November/December 2025
Every issue
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Escape to Alto
If you’re in the mood for a little country drive and some terrific tavern food, the Nighthawk Grille & Bar in Alto, 6950 Whitneyville Ave SE, is calling your name.
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Features
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The Søvengård: 2025 Restaurant of the Year
When The Søvengård opened on Bridge Street in 2016, it was before the neighborhood blossomed into the lively dining destination it is today.
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More than a dozen ways to decorate au naturel
For many West Michigan families, Thanksgiving weekend marks more than the end of the pumpkin-pie parade—it’s the unofficial green light to start decking the halls.
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Food + Drink
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From rock bottom to buried treasure
There are restaurants that open and close without anyone giving it a second thought. And then there’s The Dungeon.
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Southern comfort!
Right in the center of East Grand Rapids—smack in the middle of Gaslight Village’s town square—is a restaurant that might look familiar at first glance.
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Pickle perfect!
Now that cold weather has officially set in, there’s a new drive-through you’re going to want to try.
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12 soups for you!
There’s nothing quite like a hot bowl of soup on a snowy day. Sure, winter can be harsh, but these soups are the cozy silver lining in the dark cloud that’s parked over G-Rap right now.
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Razzle Dazzle: Raspberry Linzer Tart With Almond Crust
Laura Klynstra loves a good pie. She’s made hundreds over the years, bringing them to holiday parties and family gatherings.
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Look + Feel
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Bubbles with benefits
Forget everything you thought you knew about sparkling water. A new Grand Rapids-based startup is flipping the script—one smooth sip at a time.
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The house that friends built
Immersed in real estate and renovations growing up in Grand Rapids, Ella Baker transitioned to Michigan State’s prestigious interior design program.
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Sweater weather and the boot that changed my winter
It’s only the beginning of winter and Mother Nature has already made her intentions clear.
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People + Places
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Seeking justice at home and abroad
Kurt and Jo Ann Van Engen Ver Beek wanted to change the world when they graduated from Calvin University back in 1986. The pair have done so one country at a time, starting in Honduras where they live most of the year. They founded The Association for a More Just Society—ASJ—that has offices in Honduras […]
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GR filmmakers score Thanksgiving Day premiere on BET+
Grand Rapids residents will have an extra reason — apart from the big football game — to turn on the television this Thanksgiving.
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Poppin’ off with Grand Rapids Symphony
Oh come, all ye faithful fans of the Grand Rapids Symphony—and deck the halls along the way, because Hallelujah, Santa Claus is coming to town.
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Odd ballers: The cult next door
The Benton Harbor commune known as the Israelite House of David is a fascinating chapter in American religious and cultural history, blending spiritual ambition with public spectacle.
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