Metro Times Best Of Detroit 11/16/22

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We received responses to Lee DeVito’s story about troubles behind the scenes at Theatre Bizarre, Detroit’s long-running Halloween party.

Honestly, the event was way too crowded to actually enjoy it. They really need to

scale down the amount of tickets that they sell. It’s really a dangerous situation to be in a crowd of standing room only, stuck on staircases, no clearly posted exits, with fire acts all around. —Colleen Kelley, Facebook

Hi, I felt like I had to say something as the culture described in the article felt very generalized and not my experience. I was new this year to Theatre Bizarre after

attending for 7 years and being introduced by friends. I have never met a more welcoming group of people. I was able to show up and have no judgement put on me of where I came from or did before this. For the first time in my life I was appreciated for my talents in the present moment without having to prove my worth like I would in the corporate world. I view the whole endeavor in it’s simplest

form: a house party with a clear artistic vision. At no point did I feel pressured to do anything I didn’t want to do. I saw everyone moving about feeling involved and expressive, smiling faces. The pressure of the outside world completely gone for a moment of time. Thanks for listening. —Joe G, email

Sound off: letters@metrotimes.com

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NEWS & VIEWS

Fire wall: Part II

After a Detroit re ghter died on duty, prosecutors looked for someone to blame. Mario Willis insists he’s innocent.

By Eddie B. Allen Jr.

Last week, we covered the case of Mario Willis, who supporters say was wrongfully sentenced for up to 30 years behind bars following a 2008 blaze that resulted in the death of a Detroit re ter. is ee our in esti tion continues.

It was a fittin title for a man consistently descri ed as pstand in and de oted rmor earer was not only the role alter arris held at omm nity hristian Fellowship h rch it was his career as a firefi hter ser in etroiters.

nli e i lical armor earers who carried shields or weapons for in s and military commanders, the position in modern ch rches in ol es spirit al s pport. t not nli e the niform arris p t on for d ty at east side n ine tation o. , his moral armor re ected reat passion and commit ment.

e died wearin it.

alter arris ris ed his life and a e his life to extin ish a fire and

protect the men and women of his fire company, read a statement from in terim ayor en oc rel r. iss ed o . , . y tho hts and prayers are with alter arris family and the men and women of the etroit Fire epart ment. I enco ra e e eryone s prayers for hope and healin for the city and for those whose o it is to protect s. rayers went o t immediately from the con re ation at omm nity hris tian Fellowship where arris, , had led i le st dy st a few days earlier. s the th anni ersary of his loss looms this month, a man whose name mi ht e fore er connected to ar ris and those who mo rn him says he hopes healin can res lt from tr th and from his exoneration in the firefi hter s death.

e e all lost someone and the way we elie e we lost them has a psycho lo ical e ect, says ario illis, whose s pporters say he was wron f lly con icted of arson.

fter years imprisoned at a inaw orrectional Facility, not only does

illis lon for freedom, he says the tr th a o t the ast ir y la e co ld ease resentment y those who e la eled him a firefi hter iller. ayne o nty s on iction Inte rity nit is re iewin e idence that illis s appel late lawyer rai aly insists pro es his client innocent of payin a handyman to rn the ho se for an ins rance payo t.

o honor r. arris is to honor him in tr th, says illis, and r. arris is restin on a ed of lies ri ht now.

For many, illis reali es, it has een hard to accept e en the notion that he had no connection to arris s death.

illis admits he, too, was once amon the masses that elie e prison n m ers are only assi ned to inmates who e earned them.

Too long, too much

t a co y nn r or caf with late s mmer s n hittin the window, yri ilson sips water at a ta le for fo r.

a in remarried since alter ar ris s death, she is disc ssin estions a o t who s tr ly responsi le for illin the man she met when they were oth children in elementary school.

Incl din se eral re sentencin hear in s after d e ichael . allahan improperly exceeded idelines for illis s initial p nishment, ilson says she as ed o er and o er and o er and o er that co rt o cers create a fair o tcome. hile she hasn t concl ded illis is innocent, she s also othered y the tho ht of his ser in n st prison time.

I am interested in the entire tr th comin o t. It s een too lon and too m ch for oth families, says ilson.

ilson has had m ltiple opport ni ties to spea scornf lly of illis d rin ictim impact se ments in co rt, t he says she ne er attac ed his charac ter.

hat says a lot when I m the person acc sed of ca sin her h s and s de mise, illis adds.

ilson has ac nowled ed arris s

Detroit firefighter Walter Harris was killed in a Nov. 15, 2008 blaze.

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death was nintended, which is partly why she rew weary of post con iction hearin s and p licity that accompa nied e ery ret rn to a co rtho se.

s a widow, it doesn t ma e me feel any etter, she says. e s still dead. Ironically, her hope at this point is identical to what illis says he wants complete tr th and transparency.

If there s een some wron doin , some e os that were in ol ed, some thin s that were hidden, adds ilson, that needs to come o t.

of a witness, often interr ptin oth te ens and illis s defense lawyer, ri ht la e, sayin at one point that he tho ht atricia e erson, the d e presidin , was d e inda ar er e ca se they wore similar lasses.

o sin le player in the arris homicide case more in enced what came o t to illis s detriment than arian I an o e. nce a tr sted, small time con tractor who performed maintenance at ast ir y and other etroit homes illis p rchased, o e s role had diminished y . onetheless, illis, whose family extended indness to o e for years, had recently enrolled the handyman in a ayne o nty omm nity olle e istrict pro ram to help o e la nch his own anitorial imprint. Instead of a prot , o e ecame a prosec tion witness, testify in a ainst illis almost exactly a year after the la e too place in chilly, leaf lown a t mn.

t o e s story chan ed with the seasons.

y s mmer he wo ld f lly confess in a tr th statement that he and he alone ca sed the la e which led to the death of a entle iant, as ar ris was descri ed that he d tipped o t on his li e in irlfriend after midni ht o . , , sin ast ir y to entertain a woman named Felisha with alcohol and mari ana that she d rown cold, so he threw to ether a amma le sol tion which spilled and spread into a fatal ni htmare and that ario illis neither paid him to set the fire nor e en new o e was in the ho se, which act ally elon ed to il lis s f t re wife.

et, at the preliminary examina tion to decide if illis sho ld stand trial, o e was ready to f lfill his end of a deal. ress red y etroit olice in esti ators, accordin to an a da it he later si ned, he pleaded ilty to rnin ast ir y for what the o ernment wanted o . , at th istrict o rt was testimony that the oss, illis, paid him to do it. ho told yo to li ht the fire as ed o ert te ens, assistant ayne o nty prosec tor.

I ess ario, o e replied. y most acco nts o e was a wrec

o e testified that he d een paint in ast ir y eca se he e ent ally planned to mo e in, admittin he d ta en a co ple irls there witho t anyone s permission and occasionally dran eer at the ho se, e en efore the fire. e d een drin in the entire ni ht efore etecti e ance lli an arri ed at his act al etroit home to ta e a statement, he said.

o yo remem er ein as ed this estion, hy did ario want yo to rn the ho se nd yo r answer was for the ins rance money, correct te ens as ed.

, t how tr e was that o e replied.

t another point, o e seemed fr s trated y additional otes p rportedly of his own words, replyin , all com in p with all this. I don t e en now what s oin on.

pec liar moment was noted y d e e erson s as in , hat s the pro lem e s doin somethin with his nose, said defense lawyer la e, o ser in o e.

e needs a leenex, added te ens. la e handed o e a tiss e, then contin ed his cross examination. e referred to a moment when o e saw illis ahead of the same day s proceed in , as in nd didn t yo apolo i e to him for lyin on him and for rin in these char es on him h o e answered.

idn t yo do that, sir hen

efore yo were ro ht p here, weren t there some dep ties aw, come on, o e said.

ppearin conf sed at moments, other times defensi e, o e seemed ea er for the cross examination to end. ir, yes or no, did he tell yo to rn the o tside of the ho se as ed la e. o, said o e.

ir, yes or no, did he tell yo to rn the inside of the ho se

I don t li e these estions.

espite what appeared to resem le a stri eo t for the prosec tion more than a homer n y its ey witness, illis was ordered to trial. he next time he saw o e, who said he ro e o t cry

in when he learned that arris died, illis notes that his ex employee had rehearsed for the witness stand. hey dressed him p, st li e they do on , and made him the y I chose to do my iddin , in their words, illis says.

In the e innin when I tell yo I was hi hly pset eca se of all I ha e done for him to cate ori e it prop erly, in the e innin I was li id, he adds. t as time went on I felt sorry for him. I said, y od, this man was sed.

rai aly, illis s appellate lawyer, a rees, ha in recently filed a motion for relief and e identiary hearin to disc ss o e s recantin statements, ideo doc mentation, and other facts.

he way I see it in its totality is that this was a con iction y manip lation, aly says.

he fallo t has een not only his client s n st imprisonment, t the ery n s al time span of proceed in s li e illis s latest re sentencin st last year, he adds. entence related iss es ha e lon delayed the opport nity for aly to present ey e idence that exonerates illis, he says.

t that s eca se these d es eep wantin to hammer ario, says aly. ased on his c rrent stat s, illis, , will e years old efore he s eli i le for release and the ichi an arole oard will potentially in ence the rest of his life, aly says. eanwhile, o e, who declined etro imes re est to e inter iewed, co ld e free in a few years.

hile the co rt finally has een presented with additional materials, incl din o e s a da it admit tin he lied, aly says the on iction Inte rity nit co ld act independently. I lo e the fact that we ha e an inte rity nit, n m er one, says aly. m er two, it s important that they sta the nit with people who now defense law .

Something in common

t a lance, alter atric arris and ario amont illis were m ch more ali e than di erent. From their ald heads and l y frames to their shared hristian faith, similar interests mi ht ha e forecast their paths crossin at a charity e ent, not a co rtho se. oth were family men, tho h ar

ris was a decade older, married with six sons. oth were in ol ed with real estate, arris as a licensed a ent. oth were etroit oosters, despite li in in the s r s at one point or another. oth were well re arded y their peers and associates. heir families e en had a m t al friend who attended the same ch rch as arris and his wife.

hile illis was fond of lar e tr c s li e the Ford xc rsion he mane ered on monster wheels thro h the streets of etroit, arris was a motorcyclist. It s hard to ima ine the men not clic in with one another, says illis s mother axine, had they e er een introd ced.

h, my od, I thin if they had an opport nity to meet, they wo ld ha e een a dynamic d o, she adds.

ot ha in personally nown ar ris, she learned, li e m ch of etroit, a o t his o tin s with the xemen, a cl of firefi hters with motorcycles, a o t his mentorin , a o t his i hearted dedication to helpin others. he main traits shared etween arris and her son were their lo e of h man ity, their desire to ma e this world a etter place, and more importantly, to share od s word, axine illis adds. ri tes incl din the doc mentary film BURN , which he inspired, and the alter . arris e ional rainin enter are part of the senior firefi hter nown as alt s le acy. he classroom trainin facility s we site descri es it as a h for new recr itment, emer ency medical technician and in ser ice trainin , an emer ency ehicle operators co rse, li e fire trainin , and more.

For many, arris s ra ery spea s for itself as he was said to e first in at the scene of fires and lad that the n ine station saw a ood amo nt of action. hen the roof collapsed, trappin him and other personnel who were a le to escape, some reports indicate he d een chec in ast ir y for a rants who mi ht need res c in . t no etroit Fire epartment o cials responded to etro imes telephone calls or e mails see in inter iews a o t arris s death or the m rder trial, and ichi an Freedom of Information ct F I re ests for fire and police in esti ation records remain nanswered y the ity of etroit. ac . ietrich, s per isin assistant corporation co nsel of the city aw epartment s F I section, did not respond to phone or written mes sa es see in comment a o t the city s iolation of p lic records law.

r. Fred ltee, a ayne tate ni ersity o rnalism instr ctor whose co rses address reportin a o t o ernment a ency operations, says with holdin p lic information hinders

‘He’s doing something with his nose.’

“To honor Mr. Harris is to honor him in truth,” says Willis, “and Mr. Harris is resting on a bed of lies right now.”

citizen trust.

“In my journalism professor capacity I’d say that’s not cool. That’s not how it’s supposed to work,” Vultee says.

The appearance of a code of silence encountered by Metro Times when seeking information about Harris might be misplaced loyalty by those who admired the first responder, the professor adds.

“Whether it’s for good or ill, we don’t attach any blame to people who say, ‘I’m just trying to protect my friends,’” says Vultee, a former news reporter. “The point is to make sure that matters are being done and addressed in the public’s interest.”

Exemptions to FOIA provisions are established to protect individual pri vacy and also in accordance with other stipulations.

sent some of these specific thin s, they should tell you, at least, this is where the record is and why they’re not giving it to you,” says Vultee.

Hooked for homicide

But ongoing questions didn’t just emerge in the aftermath of Willis’s conviction; they’d risen like smoke over 7418 East Kirby since the investigation’s onset and throughout the trial. For one, Willis wondered why he was ever targeted, particularly since he’d assisted police and fire o cials y pro idin information during the process. His trial lawyer told him the prosecution needed a i fish to p nish for ar ris s death, since he was a first respond er lost in the line of duty.

Stevens used the exact term in an opening argument to jurors, explain ing why Willis sat before them: “So the person that lights that torch, lights that house up, the person who puts him p to it, the i fish as we call it, the person who’s responsible, the person who sends out his minion … that’s the person we’re after.”

He added, “You may not agree with that. You may think the person that lit the fire is more important. o not agree. And the reason is because there’s a person who, out of cowardice, is set ting another person up to take the hit on it, in case somebody gets caught.”

Willis agrees that he, a property inestor descri ed as a etroit siness man, fit the i fish la el more than a rec less fix it y with only tears for restitution.

Another house he owned on Prest Street was insured for $125,000 and in foreclosure at the time of East Kirby’s fire, illis says, ma in it a etter target if arson had been the plan, but Willis says defense lawyer Blake didn’t present the information to jurors.

erin e en more opport nity, a couple of weeks before the fatal blaze, etroit mo ili ed , ol nteers to patrol neighborhoods and stop arson ists nown to spar hellfire on e il s i ht, ct. despite all the i ilance, 7418 East Kirby could have burned then with less suspicion than any other night of the year. If he’d been devious enough to hire o e, another estion was Why hadn’t Willis paid attention to the calendar?

s it t rned o t, fires in the city were reported between Oct. 29 and ct. , , with none of his ho ses among them.

“It’s noteworthy,” Willis says, “that, out of all the multiple properties that I owned, I have never had an insurance claim.”

astly, o e s contention that illis retrieved him from home and drove him to 7418 East Kirby hours before arris died a claim o e s irlfriend at the time calls a lie in her 2014 affida it in ites the estion hy would Willis put himself or his vehicle, displaying its distinctive “7 Monsta” license plate, anywhere near the crime scene illis says he s often re ected on s ch tho hts with ash ac s e en tri ered while watchin etroit epi sodes of The First 48 detective series. He recognized Scott Shea and Lance Sullivan, the investigators who fueled the prosecution’s case.

Forensic chemist ir ed lin says science also f eled the fire s le al fall out. Hedglin, who worked in the ATF’s forensic lab and supported the World Trade Center, Oklahoma City, and Centennial Olympic Park bombing probes,

16-22, 2022 | metrotimes.com

response protocol, but Metro Times interview requests to discuss whether changes were implemented received no reply. A 2010 National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health report o ers recommendations a o t circ m stances related to the 7418 East Kirby fire, incl din greater caution at vacant buildings with proper ris enefit decisions e ing made by the incident commander” re-evaluating an almost 20-year-old standard operating procedure at vacant or abandoned buildings

ensuring that an EMS unit is on the scene and a aila le for firefi hter emergency care”

a “respiratory protection program” to help properly maintain breathing equipment

expects to testify if Willis wins a new trial. He operates the Eastpointe-based Great Lakes Analytical, Inc. laboratory, which speciali es in fire de ris and crime scene analysis.

Hedglin’s review of evidence from ast ir y confirms the ichi an tate olice findin that oor oard samples from the house contained gasoline.

hen if yo o ac to o e, he explains that he kicked over a gas con tainer,” says Hedglin.

“Liquids, with gravity, like with e erythin else, they re oin to ow to the lowest point on the oor, he adds.

ost oors are not perfectly le el. I don t now how m ch id he had, t that would allow it to spread … There had to be some sort or ignition source in that room, so then the fire s st nat ral ly going to spread from that room to the next, to the next; it’s just oxygen, and it’s going to burn the house down.”

espite a etroit Fire epartment investigator’s testimony that the house was vacant, which ruled out an ac cident, ed lin says the scenario o e described is realistic.

“Is is plausible? Yes.”

An independent review

he ity of etroit s silence in response to queries about 7418 East Kirby precludes information of possible interest to firefi hters In the wa e of arris s death there was talk of change in the etroit Fire epartment s frontline

Bill Proctor, a former WXYZ Channel 7 TV reporter and private investigator who supports Willis’s exoneration, says the question of whether Harris might have survived with safer policies in place hasn’t been adequately addressed. A murder conviction made Willis col lateral damage in a tragedy compound ed by perceived public expectations, Proctor adds.

“The Willis case is certainly up there when it comes to human frailty, but in this case, he’s higher because of the political nature of what happened to him,” says Proctor. “The City was going after an answer that everybody would accept.”

o e s rec lessness and Felisha s absence, since she hasn’t been located to testify a o t the fire, set a fatality and a miscarriage of justice in motion, Proctor says: “Those were the people that were involved in the accident that the City turned into a crime.”

For his part, Willis says he’s sincere when expressing feelings that Harris’s legacy should be cherished.

“I’m not dismissive of Mr. Harris,” Willis says. “But I matter, too.”

e s treated fairly y the sta at Saginaw Correctional, he says, but stab bings over such trivialities as dessert, and security lockdowns, aren’t uncom mon.

