Flights of Flavor Puts Fun on the Menu

Have you ever had a tough time deciding what to order because everything on the menu looks amazingly good? Are you ever tempted to take a nibble off your dining companions’ plates to see what you’re missing? Did you ever wish you could get a little bit of this and a little bit of that from your favorite restaurant?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you’re going to LOVE Flights of Flavor.

Flights of Flavor is a food and drink promotion that allows you to sample multiple items in a single sitting. It’s modeled after the beer flights that have long been a staple of Beer City USA (aka Grand Rapids), but it extends the concept to all menu categories.

Take Your Taste Buds on a Trip

More than 30 local restaurants, breweries, cideries and wine bars have created special flights showcasing their skill and ingenuity. Try a flight of five luscious ice creams at Love’s Ice Cream & Chocolate (435 Ionia Ave SW) or 12 mini cupcakes at DreamScape Desserts (3448 Alpine Ave NW). Savor a lineup of carefully curated white wines and cheeses at GRNoir Wine & Jazz (35 Division Ave S). Enjoy six customizable pours of hard cider at Farmhaus Cider Co. (5025 Stanton St, Hudsonville) or six tasting shots of coffees and teas at Sweetwaters (601 Bond Ave NW).

If you’re a cocktail fan, you’ll want to check out the flights at Beltline Bar (16 28th St SE) , Broad Leaf Brewery + Spirits (2885 Lake Eastbrook Blvd SE), The Comedy Project (540 Leonard St NW) , One Bourbon (608 Bridge St NW) and Social Misfits (43 Fulton St W) – some paired with food, some not.

And… if you just can’t get enough of locally crafted beers, you’ll be happy to know that 15 area breweries have created special Flights of Flavor Menus. Choose a beer flight that showcases the unique strengths of a particular brewmaster or a beer-and-food flight that harmonizes flavors for a truly distinctive treat. 

Flights of Flavor is a perfect opportunity to broaden your palate and try something different – including new-to-you restaurants and the city’s diverse array of cuisines, including African American (Forty Acres Soul Kitchen / Cognac Bar, 1059 Wealthy St SE ), Asian (K-Rok Korean BBQ & Karaoke, 169 Campau Promenade), Brazilian (3 Gatos Brewery, 1760 44th St SW) and Mexican (Condado Tacos, 449 Bridge St NW).

 Get Your Boarding Pass

All of these destinations (and more) have created special Flights of Flavor offerings not available on their regular menu. The best way to discover them – and view all the participating restaurants – is to get the Flights of Flavor Pass for your smartphone.

Visit FlightsofFlavor.com to sign up for the pass, which is free and instantly delivered via text and email. There is no app to download but you can save the pass to your phone’s home screen for easy access.

When patronizing a restaurant, simply show the Flights of Flavor screen to your server or other staff member to order the flight you want. 

Eat, Drink and Win

Be sure to use the pass to “check in” to the restaurants you visit. When you do, you’ll earn points that can be redeemed for exclusive merchandise – including stickers, baseball hats, t-shirts and cutting/presentation boards. The more points you collect, the more prizes you can get. 

You can also choose to donate all or some of your points to a good cause: a scholarship fund at the Secchia Institute for Culinary Education at Grand Rapids Community College. Ranked among the best culinary schools in the country, the Secchia Institute prepares students for a variety of culinary careers, including bakers, brewers, chefs and wine sommeliers.

Some of those students pursue their careers right here in Grand Rapids, which helps contribute to the region’s growing reputation as a food-and-drink destination. In just the last few years, Grand Rapids has racked up recognitions as Michigan’s Best Food City, a Top 20 U.S. Foodie City, America’s Best Beer City and the Craft Beverage Capital of the U.S.

Experience Grand Rapids, the local organization charged with marketing the region to business and leisure travelers, developed Flights of Flavor to further enhance these credentials. We’re the first city in the country to launch such a promotion – largely because no other city can match our combination of culinary talent, industry collaboration and community support.

When you order a Flight of Flavor, you’re not just enjoying an Only-In-Grand Rapids taste experience, you’re also helping boost our reputation as a food-and-drink-forward city, rewarding the creativity of local chefs and beverage masters, and encouraging other local restaurants to get on board with their own flights. That’s what we call a win-win-win-win.

Share at the Table and on Social Media

You can certainly enjoy a flight all to yourself – it’s a great way to sample multiple beers, ciders, spirits and food offerings. But flights are also great for sharing. Can’t decide on a bottle of wine for the table? Get a flight of Michigan wines (with hors d’oeuvres) at House of Wine (53 Monroe Center St NW). Arguing over which toppings to include on a family pizza? Order the pizza flight at Mitten Brewing Company (527 Leonard St NW).

Presentation is just as important as taste when it comes to Flights of Flavor – Experience Grand Rapids even offers grants to help restaurants purchase serviceware so they can create a striking visual impression. Keep your smartphone handy to take flight photos and share them on social media. Tag @experiencegrandrapids and use hashtags #ExperienceGR and #FlightsOfFlavor to broaden your reach, and Experience Grand Rapids might feature your post on their feeds!

New flights may be added at any time – the program is open to all Kent Country restaurants and craft beverage destinations – so keep checking your pass for more delicious experiences. Get the pass today to begin your culinary adventure. For more information, visit FlightsofFlavor.com.

Photo Cover Credit Photographer: Ashley Wierenga for Experience GR.