Located in the heart of Downtown Big Rapids, the Blue Cow Cafe offers a feast for both the eyes and the palate. Once you get a taste, you will surely want a second helping.

The restaurant features French cuisine, such as steak au poive, roasted provencal chicken and champagne chicken with creme sauce, amid a cozy, upscale setting. Great cuisine at a great price is the motto of Blue Cow Cafe owners, Chuck and Connie Freiberg.

Besides excellent cuisine, Blue Cow offers a wine shop, a lounge and bar area for cocktails and an enchanting outdoors spot for summertime dining.

“I want it to be a great place to come have lunch or brunch — with quick food that’s filling, hearty and good for people who are working,” Freiberg said. “In the evening, we’ll dim the lights and the music will change and the restaurant will transition into a more upscale feel.”

The wine shop offers diners the unique experience of selecting their bottle straight from the shelf to enjoy with their meal. Servers will open and pour the wine, and will properly reseal the bottle for patrons to take the remainder home and enjoy the rest at a later date.

“I think this is a huge addition to downtown. As you go around and hear people talking about what they’d like to see in terms of new stores, you constantly hear people are interested in an upscale restaurant — it’s something I hear all the time,” said Mark Gifford, director of the Downtown Business Association. “I’m very excited they’re in downtown and the work on that building is unbelievable. I’m excited to see the finished product and anxious to go there and eat.”

To ensure a great dining experience, Freiberg will only use ingredients that meet her standards of quality. For example, she will serve fresh, never frozen shrimp from Louisiana. The whitefish will come from Lake Superior.

For more information call (231) 796-0100.