With its murals of founding Grand Rapids businesses, this restaurant is a natural for office entertaining. But couples and families also frequent Charley's Crab, with its tiered seating that offers everyone a great view of the Grand River. Considered by many to be the best seafood restaurant in the city, Charley's allows you to choose from chef-created entrees or select your own style of cooking for 10 "fresh-catch" selections.

In Michigan, the preparation of whitefish is a hotly contested issue, and this restaurant has one of the best whitefish entrees around: The fish is encrusted with horseradish and shredded potatoes and then sauteed. Charley's Crab saves the cedar planking for a rainbow trout entree, and it also serves up a great recreation of a down-east boil that mixes lobster, crab, mussels, clams, potatoes and corn. The Sunday brunch, complete with live jazz music, is popular. -- K. Wheeler