JOURNEY - RAPID STRIDES

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, HAS HAD A HOPPING BEER SCENE FOR YEARS. BUT TODAY, THE CITY'S CULINARY LANDSCAPE IS MORE THAN JUST ITS GREAT BREWS MORE DIVERSE, MORE FRESH, MORE DELICIOUS.

In a tiny pink-tiled kitchen at Cafe Mamo, chef and owner Mike Goessman grabs a cast-iron skillet from the stove and adds a hunk of butter and aromatics, spooning it over a sizzling steak. A record spins on a turntable as Summer Knoop co-owner, sommelier and Goessman's wife-brings a bottle of wine and a plumcolor cocktail to a table set with mismatched, colorful cutlery.

From her painted portrait on the wall, Goessman's grandmother Mamo watches approvingly as diners fill their bellies with pillowy rolls, seasonal produce, and the locally famous Roast Chicken, served over a baguette and topped with luscious, garlicky pan sauce. While the chicken never leaves the menu, the rest changes weekly to highlight what the cafe's farm partners are harvesting. "My grandma Mamo is a huge hippie. She's a massive advocate for local food systems and small, quality farms," Goessman says.

When he and knoop decided to take their experience in award-winning restaurants back to Knoop's home state, it made sense to use Grandma Mamo as muse. Tackling the design and renovation themselves, they transformed an old Boost Wireless storefront in Grand Rapids' tight-knit Creston neighborhood. Since opening in 2021, Cafe Mamo has led a roster of restaurants and bars ushering in a new era of dining.

Twenty years ago, eating out in Grand Rapids meant choosing among a sea of chains and a smattering of diners, delis and Italian stalwarts. But as craft brewing took off and more transplants made West Michigan home, expectations shifted and ambition grew. Over the last five years, beloved dive bars and greasy spoons have been joined by Austin-style breakfast tacos, Japanese Katsu sandwiches and creative cocktail bars with smokers on standby. Cafe Mamo's arrival marked a definitive turning point, proving that not only was there an appetite for newness, but a full-on craving for it.