Written by: Kathy Carrier, The Grand Rapids Press June 26th, 2008
Press photo/Hoyt E. Carrier II ...Full Article
Late last summer, as my husband, Hoyt, and I explored the Southwest Michigan Wine Trail for a Press story on Lakeshore winery tours, we discovered the Thirsty Perch Grille in South Haven.
Opened in 2003, the restaurant is just off Phoenix Street, near South Haven's downtown area. Once a bowling alley, the restaurant still has the original wooden lanes -- but now they form the tops of the dining tables.
The Thirsty Perch is a delightful spot for casual dining, featuring a variety of soups, salads and sandwiches along with hand-cut steaks, chicken, pasta and, of course, fish.
Not wanting to fill up on appetizers, we went light with our order and shared the giant crab cake ($9.99). Served on a bed of wild greens with a spicy, Cajun remoulade sauce, the crab cake was delicious and ample for both of us.
Other appetizers include blue cheese and chive chips ($7.99), hand-cut portabella fries ($5.99) and the Tackle Box Sampler ($23.99). Serving six or more, the sampler would be great to share with friends and includes barbecue baby-back ribs, ale-battered perch, portabella fries, hush puppies and chilled shrimp.
Press photo/Hoyt E. Carrier II
For our entrees, we chose the perch. Although tempted by the pan-fried perch with preserved lemons ($17.99), I went with the Bottomless Bucket of Perch ($16.99), and Hoyt selected perch and avocado tacos ($7.99).
Other fish entrees, such as the pretzel-crusted Michigan whitefish ($17.99), walnut walleye ($16.99) and bourbon, cedar-planked salmon ($18.99) also sounded wonderful.
The menu features hand-cut steaks -- flat-iron, rib-eye and filet mignon -- along with Cajun salmon fettucine ($15.99), a meal called Dave's Famous Meatloaf ($15.99) and blueberry barbecue chicken ($14.99).
Fresh, flavorful, tender and flaky, with a delicate crispy coating, my perch fillets were served piping hot and delicious. Served in a basket with fries and coleslaw, the meal was everything a fish dinner should be. Since it was bottomless, I even polished off a couple more morsels of perch, relishing every moist and wonderful bite.
The perch tacos delivered the same flavorful punch for Hoyt. Served with homemade kettle potato chips, the flour tortillas came piled high with crisp, fried perch fillets, shredded cabbage, avocado slices and fresh cilantro. A creamy chipotle aioli added a little heat and a bit of extra flavor.
Another highlight worth mentioning was the bottle of Round Barn Pinot Gris ($26) we ordered with dinner. It's nice to be able to order Michigan-made wines in a restaurant, especially those from southwestern Michigan, such as Fenn Valley, Free Run Cellars and Round Barn. The Thirsty Perch Grille offers several, along with locally made beers.
For dessert, we shared the blueberry cookie apple dumpling ($5.99). Served with Palazollo's blueberry butter cookie gelato, the dumpling was scrumptious and flaky, with a juicy, warm Granny Smith apple inside.
Dangling imaginitive fare that combines freshness, flavor and creativity at a reasonable price, the Thirsty Perch Grille has us hooked.
