PLaces i havE eAten thiS weEk

PLEASE forgive me but I am turning into a eating machine! Not only am I cooking through P-Dubs low calorie cookbook, I have been eating out like a Monster! It’s got to stop. I am going to have to ask my work out partner to up our time at the YMCA together.

I hope you don’t mind but I thought I would share some of the places with you I’ve been…and please feel free ALWAYS to share with me places you love to eat out.

4TH ST DELI

This place opened in October, and I am bummed it took me till now to find it. It has some crazy delicious looking choices. One-hundred sandwich choices no less! Twenty different salads, and the day my friend ‘Chelle and I were there they had six choices of soup. I tried the Curry Carrot, and ‘Chelle tried the Squash Apple something or another. Sorry I can’t remember the exact name…I was too busy dropping my face in my soup and sandwich to remember what she had. But by the volume of her yummy noises, I think it was good. I had the Tamarack Panini, because my grandmother grew up on Tamarack (Grand Rapids, Mi)…it had cajun roasted chicken, feta spread, red peppers, sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions, chipotle mayo….are you there or did your drool short out your computer? Okay enough! Go try this place for lunch.
3/4 THUMB for the family-my 13 and 11 year old would like this place, my 2 littler people probably would not love it….no french fries, sorry!

LITTLE AFRICA

I have been wanting to try this place for a while. But to be honest was a little scared to. It looks kind of shady on the out side, but once you enter it smells awesome, like spicy curry and tea. Little Africa is Ethiopian food, which I had never eaten before. My friend Dee…okay I just have to take a break and tell you that Dee is the whole reason I am a Pioneer Woman fan, she found her…Dee is amazing! Okay so Dee was my guide on this day, she had already been here with her husband, who told her she had to take a girlfriend next time because he wasn’t a big fan of the food. It’s vegetarian…no meat for growing boys. The tea was amazing, it had a great sweet spice to it. I could drink it everyday. We ordered the combination platter for two

this was the perfect way to try it all. There is no utensils you use this spongy white bread to scoop up the different stews. For the most part I loved it and would definitely go back again. It is a one man show, “the smiling man” sat us, served us, and I am assuming he cooked our food, because I could see in the kitchen and there wasn’t anyone else back there. He was super! Little Africa is not in the phone book, and has no website. So if you are in Grand Rapids, it’s on Fulton across from Van’s Bakery (the one with all the cookie jars in the window). And across the street from Palace of India another one of my faves, but I did not get there this week.
THUMBS UP for an adult meal, your kids, unless they are adventurous eaters, would not like this.

GREEN WELL
This is my GO TO place. I love it!

And this lovely plate of food is the Green Wells version of Mac-n-Cheese…a-yeh..I know it is crazy yummy…did I say crazy? Sorry I meant insanely delicious! And I think it might even be on Weight Watchers, that is watch your weight pile on! They were on Take Five (WZZM 13) yesterday making this Mac. Okay here is why it is so scrumptious- heavy cream, cheddar/swiss/goat cheese/cream cheese! and bacon and truffle oil….now come on is this stuff for REAL! Stay tuned for the mom friendly version…
THUMBS UP-any way you look at it, for a ladies only, date night, we have even taken our kids here, they have a SUPER kids menu!

CULVERS
Yikes, I know…the kids wanted to go here. It actually is on the better side of fast food chain restaurants. I like the way they grill their hamburger buns! HOO-Ha!

They have the in “homemade” Culvers Custard too, quite yummy, for soft serve type ice cream. And I might add that they have a fabulous turtle sundae if you are into that sort of thing.
THUMBS UP for the family

REAL FOOD CAFE
This is my FAVORITE breakfast spot in Grand Rapids. I did take pictures but my memory card was not in my camera, hate when that happens. So you are just going to use you imagination. The cinnamon rolls are the BEAST. We always start with one, just to split it, because you cannot come here and not get one….it’s against some code or something. I love the Veggie Eggs Benedict, Ken almost always get the Banana/Granola Pancakes. There are too many choices and they are all good. Their coffee is good and strong too. HUGE pet peeve of mine is a good breakfast and watered down coffee! No place is quite as dark as at home, I like my spoon to stand up in my cup. Go dark or go home people. OOps got on a rant about java…sorry. I can’t believe they don’t have a website, but I guess who needs one….they are always busy. I feel like I am home when I am at the Real Food. They have lunch too, but I always get breakfast….I’m a breakfast girl. You can check them out on Mr. Breakfast. Isn’t that funny there is a website called Mr. Breakfast…They are closed Mondays and only open till 2pm. REAL FOOD CAFE is on Eastern north of 28th Street.
THUMBS WAY UP-you could take anyone to this place! It’s a PRIZE!

Do I need counseling? I know it’s sick…..or maybe not because my brother-n-law Skidder says “sick” is a good thing, so maybe I should say its wrong. But there are so many good places to eat and so little time. I live in west Michigan, imagine if I lived in Chicago or Phoenix, or Seattle. It would be REALLY sick then, or wrong? Sick AND Wrong!