We loved the Blue Moon restaurant in Saugatuck, so we were interested to see how the new ownership and the new name Zing would play out.

310 Blue Star Hwy on the south side of Douglas. 269-857-3287, you can call ahead an hour to get on the list. Website is www.zingeatdrink.com

It still has the funky, fun feel of the previous ownership. There is a an outside court that is quiet and comfortable and a smaller deck out front. There is a martini lounge and a dining room on the inside. There is often live music in the summer. They definitely get an “A” for atmosphere. One of the owners was wandering around greeting people and giving advice. He said they are rotating menu items to find the best combinations.

Most things on the menu sound interesting and innovative. Many titles are enhanced with “Z’s” and “Zing” We couldn’t resist a couple of the appetizers. They have something called a a Savory Cheezecake. It sounded weird, but the owner convinced us to try it. It was just slightly sweet, but also spicy with just a hint of “heat”. It came with a variety of crackers and just slightly sweet cookies Fabulous start. We also got their version of a caprese salad which added the interesting touch of pinenuts to the tomatoes and fresh mozarella. We really didn’t need a salad, but once again we had try the interesting sounding Asian salad. It is an entree salad, but you could get a small version for $5 and my wife and I split it (it was still plenty, plenty) We were surprised to find it had almost no greens, it was pretty much a spaghetti salad, but very flavorful with a nice touch of peanut-ginger dressing. I could have even stood a little more of that good dressing.

Entrees

OK, on to the main course. The excecution of the innovative ideas was a little bit inconsistent. I got the Zingington, their version of a Wellington. The tenderloin had a layer of bacon and a topping of something like a creamy spinach dip before it was wrapped in puff pastry. Don’t order this if you need your meat well done. It was beautifully prepared and very flavorful. Probably their best dish. It had a side of asparagus and spinach.

Entree #2

My wife got the whitefish on a bed of mashed potatoes with a roasted red pepper beurre blanc sauce. This was a fairly mellow dish, but quite good nonetheless. The side dish was mixture of lobster meat and spinach and asparagus. It was a very nice mixture.

Entree #3

Chicken Saltimbocca. This one fell a little short. It was basically breaded and fried chicken that turned out too dry. It had two interesting sauces, one from sun dried tomatoes and one a bit creamy, but even those didn’t salvage it completely. All in all this place is very good and may soon be great. Don’t tell the owner, but we found the The the dessert menu a bit uninspiring, so we opted to head over to Everyday People Cafe in Douglas where there is often live music on the back patio.

They have a very large wine list. We didn’t really check out the beers, because they make a big thing about the martinis. OK, here’s the problem. I just don’t get the foo foo martini fad. They always sound fun and have provocative names like lace panties or french kiss, but they tend to be bland flavored. And for $12 , I want flavor. Unfortunately, Zing’s martinis lived up to my low expectations. I tried the Cosmo and tasted my wife’s French Kiss (so to speak). Both were large, seemed to have plenty of alcohol and came in cool glasses, but alas, no great flavor. Our friend Mary ordered a standard Tanqueray martini, which can’t be spoiled really, but that was nearly $9. The top of our list so far for flavorful martinis is the Bistro Bella Vita in Grand Rapids.

This place is pricey. Mary got a sandwich for around $13, entrees were around $30. Salads are a la carte, but entrees at least, do come with a starch.

Zing gets big points for creativity. Many of their offerings do deliver in the flavor department. Despite the big price tag, we likely will go back when we have a day of hanging around Saugatuck / Douglas planned.

JD Reardonds was formerly the Waterworks pub.  It is hidden in a condo building. 

It is at 940 Munroe street. 616-454-8590. Parking is at meters in front of the building. Website www.jdreardons.com

JD Reardon’s has a comfortable pub feel. There is a nice outside seating area. The patio is in the beautiful inner courtyard of the condos in the renovated Boardwalk condo building.

