Eating Grand Rapids

Let me preface this blog by admitting my obsession with herbs (rosemary in particular) and that I am especially attracted to the interior of Electric Cheetah because of that. When you enter the restaurant there is a huge potted rosemary plant right there to greet you, but that’s not all, the windows are lined with rosemary plants as well. Above the kitchen there is also a gorgeous (but modern) wall mural of herbs; sage, thyme, oregano, chives, etc. The atmosphere is perfect for my taste. And, I also have a special place in my heart for any restaurant that serves local produce and meat (from animals who are treated properly) and Electric Cheetah gets most, if not all, of their meat from Creswick Farms. This is a fantastic place to get a hamburger without feeling guilty about it.

Okay, on with it.

Whenever my friends and I have the chance to meet for lunch we like to go to Electric Cheetah. We are all addicted to their Grilled Cheese Sandwich (provolone, goat cheese, cheddar, roma tomatoes, and caramelized onion on sourdough – with fresh rosemary seared to the outside of the bread) and Tomato Saffron Bisque. The grilled cheese is fantastic but very rich and creamy, so I highly recommend you get a ladle of  bisque to balance it out with a little bit of mild acidity. I also suggest that you substitute the chips that come with the sandwich for their russet fries (for an additional fee). The russet fries are freshly cut before they are fried, so they have an amazing chewy consistency. Plus, they are seasoned with kosher salt and freshly chopped rosemary. They are the best fries I have found in Grand Rapids. And, they come with your choice of two dipping sauces. Some of my favorites are curry catsup, garlic aoli, and creamy parmesan.

My friend Karen and I met at Electric Cheetah for dinner on Saturday night. She especially loves this place because she can’t have gluten, and they offer gluten-free bread and cookies, so she can get her beloved grilled cheese, and some freshly baked monster cookies for dessert. I knew I would be writing a blog about this particular trip, so I decided to try something that I have had my eye on since they unveiled their newly revised menu this month; Black Rice Salad (Forbidden Rice, mixed with garlic, ginger, grape tomatoes, green onions, red peppers, orange segments, organic spinach, cumin, and olive oil, topped with pan seared Scottish salmon).

When the Black Rice Salad was delivered I was beyond impressed. You can see from the picture how vibrant and gorgeous it is. I was surprised by the huge portion considering the price was only $10. When I tasted the salad, though, I must admit that I was disappointed. I did not taste any garlic, ginger, or cumin in this dish, and there were no orange segments. The salad was screaming for tartness, but had none. To me, it tasted like nothing more than rice and veggies tossed in a little bit of oil. Luckily, the salmon had fantastic flavor – herbal and lightly salted. And, although the salmon looked like it may be a little dry, when I broke it apart with my fork it was perfectly moist. The rice and vegetables were both good, but they needed more, so I was generally disappointed with the salad. I still ate almost all of it, but someday would love to try it again with all the flavors promised on the menu.

I would have told the waitress of my disappointment, but she never asked how our meal was tasting. She did stop by once to ask if we “needed anything,” but did not ask how our food was, and without opening that dialog, I am a little timid about “complaining.” Maybe I am expecting too much.

Speaking of wait staff, though, the only problem I have had with Electric Cheetah (and my friends have all commented on it as well) is that their service is generally not great. The food is so fantastic that we keep coming back, but we have learned to stop expecting much from the wait staff. There is one waiter who always does an excellent job, but all of the others who I have encountered have been either weirdly inattentive  or nervous and self-conscious, making us feel the same. For example, we’ve frequently had to flag someone down for things like drink refills because nobody checked up on us. Also, a couple times we have had our waiter come over and randomly offer freshly ground pepper on our food after we were literally halfway done eating. Confusing behavior. Maybe I just have bad luck.

Regardless, I love this restaurant. Everyone in Grand Rapids should dig in to the beautiful dishes they offer on their extremely affordable menu. Do what I have and become a fan of Electric Cheetah on Facebook to keep up on their inventive daily specials and homemade soup selections.

UPDATE: Check out Black Rice Salad, Round II