.

We also pat ourselves on the back for being an art-centered city, as we obnoxiously and flamboyantly display with our annual ArtPrize competition in the fall. But apparently we’ve been Art City for longer than I knew. Now I’ve learned that we were also the first city to use the federal funds of the National Endowment for the Arts to install a sculpture as part of an urban renewal project in 1969.


We had the funds before we had the artist. And [some people were upset](http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2013/10/artprize_2013_is_hardly_calder.html) that Alexander Calder was chosen as the artist for this project. In fact, the woman largely responsible for getting Calder involved received hate mail and had a gun shot at her house on the day of the dedication. Many people threw eggs and painted graffiti on the sculpture after its completion.

Here is a rather entertaining quote from a disgruntled citizen: “I think the whole concept of modern art is a big spoof…And after Calder gets his (money) and goes back to France, some evening he’ll be sitting in some pub and saying, ‘Boy, did I hoodwink those guys over in Grand Rapids.’” The same citizen also called the statue “a horrible example of nothing.”


It’s understandable that not all people understand abstract art. I’ll be the first to admit that the Calder sculpture, in my opinion, is first and foremost a red squiggly thing. For one reason or another, people quieted down about it eventually. I suppose they realized it was already done and over and there wasn’t anything they could do about it anymore. I can imagine their frustration, though, when a sculpture is dedicated to represent the city that they love and they feel it doesn’t represent the city at all or, worse, doesn’t represent them at all.

I’m happy that the city has mostly adopted the sculpture now as a representation of who we are. Its title *La Grande Vitesse,* means “the great swiftness” or, in other words, “Grand Rapids.” It literally represents the name of the city, the lifeblood of the city. But it also, in my opinion, represents the people of Grand Rapids, people who I’ve always considered to be swift in many ways. We are fast-moving, we adapt to change, we are smart and deliberate about the moves we make. Perhaps Calder and his large red squiggly thing is what inspired us to adopt these characteristics in the first place. Or at least I can rest assured that it serves as a reminder to uphold these characteristics.


*All photos courtesy of [MLive](http://www.mlive.com).*

Downtown has always been a place where you go; it’s more geared toward visitors than residents. Many people live in the city, but there aren’t a lot of practical amenities for those people. I used to live in the Heartside neighborhood, just south of the city. It was great because I could walk everywhere—hockey games, restaurants, local parks—and not have to worry about parking. But if I ran out of milk or eggs, I had to drive at least ten minutes to the local grocery store.

In my time living downtown, I heard so many rumors about a potential market opening up. I got my hopes up and kept my fingers crossed that, someday soon, there would be a place where I could get everything I needed to cook dinner without having to get in my car.

Wouldn’t you know it, soon after I moved out of the city, the Downtown Market opened .2 miles from my old apartment.

Granted, the Downtown Market isn’t anything like your local Meijer or Spartan store. Taken at face value, the Downtown Market is a large space that has “stalls” available; restaurants and vendors can rent space and open shop. It’s a collection of all things gourmet, high-end, and delicious. Three main aisle ways give you access to a bakery, a cupcakery, a fishmonger, a butcher, and much more.


A lot of the places that rent stalls are one-of-a-kind places that are new and local. It’s a good place for starter restaurants and stores to try their ideas on a smaller scale instead of risking an entire building for themselves.

Last year for my wedding anniversary, my husband and I went to the Downtown Market for a smorgasbord of all our favorite things. We sat at the bar in [Aperitivo](http://www.aperitivogr.com/Aperitivo/Welcome.html), a cheese/charcuterie/wine shop/restaurant. We ordered a glass of wine and a meat and cheese board. Then my husband walked over to [Fish Lads](http://fishlads.com/), a fishmonger a couple of stalls down, and ordered some oysters, which later were brought over to us. When we devoured all that, we walked down the middle aisle for a scoop of [Love’s](http://lovesicecream.com/about-us/) hand-crafted ice cream. The Downtown Market is like having all of your favorite foods in one place.


Photo Credit: [Mlive](mlive.com)

And now that is absolutely true because Detroit’s famous [Slow’s Bar-B-Q](http://slowsbarbq.com/grand-rapids) has just opened in there as well. Whenever we venture to Detroit, we cannot stop ourselves from visiting Slow’s. We are barbeque lovers, and while Grand Rapids does have some delightful smoked meats if you know where to look (check out [Dallas Deli](http://www.dallasdeli.net/) and [The Pit Stop](http://pitstopcateringgr.com/)), now we can share some of what we love about Detroit with our fellow Grand Rapidians.

