So Behind

It's so hard to get back on the horse once you get behind. You don't want to blog because you feel like you don't have the time to dedicate to get everything in that you need to. So I decided that I'll do whatever I can tonight and then whatever else I still want to write about later.

So, first of all, congratulations to Mindy on finishing what was a very difficult semester for her and, happily, will be one of her last. To celebrate, she wanted to go out to Charley's Crab which overlooks the Grand river downtown. We have wanted to go since we first saw it, and remembered every day we went to a D-Zone game because it's very close to Van Andel. So, Friday was our perfect opportunity. So she and I hit it down there in our jeans (and she was even wearing a “I ♥ NY” shirt).

When we arrived it was not very busy, but our hostess said that it had been because some schools were having their proms that night. She brought us all the way to the back of the restaurant, and we sat with a beautiful view of the river right next to a wall of windows. The only better location would have been the patio but we didn't want to ask. The inside was awesome anyways, they had cool wallpaper and these incredibly large mirrors which really gave it an open feel. Charley's crab is owned by the same restaurateur as is the Gandy Dancer in Ann Arbor.

The bread they brought us before our appetizers was delicious. They had these poppy seed rolls that tasted a lot like Charley's twists for those of you hip to the old Ann Arbor scene. They were really good. They also brought crackers that were very brightly flavored wheat with poppy and sesame seeds. With all of this they brought the standard whipped butter but also this deliciously savory smoked salmon pate which was great on the crackers. As a bonus, (since I never eat just one basket of bread) our waitress threw some fabulous jalapeno cheddar biscuits in the second basket. They were sooo good. Biscuits seem to be a seafood standard, but I always hate them. I am not a biscuit fan, but I am telling you that these were unbelievable. The sneaky jalapeno heat really brought out the hidden sweetness of the cheddar (I know, go figure). Delicious.

This brings us to the appetizers. We got two. Of course we got the Calamari which was just okay, but actually included the tentacles which Mindy had never had. They were served lightly breaded with an onion and bell pepper sauce that was so strong it almost tasted pickled. It was definitely interesting. By far the best thing we had all night was the Macadamia nut encrusted coconut shrimp. Not only have I never seen such large, meaty shrimp, but the Mango salsa garnish was absolutely amazing. I am not at all surprised that they offer this appetizer as an entree option on the menu also. This shrimp was a dream!

Then it was time for dinner. Mindy is on a Reisling kick thanks to my lovely cousin Vicki. So she was excited to try a Columbian Reisling as she had only had American and German varieties. It was soooo sweet that even I conceded that it was okay. For dinner, Mindy ordered the surf and turf which was a lobster tail and maybe an eight ounce steak. It also came with these incredibly huge asparagus and mashed potatoes. She also got the dynamite sauce as a topping for her steak which was a mistake - very much undelicious. All told her entree alone came to $53! I thought that I should try their crab cakes as at many places this is a signature dish. I really didn't like them, in fact I barely made it through one of my two. Not to say most people wouldn't like them, but I definitely didn't.

After dinner we had a dessert of delectable blueberry cheesecake which was quite lovely.

Charley's Crab
63 Market St. S.W.
Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Server: VALERIE
Table 418/1
Guests: 2
Reprint #: 1

9.95
9.00
8.00
8.75
46.95
7.00
25.00
6.95

121.60
7.30

128.90

Coconut Shrimp App
Sicilian Calamari
G1 RS Columbia
Mozzarella Caprese
Surf & Turf
Dynamite Topping
Crab Cake Dinner
Dessert Special 2

Subtotal
Tax

Total

$128.90

Balance Due

Replica receipt as I am too broke for a scanner