It is a bar. There food menu, however does go beyond pub grub. We shared southwest eggrolls. I will confess, all the predictable standard offerings at most restaurants taste the same to me. Fried. Some of our group really liked them. I had fish tacos and they were decent. Not great, but decent. The same goes for the burgers that some of our group got. Good, solid food. My wife got the chicken sandwich. Nothing interesting with that one. On previous visiits I have had the chili and lunch. No beans and just not great. But remember, chili is a very personal taste.

The claim to fame here is the incredible beer list. LOTS of beers on tap. They have teamed up with the Tuesday Night Beer Rating group and will have beer tasting events coming up.

Prices are very reasonable.

This is definitely a great place for a beer and the food isn’t bad either.

We have always thought Sanchez was a fun place. The food was good, but not great. Until our last visit.

Located right on Fulton up the hill from the VanAndel arena, parking can be in issue. All I can say is Perservere. It will be worth it. I usually troll for a metered spot which is not collecting for the dinner hour, but there are other parking ideas on their website if you are impatient or not as cheap as I am. Here is the Sanchez website The address is 38 West Fulton, Grand Rapids, MI 616-774-8272

The staff at Sanchez always make you feel welcome. The décor is funky and fun. This is not the place for an intimate quiet conversation. There are two stories in the main dining room. We always like the upstairs. There is a separate area for breakfast and lunch that they use for private parties for dinner.

As I mentioned, the tapas format is always fun with a group. This visit, however, something was different. Everything we ordered was remarkable and flavorful.

Main Foods

We started with a soup called Fejoiada . It had Pork belly, chorizo, braised pork, black beans and habanero salsa. It was chunky and had a wonderful flavor. And the habanero did not burn your lips off. Things just got better from there. We tried Gambas Asadas al Fuego, a spicy fire roasted shrimp with a banana mustard cream and rice. It was a novel flavorful dish. The banana mustard cream nicely offset the heat from the spicy shrimp. The verduras y tortas is black bean and quinoa cakes and roasted vegetables with avo-cucumber sauce. The least inspiring (but still good) tapas was the empanadas filled with potato, garlic and onlion. The aioli and the mild habanero salsa saved them from being too bland.

Dessert

We were just discussing the possiblity of trying another place for dessert and one of the waitresses overheard us and let us know they just got a new pastry chef from another well know place in town (which shall remain nameless). Her advice was golden.

We tried the chocolate cobbler with raspberries and chocolate mousse.

 It was FABULOUS. This definitely qualifies as a flavor find in West Michigan. We shared one or two other desserts that were pretty good, but they paled in comparison.

Coffee

To top off a perfect meal, I remembered from previous breakfast visits that they have press pots (french press) with a couple of choices of coffee. I ordered Sumatran, emphasizing “extra strong”, since different folks make it different strength. Good strong, rich, earthy coffee (was that enough adjectives?) to top off the meal.

Breakfast

No, we didn’t stay long enough for breakfast, but I do need to mention the best kept secret in Grand Rapids. I eat breakfast here at least once or twice a month. It is never busy !! You do have to bring some change for the meter, but it is so worth it !! Unique dishes along side standard fare and the aforementioned press pot option for coffee make it one of my 3 or 4 favorite breakfast stops in town. The breakfast burrito with chorizo and spicy black bean cakes and who knows what else is my personal favorite. If you are a carboholic, they have a stuffed french toast will satisfy any sweet tooth. You can get standard scrambles and omeletes and custom order the ingredients from an extensive list. The only thing I have ever found I don’t like, there is a particular spice in the mojo onions that I just can’t manage. Even the music is good, with an eclectic mix that adds to the funky atmosphere that is Sanchez.

They have a respectable list of draft and bottle beers, a wide internationl list of wines, the required collection of foo foo cocktails and of course sangria (actually not my personal favorite).

Individual items are not terribly high priced, but it isn’t hard for sampling to push the price up. I have found the more people I go with , the better the price per person seems to come out.

