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TABLE OF CONTENTS On The Cover
The cover of our 2016 Annual Manual is brought to you by Youmacon, Detroit’s biggest celebration of Japanese popular culture, including anime, video games, artwork, and comics. Cover Photo By: Vicente Loi Logarta Model : Maria Lay
INTRO How times change • 10 A Detroit primer • 14 ATTRACTIONS Downtown reborn • 20 The grand tour • 28 Tooling around town • 34 Listings • 36
Metro times Group Publisher - Chris Keating Publisher - John Badanjek Associate Publisher - Jim Cohen Editor - Vince Grzegorek
Editorial Project Editor - Michael Jackman Associate Editor - Alysa Offman Music Editor - Mike McGonigal Dining Editor - Serena Maria Daniels Investigative Reporter - Allie Gross Web Editor - Alexandra Fluegel Contributing Editors - Larry Gabriel, Jack Lessenberry Copy Editor - Esther Gim Editorial Interns - Colleen Kowalewski, Luanne Lim, Jack Roskopp Photography Interns - Kelley O’neill Contributors- Judy Adams, Taylor Bembery, Brett Callwood, Kahn Santori Davison, Aaron Egan, Cornelius Fortune, Cal Garrison, Curt Guyette, Charles L. Latimer, Noelle Lothamer, Jim McFarlin, Jeff Milo, Marc Nader, Dan Savage, Miss Shela, Jane Slaughter, Doug Coombe, Tanya Moutzalias, Dontae Rockymore, Brian Rozman, Steve Sergent, Sean Bieri, Rob Widdis, Adam Woodhead
Advertising
EAT Fashion plates • 40 Coney Island High • 44 Burger City • 48 The greening of Detroit • 52 Listings • 58 DRINK Detroit beer city • 60 Detroit’s booze boom • 64 Seasonal sensations • 66 Drink in some history • 68 Listings • 70 MUSIC We hold our own • 74 Up in the Club: Detroit’s hottest dance nights • 76 On any given night • 78 Listings • 80 ARTS & CULTURE Culture shock • 82 Detroit on your wall • 84 Our Detroit arts bucket list • 86 Counter culture • 90 Motor City to go • 92 Listings • 98
Associate Publisher - Jim Cohen Regional Sales Directors - Vinny Fontana, Danielle Smith-Elliott Senior Multimedia Account Executive Paul Biondi, Jeff Nutter Multimedia Account Executives Drew Franklin, Cierra Wood Classified Multimedia Account Executive - Bill Rigley Advertising Assistant - Meghan Martini
Marketing and Events Director of New Media - Adam O’Connor
Business/Operations Business Office Supervisor - Holly Rhodes
Creative Services Graphic Designers - Kristin Borden, Paul Martinez, Christine Hahn, Haimanti Basu
Circulation Circulation Manager - Annie O’Brien
Euclid Media Group Chief Executive Officer – Andrew Zelman Chief Operating Officers – Chris Keating, Michael Wagner Chief Financial Officer – Brian Painley Human Resources Director – Lisa Beilstein Digital Operations Coordinator – Jaime Monzon www.euclidmediagroup.com National Advertising Voice Media Group 1-888-278-9866, voicemediagroup.com Detroit Metro Times 1200 Woodward Heights Ferndale, MI 48220-1427 www.metrotimes.com Editorial - (313) 202-8022 Advertising - (313) 961-4060 Fax - (313) 964-4849 The Detroit Metro Times is published every week by Euclid Media Group Verified Audit Member
Copyright - The entire contents of the Detroit Metro Times are copyright 2015 by Euclid Media Group LLC. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. Publisher does not assume any liability for unsolicited manuscripts, materials, or other content. Any submission must include a stamped, self-addressed envelope. All editorial, advertising, and business correspondence should be mailed to the address listed above. Prior written permission must be granted to Metro Times for additional copies. Metro Times may be distributed only by Metro Times’ authorized distributors and independent contractors. Subscriptions are available by mail inside the U.S. for six months at $35/Third Class, $65/First Class. (Canadian subscriptions cost $75/ First Class for six months.) Include check or money order payable to - Metro Times Subscriptions, 1200 Woodward Heights, Ferndale, MI 48220-1427. (Please note - Third Class subscription copies are usually received 3-5 days after publication date in the Detroit area.) Most back issues obtainable for $5 at Metro Times offices or $7 prepaid by mail.
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Detroit Distribution – The Detroit Metro Times is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader.
