Some restaurants are indisputably a good value. Maybe they’re not the fanciest, or the most innovative, but they are kind to the wallet. Such was my first visit to the Peppermill Grill in Rockford — good food at a good price.

Our group of seven was looking for a place we could go with our dogs following a nice Saturday morning walk on the White Pines Trail when the Peppermill Grill came to mind.

Its open patio has four tables with umbrellas and the dogs were welcomed to join us and sit tableside. Two of the four tables were occupied when we arrived, but as soon as those diners vacated, we took over three of the four tables in search of shade. The umbrellas don’t have a tilt adjustment, so on this hot, bright day, getting out of the sun was difficult.

We were greeted right away. After a little confusion about who was helping us — brought on by the combination of a new server and new system — we got things straightened out. While we looked over the menu big glasses of ice water for the humans and a pitcher of water and Styrofoam trays for the dogs arrived.

The menu is pretty simple, the expected array of classic sandwiches, salads and a nice selection of breakfast standards, including omelets which are served all day.

We all opted for sandwiches, none of which cost more than $4.50. I had the classic cheeseburger ($3.95), and added “deluxe” and olives, each an extra 50 cents. Others had the tuna salad, grilled cheese, the bacon cheeseburger and the BLT. I polled the group and everyone said their food was good. All of the sandwiches came with chips and a pickle. Fries could be added for an extra charge.

This restaurant has perhaps kept their costs where they are because they do charge extra for things not everyone wants (so if you do want it, it costs extra). I’m OK with that — people have got to make a profit and at these prices, if it costs 50 cents for olives, then so be it.

It’s hard to leave any restaurant for less than $10, but we all walked away for far less with our stomachs full.

As far as dining inside, I did catch a glimpse on my trip to the restroom. It was nice and cool (a welcome respite from the hot temperatures outside) with booths and tables, mostly full with lunch-time diners.

You aren’t going to walk away from the Peppermill saying, “WOW, That was the best burger I’ve ever had!” But you might walk away saying, “That was really good and it was cheap.”

A little south of the bustling center of Rockford, this restaurant is located on the south side of Squire Street. In a town with few quick, casual sit downs, this is a good one to keep on your radar for a speedy, economical meal.

A popular bar on the main drag downtown, Rogue River Tavern is one such spot to play (and eat). It’s a destination for after-work or after-bowling league drinks (handy too, as it is located right next to the bowling alley).

We made our way to the Tavern one Friday evening after work to check out the menu, arriving around 6:30 with prompt seating. It is a bar, so lots of large groups were gathered together celebrating the end of another week. There was a good mix of adults and kids with lots of families gathered to socialize.

Drinks available are basic bar fare, as well as a small selection of wines. We ordered a beer and perused the menu, hoping for something unique. I didn’t have to look far — the appetizer menu featured not only Fried Pickles ($5.59), but Crispy Fried Green Beans ($6.99) as well. Very encouraging!

We ordered the Green Beans, as well as our main entrees. The Green Beans were fantastic, crispy and hot, the bean long and firm, and served with ranch dressing. These were gobbled up enthusiastically and I was greatly encouraged to sample the rest of our food.

Sadly, the spark of uniqueness ended with the beans, as the meals that arrived next were merely ordinary bar food. Not bad, just basic.

My husband ordered the River Burger ($5.99), which came with three toppings of his choice, and a side of chips. The burger was done correctly, and arrived with the correct toppings (jalapeños and bacon); the chips were mostly crumbs — end of the bag, apparently.

My sandwich, the Cubano Chicken Panini ($6.99) was described as roasted chicken, ham, and bacon with Swiss cheese and mustard. My sandwich had no bacon, nor did the chicken seem “roasted.” Rather it seemed like deli slices of chicken and ham, dressed with plain yellow mustard. Quite bland, but grilled well and served warm.

My son ordered boneless chicken wings, and again, these could have been great but fell flat. Plain chunks of chicken, deep fried, and served basket style with fries. The breading had little flavor, the nuggets somewhat overdone.

It seems the cook needs to get acquainted with a few spices, and pay attention to the little details. Then again, it is a bar, and sometimes a meal is more about the company than the food in front of you. All in all, Rogue River Tavern is a great place to grab a drink and relax with friends.

So when I recently was on the lookout for a new place to try, I couldn’t help but notice Marinade’s Pizza Bistro, a dine-in or take-out restaurant located right next to Grill One Eleven.

