West Michigan – Which sounds better: Freshly made truffle fries from local potatoes or slightly-soggy fries that have been sitting out too long after being pulled out of the freezer at the local fast food joint? Maybe that’s an extreme comparison, but it showcases the heart of the farm-to-table movement, which is well respected at dining locations throughout West Michigan. Farm-to-Table means your food has traveled from a local source, maybe even as nearby as the garden out back (instead of being frozen or canned and transported hundreds of miles), and was freshly prepared, which means no thawing in the microwave or sitting under heat lamps for days. Farm-to-Table dining promises you a delicious and healthy meal that is truly of West Michigan.
Read on for some of our favorite Farm-to-Table dining options in West Michigan, and our apologies in advance if this causes your stomach to start rumbling.
South Farm to Table Dining in West Michigan
Fenn Valley Vineyard in Fennville offers Winemakers Harvest Dinners for an elaborate affair you won’t soon forget. These dinners start with a sparkling wine and cheese reception followed by a coursed dinner paired with wine. Each course contains a Fenn Valley wine specifically paired by the chef and winemaker. The winemaker and other Fenn Valley staff are also available to talk about the wine and theory behind the pairings. The upcoming dinner on November 7th is already sold out, but there are still tickets available to the November 14th dinner, so reserve your space soon if you’re interested! The menu for the 14th includes Roasted Beet and Butternut Squash Salad with Walnuts, Apple, Almond and Celeriac Soup, Mixed Grill of Lamb and Fig Sausage and Sambuca, Boneless Chuck Short Ribs, and an Ice Cream Sandwich made of ginger molasses cookies filled with Turkish coffee gelato.
Journeyman Distillery and Staymaker, their full-service restaurant, pride themselves on using local ingredients as much as possible. That includes dishes like the Crisp Pork Belly made with pork from Gunthorp Farms in LaGrange, Indiana, the Kale Salad made with kale from Green Spirit Farms in New Buffalo and the Burger made with beef from Middlebrook Farm in Three Oaks. Stop by Journeyman Distillery in Three Oaks, and you’re guaranteed to leave full and happy.
Over the years, Food Dance in Kalamazoo has built a strong relationship with dozens of local and regional growers, producers and farmers who have helped craft a one-of-a-kind menu that is fresh, inventive and appeals to the senses. Through its commitment to building a thriving and sustainable local food system, Food Dance creates casual and inviting opportunities for people to come together and connect through the experience of food. Food Dance is dedicated to relationships that support artisans who practice craft food processes that have been around for generations—growing, raising, preserving, curing, aging, pickling, butchering and more. This is evident not only in the daily menus, but in the special dining experiences and educational programs that are aimed to introduce guests to new elements of the culinary and agricultural worlds. An on-site market also offers amazing ingredients sourced from a family of purveyors–from sustainable, humanely-raised meats, housemade sausages and artisan cheeses, to housemade bread, pastries and savory baked goods. The market also offers a selection of specialty sauces, pickled produce, pastas, wines, cooking accessories and cookbooks, making it a great place for stocking the pantry or refrigerator, and for personal & gift shopping.
Welcome to Kalamazoo‘s newest dining and drinking hot spot! Located on the historic central downtown Kalamazoo Mall, Principle Food & Drink features craft cocktails and scratch made locally sourced cuisine in a casual yet elegant vintage atmosphere. Celebrated Chef Matthew Pietsch presents an array of ‘medium’ plates designed to share, comprised primarily of ingredients sourced within 50 miles of his kitchen. Guests are delighted as fresh ingredients and high quality spirits are skillfully melded to create memorable craft cocktails at the friendly Principle bar. Expect a lively, convivial experience at Principle Food & Drink. Cheers!
Salt of the Earth– rustic American Eatery is located in the heart of southwestMichigan farm and orchard country in historic downtown Fennville. The ‘SotE’ kitchen cooks from scratch to create sumptuous entrees, shared plates, wood oven fired pizzas, creative soups, fresh salads, desserts, and legendary artisan breads. Salt of the Earth proudly serves Michigan craft beers, hard ciders, spirits, and wines alongside other domestic and international products. Their award winning bartenders mix creative classic and contemporary cocktails at the friendly bar. SotE also presents the finest Americana roots musicians on the scene at weekly Sunday house concerts.