“This is where the Boogeyman lives,” adds Willis.

Of Harris’s relatives, Maxine Willis says, “We pray for that family all the time.”

Megan Willis, Mario’s wife, says she, too, sympathizes with the family that lost a man of Harris’s stature, especially Syri Wilson.

“Yes, my heart went out to her because she lost her husband, but I lost mine, too,” adds Megan.

“They took my best friend away, they ruined his character,” she says. “They made him out to be a person that he wasn’t.”

The prosecution needed a “big sh” to punish for Harris’s death, since he was a rst responder lost in the line of duty.

Maxine Willis believes her son, Mario Willis, was wrongfully sentenced. KELLEY O’NEILL

Local nonpro t provides free internet to Detroit residents

By Randiah Camille Green

APPROACHING RANDOM HAMTRAMCK residences and o erin them free internet service sounds like it could be a farce or a bad horror movie waitin to happen.

But in this case, there is no catch or oo eyman lyin in wait. he orth nd oodward omm nity oalition pro ides internet ser ice completely free of char e to residents of amtramc , i hland ar , and etroit s ew enter nei h orhood.

It s indefinite ntil yo decide that yo don t want it anymore, pro ect coordinator amille eed explains. here is no month to month fee. o re not payin anythin . o don t ha e to ndle anythin and we don t ma e yo feel ad if yo decide to lea e s. nd if yo re mo in within the area, we can mo e with yo .

i ital redlinin is a pro lem in many comm nities. onprofit in es ti ati e newsroom The Markup found that se eral Internet er ice ro iders o er residents in cities with hi h minor ity pop lations li e etroit terri ly slow internet for similar rates that they char e more a ent cities for m ch faster speeds.

The Markup analy ed aro nd mil lion internet o ers from , eri on, ent ry in , and arth in in nearly merican cities incl din etroit. he newsroom p lished a report in cto er showin ro hly of inter net o ers in etroit were for slow speeds elow ps which is so slow the Federal Communications Commission doesn’t even consider it as broadband ser ice.

xec ti e irector e erend oan oss says di ital redlinin has lon een a pro lem in etroit, with many people ha in slow internet or no access at all.

he non profit started o erin no cost connections thro h its ita le Internet Initiati e in in ew enter. It expanded to i hland ar d rin the pandemic when they learned children in the area were lar ely witho t internet access and couldn’t take their classes or complete homewor online.

hey soon reali ed how many seniors were also c t o from the world d rin the pandemic with no opport nities to

sociali e in person.

lot of seniors, who may e their comm nity was in the ch rch and they co ld no lon er o there and they didn t ha e internet access, they were literally st on the planet with no con nection to anyone and nowhere to o, oss says.

he coalition now pro ides free internet to the entire a elle owers senior li in comm nity in i hland ar , and is wor in toward hoo in p e ery senior ho sin ildin in the nei h orhood.

It s not st for seniors or families with children, howe er. will pro ide internet ser ice to anyone who lives within the service areas, and there s not e en an income re ire ment.

e don t income alify people eca se we elie e that all people in etroit need this ser ice, oss says. It was desi ned for families that did not ha e access or low income families that co ld not a ord sin commercial I s t d rin the pandemic, we did not income alify. If yo li ed in o r nei h orhood and we co ld et a si nal to yo , we elie ed yo r child needed to ha e that si nal. e still don t in come alify.

s internet ser ice is dis tri ted from h locations they e installed in these nei h orhoods. he h s m st ha e a clear line of si ht to the or ani ation s o ce at econd e., where the internet si nal comes from.

expanded to amtramc last year and has st e n pro idin residential homes ser ice. oss says the ro p ser es a o t fo r amtramc residences so far, and has een oin door to door o erin free internet.

In total, the ro p pro ides internet service to about 400 homes across the three comm nities.

Ross believes internet access is a fun damental ri ht for di ital e ity.

I thin the federal o ernment sho ld pay for e ery ody s internet and we sho ldn t ha e to e strapped with this a month ill, she says. It s so nfair. e had a senior who had to wor from home once the pandemic hit and her internet ot so hi h that she

co ldn t a ord it. he was st doin a little part time o from home t had there not een some other way, she wo ldn t ha e had any wor at all.

She adds, “We can do this within our nei h orhood. ome people say we can t s stain it. ell, why not e e s stained it for fi e years and we ha e connections and we re rowin e ery day.

started as an emer ency food pantry in and has since e ol ed to o er a mo ile pantry, a com m nity radio station, and a comm nity land tr st called toreho se of ope, which p rchased a slew of tax fore closed homes and o ered occ pants low cost rent.

he idea was to eep people in their homes and e ent ally ret rn owner ship ac to them, t the pro ram has een critici ed as it str les to eep p with repairs of deterioratin homes. ome occ pants ha e e en called oss a sl m landlord as most of them ha e een na le to p rchase their home from toreho se of ope.

For now, the ita le Internet Ini tiati e is f nded thro h rants from or ani ations li e the ni ht Fo nda tion and oni Fo ndation tho h oss expresses ncertainty a o t how lon f ndin will last.

rants are li e yo re the a or of the month, oss says. ast year the ni ht Fo ndation a e s a three year

, rant to ild the orth nd. hey didn t say anythin a o t i h land ar and amtramc . t the end of three years, they may say, ell yo now it was a nice deal, t it s st one of those thin s. e re onna mo e on.

Ross notes that the infrastructure and networ will always e in place. If the or ani ation has tro le findin contin ed f ndin , she says they may e ent ally ha e to char e people for the internet, tho h any fees wo ld e minimal.

ay e then I ll ha e to say, ey clients yo e had this for fi e years for free, now I don t ha e any more money, wo ld yo e willin to pay me a third of what yo wo ld pay omcast so we can eep this oin she says. e do ha e them si n an a reement that it s o r e ipment and I don t now how lon I can eep it free. I m onna try my est to eep it free for a lon , lon time, t if not, co ld they pay or , or a month I don t now.

oss says the most important thin is that the internet ser ice stays a ord a le.

i ht now, e ery ody s tal in a o t di ital e ity and this is an on the ro nd sol tion, she says. It s comm nity thin in for itself and we ha e ownership of this. his is o rs. I want s to ha e ownership of these thin s and not st feel that e erythin is ein extracted from s.

NEWCC provides internet service completely free of charge to residents of Ham tramck, Highland Park, and Detroit’s New Center.

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Abandoned Detroit townhouses transformed into beautiful apartments

By Steve Neavling

FOR NEARLY 20 years, the row of abandoned, red-brick townhouses in Detroit’s Hubbard Farms neighborhood was a dangerous eyesore.

Today, the 106-year-old building, known as The Murray, is fully renovated, and each of the 12 units is occupied with renters.

The project to revitalize the historic building began in September 2020 after a group of teenagers told Mayor Mike Duggan that they felt unsafe walking past the crumbling townhouses on their way to school.

The $4.6 million renovation was led by the developer, Detroit native W. Emery Matthews of Real Estate Interests LLC, and Concetti, a Detroit-founded interior design strategy studio. Rock ford Construction was the construction manager.

The goal was to retain the building’s historic character.

Located at 4004 Porter St., a block from Clark Park, the townhouses feature exposed brick and blue and green

colorways lended etween oors, with custom wallpaper sourced by Detroit Wallpaper Co. Whenever possible, the ori inal hardwood oors were ept, and the building’s original molding was painted a stark black.

“This project focused on keeping and enhancing the authenticity of the historic building, to not only restore its rightful place as a community landmark, but to create a safe and functional space for Detroit families to live,” Rachel Nelson, Concetti CEO and principal

designer, said in a news release Thurs day. “Through Concetti’s three-phase strategic process, we focused on the people who would live in the building and how they would utilize it, while also prioritizing Matthews’ values. Our human-centric approach allowed us to create a contemporary interior aesthetic that appeals to the current market while showcasing the community’s spirit and resilience.”

he reno ated ildin first opened in July 2021, and is now at full capacity.

‘12 Days of GRiZMAS’ returns

By Randiah Camille Green

IT’S THE MOST wonderful time of the year. No, not Christmas — we’re talking about the 12 Days of GRiZMAS put on by our favorite saxophone-playing, weed-smoking, and charitable DJ, GRiZ.

The annual 12-day-long philan thropic event, now in its ninth year, will run from Nov. 29 to Dec. 10. It’s loaded with art workshops, yoga classes, dodgeball tournaments, karaoke, and ice skating, before culminating in an epic two-night show at Detroit’s Masonic Temple on GRiZMAS.

he e ent contin es to enefit longtime charity partner Seven Mile sic, a nonprofit that raises f nds for music, arts, and coding programs

for Detroit youth. Since 2014 GRiZ has raised more than $500,000 for youth music education.

he whole thin pops o with the grand opening of the GRiZMAS Workshop Charity Store in Detroit’s apitol ar with o cial i mer chandise including hoodies, hats, scarves, blankets, mugs, beanies, ornaments, and more. The store will host an ongoing coat and toy drive enefitin t. incent de a l and a charity auction. It will also include a lo n e area with a co ee ar ser in up free cups of this year’s GRiZMAS co ee, a limited edition thiopian ir ache e roast made in colla ora tion with etroit ased o eeha s.

he co ee will e a aila le in o .

“The best property redevelopment is one that tells a story that draws threads from the past in order to weave a narra tive that foretells the future,” Matthews said. “Concetti was a critical part of this narration, providing artistry and insight that made sure The Murray’s hundredyear history was a source of strength and inspiration instead of a constraint. Their design work beautifully captured the dialogue between past and future that is the core element of (our) Real Estate Interests, LLC’s redevelopment projects.”

bags at the store and online, with all proceeds from sales going straight to Seven Mile Music.

Activities during the week include a painting workshop with Detroit artist Phillip Simpson; karaoke at Deluxx Fluxx; a charity jam at El Club with GRiZ, Ian Finkelstein, ProbCause, Kevin Donahue, Chrishira Perrier, and more; an ’80s zombiedisco-themed roller skating party at Bonaventure; and community ice skating at Campus Martius.

On day four, GRiZ will perform a secret set at a mystery party some where in Detroit.

The GRiZMAS Workshop is located at 1265 Griswold St., Detroit, and will be open across all 12 Days from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

For more information, see 12daysofgrizmas.com.

The 106-year-old building was renovated with the goal of retaining its historic character in Hubbard Farms in Detroit.

BRETT MOUNTAIN, COURTESY OF CONCETTI

NEWS & VIEWS

The Incision

A COBRA Story

By Tara Terpstra

quick note from Abdul: spend a lot of my time deconstructing the healthcare system at a 30,000 foot level, where can see the full workings of a system uilt s eci c ll to ene t t e cor or tions that control it. But sometimes, it’s from the ground that you can really appreciate just how cruel it is. One of our editors, Tara, recently had to contend with the COBRA system — extending employer-sponsored coverage after employment ends — for her mother after her father unexpectedly passed away. Her story captures all the ways the system’s hidden complexity punishes Americans.

We lost my father earlier this year after a two-month battle with cancer. It forced us to navigate through the as pects of my mother’s life that were now oin to di er drastically. ne of those was health insurance, which my father had carried through his employer for both of them.

Mom wasn’t old enough to qualify for Medicare, makes too much to qualify

for Medicaid, and is self-employed and therefore not eligible for any employersponsored coverage of her own. The first circ mstance we co ld do nothin about. The second didn’t help us in her current situation. The third could be remedied by seeking out a job with em ployer-sponsored coverage. But therein lies another set of considerations for someone who’s nearing retirement age, not to mention potential waiting periods depending on the employment terms. That left us with two possible avenues, buying an individual plan from the health insurance marketplace or co era e.

he most a orda le plan on the marketplace was over $600 per month — for what amounted to catastrophic co era e. ct al ins rance co era e wouldn’t start until she’d hit an absurd deductible, in this case over $7,000 per year. So we shelved the idea of a marketplace plan with the hopes that co ld e a ia le option. is illo ical from the mp. Your employer-sponsored coverage

has to end, and there’s approximately a month where you’re forced to wait in limbo for the enrollment paperwork o tlinin yo r enefits and plan price to be mailed to you. During this period you do not technically have any insurance (though it’s usually backdated upon enrollment), so you’re praying that you don’t need to see a doctor or, God forbid, get into an accident or have an urgent medical issue. The paperwor too a o t fi e or six wee s in Mom’s case. Ultimately, though, om wo ld e eli i le for for 36 months and the premium would still cost less than the garbage plan we found on the marketplace. We were relieved, and planned to move forward with si nin p for once the paperwork arrived.

ne wo ld thin that the enrollment process would be fairly straightforward, but rather than your original insurer, it’s typically administered by an outside entity. nce we recei ed the paperwor the fun began. We had set up auto matic payments to avoid any late fees

or possible termination. We thought we’d done the right thing. But then we received a notice that a bill of a negli gible amount was due, with the scary language that failure to pay by a certain date would result in plan termination. Many phone calls and emails later, we learned that plan administrators had changed their backend system shortly after the enrollment was completed. Somehow in the changeover they man aged to delete the automatic payments that had been set up, and we started receiving notices of nonpayment again. In our discussions with the customer service representatives, they admitted that they didn’t know how to use the new system — while also making us feel like it was somehow our fault. But, l c y for s, eca se of I re la tions, they could initiate reinstatement of the plan. How generous. I can’t even imagine how many people they did this to, how many plans were unknow in ly canceled. h, and then we fo nd out months after enrolling and paying premiums for a medical plan that my mom didn’t actually have coverage.

hen she called her dentist s o ce a o t an appointment, they notified her as a courtesy that their system was showing that she had active dental and vision coverage, but not medical. Several frantic phone calls on the Friday before a long weekend later, we found that my father’s employer had never submitted their paperwork.

To add injury to insult, mom developed a kidney stone and had several visits to the emergency room and a short hospitalization (thankfully, she is st fine . he emer ency room couldn’t turn her away, but her doctor’s o ce ref sed to sched le any follow p visits since, on paper, she didn’t have any insurance.

Throughout this entire process, I questioned why, in the United States, we even need to go through all of this just to have the ability to see a doctor or go to the hospital when we need care? We’re dreading having to navigate the system all over again in three years when her co era e r ns o t, not to mention what the a orda le premiums will look like as she’ll be three years older and healthcare costs only grow.

If o r system is the old standard of healthcare, we need to rethink our standards. It’s awful enough to have to deal with the insurance bureaucracy and worry about how you’re going to see a doctor. It’s worse to have to do it while grieving the loss of your loved one.

Originally published Oct. 27 in The Incision. Get more at abdulelsayed. substack.com.

Our healthcare system adds insult to injury — and injury to insult.

SHUTTERSTOCK

By Metro Times readers

IT'S TIME FOR ONE OF OUR FAVORITE ISSUES OF THE YEAR: our annual Best of Detroit issue. Sure, it's a lot of work to set up the ballot and analyze all the responses, but every other week, you read about what we have to say — this week, we get to hear about what you think. The results of our poll are in, and our readers let us know about their local favorites in more than 400 categories, including arts and entertainment, bars and clubs, casinos, drinks, food, retail and services, and cannabis. Let's see what you had to say. — Lee DeVito

BEST DJ DJ Godfather soundcloud.com/dj-godfather

BEST DRAG SHOW Drag Queen Bingo at Five15 600 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak; 248-515-2551; five15.net

BEST FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX Replay Cafe 6545 Saint Antoine, Detroit; 313-806-0579; replaycafedetroit.com

BEST FILM FESTIVAL Ann Arbor Film Festival aafilmfest.org

BEST INSTAGRAM FOOD PORN Imaginate 401 S. Lafayette Ave., Royal Oak; 248-633-8899; imaginaterestaurant.com

BEST LOCAL COMEDIAN Kara Coraci crotchie.com

u

BEST LOCAL PODCAST

The Drew and Mike Show drewandmikepodcast.com

u

BEST MOVIE THEATER Emagine Multiple locations; emagine-entertainment.com

u

BEST MULTI-SPORT COMPLEX

Lexus Velodrome 601 Mack Ave., Detroit; 313-265-6725; lexusvelodrome.com

u

BEST MUSIC FESTIVAL Movement movementfestival.com

u

BEST MUSICAL ARTIST Twiztid twiztid.com

u

BEST NIGHT OUT Five15 600 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak; 248-515-2551; five15.net

u

BEST PAINT AND SIP Painting with a Twist Rochester Hills 3320 S. Rochester Rd., Rochester Hills; 248-289-6507; paintingwithatwist.com

u

BEST PEOPLE WATCHING Youmacon youmacon.com

u

BEST PHOTOGRAPHER Josh Justice Photography joshjusticephotography.com

u

BEST PLACE FOR LIVE LOCAL THEATER

Detroit Repertory Theatre 3103 Woodrow Wilson St., Detroit; 313-868-1347; detroitreptheatre.com

u BEST VENUE TO SEE A COVER BAND The Magic Bag 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-544-1991; themagicbag.com

u BEST VENUE TO SEE A JAM BAND Otus Supply 345 E. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-291-6160; otussupply.com

u BEST VISUAL ARTIST Niagara niagaradetroit.com

u BUSINESS WITH BEST WALL MURAL

The Morrie Royal Oak 511 S. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-216-1112; themorrie.com

u BEST BAR BEFORE A TIGERS GAME

Tin Roof

47 E. Adams Ave., Detroit; 313-262-6114; tinroofdetroit.com

u BEST BAR BEFORE LIONS GAME

Elwood Bar & Grill

300 E. Adams Ave., Detroit; 313-962-2337; elwoodgrill.com

u BEST BAR BEFORE PISTONS GAME

Old Shillelagh

349 Monroe St., Detroit; 313-964-0007; oldshillelagh.com

u BEST BAR FOR CLASSIC COCKTAILS

Kiesling

449 E. Milwaukee Ave., Detroit; 313-638-2169; kieslingdetroit.com

u BEST BAR ON THE WATER

Smuggler’s Run

1 St John St., Wyandotte; 734-309-7011; smugglerswyandotte.com

u BEST BOTTLE SELECTION (OAKLAND)

