Nothing identifies a place like the food. It's the genius loci. Businesses, entertainment and sports events are perks; food is integral. Regional food roots go far back and deep down. Grand Rapids, Mich. is choosing its signature food: the Grandwich.
What is the Grandwich? It's short for Grand Rapids sandwich, but what form it will take is yet to be determined. From now until July 31, nominations are being collected for top 10 entries in the Grandwich contest. On August 6, Grand Rapids friends and locals are invited to Rosa Parks Circle for an all out taste test feast, featuring the 10 nominations. A prize of $5,000 is being offered.
What should we be looking for in that signature Grandwich? Obviously, taste and appearance. Detroit is known for its Coney Dog, with its spicy chili and succulent hot dog. There is a distinctive look to a coney dog, sprinkled with chopped onions and lines of mustard. Several downtown dog joints have a running rivalry for best coney: the Lafayette and the American.
Beyond look and taste, the Grandwich must feature a local shtick. It should be made with ingredients that are unique to Michigan, generally and Grand Rapids, particularly. Ingredients should come from local growers, manufacturers and producers. We don't want any mass-produced, boring sub-standard for the Grandwich prototype.
Grand Rapids has some great local vendors; some with roots over 100 years old in West Michigan. 20th Century Market on Bridge Street offers homemade meats and cheeses. Fulton Street Farmers Market would be another great resource.
Here are some suggestions for ingredients local to Michigan. Apples: Michigan is home to dozens of varieties of apples. The Fruit Ridge area, a rural off-shoot of Grand Rapids was one of Michigan's apple capitols. I've enjoyed some mighty tasty apple-smoked bacon, apple-stuffed sausage and even a vegan sandwich with apples as a topping.
Corn, potatoes, spinach, asparagus, green peppers, tomatoes and squash are other locally grown favorites. Any deli-meister worth her salt could find a way to incorporate these foods into a yummy sandwich contender. Stella's Lounge, downtown offers a to-die-for vegan burrito made with yams instead of meat. Squash would work well, too.
The more creative food-trepreneuers might even be able to weave in blueberries, strawberries and peaches, all native to Michigan. I know my vegan friends at the worker-owned and operated IWW Bartertown Diner could manage it. Whoever said a local sandwich had to have meat? A vegan sandwich would be the perfect Grandwich: very appropriate for Grand Rapids' east town, college, coffee house persona.
Get downtown and get your nominations in. Bon appetit!
Marilisa Kinney Sachteleben is a life-long resident of West Michigan and writes about local stories in the Great Lakes State.
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