Michelle Gordon

If you are gluten intolerant like me, one of the things you are going to worry about is; when I go to Grand Rapids, where will I eat?

This was a huge concern of mine. I had just found out I was gluten intolerant right before moving here. The company that was relocating us was sending us here for a long week end to check out the area and look for a home to move into. However, my biggest worry was where am I going to eat?

I knew I was going to be on the road a lot, so getting the wrong food, was not an option. So needless to say I did not eat much the whole time I was here, and was relieved to go home so I could cook my own food.

Well, Grand Rapids has come a long way with accommodating food allergies in the restaurant industry.

My personal Favorites:

Right outside Eastown http://www.eastowngr.com/ is Marie Catribs. http://www.mariecatribs.com/

She caters to just about any food allergy you may have. One of the things that impressed me is that her staff is as knowledgeable as her. Her wait staff can guide you as to what you can eat and can not eat. She makes her own gluten free bread, so I can even have a sandwich if I want to! Wooo Hooo!

Another restaurant near by but want to have a cocktail with your food is The Green Well. http://www.thegreenwell.com/about

Matt, the head chef has been cooking gluten free for me for about 4 years now. He knows his stuff!

This gastro pub has 20 draught beers on tap, that change all the time to give you a variety, with in the mix is always some local brew.

I have never gone to either of theses restaurants with out waiting for a seat, but they are worth it. Both of these resultants believe in local first and try to buy from the local farmers. So my advise is go to Marie Catribs for breakfast, as her plates are large........you will be full till dinner! Then go to The Green Well for dinner.

Looking for a more formal dinner? Two of my favorites are in Down Town Grand Rapids.

The Chop House http://www.thechophouserestaurant.com/pages/chop_grand.html

A wonderful steak house that has their gluten free menu on line. My daughter's favorite place to go for her birthday! If you go ON your birthday your dinner is free. All of their meat is grain fed, USDA Prime beef. The have a very nice wine list as well. When you are done eating, and think you can eat no more............. Then it is time to go down stairs to the cigar room. After dinner drinks and deserts and cigars are served here. A very nice place to go for fine dining and entertaining.

Leo's http://www.leosrestaurant.com/

My favorite for seafood. Having moved here from the east coast, and raised in Florida, do I need to say how particular I am about my seafood? Leo (the owner) gets fresh seafood in daily. So therefore their menu may change as to what the fresh catch is or what oysters they may have available that night. You can go casual and eat in the bar area, my husband and my favorite thing to do. Or dress it up a bit and eat in the dinning room. Either way you are going to have great gluten free food!

Still downtown but want a light bite or just a bunch of appetizers? Well then, San Chez http://www.sanchezbistro.com/ is your place. They can tell you what you can not eat. San Chez, a Tapas Bistro, has this very cool computer program that when they put into the computer your food allergy, it spits out what you can not eat. A very fun and vibrant place to go. It is located in the heart of all the down town action! Near by is valet parking (right around the corner). Very good for the person out on the town for the evening. Park your car and walk.

I have to tell you right across from the valet parking there is a hot dog vender. I think he comes out about 10pm. He has the best dogs in town. You will find a long line waiting for his dogs at 1am! No, they are not gluten free! I get the hot dog and throw away the bun!

I can not do this with out telling you about my bakery. Coco Charlotte http://coco-charlotte.com/

Erin makes the best gluten free deserts! Her chocolate chip cookies are to die for! I get 2 dozen at a time, and my family eats them as well. You can not even tell they are gluten free! She has not been open long, but the word about her great baked goods have spread like wild fire. I do not wait till the end of the day to go see her, as she is always sold out. Erin also sells her baked items to Forest Hills Foods.

If you need to visit a grocery store, Forest Hills Foods http://www.foresthillsfoods.com/Store/StoreHome.aspx has one of the largest selections and is the most accommodating store I have found. When you walk in to the store right around the customer service desk, you will find a wall of brochures. This is where you will go to find their list of gluten free foods by aisle. I do not like to grocery shop, so they have made my life a lot easier. Forest Hills Foods will also have gluten free seminars and samples for you try on occasion, which is great, because buying gluten free food is expensive, so it nice to try the food first. I can not tell you how many boxes of food I have thrown away!

There many other places you can go in Grand Rapids that will cook gluten free for you, this is just a list of my favorites. As none of them have ever slipped up once while I was there.

While you are here I hope you have a chance to visit some of these places, you will not be disappointed!

New additions 06/23/2009

Per the recommendation from a fellow blogger below I tried the Electric Cheetah and the Brick Road pizza place. Both very good recommendations in my opinion!

The electric Cheetah uses and much as they can from local farmers and natural organic ingredients. The price tag was very reasonable and VERY tasty food. They made me gluten free croutons for my salad.... and had gluten free buns for my burger..........I felt like I was eating like everyone else! http://www.electriccheetah.com/

The Brick road pizza was a great find.............the gluten free pizza was very good..........and my family very much liked their pizza...........so they did not mind getting a "regular" pizza while I ordered the gluten free one............we are from the east coast and used to a thin crust pizza where you can fold the slice in half and eat it............they can make one like this. http://www.brickroadpizza.com/

A big thank you goes out to Lola Audu! Lola with Audu Real Estate in Grand Rapids got wind of my community project that I have been working on with ICCF and Woman Council of Realtors. She loved the idea and has bloged it for me on her own blog.