Discover the Bistro on the Boulevard, an extraordinary dining experience in downtown St. Joseph, MI. Their seasonally changing menus feature one-of-a kind appetizers, entrees, and desserts made with locally sourced ingredients. The Bistro was named “Region’s Best Fine Dining Restaurant” by Shore Magazine and is one of only two SouthwestMichigan restaurants to boast Wine Spectators award of excellence for “one of the best restaurant wine lists in the world.” The Bistro is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, andSunday brunch. When dining at the Bistro on the Boulevard you will enjoy meals prepared with local ingredients. Several farmers from Southwest Michigan deliver their meat and produce to the restaurant every week!
Four Roses Cafe in Plainwell is owned and operated by Tom and Jan Rose. Tom has been in the restaurant business for 25 years and spent the first 12 of his career at Arie’s Cafe in Plainwell. There, he learned the importance of using quality products and fresh, local ingredients. The last 13 years, Tom has been a corporate chef and account manager. During this time he continued his use of only fresh, flavorful ingredients and has incorporated many flavorful, healthy dishes into his menus. Four Roses Cafe uses ingredients from many local suppliers, including Ramey’s Raspberries, Byron Center Meats, Cherry Capital Foods, and Harrietta Hills Trout.
Central Farm to Table Dining in West Michigan
Grove restaurant, located in Grand Rapids, is a tribute to the bounty of the earth’s harvest and how Grove brings that to the table with impeccable service, natural ingredients and innovative cuisine. Their seasonal, frequently changing selections hint at the classics with natural sauces and a slant toward sustainable seafood. They responsibly source as many ingredients as possible from local, family and sustainable farms and prepare each dish to demonstrate their respect for how these farmers raise or grow their products. Grove carefully pairs their daily, innovative menus with the best modern wines. Their beverage menu also includes eclectic and top-shelf liquors, their own housemade infused spirits, craft beers, pour-over coffee and espresso. They’re located in the heart of East Hills at 919 Cherry Street.
Inspired, handcrafted foods that nurture both body and community. At Terra in Grand Rapids, they follow their passions – and the seasons – for only the freshest, health-filled ingredients from the region’s most dedicated growers. They pride themselves on distinctive fare, expertly crafted with passion, intellect and culinary skill. You’ll enjoy handcrafted meals that honor the purest ingredients from the finest regional farms and fields. Terra’s focus on seasonal offerings means they only use fresh, honest ingredients bursting with the flavors of each season. Not only will you find delicious dining at Terra, but also a community dedicated to the promotion and rewards of a health-conscious lifestyle.
Satisfyingly savory and always fresh, using Michigan made products with a twist—that’s what you can expect when dining at the Twisted Rooster in Grand Rapids. Twisted Rooster’s Executive Chef and his culinary team work with local vendors and suppliers to provide guests with a decidedly tasty twist on classic American fare. Twisted Rooster’s mantra is to provide each guest with “Simply Impeccable Food & Drinks with Uncommon Hospitality.” Their locally sourced, scratch made menu is full of local flavor and includes vendors such as Byron Center Meats, R.W. Bakers, Faygo and Founders Brewing Company. Ogren said their menu is meant to emphasize their twisted “Commit to the Mitt” motto.
At The Green Well they serve honest fayre with local flair in a neighborhood setting that keeps customers coming back. Their innovative gastro pub is green beyond its name: Their LEED® certified building is environmentally safe, ultra efficient and leaves behind the smallest possible carbon footprint. “Gastro pub” is British for a public house that specializes in high-quality food served in a relaxed atmosphere. The Green Well’s creative menu features a global range of eclectic flavors prepared with ingredients from local farmers. Over 20 rotating taps focus on Michigan brews, as well as a vast selection of bottles, ranging from local and American craft to traditional European styles. The wine list features creative flights that encourage multiple wine flavors paired with food. Classic cocktails are also available. Their greenness also spills over to their guests who benefit from affordable prices and outstanding service by a fun, welcoming staff. Located at 924 Cherry Street in East Hills, Grand Rapids.
