Recently attended a Human Resource Conference in Grand Rapids. Our entertainment for the evening was dinner and drinks at a place called the B.O.B. (Big Old Building). This place is really cool and very eclectic. It is a remodeled old warehouse, with floor after floor of restaurants, comedy clubs, and bars. Our evenings entertainment put us on the third floor with a live band (who were pretty good) and the fourth floor for Dr. Grins comedy club. As this was a sponsored event, it is difficult to review the menu as we had a pre-chosen buffet. Rather three buffets. One area had a variety of cold salads, BBQ smoked chicken sliders, which were spicier than I expected, and a beef station with carved filet, baked beans and cornbread. The filet was the star of the show, cooked as a whole tenderloin, medium rare, and smoked perfectly. The beans were cooked with onions and BBQ sauce and were really tasty. The cornbread is not even worth mentioning, however.
Station #2 was a pseudo Mexican gala with pulled pork tacos and chicken nachos. I did not try the tacos, but the chicken on the nachos were very dry.
Station #3 was pasta, Caesar salad and pizza. I had a bit of the Caesar salad, which was well, Caesar salad. Not impressive, but good. The one pasta I tried seemed like a bacon infused mac and cheese. Pretty good. The second pasta looked good, a tortellini spinach pasta, but loaded with mushrooms so I opted out. The pizza looked underwhelming, so I opted against.
The BOB has its own brewery – who knew? I really have to go back to Grand Rapids and enjoy the craft beer culture that has over taken the city. With Founders Brewery, The Bob and numerous restaurants catering to a more refined beer drinking college crowd, such as Hopcat, it really is a beer lovers destination.
My beer of choice for the evening was SpaceBoy Stout, an oatmeal stout, light and creamy and easy to drink. 6% abv, it is similar to my other love, Rochester Mills Milkshake Stout.
A fun evening, and I have discovered a fun new beer, and a fun new place to visit when in Grand Rapids. I recommend both!
