Katie & Spencer
While You're Here
Food.
* * * * *
Littlebird
One of our favorites in town. Fantastic food, wine, atmosphere, dessert, and people. Also great brunch.
One Stop Coney
Classic coney stop, but the quality and taste is off the charts. They also have an N64 in the back.
Butcher's Union
Contemporary American and one of the best overall restaurants in Grand Rapids. Also in the heart of Bridge Street, a drag of great restaurants and bars. Katie's favorite food in town.
KCM
Spencer's favorite food in town. Korean street food at its best. Get the cabbage with black sesame dressing. It'll change your life.
Živio
Best Mediterranean food in Grand Rapids, if not West Michigan, and it isn't even close. The location is perfect for popping into after walking the delightful shops and stops of Wealthy Street, and the food is delicious. They also do Turkish coffee, if that's your thing. Word of warning: the portions are enormous.
Lucy's
Staple in the Creston neighborhood. A bit far from downtown but definitely worth it. Arguably the best breakfast/brunch in town.
Quarantino's
Detroit-style pizza, which means its all about the square slices and the caramelized crust. Offers gluten-free and vegetarian options as well.
Mokaya
Wait. This isn't a restaurant or bar. You're completely correct. It is a chocolate shop. Yup. And it is so dang good that we had to include it on our list of recommendations. Swing in, take a huge waft of fresh chocolate, and then buy everything your eyes and stomach tell you to. They're all as pretty as they are scrumptious. You won't regret it.
Roam
"World fare" aka dishes inspired from all around the world. Great variety and super tasty.
Drink.
* * * * *
Lantern Coffee Bar and Lounge
Quiet, chill, and pouring some of the best coffee in Grand Rapids. Right near the Canopy, for those staying there.
Madcap Coffee Company
The most popular coffee in town and well deserved. Tons of options, delicious pour-overs, and double insulated cups, which is weird to brag about, but they are really nice to have.
Good Good Good
Wine, flowers, great vibes, and even better people. Good Good Good is our favorite wine spot in town and is owned and operated by three of our good, good, good friends. They are part flower shop, part bottle shop, and part wine bar, so they basically everything you could ever need. Super fun fact: all of the inevitably gorgeous flowers and arrangements at the wedding will be solely thanks to Good Good Good!
Eastern Kille Wealthy
Katie and Spencer's favorite bar and distillery in Grand Rapids and Western Michigan. World-class cocktails, fantastic people, and great vibes. Also has a Rockford location right off the White Pine Trail that serves great pizza with tons of patio space.
Speciation Cellars
Brewery making some of the best beer in Grand Rapids and also some of the best wine. Top tier sours. Spencer's favorite brewery in West Michigan.
Less Traveled
This is the cocktail lounge for the other big distillery in town, Long Road Distillery, and it SLAPS. The variety and creativity of the cocktails are top tier, and the vibes are great, whether you're inside in the moody lounge or outside on the perfect patio. It is also a great spot to hit up after shopping the stores and spaces of Cherry Street (including Ritual Wines across the street, one of our favorite wine stores).
SIDEBARGR
Hole-in-the-wall that shares an entrance with a pizza place (Big-O's). Minimal seating with maximum cocktail options and taste. Great bartenders and intimate vibes.
Max's South Seas Hideaway
Tiki, tiki, tiki. Huge cocktail menu with all the tiki staples plus unique offerings. Classic tiki lounge aesthetic and good food too.
Aperitivo
Wine, beer, charcuterie, and fantastic sandwiches, all in the Downtown Market (a large, indoor, open market with multiple vendors). You can also bring in food from around the Market.
Fun (Near).
* * * * *
Grand Rapids Downtown Market
Grand Rapids' large, indoor, open market with a variety of food options and other vendors. Plenty of stuff to grab and go too (meat and fish market, bakery, and wine store).
Grand Rapids Art Museum
Great art museum right downtown with world-class exhibits.
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
A conservatory with a ton of really cool outdoor and indoor exhibits, plus a big empty room with a creepy face. Home of our favorite summer concert series. During the week of the wedding, they will have their famous butterfly exhibit, which is super fun and butterflyey.
Woodrows Duckpin Bowling
Duckpin bowling lanes located in the Amway Hotel. Duckpin means the balls and pins are both smaller, but the competition is HUGE.
The Pyramid Scheme
Primarily a concert venue (shows basically every night), but it also is a great bar with a ton of pinball machines for all your bumpering needs.
Fun (Far-ish).
* * * * *
Millennium Park
Not really "far," but outside of town. Beautiful big park with tons of walkways, bike trails, a beach, and kayaking options.
The White Pine Trail
Obviously, this is pretty weather dependent, but one of our favorite trails is the White Pine Trail that technically starts North of downtown Grand Rapids in Riverside Park (which is Katie's neighborhood park!) and goes 92 total miles North, winding through a combination of nature and civilization. While we love to bike the stretch from Grand Rapids to Rockford and back, we highly recommend driving to downtown Rockford, walking South for a mile on the trail to either Third Nature Brewing and/or Eastern Kille (both have direct trail access) and then walking back and exploring Rockford. NATURE.
Eastern Kille Distillery - Rockford / White Pine Trail
Yes, this is another Eastern Kille location, but this one has incredible architecture, great outdoor space, and PIZZA with the same delicious cocktails (including potentially one named by Spencer!). While the space itself is gorgeous, it also boasts a direct sidewalk connection to The White Pine Trail (see above), so it can easily be a stop to or from downtown Rockford, if that's your vibe. If you sit at the bar, tell Yoshi that Spencer and Katie say "Hi!"
Holland State Park (Beach)
Located in Holland, Michigan, one of our favorite beaches. We know it's April, but if you've never seen Lake Michigan from the Michigan side, this is one of the best places to see it. Also, if you look South across the channel, you'll see "Big Red," a historic lighthouse that is also where we got engaged!
Modales Wines
Located in Southwest Michigan, Modales is putting out some of the best wine in Michigan (that's a real compliment). It is also a beautiful vineyard with great snacks (get the pimento and crackers).
