Last weekend I had the chance to check out a couple of fine Muskegon restaurants for a special occasion. The first was Courses, the Culinary Institute of Michigan's training restaurant. Boy, what an undiscovered gem this place is! On a Saturday afternoon at 12:30 p.m., only a few tables were occupied, but the servers and chefs treated us like royalty.

We began with an appetizer of hand-cut duck fat fries with three sauces (a homemade catsup and mustard, plus an amazing green tomato something), followed by a shaved fennel spring salad that was out of this world. The main course was a perfectly cooked and beautifully presented salmon fillet. Great meal, all around.

Dinner was at CF Prime, where Tessa served us impeccably. We both had the 9 oz. filets with amazing CF Prime sauces, vegetable, and gorgonzola mashed potatoes. Plus a nice bottle of wine. Intimate setting, wonderful company, and fantastic food equals a great food day in Muskegon County!