West Michigan: A Dining Destination

Oct. 15, 2008 - PRLog -- Savor the pleasure of a very special meal at the crown jewel restaurant - The 1913 Room located at the Amway Grand Plaza in Grand Rapids (www.amwaygrand.com). Every detail of your dining experience, from the inspired first course to your last sip of an after-dinner drink, will stand apart. The 1913 Room has won many awards and honors, including Grand Rapids Magazine "Restaurant of the Year" seven times in the past 10 years, and recently "Restaurant of the Decade." In 2002, it was awarded the AAA Five Diamond rating, the first and only in Michigan. The 1913 Room has redefined fine dining with succulent main courses, inventive desserts, artful presentation, and exceptional service. Settle into the opulent Louis XVI surroundings and treat yourself to the chef's tasting menu for a meal you're sure to talk about for years. The 1913 Room is an opportunity you won't want to miss.

You may have heard that to taste the very best barbeque in the world, you have to go south: Memphis, St. Louis or the Mississippi Delta. Now you can twist your compass 180° and head for Friske’s Farm Market in Charlevoix (www.friske.com). Friske’s has made the commitment to being a food destination in the north. Chef Kevin Heard is preparing astonishing dishes in northern Michigan’s only outdoor kitchen including slow smoked real pit barbeque. Chef Kevin refuses to hurry the process by using gas or liquid fuel. So you get pure, unadulterated fresh smoked taste in your St. Louis style ribs, pulled pork, beef brisket, chicken and roast beef. Enjoy these delicacies alongside some great side salads, fresh baked breads and fresh fruit in season. End your meal with a dessert selection from the bakery counter, like a slice of cherry pie or the delicious caramel apple pie.

Sage, located at the Odawa Casino Resort in Petoskey, is a "Distinctive Dining Experience" that combines a superior menu, impeccable service and a luxuriously intimate setting to provide you with an amazing culinary adventure. The centerpiece of Sage is a sixteen-foot tall wine tower offering an impressive number of high quality wines. Our wine collection is exhaustive, with many refined choices and more standard fare for the less adventurous. No matter what your taste, whether dry or sweet, red or white, The Sage wine tower holds a bottle for you. Cuisine at the Sage is expertly prepared by one of our top chefs using only the freshest hand-selected ingredients. We believe dining should be an adventure, and after experiencing a meal at Sage, you will too.

The Bay Pointe Inn is extraordinary casual dining overlooking beautiful Gun Lake. They feature dinner service Tuesday - Saturday and a Spectacular Sunday Brunch. Escape the everyday with Lakefront dining midway between Grand Rapids & Kalamazoo. Weekday dinner menu features Eight entrée specials for $9.95 or less.

Only at Cornwell's Turkeyville USA (www.turkeyville.com) in Marshall can you combine homemade turkey goodness with a fabulous theatrical production! Through October 25, the dinner theater will be showing the musical comedy production “Church Basement Ladies”. After the shows don’t forget to get dessert at the Ice Cream Parlor, which serves many, scrumptious, treats. Their homemade ice cream is sure to leave your sweet tooth satisfied! This month try Pumpkin Pie ice cream or Cinnamon Cheesecake!

Learn more about beer at the New Holland Brewing Company (www.newhollandbrew.com)! To some this will be more than an educational experience – to others it’s a dream come true. Summer tours take place Saturdays at noon, 2 p.m. & 4 p.m. and Winter Tours (November 15th – March 30th) take place at noon and 2 p.m. Tours last approximately 30-40 minutes. The cost is $5.00 and includes sample tasting and a souvenir pint glass. Tours take place on the north side of Holland at the Brew House;
690 Commerce Ct. Holland, MI.

Audie's Restaurant (www.audies.com) located in Mackinaw City has been serving homemade regional foods since the Mackinac Bridge was built! Stop by in the evening for an elegant dinner in the Chippewa Room. Audie’s is proud to serve fresh seasonally favorites from Chippewa Whitefish during the summer to Seafood Stuffed Morels and Shrimp during Morel season. No matter when you stop by, though, their homemade desserts and breads are always fresh and delicious. Upcoming events at Audie’s include dinner theater performances and wine tasting.  

For more information on traveling in West Michigan, log onto our website at www.wmta.org or call 800-442-2084. Founded in 1917, WMTA is the oldest continually operated regional tourist association in the nation. Representing 41 counties from the Michigan-Indiana state line to Mackinac Island and covering the entire west half of the Lower Peninsula, WMTA is dedicated to proving that “We Know West Michigan!”

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The West Michigan Tourist Association exists to market and promote travel to West Michigan and to enhance the image and economic success of its members. Representing Michigan from Northwest Indiana to the Straits of Mackinac - We Know West Michigan!