Grand Rapids Eats & Drinks: Reserve

I've decided to expand my Chicago Eats series to my hometown, Grand Rapids. My sister and I have a favorite place for wine and cheese that I wanted to share with you, Reserve. It's located downtown, right across the street from The Amway. Reserve opened two years ago in September, it started out as my sister's favorite place, but I love to visit when I'm in town too! They specialize in wine and carry something like 270 different kind of wines, including many selections from Michigan. Their food is always seasonal and often locally sourced.

The whole vibe in Reserve is very cool, it's definitely not a stuffy wine bar. I love the interior design, everything from the light fixtures to the chairs has a modern look. And I can't not mention the huge piece of art behind the bar, it was the winner from the very first year of Art Prize. It's so cool that the piece of art got to stay in Grand Rapids and be on display for anyone to see.

"Open Water" now hanging in Reserve, Image Via

Via reservegr.com

Chandelier close-up, Via reservegr.com

My favorite is getting a cheese plate to go with the wine, you can choose from a variety of ever changing cheeses and pick three or 5 to make a plate. The best part? The cheeses come with fresh Michigan honey and a chutney. The honey is To. Die. For. Oh my, the cheese, the bread and a little drizzle of the honey? Perfection. I think the honey deserves it's own post in the future, it is honestly the best tasting honey I have ever had. The honey is called Hasselman's Pure Michigan Honey. The cheeses come from the Midwest as well and no matter what kinds we get, they are always delicious.

The menu always features a few different tastings, one I had recently was all blended red wine. It's a great way to try a few new wines and learn a little about them too.

Oh look, it's a special edition wine from my favorite, L. Mawby, appropriately named "GR". Love the Michigan wines that Reserve carries.

There's one more thing to love about Reserve, they have an awesome outdoor roof deck. We don't have nearly as many roof decks in GR as Chicago, so I'm very happy Reserve has one. You can't beat sitting up there on a warm Summer night. Or even a Fall night like we did in October. They do have heaters so we can extend the outdoor season in Michigan a bit!

Reserve is a great spot for any occasion; happy hour, date night, dinner, wine tasting, girls night out or all of the above. And kudos to Reserve, they were mentioned in USA Today on Monday for their wine flights!

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Reserve GR
201 Monroe Ave. NW 
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
616.855.WINE
Website

Chicago Eats: Terzo Piano @ The Art Institute of Chicago

So many good restaurants in Chicago, it can be hard to choose where to eat. Awhile back I was able to check another one off my list, the famed Terzo Piano, located in the Modern Wing at the Art Institute of Chicago. My sister and I stopped by for lunch one afternoon. They are the only restaurant in the Art Institute that does not require you to pay admission to the museum to enter. Their main highlight is lunch, they are open every day of the week for lunch and Thursdays only for dinner (reservations recommended).

For any Chicago Foodies, the head chef here is Tony Mantuano, of Spiaggia fame. The focus of the food is fresh, organic, local and sustainable. The menu is ever changing, so no matter how many times you go there is always something new waiting for you. Even the bread around here is special, homemade foccacia.

We started with the antipasto which was delicious and presented beautifully.

For our meals my sister chose a pasta and I had a sausage sandwich with a side salad. Both were great and perfectly sized portions, not too big. The entrees and salads range in price from $16 - $25.

The setting inside the restaurant is bright, white and modern. My pictures don't do it justice, but it's a very cool interior with walls of windows overlooking the city.

If you're looking for an artfully prepared lunch in a modern setting, you should definitely try Terzo Piano.
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Terzo Piano
Located in the Modern Wing of the Chicago Art Institute
159 East Monroe
Chicago, 60603
312.443.8650

For other restaurant recommendations in Chicago, see my reviews here: Chicago Eats

Mamma Agata, the Amalfi coast cooking school

Once upon a fairytale, Sister and I headed to Ravello, on the Amalfi Coast in Italy, for a cooking class with Mamma Agata! Needless to say it was an ah-mazing day. And made an already memorable trip, that much more unforgettable. Mamma has recently published a cookbook, so I thought this would be a good time to share a little about our day in Ravello. Who am I kidding? You know I will take any excuse possible to talk about Italy, my one true love.

At first glance...

Time to get cooking! Mamma and her daughter, Chiara lead you through a series of dishes. They do most of the heavy lifting, with you watching and learning (And eating).



Al and Chiara (Mamma's daughter)



Mamma!! If that's not an Italian Mom, then I don't know what is!

Mamma Agata's is situated on a clifftop, overlooking the gorgeous coastline. The family cooks with nearly all home grown produce. They have a farm built right into the side of the cliff. During the course of the day you head down to the farm area and check out all the fresh produce.

At the end of the day you sit down for a huge feast with all the food cooked during the day. And of course wine made from the grapes grown right on site and homemade limoncello are served!

If you find yourself on the Amalfi Coast, definitely book a day with Mamma Agata! I may be seeing Mamma in the U.S. soon, so I'll report back. And hopefully her cookbook will be sold in the states soon!

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Piazza S. Cosma 9 - Ravello (SA)
Amalfi Coast - ITALY
Phone +39.(0)89.857019
e-mail: info@mammaagata.com

Concord grapes, my favorite super fruit

Behold the Concord Grape.

Via

Concord Grapes are currently in season in the Midwest and are one of my favorite fruits! The smell alone does it for me. They have the best scent in the world. Very, sweet and grape-y :) And besides being delicious, it happens to be an antioxidant powerhouse. Check out this info from the LiveStrong website. Concord grapes contain the same antioxidants found in red wine, polyphenols. My grandpa used to grow these in his backyard, so eating them always brings back good memories. If you happen to see these in your grocery store, check them out!

Of course, another reason I love concord grapes is many come from Michigan! I've noticed Whole Foods likes to sell the grapes as a specialty item and charge quite a bit, but Jewel has them by all the other grapes and they sell for only $2.99. You can also visit the Michigan grower's website here.