Printed on recycled paper
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INTRO
Third Man Records
Photo by Kelley O’neill
How times change: A brief introduction to this year’s
Annual Manual Everybody from Detroit knows “that face.” It’s the face people have traditionally made the second after you tell them you’re from Detroit. The face isn’t scared or angry. It’s the face of somebody at a loss for words. Had you said you were from San Diego or Boston, they’d be able to say some small nice thing about your hometown. But, for the longest time, they’d look at you with a blank, somewhat uncomfortable stare. These days, you’re often likely to get a smile, and upbeat words of recognition that things are turning around in Detroit. The farther you travel from Detroit, the more upbeat the reaction usually is. Long a punch line in a movie gag, Detroit is now someplace people want to root for. And that’s the sort of thing that’s bringing people in to see the city with fresh eyes. Detroit hasn’t been the sort of town where you ask people where they’re from, but we’re seeing all sorts of new faces: People from small towns in Michigan looking for a bit of big city life, scrappy artists from all over the country looking for cheap rents and deals on buildings, and some of the hardier tourists who’ve already seen the great Midwestern cities and now want a look at the outlier. That’s something we tried to keep in mind with this guide to Detroit and its environs. But even if you’ve lived here all your life, you might not know just how greatly it has changed over the last decade. And even if you do, we hope you enjoy our retelling of that transformation, as well as our efforts to point out all the under-the-radar stuff you might miss for years before finally finding. Now, let’s get down to seeing what’s under the hood of this year’s model. —Michael Jackman
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INTRO
A Detroit primer
Things to know when you’re new to the region by MT Staff
Navigating a new place is fraught with shibboleths. Those are the mispronounced words, the misunderstood meanings, the awkward silences that accompany going to a new place. But here’s a brief guide of special denotations, inside knowledge, and plain old interesting facts to get a newcomer used to Detroit. What “Detroit” means and when Sometimes, Detroit is used as a metonym for the big auto companies, much like Wall Street is for American high finance. Sometimes, it’s used to describe the city of Detroit and its government. Sometimes, it’s used to describe the metropolitan region. Depending on who’s doing the talking, it can mean almost any of these things. Some suburbanites insist that they’re from “southeastern Michigan,” usually a small town miles away from Detroit — at least until you find out that means suburban Bingham Farms just a few miles north of Detroit. Conversely, well-meaning suburban residents who claim “Detroit” as home may be in for an intense interrogation from city residents about where they really stay. It’s a little game we play here. More than cars Though it’s most famous for its auto companies, Detroit’s large companies have also included pharmaceutical giant Parke-Davis & Co., FerryMorse Seed Co., and the Burroughs adding machine firm. You don’t go to Eight Mile After the Eminem movie 8 Mile came out in 2002, lots of people seemed to assume that it was a particular place in Detroit, but that’s not where its significance lies. You see, Eight Mile is a divider, not a destination; it marks the boundary between the mostly black and poor city and the mostly white, largely affluent suburbs of Oakland and Macomb counties. For
city residents, the words, “Hit Eight Mile,” mean “get out of town.” The thoroughfare is also home to many of the “gentlemen’s clubs” that appeal to city residents and suburbanites alike. Midtown didn’t look like this 10 years ago Walk through Midtown and you’ll see brand-new stores, affluent and hip people, and maybe even dog bowls on the street with water piped in. A decade ago, it was almost universally called “the Cass Corridor,” a ghetto that housed prostitutes, pimps, drug dealers, addicts, the poor, and some rather streetwise college students. Only a few of the businesses bragging about their hip Detroit credentials were there back then, including the Bronx Bar, Motor City Brewing Works, Traffic Jam and Snug, and Avalon International Breads. We missed a few, but, you get the idea. Canada is south of Detroit If you were to stand in Cadillac Square and travel directly south, something unusual would happen. First of all, you’d need a boat to cross the river. But weirdest of all, the first foreign country you’d hit would be Canada, not Cuba. Also, there is no “South Detroit.” (Sorry, Journey.) Why are two cities entirely contained within Detroit? Once upon a time, Detroit was a much smaller city, down on the river and mostly within Grand Boulevard. As the auto companies built plants outside the city on township land, the city hurried to annex the growth to gain revenue for the increasingly populous urban center. But when two communities organized themselves as cities — Highland Park in 1918, and Hamtramck in 1922 — the city could no longer annex them under a provision in the state constitution. By 1929, when Detroit had annexed all other township land up to Eight Mile Road,
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those cities were permanently landlocked within Detroit city limits. Hamtramck: the densest, most diverse, most walkable city in Michigan One of Detroit’s cities-within-acity, Hamtramck, is special for many reasons. It’s routinely rated the most walkable city in the state, crisscrossed by main roads crowded with stores, and even having bars on side streets within neighborhoods. Its residents include immigrants from Bangladesh, Yemen, former Yugoslavia, Poland, Albania, and many other countries. And, unlike much of Detroit, it is extremely dense. (If Detroit were as dense as Hamtramck is, it would have 1.6 million residents.) The city is still quite dense Despite the fact that a quarter of a million people have left Detroit since 2000, the city is still actually denser than many cities, including Dallas and Houston. In fact, one figure often bandied about — that Detroit has 40 square miles of vacant land — is only true when you include parks, cemeteries, and Belle Isle. There are still plenty of us here. Detroiters often give cross-streets as to describe where they live Detroit has plenty of well-defined neighborhoods: Brush Park, BostonEdison, Indian Village, Rosedale Park, the North End, and Woodbridge, to name a few. But large areas of the city are usually simply referred to as west side or east side. Ask for more specific information, and you may simply get cross-streets. Perhaps it’s due to the way Detroit went from an oversized industrial town in 1910 to the fourthlargest city in the country in 1940. As developers laid out bungalows by the square mile to accommodate carcentered households that could move from place to place, neighborhood identity didn’t have time and consis-
Pronounciation guide: Gratiot: GRASH-it
Dequindre: duh-KWIN-dur
Hamtramck: ham-TRAM-ick
Cadieux: CADGE-oo
Kercheval: KUR-chi-vul
Ypsilanti:
ip-sill-ANN-tee (or just Ypsi: IP-see)
Schoenherr: SHAY-ner
Freud: FROOD
Goethe: GO-thee
tency to ferment the way it does in other, more slowly growing cities. What people mean when they say “the city” When people mention “the city” they usually mean anywhere in Detroit proper, but that usually includes Highland Park and Hamtramck. Call them “inburbs” if you like, but most people lump them in with the city. What people mean when they say “the neighborhoods” In Detroit, some areas are experiencing development: downtown, Midtown, Mexicantown, West Village, etc. Some are not, or, worse still, remain on the downswing of disinvestment and depopulation. These latter quarters loom large when people say
INTRO “the neighborhoods.” As in, “When will politicians care about what goes on in the neighborhoods?” What mile roads are There are mile roads all over the state of Michigan, but in Detroit, they are crosstown thoroughfares that travel east-west, named roughly for their distance from the intersection of Michigan and Woodward avenues in downtown Detroit. Since Michigan Avenue travels almost straight west out of downtown, it might also be called “Zero Mile Road.” A profusion of suburbs The region is a crazy quilt of 169 competing cities, villages, and townships. That means there are more than 100 police and fire departments, scores of school districts, and thousands of individual legislators sprawled over a region larger than the state of Rhode Island. If metro Detroit has a problem finding regional solutions to regional problems, this is largely why. Detroit has the only ship with its own ZIP code The J.W. Westcott II is a floating post office that picks up mail off the freighters and other ships plying the straits of Detroit. It is the only such vessel in the country. Potato Chip City Detroit was known as the Potato Chip Capital of the World. In the 1940s, Detroit could brag about its 22 chip companies, and the biggest company, Better Made, offered tours at its main factory on Gratiot Avenue. The tours are discontinued, but the factory is still there. In fact, the neighborhood smells like potatoes. Ann Arbor isn’t part of Detroit (although it kinda really is) If you want to see a spirited discussion, allege that Ann Arbor is part of the metropolitan area — and then stand back! Ann Arbor has its fair share of residents who insist that it and its spunky little sister Ypsilanti are a world apart from metro Detroit, even though at some points their developed area is separated by perhaps a few small farms.
