PoutinePrize?

As millions of visitors descend on downtown Grand Rapids for the annual ArtPrize competition later this week, some restaurants located outside the central zone have come up with a competition of their own. 

“I’ve been over here for two years now,” said Chelsea Pellegrino, Director of Operations at 7 Monks Taproom. “Whenever there’s something big going on downtown this area is a little bit slower.” 

To remedy the doldrums during ArtPrize, 10 restaurants along the Michigan Street Corridor will be serving up some culinary creations originated by our neighbors from the north – poutine! 

This Canadian cuisine staple created in Quebec in in the 1950’s can take on a myriad of forms, depending on who is creating the delicacy. For some, poutine is just gravy and cheese curds on top of fries, for others, like the chefs at 7 Monks Taproom, it’s a lot more involved than that. Some of the restaurants involved in Poutine Week got together last February for a similar event and the winning dish was poutine topped with a lobster tail!

Like ArtPrize, the popular prize will be decided by the people. There’s even a poutine passport. People who wish to take part will collect a passport stamp for each of the poutines they sample. Collect five stamps and get a free T-shirt. 

“It’s a supplies last situation, but we have quite a few of them,” said Pellegrino. 

With plenty of parking and a lot of expertise in providing drinks and food to people looking for a casual dining experience, the Michigan Street corridor restaurants are hoping hungry ArtPrize visitors will swing by to check out their artful take on poutine. The promotion starts Sept. 15 and runs through Oct. 2 

The event is organized by the Michigan Street Corridor Improvement Authority and includes Kaffeine Place GR, Glass House Bar, The Friesian Gastro Pub, Bob’s Bar, Birch Lodge, 7 Monks Taproom, Grand Coney, Maggie’s, Logan’s Alley and Vander Mill, located around the corner on Ball Ave NE. For more information visit the website.