Chairs ready to unpack and set up, and some gorgeous lightThere is good news for Tender Foodies in Grand Rapids. Another restaurant, the new Trillium Haven restaurant in the Kingsley Building (1429 Lake Dr. SE, Grand Rapids) expects to be accommodating people with food allergies.
But don't over run them right away, Tender Foodies. It's always best for food allergy peops to wait a month or two before venturing into any new food joint. Even experienced restauranteurs with the most educated staff and well-practiced systems have a pretty steep learning curve during opening weeks. Food allergy training, and the prevention of food allergy-sized cross contamination are systems that can typically be last. So it's safest for people with food allergies to wait until any restaurant opening kinks have worked themselves out.
Executive Chef Joel Wabeke spent 5 years at six.one.six working with the fabulous, and much missed Andrew Voss. Chef Voss is a notable talent who always showed a great deal of respect for people with food allergies, from the service at the table to the deliciousness of the cuisine on the plate, and I am excited to see the magic that Joel will create.
Anja Mast and Michael VanderBrug are the owners of this sure-to-be favorite in Eastown. Staff memberw will be required to do a rotation on their Trillium Haven Farm, a well known CSA in Jenison that uses organic practices. Owning both a farm and a restaurant puts Anja and Michael in a unique position to take the farm-to-plate concept to a whole new level. When I spoke to Anja Mast, she said, "It will be like nothing you have seen before. It will be a different kind of dining experience." The farm will now completely support the restaurant, even during the winter months.
I had a chance to see the restaurant pre-opening, during a Green Drinks event hosted by Trillium Haven and Guy Bazzani. Here are a few pre-opening teasers I snapped with my iPhone. The brick, stone, steel, and wood give a wonderfully grounded feeling to the space. I'm excited to experience it with the sounds, aromas and hustle of a working restaurant. You can be sure a review is in the near future.
A wine rack over the bar.
The stainless steel bar.
Light sockets hung and waiting for their bulbs.
A large, wood table ready for assembly (note: this is slated to be the "coolest" spot to dine.)