About Grand Rapids' Downtown

St Cecilia Music Center presents their 2nd Annual Caribbean Festival

at The St. Cecilia Music Center, 24 Ransom NE Grand Rapids Michigan.

Most of the events are free of charge to the public.

The list of events is as follows:

Artists Reception - Thursday August 20, 6-9 pm

Featuring Caribbean Art and Food

Musical Performances by Pa'lo Hondo and Ozzie -Free to the public

Artists Exhibit Aug 20- Sept 30

Terryberry Gallery at St. Cecilia Music Center Mon - Fri 9am-5 pm

Performance Events - August 26, 27, 28 6-9 pm

Featuring Caribbean art, poetry, folk dance and food

Lecture - Wednesday August 26 6-9 pm

Los Munequitos: The Caribbean in the political art of cartoons, 1898

Grand Rapids Public Library - Free to the public

Dance & Poetry - Baile, prosa y poesia - Thursday August 27, 6-9 pm

Caribbean Food Tasting & Exhibit - Friday Aug 28, 6-9 pm

Fussion - Thurs, Sept 18, 6-8 pm Free to the public

Closing Ceremony - Awards, Dance and live music performance

Thursday Sept 18, 6-8 pm Tickets $ 10

For details, Call St. Cecilia Music Center 616-459-2224

Online tickets

Grand Rapids Ada Real Estate - Westbrook Realty

Copyright 2009 All rights reserved

Photo of Parrot by Bonnie Westbrook

It was a surprising large group which recently got together for a meet-up in Grand Rapids, MI. Loosely named, the 'Lunch Bunch,' the ladies ranged in age from the late thirties to the mid 70's. I had been asked to join the group for a meal at the Heritage Restaurant in Grand Rapids, MI.

As we piled into cars and mini-vans to wind our way downtown, there was a palpable excitement about the joy of a social outing in the middle of a seemingly interminable Michigan winter.

The Heritage Restaurant is located on the first floor of the Applied Technology Center of the Grand Rapids Community College. We found a parking spot in the underground lot and proceeded up one floor where we were greeted by one of the college culinary instructors and his team of students!

You see, the Heritage Restaurant is a unique experience in fine dining. It's one of the few places on the planet where you can get a five star dining experience for a one star cost. This is because the Heritage Restaurant is staffed by 'Tomorrow's Chefs'...students who are being trained in the fine art of exceptional hospitality at the Secchia Institute for Culinary Education.

White linen and fine china covered the tables. The restaurant was quite full on this particular day and it is wise to make a reservation to ensure you are seated. Our wait staff passed out the lunch menu which included a variety of appetizer selections, soups, salads and main entrees. I decided to be adventuresome and ordered the Moroccan Chicken spiced with cumin and cinnamon and paired with sweet potato and a mint sauce. The combination was inventive and scrumptious!

All meals at the Heritage Restaurant are prepared by the students under the watchful eye of professionals chefs and instructors. Our waiter informed us that the second year students were preparing the food and the first year students were serving the guests. On both counts, the service was impeccable!

Lunch at the Heritage can be afforded within a reasonable budget. I had a beverage, main entree and dessert torte for $13. That amount might have simply paid for my appetizer in a more pricey establishment.

And yet, as I looked outside the full length glass wall which provided an expansive view of the city and also highlighted ice carvings created by the students, I couldn't help but think about how lucky we are in Grand Rapids, Michigan to have an establishment like the Heritage Restaurant which serves up such extraordinary Value with a classy, distinctive style!

CURRENT SPECIAL VALUE DEAL: 25% OFF(excluding beer or wine purchases) for you and a guest on Tuesday of Wednesday evening. Treat Yourself!

Heritage Restaurant: Grand Rapids Community College, Secchia Insitute for Culinary Education

Website: www.grcc.edu/Heritage

Address: 151 Fountain Street NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Reservations: 616-234-3700

Great Dining Values in Grand Rapids MI

For the last month or so, my daughter, Kirstin has been joining co-workers and friends for a burger and a beer after work occasionally. She's come home with a big smile on her face, and it's not a beer generated smile! It's that they've found an amazing place where Monday through Thursday from 4-6 pm they can get a ½ pound Angus beef burger with fries and a pint of beer. And it's no domestic bottled swill, it's interesting, hand-crafted, Michigan brewed beer. The price? $5.00. How can you beat that?!?!?!

So yesterday I had a day where I was all over town, catching up on photos, getting a new battery for a Sentrilock Keybox (the first one I've had to replace, and with a small Allen wrench it was an easy task, unlike some of the competitor's boxes, but that's another story). When I looked at my watch and remembered that I'd not pulled anything from the freezer to cook for dinner, I realized it was a great opportunity to see for myself Kirstin's burger and beer heaven.

She was pretty tickled when I called and told her that I'd pick her up at work rather than at the bus stop and that there was a Hopcat visit in her immediate future.

Located in the Arena District downtown on Ionia Street, we found a parking spot immediately (more confirmation that this was a good choice). We parked right in front of the Photography Room, which is a great gallery run by Brian Kelly, a local photo genius. Next time I'll go early to browse the gallery before my burger/beer feast.

