Tales road FROM THE ~

Grand Rapids ~

By Steve Ellis

north of 28th St. The unassuming exterior does not do justice to the warm and cozy feeling inside. The brightly colored walls are adorned with vintage National Park Posters. We share the large and delicious Westside Scramble (eggs, thick sliced polish sausage , onions, tomato, home fries, green peppers, and cheddar cheese) and two buttermilk pancakes. We enjoy sitting at the counter and chat with cooks in the open kitchen area while watching our food being prepared. They have another location north of downtown on Plainfield.

belly up to the counter and are quickly drawn into the lively conversation. Jackie and I split the delicious Gumshoe Omelette: Ham, Cheese, Onions and Mushrooms, served with toastwe add on a side order of pancakes.

The John Ball Zoo is a favorite summer destination and Jackie’s grandkids love it.

The zoo began when, upon his death in 1884, John Ball left 40 acres of land to the City of Grand Rapids to be used as a park. At the time of the gift, the city fathers were skeptical of its value. However by the 1890’s, what was then known as the Ball 40 had become the “Central Park” of Grand Rapids. Animals were added and it it did well until the Depression caused the zoo to fall on hard times and most of the animals were given to other zoos.

This past fall, we had a fun trip to the zoo. The grandkids loved the grizzly bear and the pandas, however pandas sleep 20 hours per day so they are hard to catch awake. After leaving, we stopped at the Rise Authentic Baking Co. around the corner for some yummy cupcakes. They are a little pricey, but the pastries are gluten free, vegan, soy free and free of all artificial flavors and colors.

Grand Rapids is also home to a few dozen breweries. Two of our favorite include: Brewery Vivant (they specialize in European beers), located in a refurbished funeral home at 925 Cherry St. The Mitten Brewing Co. is on Fulton St., located in the historic Engine House #9. It’s a vintage baseball themed microbrewery that pairs handcrafted beers with gourmet pizza.

For years, our favorite place for breakfast has been the Real Food Cafe at 2419 Eastern Ave SE a few blocks

Another great breakfast choice that we enjoy when we’re heading up north each month to visit Jackie’s Mom, is the Choo Choo Grill. It is right off of 131-take the Leonard St exit east to Plainfield.

The building was built in 1924 as the yard office for Shipman Coal Company and became The Choo Choo Grill in 1946.

The small red brick building holds only 20 customers. There are a few booths and an L shaped counter with stools and the walls are adorned with railroad history. Customers are jovial and enjoy visiting with the cook, Cathy, who doesn’t miss a beat with the conversation while preparing several breakfast dishes all at once. We

In 1949, Katherine Whinery, a resident of Grand Rapids and a zoo lover, became determined to form a Zoo Society and resurrect the John Ball Zoo. She met with the mayor and asked for help and guidance. An invitation was sent to every service club in Grand Rapids asking for one member to attend a meeting to discuss rebuilding the Zoo. The result of this meeting was the formation of the John Ball Zoological Society, which raised money to build a new zoo.

Grand Rapids has a lot to offer and we always find something new. I’ve recently heard about a great new bakery, Chartreuse Sisters French Patisserie, on Wealthy Street that we need to check out on out next visit!

Downtown Kalamazoo Theaters

With the cover feature on the State Theatre, it is worth noting that downtown Kalamazoo has had many other theaters over the years.

Here are a few: