Food + Drink

It’s officially fall! With the cornucopia of local farms and orchards (not to mention picturesque color tours), some argue fall is the best time of year in town. Whether you’re looking for fresh-pressed apple cider or to find the perfect pumpkin, we’ve found five places in Grand Rapids to celebrate the season.

With 10 years under its belt on Wealthy Street, The Sparrows Coffee Tea and Newsstand expanded this weekend with the opening of its second location.

It’s nearing the end of September, which means it’s time to celebrate Oktoberfest. The real festival started last week in Germany and lasts until next week, but the Edelweiss Club of Grand Rapids is hosting Oktoberfest West Michigan this weekend, September 29 and 30, at John Ball Park.

Aaron Van Timmeren, head chef at Bistro Bella Vita, said there was a time when the Grand Rapids Griffins would play and the restaurant would be dead. Now on game nights, Bistro Bella Vita is packed - as it is most other nights of the week when something is going on in downtown Grand Rapids.

From the North Quarter to Heartside, we scoured Grand Rapids’ 10 neighborhoods for the best happy hours around. Regardless of where you work or live, there’s always somewhere to score cheap drinks and tasty bites.

A specialty market with a long reputation in the community has opened its doors downtown.

If you are attending the annual Harvest Festival in Rockford this weekend, be sure to stop by Rockford Brewing’s beer tent and pick up a beer brat.

A new pub crawl tour offers you a fun way to view hundreds of ArtPrize entries while enjoying beer from more than a dozen breweries and restaurants downtown.

Grand Rapids is home to the best craft spirits in the nation, according to readers of USA Today.

In honor of National Cheeseburger Day today, Johnny B'z is offering a $5 deluxe burger and PBR beer special until closing time. The eatery, located on Wealthy Street, said you can swap out a Coke product for the PBR if you're on the clock.

Grand Rapids VegFest is back for its third year with speakers, cooking demonstrations and tons of delicious food.

End your day with a craft cocktail (or several, no one’s judging). Tonight, 22 craft distillers from around Michigan are throwing the first Michigan Distilled Festival.

Starbucks may have started the pumpkin spice trend with its pumpkin spice latte, but there are plenty of local restaurants, coffee shops, breweries and even retailers offering up their own twists on the fall favorite. Check out some local spots where you can get your pumpkin spice fix.

A group of Grand Rapids chefs are teaming up this week on a five-course meal to benefit a local nonprofit.

Long Road Distillers is giving you another reason to get out of bed on Sunday morning. After expanding its kitchen in May, Long Road has updated its brunch menu to include several more items.

A new vendor has moved into the Downtown Market. Pho 616 opened on Friday morning in the Market Hall.

Emily Griffen describes her background as bizarre, noting she is a former competitive Thai fighter who spent four years traveling the world and participating in martial arts competitions and then became an entrepreneur that makes bloody mary mixes.

Kids aren't the only ones going back-to-school in September. The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) is hosting its Beer Explorer's Back-to-Beer-School program, which will highlight beers from six local breweries.

Gray Skies Distillery is giving Sunday brunch a try beginning this weekend with Cocktails & Tacos.

Chef Peter Davidson has been overseeing the Vander Mill kitchen for less than a month, but he is already incorporating some new ideas into the cider-maker’s food menu, with plans for a bigger overhaul later this year.