Fun in Grand Rapids – Mom on the go in Holy Toledo

Grand Rapids Gastropub, Paleo Farm Basket, and more!

August 4, 2015August 5, 2015momonthegoinholytoledo

After taking in all that gorgeous architecture and design we were parched! We managed to locate a delicious eatery just a few miles from the Meyer May house (FREE tours of a Frank Lloyd Wright House!), The Winchester!

I am literally STILL dreaming about that meal! Have you ever eaten something that just tastes so fresh, crisp, and delicious that you just wanted to savor every morsel? That is precisely how I felt about every bite of food I had at The Winchester.

The Winchester is a gastro pub.

What is a gastropub? A gastropub is a bar that also serves high-quality cuisine. Gastropubs, which offer gastronomy in a pub setting, have become extremely popular in recent years. Chefs are now leaving fancy restaurants behind, trading them in for laid-back pubs with accessible price points so they can attract regular customers rather than sporadic diners who only come on special occasions. Gone are the days of greasy “pub grub”….Gastropubs serve a higher standard of food than you’ll find at your average watering hole. SOURCE

We started off lunch with a shareable, Roasted Vegetable. And, get this, some of the veggies actually came from the garden across the street! Talk about local, organic, & FRESH!!

The Winchester definitely quenches the sophisticated palate, and with some of the most simplistic dishes, like the Classic Burger and Fries. Those are fresh, hand cut, homemade, pure deliciousness of a fry! True I gave up carbs but I will make exceptions when it comes to food this delightful!

And the salad I order was nothing short of spectacular! The color, freshness, crispy texture, and unbeatable taste, it was like a symphony for my taste buds.

My taste buds are still singing The Winchester’s praises! I can’t wait to go back!

After Lunch we stopped in at a neighboring establishment, Nourish to grab some ingredients for some Paleo cookies.

Speaking of Paleo how cool is this? Nourish offers a Paleo Farm Basket….

The Paleo Farm Basket

Now in its third season, this basket is already an old favorite with members who are serious about a traditional way of eating.

Each basket in this plan includes:

A gorgeous bouquet of local organically grown vegetables and fruit.
An added selection of some paleo must-have foods like avocados, sweet potatoes and peppers.
Some healthy and interesting traditional fats like lard or coconut oil, along with nuts and fruits.
A supply of healthy local grass-fed locally-grown meat and sustainably caught fish.

Just what the doctor ordered! This basket is for you! $75 a week

Available for convenient free delivery or in-store pickup.

Of course it includes a weekly newsletter that provides great recipes, tips and paleo-healthy information.

Wish they delivered to Toledo, how cool would that be? I want this! (Might have to do some researching and see if there is any local organic health food store that offers a Paleo home delivered basket.)

I also thought it was pretty cool that they had photographs of the actual farmers in the store….it is always nice to put a face with the name of the individual who is putting all their time, energy, and hard work into growing your food.

And last put not least, dessert! Or at least my kind of dessert, a cappuccino!! A REAL cappuccino! At Rowster’s!!

It was so smooth and oh so delicious!

I was sad to see our day in Grand Rapids end. There was so much more I wanted to see and do.

I can’t wait to go back!

Speaking of going back, if you plan on visiting next week you will be in town during Grand Rapids Restaurant Week!! (August 12-23)

Going with the family? Then be sure to check out Grand Rapids Kids before you go for some fun kid friendly hot spots!

Getting a babysitter? Then grab some friends and enjoy the Great Lakes Pub Cruiser! There is so much to do in Grand Rapids! Enjoy! And please feel free to share your adventures in the comments.

FREE Tours of a Frank Lloyd Wright House!

July 30, 2015July 30, 2015momonthegoinholytoledo

The best part about summer….Road Trips!! Destination, Grand Rapids Michigan!!

Our day began in the Heritage Hills Historic District of Grand Rapids, at 450 Madison Avenue, at the Meyer May house. What makes this house so special? It was designed by the famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright in 1909.

It is called the Meyer May house because that is who the structure was initially designed for, a wealthy clothier in Grand Rapids and his family. What is really interesting about the house is that even though it was built over a century ago it doesn’t resemble the “typical” style of the 1900s. That is thanks to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie style architecture which was the first uniquely American architectural style. The Prairie style was inspired by the Midwest with its broad flat landscapes and focused more on space, patterns, form, and lines, such a dramatic shift from what the “typical” style was of the time. So much so that Mr. May’s children were called “odd” thanks to the odd house they lived in. Back then most homes resembled a Victorian style and were highly decorative and ostentatious.

The Meyer May house is now owned by Steelcase and thanks to their funding and the time, research and meticulous detail of many professionals the Meyer May house has been restored to its original design after years of neglect including an addition to the original structure (which was removed), modifications (including lifting the entire roof and adding steel supports in order to restore the roofs cantilever design), etc. It truly pays homage to Wright’s original design. And is such a magnificent gift to the public. The viewing of the film and tour of the house are FREE!!!

As an Interior Designer one of my fascinations with Frank Lloyd Wright is that he extended his work beyond the architecture, he designed the furniture, carpeting, stain glass windows, beds, toys for the children, etc. He truly encompassed the Arts and Crafts movement.

Wright described his goal as such: “To thus make of a dwelling place a complete work of art… this is the modern American opportunity.”

It just fascinates me how he took meticulous care of detail in both the architecture and interior design. His use of scale and proportion can be noted throughout but two significant areas of the house that really stood out for me were the entrance and the master bedroom. The entrance was so tiny (to small to get a proper photograph), in fact the tour guide compared it to the entrance of a cave, I know I was experiencing a bit of claustrophobia when I entered. But then it gives way to this huge space, or does it?

The grandeur of the space is mostly due to the fact that the entrance was so tiny and enclosed. The master bedroom also plays a visual illusion on the occupant thanks to the cantilevered roof it has a protruding window and large window box in addition to a higher ceiling that provides this sense of stateliness when in fact the square footage isn’t that big.

Also his careful use of lines, form, space, shape, and light add to the optical illusion of the interior. His tactful use of positive space and negative space inspires me. He manages to have a barrier between one space and the next yet also utilize daylighting thanks to his careful placement of lines.

He also seems to be obsessed with shape, particularly the circle within a square form; it can be seen quite frequently throughout the house.

I could have spent hours in each room meticulously analyzing every angle, piece of furniture, placement of glass, etc. but the tour guide would not allow it.

Which is why I am so thankful that the tours are free and the house isn’t located to far from home, thus, I am totally going back!! Though I shall forever treasure the first time I toured the house with my architects, my father & brother (who are both architects, what can I say, it runs in the family).

But wait, our day in Grand Rapids Michigan isn’t over yet!! Wait to you hear about where we ate! And where we enjoyed the perfect cappuccino! More to come soon…stay tuned!