Marinade’s offers what you would normally expect from a downtown pizza shop — pizza, breadsticks, calzones, sandwiches and some smaller pasta dishes. But what sets the pizzeria apart is its unique views on otherwise traditional Italian dishes.

I couldn’t help but immediately be drawn to the potato rosemary pizza. With an olive oil base, the pizza features onions, potatoes and gobs of cheese. The wood-fired pizza is very light, with a perfectly baked and seasoned crust, and is certainly filling enough. My 10-inch pie ($7.95) was certainly enough to satisfy me for dinner.

My dining partner went with a more “meaty” route — the spicy sausage ($9.95). Featuring spicy sausage, roasted garlic, onion, fresh thyme and pepper, the pizza was full of flavor and spice. And like my dish, the crust was flavorful, and not too crispy (or soft). Everything just came together as you’d expect.

The service was great too. While I ordered at the counter, the cashier was quick to help make my decision and the food was brought out in a reasonable timeframe.

All in all, Marinade’s definitely hit a home run with its concept. While it’s not breathtakingly different from every other pizzeria out there, Marinade’s does it with class. Nearly perfect pizza can go a long way in attracting new customers (especially in a smaller town), and Marinade’s Pizza Bistro has definitely found the perfect recipe for success.

Reds has been a wonderful addition to the local restaurant scene, and is the site of many special occasion dinners, prom dates, and is host to a thriving after-work cocktail scene. I called early Saturday afternoon and secured a reservation for 7 that evening.

We arrived on time and were seated promptly; however, that seating placed us right in the path of the servers from the kitchen to the dining room. Directly next to our table servers were stacking folding trays, swinging in and out of doors, and one waiter actually clunked me in the head with a menu as he rushed by — not the way to start our meal, so we requested a change of seating. This request was pleasantly granted and we were re-located to a more favorable location.

With that rather unpleasant bit of business out of the way, we ordered our drinks and a soft drink for our son. Reds has an extensive wine and beer list — it is one of the things we most enjoy about the restaurant.

My husband ordered the Filet ($33), a center cut tenderloin served with mashed yukon potatoes and asparagus spears. My son ordered the New York Strip ($29), naturally raised and aged 21 days, also served with mashed yukon potatoes and asparagus spears. Both steaks arrived cooked perfectly to order and presented attractively.

But this presented another issue that caused displeasure  — while serving the steaks the wait staff warned us that the plates were “extra, extra hot — like 500 degrees.” Scorching hot plates are not quite the thing to place in front of a patron eager to dig in to their meal. I reached for my wine glass and accidentally brushed against the plate – it was indeed searing hot. Not good.

I ordered one of the house specialties — Cajun Mac and Cheese ($17).  Spanish chorizo, andouille sausage and onion are combined with cavatappi pasta and a creamy sauce of gruyere and parmesan cheese. This dish fell a little flat, the andouille was overdone and tough, and I could not detect the chorizo at all. This is a rich dish, and I had plenty to take home for the next day. Not surprisingly, this dish reheated well, and other than the overdone andouille, tasted much better the next day.

We’ve eaten at this restaurant several times and have always had a pleasant experience. Although this visit left us rather disappointed, I have no doubt that we caught them on an off night — and perhaps training some new staff for the summer.  This is a great place for a summer lunch or dinner, or to just enjoy an after-work cocktail.

Just a few miles east of Northland Drive/East Beltline is the village of Cannonsburg, home to The Grist Mill (deli and gas station), The Bottle Shop (excellent wine store) and the focus of this article — The Honey Creek Inn.

First things first. This place is busy all the time. We’ve yet to arrive there and not have a wait for a table. Which often poses a problem as there is very little room to stand and wait for one. On any given Friday or Saturday evening there are people stacked up all over the place, waiting for their chance at a great meal. Secondly, this place is loud. If you’re looking for an intimate, romantic dinner — this isn’t it. It’s loud, crowded and frantically busy.

That said, if you are looking for some seriously tasty food, knowledgeable and extremely-friendly wait staff, and a well-stocked bar second-to-none, then this is the place. Chef Michael Whalen and his crew know how to do it right when it comes to good food and drink.

My husband and I were seated after a 45-minute wait, and were promptly attended to by Matt who provided drinks and advice on the menu. My husband ordered the Perch Fillet Basket ($12.95), and I ordered the Pan-fried Walleye ($15.95), topped with lemon caper sauce as recommended by Matt. Even as busy as it was, both our meals arrived within a very reasonable time and we settled down to a great meal.

