There’s a certain kind of meal that doesn’t just impress you—it lingers afterward in a quieter way. Lighter. Clearer. Like the food didn’t just pass through a kitchen, but through a philosophy.
That was the experience recently at Coast 236 in Saugatuck, where Chef Rick Bower isn’t just cooking—he’s sourcing, filtering, and deciding what deserves to be on the plate.
On this visit, he wasn’t just in the building. He was there on a Sunday, stepping in to cook and talk through his own story.
“I’ve been a chef for 27 years. I’ve worked in Michelin-starred restaurants and with James Beard winners,” Bower says, almost matter-of-factly.
It lands differently when you realize what he’s doing now: not chasing prestige, but precision in sourcing. At Coast 236, the menu changes constantly—every couple of weeks—shaped by what’s ethical, seasonal, and available.
There’s an eight-course tasting menu, along with à la carte options, but neither is fixed for long. This is a kitchen designed around movement.
Some restaurants talk about tasting menus like they’re exercises in restraint. This one doesn’t feel restrained at all—it feels generous.
Three chicken liver mousse “breads” arrive first, rich but balanced, finished with fresh truffle. The tuna crudo follows—MSC-certified tuna from the Marshall Islands, a full, satisfying appetizer rather than a delicate bite, brightened with olive oil, shallots, crispy capers, Maldon salt, grapefruit, and herbs.
Then the pacing really starts to build: scallop, potatoes, and short rib—braised beef paired with a seared scallop in lime leaf brodo, turnip purée, crisp leek, and a kale chip. A risotto comes next, each grain holding its own texture while still tasting fully integrated. Lobster—or maybe langostino or crawdad, depending on the night—arrives rich but still controlled.
And the surprising part isn’t that it’s delicious. It’s how much food there is.
Cooking up something new…
Chef Rick Bower is expanding his culinary portfolio with Heritage Social, a new Italian restaurant at 310 Blue Star Highway, created in partnership with Candice and Brian Grant of The Grant Collection.
The restaurant builds on Bower’s catering work with Coastal Reserve, with a menu centered around handmade pastas, classic Italian dishes, and regional specialties inspired by the cuisine of Central Italy through Sicily. Heritage Social focuses on scratch cooking, traditional techniques, seasonal ingredients, and house-made preparations.
Reservations
are required. Photo by Teri Genovese.
Normally, a meal like this would feel like a commitment. Something you’d need to be gently rolled out of. Instead, every plate disappears. Every bite gets finished.
At some point you stop thinking in courses and just start thinking: I could keep going.
Which, in a way, is the point. Coast 236 is known for its eight-course tasting menu, but nothing about the experience feels like endurance. It feels like appetite, sustained rather than overwhelmed.
Bower describes the kitchen as operating on a “near zero-waste” model. That shows up in menu design, prep logic, and how ingredients are broken down and reused.
The restaurant recently earned the 2026 Smart Catch Seal from Where Food Comes From, with 98.81% of its seafood verified as sustainable through the Smart Catch program.
It’s a meaningful number, but more for what it represents behind the scenes than as a headline.
“I’ve worked in Chicago, Las Vegas, SW Michigan,” Bower says. “Now I’m focused on utilizing local farms. About as seasonal as anything.”
That includes partnerships with regional growers like Crisp County Acres, foraging ramps in bulk, and sourcing mushrooms from Plainwell—alongside global imports like Faroe Island salmon when needed.
Local when possible. Traceable always.
The restaurant itself sits in a light-filled, glassy space that feels part dining room, part Lake Michigan air. In warmer months, a courtyard nearly doubles the footprint.
Courses arrive steadily, but never heavily. It’s a progression rather than a procession: crudo, mousse, shellfish, short rib, risotto, something deeply satisfying in every direction.
A glass of Gewürztraminer ties it together—bright, aromatic, almost unusually perfect with seafood. The restaurant is also recognized in the 2026 Wine Spectator Restaurant Awards for its wine program.
The most interesting part isn’t a single dish. Just the feeling that the meal was built with intention at every step—what was taken, what was used, and what was left out.
That’s where Chef Rick Bower’s version of sustainability becomes tangible at Coast 236. Not as a label on a menu, but as something you feel when you stand up from the table.
At the bottom of the menu is a familiar phrase in restaurants that care about sourcing:
Caveat emptor: pricing and availability subject to change.
Go have your own experience at Coast 236—and discover what ethically sourced, sustainable cooking tastes like.
You’ll be glad you did.
More Clean Cuisine
The Søvengård: An open-air, Nordic-inspired biergarten on Bridge St. in Grand Rapids that utilizes local agriculture and the “New Nordic” movement to create brilliant, hyper-seasonal seasonal dishes.
Grove: Located on Cherry Street, this upscale, award-winning gem is renowned for its hyper-seasonal menu and sustainable practices. They work with a network of family farms to feature Michigan-sourced meats and produce.
Salt of the Earth: Located in nearby Fennville, this restaurant is a lakeshore legend. They run their own farm-to-table garden and source all meats and vegetables from local farms.
Terra GR: Situated in Eastown, Terra is a staple for artisan, farm-to-table American fare. Their menu highlights ingredients sourced from over 30 local farms to create seasonal wood-fired pizzas, salads, and mains. (Look for our feature on Terra Kitchen in Ada in the November issue of Grand Rapids Magazine.)
Sandy Point Beach House (West Olive): Offers a relaxed but elevated dining experience with a strong focus on fresh, high-quality seafood and seasonal American cuisine just steps from local beaches.