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The University of Michigan was originally in Detroit Believe it or not, the University of Michigan was in Detroit until 1837, when it was moved to Ann Arbor. But for that gift, and donations, gifts, and endowments from dozens of wealthy Detroiters down the years, Ann Arbor might be just a stop on the freeway. What people mean by “party store” If you’ve never heard it before, the phrase “party store” can conjure images of colorful bunting and bright balloons. But when we say “party store,” we mean a shop with all the makings for a party, as in beer, spirits, wine, chips, “pop” (not soda), and various other sundries. In short, it’s a convenience store that can sell almost anything, but always has booze, beer and smokes. What word in “party” did you not understand? The city of salt About 1,200 feet under Southwest Detroit is one of the world’s largest underground salt mines, opened in 1896 and closed in 1983. In 1998, it resumed operations, and still blasts out pieces of a primordial salt formation today. Devil’s Night The night before Halloween used to be a time for kids to pull pranks, like soaping windows, tossing toilet paper on trees, and throwing eggs at cars. In the 1980s, it became the biggest night for arson in the city, with hundreds of fires. Some were neighbors burning down drug houses, some were insurance jobs, some were teenagers engaging in a little advance arson. These days, the evening is called “Angel’s Night” and features neighborhood patrols that seek to stop arson before it happens. The Red Dwarf It’s said that many of Detroit’s problems stem from the way European settler Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac mistreated a mythical figure named the Red Dwarf, or la Nain Rouge. Over the centuries, the creature is said to appear right before a disaster or riot. So if you see a little guy dressed in red, you might want to hunker down.
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ATTRACTIONS
Downtown reborn Detroit’s city center has become red-hot real estate again Story and photos by Tom Perkins
There’s a similar storyline playing out in major U.S. cities. From downtown Los Angeles to New York City to Seattle, younger people whose parents left for the burbs are moving back and breathing new life into urban centers that suffered neglect
and the troubles that come with depopulation. In that sense, Detroit’s narrative isn’t totally unique. But, perhaps because it fell further than most, perhaps because of its cultural importance, the lightning-quick regeneration of its
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1500 Woodward now houses an upscale restaurant, a luxury boutique, and an architecture firm.
downtown, the rate at which developers have blown the dust off dozens of old skyscrapers, and the dizzying pace at which mid-rises, homes, offices, and factories that sat un- or underused are repurposed or redeveloped is especially exciting. It wasn’t too long ago that Detroit felt more like a vast, surreal museum than a city. One could lie down in the middle of Woodward Avenue on Friday night and not worry about having to be scraped of the pavement. Now, it’s the subject of countless “Phoenix rising” pieces and, importantly, the data supports that recent years have seen a dramatic change in the city’s decades-old storyline, and also point to some interesting situations. Most notably, Detroit’s population of around 680,000 may increase next year for the first time in decades, largely because people are moving to its downtown districts. Around a third of its commercial property sat vacant in 2010, while in 2014 that figure had dropped to 14 percent. In that time, the number of people working in the downtown jumped by 18,000 from 67,812 to around 85,000. Notably, the number of people living downtown — 5,302 in 2014 — hasn’t increased much because the area’s occupancy rate is at 99 percent. The housing shortage is a result of the roughly 40-year exodus to the burbs. Hardly anyone wanted to live there during that time, so there was no need for new housing. Bob Rossbach, the Detroit Economic Growth Corp.’s press czar, has a favorite anecdote about life in downtown Detroit. Around 10 years ago, two Grosse Pointe empty nesters left their home and started renting in downtown’s Kales Building. But demand for downtown living spiked, and their monthly rent followed suit, so they recently moved back to Grosse Pointe to save some money. Those occupancy numbers, by
the way, come from the 7.2 SQ MI project (the 7.2 square miles referring to the area taken up by downtown districts), which is a partnership that includes the Hudson-Webber Foundation, Detroit Economic Growth Corp., Downtown Detroit Partnership, Midtown Detroit, Inc., Invest Detroit, and Data Driven Detroit. But which developments drove the trends? It would be wrong to answer that question and not start with the man receiving the credit for spurring downtown’s rapid makeover, Quicken Loans founder Dan Gilbert, who brought 6,000 young people with him when he moved his businesses to Detroit a few years ago. Gilbert Town Gilbert’s Bedrock Real Estate Services acquires, leases, finances, develops, and manages commercial and residential space. Since its founding in 2011, it has invested $2.2 billion in acquiring more than 85 downtown properties — mostly mid- and high-rises — that it filled with around 150 new tenants. The company’s downtown holdings total 14 million square feet, according to its spokesperson, Natalie Gray. It’s difficult to choose just a few of the Gilbert fiefdom standouts, but among those that Gray highlighted is the first downtown Bedrock investment — the fivestory M@dison Building at 1555 Broadway Ave. When built in 1917, the historic mid-rise was one of the first grandiose movie theaters in Detroit and sat at the edge of the city’s new theater district. Now, the M@dison, whose tenants include Twitter and Microsoft Ventures, is the first in what Bedrock bills Detroit’s burgeoning tech district. Gray highlights that the building is outfitted with SMART building technology allowing for remote control operating, is energy efficient, holds open floor designs with collaborative work areas, offers open meeting rooms,
includes a 135-seat auditorium, and boasts rooftop event space that overlooks Comerica Park and Ford Field. Among the largest Gilbert rehab projects in terms of volume was the neoclassical, Albert Kahndesigned First National Building. The 26-story, 822,000-squarefoot building’s occupancy rate sat at 50 percent when Bedrock acquired it and, with tenants like Honigman, Detroit’s largest law firm, its occupancy is now near 100 percent. The new tenants in Gilbert’s buildings are going to need to park their cars, so building a parking garage isn’t a bad idea. The 1,287-space Z Garage is the only parking tower with personality in town. Vertical lights in differentsized rectangle windows provide a unique facade for the 10-story, 535,000-square-foot garage, This 103-year-old skyscraper now houses hip retailers and corporate offices.
which also functions as sort of a revolving street art museum. Each floor is decorated with a different, colorful, one-of-a-kind theme and murals from 27 different artists. Few buildings in the Gilbert stock are as hip as the Queen Anne-style Wright-Kay Building (formerly the Schwankovsky Temple of Music) at 1500 Woodward Ave., which is home to the cutting-edge Wright & Co. small plates restaurant, New York designer John Varvatos’ first Midwest boutique, high-speed Internet provider Rocket Fiber, Neumann/Smith Architecture, and others. The Wright-Kay’s turret pops forward at the intersection of Woodward and Grand River avenues, and its recent renovation revealed beautiful cast iron beams supporting the six-story building. As of 2012, the 103-year-old, 23-story Dime Building at 719
Griswold St., became the Chrysler House. The U-shaped, neoclassical high-rise is home to Chrysler’s first ever Detroit office space. Like the First National, occupancy at the Dime never broke the 50 percent threshold in recent decades until it received the Gilbert treatment. The Chrysler also houses the headquarters for the design firm dPOP!, which turned the building’s old bank vaults into office space, and Quicken Loans. Its ground-floor retailers include local mom-and-pop food faves like Bon Bon Bon and DROUGHT Juice. Adding apartments and shops It takes more than office space and retail to make a city hum. Perhaps the most important downtown residential renovations were the 34-story Broderick Tower, revived in 2012, and its Grand Circus Park neighbor, the 19-floor David Whitney Building that was brought back online with apartments and a hotel in 2015. The buildings offer a combined 232 apartments, and both hung “No Vacancy” signs quickly after accepting lease applications, demonstrating the need for new housing downtown. The tabs for renovations at the opulent, neorenaissance Whitney and neoclassical Broderick totaled $94 million and $53 million, respectively. Just as the Broderick began moving in its tenants, the Cass Corridor’s Auburn did the same. It’s notable not for its size — it holds 58 apartments — but for being the type of mixed-use, modern, high-end development that are all the rage in super hip and thriving neighborhoods like Chicago’s Lincoln Park. It also introduced off-the-charts rents to the Cass Corridor at $1,000 for a one bedroom in 2012, which could’ve covered two apartments in the neighborhood just a year or two earlier. Right around the corner from the Auburn is the 400 block of Canfield Street, which blossomed into Midtown’s retail epicenter and is providing perhaps the first look at next-level gentrification. The new kid on the block is Jack White’s Third Man Records,
but recent years have seen the opening of Shinola, where one buys bikes or watches for $1,000, and the Canfield Lofts, where one goes to spend $540,000 on a 1,600-square-foot loft. Fiftydollar shaves can be had at Fellow Barber’s, and City Bird offers artisanal housewares and gifts. If you feel bad that you can’t afford any of that, drink away the blues at the well-loved Jolly Pumpkin, which is the block’s third brewery. It joins longtime favorites Motor City Brewing Works and the Traffic Jam and Snug. And, of course, the area’s first dog park, a definite sign of the times, recently opened on the block.
ART
The visionaries All the previous developments came in what could be described as the “New Detroit” era. Who were the trailblazers who saw the promise when downtown received regular comparisons to Chernobyl? Thinking a little outside of the box, Slows Bar-B-Q, the restaurant that convinced suburbanites that Corktown is safe and funky, has to be on that list. It opened in 2005, and its wild success sparked a chain reaction of new restaurants along Michigan Avenue that continues today. Moreover, Slows’ owner, former male model and all-around decent guy Phil Cooley, was among the first in town to extensively use repurposed wood pulled from derelict buildings. But goingPhoto back even further, by Kelley O’neill one can’t talk about moving earth in downtown Detroit without mentioning the work of developer, entertainment mogul, parking lot desert manager, and corporate welfare artist Mike Ilitch. He built Comerica Park for the Tigers in 2000, and that at least got people remembering that downtown Detroit existed. That paved the way for Ford Field, and suddenly there are over 105,000 seats available for watching the Tigers, Lions, concerts, and other huge public events. The projects cost a combined $750 million and needed around $300 million in public funds to be built. Also among the major league
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ATTRACTIONS redevelopments is that of the Westin Book Cadillac hotel, at 1114 Washington Blvd. The luxury hotel also offers downtown’s most prestigious apartments, and is the development that demonstrated luxury living can exist in Detroit’s high rises. The 29-floor neorenaissance castle was the world’s tallest hotel when it opened in 1924. But it fell on hard times in the 1970s along with the rest of the city, closed in 1984, and it took $200 million to fix it up and reopen in 2008. And the Book Cadillac has been white-hot real estate since. The sale price for a 4,500-sqaurefoot, three-story penthouse? $1.2 million. Can’t afford to buy? Then lease for $3,000 per month. The Book Cadillac is also notable for housing Roast, a “meat-centric” restaurant on its ground floor opened by Michael Symon. He would be the first of many celebrity chefs to start cooking in Detroit.
The 26-story, 822,000-squarefoot First National Building is now nearing 100 percent occupancy.
Gilbert wasn’t alone in shepherding his workers across Eight Mile. Blue Cross Blue Shield maintained a large downtown presence, with around 3,000 employees in its two buildings, but in 2011 and 2012 brought an additional 3,400 to Detroit. Though it’s not a specific development, the 2005 Super Bowl is remembered as a major marker in downtown’s comeback for several reasons. First, prep work included the short-order clearing of dozens of abandoned downtown buildings, for better or worse. Second, people who normally wouldn’t come downtown, who thought it was a bit of a pit, came to see it in a different light.
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lists. Or seek out the quirky delights of Cafe D’Mongo’s Speakeasy, whose interior is lacquered on with so many bizarre decorations you feel just one more tchotchke would bring the whole place tumbling down.
ATTRACTIONS
10:30 p.m. Get over to the Leland Hotel and make your way downstairs to City Club. The original 1920s basement bar and ballroom has hosted DJdriven dance parties since the 1980s, and it’s a great place to soak up a bit of Detroit’s dance music history. Work off those tacos and drinks by shaking it, or just lounge under the blacklight and take in Detroit’s selection of languid goth hotties.
