Restaurant Reviewed:

Rose's

550 Lakeside Drive SE

East Grand Rapids, MI

Phone: 616-458-1122

Directions:

From Calvin College: Take Lake Drive west into East Grand Rapids. Turn right onto Lakeside Drive (right before East Grand Rapids High School). Rose's is about ¼ mile down the road on the right hand side. The parking lot is tiny, so you may have to park on the street.

Rating Scale--

5 Fingers: Fantabulous

4 Fingers: Good `n' great

3 Fingers: Good, but not great

2 Fingers: Still better than the Dining Hall

The Finger: I'd rather pick my nose

Knuckle Sandwich: Rot-Gut

Restaurant type:

Mediterranean

Average cost: $9.00-$14.00

Overall rating:

5 Fingers

Grand Rapids has been nestled on the banks of scenic Reed's Lake since the early 1900s. It started off as a popcorn stand feeding hungry swimmers, and gradually evolved into the fine dining establishment it is today, serving delicious Mediterranean-inspired cuisine. Rose's is a local favorite, and if you happen to arrive at prime dinner time on a busy night, be prepared to wait for a table. However, the hallway leading to the main dining room is covered with pictures from early 20th century Reed's Lake activities and informative placards that make the time pass quickly.

These reviewers were first and foremost impressed by the pleasantness of the wait staff. Our waitress went out of her way several times to be sure that our drinks were full (unlimited soda refills!), our food was good, and that we were comfortable. Such an attentive waitress augmented our dining experience and pushed Rose's into the ``5 Finger'' range, the first (and only) top ranking review of the year. Also, the hyper-cleanliness of the bathroom was a definite asset, as was the complimentary Scope mouthwash located near the sink, which was appreciated fully after a garlic laden meal.

Ah the food! For appetizers, we chose the calamari, hummus, and bruschetta--three dishes separate in character but equally tasty (this meal was, of course, paid for by generous relatives, thus allowing the extravagance of not one, not two, but three appetizers). The calamari was golden fried and piping hot, served with a thick, chunky dipping sauce that resembled salsa full of an oniony bite. The hummus was served with crisp garlic triangles and was itself exceedingly garlicky, but very pleasing to the palate nonetheless--if you like hummus. The bruschetta was made with substantial hunks of fresh tomatoes (no canned tomatoes here) and--you guessed it--garlic.

In addition to these appetizers, Rose's provided us with warm, newly baked bread, freshly grated parmesan cheese, and savory olive oil in which to dip our bread free of charge. One of our dining companions shamefully requested butter, insulting Maria's Italian heritage. He later paid for the meal, thus rectifying the situation satisfactorily.

For entrees, Maria decided on the spinach salad, a delightful mound of dark green baby spinach with gorgonzola cheese, dried cherries, pine nuts and fresh, grilled mahi-mahi served with a tangy vinaigrette dressing. Anna selected the wood-fired Pizza #2, covered with gooey cheese, chicken, and pesto. She devoured the delicious dish (quite the notch up in the pizza world from Papa John's or Hungry Howie's) in a short amount of time and while staring at her empty plate ruefully commented, ``I can't believe I ate the whole thing!''

One of our dining companions settled on the pasta special: cavatappi, spinach, tomato, scallops, and a flavorful cream sauce that smelled divine. Unfortunately, this dining companion became slightly overzealous in consuming her meal and managed to spill quite a bit on the front of the white blouse she was wearing. Nonetheless, she remained undaunted and went on to, like Anna, finish her entire meal. Our other dining companion selected the mahi-mahi sandwich, a succulent piece of fresh grilled mahi-mahi served on a bun with a spicy mayonnaise sauce. Accompanying the sandwich were root chips (made on site) and a creamy pasta salad, all of which rapidly disappeared.

And then dessert rolled around. Just when you, our loyal readers, thought we couldn't possibly eat any more, our congenial waitress presented us with the dessert menu. And we simply could not resist. Anna selected the tiramisu, which turned out to be a perfect representation of this Italian treat. Maria settled on the baked apple pie with cinnamon gelato. Although she, in a fit of sheer excitement (it was her birthday), burnt her tongue on the scalding filling, she enjoyed the dish immensely, despite being unable to finish it (Anna took care of that problem). Our other dining companions had the turtle cheesecake, which incredibly managed to taste better than it looked, and the red raspberry sorbet, which was so juicy, sweet, and sticky we were wishing that summer would hurry up and arrive.

Just when we thought Rose's couldn't possibly get any better, the bill arrived with four small cups filled with homemade caramel corn--the snack that Rose's started off making and whaich made the restaurant famous. The caramel corn was tooth-ache sweet and is available for purchase if you need more. As one of our dining companions commented, ``It says on the bag `One Bite Leads to Another.' It's true, so I ate the whole thing.'' And that fine quote pretty much sums up our theme for the meal: Eating the Whole Thing.

These reviewers were sad when the time came to leave the pleasantly low lit, varnished table top environment that Rose's provided, but ecstatic that they did not have to pick up the tab. It is true that you pay more for quality, and Rose's is certainly a quality establishment. While the prices are steep, the money is well spent and the food is definitely worth it if you feel like getting away from the dining hall and splurging, or just want to take that special someone out to a special place. We hope to see you at Rose's!

Chow for Now,

Maria & Anna