The perch fillets were lightly breaded and crisply fried and had a heavenly aroma. Eight to 10 fillets are served in a basket, along with crispy fries, slaw and the chef’s homemade tartar sauce. The walleye was beautifully done, and the addition of the caper lemon sauce really boosted the flavor of what can sometimes be a rather ho-hum fish. The fish was served with mashed potatoes and parsnips and fresh broccoli. The mashed potatoes, while good, were pretty heavy on the parsnip flavor, and the broccoli was a wee bit crispier than I would have liked.

The Honey Creek Inn is also known for their steaks and their house-made kielbasa. They have daily food and wine specials, and the chef focuses on doing a few things very well, rather than a huge menu where all things are done in a mediocre way. This restaurant is worth the drive, and if you are uninterested in waiting for a table, it’s the perfect place for a Tuesday or Wednesday night meal. Or, just show up really, really early.

Grill One Eleven is a bit of a surprise in a town where hot dogs are king. Tucked into a storefront building on Courtland, one must traverse a long hallway before having the room open up to a very handsome bar and a wall of windows that provide just the right amount of light and ambiance. On the day we were there, it was snowing a bit and made for a very pretty picture. As it was past the lunch rush, we were lucky enough to be seated right at the window. Our waitress cheerfully brought menus and beverages right away.

Starved, we ordered appetizers promptly. The “First/Small Bites” menu lists such items as a cheese and fruit plate (featuring local cheeses), spring rolls, cheddar fondue, stuffed portabellas and grilled brushetta. They also feature two soups — a seafood chowder and classic French onion. I ordered the chowder, and while it was a bit thicker than I prefer it was chock full of seafood.

The sandwich/grains selection includes wraps and burgers, panko crusted salmon sandwich, and fish and chips, all under $10. Salmon, blackened grouper, bruschetta pasta and chicken marsala were just a few of the available entrees in addition to a nice selection of steaks (ribeye, filet and New York Strip).

I ordered the Ham and Cheese Melt, which came with a side order of freshly made kettle chips. This sandwich was spectacular! It was grilled to a lovely crunch; my first bite was a delightful combination of toasted buttery marble rye, smoky gouda and cured ham, with spicy greens and Dijon mayonnaise adding that unexpected zip. This was no ordinary melt! My friend ordered a Western Burger and thoroughly enjoyed the Hereford beef topped with cheddar, haystack onions, bacon and sauced with chipotle mayonnaise. She ordered fries with her burger (how can you not?) and we both found them to be cooked to a nice, crispy crunch.

Our orders were promptly served and nicely plated. Service was attentive and friendly and the ambience of the bar is local flavor combined with a bit of Chicago or New York neighborhood gem. No wonder this place is hopping on weekend evenings and does a brisk trade the rest of the week. Well worth the trip! Spend some time hitting the Squire Street shops then relax at Grill One Eleven!

My roommate and I walked in on a busy Wednesday night. It was a little after what most would consider to be the dinner hour, but the Corner Bar was rockin’. We were promptly seated at a booth, and were greeted by our waitress.

Now, the Corner Bar has typically been known for their hot dogs, and has been compared to Yesterdog too many times to count. So we had to try one of their hot dog baskets. We went with the Bacon Cheddar Dog basket ($7.69), and also ordered a BBQ Bacon Cheddar Burger ($7.99).

I started off with a hot dog, minus the bacon, and it was pretty comparable to what I had found at Yesterdog. There was a typical hot dog bun, with a regularly-cooked hot dog. Except there was one huge difference — the chili was absolutely amazing. It was meaty, and had a bit of a kick to it, which complemented the cheddar cheese nicely. It completely made the hot dog, and in my opinion, puts it above Yesterdog’s Cheddar Dog.

But there was one disappointment — the fries that came along with it. There was no way these were homemade, and they had absolutely no spice to them. Definitely a disappointment, seeing that the hot dogs were so good.

My roommate had better luck with the BBQ Bacon Cheddar Burger. We upgraded his order to include onion rings, and that made all the difference in the world. The onion rings were massive, and we couldn’t finish them. They were very filling, and definitely was a favorite of the night. The burger, on the other hand, was pretty good, but both of us agreed it needed much more barbecue sauce — we could barely taste it. It was good for a bar burger, but nothing spectacular.