Casa Pernoi 310 E. Maple Rd., Birmingham; 248-940-0000; casapernoi.com

u BEST BOTTLE SELECTION (WAYNE)

Ye Olde Tap Room

14915 Charlevoix St., Detroit; 313-824-1030

u BEST BOTTLE SERVICE

Barda 4842 Grand River Ave., Detroit; 313-952-5182; bardadetroit.com

u BEST COMEDY CLUB

Go Comedy! Improv Theater 261 E. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-327-0575; gocomedy.net

u BEST DANCE CLUB

Bleu Detroit 1540 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-974-7799; facebook.com/ bleudetroitofficial

u BEST DAY DRINKING (MACOMB)

u

BEST PLACE TO BE A GEEK Replay Cafe 6545 Saint Antoine, Detroit; 313-806-0579; replaycafedetroit.com

u

BEST PLACE TO SEE AN INDIE FILM Cinema Detroit 4126 Third St., Detroit; 313-482-9028; cinemadetroit.org

u

BEST STREET FAIR Dally in the Alley dallyinthealley.com

u

BEST VENUE FOR ELECTRONIC MUSIC Elektricity 15 S. Saginaw St., Pontiac; 248-599-2212; elektricitymusic.com

u

BEST VENUE FOR FOLK MUSIC

The Ark

316 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-761-1818; theark.org

BARS & CLUBS

u BEST ARCADE BAR

Barcade

666 Selden St., Detroit; 313-285-9410; barcadedetroit.com

u BEST BAR (MACOMB)

Ale & Eddie’s Taphouse 15015 E. Thirteen Mile Rd., Warren; 586-541-8396; aleneddies.com

u BEST BAR (OAKLAND)

The Morrie

511 S. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-216-1112 | 260 N. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-940-3260 | themorrie.com

u

BEST VENUE FOR DJS Spot Lite

2905 Beaufait St., Detroit; spotlitedetroit.com

u

BEST VENUE FOR JAZZ MUSIC

Aretha’s Jazz Cafe 350 Madison St., Detroit; 313-887-8501; jazzcafedetroit.com

u

BEST VENUE FOR METAL Sanctuary 2932 Caniff St., Hamtramck; sanctuarydetroit.com

u

BEST VENUE FOR ROCK ’N’ ROLL Cadieux Cafe 4300 Cadieux Rd., Detroit; 313-882-8560; cadieuxcafe.com

u BEST BAR (WASHTENAW)

Mash

211 E. Washington St., Ann Arbor; 734-222-4095; mashbar.net

u BEST BAR (WAYNE)

Standby

225 Gratiot Ave., Detroit; 313-241-5719; standbydetroit.com

u BEST BAR AT MIDNIGHT

Orchid

141 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; orchidferndale.com

u BEST BAR BEFORE A RED WINGS GAME

Hockeytown Cafe

2301 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-471-3400; hockeytowncafe.com

Great Baraboo Brewing Co. 35905 Utica Rd., Clinton Twp.; 586-792-7397; greatbaraboo.com

u BEST DAY DRINKING (OAKLAND)

The Rock on 3rd 112 E. 3rd St., Royal Oak; 248-542-7625; rockon3rd.com

u BEST DAY DRINKING (WASHTENAW)

Maiz Mexican Cantina 36 E. Cross St., Ypsilanti; 734-340-6010; maizmexican.com

u BEST DAY DRINKING (WAYNE)

House of Pure Vin 1433 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-638-2501; houseofpurevin.com

u BEST DISTILLERY TASTING ROOM

Detroit City Distillery 2462 Riopelle St., Detroit; 313-338-3760; detroitcitydistillery.com

u BEST DIVE BAR (MACOMB)

Kit Kat Klub 55140 Romeo Plank Rd., Macomb; 586-781-3171; facebook.com/ RudysKitKatKlub

u BEST DIVE BAR (OAKLAND)

Gusoline Alley 309 S. Center St., Royal Oak; 248-545-2235

u BEST DIVE BAR (WASHTENAW)

The Wurst Bar 705 W. Cross St., Ypsilanti; 734-485-6720; wurstbarypsi.com

u BEST DIVE BAR (WAYNE)

The Old Miami 3930 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-831-3830

metrotimes.com

u

BEST DRAFT SELECTION (DETROIT)

HopCat

4265 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-769-8828; hopcat.com

u

BEST DRAFT SELECTION (SUBURBS)

CK Diggs 2010 W. Auburn Rd., Rochester Hills; 248-853-6600; ckdiggs.com

u BEST NEW BAR (SUBURBS) Weiss Distilling Co. 34 14 Mile Rd., Clawson; 929-484-3932; thewdc.com

u BEST NIGHTCAP

Imperial 22828 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-850-8060; imperialferndale.com

u

BEST GAY BAR

Pronto!

608 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak; 248-544-7900; prontodiner.com

u

BEST HAPPY HOUR FOR DRINKS (MACOMB)

Detroit Grille House 55161 Shelby Rd., Shelby Twp.; 248-453-5376; detroitgrillehouse.com

u BEST PATIO FOR DRINKING Townhouse Detroit 500 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-723-1000; townhousedetroit.com

u BEST ROOFTOP BAR Pinky’s Rooftop 100 S. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-268-2885; pinkysroyaloak.com

u

BEST HAPPY HOUR FOR DRINKS (OAKLAND)

Jim Brady’s 1214 S. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-306-1954; jimbradysdetroit.com

u BEST SALSA NIGHT Vicente’s cuban Cuisine 1250 Library St., Detroit; 313-962-8800; vicentesdetroit.com

u BEST SPORTS BAR (MACOMB) Mavrix Restaurant & Bar 50308 Schoenherr Rd., Shelby Twp.; 586-532-0148; eatatmavrix.com

u

BEST HAPPY HOUR FOR DRINKS (WASHTENAW)

Pretzel Bell 226 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-994-2773; thepretzelbell.com

u

BEST HAPPY HOUR FOR DRINKS (WAYNE)

Grand Trunk 612 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-961-3043; grandtrunkpub.com

u

BEST IRISH PUB (DETROIT)

Old Shillelagh 349 Monroe St., Detroit; 313-964-0007; oldshillelagh.com

u

BEST IRISH PUB (SUBURBS)

Danny’s Irish Pub 22824 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-546-8331

u BEST SPORTS BAR (OAKLAND)

J’s Penalty Box 22726 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-398-4070; jspenaltyboxferndale. com

u BEST SPORTS BAR (WASHTENAW) Fowling Ypsilanti 3050 Washtenaw Ave., Ypsilanti; 734-499-3695; fowlingwarehouse.com

u BEST SPORTS BAR (WAYNE)

Brass Rail Pizza Bar 18 W. Adams Ave., Detroit; 313-964-0782; brassraildetroit.com

u BEST TIKI BAR

Smuggler’s Run 1 St John St., Wyandotte; 734-309-7011; smugglerswyandotte.com

u BEST PLAYERS CLUB

MotorCity Casino Hotel 2901 Grand River Ave., Detroit; 313-309-4700; motorcitycasino.com

u BEST POKER

MotorCity Casino Hotel 2901 Grand River Ave., Detroit; 313-309-4700; motorcitycasino.com

u BEST SLOTS

u

BEST JAW-DROPPING INTERIOR DESIGN AT A BAR

Cash Only Supper Club 145 Griswold St., Detroit; 248-636-2300; cashonlydetroit.com

u

BEST KARAOKE BAR

Checker Bar

124 Cadillac Square, Detroit; 313-961-9249; checkerbar.com

u

BEST MARGARITA

Mr. Miguel’s 26837 Ryan Rd., Warren; 586-754-1500; mrmiguels.com

u

BEST MARTINI

The Ebenezer 305 Fleet St., Plymouth; 734-404-5552; theebenezerplymouth.com

u

BEST NEIGHBORHOOD BAR (MACOMB)

Hilltop Bar

48214 Van Dyke Ave., Shelby Twp.; facebook.com/hilltopbarshelbytwp

u BEST TRIVIA NIGHT Common Pub 5440 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-285-8849; commonpub.com

u BEST WINE BAR (DETROIT) BESA 600 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-315-3000; besadetroit.com

u BEST WINE BAR (SUBURBS) Vinology 10 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-222-9841; vinologya2.com

BEST BET

u BEST CASINO BUFFET

Assembly Line at MotorCity Casino Hotel 2901 Grand River Ave., Detroit; 866-782-9622; motorcitycasino.com

u BEST CASINO HOTEL

u

BEST NEIGHBORHOOD BAR (OAKLAND)

Renshaw Lounge

210 14 Mile Rd., Clawson; 248-616-3016; renshawlounge.com

u

BEST NEIGHBORHOOD BAR (WASHTENAW)

Jim Brady’s Ann Arbor

209 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-562-1954; jimbradysdetroit.com

u

BEST NEIGHBORHOOD BAR (WAYNE)

Bumbo’s

3001 Holbrook Ave., Hamtramck; 313-285-8239; bumbosbar.com

u

BEST NEW BAR (DETROIT)

Cash Only Supper Club

145 Griswold St., Detroit; 248-636-2300; cashonlydetroit.com

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MGM Grand Detroit 1777 3rd Ave., Detroit; 877-888-2121; mgmgranddetroit.com

u BEST CASINO RESTAURANT D.Prime Steakhouse at MGM Grand Detroit 1777 3rd Ave., Detroit; 313-465-1645; mgmgranddetroit.com

u BEST CASINO TABLE GAMES

MGM Grand Detroit 1777 3rd Ave., Detroit; 877-888-2121; mgmgranddetroit.com

u BEST CASINO TO SEE A SHOW Sound Board at MotorCity Casino Hotel 2901 Grand River Ave., Detroit; 313-309-4700; motorcitycasino.com

Hollywood Casino at Greektown 555 E. Lafayette St., Detroit; 313-223-2999; hollywoodgreektown.com

u BEST SPORTS BETTING APP

Barstool Sportsbook barstoolsportsbook.com

u BEST SPORTSBOOK BetMGM sports.mi.betmgm.com

u

BEST UP NORTH CASINO

Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort Hotel 6800 Soaring Eagle Blvd., Mount Pleasant; 989-775-5777; soaringeaglecasino.com

DRINKS

u BEST BEER

Urbanrest Brewing Co. 2615 Wolcott St., Ferndale | 210 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale | 313-389-6439 | urbanrest.com

u BEST BEER SELECTION IN A STORE

Beverage Warehouse 31111 Greenfield Rd., Beverly Hills; 248-644-2155; beveragewarehousemi.com

u BEST BLOODY MARY

Vivio’s 2460 Market St., Detroit; 313-393-1711; viviosdetroit.net | 3601 Twelve Mile Rd., Warren; 586-576-0495; vivioswarrenmi.com

u BEST CHAMPAGNE Korbel korbel.com

u

BEST GIN Fords Gin fordsgin.com

u

BEST HARD CIDER

Blake’s Hard Cider Co. blakeshardcider.com

u

BEST IRISH COFFEE

The Last Word 301 W. Huron St., Ann Arbor; 734-585-5691; thelastwordbar.com

u

BEST MEADERY B. Nektar 1511 Jarvis St., Ferndale; 313-744-6323; bnektar.com

u

BEST MICHIGAN BEER Short’s Brewing Company shortsbrewing.com

u

BEST MICHIGAN BOURBON Motor City Gas motorcitygas.com

u

BEST MICHIGAN BREWER Founders Brewing Co. foundersbrewing.com

u

BEST MICHIGAN RUM Two James Doctor Bird Rum twojames.com

u

BEST MICHIGAN TEQUILA Anteel Tequila teeqspirits.com

u

BEST MICHIGAN VODKA Iron Fish Vodka ironfishdistillery.com

u

BEST MICHIGAN WHISKEY Traverse City Whiskey Co. tcwhiskey.com

u

BEST MICHIGAN WINERY Chateau Chantal chateauchantal.com

u

BEST MICROBREWERY OR BREWPUB (MACOMB)

Brown Iron Brewhouse 57695 Van Dyke Rd., Washington; 586-697-3300 | 30955 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak; 248-951-2659 | browniron.com

u BEST VODKA Tito’s Handmade Vodka titosvodka.com

u BEST WHISKEY Bardstown Bourbon Co. bardstownbourbon.com

u BEST WINE Pinot Blanc, Verterra Winery verterrawinery.com

u BEST SHOT Jägermeister jagermeister.com

u BEST WINE SELECTION IN A STORE

Old Woodward Cellar 912 S. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-792-5452; oldwoodwardcellar.com

u

BEST MICROBREWERY OR BREWPUB (OAKLAND)

Royal Oak Brewery 215 E. 4th St., Royal Oak; 248-544-1141; royaloakbrewery.com

u

BEST MICROBREWERY OR BREWPUB (WASHTENAW)

Mothfire Brewing Co.

2290 S. Industrial Hwy., Ann Arbor; 734-369-6290; mothfire.com

FOOD

u BEST BAGEL

New York Bagel 23316 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-548-2580; newyorkbagel-detroit.com

u BEST BAKERY (MACOMB)

Hodell’s Cake Shop

u BEST BAR FOOD (MACOMB)

Ciccarelli’s Sports Club and Eatery 46793 Hayes Rd., Shelby Twp.; 586-247-2223; ciccarellis-22-sportsbar.com

u BEST BAR FOOD (OAKLAND)

CK Diggs

2010 W. Auburn Rd., Rochester Hills; 248-853-6600; ckdiggs.com

u BEST BAR FOOD (WASHTENAW)

Jolly Pumpkin

311 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-913-2730; jollypumpkin.com

u BEST BAR FOOD (WAYNE)

Bobcat Bonnie’s

1800 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-962-1383 | 118 Sycamore St., Wyandotte; 734-530-1806 | bobcatbonnies.com

u BEST BARBECUE (MACOMB)

K-Blocks Fire Pit BBQ

66880 Van Dyke Fwy., Washington; 586-281-6798; kblocksbbq.com

u BEST BARBECUE (OAKLAND)

Red Wood Grill

7726 Cooley Lake Rd., Waterford Twp.; 248-467-1103; redwoodgrill.net

u BEST BARBECUE (WASHTENAW)

Blue Tractor BBQ & Brewery 207 E. Washington St., Ann Arbor; 734-222-4095; bluetractor.net

u BEST BARBECUE (WAYNE)

Slows Bar BQ

2138 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-962-9828; slowsbarbq.com

u BEST BISTRO

Diamond Jim Brady’s 43271 Crescent Blvd., Novi; 248-380-8460; djbistro.com

u BEST BOTTOMLESS BRUNCH DEAL

The Morrie (Birmingham) Sundays 260 N. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-940-3260; themorrie.com

u BEST BREAKFAST/BRUNCH (MACOMB)

Gina’s Cafe 35600 Harper Ave., Clinton Twp.; 586-790-2911

u BEST BREAKFAST/BRUNCH (OAKLAND)

Toast 23144 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-398-0444 | 203 Pierce St., Birmingham; 248-258-6278 | toastbirmingham.com

u BEST BREAKFAST/BRUNCH (WASHTENAW)

Zingerman’s Roadhouse 2501 Jackson Ave., Ann Arbor; 734-663-3663; zingermansroadhouse.com

u BEST BREAKFAST/BRUNCH (WAYNE)

Dime Store

719 Griswold St., Detroit; 313-962-9106; eatdimestore.com

u BEST BURGER (MACOMB)

u

BEST MICROBREWERY OR BREWPUB (WAYNE)

Batch Brewing Co. 1400 Porter St., Detroit; 313-338-8008; batchbrewingcompany.com

u

BEST MOCKTAIL LIST

Supergeil 2442 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-462-4133; supergeildetroit.com

u

BEST TEQUILA Dobel maestrodobel.com

16-22, 2022 | metrotimes.com

31387 Harper Ave., St. Clair Shores; 586-294-1100; hodellscakeshop.com

u BEST BAKERY (OAKLAND)

Shatila Bakery 5741 W. Maple Rd., West Bloomfield; 248-865-8870; shatila.com

u BEST BAKERY (WASHTENAW)

Dom Bakeries

1305 Washtenaw Rd., Ypsilanti; 734-485-3175

u BEST BAKERY (WAYNE)

Avalon International Breads 422 W. Willis St., Detroit; 313-832-0008; avalonbreads.net

Spag Burger 17275 E. Nine Mile Rd., Eastpointe; 586-872-2601; spagburger.com

u BEST BURGER (OAKLAND)

McVee’s Pub and Grub 1129 E. Long Lake Rd., Troy; 248-817-2980; mcveespubandgrub.com

u BEST BURGER (WASHTENAW)

Frita Batitos

117 W. Washington St., Ann Arbor; 734-761-2882; fritabatidos.com

u BEST BURGER (WAYNE)

Royale With Cheese 4163 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-315-3014; royalewithcheese.menu

u BEST BUTCHER SHOP

Farm Field Table

1030 Woodward Heights, Ferndale; 248-509-8555; farmfieldtable.com

u BEST CAJUN (OAKLAND)

Louisiana Creole Gumbo 29216 Orchard Lake Rd., Farmington Hills; detroitgumbo.com

u BEST CAJUN (MACOMB)

Gumbo’s

53 N. Walnut St., Mount Clemens; 586-307-3100; gumbosmtclemens.com

u BEST CAJUN (WASHTENAW)

Black Pearl

302 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-222-0400; blackpearlannarbor.com

u BEST CAJUN (WAYNE)

Louisiana Creole Gumbo 2051 Gratiot Ave., Detroit; 313-567-1200 | 13505 W. Seven Mile Rd., Detroit; 313-397-4052 | detroitgumbo.com

u BEST CARRYOUT (DETROIT)

