The Best of six.one.six - Part II

The Best six.one.six Menu To Date

Crispy Pork Belly

tarragon-carrot emulsion, juniper, parsley puree, herb salad ($9)

Did you know that every eight weeks, the dinner menu at six.one.six restaurant at the JW Marriott reinvents itself? It's a daunting task but one that chef de cuisine Joel Wabeke welcomes with open arms. It's foodie term limits, except the best menu incumbents remain on the list with some minor adjustments to the accompaniments.

This rotation is the best set of items yet. The list of sixteen small eats is like an all-star line up of foodie delights. To the

Crudo of Scallop with pole bean salad and speck prosciutto ($8) to the Vietnamese inspired Bahn Mi Flatbread ($10). The ten big eats are equally tempting ranging from the Heirloom Tomato Pappardelle Pasta ($19) to the Heritage Pork Two Ways ($23).

My wife and I invited our Russian friend to experience this degustation with us. While every item was delicious, the knockout items were the Heirloom Tomato celebration with the incredible Olive Oil Sorbet, The Ciopino Stew with Halibut and Manila Clams, Crispy Pork Belly, and of course, the RR Ranch New York Strip with the Heirloom Tomatoes, Steak Frites, Arugula, Balsamic and Foie Gras Butter. Yum! Yum! Yum! If there was one item that I thought we could improve on is the Spit-Roasted Lamb. I pictured myself devouring pieces of lamb on a skewer a la Anthony Bourdain in Morocco, instead, the lamb was shredded for me and browned into a pate form. It was good, but I envisioned something a little more rustic. I was ready to dig in.

A new menu will be introduced before the Fall colors so don't miss out on experiencing the best six.one.six menu set yet. I really don't know how the kitchen can top this one. I've never been disappointed yet.

East Coast Lobster Salad

new potatoes, pea greens, garlic confit, pernod-lemon vinaigrette, aioli ($10)

Salad Lyonnaise

endive, smoked bacon, farm egg, truffled onions, dijon, chive ($9)

Heirloom Tomato Celebration

garden variety, buffalo mozzarella, arugula, olive oil sorbet, basil ($11)

Cioppino Stew

halibut, manila clams, chorizo, tomato, fennel, pernod, focaccia ($11)

JW's Signature Dish - RR Ranch New York Strip

heirloom tomatoes, steak frites, arugula, balsamic, foie gras butter ($28)

Olive Oil Poached Halibut

sofrito, zucchini, squash, dill gremolata, preserved lemon oil ($25)

Spit Roasted Lamb

caramelized yogurt, curry, golden raisin, eggplant, quinoa salad ($23)

A Refreshed Courtyard by Marriott

The refreshed lobby, bistro and guest rooms of the downtown Courtyard by Marriott in Grand Rapids can now finally stand on its own next to its beautiful sister hotels next door; the classic Amway Grand Plaza and the swanky JW Marriott. This amazing new look is part of the global refresh of all Courtyard's by Marriott International to better accommodate the needs of the brands savvier business clientele. The "Road Warrior" has grown up. The old school
cookie cutter lobbies are out. The new "Road Warrior" commands energizing spaces, without being too pretentious, and a splash of color to help wake up all the senses after a full day on the road.

Mike Donnelley, general manager, hosted a reopening party this evening to an overwhelmingly pleased crowd. The Bistro (formerly Blue Plate restaurant) introduces a Starbucks, a full bar and a very stylish dining room complete with banquettes with televisions, semi private dining room and a vibe more reminiscent of a big city lounge.

"We definitely hit a home run with the new look," says Mr. Donnelley.

Not only is the Bistro strikingly cool, the food hits the mark as far as what the business traveller expects from the road. My wife and I had the pleasure of dining for lunch two weeks ago, and let me tell you, the food is good.  From farm fresh eggs with all the breakfast trimmings ($8.75) to the Grilled Chicken Caesar Wrap ($8.50) to the Asian Salad with Thai Chili Lime Vinaigrette ($7.50). And this evening, I had a sampler of the BBQ Chicken Pizza ($8.25) which could give CPK a run for its money.

THE HOTEL LOBBY

Televisions are located everywhere in the hotel public spaces

An inviting new lobby and front desk pods

A cozy lobby enclave

The redefined "business center"

Coffee table books in the lobby

The Market next to the front desk pods

The lobby

Lobby details

Stylish sofas with fluffy pillows await the guests


THE BISTRO AND THE OPENING PARTY

The Bistro

Market centerpieces

Restaurant & Banquet Chef, Anne Wilterink, and F&B Manager, Natalie Goodrich

Pound Cake and Strawberries

GR CVB President, Doug Small, with Amway Hotel Collection VP of Sales, Ron Brondyke

JW resident DJ, Todd Ernst, provided the soundscape for the event

Cozy banquettes with personal TV's

Chilled Shrimp

Communal table inside The Bistro

Semi-private dining room lounge table and chairs

It's all in the details

Another look at the Bistro lounge area

Guest Service Manager, becky, with Amway Hotel Collection VP of F&B, Gerhard Schmied

Need I say more

Banquette floral piece

Starbucks and Bistro order counter

Beautiful flowers in the seating area

Semi-private dining room with flexible seating

A sampling of food items on the menu

Barstool

Bar lighting

Pizza Heaven in Florida!

Fresh mozzarella, sliced tomatoes & basil pizza. 

It's been two days since my first encountered Anthony's Coal-Fired Pizza in Fort Lauderdale, and let me tell you, I am still stuffed! The delicious flavors of the high quality ingredients and the crispiness of the crust still lingers as one of the best pizza's I've ever tasted. Started by Anthony Bruno in 2002, this South Florida institution has expanded to nearly thirty restaurants in  five states: Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and Delaware. I am so surprised that I've
never heard of this joint, but I have to thank my brother-in-law, Domenic, for introducing me to this gem.

The restaurant interior itself is nothing too unique for Italian joints - photos of Italian-American celebrities and local sports stars enjoying the pizza. However, one whiff of the pizza being served on pizza stands in the small dining room, one quickly forgets about the generic surroundings. I was impressed with the professionalism of the hostess/manager who was gracious and empathetic in telling us about the 25-30 minute wait. The service was friendly and I got a pretty good sense from the entire staff that they were very proud of their pizza. But the main show is really the "well done" pizza and from the looks of the crowds who waited in the rain during our visit, Anthony's is going to be around for quite awhile. Anthony, we need one in Grand Rapids!

The packed dining room at Anthony's Fort Lauderdale

Coal Oven Roasted Chicken Wings with Caramelized Onions and Focaccia

This was quite the pizza - Meatballs and Ricotta

I ordered a sid of Arugula Salad to top my pizza. An Italian classic

Eggplant Marino - the quarterback's favorite pizza made with pan fried eggplant,
tomato sauce, romano chess and basil

House Italian salad

Coal fired!