And as I mentioned earlier, the service was great. Our beers were brought to us promptly, and our waters were always full. Our waitress checked up on us every so often, and if we would’ve had more room in our stomachs, she definitely would’ve convinced us on getting a desert.

So, yes, the Corner Bar has amazing hot dogs. In my opinion, their hot dogs are quite possibly the best in flavor in the area. But there were some drawbacks. The fries were anything but good, making the basket seem a bit pricey for what we got. And the burger was pretty good, but I expected better after trying the hot dog and the amount of flavor that came with it. Still, the Corner Bar is by far one of the best bars in the area as far as overall experience goes. It’s family-friendly, and offers some great options for kids and adults alike.

Tucked away behind the downtown shops off Squire Street Square, the diner is a bit difficult to find and even trickier to find a place to leave your car. But it’s well worth the bit of effort it takes to locate it. Once inside, you’ll most likely be faced with a bit of a wait — it is a VERY popular local breakfast spot. My friend and I arrived around 9 a.m. on a Saturday and after a short 10 minute wait (a bit longer than necessary, as we let a lady on crutches take the next available table — good karma, you know!) were seated in a booth and supplied instantly with coffee by our good natured waitress. The menu covers breakfast very well, from simple eggs and toast, to more filling items such as pancakes, French toast, omlettes, etc. Each day features a “Specials” board. On our visit the featured item was Bananas Foster French Toast. Mmmmmmm.

My friend and I ordered scrambled eggs and ham with a side of English muffin toast. I am always pleased when I see that as an option on the toast menu, and order it every time. Our meals arrived within 10 minutes, piping hot and prepared correctly. The eggs were scrambled almost dry, with chunks of ham liberally distributed throughout. Coffee cups were filled constantly and our waitress was very attentive.

The Grill features a medium sized dining area with several four-tops and booths to accommodate various sized-groups. There is also a counter where you can seat yourself and watch the cooks do their thing while eating your breakfast. Newspapers are available outside the restaurant, as well as the latest editions of the Rockford Squire and the Rockford Independent.

All in all, an excellent place for that diner experience; well worth the trip.

Unlike some of the usual sports bars around West Michigan, The Score holds true to its name. Its focus is on one thing — sports. In addition to  having several televisions and sports memorabilia throughout the restaurant, The Score also hosts several sporting events, including MMA cage fights, golden glove boxing and volleyball matches.

But back to the food. A few weeks ago, I made my first visit to The Score, and had an appetizing meal that was full of flavor, but seemed to be a bit on the unhealthy/greasy side of things. Our table split an order of onion rings ($5.99), which could very well be the biggest onion rings I’ve ever seen. They were full of flavor, but way too much for three people to have as an appetizer. I think they could’ve gone without the massive amount of grease (it was literally covering my hands when I was finished), but the rings had a really good flavor to them, and were crispy and cooked very well.

Despite already being pretty full, I went ahead and ordered a medium White Pizza ($12.99) for myself. The thin crust pie was topped with feta and parmesan cheeses, in addition to tomatoes and roasted garlic. I’m a huge cheese fan, but this time around the feta seemed to be a bit much for me. It took over the flavor of the pizza (even the garlic), and I could barely taste the tomatoes. Still, the pizza was good and filling; I’d just recommend bringing in some additional flavors, or toning down on what’s already there.

My two dining partners went a different route. One ordered the chicken quesadillas ($8.25), an appetizer. But like the onion rings, the quesadilla was plenty of food. It featured melted cheeses, chicken, sauteed onions and peppers. The quesadilla was crispy and was filled to capacity. The other went with the BBQ wings. While they don’t beat Buffalo Wild Wings on flavor (and sauce options), these were a pretty good option, and fit in perfectly with what The Score was trying to accomplish.

Overall, The Score impressed me as another great place to watch a game. With kickoff just a week away, I’ll definitely try to make at least a few trips there. And while it could work on equalizing out some of its flavors, it has a balanced menu and offers something for everyone, despite if you’re wearing blue or green.

Ever since I returned to Grand Rapids about 10 years ago, I’ve wished for a great Thai restaurant. There are a few I like. And there is one, the Thai Palace in Holland, that I like  a lot.

After two visits to Rak Thai Bistro, a new eatery on Northland Drive in Plainfield Township, I found that West Michigan is getting a little closer to Thai nirvana, but it isn’t quite there yet. That being said, there are many things Rak Thai gets right.

The restaurant is found in one of the countless strip malls that have sprung up along Northland Drive in front of Versluis Park. And from the outside, it is nothing special. A simple green and white sign on the ugly tan strip mall.

But Yang and Blon Hang make the most of the small space on the inside. The walls are painted a fresh green with light bamboo floor and furniture. Stylish lamps hang from the ceiling. The interior is beautiful except for a couple distracting flat screen televisions on the wall. When I eat out, I don’t want to watch television, unless I’m at a sports bar.

My dining partner on my most recent visit to Rak Thai Bistro was my 13-year-old son, Liam, who shares my love for Asian food. Each of us started with a bubble tea ($3) — I went with mango and Liam chose strawberry. There are few drinks that you chew. Bubble tea is one of them. For the uninitiated, bubble tea gets its name from the bluish-black tapioca balls that settle at the bottom of the drink. Using a straw just slightly smaller than a section of the Alaska Pipeline, you suck the sweet-but-refreshing drink and tapioca into your mouth and chew. Anyone with texture issues should avoid bubble tea. My mango bubble tea was delicious. Liam enjoyed the flavor of his, but not the tapioca balls. Bubble tea also comes in honeydew, passionfruit, lychee, coconut and taro. On a previous visit, I went with Thai iced tea, a sweet, bright orange concoction of tea, sugar, cream and condensed milk. Rak Thai’s was the best I’ve ever had — not too sweet, but very refreshing and one of the only drinks I’ve found that can tame the heat of Thai food.

To start, we both had a bowl of the lemongrass soup. The soup isn’t much to look at with a few bits of tofu and green onion floating on top of a clear broth that looks like water. But Thai food — and especially Thai soup — has a way of surprising you and the lemongrass soup did not disappoint. The soup made up for its plain-Jane looks with its complex flavor with hints of fish sauce and the distinct flavor of lemongrass.

Rak Thai has some great lunch specials ranging from $6 to $8. All lunches include the lemongrass soup, two crab cheese or a spring roll, jasmine rice and a choice of meat or tofu. At that point, you pick a spice level to suit your tastes from one of five levels ranging from mild to bankai (scorching in Thai). I picked the coconut lemongrass ($7) with chicken at the third heat level as I like spicy food. The dish includes bamboo strips, straw mushrooms and bell peppers in a coconut curry sauce with fresh lemongrass. The sauce was rich and creamy, but I didn’t taste any hint of lemongrass. It could be because the dish was overpoweringly hot — my own mistake for picking a level too high for my taste. It takes some time to learn what hot really is, depending on the restaurant you are visiting (I once ordered vindaloo shrimp at an Indian restaurant in the Detroit area that was so hot it kept me awake for most of the night and gave me nightmares when I did sleep). Despite the heat, the coconut lemongrass was good. I especially enjoyed the crisp bell peppers and bamboo strips.

Liam went with the pad see yu ($7), a Thai classic with wide rice noodles sauteed with Chinese broccoli in the traditional see yu sauce. See yu (or you might know it as pad see ew) is a brown sauce that is slightly sweet. Again, Liam found the dish overly spicy for the level two heat he ordered. But he also found it delicious. The noodles were cooked to perfection. On a previous visit, I ordered the drunken noodle ($9 on the dinner menu) (also known as pad kee mao), a dish with wide rice noodles drunked in a sauce with peppers, onions and chili. It is similar to pad see yu, but with more flavor because of the chili and basil. It was absolutely excellent. Drunken noodles has always been a Thai favorite of mine and Rak Thai created the exotic blend of flavors perfectly. On that visit, my friends also enjoyed the pad thai ($6). Another friend complained the green curry ($7) was too sweet.

There are many items on the restaurant’s extensive menu that I’d like to try. A diner at a neighboring table had the rak fried rice ($6) and it looked great. And I am a huge fan of tom yum soup ($5), a hot and sour type soup served with shrimp and chicken. The yummy apple salad ($5) looks good as well, with granny smith apples julienned and mixed with fresh lettuce, roasted peanuts, coconut, julienne carrots and a drizzle of citrus lime dressing.

Service at Rak Thai during both visits to the restaurant was strong as well. The servers knew the menu and cheerfully answered my every question.

Overall, Rak Thai is a welcome addition for those who love good Thai food. The prices are outstanding and ingredients fresh. For Asian food lovers, it is a welcome change from the gross Chinese buffets that have grown in our community like a plague.

Rak means love in Thai and though I don’t love the food at Rak Thai Bistro, it is very good.