Go! Sy Thai 4240 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-638-1467 | 1226 Griswold St., Detroit; 313-638-1467 | gosythai.com

u BEST CARRYOUT (SUBURBS)

Tomatoes Apizza 24369 Halsted Rd., Farmington Hills; 248-888-4888 | 29275 W. 14 Mile Rd., Farmington Hills; 248-855-3555 | 34200 Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-258-0500 | tomatoesapizza.com

u BEST CHINESE (MACOMB)

Trizest 33170 Dequindre Rd., Sterling Heights; 586-268-1450; trizest.com

u BEST CHINESE (OAKLAND)

Hong Hua Fine Chinese Dining 27925 Orchard Lake Rd., Farmington Hills; 248-489-2280; honghuafinedining.com

u BEST CHINESE (WASHTENAW)

Ypbor Yan 4905 Washtenaw Ave., Ypsilanti; 734-434-7978; ypboryan.com

u BEST CHINESE (WAYNE)

Midtown Shangri-La 4710 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-974-7669; midtownshangri-la.com

u BEST CONEY (WASHTENAW)

Ray’s Red Hots 629 E. University Ave., Ann Arbor; 734-998-3647; raysredhots.com

u BEST CONEY (WAYNE)

American Coney Island 114 W. Lafayette Blvd., Detroit; 313-961-7758; americanconeyisland.com

u BEST CORNED BEEF Bread Basket Deli Multiple locations; breadbasketdelis.com

u BEST CUBAN Frita Batitos

117 W. Washington St., Ann Arbor; 734-761-2882 | 66 W. Columbia St., Detroit; 313-725-4100 | fritabatidos.com

u BEST DEEP DISH/DETROIT-STYLE PIZZA Buddy’s Multiple locations; buddyspizza.com

u BEST DELI (MACOMB)

New York Deli 40700 Garfield Rd., Clinton Twp.; 586-263-5600 | 25008 Little Mack Ave., St. Clair Shores; 586-779-5665 | originalnewyorkdeli.com

u BEST DELI (OAKLAND)

Stage Deli 6873 Orchard Lake Rd., West Bloomfield Twp.; 248-855-6622; stagedeli.com

u BEST DELI (WASHTENAW)

Zingerman’s Delicatessen 422 Detroit St., Ann Arbor; 734-663-3354; zingermansdeli.com

u BEST DELI (WAYNE)

Mudgie’s 1413 Brooklyn St., Detroit; 313-961-2000; mudgiesdeli.com

u BEST DESSERTS AT A RESTAURANT (MACOMB)

Luciano’s 39091 Garfield Rd., Clinton Twp.; 586-263-6540; lucianositaliancuisine.com

u BEST DESSERTS AT A RESTAURANT (OAKLAND)

Jim Brady’s Royal Oak 1214 S. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-306-1954; jimbradysdetroit.com

u BEST FISH & CHIPS

The Captain’s Table Multiple locations; mycaptainstable.com

u BEST FOOD HALL

Detroit Shipping Company 474 Peterboro St., Detroit; 313-462-4973; detroitshippingcompany.com

u BEST FOOD TRUCK Hog Heaven 810-835-8756

u BEST FOOD TRUCK FOR FOODIES

Estia Greek Street Food goestia.com

u BEST FRENCH CUISINE Bar Pigalle 2915 John R St., Detroit; 313-497-9200; barpigalle.com

u BEST GREEK RESTAURANT

Pegasus Taverna

24935 Jefferson Ave., St. Clair Shores; 586-772-3200 | 558 Monroe St., Detroit; 313-964-6800 | pegasustavernas.com

u BEST GRILLED CHEESE Café Muse

418 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak; 248-544-4749; cafemuseroyaloak.com

u BEST GYRO (MACOMB)

Estia Greek Street Food 5753 Twelve Mile Rd., Warren; 586-248-4999; goestia.com

u BEST GYRO (OAKLAND)

Kouzina 121 N. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-629-6500; gokouzina.com

u BEST GYRO (WASHTENAW)

Kouzina 332 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-997-5155; gokouzina.com

u BEST GYRO (WAYNE)

Athens Souvlaki 645 Griswold St., Detroit; 313-265-3178; athenssouvlaki.com

u BEST HAPPY HOUR FOOD (MACOMB)

u

BEST COFFEEHOUSE (NON-CHAIN) (MACOMB)

Just Love Coffee Cafe 49453 Van Dyke Ave., Shelby Twp.; 586-580-39047; justlovecoffeecafe.com

u

BEST COFFEEHOUSE (NON-CHAIN) (OAKLAND)

Red Hook 220 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-398-8018; theredhookcoffee.com

u BEST DESSERTS AT A RESTAURANT (WASHTENAW)

Mediterrano 2900 S. State St., Ann Arbor; 734-332-9700; mediterrano.com

u BEST DESSERTS AT A RESTAURANT (WAYNE)

The Whitney 4421 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-832-5700; thewhitney.com

u BEST DINER (MACOMB)

Art and Jake’s Sports Bar and Grill 44899 Mound Rd., Sterling Heights; 586-739-7000 | 14741 23 Mile Rd., Shelby Twp.; 586-532-9600 | 65859 Van Dyke Ave., Washington Twp.; 586-752-7500 | artjakes.com

u BEST HAPPY HOUR FOOD (OAKLAND)

CK Diggs 2010 W. Auburn Rd., Rochester Hills; 248-853-6600; ckdiggs.com

u BEST HAPPY HOUR FOOD (WASHTENAW) Wurst Bar 705 W. Cross St., Ypsilanti; 734-485-6720; wurstbarypsi.com

u BEST HAPPY HOUR FOOD (WAYNE)

u

BEST COFFEEHOUSE (NON-CHAIN) (WASHTENAW)

RoosRoast

1155 Rosewood St., Ann Arbor; 734-222-9202 | 117 Liberty St., Ann Arbor; 734-369-2494 | roosroast.com

u

BEST COFFEEHOUSE (NON-CHAIN) (WAYNE)

Red Dot Coffee Company 505 N. Center St., Northville; 248-308-3989; reddotcoffeeco.com

u BEST CONEY (MACOMB)

National Coney Island Multiple locations; nationalconeyisland.com

u BEST CONEY (OAKLAND)

Lipuma’s Coney Island

621 N. Main St., Rochester; 248-652-9862; lipumasconeyisland.com

16-22, 2022 | metrotimes.com

Theo’s Family Restaurant 11747 E. Thirteen Mile Rd., Warren; 586-939-6580; theoswarren.com

u BEST DINER (OAKLAND)

The Fly Trap 22950 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-399-5150; theflytrapferndale.com

u BEST DINER (WASHTENAW)

Northside Grill

1015 Broadway St., Ann Arbor; 734-995-0965

u BEST DINER (WAYNE)

Dime Store 719 Griswold St., Detroit; 313-962-9106; eatdimestore.com

u BEST DOUGHNUT SHOP

Apple Fritter 741 E. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-545-7295

Supergeil 2442 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-462-4133; supergeildetroit.com

u BEST HOT DOG

Kerby’s Coney Island

Multiple locations; kerbyskoneyisland.com

u BEST ICE CREAM SHOP

Ray’s Ice Cream 4233 Coolidge Hwy., Royal Oak; 248-549-5256; raysicecream.com

u BEST INDIAN RESTAURANT

Ashoka Indian Cuisine 3642 Rochester Rd., Troy; 248-689-7070; ashokaindiancuisine.com

u BEST IRISH FOOD

O’Connor’s Public House 324 S. Main St., Rochester; 248-608-2537; oconnorsrochester.com

u

BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANT (MACOMB)

Andiamo

7096 E. 14 Mile Rd., Warren; 586-268-3200; andiamoitalia.com

u BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANT (OAKLAND)

Trattoria Da Luigi 415 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak; 248-542-4444; trattoriadaluigi.business.site

u BEST MAC AND CHEESE Bistro Orleans

11528 E. 15 Mile Rd., Sterling Heights; 586-838-5444; facebook.com/bistroorleans

u BEST MIDDLE EASTERN RESTAURANT (MACOMB)

La Saj Lebanese Bistro 13776 Southcove Dr., Sterling Heights; 586-566-6600; lasaj.com

u BEST MIDDLE EASTERN RESTAURANT (OAKLAND)

Anita’s Kitchen

22651 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-548-0680 | 45 W. Flint St., Lake Orion; 248-929-8914 | anitaskitchen.com

u BEST PIZZA (OAKLAND)

Otus Supply 345 E. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-291-6160; otussupply.com

u BEST PIZZA (WASHTENAW)

Jolly Pumpkin 311 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-913-2730; jollypumpkin.com

u BEST PIZZA (WAYNE)

Mootz Pizzeria + Bar 1230 Library St., Detroit; 313-243-1230; mootzpizzeria.com

u BEST POLISH

Polish Village Cafe 2990 Yemans St., Hamtramck; 313-874-5726; polishvillagecafe.us

u

BEST MIDDLE EASTERN RESTAURANT (WASHTENAW)

Palm Palace 2370 Carpenter Rd., Ann Arbor; 734-606-0706; palmpalace.com

u BEST MIDDLE EASTERN RESTAURANT (WAYNE)

Leila 1245 Griswold St., Detroit; 313-816-8100; leiladetroit.com

u BEST NEW RESTAURANT (MACOMB)

Feast 30400 23 Mile Rd., Chesterfield; 586-213-1678; feastmichigan.com

u BEST NEW RESTAURANT (OAKLAND)

Sylvan Table 1819 Inverness St., Sylvan Lake; 248-369-3360; sylvantable.com

u BEST NEW RESTAURANT (WAYNE)

Cash Only Supper Club 145 Griswold St., Detroit; 248-636-2300; cashonlydetroit.com

u BEST NOODLE RESTAURANT Ima 4870 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-883-9788 | 32203 John R Rd., Madison Heights; 248-781-0131 | imanoodles.com

u BEST POUTINE

Green Dot Stables 2200 W. Lafayette Blvd., Detroit; 313-962-5588; greendotstables.com

u BEST RESTAURANT (MACOMB)

Mr. Paul’s Chophouse 29850 Groesbeck Hwy., Roseville; 586-777-7770; mrpaulschophouse.com

u BEST RESTAURANT (OAKLAND)

Mare Mediterranean 115 Willits St., Birmingham; 248-940-5525; maremediterranean.com

u BEST RESTAURANT (WASHTENAW)

Bellflower 209 Pearl St., Ypsilanti; bellflowerypsi.com

u BEST RESTAURANT (WAYNE)

Freya 2929 E. Grand Blvd., Detroit; 313-351-5544; freyadetroit.com

u BEST ROMANTIC RESTAURANT (MACOMB)

Andiamo 7096 E. 14 Mile Rd., Warren; 586-268-3200; andiamoitalia.com

u BEST ROMANTIC RESTAURANT (OAKLAND)

u

BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANT (WASHTENAW)

Paesano

3411 Washtenaw Ave., Ann Arbor; 734-971-0484; paesanoannarbor.com

u

BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANT (WAYNE)

Da Edoardo

19767 Mack Ave., Grosse Pointe Woods; 313-881-8540; daedoardo.com

u BEST NEIGHBORHOOD ITALIAN RESTAURANT

Sposita’s Ristorante 33210 W. 14 Mile Rd., West Bloomfield Twp.; 248-538-8954; spositas-ristorante.com

u BEST OYSTERS

Tom’s Oyster Bar 318 S. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-541-1186; tomsoysterbar.com,

u

BEST JAPANESE RESTAURANT

Edo Ramen House 4313 W. 13 Mile Rd., Royal Oak; 248-556-5775; edoramenhouse.com

u

BEST JAW-DROPPING INTERIOR DESIGN AT A RESTAURANT

Madam

298 S. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-283-4200; daxtonhotel.com

u

BEST JUICE BAR

Naked Fuel

6718 Orchard Lake Rd., West Bloomfield; 248-325-9735; nakedfueljuice.com

u BEST PATIO (MACOMB)

WaterMark Bar and Grill 24420 Jefferson Ave., St. Clair Shores; 586-777-3677; watermarkbarandgrille.com

u BEST PATIO (OAKLAND)

Casa Pernoi 310 E. Maple Rd., Birmingham; 248-940-0000; casapernoi.com

u BEST PATIO (WASHTENAW)

Bellflower 209 Pearl St., Ypsilanti; bellflowerypsi.com

u BEST PATIO (WAYNE)

u

BEST KOREAN RESTAURANT

New Seoul Plaza

27566 Northwestern Hwy., Southfield; 248-996-8922; newseoulgarden.com

u

BEST LATE NIGHT/24-HOUR RESTAURANT

Leo’s Coney Island

Multiple locations; leosconeyisland.com

64 November 16-22, 2022 | metrotimes.com

The Monarch Club 33 John R St., Detroit; 313-306-2380; monarchclubdetroit.com

u BEST PET-FRIENDLY RESTAURANT

Jolly Pumpkin Multiple locations; jollypumpkin.com

u BEST PIZZA (MACOMB)

Green Lantern Multiple locations; greenlanternpizza.com

Mare Mediterranean 115 Willits St., Birmingham; 248-940-5525; maremediterranean.com

u BEST ROMANTIC RESTAURANT (WASHTENAW)

Real Seafood Co. 341 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-769-7738; realseafoodcorestaurant.com

u BEST ROMANTIC RESTAURANT (WAYNE)

The Whitney 4421 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-832-5700; thewhitney.com

u BEST SAGANAKI

Pegasus Taverna

24935 Jefferson Ave., St. Clair Shores; 586-772-3200 | 558 Monroe St., Detroit; 313-964-6800 | pegasustavernas.com

u BEST SEAFOOD

Fishbones 400 Monroe St., Detroit; 313-965-4600 | 23722 Jefferson Ave., St. Clair Shores; 586-498-3000 | 29244 Northwestern Hwy., Southfield; 248-351-2925 | fishbonesusa.com

u

BEST SEAFOOD BOIL

Kabin Kruser’s Oyster Bar 306 S. Main St., Rochester; 248-651-2266; kruseandmuerrestaurants.com

u BEST SHAWARMA

Bucharest Grill Multiple locations; bucharestgrill.com

u BEST SLIDERS (MACOMB)

Detroit Grille House 55161 Shelby Rd., Shelby Twp.; 248-453-5376; detroitgrillehouse.com

u

BEST SLIDERS (OAKLAND COUNTY)

Greene’s Hamburgers

24155 Orchard Lake Rd., Farmington; 248-474-7980

u

BEST SLIDERS (WAYNE COUNTY)

Joe’s Hamburgers 3041 Biddle Ave., Wyandotte; 734-285-0420; joeshamburgers.net

u BEST VEGAN/VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT (WAYNE)

Veg-O-Rama 44930 Ford Rd., Canton; 734-335-3952; veg-o-rama.com

u BEST VEGETARIAN / VEGAN CARRY-OUT

u BEST ARCADE

Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum

31005 Orchard Lake Rd., Farmington Hills; 248-626-5020; marvin3m.com

u

BEST SOUL FOOD

Cornbread Restaurant & Bar 29852 Northwestern Hwy., Southfield; 248-208-1680; cornbreadsoulfood.com

u

BEST STEAKHOUSE (MACOMB)

Black Rock bar & grill 12515 E. Hall Rd., Utica; 586-488-1747; blackrockrestaurants.com

u

BEST STEAKHOUSE (OAKLAND)

Clawson Steak House 56 S. Rochester Rd., Clawson; 248-588-5788; clawsonsteakhouse.com

Oak House Deli 603 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak; 248-677-3456 | 1 S. Sagniaw St., Pontiac; 248-859-0440 | oakhousedeli.com

u BEST WINGS (MACOMB)

Mavrix Restaurant & Bar 50308 Schoenherr Rd., Shelby Twp.; 586-532-0148; eatatmavrix.com

u BEST WINGS (OAKLAND)

5th Tavern 2262 S. Telegraph Rd., Bloomfield Hills; 248-481-9607 | 7228 N. Main St., Clarkston; 248-707-6111 | 5thtavern.com

u BEST WINGS (WASHTENAW)

u BEST ATTORNEY Geoffrey Fieger fiegerlaw.com

u BEST AUTO REPAIR

Wetmore Tire and Auto 23459 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-544-2100; wetmorestireandautorepair.com

u BEST BANK

Huntington Bank Multiple locations; huntington.com

u BEST BARBERSHOP (DETROIT)

u

BEST STEAKHOUSE (WASHTENAW)

The Chop House 322 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-669-8826; thechophouserestaurant.com

u

BEST STEAKHOUSE (WAYNE)

Prime + Proper 1145 Griswold St., Detroit; 313-636-3100; primeandproperdetroit.com

BEST STONER FOOD

u Hippie’s Pizza 121 E. 13 Mile Rd., Royal Oak; 248-733-1111; hippiespizza.com

u

BEST SUB SHOP

Ernie’s Market 8500 Capital St., Oak Park; 248-541-9703; erniessandwichshop.com

Ma Lou’s Fried Chicken 15 W. Michigan Ave., Ypsilanti; 734-905-7994; ma-lous.com

u BEST WINGS (WAYNE)

Detroit Wing Company Multiple locations; detroitwingco.com

Detroit Barber Company 2000 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-285-8092; detroitbarbers.com

u BEST BARBERSHOP (SUBURBS)

Gentlemen First 949 S. Military St., Dearborn; 313-565-8300; gentlemenfirst.com

u BEST BICYCLE SHOP (DETROIT)

Detroit Bike Shop 13639 Elmira St., Detroit; 313-502-5883; detroitbikes.com

u BEST BICYCLE SHOP (SUBURBS)