I came down to the Downtown Market today to scope out the line for
Slow’s. It just opened a week ago, and as I suspected, there was already a crowd waiting to try the Market’s latest and greatest.

That wasn’t a problem, though, because there were plenty of new places I hadn’t yet tried. I could try a sweet or savory crepe from [Penelope’s Creperie](http://www.penelopescreperie.com/) or a baked potato from [Blue Spoon Soup & Spuds](http://www.goodwillgr.org/goodwill-catering-services/). I settled on [Sushi Maki](http://downtownmarketgr.com/market-hall/sushi-maki) because they had an awesome lunch deal and because I’m always in the mood for raw fish.


No matter what you’re craving, Downtown Market has it. And in the end, it’s a good thing it came when it did, because I would probably be broke if I could walk there anytime there I wanted.

*For more information about the Downtown Market, visit their [website](http://downtownmarketgr.com/).*

I had my first sip of coffee when I was in third or fourth grade. We were at my grandfather’s house on Sunday morning, like we were every Sunday morning. When we entered the house through the dining room, we shouted hello to my relatives awaiting us in the living room while Mom set her purse down on the table and Dad went into the kitchen to pour himself a cup of coffee. I don’t remember what prompted me to follow him. But I remember standing in Grandpa’s carpeted kitchen next to the gold-speckled linoleum countertops and my dad offering his coffee cup. I slurped a tiny drop of the black liquid into my mouth and winced. I didn’t want to swallow, but I didn’t want the taste to stay in my mouth any longer. In the end, it didn’t matter. The aroma lingered on my tongue the rest of the morning, making me nauseous.

They say you have to get used to coffee in order to enjoy it; you have to learn to love it. Throughout school, I thought this was the stupidest thing I ever heard. Why would you continually force yourself to drink something that is disgusting just so you can, what, fit in with mainstream adult America? I didn’t see the point.

Over time, I did learn to love coffee. And it wasn’t easy. But I love coffee now, couldn’t imagine my life without it. I love the smell and the taste. I love the morning ritual of brewing a pot and sipping the steaming hot liquid that helps me transition from sleep to wakefulness.

While in some cities, there’s a Starbucks on every corner, I’m happy to say that is not the case in Grand Rapids. There is an abundance of local, independent coffee shops that are all unique in their own way.

So when I’m downtown and in the mood for coffee, the first place I consider going is [MadCap](http://madcapcoffee.com/). It has big windows that look out onto one of the main streets of the city, so it’s the perfect place to enjoy the view and people watch. It reminds me a lot of Italian coffee shops; the serve my cappuccino in the same little white teacups and use the foam to draw designs in the espresso. It’s bright and open and simplistic, and I feel comfortable there.

Another coffee shop I may consider is [Lantern](http://lanterncoffee.com/). It’s newer—only two years old. It looks like a small shop when you enter, but then you can go down the couple of steps after ordering at the counter, and there is a warm cozy hideway with plush furniture and antique (you guessed it) lanterns hanging on the exposed brick walls. In this coffee shop, I forget about the bustling city and whatever else may be on my mind and I can really relax and enjoy a delicious cup of joe.

But in the spirit of this blog project, I figured it’s time for me to venture out and try one of the city’s other superb coffeehouses.


The Bitter End is a coffee shop I’ve always wanted to try. I’ve heard a lot about it from my college roommate and her Physician Assistant-to-be friends years ago when they would study there. It’s a rather popular spot for students—very close to the downtown campus of GVSU and open 24-hours for all-night caffeine fueling. I myself was always better at cramming in the comfort of my own home, and as an English major, writing papers was more of a solitary activity, so I never had much excuse to visit the coffee shop. Until now, of course.

Upon entering, I could see why it might make the perfect study spot. There are lots of four-top tables, perfect for groups or large textbooks. Along the walls are smaller, more private tables with their own library lamps which create an academic mood. The faint music from crooners gone by plays overheard, but very quietly, so as to not disturb focused readers but only relax them.