Our community project is F.L.O.W. (friends landscaping our world). A non-profit community project to landscape lower income family homes in the city of Grand Rapids.

Lola is very much a well respected person and realtor in our community. Her support means so much to me.

I have to admit I think her blog looks better then mine as she knows how to do all the "cool" stuff!

Check out her blog at http://activerain.com/blogsview/351291/F-L-O-W

Thus far getting support from the community for material things has been great! We are able to get local artist help for the out door art auction, Items for the silent auction, donation of a website (which will be up and running soon) a sign company has agreed to make our signs for free etc.....however like any other non-profit we need cold hard cash.

Your cash donation is a charitable tax write off. No donation is too little. On our F.L.O.W. blog site we have pay pal set up for your convenience.

The F.L.O.W. blog site is http://friendslandscapingourworld.blogspot.com/

For more details on the project and to submit your cash donation.

The website is http://www.flowgr.com/ (coming soon) this website will feature all sponsors.

As you can see you do not need to go far!

Skiing and Snow Boarding

Bittersweet Ski Area

Address:
Bittersweet Ski Area
600 River Road
Otsego, MI 49078

Phone: (269) 694-2032
Fax: (269) 694-6860

Pando Winter Sports Park

Address:
Pando Winter Sports Park
8076 Belding Road
Rockford, MI 49341

Phone: (616)874-8343
Fax: (616)874-8480

Cannonsburg Ski Area

Address:
Cannonsburg Ski Area
6800 Cannonsburg Road
PO Box 19
Cannonsburg, MI 49317

Phone: (616)874-6711
Fax: (616)874-6677

Snow Mobile Trail

Fred Meijer White Pine Trail State Park

Address:
Fred Meijer White Pine Trail State Park
211 W. Upton Avenue
Cadillac, MI 49601

Phone: (231)775-7911

Ice Fishing

Due to the many available lakes, I felt like I needed to list them all or not at all. So, lets just say, if this is a sport you like to get involved with, you will not have a problem.

East Grand Rapids - Reeds Lake

If you are keeping up with the post thus far, you realize I do not like to go out in the cold. However, I am in minority. Look at what they do in the winter on Reeds Lake.

The lake is the center if year-round activity. In the winter they ice fish, ice boating, golf tournament and A Kite flying day!

The 2008 golf game called "Ice T" is scheduled for Saturday March 1^st. Call Bill at Roses Café in EGR to get a T time. (616) 458-1122

The Annual Kite flying on the lake is February 16^th, no registration required, just bring your kite, and the bigger the better.

Both events are family oriented and much fun to be had by all! Maybe I will go?????

If anyone else knows of a place for winter fun near or in Grand Rapids, please feel free to reply!

I just wanted to send out my prayers and a heart felt sympathy for all of those who have suffered through this, and are still suffering. I did have a client in the condo project and thank God he was not hurt. From the news reports it appears there were no casualties. I thank God for that as well.

I like to commend the community here in Grand Rapids. As, so many people stepped up to the plate; Red Cross was there ASAP, Pietro's Restaurant open their doors and fed people and gave them warm shelter and the Mayflower Congregational church open their doors and had several families stay the night. We live in a caring and giving community.

State Farm Insurance, Kim Hughes agency in EGR insured my client and was there for him Sunday night at 7pm, he had his claim number then, as was given a check for clothes and was given residence at a local hotel. Do I need to stress the need for insurance? Lenders do not require you to have insurance on a condo, but it means so much, when you really need it. Not that it makes it less devastating, but it does help to know they have your back!

Having been through a home fire myself, I know how horrible this is. This is a time to count our blessings and hug our loved ones.

It is snowing in Grand Rapids Michigan..............again! I am not an outdoor winter activity girl, having been raised in Miami, Florida till my senior year in high school. I never got used to the snow. When we moved to Pennsylvania, I got my first taste of real snow. However they did not have the money to keep up the roads so they just canceled everything at the suspicion of snow. The groceries stores would flood with people buying milk and bread. As people did not go out in the snow.

One year. It snowed so much, that they made all the streets a one way street, by just clearing the middle of each street. The milk delivery guy got attacked in the grocery store (literally) by people who wanted to buy milk....it was crazy.

So I really appreciate Michigan. If you are moving here from a state that does not have snow, or very little snow, you will love the winters here. They keep up the roads here, so it does not cramp your life style. I live in East Grand Rapids, pretty much a "walking" community. I believe in the last 7 years we have been here there has been one snow day for the kids in EGR. That was due to major ice, not snow!

This gives you an opportunity to really enjoy the winters. You can still go out to dinner, go to work and yes the kids can still go to school. Now the schools that bus kids in from rural area's they do have snow days........but most of the time is just a 2 hour delay!

In East Grand Rapids, the joggers still jog, the dog walkers still walk their dogs, and couples still take their nightly walk after dinner. My husband and I watch them from the kitchen window while standing in our warm house!

There are several local ski lifts in Kent County and my 17 year old daughter and her friends go tubing and snow boarding........they have a blast.

Just one more reason why I love it here!

Watch for my next blog, as I will post the winter actives of Kent County.