Downtown Bike Shop 63 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-439-1892; downtown-bikeshop.com

u

BEST SUSHI

Noble Fish

45 E. 14 Mile Rd., Clawson; 248-585-2314; noblefish.com

u

BEST TACOS (DETROIT)

Taqueria Mi Pueblo 7278 Dix St., Detroit; 313-841-3315; mipueblorestaurant.com

u

BEST TACOS (SUBURBS)

Mr. Miguel’s 26837 Ryan Rd., Warren; 586-754-1500; mrmiguels.com

u

BEST TAPAS (DETROIT)

La Feria 4130 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-285-9081; laferiadetroit.com

u

BEST TAPAS (SUBURBS)

Aventura 216 E Washington St., Ann Arbor; 734-369-3153; aventuraannarbor.com

u

BEST THAI (MACOMB)

Bangkok Station

37702 Van Dyke Ave., Sterling Heights; 586-883-9443; bangkokstationmi.com

u

BEST THAI (OAKLAND)

Bangkok Cafe

323 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-548-5373

u

BEST THAI (WAYNE)

Bangkok 96

2450 S. Telegraph Rd., Dearborn; 313-730-8161; bangkok96.com

u

BEST VEGAN/VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT (OAKLAND)

Try It Raw

213 E. Maple Rd., Birmingham; 248-593-6994; tircafe.com

u BEST ADULT STORE

The Pleasure Zone 35806 Van Dyke Ave., Sterling Heights; 586-722-7913; thepleasurezonestore.com

u BEST BOOKSTORE (DETROIT)

John K. King Used and Rare Books 901 W. Lafayette Blvd., Detroit; 313-961-0622; johnkingbooksdetroit.com

u BEST BOOKSTORE (SUBURBS)

Book Beat 26010 Greenfield Rd., Oak Park; 248-968-1190; thebookbeat.com

u BEST BOUTIQUE HOTEL

The Siren Hotel 1509 Broadway St., Detroit; 313-277-4736; thesirenhotel.com

u BEST BOWLING ALLEY (DETROIT)

Garden Bowl 4140 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-833-9700; majesticdetroit.com

u BEST BOWLING ALLEY (SUBURBS)

Bowlero Lanes & Lounge 4209 Coolidge Hwy., Royal Oak; 248-549-7500; bowlerodetroit.com

u BEST CIDER MILL

Franklin Cider Mill 7450 Franklin Rd., Bloomfield Hills; 248-626-8261; franklincidermill.com

u BEST CIGAR BAR

Churchill’s 116 S. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-647-4555 | 6635 Orchard Lake Rd., West Bloomfield; 248-855-0300 | 19271 Mack Ave., Grosse Pointe Woods; 313-924-8913 | churchillscigarbar.com

u BEST CIGAR SHOP

Casa de Montecristo 28815 Northwestern Hwy., Southfield; 248-357-2340; seriouscigars.com

u

BEST VEGAN/VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT (WASHTENAW)

Detroit Street Filling Station 300 Detroit St., Ann Arbor; 734-224-8262; thelunchrooma2.com

16-22, 2022 | metrotimes.com

u

BEST ADULT VIDEO STORE

Uptown Video 6401 Eight Mile Rd., Detroit; 313-836-0647

u BEST ANIMAL SHELTER

Detroit Dog Rescue 24429 Grand River Ave., Detroit; 313-458-8014; detroitdogrescue.com

u BEST COMIC/COLLECTIBLES SHOP

Comic City Multiple locations; comiccity.com

u BEST CONSIGNMENT SHOP

Regeneration Clothing 23700 Woodward Ave., Pleasant Ridge; 248-414-7440; regenerationclothing.org

u

u

BEST DOWNTOWN SHOPPING DISTRICT

Birmingham

BEST ENGAGEMENT OR WEDDING RING

Astrein’s

120 W. Maple Rd., Birmingham; 248-644-1651; astreins.com

u

BEST ESCAPE ROOM

Breakout Escape Room 222 E. 4th St., Royal Oak; 586-359-6944; roombreakout.com

u

BEST EYEBROW SALON

Detroit Brows

43227 Crescent Blvd., Novi; 313-349-8034; detroitbrows.com

u BEST HAUNTED HOUSE Erebus Haunted Attraction 18 S Perry St., Pontiac; 248-332-7884; hauntedpontiac.com

u BEST JEWELRY REPAIR Mount-N-Repair 205 Pierce St., Birmingham; 248-647-8670; mountnrepair.com

u BEST JEWELRY STORE Tapper’s Jewelry Multiple locations; tappers.com

u BEST NEIGHBORHOOD JEWELRY STORE

u BEST NEIGHBORHOOD RETAIL DISTRICT (OAKLAND)

Downtown Ferndale

u BEST NEIGHBORHOOD RETAIL DISTRICT (WASHTENAW)

Kerrytown

u BEST NEIGHBORHOOD RETAIL DISTRICT (WAYNE)

Historic Avenue of Fashion

u

BEST EYEWEAR

SEE Eyewear

Multiple locations; seeeyewear.com

u

BEST EYEWEAR (BOUTIQUE)

Optik Birmingham 247 W. Maple Rd., Birmingham; 248-646-6699; optikbirmingham.com

Steven Bernard Jewelers 22266 Michigan Ave., Dearborn; 313-562-8484; stevenbernardjewelers.com

u BEST LASER HAIR REMOVAL

Milan Laser Hair Removal 30277 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak; 248-658-8451; milanlaserdetroit.com

u BEST LASHES

u

BEST FARMERS MARKET (DETROIT)

Eastern Market easternmarket.org

u

BEST FARMERS MARKET (SUBURBS)

Royal Oak Farmers Market

316 E. Eleven Mile Rd., Royal Oak; 248-246-3276

u

BEST FLEA MARKET

Dixieland Flea Market

2045 Dixie Hwy., Waterford Twp.; 248-338-3220; dixielandfleamkt.com

The Dream Beauty Bar 1444 E. 11 Mile Rd., Madison Heights; thedreambeautybar.com

u BEST LIVE PET MASCOT AT A BUSINESS House of Pure Vin 1433 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-638-2501; houseofpurevin.com

u BEST LOCAL NONPROFIT Ronald McDonald House rmhc.org

u BEST ONLINE RETAILER TO BUY GIFTS Bundled bundledmi.com

u BEST PAWN SHOP

American Jewelry and Loan 20450 Greenfield Rd., Detroit; 313-345-4000; pawndetroit.com

u BEST PET SUPPLY

Premier Pet Supply Multiple locations; premierpetsupply.com

u BEST PIERCING STUDIO

DV8 Body Art 1531 Union Lake Rd., Commerce Charter Twp.; 248-363-8882; dv8bodyart.com

u BEST PLACE TO BUY A MOTORCYCLE

Arsenal Harley-Davidson 4405 Highland Rd., Waterford Twp.; 248-674-3175; arsenalharley.com

u

BEST FLOATATION THERAPY

Sapphire Springs 31166 Haggerty Rd., Farmington Hills; 248-702-0990; sapphire-springs.com

u

BEST FREE SERVICE

Furniture Bank of Southeastern Michigan 333 Perry St., Pontiac; 248-332-1300; furniture-bank.org

u

BEST GIFT SHOP

The Rocket 200 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-556-5084; shoptherocket.com

u BEST MAGIC STORE Boston Tea Room 1220 Woodward Heights, Ferndale; 248-548-1415; bostontearoom.com

u BEST MASSAGE

Natural Healing Therapeutic Massage 56 N. Walnut St., Mount Clemens; 586-738-4064; metrodetroitmassagetherapy.com

u BEST MEDICAL PRACTICE

Beaumont Family Medical: Farmington 32754 Grand River Ave., Farmington; 248-476-3280; beaumont.org

u BEST MEN’S CLOTHING

u BEST PLACE TO BUY A WATCH Shinola 441 W. Canfield St., Detroit; 313-285-2390; shinola.com

u BEST PLACE TO BUY ANTIQUES

Town Hall Antiques 205 N. Main St., Romeo; 586-752-5422; townhallantiquesromeo.com

u BEST PLACE TO BUY ART 1xRUN 1xrun.com

u BEST PLACE TO BUY BDSM GEAR

u

BEST GROCERY STORE

Joe’s Produce and Gourmet Market 33152 W. Seven Mile Rd., Livonia; 248-477-4333; joesproduce.com

u

BEST GROUP NIGHT OUT

Fowling Warehouse 3901 Christopher St., Hamtramck; 313-264-1288 | 3050 Washtenaw Ave., Ypsilanti; 734-499-3695 | fowlingwarehouse.com

Untied on Woodward 223 S. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-792-6828; untiedonwoodward.com

u BEST MEN’S GROOMING SUPPLIES Untied on Woodward 223 S. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-792-6828; untiedonwoodward.com

u

BEST GYM (MACOMB)

Planet Fitness Multiple locations; planetfitness.com

u

BEST GYM (OAKLAND)

Beverly Hills Health Club

31555 Southfield Rd., Beverly Hills; 248-642-8500; beverlyhillsclub.net

u

BEST MICHIGAN-MADE PRODUCT Faygo faygo.com

u

BEST MOBILE DEVICE REPAIR

Computer Virus (“God”) 21513 Kelley Rd., Eastpointe; 313-334-0245

Noir Leather 124 W. 4th St., Royal Oak; 248-541-3979; noirleather.com

u BEST PLACE TO BUY LINGERIE Nice and Naughty Multiple locations; niceandnaughty.com

u

BEST PLACE TO BUY MUSICAL INSTRUMENT (INDEPENDENT SHOP)

Berkley Music Company 3039 12 Mile Rd., Berkley; 248-543-3900; facebook.com/ theberkleymusiccompany

u

BEST PLACE TO BUY MUSICAL INSTRUMENT (NATIONAL)

Guitar Center

Multiple locations; guitarcenter.com

u

BEST GYM (WASHTENAW)

The Mix Fitness Studios 306 N. River St., Ypsilanti | 511 W. Cross St., Ypsilanti | the-mix-studios.com

u

BEST GYM (WAYNE)

Detroit Body Garage 8635 Mack Ave., Detroit; 210-875-7688; detroitbodygarage.com

u

BEST HARDWARE STORE

Frentz & Sons Hardware 1010 N. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-544-8111; facebook.com/ frentzandsonshardware

16-22, 2022 | metrotimes.com

u BEST MOVING COMPANY Men on the Move Multiple locations; michiganmovers.com

u

BEST MUSEUM SHOP

The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History 315 E. Warren Ave., Detroit; 313-494-5800; thewright.org

u

BEST NAILS

Vin Beauty Nails & Spa 32782 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak; 248-965-3079; facebook.com/vinbeautynails

u BEST PLACE TO BUY SNEAKERS

Burn Rubber 512 N. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-543-3000; burnrubbersneakers.com

u BEST RECORD STORE (MACOMB)

Melodies & Memories 23013 Gratiot Ave., Eastpointe; 586-774-8480; facebook.com/ melodiesandmemoriesrecordshop

u

BEST RECORD STORE (OAKLAND)

Found Sound 234 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-565-8775; facebook.com/ foundsoundvinyl

u

BEST RECORD STORE (WASHTENAW)

Underground Sounds

120 E. Washington St., Ann Arbor; 734-327-9239; ugsounds.com

u

BEST RECORD STORE (WAYNE)

Dearborn Music

22501 Michigan Ave., Dearborn; 313-561-1000; dearbornmusic.net

u BEST THRIFT STORE Value World Multiple locations; valueworld.com

u BEST TIRE STORE Sucher Tire 3641 E. Davison St., Detroit; 313-891-5640; suchertire.com

u

BEST SALON (MACOMB)

Bocci Salon & Spa

13800 Canal Rd., Sterling Heights; 586-247-4343 | 56097 Van Dyke Ave., Shelby Twp.; 586-992-8700 | boccisalon.com

u

BEST SALON (OAKLAND)

Black the Salon

314 W. 4th St., Royal Oak; 248-565-8786; blackthesalon.com

u

BEST SALON (WASHTENAW)

Orbit Hair Design

334 S. State St., Ann Arbor; 734-663-0393; orbithair.net

u

BEST SALON (WAYNE)

Black the Salon

2127 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-800-5184; blackthesalon.com

u BEST VAPE STORE Detroit Smoke and Vape 4718 Anthony Wayne Dr., Detroit; 313-462-8143

u BEST VINTAGE CLOTHING STORE Reware Vintage 2965 Twelve Mile Rd., Berkley; 248-439-0007; rewarevintage.com

u BEST VISITOR EXPERIENCE

Greenfield Village 20900 Oakwood Blvd., Dearborn; 313-982-6001; thehenryford.org

u

BEST WEDDING BANQUET HALL (MACOMB)

Penna’s Banquets 38400 Van Dyke Ave., Sterling Heights | 43985 Hayes Rd., Sterling Heights | pennasbanquets.com

u

BEST SHOP FOR A BRA FITTING

Bra-vo Intimates

29732 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak; 248-582-7286; bravointimates.com

u

BEST SKATEPARK

Modern Skate & Surf

1500 N. Stephenson Hwy., Royal Oak; 248-546-7275; modernskate.com

u

BEST WEDDING BANQUET HALL (OAKLAND)

Reflections Event Space 12705 Plymouth Rd., Detroit | 1134 Baldwin Ave., Pontiac | 248-209-1751 | reflectionseventspace.com

u

BEST SMOKE SHOP

B.D.T.

21640 John R Rd., Hazel Park; 248-542-6110 | 27419 Gratiot Ave., Roseville; 586-776-5233 | 23420 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-951-8908 | bdtmi.com

u BEST WEDDING BANQUET HALL (WASHTENAW)

Zingerman’s Cornman Farms 8540 Island Lake Rd., Dexter; 734-619-8100 | zingermanscornmanfarms.com

u BEST WEDDING BANQUET HALL (WAYNE)

u BEST CONCENTRATE Mitten Extracts mittenextracts.com

u

BEST SPA

Rivage Day Spa

210 S. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-839-2021; rivagedayspa.com

u

BEST SPECIALTY MARKET

City Market

575 Brush St., Detroit; 313-222-0000; citymarketdetroit.com

u

BEST STORE FOR AN IN-STORE

PERFORMANCE

Third Man Records

441 W. Canfield St., Detroit; 313-209-5205; thirdmanrecords.com

u

BEST STREETWEAR STORE

Burn Rubber

512 N. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-543-3000; burnrubbersneakers.com

Highlands 400 Renaissance Center; Detroit; 313-877-9090; highlandsdetroit.com

u BEST WESTERN WEAR

Scott Colburn Boots and Western Wear 20411 Farmington Rd., Livonia; 248-476-1262; scottcolburnwestern.com

u BEST WOMEN’S CLOTHING Coup D’état 3044 W. Grand Blvd., Detroit; 313-782-4480; shopcoupdetat.com

u BEST YOGA Full Lotus Yoga 6505 Woodward Ave., Detroit | 20365 Mack Ave., Grosse Pointe Woodsfulllotusyoga.net

u BEST EDIBLE Kushy Punch kushypunch.com

u BEST GROW SHOP (MACOMB)

HTG Supply 28000 Groesbeck Hwy., Roseville; 586-435-2335; htgsupply.com

u BEST GROW SHOP (OAKLAND)

HGS Hydro Multiple locations; hgshydro.com

u BEST GROW SHOP (WASHTENAW)

The Grow Show 573 State Cir., Ann Arbor; 734-677-0009; thegrowshow.org

u

BEST STRIP CLUB

Flight Club

29709 Michigan Ave., Inkster; 734-641-2400; theflightclub.com

u

BEST TATTOO SHOP (MACOMB)

Elite Ink

Multiple locations; 247tattoos.com

u

BEST TATTOO SHOP (OAKLAND)

Signature Tattoo

230 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-439-0021; facebook.com/ signaturetattoo

u

BEST TATTOO SHOP (WASHTENAW)

Frederick’s Tattoo Gallery 123 N. Bridge St., Linden; 810-931-1341; facebook.com/ fredrickstattoogallery

WEED

u BEST BEVERAGE ENHANCER Select Squeeze selectcannabis.com

u BEST BUDTENDERS (MACOMB) House of Dank 26829 Lawrence Ave., Center Line; 833-746-7463; shophod.com

u BEST BUDTENDERS (OAKLAND) Green Buddha 1921 Hilton Rd., Ferndale; 248-965-3911; shopgreenbuddha.com

u

BEST BUDTENDERS (WASHTENAW)

The Patient Station 539 S. Huron St., Ypsilanti; 734-544-9999; thepatientstation.com

u

BEST GROW SHOP (WAYNE)

Hydrogiant Multiple locations; hydrogiant.com

u BEST HEAD SHOP Tha Head Shop 737 E. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-677-0178; thaheadshop.com

u

BEST LOCAL FLOWER HYMAN Cannabis hymanlife.com

u

BEST MARIJUANA CARTRIDGE MKX mkxoilco.com

u

BEST MARIJUANA DISPENSARY DEALS (WAYNE)

Herbology

11392 W. Jefferson Ave., River Rouge; 313-757-7684; shophcc.com

u

BEST TATTOO SHOP (WAYNE)

Grand Blvd Tattoo Co 2898 W. Grand Blvd., Detroit; 313-656-4420; grandblvdtattoocompany.com

November 16-22, 2022 | metrotimes.com

u BEST BUDTENDERS (WAYNE) Quality Roots 2024 Caniff St., Hamtramck; 313-263-0360; getqualityroots.com

u BEST MARIJUANA DISPENSARY DEALS (MACOMB)

Pleasantrees 237 N. River Rd., Mount Clemens; 586-221-0020; enjoypleasantrees.com

u

BEST MARIJUANA DISPENSARY DEALS (OAKLAND)

Bazonzoes

1760 E. W. Maple Rd., Walled Lake; 248-926-1518; bazonzoes.biz

u

BEST MARIJUANA DISPENSARY DEALS (WASHTENAW)