The décor itself is rather eclectic. It has a 1920s Great Gatsby vibe. Their website has an unexplained picture of Gertrude Stein and her lover Alice B. Toklas, but if you know anything about the expatriate Americans in Paris in the ‘20s (which I do), you know that Gertrude Stein’s apartment was practically an art gallery; all its walls were full of paintings from up-and-coming artists of the time like, oh, you know, Picasso.


At the Bitter End, they have definitely followed in Gertrude’s footsteps, covering the walls in countless pieces of art. Even if you forgot your homework, there’s still plenty to look at in this little coffee shop.


The menu is huge for a coffee shop—probably the biggest I’ve ever seen. So if you’re the type of person who likes flavored drinks, then this is probably your heaven. Me, I always go for the cappuccino, and they brewed a pretty good one.

Of course, now I’m kicking myself that it took me so long to enter through Bitter End’s doors, but now that I have, I’ll definitely be back again.

*For more information about the Bitter End, visit their [website](http://www.thebitterendcoffeehouse.com/).*

When I was in high school, I was a majorette in the marching band. I’ll pause for a moment to let you laugh. I’m not ashamed. I loved baton twirling and I loved band. Sorry I’m not sorry.

Anyhow, for one of our halftime shows, the band performed the swing hit “Sing, Sing, Sing.” The majorettes and color guard combined forces, along with some male band members, to do a choreographed swing number. This was my first introduction to swing dance. I loved it so much that I talked a friend of mine into learning more swing and performing at our end-of-the-year talent show. I’ll pause again to give you another opportunity to laugh. Again, I feel no shame.

YouTube didn’t exist back then, so we somehow acquired a VHS tape of a swing-dancing couple that we watched over and over again. We spent many afternoons teaching ourselves how to swing dance and customizing our own routine. That’s where my love affair with swing dancing began. The fast turns, the flips, the kicks, the organized chaos of it all–I was hooked.

I know I am not alone in my love for swing dancing. A good portion of Grand Rapids loves swing dancing, too, believe it or not. And they come out and show it every Tuesday night in the summer.

Steve Zaagman, founder of the Grand Rapids Original Swing Society (also known as G.R.O.S.S.—yeah, they could have picked a better acronym), started teaching swing dancing in a college cafeteria in 2003 to a small group of students, according to *[Grand Rapids Business Journal](http://www.grbj.com/articles/75827-grand-rapids-original-swing-society-brings-unique-activity-to-downtown).* Over time, that group grew exponentially and transformed into G.R.O.S.S.

In 2012, G.R.O.S.S. organized a dance that broke the Guinness Book World Record for the largest number of people swing dancing in unison (765 people), according to [MLive](http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2012/12/its_official_grand_rapids_is_a.html).


I’ve wanted to attend one of these Tuesday night dance parties for as long as I’ve lived here. My husband, God bless him, has never been much for dancing. He has humored me from time to time, learning a few steps in our living room in preparation for a prohibition party and purchasing us dance lessons as an anniversary gift. But he does not feel the passion for it that I do, so I haven’t really had a partner/an excuse to experience it…until this blog project came about, that is.

So Tuesday night, we got in the car and drove downtown. They were supposed to be dancing on the Blue Bridge this week, so I drove across the Fulton Street bridge first to scope it out and see if anyone was out there. Boy, were there people out there. The bridge was packed.


I was super impressed that so many people in the city have learned to swing dance and enjoy dancing together every week. It’s inspiring to see so many people share their love of dancing openly for all to see. What’s really great about G.R.O.S.S. is that they encourage all ages and all experience levels to come out. So some people you could tell have been dancing for a while and some people are just starting out. And if you have zero experience with swing dance, then you can come early, and they’ll teach you a few moves.

What I saw was a lot of young people out there on the bridge—high school and college students. Older adults might expect that “kids these days” spend their time causing trouble or loafing in front of the television, but they aren’t doing anything like that. They’re out in the city, they’re active, they’re learning something new, and they’re having fun.


And from what I saw, it seems like that’s what G.R.O.S.S. is all about—having fun. It’s an easy, affordable way to get out on a Tuesday night, get some exercise, and hang out with fellow Grand Rapidians.

*Photo Credit: Brenda Pauley Bargenquast*

*To learn more about the Grand Rapids Original Swing Society, visit their [website](http://www.grandrapidsoriginalswingsociety.com/).*

There is a neighborhood just to the east of downtown called Heritage Hill. It is full of historic homes dating back to the mid 1800s. Slated for demolition in the 1960s, the neighborhood banded together to save and restore these important beacons of the city’s past. The houses have been restored appropriately to ensure accurate representation of their original grandeur. Most of them serve as residential single-family homes but some have been split into rentable apartments.