The Detroit RiverWalk
The grand tour How to spend 48 hours in Detroit that don’t suck by MT staff Two days just isn’t enough time to see Detroit. But if you had access to some pretty serious resources, such as a chauffeur, a few assistants, and a little magic pixie dust to keep you flying, you might be able to see much more of it than the average person. It’s with this in mind that we put together this ambitious (and somewhat unrealistic) guide to spending 48 hours in Detroit.
Friday night
5 p.m. As downtown workers flood out of the buildings, this is the perfect time to see the city center. Twenty years ago, Campus Martius was primarily concerned with routing workers’ cars through as they headed home for the suburbs. But with many of the younger workers living downtown, the area becomes a lively pedestrian environment. These days, it’s Campus Martius Park, with fountains, a restaurant, and often live music. It’s also not a bad spot to get views of Detroit’s one-of-a-kind complement of prewar skyscrapers clad in everything from colorful tile to Indiana limestone. 5:30 p.m. Now you’ll want something to eat. Head over to Greektown, which is perhaps the last intact block of
Detroit’s old downtown. These days, it’s a strange hybrid: 19th century storefronts with retro-futuristic tubeways overhead that lead in and out of the casino. There’s Greek dining: One old staple is the Golden Fleece, then the more upscale Pegasus Taverna, or even the glitzy Santorini Estiatorio. Don’t want to go Greek? There’s Red Smoke Barbecue, Pappy’s Bar & Grill, Chicagostyle pizza at Pizza Papalis, and even a Five Guys for those who must have the burger. Don’t miss the Astoria Bakery for some classy confections to go.
7 p.m. Head out to Corktown to see what’s cooking at PJ’s Lager House. You may not need food, but the fare at the Lager House is excellent, and vegetarian friendly too. Check out the record store in the basement, or just
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see what quality entertainment has piled onto the stage in the adjoining room, where you can regularly see local bands, up-and-comers, and breakout stars. In between shouting and clapping, take a moment to appreciate that you’re in a historic bar where Irish politicians used to make deals.
8 p.m. Head out of Corktown past the magnificent (but vacant) train station, and follow Vernor Highway to any number of excellent Mexican eateries. Sure, you could stop at the touristy places on Bagley for margaritas and chimichangas, but the authentic places are better, such as Taqueria Nuestra Familia or Los Altos, and even humble spots like Taqueria Lupita. Some are full-service restaurants and some are humble, but they all prepare excellent, affordable tacos, especially the fabled taco al pastor. You gotta have at least one. If you have time before they close at 9 p.m., drop in at Sheila’s Bakery: It’s two rooms crammed with glass refrigerators filled with an astonishing variety of cakes. 9 p.m. Head back downtown for a peek at the west side of downtown. Head over to the refurbished Book Cadillac hotel and have a drink at the magnificent bar at Roast Detroit, where the beer list is as fancy as some wine
midnight Head back to Greektown for the ultimate evening snack at Plaka. It’s called saganaki, and it’s a dish of cheese that gets lit on fire with great theatricality and a cry of “Opa!” The cheese melts, and provides that late night snack that will help you soak up the booze and sleep well. Plaka is also historically one of the few late-night diners in downtown Detroit, and it usually has more than its fair share of late night revelers trying to recover a bit before heading home. Want to keep on going? There’s a bar upstairs, but we warn you: You have a big day tomorrow.
Saturday
9 a.m. Ready for breakfast? Head over to Corktown. That’s where you’ll find the Detroit Institute of Bagels, which has the most authentic bagels you’ll find outside of Manhattan, and such unusual creations as the Chicago bagel dog. Or walk just down the street to Brooklyn Street Local: Run by two fairly recent immigrants from Canada, it’s a friendly little spot. The kitchen is happy to accommodate vegetarians or people with dietary restrictions, and yet, oddly, the centerpiece of the menu is their poutine, the ultimate fat-kid food, rich with cheese curds and gravy. 10 a.m. It’s time to head to Eastern Market, the largest historic urban food market in the country. Join the throngs of people who descend on
the market sheds every Saturday morning to buy vegetables, fruit, potted plants, and victuals grown by area farmers. Or hit the classic food businesses that line the market area, selling wine, fish, coffee, nuts, and almost anything else. There are plenty of side trips to make as well, including some old-fashioned shopping at Detroit hardware, a visit to the letterpress studio Signal Return, and, as always, plenty of restaurants and bars, including Vivio’s, whose famous Bloody Mary mix keeps marketgoers coming in for refreshment.
11 a.m. Usually, parks are nestled in the center of the city, but in Detroit, the largest park is on a 985-acre island, accessible only by bridge or boat. It’s Belle Isle, and it’s almost designed for motorists, with pleasing parkway views on the many roads that ring and cross it. Some spots offer secluded walks, such as the trail that leads from a little parking area on Vista Drive Southeast, right off Loiter Way. But if it’s too chilly to get out and walk, don’t miss the Belle Isle Conservatory, with several warm rooms filled with exotic plant life. Noon It’s time to be back downtown for brunch at Foran’s Grand Trunk Pub. Back in the old days, the space was a ticketing office for the Grand Trunk Railroad, and its vaulted ceilings hark back to a more elegant time. But the food on the plate is just as impressive, made with local ingredients. It’s so popular, in fact, that you’ll be cheek-to-jowl with downtowners who know how to enjoy life. Don’t neglect the beer list: The bar at Foran’s is proud to stock some of the most impressive beer brewed in Michigan. 1 p.m. Swing down Jefferson Avenue and get over to John K. King Books. There’s simply no other used bookseller in the area that can compare to John King. It’s four floors of books on an astonishing array of topics, and with a very helpful sales staff that will often find what you’re looking for. Really, though, the pleasure of this shop is the browsing, finding those unusual and out-of-print books you didn’t know existed, or poring over old Detroit and Michigan
ephemera like postcards, posters, and magazines.