Pure Roots 3430 Washtenaw Ave., Ann Arbor; 844-325-3900; followpureroots.com

u BEST MEDICAL MARIJUANA PROVISIONING CENTER (WAYNE)

House of Dank Multiple locations; shophod.com

u BEST MEDICAL MARIJUANA PROVISIONING CENTER (MACOMB ) Dispo Romeo 100 Shafer Dr., Romeo; 586-500-1111; disposhops.com

u DOPEST AGENCY

Qonkur

850 E. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 866-766-5871; qonkur.com

u DOPEST MARIJUANA DISPENSARY FOR A STONER (MACOMB)

Jars Cannabis 26700 Liberal St., Center Line; jarscannabis.com

u

BEST MARIJUANA DISPENSARY FOR A BEGINNER (WAYNE)

Herbal Healing Provisioning 261 Burke St., River Rouge; 313-451-8007; shophhp.com

u

BEST MARIJUANA DISPENSARY FOR A BEGINNER (MACOMB) (TIE)

Pleasantrees 237 N. River Rd., Mount Clemens; 586-221-0020; enjoypleasantrees.com

Nirvana Center 24280 Sherwood Ave., Center Line; 586-782-4936; nirvanacenter.com

u BEST MEDICAL MARIJUANA PROVISIONING CENTER (OAKLAND )

Lume Cannabis Co. 595 South Glaspie St., Oxford; 248-775-1365 | 861 N. Pontiac Tr., Walled Lake; 947-214-2700 | lume.com

u BEST MEDICAL MARIJUANA PROVISIONING CENTER (WASHTENAW)

Pure Roots 3430 Washtenaw Ave., Ann Arbor; 844-325-3900; followpureroots.com

u BEST PREROLL (MACOMB)

u DOPEST MARIJUANA DISPENSARY FOR A STONER (OAKLAND)

Hayat Cannabis 634 W. Nine Mile Rd., Hazel Park; 248-275-5555; hayatcannabis.com

u DOPEST MARIJUANA DISPENSARY FOR A STONER (WASHTENAW)

Exclusive Brands 3820 Varsity Dr., Ann Arbor; 734-494-0772; exclusivemi.com

u DOPEST MARIJUANA DISPENSARY FOR A STONER (WAYNE)

u

BEST MARIJUANA DISPENSARY FOR A BEGINNER (OAKLAND)

Green Buddha 1921 Hilton Rd., Ferndale; 248-965-3911; shopgreenbuddha.com

u

BEST MARIJUANA DISPENSARY FOR A BEGINNER (WASHTENAW)

Exclusive Brands

3820 Varsity Dr., Ann Arbor; 734-494-0772; exclusivemi.com

u

BEST MARIJUANA DISPENSARY INTERIOR DESIGN (MACOMB)

Dispo Romeo 100 Shafer Dr., Romeo; 586-500-1111; disposhops.com

PUFF Cannabis Company 44825 Van Dyke Ave., Utica; 586-788-7833; puffcannaco.com

u BEST PREROLL (OAKLAND)

Common Citizen 877 Eight Mile Rd., Hazel Park; 248-776-0100; commoncitizen.com

u BEST PREROLL (WASHTENAW)

Liberty Cannabis 338 S. Ashley Street; Ann Arbor; 734-773-3075; libertycannabis.com

u BEST PREROLL (WAYNE)

The Flower Bowl 28661 Michigan Ave., Inkster; 734-895-8753; flowerbowl.com

u

BEST MARIJUANA DISPENSARY INTERIOR DESIGN (OAKLAND)

Nature’s Remedy 925 E. Drayton St., Ferndale; naturesremedycannabis.com

u BEST RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARY (MACOMB)

Cloud Cannabis 44115 Van Dyke Ave., Utica; 586-788-7501 | 35269 Cricklewood Blvd., New Baltimore; 586-210-6607 | cloudcannabis.com

u

BEST MARIJUANA DISPENSARY INTERIOR DESIGN (WASHTENAW)

Information Entropy 115 Broadway St., Ann Arbor; 734-929-4207; informationentropy.com

u

BEST MARIJUANA DISPENSARY INTERIOR DESIGN (WAYNE)

Utopia Gardens 6541 E. Lafayette St., Detroit; 313-332-0544; utopiagardens.com

u

BEST MARIJUANA PROVISIONING CENTER FOR CONCENTRATES

Pleasantrees

Multiple locations; enjoypleasantrees.com

u BEST RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARY (OAKLAND)

LIV 2625 Hilton Rd., Ferndale; 248-420-4200 | 453 S. Broadway St., Lake Orion; 248-287-8300 | livcannabis.com

u BEST RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARY (WASHTENAW)

The Patient Station 539 S. Huron St., Ypsilanti; 734-544-9999; thepatientstation.com

u BEST RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARY (WAYNE)

Quality Roots 2024 Caniff St., Hamtramck; 313-263-0360; getqualityroots.com

Green Genie 24600 W. McNichols Rd., Detroit; 313-333-9333; geniecannabis.com

u MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE MARIJUANA PROVISIONING CENTER STAFF (MACOMB)

LivWell 14210 E. Eleven Mile Rd., Warren; 586-252-2499; livwell.com

u MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE MARIJUANA PROVISIONING CENTER STAFF (OAKLAND)

Breeze 24517 John R Rd., Hazel Park; 833-927-3393; breeze.us

u MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE MARIJUANA PROVISIONING CENTER STAFF (WASHTENAW)

High Profile 617 Packard St., Ann Arbor; 734-821-9333; highprofilecannabis.com

u MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE MARIJUANA PROVISIONING CENTER STAFF (WAYNE)

Pleasantrees 2238 Holbrook Ave., Hamtramck; 313-774-0700; enjoypleasantrees.com

u STRONGEST WEED HYMAN x Kevin Nash Jackknife Strain at House of Dank Multiple locations; shophod.com

u BEST OUTSTATE DISPENSARY Seed Cellar seedcellar.com

WHAT’S GOING ON

Select events happening in metro Detroit this week. Be sure to check all venue web site before events for latest information. Add your event to our online calendar: metrotimes.com/AddEvent.

Wednesday, Nov. 16

Live/Concert

Akwaaba African Ensemble and Pan-Jumbies Steel Band 7:30 pm; Flagstar Strand Theatre for the Perform ing Arts, 12 N. Saginaw St., Pontiac; $8.

Genocide Pact, No/Mas, Vomit Forth, Mutilatred pm; Sanctuary etroit, ani , amtramc .

Lorna Shore 6 pm; Saint Andrew’s all, . on ress t., etroit .

A Songwriter Scramble: Joshua Clemens, Sean Miller, After Blue er ley o ee, est ile d, te 50o, Oak Park; $10 suggested.

The Rare Occasions, Hot Freaks pm he o in o ch, ood ward Ave., Ferndale; $16.

THEATER

Performance

Hilberry Theatre he erry i es of indsor y illiam ha espeare. d lts , enior, Fac lty, ta , l m ni , t dent pm, pm, pm, pm and pm.

Musical

Hamilton (Touring) 8 pm, 8 pm, 8 pm, pm, pm, pm and pm Fisher heatre, . rand l d, etroit .

Podcast: Live podcast

Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle Lewberger Lewberger; $30.00 7:30-9 pm.

Stand-up

Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle linton ac son with e wos in and ason illeran. . pm and pm.

ART Artist talk

Lecture: Matias del Campo, “Neural Architecture - Design and Artificial Intelligence” Free, public lecture from Visiting Professor and thor atias del ampo. pm ran roo rt se m, . ood ward e., loomfield ills.

Cranbrook Art Museum Constel lations nities elections from the ran roo ollection se m dmis sion free on Thursdays 11 am-5 pm.

SHOPPING Marketplace

Pewabic’s Holiday Showcase pm and 10 am-5 pm; Pewabic Pottery, . e erson e., etroit free.

Thursday, Nov. 17

Live/Concert

Disq, Ducks Ltd. pm; The Loving o ch, oodward e., Ferndale $13.

Dominique Mary Davis 7-9 pm; illis how ar, hird t., etroit $15.

Kick The Cat ft. Kris Myers of Umphrey’s McGee wsg Chirp pm he arliament oom at t s pply, ine ile d, Ferndale $20.

WANNABE: A SPICE GIRLS TRIBUTE pm a ic a , oodward Ave., Ferndale; $25-$50.

THEATER Performance

Hilberry Theatre he erry i es of indsor y illiam ha espeare. d lts , enior, Fac lty, ta , l mni , t dent pm, pm, pm, pm and pm.

The Music Hall Je’Caryous Johnson Presents New Jack City Live on Stage $69.50-$125 8 pm.

Musical

Hamilton (Touring) Fisher Theatre, . rand l d, etroit .

COMEDY

Ant Hall Thursday Night Live! $5, 8-10 pm.

Stand-up

Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle linton ac son with e wos in and ason illeran. . pm and pm.

Friday, Nov. 18

Live/Concert

Berliner Philharmoniker pm ill Auditorium, 825 N. University Ave., Ann Arbor; $25+ (student tickets available).

Church Mice | wsg Fay Burns & The Embers 7-11:30 pm; The Parlia ment oom at t s pply, ine ile d, Ferndale .

CoComelon Live JJ’s Journey 6 pm Fox heatre, oodward e., Detroit; $32-$77.

EMO PROM with Taking Back

102 November 16-22, 2022 | metrotimes.com

Emo pm a ic a , ood ward Ave., Ferndale; $16.

Great American Ghost, 156/ Silence, Hazing Over, Wounded Touch, Come Forth 6 pm; Sanctuary etroit, ani , amtramc .

Guster pm aint ndrew s all, E. Congress St., Detroit; $31.

Koffin Kats pm; The Token Lounge, oy d., estland .

Mac DeMarco pm a ic tic , oodward e., etroit .

MÅNESKIN pm he Fillmore, oodward e., etroit . $99.50.

Protomartyr with Gigi and Day Residue pm a ic tic , ood ward Ave., Detroit; $20.

Riot Ten 9:30 pm; Elektricity Night club, 15 S. Saginaw St., Pontiac; Saturdays At Your Place, Summerbruise, Dad Caps, Goods 6:30 pm i e oom, . a inaw, ontiac $12.

Trapt pm he o en o n e, oy d., estland .

Berliner Philharmoniker 8:30 pm; ill ditori m, . ni ersity e., Ann Arbor; $25+ (student tickets avail able).

Anita Baker is gracing us with a Pine Knob concert

WE WANT ANITA BAKER’S same ole’ glorious singing 365 days of the year.

Since that’s not actually pos sible, we’ll settle for seeing her live at Pine Knob on July 2, where she’ll make a pitstop on her 2023 tour. Yes, etroit s le endary rammy winnin songstress is embarking on a full tour in for the first time since .

Earlier this year, Baker performed a one-night-only homecoming show at Little Caesars Arena to a sold-out crowd. Tickets for that show sold out in less than an hour, so set your alarm for 10 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 17 to snag seats to the Pine Knob date.

Tickets start at $50 (for the lawn) and will be available via 313Presents. com, LiveNation.com, and Ticket master.com. Citi cardholders will get access to presale tickets begin nin onday, o . at a.m. ntil

ednesday, o . at p.m. ore information is available at citienter tainment.com.

The upcoming tour celebrates the year anni ersary of a er s de t album The Songstress, which was released in . It will e the first time the Detroit-bred singer will be performing her classic hits live since winning back the rights to her masters.

“Looking forward to some crazy, lovely, hang time with my fans, on tour in 2023!!” Baker said in a press release, addin , onna, rin some new m sic some special ests, too.”

— Randiah Camille Green

e tour ic s off on e . t rd oc i e in oll ood nd sto s in tl nt ltimore ouston ic o etroit nd more e ore r in in l nd on ec. .

SHUTTERSTOCK

THEATER

Performance

Hilberry Theatre he erry i es of indsor y illiam ha espeare. d lts , enior, Fac lty, ta , l m ni , t dent pm, pm, pm, pm and pm.

Little Caesars Arena rassic orld i e o r. pm, am pm, pm and am pm, pm.

Meadow Brook Theatre A Christ mas arol pm, pm and pm.

The Music Box Detroit Symphony rchestra am, pm and pm.

The Music Hall Je’Caryous Johnson resents I . pm, pm and pm.

Planet Ant Theatre oly oledo Sketch 5 Original Comedy. $15 Advanced $20 Door 8-10 pm.

The Underground at the Hilberry he eople s Friar a rence, he an ho illed omeo and liet. pm and pm.

Musical

Hamilton (Touring) 8 pm, 8 pm, 8 pm, pm, pm, pm and pm Fisher heatre, . rand l d, etroit .

COMEDY

Go Comedy! Improv Theater Pan demonia pm. Free pm. ery other Friday, pm.

Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle an oder. . pm and 7-8:30 pm.

Stand-up

The Independent Comedy Club at Planet Ant $20 Online $25 Door 8:30-10:30 pm and 8:30-10:30 pm.

Continuing is Week Stand-up

The Garden Theatre onnell awl in s pm.

Art Exhibition Opening

Ann Arbor Art Center 100th All edia xhi ition penin eception. Free 6-9 pm.

Saturday, Nov. 19

Live/Concert

Berliner Philharmoniker pm ill Auditorium, 825 N. University Ave., Ann Arbor; $25+ (student tickets available).

BE OUR GUEST pm i e oom, . Saginaw, Pontiac; $18-$50.

Chloe Moriondo pm a ic tic , oodward e., etroit .

Esham, Awesome Dre, Stretch Money, Mastamind, Reddaway pm arpo s, arper en e, Detroit; $30-$100.

Eva Under Fire pm; The Token o n e, oy d., estland .

Herman’s Hermits 8 pm; Andiamo ele rity howroom, . ile d., arren .

Incite, Poison Tongues, Son of Scylla, Life of Suppression, Death Hex pm; Sanctuary Detroit, ani , amtramc .

Late Night Talk Show 11:30 pm; Livestream Event, The Interwebz, The Interwebz;

LOCASH pm rand e troit, 1777 Third St., Detroit; Starting at 35+.

Mega 80s - 20th Anniversary Blowout pm a ic a , oodward e., Ferndale .

Russell Dickerson with special guest Drew Green pm; The Fillmore, oodward e., etroit $25-$50.

Streetlight Manifesto pm oyal a sic heatre, . Fo rth t., oyal a

Supper Club 6:30-10:30 pm; Trust oc tails, harea les i htlife, est on ress treet, etroit Free ntry Call for table reservations.

Visitor | Black Note Graffiti | Odd City pm he arliament oom at t s pply, ine ile d, Ferndale; $10.00.

Sunday, Nov. 20

Live/Concert

DaBaby pm aint ndrew s all, E. Congress St., Detroit; $39.50.

Damien Escobar 7:30 pm; Sound oard, rand i er e., etroit $39-$51.

Exhumed, Hulder, Vitriol, Molder pm anct ary etroit, ani , amtramc .

Pre-Thanksgiving Blowout 6 pm he o en o n e, oy d., estland .

Saxappeal + The Crü Live 7-10 pm; Baker’s Keyboard Lounge, 20510 Liver nois Ave., Detroit; $15.

Tiny Jag releases new EP: Detroit’s resident alt-pop baddie Tiny Jag has released seven new songs on her new EP , released in partner ship with the Assemble Sound collective. Jag gives her fans multiple ows for any mood, with each son fittin in anthemic lines that yo ll find yo rself repeatin after st a few listens. Strong rock-rap hooks executive produced by Kaleb Waterman, with additional produc tion from the Assemble’s in-house roster, are the cherry on top and give the entire EP a grunge vibe without sounding stale. If you’re a fan on the no-fucks-given mentality of Rico Nasty, the maximalist pop aesthetic of MIA, or Maya Angelou refer ences, Tiny Jag is serving all that and more. Let be the soundtrack to yo r next ot irl al or smoke session, since winter is com ing).

Jon Dixon drops vocal-driven EP: As the bandleader and keyboardist for the ever-evolving Timeline (the Underground Resistance live band), and also training under etroit s odfather of a Mar cus Belgrave, Jon Dixon pushes the hi tech a so nd forward in a way only he can. ith his newest EP oc l Sessions ol. , featuring smooth vocals from deep house stalwart enee and local son writer enny atson, ixon reaches new hei hts. It s a ho se of the highest order, with the signature keyboard lines he’s known for, plus remixes for listeners who want to o e en deeper. ecently, ixon has become well-established in the local record bins with his own label 4evr 4wrd, not to mention an extended set at Charivari this past summer, and most recently a feature on Theo Parrish’s already legendary DJ-Kicks compilation. ith all this momen tum, it will be interesting to hear what future vocal sessions come out of the Jon Dixon camp.

Interdimensional Transmis sions teams up with Paxahau at Tangent Gallery: It’s a bit surpris ing that Paxahau, the organization that r ns o ement electronic music festival, and Interdimensional Transmissions, one of the leading names in the psychedelic reaches of dance m sic, ha e ne er o cially collaborated before. If you’ve ever een to I s o ay ac party, it is by far one of the best after-parties

d rin o ement wee end, and we can only hope to have such high standards for the upcoming show at an ent allery on o . . he lineup features some heavy-hitters such as DJ Stingray and Kevin Saunderson, but perhaps the most impressive part of the lineup is the up-and-coming talent, including AK, Ke Thu, Father Dukes, and F se rade, st to name a few. eally though, everyone on the lineup is worth a mention, and with three stages of music going all night long, this could be one of the biggest dance music events of this year.