Every spring, a group of these homeowners open their doors to the public for touring. Slews of locals and out-of-towners wait on sidewalks and front steps to don blue disposable boot covers and shuffle across the refinished hardwood floors of these beautiful, elegant, and impressive manors. Elaborate chandeliers, ornamental crown moldings, and intricate stained glass patterns of days gone by are complimented with modern luxuries like granite countertops and copper fixtures. The words in everyone’s heads and on everyone’s lips are “dream home.” Ever since I moved here, it has been a dream of mine to buy and restore one of these treasures.


Of course, historic building always have their quirks. Some are physical, like rusted pipes or creaking floors. Some are more of an abnormal nature. It is rumored that Heritage Hill is the most haunted neighborhood in Michigan.

A friend of mine lived in one of the houses. It was a creepy looking building for sure. Rust-red brick gave way to green scalloped siding halfway up the house. A heavy wooden door that took two hands to pull open guarded the entrance, and inside, a dimly-lit foyer was empty except for a grand staircase of dark wood; antique oil portraits of Victorian strangers hung on the walls.

This friend swore that a ghost lived in his bathroom. It made things clatter and rattled the door while he relaxed in his bedroom. I’m not inclined to believe in ghosts, and nothing supernatural ever happened when I came to visit. Yet, when I was over, I put the call of nature on hold, and when I left, I stared at my feet and ran down the historic steps, ripping the door open with both hands as I bolted towards my car.


The Heritage Hill neighborhood is peculiarly quiet and peaceful, even though it is adjacent to a bustling and boisterous downtown. And while I always enjoy walking through the tree-lined streets in the warm summer sun and admiring these stately dwellings, I always sense something eerie lurking not too far behind.

I, too, lived in one of these historic homes for a spell. The house I lived in was built in 1907 and hadn’t yet received its dream home renovation. It was mostly rented out to college kids. I lived there with three other girls, and the house clearly had its quirks. It had a narrow stairway, creaky floors, and you had to walk through one of the bedrooms to get another bedroom.

Like I said, I don’t believe in ghosts. So when I would wake up in the middle of the night and my lamp would be turned on when I knew for sure that I had turned it off before going to sleep, I would use the rationale that lightswitch was faulty. And when I heard banging while taking a shower in the ancient claw-foot bathtub, I would tell myself they were just the sounds of a 100-year-old house settling.

These are my explanations. But who knows if they were the right explanations? In houses that old, you can never be too certain what is hiding behind the walls.

*For more information about the Heritage Hill neighborhood, visit their [website](http://www.heritagehillweb.org/)*

Here’s the thing. I love libraries.

But I don’t really read that much. I definitely don’t read as much as someone with her Master’s in English should.

I’ll go to the library and I’ll check out ten books at once. And then I’ll return them late, have to pay a fee, and I probably didn’t even read a third of what I checked out.

It’s embarrassing. But I keep doing it. It’s something about the routine of it that comforts me. It’s like a treat. It soothes me the way drinking a chocolate shake or watching a romantic comedy would. It relaxes me.

This is especially enjoyable to do in the Main Branch of the Grand Rapids Public Library system. It’s unlike the other libraries around. It is the perfect combination of old and new. I can awe at its beauty and then hide in its stacks.


The original structure of the main branch is called the Ryerson Building and is named after the man who donated the building for the library, thus giving it a permanent home; the library was previously housed in City Hall but opened in its new residence in 1904.

The grandeur of its historic façade and the heavy wooden front doors protect a lobby of marble columns, alcove ceilings with crown molding, and decorative tiled floors. An ornate hardwood circulation desk sits in the corner opposite of a countertop of self-checkout computers, providing the charm of history with the convenience of modern day.


Marble steps lead upstairs to the magazine room and a large reception hall used for talks and panels on a variety of subjects. These rooms still emulate the vintage décor of the original building with tall iron windows and opulent moldings. I am not a magazine reader, but I make an exception for this beautiful reading room, which makes me feel like I’m studying for my PhD at some Ivy League School.


