As disciples of the slow food movement, some Slow Food West Michigan (SFWM) colleagues and I visited the new farm to table Trillium Haven restaurant, which officially opened on July 7.
This visit allowed my colleagues and I to talk together about what it means to have good food.
SFWM works to promote food that is good, clean, diverse, sustainable, accessible and fair. Trillium Haven works from this same culinary ethos.
Trillium Haven is “like a marriage between a farm and a restaurant,” said Cindee Dresen, president of SFWM.
Dresen explained that many do well to incorporate the farm to table concept, and Trillium Haven excels here because they run both the restaurant and the farm, formerly used for community supported agriculture (CSA).
Trillium Haven uses outside local businesses for some things which do not come from their farm, such as cheese and wine. For example, most of Trillium’s salads are made with cheese made by local cheesemaker Veronica Phelps of Dancing Goat Creamery, who also happens to be a member of SFWM. Dresen elaborated that doing this reduces their carbon footprint by decreasing the number of outside providers needed to acquire ingredients.
Food and drink
Slow Food also advocates eating foods in season because not only are they more healthful but also more flavorful.
As beets were in season until October, a SFWM colleague ordered their beet margarita. It had a “fresh beet smell to it,” she said.
During my first visit in July, raspberries and blackberries were in mid-season, so I ordered a raspberry mojito. The drink came in a canning jar, reminiscent of preservation and of eating in season. The most delicious part was the rum-bathed raspberry.
The drinks at Trillium Haven, available both at the bar and by order, were handpicked by Amy Ruis, owner of the Art of the Table on Wealthy Street. She is also a founding board member of Local First West Michigan. The wine list is unique as it represents a collection of family and artisan winemakers.
Our overall favorite dish was the Tuscan Kale Caesar Salad. A generous portion of hearty, crunchy, earthy kale combined with an equally delectable portion of Caesar dressing made this dish circle our table all evening.
Their popular flatbread pizzas come fresh from their open kitchen. These fresh flatbread pizzas do not arrive flimsy or hard. Their crust is a perfectly oiled soft bed that provides just the right amount of crunch and charring on the bottom.
Price and service
One can expect to pay from $10 to $30 dollars per item. However, a group of four can split the cost for a couple of flatbread pizzas and a dessert for around $10 dollars each, tip included. Drinks, salads and entrees can be added onto this. When we asked to split the bill in this more complex way, not only did the server agree to do this, she followed it to a tee.
Ambience
My SFWM friends and I were able to converse openly inside Trillium Haven, our voices drowning with others' voices amidst the old tall ceilings, brick and cement walls, metal piping, and uncovered floors of the building, which do not absorb sound well. These things also gave the atmosphere a pleasantly rustic feel. Even so, the atmosphere has a very contemporary tone.
Our conclusion
My colleagues and I have also visited Trillium Haven at different times. Our collective experience has been mostly positive. I expect that no matter what season one visits Trillium Haven, their dishes should be delicious.
The Rapidian, a program of the 501(c)3 nonprofit Community Media Center, relies on the community’s support to help cover the cost of training reporters and publishing content.
We need your help.
If each of our readers and content creators who values this community platform help support its creation and maintenance, The Rapidian can continue to educate and facilitate a conversation around issues for years to come.
Please support The Rapidian and make a contribution today.