Danny Brown’s Bruiser Thanksgiving returns: If you’re familiar with Detroit’s art-rap antihero Danny Brown, it’s pretty safe to say that he seems like the type of guy that can throw a great party, despite his relatively recent self-described “uncle phase” characterized by more traditional hairstyles and his si nat re front tooth ein fixed. Brown is back to host the ninth year of r iser han s i in on ednes day, o . at the ssell Ind strial Center. The lineup has yet to be announced, but with past perform ers including Lil B, Joey Bada$$, FI , ac Fox, ada a y, and more, the surprise will almost surely be worth the wait. Expect a mini-festival of sorts, curated by an artist who has carved his own lane locally and internationally through avant-garde rap, the Bruiser imprint, and his countless other ventures and interests. Danny Brown’s sets are always a riotous time for longtime fans and newcomers alike, so expect the chaotic energy that you’ve come to know and love to be front and center at this annual homage to his hometown.

metrotimes.com | November 16-22, 2022 103

Tiny Jag. COURTESY PHOTO

Extra! Extra! Detroit’s storied Anchor Bar is still great

By Jane Slaughter

Many an evening have I spent in the back room of the fabled Anchor Bar. Not the basement, notorious for a gambling ring raided by the FBI in an earlier location. Said previous owner a han erderian, he tip o mi ht have been the existence of three phone booths in a smallish establishment.”

Founded in 1959, the Anchor was known as a haunt of journalists from the nearby Free Press and News, back when there were eno h of them to fill more than a few barstools. During the Detroit newspapers strike/lockout of 1995-2001, strike headquarters were up stairs for a while, and erderian o ered “strikers’ specials” on the sandwiches. Barbara Ingalls from the Typographical Union remembers that when neces sary strikers would run upstairs yelling “Scabs in the Anchor!” whereupon all present would descend to persuade the strikebreakers to leave.

The Anchor’s back room was always

available to whoever would bring folks in to order beer and sandwiches. I ate there during all kinds of meetings of rabble-rousers: Labor for Bernie. Supporters of Ralph Nader, running for president. Reformers in the UAW, who sometimes got together after the Labor Day Parade. Just this July the Members United slate (“No Concessions, No Corruption, No Tiers”) crammed UAW convention delegates into the back room to hear why change was possible if members organized for it.

The bar was in the Derderian family for 59 years, but it went corporate in 2018, taken over by the Elia Group, a di ersified commercial real estate investment company” that also owns Parc and The Fountain in Detroit and 220 Merrill in Birmingham.

But the Anchor is still serving bar food to downtown workers from Rocket, Huntington Place, construction sites, banks, and courthouses, who enjoy a

good long happy hour from to 7 p.m. ($3 sliders, $8 for a pitcher of Miller High Life). They’re still eating burgers, nachos, totchos, cheesesteak, wings, fries, t na melt, fish and chips ar tastes,” in the words of manager Stepha nie Prechel. Chili, three salads, a chicken wrap, and a shrimp taco round out the menu. The ingredient that appears most often, on just about every plate, is house-made cheese whiz, which, unlike the commercial ariety modified mil ingredients”), contains cheddar.

Many establishments have felt the need to elevate their bar food past these familiar horizons. In a sports bar I visited recently, alo win s were ser ed with gochujang, and you could ask for e an ca li ower or acorn s ash with pink peppercorns.

Not so at the Anchor, though you can indeed get Parmesan herb aioli on your tr e fries. It s still mostly the asics, and an endearing section of the online

Anchor Bar

450 W. Fort, Detroit 313-964-9127

anchorbardetroit.com Bar food $13-$18, beer $3-$6

menu is devoted to “Old Man’s Cans: eer Fla ored eer troh s, , or Rolling Rock for $3.

The Anchor’s hamburger on brioche is tall, and if the accompanying tomato is pale, the bacon is everything bacon should be. The pastel liquid cheese whiz adds both creamy mouth-feel and a bit of tang.

When I remarked to my companion that his fish and chips didn t ha e a lot of fish a or, he ass red me that was normal for fish and chips it s the crunchy crust that counts. Skinny fries, served in abundance, are of the limp ariety tartar sa ce is sweet.

A tuna melt came on a tasty marble rye but my friend thought it was too so py and salty, with the cheese a or not detectable.

A chicken wrap, another companion said, was good “because it has a lot of ingredients”: avocado, bacon, ranch dressing, lettuce, tomato, cabbage, on a whole wheat tortilla. My favorite, what I’ll order when I go back, was shrimp tacos, though the promised mangos were none too prominent. The shrimp were crisp and the whole e ect was one of beachside indulgence.

Readers, I want you to know that there is sa ce that was first ser ed at Sheetz gas stations that is so popular that people put recipes for it online so yo can ma e it at home in fi e minutes) from a list of prepared condi ments such as ketchup. It’s Boom Boom sauce, which is sweet, not to be confused with Bang Bang sauce, which is not. The Anchor goes a step further by serving Boom Bang sauce on its shrimp tacos, and all I can say is that this was still my favorite dish.

Chili is served with scallions, sour cream, and more cheese whi it s not spicy. Both nachos and totchos can be had with chili, sour cream and yes, cheese whiz. Caesar salad uses curly lettuce, lots of powdered Parmesan and a creamy dressing.

You probably didn’t come to the Anchor, which bills itself as “the same ole’ dive Anchor Bar has always been,” to experiment with exciting new brews. Most craft beers are familiar names from Michigan and all craft drafts cost chal oards show the seasonal rotation. My Moscow Mule was a little watery but appropriately gingery. Only two other named coc tails are o ered, but you can ask the bartender for any thing.

Shrimp tacos and the Anchor Burger.

TOM PERKINS

FOOD Opening date set for Basan Detroit

By Lee DeVito

BASAN DETROIT, THE new Japanese restaurant located in the Eddystone building near Little Caesars Arena, now has an opening date.

The restaurant is expected to open its doors at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 15.

The project is the latest from Fo r an adder, the ro p ehind Detroit’s popular Grey Ghost and Second Best restaurants in nearby r sh ar .

e are incredi ly excited to in troduce the city of Detroit to Basan!” chef and owner John Vermiglio says in a statement. e are confident that this corner of ar en e will exude the energy matched for the neighborhood and promise to deliver the world-class hospitality the city has come to expect from Fo r an adder ospitality. e re grateful to Olympia Development for this partnership in bringing Basan to life.”

The name comes from a mythical, fire reathin ird from apanese fol lore a nod to the resta rant s Robata grill concept, or a form of Japanese barbecue prepared over an open ame.

The 4,000 square foot, 77-seat resta rant incl des an open itchen where guests can see the Robata grill in action, as well as 12-seat private dining space and plans to open a patio in the spring.

The menu, by executive chef Eric ees, is di ided into fi e cate ories ns, s ewers, small plates, lar e plates, and sweets. The beverage program is helmed by beverage director ill ee and e era e manager Alex Kirles and includes coc tails, moc tails, and sa e.

Basan is located at 2703 Park Ave., Detroit. More information is available at basandetroit.com.

Southwest Detroit has a new holiday pop-up tavern

A NEW SPOT for seasonal liba tions is cropping up in Southwest Detroit.

The limited-time pop-up Blitzen’s on Bagley will operate out of former neighborhood bar Bagley Central, which shuttered in September.

Located at 2545 Bagley St., Blitzen’s will feature seasonal libations and food from hell hoc d acos and Goblin Sushi, as well as Christmas oo ies y arda tisserie a er Anna Bolz.

InLaws Hospitality is behind the pop p. hey re the same fol s behind Green Dot Stables, Johnny oodle in , ellow i ht o ee and Donuts, and the Goblin.

Blitzen’s on Bagley will run from o . thro h the first wee of January. A press release describes it as a place to fill the re elry oid for Detroiters this season.

e want e ery indy o ho or Kris Kringle with a need to celebrate to feel welcome here,” InLaws owner Christine Driscoll said in a press re lease. “Detroiters deserve to cut loose this season in an environment com plete with twin lin li hts, hrist mas coo ies, and the est holiday m sic. e ll e all that and more.

Bagley Central “voluntarily elected not to renew the partnership agree ment that brought [them] to the corner of Bagley and 17th,” co-owner i e etelh t anno nced on the bar’s social media prior to shuttering on Sept. 24.

Hours for Blitzen’s on Bagley are 5 p.m.-12 a.m. Thursdays through Sun days and ed, o . for han s giving Eve.”

—Randiah Camille Green

Sauce replaced by Mad Nice

DETROIT’S CASS CORRIDOR is getting a new Italian restaurant.

It’s not Sauce, the “approachable Italian” joint that was supposed to open in spring of 2020. It is, however, a near identical concept helmed by the same people behind Sauce, except the name has now been changed to Mad Nice.

Mad Nice is slated to open at 4120 Second Ave. by the end of 2022, according to a press release. The new restaurant is brought to us by Heirloom Hospitality Group, the restauranteurs behind Townhouse, Prime Propper, Cash Only Supper Club, and Sauce, the restaurant that never was.

Mad Nice is described as “a perfect blend of modern Italian specialties and fresh California vibes with a focus on both direct from the farm and fermented ingredients.” The res taurant will feature a 10,500-squarefoot dine-in and retail space with a co ee and coc tail ar and also o er pre pac a ed food to o.

Handmade pasta, naturally leavened read, woodfired and rotisserie meat, farm fresh vegetables, gelato, a o ato, and espresso martinis are some of the men o erin s spear headed by chef Myles McVay.

McVay previously helmed the itchen at t s pply, and was supposed to be behind the Sauce itchen as well.

ll the o erin s at ad ice are meant to honor Italian tradition from a time, love, and care aspect while mixing in modern ideas of preparation, sourcing, and sustain ability with a bit of Detroit sauce,” McVay said in a press release.

Heirloom Hospitality Group founder Jeremy Sasson said the restaurant has “mad nice food and beverages, mad nice vibes, and a

Brooklyn Street Local has a reopening date

DETROIT BRUNCH SPOT roo lyn treet ocal is o cially reopening.

wner e eri i ord con firmed to Metro Times regular hours resumed on Nov. 9. The or town resta rant closed in 2021 and has been operating as an occasional pop-up ever since.

hile many of o r roo lyn treet ocal fa es li e its ooey poutine, quiche, and omelets will still be served, the restaurant has made several adjustments incl din a scaled ac men and hours.

e ha e switched from f ll service to QR ordering and coun ter service… The goal is to have easier systems for s and o r sta while ein a le to eep the same local spot atmosphere, i ord tells s. e are really excited to welcome fol s ac into the restaurant!”

She notes cutting the menu and simplifying operations was neces sary in order to reopen, though some items li e e s enedict will li ely reappear as specials once the restaurant gets rolling.

he new ho rs are a.m. p.m. ednesday thro h Friday, and a.m. p.m. at rday and Sunday.

i ord cited str les d rin the COVID-19 pandemic when the resta rant first closed, and hinted at reopening last month.

—Randiah Camille Green

mad nice desi n we loo forward to sharing the experience with our guests, especially as we expand our passion for Detroit into the community in Midtown.”

Renderings for the new spot are similar to the previous concept, with a bright modern design.

Before Mad Nice or Sauce, the space was occupied by high-end leather retailer ill eather oods. efore that it was a local grocery store.

Mad Nice is expected to be open for lunch from Tuesday to Sunday and din ner se en days a wee .

—Randiah Camille Green

Puff Cannabis is giving away more than 1,700 turkeys in metro Detroit

By Steve Neavling

THE MARIJUANA DISPENSARY chain anna is is i in away more than , t r eys to people in need in metro etroit for han s i in .

he company, which has se en locations in adison ei hts, tica, amtramc , ay ity, ra erse ity, scoda, and t r is, is distri tin

Ric Flair’s cannabis brand is coming to Michigan thanks to Mike Tyson

TO BE THE man, yo otta eat the man. r may e yo st ha e to smo e some of his weed.

ic Flair the stylin , profilin , limo sine ridin , et yin , iss stealin , wheelin and dealin son of a n is la nchin his canna is rand ic Flair rip in ichi an.

ic Flair rip is comin o r way ia a partnership etween i e yson s mari ana rand yson . and lo d anna is, who e teamed p to distri te Flair s weed across the state. he rand is named after the trac ic Flair rip y set and etro oomin.

the t r eys at three locations. he distri tion sched le is a.m. p.m. o . at tica, an y e e. a.m. p.m. o . at amtramc , oseph ampa e. a.m. p.m. o . at adison ei hts, ax r.

r eys will e i en away on a first come, first ser ice asis. o p rchase is necessary.

anna is fo nder stin lias said he wanted to help o t less fort nate families d rin the holidays. han s i in is the time for all families to come to ether, to cel e rate and e than f l for what they ha e, t to also thin a o t others who are less fort nate, lias said in a statement Friday. hat is why I decided on ehalf of the an na is company we wo ld i e away o er t r eys in the comm nities where we are located.

anna is, which was fo nded in adison ei hts in , plans to open three more locations later this year and another fi e to in .

Skymint celebrates new Michigan dispensary

SKYMINT OPENED THE doors to its th dispensary in ichi an on h rsday.

he nn r or ased company de ted its newest dispensary in rand apids.

ymint has also la nched its new ape line with horts rewin y olly. he line p incl des eer inspired a ors s ch as elt y rain, sychedelic at rass, and oft arade.

he recently remodeled store at i ision e. feat res mod ern wood slate detailin , inta e r s, maple and waln t fixt res, and a c stom m ral.

ymint la nched its operations in fall and now incl des two indoor row fac lties and a , acre s n rown, s staina le farm.

In pril, ymint ac ired Fif teen anna is, a mari ana retail chain.

—Steve Neavling

ele ate my state of mind.

ic Flair rip pre rolls, ower, apes, and edi les will soon e a aila le at retailers incl din o se of an , ars, ispo, anna is, ons me, and ality oots.

. and lo d anna is cons mers across ichi an, the first state in the idwest to le ali e recreational canna is in , will experience ic Flair rip prod cts, o r second cele rity canna is line created to re ect ic s lar er than life spirit and em ody his dedication to ser in his fans, yson . co fo nder, president, and chairman had ronstein said in a statement.

For anyone loo in to ele ate yo r mind and experience i ic ner y, ic Flair rip can na is has o erin s for e ery type of cons mer, ic Flair said in a state

ment ery fittin of he at re oy wrestler. ichi an fans will soon ha e access to my fa orite can na is prod cts that ha e personally helped me find wellness, oy and

If it ll ma e s as hype as the all of Famer, who is lar ely considered the est wrestler of all time, we re here for it.

—Randiah Camille Green

COURTESY PHOTO

COURTESY PHOTO

COURTESY PHOTO

CULTURE

Bakpak Durden steals the show at Cranbrook Art Museum

Work by Scott Hocking and James Benjamin Franklin is also featured in the museum’s fall season

By Randiah Camille Green

A human skull explodes into pieces on a wall at Cranbrook Art Museum. In the center of the room sits a strange apparatus reminiscent of a 22-legged steel spider. Each limb reaches out to visitors with a fragment of a painting, like the pieces of bone shattered on the wall.

Detroit artist Bakpak Durden has created this multi-faceted display as part of their latest exhibition, The Eye of Horus, which opened at the Cranbrook Art Museum Saturday. It’s rden s first solo m se m exhi ition and part of Cranbrook’s fall season, which also includes Scott Hocking’s Detroit Stories and James Benjamin Franklin’s Full Circle

While Durden’s show is the last room in the museum’s exhibition hall, it steals the show in both presentation and concept.

The Eye of Horus includes some of Durden’s familiar self-portraits, but the main attraction is h mia, a fi e part installation encompassing the skull mural, sculpture and attached pieces, and three full-scale paintings.

There are 22 miniature paintings in the sculpture, called “Ka,” to mir ror the 22 bones of the human skull. Each piece is an excerpt from a larger still-life on display across the room, like a peculiar version of Painting by Numbers.

On the side of each piece is a line of poetry, and following the paintings in succession by the numbers written on them reveals the full poem.

The reassembled painting appears twice more throughout the exhibit in micro ersions re ected in paintin s of the cornea and retina. The pieces on “Khémia” touch on themes of anxiety, Jungian philosophy, and how our bod ies create emotion as it responds to stimuli.

Pay attention to the placement of the pieces in “Khémia.” They show how our brain interprets visual information as light passes through the cornea and moves to the retina. Here, images are received upside down before the brain processes them and turns them right side up.

The self-taught painter’s work is

skillful on the surface, but the true art istry lies in the details. It’s in the tes tosterone bottles, syringes, and Fight Club novel crowded into the paintings. (At the exhibit reception, Durden’s beaming mother tells us Fight Club is the artist s fa orite film.

To Durden, everything is a selfportrait, as objects appearing in their paintings show tiny glimpses into the artist’s identity.

The Eye of Horus is one of those things you have to see in person to grasp, and you’ll want to see it more than once to absorb it all, undoubtedly noticing new details each time.

Franklin’s work in Full Circle gives us a hodgepodge of textures and colors to get lost in, as each abstract piece pres ents a dreamscape waiting to consume you. Large-scale paintings in irregular frames see swatches of fabric, old tow els, and crocheted afghans covered in rich paint and splotched with glitter.

Hocking’s retrospective Detroit Stories exhibit takes up three rooms in the gallery and features photos of abandoned buildings in Detroit. Snaps

of the old Michigan Central Station, discarded boats, and shuttered shops feel like ruin porn, pushing a tired narrative of post-apocalyptic Detroit on the verge of a “comeback.”

His sculptures of scavenged artifacts are more interesting, including an installation called “Relics,” which cre ates a giant bookshelf with an array of items unearthed from urban explor ing like plastic toys, rusted pieces of metal, and full-on sinks crammed into each crevice. A friend described it as an advent calendar of trash.

Hocking’s piece “Stalagmites from Cast Concrete in the Auto Age” is a collection of stone-like objects formed through mineral and calcium depos its across decades of water erosion inside Michigan Central Station and Roosevelt Warehouse (the old Detroit lic chools oo epository .

The pieces are fascinating to look at, but descriptions of Detroit’s “rebirth ing like a phoenix from the ashes” are o ensi e and rossly played o t.