As I said at the beginning, Sanchez has always been a good place, but either something has changed, or we accidentally ordered perfectly, because everything we had was unique, flavorful and made us say “Oh wow”.

New Holland brewery is… well… a brewery. And a good one. We had a wonderful visit at the retail pub location in June 2011.

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Located in the center of downtown Holland, parking can be a little challenge, just head down a side street and there are parking lots behind the storefronts. The address is 66 E 8th St, Holland, MI 49423. Phone: (616)355-6422

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They have renovated a bit for more space lately. It has (surpise, surprise) a pub feel. It is loud. They frequently have bands in of various genre’s so you may need to youtube them to decide if you will enjoy them. Some of our favorite local bands have been seen the first time at New Holland. (Classic Fix for example). They also have a patio in back in the summer time , sometimes with live music. For this visit, Lynn Thompson was playing on the patio, another of our favorite local musicians. Oh yes, and the staff. I have never had anything but a super friendly waitstaff here. They look out for you.

Our 4 star rating is not for the food. They do serve up a competent mix of pub grub with some surprising twists, like the spicy olive mix for an appetizer, but you don’t go to New Holland for the food. We were going to go for a burger, but they had new york strips on the grill for 10 bucks. Shoulda stuck with the basics. The steaks were thin and marinated and cooked over not-enough-heat. Steaks not seared are not wonderful. My buddy Mike complained that his was pretty fatty. On the other hand, the sides we got were very good. I had tabbouleh which was excellent and the potato salad (not my choice) was very good as well. The women got pizzas that they labeled “pretty good”.

Drinks at New Holland on the other hand are … actually…. pretty close to fabulous. Let’s start with the beer. Their standard beers are very good. Full Circle is a german style lager. If you have had Dortmunder Gold it is similar. The Poet Oatmeal Stout is a complex rich dark beer. Sundog amber is also good, but maybe not a standout like the others. In addition they are always experimenting with new versions. I can’t wait to try the El Mole Ocho based on the spicy Mexican sauce.

Liquor

A while back, New Holland expanded into the distilling arena. Their first attempt was Knickerbocker gin. We first had it a year or so ago and the bartender made the martini with no vermouth. It was fabulous. It had the fresh complex taste most similar to Tanqueray. I have not let bartenders put Vermouth in my martini since !! Strangely, we at this visit, we ordered another one without vermouth (naked) and the taste was dramatically different, it was still delicious, complex and fresh tasting, but the was missing the classic juniper taste. I have emailed the distillery to see if they changed recipes or what. In any case, it was well worth a try and a nice change. I will add a comment below if I find out what changed. They also have their own brand of whiskey, vodka, etc. We will add comments as we try these over time.

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Prices are reasonable. Specials are very reasonable. Beers are not cheap, but they are worth it.
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New Holland has decent food and great beverages. I seem to remember good desserts on previous visits, but I can’t promise. Try a naked knickerbocker martini, you’ll never go back to vermouth

Ok, Now I can say it. but what is it?

Jicama has been described as a mix between a cucumber and a pear. That is pretty close. It is crunch, but more solid than a cucumber and just slightly sweet. It is great cut up with just a little paprika sprinkled on, in salads, with hummous. Some people put it in stir fry, but I think it is much better raw.

Three Types of Tequila

Basic Tequila

There are three legal designations. To be called tequila, it is aged 1 to 2 months.. This basic tequilas are good for mixing in things like margaritas. It tends to be a bit harsh for sipping. Another way to make good use of cheaper tequila is to mix it with amaretto and make almond tequila. We find we 3 parts tequila and 1 part amaretto to be a good ratio.

Reposada

Reposada literally means rested. For this designation, tequila has to be aged betwen 2 months and one year. Aging mellows the tequila and I find reposada quite “sippable”. It also starts taking on some color from the barrel.

