By: Deborah Johnson Wood
With blonde woods, black tabletops, a fireplace, and a flood of natural light through the east windows, East Grand Rapids' new Voilá Café is an urban chic setting for the light fare and specialty pastries its manager calls "nouveau Euro cuisine." The restaurant opened in the former Kabookies space at 2232 Wealthy SE last June and has already attracted a following of regulars.
"Most of the people who come to visit us for breakfast and lunch come back for dinner, even if they don't live in the area," says Marisol Green, general manager. "We have people who are jogging by and stop in for breakfast, and we have moms whose small children like our grilled cheese sandwiches."
The dinner menu has an unusual twist: all dinners are offered as three-course meals with salads, breads, a choice of four entrees, dessert, and espresso—all for $11 or $15, depending on the entrée selected.
Pastry chef Denise Mayo bakes up her own creations, including pecan rolls, cinnamon rolls, and raspberry Danish, plus a plethora of distinct desserts, such as, Decadent Layered Tortes.
Beginning this fall, Voilá will feature live R&B or jazz one night a week.
"We felt that East Grand Rapids is such a growing community, and I think that it's a good place for something new, something a little different," Green says. "It's a place where our café can really flourish."
Source: Marisol Green, Voilá Café
Photograph by Brian Kelly - All Rights Reserved
Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.