2 p.m. Head up to the Cultural Center, where the city’s art museum, the Detroit Institute of Arts, faces the public library’s imposing main branch across Woodward Avenue. You could, of course, spend all day within the museum, dining, looking at art, and examining photo exhibits, but the don’t-miss wonder here is the room filled with Diego Rivera’s “Detroit Industry” murals. Painted in the 1930s by the Mexican muralist, they were controversial when they debuted, but no artwork today is so closely associated with the days of Detroit’s automotive boom. 3 p.m. Go slightly south and west and you’ll find a golden slice of Detroit’s “Midtown” neighborhood. Again, you could totally spend all day here, drinking, dining, watching live music, and even catching a movie (Cinema Detroit, the city’s only first-run theater, is nearby). For our purposes, a jaunt down West Canfield Street will have to do. Start on Third Street for a look at a cobblestone block that bristles with Second Empire architecture, then cross Second to find longtime stalwart businesses, such as Motor City Brewing Works and Traffic Jam and Snug, relative newcomers like City Bird, and the brand-spanking-new, such as Shinola, Third Man Records, and Jolly Pumpkin Pizzeria and Brewery. If you’re able to make it all the way to Woodward Avenue in less than 45 minutes, that’s where HopCat offers 130 taps flowing with craft beer.
5 p.m. Quick: There’s still an hour before the Motown Museum closes. It’s a great chance to see Motown history in the original building that created the smooth soul sound Detroit became famous for. It’s near New Center, up on West Grand Boulevard, in a former private home that still bears the words “Hitsville, U.S.A.” Even for locals who grew up with the music, it’s still an awe-inspiring experience to see the artifacts Motown left behind, including scads of gold records.
nificent Fisher Building, containing a lavish theater, a richly ornamented 44-foot-high arcade, an exterior clad in bronze, granite, and marble, and topped with a steeped roof covered in gold leaf. An underground hallway runs under the boulevard, connecting it to a hulking building that takes up the whole block: the former headquarters of General Motors. Behind it is yet another giant building, formerly the Argonaut, now the Taubman Center, part of the College of Creative Studies. This is the place to see 20th century architectural “giantism” at its most imposing.
6 p.m. Just down the boulevard, you’ll find New Center. In the 1910s, the auto barons of General Motors began to consider downtown too congested for the businesses they were building. In the 1920s, they built up New Center, which commentator Joel Garreau called the first “Edge City.” The Fisher brothers built the mag-
7 p.m. Isn’t it time to eat? It’s been at least three hours since you had a bite. Get yourself down to Gold Cash Gold, famous for its house-prepared pork, but thoughtful enough to offer a few dishes for the meat-averse. Take a run at a flatiron steak served with harissa yogurt, preserved lemon, and Brussels sprouts. Or maybe you
ART
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Photo by Kelley O’neill
John K. King Books
4 p.m. Want a little extra exercise? Walk two blocks south to the Majestic entertainment complex. It’s a building stuffed with a restaurant, an electronic dance venue, a main stage for bands, a pizza place, and the oldest continuously operating bowling facility in the country. See if you can throw a strike or two. If it’s less than an hour later when you have totaled your scores and turned in your shoes, drop in at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, where you can see art from all over the world designed to connect with a Detroit audience.
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Bumbo’s in Hamtramck
ATTRACTIONS should get the duck sausage too. You decide.
8 p.m. Usually, you have wine with dinner, but once you see Motor City Wine, you might decide to enjoy it as an after-dinner drink. The wine bar used to be right above Foran’s Grand Trunk, but a few years ago it moved to its current location, and it’s a hit. No, this isn’t your swanky Manhattan wine bar. This is an unpretentious spot that specializes in good values, New World wines, and they’ll let you drink out of any glass you like. In good weather, the outdoor area can get lively. Best of all, the couple who runs this place loves characters and windjammers, and there’s usually lively conversation. 9 p.m. Just off Michigan Avenue is the UFO Factory, a small, old bar that has had a new life breathed into it. It specializes in hosting bands and peformers from the outre end of rock ’n’ roll, and the entire interior is all painted in silver. There’s usually some compelling entertainment onstage, and the bar will be snugged up with local rock royalty ready to drink up a storm. It’s the Detroit way. 10 p.m. Sneak a mile or two down Michigan Avenue and hit the Telway. It’s one of those ancient hamburger joints that simply won’t die. You won’t be eating another entire meal, but it’s a good idea to get a slider or two to fortify you. And it’s a meal and a show: All night long, customers pile in to sit on the few stools and order burgers, coney dogs, and fries, or some of the eatery’s “Hillbilly Chili.” And a procession of cops, taxi drivers, and night owls takeout orders of coffee, usually “double-doubles,” all night long. 11 p.m. Now head out into northwest Detroit, to the edge of the city, to see Baker’s Keyboard Lounge. It’s the oldest continuously operating jazz club in the country, open since
the 1930s. Here you can belly up to the unusual bar, which is decorated like the keyboard of a piano. Take in the entertainment onstage, order a classy drink, and get ready for something really different next.
Midnight There are older bars, and there are better bars, but Tom’s Tavern may be the city’s most unusual bar. It was already old in the 1950s, when the business owners along Seven Mile Road wanted the bar torn down. Now, all those businesses are gone, and Tom’s remains. That’s because it has earned a throng of supporters over the years, who rebuild it when it’s falling down. And it shows: The sloping floor, the tipped-back bar, and the makeshift carpentry are all part of the charm. Tell Ron the bartender we sent you. 1 a.m. This whirlwind, Saturday night bar crawl continues with a trip to Honest John’s. The bar used to be over by the bridge to Belle Isle, but about 15 years ago it relocated to Selden Street. It’s one of those one-of-akind places, with framed newspaper clippings bearing tribute to former John Thompson, and a kitchen that’s open until 2 a.m. if you need a bit of fuel to keep you going. With typical over-the-top Detroitness, their BLT has almost a dozen strips of bacon. 2 a.m. No trip to the old “Cass Corridor” would be complete without a stop at the Old Miami. For a long time, it was a place for Vietnam veterans to meet, drink, and talk over the war. These days, it hosts everything from hip-hop nights to punk rock reunions. It’s a comfy joint, full of couches, pinball machines, and enough Vietnam memorabilia to fill a small museum. But perhaps best of all is the spacious backyard, with rolling grass, outdoor seating, and a fire pit that gets going on chilly nights.
SUNDAY
9 a.m. With great effort, the Detroit Riv-
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erfront Conservancy has been able to gradually refashion the city’s link to its river. The riverfront that used to be a site for railroads, wharves, and heavy industry is now becoming public space, with Milliken State Park, splash pads, boat marinas, concert venues, and a carousel. Want to work off that hangover? Take a brisk jog along the river, or head down into the Dequindre Cut, a subsurface running and biking path made from old railroad right of way.
