Lovejoy opens in Holland

Family memories nourish restaurant atmosphere

I wish I were Lucas Grill’s cousin – because then his grandma could be my grandma, too. And, if I were lucky, some of his delightful memories of her would also be mine.

It wasn’t meant to be, but I swear I can feel her presence in his newest restaurant, Lovejoy, in Holland. Actually, both of his grandmas.

The atmosphere is decidedly upscale, probably more than at either Grandma’s, but the vestiges of that coziness underscore the sleek, chic ambiance. Wallpaper, but elevated. Plants, but in modern boxes high above the dining tables. Mirrors, but in multiples, each framed in burnished gold with black edging.

The menu bespeaks of Grill’s past, too. He grew up on a farm on Lovejoy Road in Fowlerville, Michigan.
As with the furnishings, the food is nostalgia gone uptown. As a prelude to the entrees, small and not-so-small appetizers are worth trying. The crab wontons, sweet and sour, have a bit of a kick. The grated cheese is so generously heaped atop the green salad that it’s hard to see any green. I didn’t try the short rib hand pie, snuggled inside a crispy and flaky pastry, but is that a sophisticated nod to a Yooper pasty?

And then, think Sunday dinner, enhanced. There’s beef – make that the Sunday roast, although it’s available every day. It hints at Grandma’s Sunday dinner but, like the entire experience here, speaks to Grill’s grown-up style and culinary expertise shaped by training at The Culinary Institute of America and then years in restaurants. The salmon wears a hot honey glaze and pairs with potato croquettes and a green vegetable. Hands down the best salmon I’ve ever had.

But the No. 1 dinner choice just might be meatloaf.

Meatloaf????
Well, this version is accompanied by impressive mashed potatoes, wild mushroom gravy, buttermilk onions. And all that Lovejoy love.

As for presentation, meals are served in their own overgrown spaghetti bowls. The entrée is nestled inside, each dressed up for a special occasion. That would be your dinner.

And then, dessert. Do choose the Lovejoy layer cake. And ask server Joey Gibson to tell its tale.

Seems that as a youngster, Grill loved snow days because he and his grandma would spend time in the kitchen, making carrot cake.

Grill has never forgotten that cake. Nor the banana bread and coffee cake his mother was partial to making. “I cooked with my grandmothers and mom all the time,” Grill said. “So fun! There were three different houses on our 400-acre farm. My grandparents had one house, our family another, my uncle another.”

Lovejoy’s layer cake pays homage to these two important women. You’ll think you’re getting carrot cake, but that first bite will have you pondering the additional ingredients.

Pay particular attention to the cake’s presentation. The silverware is from both grandmothers. The dessert plates, too.

Lovejoy opened in January, in what was Grill’s Poquito. Patrons love that Lovejoy continues to serve Poquito’s red sangria.

Next door is Obstacle No. 1, his upscale and full-of-fun cocktail lounge. He also owns Public in Zeeland and Seventy-Six in Holland. Like his earlier spots, Lovejoy touts 70 house rules.

Examples: Every dish can be improved with the addition of bacon; The most underrated cake is carrot cake; The second doughnut is exactly one too many.

As for dining at Lovejoy, one visit is just the prelude to many.

More info at lovejoyholland.com