While the Ryerson portion of the library is beautiful and breathtaking, it was not nearly big enough to house the entire collection as it grew. So in 1967, a whole other building was attached to the back of the historic structure to make room for the many volumes. This building is comprised of five floors from subjects that vary from fiction for all ages to city archives to a whole collection on furniture designs, paying homage to our “Furniture City” background.


The building and its addition have gone through a number of renovations since then to make the library comfortable for patrons and impressive to passersby. If you ask me, the way it is now is perfect. It’s my favorite place in the city to blow a couple of hours meandering through the stacks and plucking books off the shelves.

*For more information about the GRPL Main Branch, visit their [website](http://www.grpl.org/)*

The first and only time I’ve seen *The Matrix* was at a friend’s lake cabin the summer after my freshman year of high school. A group of us sprawled out on a set of bunk beds and watched this technologically impressive movie on a 14-inch tube television in the middle of the day.

I remember, when it was finished, being confused about the movie’s message, but also in awe because I knew even then, at a mere 16 years old, it was an important movie.

Over the years, I’ve quoted its iconic lines (“I know kung fu”), referenced it in scavenger hunt clues (“follow the white rabbit”), and laughed at its parodies, patting myself on the back for having seen the movie and therefore able to understand the joke. But did I ever think to sit down and watch it again? No.

Now, thanks to Downtown GR (and this 30 days of GR project, I suppose), that is no longer true. On Friday night, there was a free outdoor showing of the movie at Ah-Nab-Awen Park (the same location as [Jazz in the Park](http://jenniferfurner.com/day-3-jazz-in-the-park/)), and since I hadn’t yet attended a “Movie in the Park” event, I decided to give it a try.


Downtown GR is an organization committed to supporting the city of Grand Rapids. Every year, they contribute more and more free events and amenities for the people of the city to enjoy. It’s an organization that essentially makes Grand Rapids “sparkle” by making it more beautiful, more approachable, more playful for everyone.

This is the third year for Movies in the Park. They host a movie every two weeks free of charge for anyone who wants to attend. They often have pre-movie entertainment that’s related to the feature presentation; in this case, they had kung fu demonstrations and a costume contest. Food trucks, still a novelty practice in Grand Rapids, line up in the grass offering all sorts of delicious movie snacks.


Husband and I showed up to the park around 8pm. Despite the drizzling rain and the movie not starting for another hour, the lawn was already crowded. We planted some lawn chairs in an empty square of grass and made ourselves comfortable.

Lucky for us, the rain eventually cleared out. With the help of the clouds, it soon became dark enough for the movie to start. Husband uncapped some bottles of beer and I got out the popcorn we brought with us as the movie began.

Anytime I watch a movie anywhere other than the couch, it feels more festive. Going to the theater or watching a movie at a drive-in often feels like a special occasion. And coming downtown on a Friday evening with a bunch of strangers to watch a movie together outside was no exception. The breeze blowing gently, bats flying overhead, the river rushing next to us, the lights of the city twinkling in my peripheral vision were all sensations I haven’t experienced in another movie environment. It added an extra layer of fun and whimsy onto the movie-watching experience.


But I think what makes Movies in the Park even more unique is that the movies they select to show come with a side of nostalgia.

None of the movies are new; most of the movies are iconic. Other showings this year were *Dirty Dancing, Dazed and Confused, E.T.,* and *Hook.* The last showing, happening in two weeks, is *Ghostbusters.* People want to watch these movies over and over again. They want to remember the first time they saw them; they want to remember the past. And when we watch movies like that together in a unique place, we revisit who we were then and we make new memories to think back on in the future.

When Neo bent himself backwards and dodged bullets, there was uncontrollable cheering and clapping. We all knew it was coming and we anticipated that iconic moment. We rejoiced that we could watch it happen again together.

Now when I think about *The Matrix*, when I quote it or reference it, I may still remember my 16-year-old self on the bunkbeds at my friend’s cabin, but I’ll definitely remember my 31-year-old self sitting in the park enjoying the film with my fellow Grand Rapidians.

*For more information about Movies in the Park, visit their [website](http://downtowngr.org/mitp/)*

Today I dropped off my visiting friend at her family’s house in Holland. Instead of taking M-6 back to my home in Kentwood, I decided to make a detour and go north towards the city. When driving towards Grand Rapids on 196-East, after passing the Lake Michigan Drive exit 75, for the briefiest moment, I am granted a beautiful overlook of the skyline of the city.