At Bistro Bella Vita, they go above and beyond to deliver the ultimate dining experience with top-notch, personable service, whether it’s a simple pizza and beer with friends, or an elegant chef’s table meal perfectly paired with appropriate wines. Their vision is to beWest Michigan’s most respected restaurant destination. Guests enjoy Bistro Bella Vita’s unique downtown atmosphere and their creative cuisine made exclusively from fresh, natural, ingredients purchased daily from local farmers in season. The culinary team creates authentic, scratch-made recipes that blend the delicious flavors of the Mediterranean countryside with a perfectly paired beverage offering served by a devoted staff whose passion is to ensure your complete satisfaction. They’re located in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids, just west of the Van Andel Arena on Grandville and Weston.
Stop by San Chez Bistro for the most unique dining and entertainment venue in Grand Rapids. San Chez Bistro offers a blend of authentic European and Mediterranean cuisine in a fun, laid-back, and artful atmosphere. Take a break from fast food with breakfast and lunch by San Chez Café, made with the finest local ingredients, and prepared to order fresh seven days a week. Enjoy omelets, scrambles, pastries, bagels, yogurt, fresh fruit, or the best sandwiches and soups in town. Appreciate gourmet fair-trade coffee and whole leaf organic tea while you linger with free Wi-Fi, or hold a breakfast meeting in our comfy café.
CityVū Bistro is Holland’s hotspot for all things fresh. Fryers and frozen foods are out. Fresh, locally-sourced ingredients, creative menu concepts, and healthy yet delicious dishes are in. Their 100% whole grain, hearth-baked flatbread, topped with unique combinations of savory ingredients, is the ultimate edible plate. Now you can have your plate and eat it too! If flatbreads aren’t your forté, choose from a diverse array of appetizers, soups, salads, entrées, and desserts. Regular menu revisions by their chef, including a monthly “Taste Of” feature highlighting the culinary nuances of international locales, will satisfy even the most discerning of palettes.
The JW Marriott Grand Rapids‘ signature restaurant, six.one.six, offers the breathtaking blend of sophisticated urban ambience, palate-pleasing cuisine, and the finest wines and perfectly poured cocktails. But more than just a “pretty face,” six.one.six. takes its cuisine seriously. Dedicated to the concept of buying local, the chef’s pantry is bursting with locally grown ingredients, some of which are picked just a few feet away at the JW Chef’s Garden. The six.one.six. kitchen also participates in Sort, a recycling and composting program coordinated with Zeeland-headquartered Spurt Industries, which helps turn food scraps into top-quality soil for area parks. You’ll find dishes sourced from New Holland Brewery, Black Star Farms, Founders Brewery, and many more when you dine at six.one.six.
Downtown Market Grand Rapids offers farm to table dining, and everything in between. Visit in the spring and summer for their outdoor farmers market, where the best of everything fresh and local will be on display for purchase. The indoor Market Hall is open year-round, and offers everything from local produce, fish, meats, and cheese to restaurants serving tacos & thai food sourced from local ingredients. Downtown Market offers regular cooking classes & demonstrations to help you bring that fresh and local taste right into your own kitchen.
Not only can you tour a working dairy farm when you visit Country Dairy in New Era, you can taste the fruits of their labors in their Farm Store. Pick up your favorite cheeses, try one of their unique ice cream flavors, or visit the Fresh Meat Market for cuts of beef which are corn-fed and hormone free from Country Dairy’s own steer herd. They have a restaurant on site as well, so order a burger, wrap, or sandwich, and don’t forget about the bottomless cup of milk to go along with your meal!
Over the past 30 years, The Honey Creek Inn, located in the small Village of Cannonsburg, preserves and exemplifies what a Pub truly is: Historic, full of local tradition, and the warmth of the many hearts that have passed through the Inn over the years. Displaying hundreds of original taps of beers served over the years, the Honey Creek Inn continues serving the best brews in true English pint glasses. Preparing foods from around the world and your mom’s kitchen, award winning Chef Michael Alexander creates a menu with exciting twists that will warm the cockles of your heart. Drawing from local sources for quality and freshness Chef Michael offers your favorite comfort foods. With offering for vegetarians, gluten-free and all foods the Honey Creek Inn has something for everyone. So enjoy your trip back in time where the table service is exceptional and the cell phone service stinks.