The vibe is very cool. Hardwood floors, a huge, long bar with 48-taps. Interesting and unusual artwork on the walls, and great tunes played at just the right volume. Loud enough to get my head bobbin', but not so loud that I had to shout to talk to my daughter and hear her stories from work. A great mix of songs I've not heard in years, and others that I wasn't familiar with but would love to hear again.

Kirstin selected a Poet, a New Holland Brewing Company Oatmeal Stout- (brewed in Holland Michigan where their brew pub serves the best chili I've ever enjoyed) a rich, dark brew that's become her locally brewed favorite. After much waffling back and forth, I settled on a pint of 555- I.P.A. a smooth, slightly hoppy beer brewed by The Livery in Benton Harbor, MI. Then came the burgers! Grilled to order on a fresh bakery bun, juicy and flavorful. Traveling with the burger were lettuce, tomato, onion and the normal condiments and a pile of thin cut perfectly fried "Crack Fries" billed as being so good that they're addictive. I'm not generally a huge fan of seasoned fries, but these were not overpoweringly seasoned so while I'm not addicted, I did enjoy every bite.

Our server was prompt, knowledgeable, friendly and fun.

Hopcat has a full menu of interesting dishes, seems to be run by people with a passion for beer and fun. I'm certain that when I'm downtown and in need of a bite, or a taste of high quality interesting beer, I know exactly where to go.

If you're looking for a new spot, stop at Hopcat and tell them you read about it on my blog!

Located at 25 Ionia (at the Corner of Weston), Hopcat's main floor is non-smoking, but there's a smoking lounge upstairs and a patio when the weather makes that possible.

Photos from the Hopcat website

RENATUS ON THE HILL CONDOS IN HERITAGE HILL

A new condo development, Renatus On The Hill Condos are located at 253 Prospect ave NE in the Heritage Hill district, just south of Michigan Ave. A unique living space in an historic building, these new condos will be a great addition to our Grand Rapids Downtown Condo scene. I had a tour a few days ago and am very excited to see the finished product. You won't believe the incredible stained glass and woodworking craftsmanship and just have to see it to truly appreciate it.

Renatus Condos will feature high quality finishes such as stone surface countertops, solid wood flooring, fine ceramic tile and carpeting. No cookie-cutter condos will be found here as the residences will be unique and individualized to your particular tastes. Each unit offers a minimum 1.5 baths and built-in cabinets with fold-away beds. Renatus On The Hill condos also offer spectacular "Sanctuary" units with 3 bedroom options and an enormous 3500 square feet of living space. These executive condos are priced in excess of $1M.

Renatus Condos on the Medical Mile are within walking distance to one of the nations largest healthcare and research centers which include Spectrum Health, Lemmon-Holton Cancer Pavillion, Helen Devos' Children's Hospital, The Van Andel Institute and the Seccia Center. No matter what your preferrences are, the world class Renatus design team will make your dream living space a reality! Deeded parking is included and pets are allowed.

Heritage Hill is recognized as Grand Rapids' first neighborhood and is populated with over 1300 homes and more than 60 architectural styles including Classical Revival and Victorian Style Homes. Included in these are the Voigt House and the Frank Lloyd Wright designed, Meyer may Home which have been renovated are now museums and open to the public.

Condo Prices from $240's to $1M+
800 - 3500sq/ft
1, 2 and 3 bedrooms available. Minimum 1.5 baths.
*Association fee: tbd.

*Coverage: Trash, Lawn/Yard Care, Water, Sewer, Snow Removal, Insurance, Heat
*Features Incl: Unique European Flavor, Rooftop Decks, Gas Grill, Patio, Soaring Ceilings, Beautiful original woodwork and incredible stained glass windows.

For more detailed information on these or any other condos, feel free to visit me on the web at GRRealEstateInfo.com. If you are planning a move to Grand Rapids, ask about our Relocation Packages.

Thursday was the official start of Great Lakes Green 2008 that is open to the public and will run through Saturday night (August 21-23, 2008).

The intention of the show is to bring a "greater awareness about residential green building programs and technologies". (www.greatlakesgreen2008.com). Sponsored by Green Built Michigan and many builders, the show will offer professionals and the general public a chance to view some of the products and services that are part of the Green movement.

While certain builders specialize in certain areas of Green, the Green philosophy is geared to energy efficiency, sustainability, and recycled, non-pollutable substances. As a member of the West Michigan Chapter of the USGBC (U.S. Green Building Council), I've had the opportunity to view and begin to understand all the options that are available to consumers. My hope and goal when I embarked upon the "Green" way of thinking was to thoroughly understand the processes and point consumers in the right direction.

How Do You Define Green?

In this process, I've learned valuable information on products and have gotten to know a wide variety of people that are truly interested in building a great home with these Green practices. In talking with consumers, the biggest benefit to Green for them is:

Energy Efficiency

Indoor Air Quality

Environmental Issues (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle)

It will be a fantastic show and I urge you all to attend if you are even slightly curious. I will be part of the LEED for Homes booth (LEED is a third party certification system that rates a home on "Green" Qualities) on Saturday starting at 5:00 pm. Stop by, say hello and see what this is really all about!