Midwest Mondays: A Day Date in Cincy

Being from Michigan and attending a university in Tennessee, I did many a drive up and down I75, and probably passed through Cincinnati over 25 times. Yet, my idea of it was Skyline Chili (a chain of chili restaurants based in Cincy), a nice-looking riverfront I’d see as I crossed the bridge, and mostly a grungy, industrialized city off the highway. Nothing really beckoned me to stop and dig in. That was until my good friend moved there about two years ago, and boy had I gotten it all wrong… after a quick visit I contemplated moving. (PS: this form of unbridled zeal is always my MO after a great trip!)

After a few more in-depth visits, here are some of my favorite spots…

Sleepy Bee Cafe– (pictured at top) Get your day started within the walls of a historic, reclaimed building. Rest assured that the delicious menu options will delight your taste buds as well as protect the earth and our little buzzing friends. They source ALL meat and dairy locally, paying particular attention to pro-bee practices. The owner, mama of three kiddos, is motivated to make meals that children will enjoy, and that will nourish their growing bodies!

Washington Square Park– Wide open spaces with equipment rentals and bike accessibility, right in the heart of the city. Access to parking right on campus, and only a short walk from the riverfront. Pack a picnic and play some kickball!

Over the Rhine or “The OTR”- This area is the shiz. I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t read about the reemergence of this neighborhood anywhere as it was so prolific. I mean, an area where every moral ill flourished transitioning to trendy boutiques and restaurants with two hour waits in the middle of the day… this is press worthy!

• Go to The Eagle, a made over post office, for a fried chicken sandwich that will make you wish you had a southern grandma.

• For a dynamite Bloody Mary Bar or a nice red visit the 1215 Wine Bar and Coffee Lab… day-drinking at its finest.   
• Holtman’s for delicious doughnuts or Streetpops for a refreshing gourmet popsicle.

• As far as shopping goes, MiCA stood out as the best of the best with unique finds for your home or gifts for others!

• And since we love stationery, you must check out Steamwhistle Press, a local letterpress shop churning out custom goods as well as a line of greeting cards.

Findlay Market: Bright, cheery, eclectic, full of ethnic food stalls, artisan foods, and fresh produce, this market has retained its history, dating back to 1855! Try the Vietnamese pho at Pho Lang Thang.

Fusion: Their motto is “You roll, your way.” and not kidding I would need to be rolled out of this place if we had it in GR. Think Chipotle meets sushi, now let the daydreams begin… and there you have it, a creative, engaging experience with fresh, made to order rolls right in front of your eyes. They’ve got an entire wall of yummy flavored teas, and they’re about sustainability. I’m leaving the stationery business and opening a franchise tomorrow.

Midwest Mondays: Local Printer

Tucked away in the heart of downtown Zeeland, a quaint, hometown-USA community, you will find our local printer. Zeeland Print has been operating out of this community for generations, with the family passing down the trade to the next son, daughter or grandson. When you walk in, you’re hit with the smell of ink and the whirring sounds of printers spitting out jobs. With antique letterpresses, authentic German 4-color presses, top-of-the-line digital printers, folding and binding machines, di-cutters and everything in between. They continue to grow and diversify, seeking out jobs that most larger companies refuse as they can provide a wide range of offerings to smaller businesses. They are the kind of place that makes you feel like history is alive, that you’ve stepped into a simpler time when the skilled trades thrived and everyone in town knew your name.

That’s why, despite it being a bit of a drive outside of Grand Rapids, we keep coming here. They have a family atmosphere, always listening to the intricacies of the products we hope to create, and then are deeply dedicated to exceptional results. Face to face interaction and phone calls reign supreme.

Our team had the privilege of going on an after hours field trip to meet the owner, Brian Van Hoven, learn about his grandfather’s (known as Abe the Printer) beginnings in 1919, and just how they’ve manage to adapt their business over 96 years. We were in awe of the complexities of this work. Brian answered our array of questions with a smile and we left more intrigued than ever about this segment of the industry. Again, it was like visiting family.

What happens if these tradesman don’t teach the next generation or there is lack of interest to learn? We are always proud of the stationery industry for keeping the art of the hand-written note and snail mail alive. Is this not another huge part of our burden… to elevate the status of the printing trade and reveal its relevance? I for one and am excited at the countless men and women who are buying and restoring old presses, getting their hands dirty with ink, creating designs, using local printers and keeping this trade alive! (major props to the many stationers out there that both design and print their products)

Also, if you happen to visit our marvelous printer, cross the street and stop into the TripelRoot for some local beer, flatbreads, and the best spent grain chocolate chip cookies you’ve ever tasted (seriously, we ordered like 6 rounds after our tour, and then a few more to take home!).

Midwest Mondays: No Place Like Home

Mondays from here on out have been upgraded to “Midwest Mondays.” Here you will find awesome stationery shops, creative companies thriving in the midwest, local brews, well-designed spaces, and events that should not be missed. Also, every 3rd Monday we will feature a Day Date in the Midwest,  giving you ideas for a mini-adventure, exploring a new town. You will agree, Midwest is Best.

Alexander Calder’s La Grande Vitesse helped revitalize Grand Rapids’ ailing downtown. It was the initial project of the NEA’s public art initiative that awarded $15 million to help create almost 700 works.

To start this series off we thought we’d introduce you to our hometown, Grand Rapids, Michigan. We are perched right on the Grand River (which may be getting its rapids restored soon!) and just a short 30-40 minute drive to the banks of beautiful Lake Michigan. We are home to companies such as Meijer, Steelcase, Herman Miller, Amway, Bissell, Wolverine Worldwide, and ahem 6.25 Paper. Grand Rapids is known for being Furniture City because a bulk of the industrialized furniture designs in the last century came from here. We can thank the forests north of us for this. Now we are better known for being Beer City USA and also for the largest populist art competition in the world, ArtPrize, which brings over 140 thousand people downtown every fall. We have a thriving local food scene featuring stellar plates from every ethnicity, and because of our proximity to farms and orchards, there is a heavy emphasis on farm-to-table cuisine. A neighboring town, Sparta, is actually the 3rd largest apple producer in the country, so we are in no shortage of fresh, delicious produce (in the summer and fall anyway!)

The image on the right is our shop along Monroe Center, which has historically been the shopping district for downtown. On the left you can see, looking West down Monroe Center, the history of shopping in our special area of Grand Rapids.

We often think of our city as a mid-size city with a small town feel, it seems you always bump into someone you know while you are out and about. Overall, its people are helpful and friendly. The city is easy to get around with great public transportation, home to nationally ranked hospitals, and you can be home from a hockey game or a play downtown in 15 minutes. We are also the hometown of President Gerald R. Ford, so his presidential library and museum are here, which is worth a visit for history buffs as well as anyone who wants a flash-back to the 70’s. Grand Rapids has gardens, museums, a tree-canopied zoo, markets, concert venues and plenty of cultural festivals and events.

Our city, built around the conveniences of the Grand River. Photo source, mlive (click on photo for source).

Hands down, we love it here. Come visit us soon!