Michigan’s award-winning Reserve Wine & Food in downtown Grand Rapids is the epitome of a farm-to-table experience, in a classy, urban setting just a short drive from the rural countryside which provides the bounty for the menu. Reserve fills its kitchen with foods raised by their friends—local farmers, growers and harvesters with a passion for fresh flavors. Chef Josh Adams cooked throughout his childhood with his mom and grandmother, who encouraged his creativity and curiosity. Applying progressive techniques to pristine ingredients, Adams seeks to preserve and accentuate the natural properties of the ingredients through precision cooking. “With the development of each dish, I take into consideration the aroma, taste, texture, temperature, color, shape and arrangement to bring about the best possible result for the customer,” he says. Opened since September, 2010 and celebrating its 5th year, Reserve Wine & Food has been recognized by Grand Rapids Magazine, OpenTable, Food & Wine Magazine, the James Beard Foundation and Wine Spectator. Located in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids at 201 Monroe Avenue NW, Reserve Wine & Food offers a world-class menu fully embracing the West Michigan farm-to-table philosophy in an elegant yet casual fine dining setting.
North Farm to Table Dining in West Michigan
Traverse City cuisine is the opposite of traditional: it’s an eclectic, relatively recent movement that borrows freely from other regional styles and relies heavily on imagination, boldness and spunk. But if it has one defining characteristic, that would be a generous use of fresh ingredients from nearby farms, forests, waters and orchards. From appetizers to dessert, local restaurateurs seem to be on a mission to showcase the best of what the area has to offer. Tied closely to this is the so-called “slow food” movement, which is all about using fresh local ingredients wherever possible. Many area chefs now routinely buy from nearby farms and orchards instead of ordering produce that has to be trucked in from hundreds of miles away. This movement isn’t confined strictly to high-end restaurants. Small tavern-style eateries have creative chefs who are enthusiastic about fresh local ingredients, while some of the region’s largest kitchens – like those at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa – are among the strongest supporters of the local-food movement.
The Restaurant at LochenHeath Golf Club offers breathtaking views of Lake Michiganand an ideal setting for one of the region’s foremost destinations for culinary excellence. Located in Williamsburg just outside Traverse City, you’re invited to dine on their outdoor patio overlooking Grand Traverse Bay, ensuring your dining experience will be delight for the body and soul. LochenHeath’s world-class culinary staff is led by Executive Chef Joseph George. The kitchen at LochenHeath Golf Club believes in the value of sourcing local, farm-fresh ingredients for the ever-changing menu. Every detail of the Chef’s dishes are meticulously designed to delight each and every time you dine. Whether you are a food enthusiast who believes each meal is an experience, or you rarely take the time to dine out, LochenHeath Golf Club is the perfect destination for your next meal. The restaurant at LochenHeath is the perfect driving distance from Traverse City, Charlevoix, Elk Rapids or Petoskey.
Experience the extraordinary Harvest Dinners at the Inn at Black Star Farms for excellent farm to table dining in Suttons Bay. The creative farmstead cuisine for these monthly dinners is inspired by the best local ingredients and features six courses paired with Black Star Farms wines. Seasonal vegetables, fruits and meats are sourced from northernMichigan’s finest farms along with their own farm in Suttons Bay. These exceptional food and wine experiences are hosted the second Wednesday of every month at Black Star Farms’ Suttons Bay location. Executive Chef Jonathan Dayton and Event Coordinator Stephanie Wiitala invite you to an unforgettable culinary event. Upcoming schedule, ticket links, pictures and sample menus from previous dinners are posted on Black Star Farms’ website. Take a look and be sure to make your reservation soon.
For many, the farm-to-table movement means enjoying locally sourced foods fresh from the farm, all while helping to support local farmers, aiding in sustainable lifestyle. But what about the beverage you are enjoying? The wines produced by the Wineries of Old Mission Peninsula (WOMP) are the perfect complement to, and just that, a farm-to-table experience. A quick tour around the stunning area known for breathtaking vistas, the Old Mission Peninsula is home to more than 19,000 acres of vineyards and farmland. The peninsula’s wineries are proud to produce award-winning wines made with Michigangrapes, including some estate wines where the grapes are grown right on the property where the wine is produced. In addition, many WOMP wineries offer wine dinners throughout the year that feature a generous amount of fresh ingredients from nearby farms and orchards as they prepare dinner, pairing each course with one of their wines.