10 a.m. Now it’s time for the most important meal of Sunday: brunch. And there are few better brunches on offer than the one at Mudgie’s Deli. Nestled in the residential part of Corktown, away from the rush of Michigan Avenue, Mudgie’s has a fantastic array of sandwiches and soups, as well as a liquor license to help with that hair-of-the-dog. 11 a.m. Gratiot Avenue has seen a lot of changes over the last five years. The section near Eastern Market always had a lot of creative people, including artists and techno pioneers, but only lately has that energy spilled over into the storefronts. Here you’ll find performance space-art centerbake shop Trinosophes, as well as Peoples Records, which is probably the best record store in the city. Noon If you can pry yourself away from the stacks of wax at Peoples, the next stop is the Bronx Bar. It’s one
of those glorious old-man bars that’s been adopted by a younger crowd. It’s much nicer than it used to be, with a double jukebox, an outdoor seating area, and much more light than was once admitted. On Sundays, the Bronx sets up a killer Bloody Mary bar. The bartender will hand you a pint glass with ice and vodka in it, and you build your own out of pickles, hot beans, V-8, Tapatio, and anything else you like. You’ll want two, but just have one. Trust us.
1 p.m. Do you like football? How about bowling? Would you like to try the sport that is both and neither at the same time? It’s called Fowling (FOAL-ing) and it takes place at the Fowling Warehouse in Hamtramck. It’s a massive space with a bar, a stage, and a netted-in area where you can throw forward passes at 10 pins in hopes of knocking them all down. Yes, it’s bizarre, but thanks to the city’s low real estate prices, even oddballs can make their dreams come true. 2 p.m. Take a detour into Hamtramck for some day-drinking. Chances are you’ll catch most of the characters at Bumbo’s bar. Until a year or so ago, it was Hank’s Bar, a crusty old joint with a drop-ceiling that attracted mostly senior citizen drinkers. Now it’s refitted to its former glory, and regularly draws the local hip kids. And it’s not just the newly revealed tin ceilings bringing them in; the
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ATTRACTIONS Sunday and Wednesday brunches usually offer appealing twists on Polish food. Also, it’s owned by two native Hamtramckans who returned from Los Angeles to live the Detroit dream.
3 p.m. On Sunday, most of the cooler shops in Hamtramck are closed, but there’s one attraction that’s accessible 24 hours a day: It’s called Hamtramck Disneyland. It’s a massive piece of folk art built by the late Dmytro Szylak, and it takes up his whole yard. Finished in 1999, it’s a mass of whirligigs featuring whimsical creations, such as a miniature space shuttle. The piece’s future is uncertain, so be sure to snap a selfie while it’s still up and working its quirky magic. 3:30 p.m. Is there a better spot for day-drinking than Hamtramck? Probably. But
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in its heyday, it was a working-class city of Poles, which means it still has plenty of bars. By last count, there were still at least five dozen sales licenses in a city of 22,000. Sure, you could hit the New Dodge Bar or Suzy’s, but the Whiskey in the Jar is a timeless little watering hole of the old style, dim and almost windowless, where third-shift factory workers fresh off the line used to order their boilermakers at 6 a.m. in that permanent midnight.
5 p.m. That’s 48 hours. Are you still alive? You’re probably a few pounds heavier and more than a little drunk. Maybe it’s time to hit a Middle Eastern restaurant in Dearborn on the way back to the airport. Those fruit smoothies can be quite restoring.
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ATTRACTIONS
Tooling around town
From bikes to buses, there are plenty of ways to see the city on wheels by MT staff
As cities go, Detroit isn’t one of the really big ones. Sure, it takes up more space than San Francisco or Manhattan. But Houston and Oklahoma City sprawl over four times the area. Phoenix, Nashville, and Los Angeles are more than three times as large. Even Charlotte, N.C., takes up twice the square mileage. But Detroit is called the Motor City for a reason. Criss-crossed with freeways, the fastest way around town is by vehicle. And many of the city’s secondary thoroughfares have traffic lights enough to make bicycling enjoyable. In fact, a network of new cycling paths, greenways, and bike lanes is making it easier than ever to pedal around. For the person who wants to become acquainted with the city, wheels are the way to go. And there are plenty of folks who want to help you do it, whether by bus, van, or more modest means. One tour service, Show Me Detroit, offers outings by van or bus that highlight architecture, economic development, arts, and history. Company co-founder Pat Haller says they offer a sort of starter two-hour tour for those who’ve never seen the city. It’s an upbeat tour of the best-functioning parts of the city. It can also be expanded into a three-hour tour that packs more stuff in. They typically start on the riverfront and hit downtown, Greektown, Capitol Park, Washington Boulevard, the stadiums, and the half-built county jail. Then they’ll swing uptown toward the Wayne State’s campus, see West Canfield Street, home to Shinola and Third Man Records, then head on to Eastern Market, Brush Park, and the Heidelberg Project and Belle Isle if time allows. They
don’t always make every stop, but everybody gets to pile in and see the grand lobby of the Guardian Building, with its almost psychedelic interior designed by Wirt C. Rowland. Haller says her guests are often surprised by some things native Detroiters wouldn’t think about, chiefly that Detroit offers views of Canada, and that it’s “that close.” They’re also surprised they find so much to admire. “They say they wish they had
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more time here,” she says. “They say it’s nothing like they expected. They thought it would be this dirty, scary town. Generally, when they leave our tours they’re very optimistic.” Haller acknowledges her role as a host, as somebody wanting people to feel comfortable touring Detroit. But she also has special tours that include visits to some of the city’s ruins and depopulated areas, showing a more balanced view of “the pretty
and the gritty.” For the more venturesome, this tour might be the ticket. Also, more than one popular bus tour is really a bar crawl in disguise. In fairness, Detroit History Tours offers everything from kid-friendly jaunts to private parties and corporate events. But the organizers are friends with staff and owners at some of the oldest bars in town, and their tours can hit Detroit fixtures like Abick’s Bar and even the Carbon Athletics Club tucked away behind Delray. But perhaps the best booze cruise on wheels is a regular tour by the Detroit Bus Co. It’s an event called Drunks of Antiquity, and it stops at just about every Detroit bar that’s existed since before Prohibition was repealed in 1933. It usually includes not just Abick’s Bar, but Tom’s Tavern, the Stonehouse Bar, and the Two Way Inn, where beer has been poured since the 1870s. Of course, some people would rather be toning their bodies than exercising their livers, and cyclists have plenty to explore. And you don’t even need a bicycle. While a bike rental system is in the works, there’s one business that’s offered Detroiters bikes to rent. That’s Wheelhouse Detroit, located on the city’s riverfront park, not far from the entrance to the Dequindre Cut, an unusual running and cycling path reclaimed from a former railbed. You don’t even need to be an athlete to join in the fun. The city’s Slow Roll rides take place weekly, and attract a range of riders, from those just starting out to those spandex-wearing types out front. The rides are so successful they can stretch for blocks. They’ve inspired Slow Rolls in cities not just throughout the country, but in Europe as well.
