Grand Rapids!

Bottle shops: Sicilianos, Marthas Vineyard, International Beer and Wine

Restaurants: Hopcat, Grove ($$$), Green Well ($$), The Winchester ($$), Graydons Crossing, Brewery Vivant

I don't think BCBS will last until then. You should ask someone to grab them for you now and bring something (i.e. Terrapin) up for holding them for ya. Just a suggestion. I will be pretty busy those night or else I'd show you around.

Cheers.

 

If you're going to be at Founders then the closest bottle shop to there would be Martha's Vineyard which is just on the east side of downtown. And since you'll be at Founders then HopCat is just a few blocks away, and they always have a great tap list in addition to beers that they brew themselves which are pretty good too. Then, not too far farther east is Brewery Vivant which brews Belgian-inspired beers. Great food there in a unique setting (a former chapel for a funeral home so you kind of expect to see Monks walking around). But there is also pretty good food at HopCat as well as Founders, probably those three in that order IMO.

If you want to experience Short's beers there is a bar in the downtown area that typically has a bunch of their beers on tap, but I can't think of the name of it. Someone will chime in on that name shortly.

If you are staying in a hotel close to the airport then you've got International Beverage at a good store nearby. I'm drawing a blank for a good beer bar/restaurant on the east side near the airport so I can't suggest anything there. However, a good place in that area for wings is Quaker Steak and Lube, and sometimes they have a few craft beers.

Arguably the best bottle shop in GR is Siciliano's which is about 2 miles west of downtown, so if you've got a car it's not that far to go there. But because you can't take anything back with you and only need a few for in the hotel room then I'd go to Martha's Vineyard or Int'l Beverage because they're more convenient to you and will have most of what Siciliano's will have, including Short's.

It's probably wishful thinking to get BCBS next week, and I can't lead you to any places that have that right now anyway because that's not my home territory.

 

I would think you'd have a tough time finding BCBS, but someone from GR might be able to point you to where you can find some on the shelves when you're there. If someone in GR wants to hook the OP up with a 4pk of BCBS from their own stash, I'll "reimburse" you 2 of those bottles from my own cellar.

Also, if the OP is flying thru Chicago to get to GR, he might want to step out of the airport quick and get some of the BCBS that seems to be growing on trees there in the city of wind.

 

Pyramid Scheme.

 

I was at Sicilianos and hour ago and they still have BCBS. 2 bottle limit. (No idea how much they had in the back.)

 

If you want to stay downtown, and not venture much further, you could walk between HopCat, Founders and Pyramid Scheme. Martha's Vineyard is the closest bottle shop to downtown, unless you count the Fulton Street Party Store next to The Bitter End coffee shop, who often has rare beers longer than everyone else, but for a reason. (They price high.) If you strike out elsewhere and don't mind paying more, I would go there as a last resort. While downtown, stay away from the B.O.B.

Founders on a Thursday evening has music, but no cover. It can get loud. If you go Friday afternoon you should be fine, but they do stay busy even in the afternoons.. Expect a long wait at HopCat, even if they are dead. I would recommend sitting at the bar if you are on a tight schedule. Service there is sloooooooow if you get the wrong server, but they do have an amazing selection. (And their beers are pretty tasty too.) If you want to try something other than HopCat for a beer bar, try Logan's Alley or Graydon's Crossing. Near Graydon's is Sazerac, which has great cajun food and okay craft on tap.

Eastown neighborhood:
In the mood for pizza? Head to Brick Road, or Harmony Brewing. Near there is The Meanwhile, which has half off Michigan pints on Thursdays. Brewery Vivant is my home away from home, and I always recommend it to anyone coming into GR, and it isn't far from downtown. If you feel adventurous/want to spend the money eat there. They just changed their menu so I haven't had much from it yet, but they still have Duck Nachos. (I would eat duck nachos every day if I could.) Across from Vivant is The Green Well, which occasionally puts on good stuff on tap. If you do end up in Eastown, you could try hitting Smitty's or Art of The Table for beer. Also in that area is The Derby Station, but I've never been. Think it is the same owner as Logan's and Graydon's so I imagine it can't be bad.

...and I've given you enough information for a week long stay, woops! Have fun while in town!

Oh! Almost forgot! New boy in town is Perrin Brewing, and so far they have been putting out some pretty tasty beers! Check 'em out if time allows.

 

...and after you've had plenty of great Michigan beers and want a snack, go to Yesterdog...

 

no love for stelas?

 

Ha! Can't think of everything! Love Stella's. Great burgers. Not so much a beer destination, but yeah, awesome for food.

 

Ah crap, I also forgot Marie Catribs for food. Probably another one of my fave restaurants. Not open late though, think they close around 8.

Okay, I'm really really done now. I respond to just about every GR thread I see, because I love my city.

I leave you with this:

 

Big Fan of San Chez great food / beer selection in down town GR.

 

I would be willing to trade you a few bottles of bcbs for some beers, send me a message!

 

Agree. It is also a great place for breakfast (the other side of the entry) after a night touring GR.

 

Green Well for food across the street from Vivant is excellent as well... Not sure if mentioned. You cannot miss Founders and Hopcat.