Anejo

There is a supposed to be a squiggly line over the “e” indicating the pronounciation is Ahn-Yay-ho. This is the best and most expensive of Tequila’s. It has to be aged at least 1 year and may be aged up to 3 years and has a golden color with a mellow complex taste to match. Don’t be fooled. Some well known brands (we won’t mention the name, but it rhymes with nosay barevo) is neither 100% blue agave nor aged. The brown coloring must come from something other than aging barrels (sly grin).

Bottom Line

Your taste buds are what matters. I have had expensive tequilas that just don’t taste good to me. Taste before you spend the big bucks on a fine bottle of anejo tequila. Then ENJOY !! Oh wait, I almost forgot. Follow this link for our Perfect Margarita Recipe.

We were on are way back from a long weekend in the Smokies and stopped in Lowell for dinner. We were tired and hungry, so this review might be just a little biased in a positive way. We have visited the Flat River many times. It is one of the Gilmore collection. Nothing radical here, but as with most Gilmores it is , steady, reliable good food

Right on the main drag in Lowell where the bridge crosses the river. 201 E Main St., Lowell, MI 49331 Phone: (616) 897-8523 One annoying thing about the website is that you have to hunt through www.thegilmorecollection.com to find what you want. I would prefer a separate website for each restaurant.

It has attractive, dimly lit décor. There is a nice patio looking out over the river, but it does face west, so the sun can be an issue (on the rare Michigan sunny day). Thursday nights in the summer, Lowell has live music and with some very good bands just along the riverwalk from the Grill.

Always friendly, small town feel. The clientele also seems relaxed and friendly to match the staff.

Overview

As I said, solid Gilmore style food. They are adding some trendy antoxidant stuff to the menu, but I really think that stuff is just a fad. In the past , they had a lemon chicken on the menu in the past and it is fabulous. If you happen to be there when it resurfaces, grab it.

Flavor Find

On the night we were there, they had a salad special and it was FABULOUS. As best I can remember, it was greens, wth figs, jicama, dried cherries, slivers of almonds . I don’t remember if I it came with grilled chicken or if I added it, but topped with a balasamic dressing to offset the little bit of sweetness, this was the best salad I have had in a very long time. My wife ordered a barbecue pizza. It was not sweet like a typical version, but she said it was quite good. Thinking back, we have never had a bad meal at Flat River Grill.

They have a nice variety of good beers on tap and in the bottle. They do some fun mixed drinks, we haven’t tried many of them. Will add on a comment if we do. We don’t typically drink wine here, unless we get there in time for the Gilmore Happy Hour.

Prices are not cheap, but very middle of the road.  Entrees run $12 to $22.

This is a very solid, sometimes creative place to eat. Going to Lowell offers a chance to get out of town for a very nice meal. It very nearly makes the 4 star level.

Not much to say about a 11 hour drive home. Just a few fun items to finish up. For coffee snobs like ourselves, you will be happy to hear there are Starbucks off 75 in Knoxville and also as you go north. Didn’t see any in Ohio, but I may have missed them. I don’t hold up Starbucks as the best coffee, it is just that compared to other off highway options, they are the only viable one.

Droid Navigation Failure

On the way home, we went straight north out of Sevierville on 66 to 40 and then on to 640 in Knoxville to 75. This was MUCH nicer than the way the droid / google navigation brought us in going all the way on stop and go 441 from Knoxviille.

The Wallet Adventure

I didn’t talk about this in the Day Three post, but during a gas and ice cream run, we had a little adventure. I got gas and then when I got out of the car at the grocery store, Linda asked if I had my wallet. Of course, I said, I just got gas….. oops where is it? We rapidly returned to the gas station and it was not to be found. After discussion with the attendant, I realized I had left it on the trunk. Linda drove and I walked to the Grocery store. No wallet in the street. As I was asking in the grocery store, a nice lady said in her Tennessee accent “Your not from around hear are you?” . “No” I smiled. You might want to try the police station right across the street. Without anything to lose, off we trot to the police station. I walk in and ask if a wallet has been turned in in the past 10 minutes. He asked my name and handed me my wallet. Everything was still in it except the $40 or $50 cash. I was fine with that. Whew !!!

