Chef Dan's birthday in holland

Today, we got to celebrate the one and only, amazing Dan. If you're looking for him, he'll be the one in a Pure Michigan or Hawaiian shirt. He'll also be the one making jokes , making smiles, and making the eggs. His hot breakfasts are one of the highlights around the Hop & Vine Inn. (If you happen to be looking for ME (Amber), I'll be the one looking at Dan adoringly or giving him my best eye roll - depending on the circumstance.) 

So, what'd we do for Dan's big day? We had some errands to do in Holland, Michigan (just 20 minutes up the road), so we took the party up there. Does the city name sound familiar to you? It's the location of the huge Tulip Time Festival that takes place the first 2 weekends in May. First stop was Butch's, where we discovered their current deal of a delicious pork taco & beer for $7! It was hard not to get a second round after finishing the first, but our goal for this birthday tour was to never be hungry, and never be full, so we kept moving. 

Next, we walked down Holland's darling 8th street to the famous New Holland Brewery. Home of amazing beers and bartenders, and a beer garden patio that you've GOT to take advantage of when the weather warms up. Since it was January 105th (also known as April 17th), we stuck to sitting at the indoor bar. First up were a couple drinks (including their brand new & super flavorful Tangerine Space Machine) and this tasty Dixie Luau pizza.

Remember I mentioned the amazing bartenders? They don't just pour beer. Taylor whipped up this one of a kind frou frou drink upon request from a patron.
​​Note to self: Start ordering flowers in drinks.

The last stop of the night was over at Our Brewing Company, just another block or so down 8th Street. It's a popular spot for the local Hope College students, but lucky for us, they're a happy bunch that accepts you even if the last syllabus handed to you was 10+ years ago. 

This is the point in the night that my phone died, or I'd show you our flight of 6 very different beers/ciders and the crown jewel on the night (for me, who was the DD): A caramel, pretzel, cashew artisan ice cream bar from Ice Box Brand Ice Cream Bars. Our Brewing is a BYO food joint, but has a legit ice box full of these awesome ice cream bars ($2 for a small) along with free popcorn.

I'm not saying you will see me, but I'm not saying you WON'T see me in Holland getting another bar today.