Senior year of college, I would drive from my fast-food job in Grandville back to my apartment in the city late at night. My crappy car had no air conditioning, so I rolled down the windows; the night breeze flooded the car and whipped my hair around my ears. The loud wind and the cool air helped me relax after a long day. And then I rounded the corner after passing the Lake Michigan Drive exit, and my beautiful city appeared almost out of nowhere, bright with its night lights. I gasped in awe and then sighed relief. I was home.


Even now, the sight still takes my breath away. It appears to me as the Emerald City must have appeared to Dorothy in *The Wizard of Oz.* It’s a magical place of possibility, and I’ll happily skip towards it to discover its treasures.


Photo credit: [City of Grand Rapids](http://grcity.us/police-department/Office%20of%20Film,%20Music%20and%20Special%20Events/Pages/default.aspx)

*This lookout is at a curvy part of the highway where traffic is often heavy. Please use caution as you admire the view.*

When you’ve lived in one place for a while, it’s easy to fall into a routine of go-to places. If I’m feeling like ordering Chinese for dinner, I have one specific place I order from because I know that I like it and it’s close to me. I hear there are a lot of good quality Chinese restaurants in the Grand Rapids area, and I might consider giving them a try someday, but after a long day when I don’t feel like cooking, I’m going to call on the old reliable.

As I mentioned in [Day 4’s entry](http://jenniferfurner.com/day-4-beer-city-usa/), I have a favorite couple of breweries that I frequent. Every now and again, we’ll shake things up and go to Grand Rapids Brewing Company, or if we find ourselves near the lakeshore, we’ll stop in at Oddsides on our way home. But most of the time, Founders, Harmony, and Vivant are our mainstays.
But this 30 days of Grand Rapids is about discovering new treasures in my city, so last night I tried the Mitten Brewing Company for the first time.

Mitten opened in 2012—I can hardly believe it’s been here for three years and this is only the first time I’m trying it. It’s on the northwest side of the city, which is not a neighborhood I have much excuse to visit anymore since I live in the southeast. Mitten is housed in an old fire engine house from the late 1800s—one of 11 historic firehouses in Grand Rapids built at the turn of the century. The brewery owners have renovated it themselves, updating the utilities for 21st-century use, but leaving the historic characteristics of the building, such as exposing the original brick and leaving the outside façade alone.


While it’s technically a sports bar, in that the taproom is basically a shrine to Tigers baseball, it doesn’t feel like a sports bar. The memorabilia on the wall is elegant and simplistic. There are a good number of televisions that outline the restaurant but they aren’t distracting. Paying homage to the historic value of the building, they use vintage baseball posters and pennants to decorate the space and even offer original Tiger stadium seats to lounge in if you have to wait for a table.

And we did have to wait for a table on a Wednesday evening, which I figure means that there is plenty of community support for this brewery. We wandered up to the bar and I was impressed with the long tap list for what appeared to be a rather modest space. Friend, Husband, and I all got different beers and then passed them around to each other for tastings. After every sampling sip, we all “mmm”-ed in agreement.

Most breweries offer beer flights, where you can get five to six beer samplings, and while Mitten offered beer flights, it was the pizza flights that intrigued me. For a very decent price, you could choose up to six pizzas to “sample.” The menu said it was enough of feed four, and we had three in our party. We ordered the Deluxe, the Hawaiian, the Pesto Chicken, the Thai Cobb, the Chipotle Barbecue, and the special which was sausage and peppadew peppers. Each of us got eight squares of pizza to eat, and we were stuffed and happy by the time the board was empty.


It was also Trivia Night, something I’ve always wanted to experience. Since none of us at the table had ever participated in a trivia night, we decided to just sit back and listen to the questions rather than have the stress of actually competing. It added a level of entertainment to the evening. When we weren’t immersed in our own conversation, we could watch the Tigers game, bop along to the music, or brainstorm answers to trivia questions. It was a great place to just hang out and have fun.

There are already a lot of breweries in GR, making it difficult for one to stand out over the others. I clearly have my favorites. Yet Mitten does stand out in the crowd as its own unique establishment. I think it’s safe to say that Mitten Brewing will be added to my list of mainstays from here on out.

*For more information about Mitten Brewing, visit their [website](http://www.mittenbrewing.com/)*