Two Hour Rule

Let me just finish by saying we strictly followed the two hours on, two hours off driving and it made the drive MUCH more tolerable and less tiring.

Gas Prices

The gas prices go steadily down as you head south from Michigan to Tennessee. A total of 50 cents difference.

I desperately wanted to do the Chimneys today, my favorite hike in the Smokies, but no one else was up for 2 miles “straight up”. Bummer. However, we need to keep up our self image as hikers, so we decided to go very low key and hike to Laurel Falls. We had to troll for parking , since it was packed with cars up and down the road. The Laurels hike is a pretty (though paved) hike 1.3 miles one way with a respectable elevation gain. With lots of people. Part way up the trail a small crowd had gathered and sure enough, there was a small black bear foraging in the valley below the trail only 100 yards away. This is the first bear in the wild Linda and I have seen since childhood. Kind of amazing.

Make the Best of It

When we get to the beautiful falls the log bridge over the river is lined with people and it is approaching a traffic jam. No problem. A climb down below the falls and a few minute rock hopping and we are sitting on slabs of rock in the shade, no people in sight and the rushing of the river drowning out the sound of the people a few hundred yards upstream. A beautiful time of relaxing with God, nature and a kindle book. The walk back down from the falls is a steady paved downhill . Normally, we would disdain a paved trail, but today it is a nice contrast to the Andrew’s bald trail yesterday.

Two Hours of Tourism

This afternoon we went into Gatlinburg for our token two hours of tourism. Most of the shops look like the cruise ship section of Playa del Carmen (read: junk). There are a few cool places. The Day Hiker in “The Village” shopping center is pretty cool and they have a variety of t-shirts that are much better than the corny ones you can get in the visitor centers in the park. PETA members stop reading , but I did buy an airsoft pistol powered with a CO2 cartridge to help my wife with the battle to keep the squirrels off the bird feeders at home. It will only sting, I promise.

We ate supper at Los Rancheros across from the convention center . It was pretty decent. We tried the pollo mole poblano and the pollo mole ranchero. The poblano was better. Aaron got the vegetarian Quesadilla de hongo. It was only fair. Everything was fairly good. The margarita was a mix , but still pretty acceptable. They have Dos Equis and Sam Adams on tap. On the down side, the guacamole is not a high percentage of avocado.

The Cascade Roadhouse is a landmark institution. We recently stopped in for dinner.

It is on Cascade road right at the east end of 28th Street right where it dead ends into Cascade.

It has the feeling of an old comfortable pair of slippers. Low lighting and casual décor.

Difficult to evaluate friendliness. They seemed to be short staffed and the waitress was hurried and seemed a bit gruff. To support this theory, it took abut 50 minutes to get our meal! We started imagine someone out back chasing the poor cow around the field out back !!

I was eating light, so I ordered a small plate of blackened prime rib strips and a greek salad. The prime rib was pretty flavorful and good. The greek salad on the hand was limp vegetables and artichokes on top of iceberg lettuce and feta cheese. Not wonderful. My wife got a chicken sandwich on herb foccacia with herb aioli. Sounds dull to me, but she claims it was quite good. I stole some of her steak fries and they were very good. One of my quirks is that I don’t like the trend toward seasoned fries, and these were good old fashioned large steak fries. Buddy Mike ordered the Kobe 1/2 pound burger. Also pretty good.

Sorry to say, I didn’t pay much attention to this. My ice water with lemon was fine

finances

I came away pretty underwhelmed. Maybe we just chose poorly. Food is fine,but this is definitely not a flavor find In West Michigan. Don’t get the Greek salad.