Farm-to-table restaurant opens in Grand Rapids with new concept

A former Grand Rapids restaurant reopens, but this time it's bigger. The Sovengard has brought farm-to-table to the west side of the city.

"We take the ideas of seasonality, sustainability and local farms really seriously, so our menus change all the time," Co-owner and Chef Rick Muschiana told FOX 17.

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Muschiana has lived and breathed the restaurant business since he was a teenager. The chef worked at the world-famous Zehnder's in Frankenmuth for a few years. However, don't expect to find the same chicken dinner at his place. He expresses that visitors can expect world-class service and dining.

"We're really trying to be a holistic place. We want the service, the food, the atmosphere, the location, the pricing, all those things to be working hand in hand for our guests," Muschiana added.

Sovengard, which has been open for 11 days now, is located on Bridge Street near Lincoln Park. This location has been in the works for a while after shutting down at the previous location two years ago.

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"We were needing to grow and to change and evolve. We needed more space. We wanted more visibility, better parking. We also wanted a deeper sense of being in the true, like, west side neighborhood," Muschiana said.

Neighbors can expect more than a restaurant with this space. People can also walk into a mini market to buy ingredients that make Sovengard dishes.

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"When you're blown away by the heirloom tomatoes that we have on the menu, and you're like, 'Where can I get these?', we can just point right over there, and you can take them home," the chef explained.

The owners of Sovengard promise fresh local ingredients for people to enjoy.

"Draw a 30-mile radius around Grand Rapids. We're pretty crazy and pretty serious about our sources," Muschiana said. "We have scheduled four major menu changes to coincide with the seasons."

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Muschiana and others are seriously passionate about this concept. He explains that they have invested $3 million to bring this place to life.

"It excites me to see people sitting down and hanging out, but it also makes me want to work really hard and make sure they have a great time," Muschiana said.

Much like its living wall of herbs and edible flowers, the restaurant and market brought new life after the Westside Apostolate Thrift Shop closed a few years ago.

"We are continuing to build this happy, healthy lifestyle city, and this pulls right into the walkability of a neighborhood. This is the kind of thing you want in your neighborhood," City of Grand Rapids Retail Retention and Attraction Specialist Richard App said.

One neighbor says they're happy to see this hometown favorite right down the street.

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"It's farm-to-table, so you know you're not getting, like, doctored-up Gordon Food Service. ... They work with local farmers," said Eva Leirstein.

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