If we could stop talking about Detroit “coming back” as if the people who lived and worked in the city through bankruptcy and disastrous emergency management don’t exist, that would be great. Detroiters didn’t go anywhere, and regurgitating this message of decay and rebirth erases them as if they don’t matter.

The Eye of Horus, Detroit Stories, and Full Circle are up at the Cranbrook Art Museum until March 19; 39221 Wood rd e. loom eld ills 3323; cranbrookartmuseum.org.

Museum-goers check out Bakpak Durden’s The Eye of Horus exhibit. SARAH BLANCHETTE

Scott Hocking’s “Relics” is like an advent calendar of trash. SARAH BLANCHETTE

When rules prove hard to follow

By George Elkind

With Armageddon Time, James Gray joins the ranks of his middle-aged (and sometimes senior) peers eager to revisit, whether abstract ly or directly, the substance and feeling of their own respective childhoods. With Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans out later this month and the release of Céline Sciamma’s Petite Maman earlier this year along with P.T. Anderson’s Licorice Pizza and Richard Linklater’s pollo as well as oyhood some years back), something seems to be in the air.

For Gray, the terrain here is noticeably more intimate than in the selfre exi e d stra or his in isiti e colonial set ost ity of , re ectin the realist melodramas that have made up more of his career. While the white, ewish, wor in class experience of New York’s outer boroughs is hardly new territory for Gray (see also Little Odessa, The Yards, Two Lovers, and he Immi rant , here it s an experience he examines the ery premises and contexts of head on.

Armageddon Time opens with a string of classroom disruptions at New York’s P.S. 173, with two students cementin a ic friendship thro h a lightly mischievous partnership. Refusin to ta e their sixth rade teacher serio sly an nderstanda le o ense , a l ra an s epeta and ohnny Davis (Jaylin Webb), respectively

ewish also white and lac , swiftly become targets of their instructor, who comes to reliably presume the worst of each. With classroom clowning a natural cornerstone of underdog social performance, but one which puts their standin in school at ris , the two find themsel es loc ed ic ly and with no great alternatives into a cyclical rhythm that places them decisively on the fringes of their school’s community, and alienating them from even its most basic resources. Gray’s direction leaves little estion of whether racial identity along with a kind of individualistic “bootstraps” ideology plays a part in this, with the two boys pressed to treat even their early education as one might a daytime job.

This pre-professionalist mandate cre ates an am ient press re on the film s wide-eyed preteens, though Johnny experiences it with reater se erity and plainer bias than Paul does. Paul, whose mother’s maiden name might once ha e mar ed him as ewish, expe riences a freedom Johnny cannot, able to matriculate and move with relative freedom in white-dominated society. ho h wor in class, the film ma es clear that a l enefits from pri ile es ohnny s lac ness lea es him c t o from, with Paul’s social education in this reality and his e orts to acco nt for it in response ma in p the film s key arc.

At home, the pressures are little di erent a l s mother a steady, convincing Anne Hathaway) and frank, e si e randfather hold close her family’s refugee history, pushing their successors as so many parents do to succeed (mainly in the sense of “prosper”) in ways their own forebears could never have imagined. Gray shows this hope in practice to be both understandable and double-edged, bringing harms of various stripes (physical, doctrinal, mental, and social) into the lives of the children they’re meant to buoy to relative greatness. When Paul’s elders discuss his artistic aspirations, his father (a falsely aged, often frantic Jeremy Strong) insists that The Art of Success is the only book on the subject he should care for, dismissing the potential of drawing or painting as anythin more than a ho y. he film s attention, here as elsewhere, remains on Paul’s education in a broader sense, in fields more social than academic, treating Paul’s success in school’s narrow terms the way his parents see it: as a potential passport to higher rungs of society.

Though it’s pressurized and often harsh, Gray renders Paul’s home life as comfortable in modest terms, with what loo li e li htly am er filters and careful, post-’70s set designs giving his domestic space a homey, lightly mothworn feel. The clear sense embodied by Paul’s whole family, the locations, and design is one of and recently ac ired sta ility ha nted y the specter of both recent and histori cal precarity. a l s experience of this reality and the pressures imposed by the adults and peers around him is mediated in vivid, viscerally convincing terms, with Darius Khondji’s camera-

Armageddon Time

Rated: R

Run-time: 115 minutes

wor feelin almost firsthand in its grip on Paul’s perceptions. Across most frames, a shallow depth of focus coats what’s not the camera’s chief object in a film of dewy ossamer in others, as with a fri htenin se ence in which a camera nearly tumbles up the stairs, isions of i id, momentary experience cut through far more sharply. Navigatin the intimacy of yo thf l experience with no shortage of thought and care, Khondji’s camerawork (often seen in the films of a id Fincher, and recently in Uncut Gems) proves essential in sit atin a l s experience in relation to those felt both immediately and broadly around him.

s ela orated y the film s ran e of variously formal lessons and teachers, a l spends the film s r nnin time navigating contradictory directions and examples pressin him at t rns towards resistance and conformity. “Don’t make yourself objectionable for once,” his randfather says at dinner early on later, he insists that Paul stand up for justice in both small and large ways even in the face of personal risk to himself. t that first lesson is deli ered in a concrete instance, the second pro ered in one more a stract, callin into estion the s stance of this s pposed moral r le. i htly, the film s ests, context is e erythin and each social, professional, and academic world is accompanied by its own web of protocols and stakes accompanying adherence to the same.

t the film s en ironmental spheres aren t its only context another ey one is who, and thus who other people think, you are. The freedoms Paul has, however circumscribed, are placed con stantly into relief by Johnny’s tumbling circumstances, which leave less room to succeed or fail, reliably bereft as he is of enefit of the do t. If rma ed don ime has a lesson to o er, it s that e en if across contexts a i en r le can barely hold, the grip of hierarchies pro es m ch firmer. he film s pre ail ing world of mythologized bootstraps ideology makes almost everything and most of all one’s personal power tremendously uncertain, even if some hold more of it than others. If Gray’s dramatizing all this as a problem for his young white avatar instead of those worse o seems estiona le as a premise, he can at least be said to be framin this experience of merican ine ity as not st personally a ectin but as something far, far bigger than himself.

Jaylin Webb and Banks Repeta in Armageddon Time.

COURTESY OF FOCUS FEATURES

Savage Love Ace Case

By Dan Savage

There is more to this week’s Savage Love. To read the entire column, go to Savage.Love.

: Q My ex-girlfriend and had a good relationship, but the sex was bad. When we had sex, it would eventually become clear that nobody was going to climax, or that she was tired or bored, and we would stop. decided to let her take the lead and stopped initiating. began to feel like not even my emotional needs were being met and that’s when she revealed what felt to her like the mother of all secrets: she may be asexual. She said she felt a lot of shame and confusion about it and had been withdrawing for that reason.

We agreed to explore her sexual identity together and try new things that could potentially work for both of

us. e rst time e tried it ent or ribly. felt insecure and uncomfortable, and ended things early, as she had so often done. She started initiating trying things when we went to bed and kept it to cuddling, then went to the bathroom to nis m sel off ter s e ell asleep. She heard me come back to bed, asked what was doing, and told her the truth. She got out of bed, sad and angry, and tried to apologize but we never got past this.

Several months later, I’m still confused. feel guilty about rejecting her only to sneak away to the bathroom after she fell asleep. At the same time, don’t understand how what did became such a deal breaker. was raised in a religious home and spent a decade freeing myself from sexual shame and feel like some of that work was undone here. Through the course of the relationship

— and particularly that fateful evening — felt ashamed of my sexual desire for her, which was clearly much more intense than hers towards me. She’s an athlete with a perfect body, while had been stress eating my way through the pandemic, which contributed to my feeling undesirable.

would like to move past my feelings of guilt but I’m not sure how. I’m afraid that being in a relationship with someone o identi es s se u l s d l stin effect on me. e situ tion is too personal to be able to discuss it with anyone.

—Healing Eludes Lesbian Pondering Messy End

: A “I don’t think HELPME should blame herself for this relationship ending,” said Dr. Ela Przybylo, “and she definitely sho ldn t thin the rea p was the res lt of oin to finish o in the bathroom that one night.”

Dr. Przybylo, who is an Assistant Professor of English, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Illinois State ni ersity, has identified at ario s points along the asexual spectrum over the last years. he la el that est fits her now, she says, is gray asexual.

So, if you’re not to blame, HELPME, and slipping away to rub one out after your ex-girlfriend fell asleep isn’t to blame, that would seem to leave us with just one other blamable option: your ex-girlfriend. Or — hear Dr. Przybylo out — maybe forces larger than you and/or your girlfriend are to blame.

“Being asexual, or ‘ace,’ can be very confusing because we live in a culture where sex is presented as compulsory, necessary to intimacy, and central to romantic relationships,” said Dr. Przybylo. “And while it’s hard to hear, it’s possible HELPME’s partner never wanted to have sex but did it because she either thought she had to in order to maintain a relationship, or because of societal pressure, or both.”

It’s also possible your ex-girlfriend believed she wanted to have sex, HELPME, and believed she wanted to have sex with you. Being taught from an early age that sex isn’t just normal, but universal, and that all human beings have sex, no exceptions, can put a huge zap on someone’s head. Just as it used to be relatively common for homosexuals to enter into heterosexual relationships before realizing they were gay, asexuals sometimes enter into relation ships with allosexuals (non-asexuals) before realizing they’re ace. And just as some gay men go through the hetero

sexual motions in a desperate attempt to make their straight marriages work (which can be confusing and hurtful for their wives), some asexuals go through the sexual motions to make their rela tionships with allosexuals work (which can be confusing and hurtful for their allo girlfriends).

“While a person’s sexuality is about them and their journey, it can and does a ect others, said r. r y ylo. In this sense, HELPME’s ex probably didn’t intend to make her feel any which way. She was doing her best in a situation that was probably confusing and over whelming and anxiety-producing for her too.”

If there was more awareness of the existence and legitimacy of asexual ity, HELPME, your ex-girlfriend may have realized who she was sooner. And if she’d known she was ace before you met, she might have chosen to be your friend instead of your romantic partner. Or if she wanted a romantic relationship but not a sexual one — or wanted a minimally sexual one, which some asexual people do — you could’ve decided together whether that was something you both wanted.

As for that awful night, HELPME, it sounds like your ex-girlfriend may have felt bad about being asexual, which was why this relationship ultimately couldn’t work, but instead of owning up to the reason this relationship wasn’t going to work — she’s ace, you’re allo — she seized an opportunity to pin the blame on you. If you manage to circle back and salvage a friendship from the wreckage, your ex-girlfriend may come to see that, admit to it, and apologize for making you feel ashamed about having that wank.

In the meantime, HELPME, Dr. Przybylo thinks you should concentrate a little less on what didn’t work — what couldn’t work — and more on what did.

nd finally, , tellin yourself you’re not desirable because your asexual ex-girlfriend didn’t wanna fuck you… is just as crazy as it sounds. I mean, of course your asexual ex-girlfriend didn’t wanna fuck you. She doesn’t wanna fuck anybody. You shouldn’t have to get out there and fuck a few allos to feel desirable again — you should just trust that you’re desirable — but it might do you some good.

Send your question to mail@savagelove. net. Podcasts, columns and more at Savage.Love.

Go to Savage.Love to read the rest.

CULTURE Free Will Astrology

By Rob Brezsny

ARIES: March 21 – April 19

Virginia Woolf wrote a passage that I suspect will apply to you in the coming weeks. She said, “There is no denying the wild horse in us. To gallop intemperately; fall on the sand tired out; to feel the earth spin; to have — positively — a rush of friend ship for stones and grasses — there is no getting over the fact that this desire seizes us.” Here’s my question for you, Aries: How will you harness your wild horse energy? I’m hoping that the self-possessed human in you will take command of the horse and direct it to serve you and yours with constructive actions. It s fine to ind l e in some intemperate galloping, too. But I’ll be rooting for a lot of temperate and disci plined galloping.

TAURUS: April 20 – May 20

“The failure of love might acco nt for most of the s erin in the world,” writes poet Marie Howe. I agree with that statement. Many of us have had painful episodes revolving around people who no longer love us and people whose lack of love for us makes us feel hurt. That’s the bad news, Taurus. The good news is that you now

have more power than usual to heal the failures of love you have endured in the past. You also have an expanded capac ity to heal others who ha e s ered from the failures of love. I hope you will be generous in your ministrations!

GEMINI: May 21 – June 20

Many Geminis tell me they are often partly awake as they sleep. In their dreams, they might work overtime trying to solve waking-life problems. Or they may lie in bed in the dark contemplating intricate ideas that fascinate them, or perhaps ruminating on the plot developments unfolding in a book they’ve been reading or a TV show they’ve been bingeing. If you are prone to such behavior, I will ask you to minimize it for a while. In my view, you need to relax your mind extra deeply and allow it to play luxuriously with non-utilitarian fantasies and dreams. You have a sacred duty to yourself to explore mysterious and stirring feelings that bypass rational thought.

CANCER: June 21 – July 22

Here are my two key messages for you. 1. Remember where you hide important st . . emem er that yo have indeed hidden some important st . ot that lease note that I am not questioning your urge to lock away a secret or two. I am not criticizing you for wanting to store a treasure that you are not yet ready to use or reveal. It’s completely understandable if you want to keep a part of your inner world o limits to certain people for the time being. But as you engage in any or all of these actions, make sure you don’t lose touch with your valuables. And don’t forget why you are stashing them.

LEO: July 23 – August 22

I know I don’t have to give you lessons in expressing your sensuality. Nor do you need prods and encourage ment to do so. As a Leo, you most likely have abundant talent in the epicurean arts. But as you prepare to glide into the lush and lusty heart of the Sensuality eason, it can t h rt to o er yo a pep talk from your fellow Leo bon vivant, James Baldwin. He said: “To be sensual is to respect and rejoice in the force of life, of life itself, and to be present in all that one does, from the e ort of lo in to the breaking of bread.”

VIRGO: August 23 – Sept. 22

Many Virgos are on a lifelong quest to cultivate a knack described by Sigmund Freud: “In the small matters, trust the mind. In the large ones, the heart.” And I suspect you are now at a pi otal point in yo r e orts to master that wisdom. Important decisions are

JAMES NOELLERT

looming in regards to both small and large matters. I believe you will do the right things as long as you empower your mind to do what it does best and your heart to do what it does best.

LIBRA: Sept. 23 – Oct. 22

Social media like Facebook and Twitter feed on our outrage. Their algorithms are designed to stir up our disgust and indignation. I confess that I get semi-caught in their trap. I am sometimes seduced by the tempta tion to feel lots of umbrage and wrath, even though those feelings comprise a small minority of my total emotional range. As an antidote, I proactively seek experiences that rouse my wonder and sublimity and holiness. In the next two weeks, Libra, I invite you to cultivate a focus like mine. It’s high time for a phase of minimal anger and loathing — and maximum reverence and awe.

SCORPIO: Oct. 23 – Nov. 21

corpio a thor yl ia lath had a disturbing, melodramatic relation ship with romance. In one of her short stories, for example, she has a woman character say, “His love is the twentystory leap, the rope at the throat, the knife at the heart.” I urge you to avoid contact with people who think and feel like that — as glamorous as they might seem. In my view, your romantic destiny in the coming months can and should be uplifting, exciting in healthy ways, and conducive to your well-being. There’s no need to link yourself with shadowy renegades when there will be plenty of radiant helpers available.

SAGITTARIUS: Nov. 22 – Dec. 21

I like Sagittarian healer and author Caroline Myss because she’s both spiritual and practical, compassionate and fierce. ere s a passa e from her work that I think will be helpful for you in the coming weeks: “Get bored with your past. It’s over! Forgive yourself for what you think you did or didn’t do, and focus on what you will do, starting now.” To ensure you make the most of her counsel, I’ll add a further insight

from author Augusten Burroughs: “You cannot be a prisoner of your past against your will — because you can only live in the past inside your mind.”

CAPRICORN: Dec. 22 – Jan. 19

How would you respond if you learned that the $55 t-shirt you’re wear ing was made by a Haitian kid who earned 10 cents for her work? Would you stop wearing the shirt? Donate it to a thrift store? Send money to the United Nations agency UNICEF, which works to protect Haitian child laborers? I recommend the latter option. I also suggest you use this as a prompt to engage in leisurely meditations on what you might do to reduce the world’s suf fering. It’s an excellent time to stretch your imagination to understand how your personal life is interwoven with the lives of countless others, many of whom you don’t even know. And I hope yo will thin a o t how to o er extra healings and blessings not just to your allies, but also to strangers. What’s in it for yo o ld this rin any selfish enefits yo r way o may e ama ed at how it leads you to interesting connections that expand your world.

AQUARIUS: Jan. 20 – Feb. 18

Aquarian philosopher Alfred North Whitehead wrote, “The silly estion is the first intimation of some totally new development.” He also said, “Every really new idea looks crazy at first. ith these tho hts in mind, Aquarius, I will tell you that you are now in the Season of the Silly Question. I invite you to enjoy dreaming up such queries. And as you indulge in that fertile pleasure, include another: Celebrate the Season of Crazy Ideas.

PISCES: Feb.19 – March 20

We all love to follow stories: the stories we live, the stories that unfold for people we know, and the stories told in movies, TV shows, and books. A dis proportionately high percentage of the entertainment industry’s stories are sad or tormented or horrendously painful. hey in ence s to thin s ch stories are the norm. They tend to darken our view of life. While I would never try to coax you to avoid all those stories, isces, I will enco ra e yo to estion whether maybe it’s wise to limit how many you absorb. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to explore this possibility. Be willing to say, “These sad, tormented, painful stories are not ones I want to invite into my imagination.” Try this experiment: For the next three weeks, seek out mostly uplifting tales.

This week’s homework: Is there something sad that you could ultimately become grateful for?

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