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ATTRACTIONS
Ann Arbor Film Festival March 15-20; aafilmfest: One of the longest-running film festivals in the country, this year, the Ann Arbor fest features the work of Irish filmmaker David O’Reilly’s 3-D animated work, and a brand-new LGBTQ Night. Ann Arbor Folk Festival 825 N. University Ave., Ann Arbor; 734-761-1818; findyourfolk.org: This January festival is just another one of the things that makes Ann Arbor’s Ark ground zero for serious folkies. Birmingham Shopping District 151 Martin St., Birmingham; 248-530-1200; enjoybirmingham.com: The Birmingham Shopping District, aka downtown Birmingham, is home to over 300 retailers centralizing an eclectic mix of restaurants, boutiques and shops. Caesar’s Windsor Casino 377 Riverside Drive E., Windsor; 800-991-7777; caesarwindsor.com: In addition to two towers overlooking the riverfront, the casino provides all your gambling needs with slots, poker, and table games. Need a break? Try the Legend’s Sports Bar. Campus Martius Ice Rink 800 Woodward Ave., Detroit: Located in Campus Martius, the ice rink at the north lawn is open through the winter months and can accommodate up to 1,000 skaters. For rink hours and rates see: campusmartiuspark.org/The-Rink Center Line Independence Fest June 24-26; centerline.gov: Center Line’s marks 80 years with three days of food, music, beer, rides, games, arts and crafts, vendors, and fireworks in Memorial Park. Cranbrook 39221 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills; 248-645-3300; cranbrook.edu: A museum, a landmark, a tourist attraction in its own right, and a functioning art school, Cranbrook also has a house designed by Eero Saarinen. Detroit Institute of Arts 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-833-7900; dia.org: Free admission for residents of Wayne, Macomb, Oakland counties. Eastern Market 2934 Russell Street, Detroit; 313-833-9300; detroiteasternmarket.com: Every Saturday between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m. the six-block public marketplace opens with 250 independent vendors and merchants. Go Comedy! Improv Theater 261 E. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-327-0575: Cozy bar and comedy club featuring improv and sketch comedy by both amateurs and pros.
Greektown Casino Hotel 555 E. Lafayette Ave., Detroit; 313-223-2999; greektowncasino.com: Complete with table games, a poker lounge, and 2,700 slot machines and video poker machines, Greektown has a game for everyone. When you’re done gaming, book one of the 400 contemporary guest rooms with great views of the city. The Henry Ford 20900 Oakwood Blvd., Dearborn; 313-271-1621; hfmgv.org: Enjoy three centuries of inventions, traditions and human history. Hollywood Casino 777 Hollywood Blvd., Toledo, Ohio; 419-661-5200; hollywoodcasinotoledo.com: Smoke-free casino with 125,000 square feet of casino action. 2,000 slots, 60 table games and a 20-table poker room. Interlochen Center For the Arts interlochen.org: Michigan’s most prestigious school of music is located in northwestern Michigan, and has a full complement of arts programs. Kart 2 Kart 42705 Van Dyke, Sterling Heights; 586-997-8800; kart2kart.com: Racers can race go-carts around this 1/5 mile, indoor race track. Ages 4+. Racers under 54 in. must be accompanied by an adult. Kerrytown Concert House 415 N. Fourth Ave., Ann Arbor; 734-769-2999; kerrytownconcerthouse.com: An intimate 110-seat venue offering music and performance in every genre. Metro Times Pig and Whiskey downtown Ferndale; 248-546-3696: Slow smoking, slow sipping in July. Barbecue, whiskey, music. Michigan Peace Fest June 4-5; michiganpeacefest.net: A three-day campout at the Willow Ranch, you can put yourself on the path to peace with innovative vendors, or raise a little hell with the live music. The Midwest Media Expo April 15-17; midwestmediaexpo.com: From the people who brought you Youmacon, this is a celebration of animation, TV, film, literature, video games, tabletop gaming, comics, and Internet culture. MGM Grand Detroit 1777 Third St., Detroit; 877-888-2121; mgmgranddetroit. com: Spectacular gaming environment also has spas, nightlife and such dining options as Wolfgang Puck Steak, TAP and Palette Dining Studio.
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Motor City Steam Con July 22-24; motorcitysteamcon.com: With panel discussions, and such guests as authors and entertainers, and scads of vendors, this is steampunk central.
Skateland West 37550 Cherry Hill Rd., Westland; 734-326-2800: Veteran roller rink boasts learn-to-skate programs for all ages, a snack bar and even drop-in Zumba sessions.
MotorCity Casino Hotel 2901 Grand River Ave., Detroit; 866-752-9622; motorcitycasino.com: Complete with awardwinning restaurants, slot machines, video poker, table games, a 12-table poker room, and a 400-room hotel complete with a spa.
Soundboard MotorCity Casino Hotel 2901 Grand River Ave., Detroit; motorcitycasino.com: Located in the MotorCity Casino Hotel, Soundboard is an where as many as 2,400 fans can see their favorite acts up-close.
Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit 4454 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313832-6622; mocadetroit.org: Contemporary art museum on a mission to present art from the forefront of contemporary culture that engages with Detroiters. Northville Downs 301 S. Center St., Northville; 248-349-1000: Harness racing track with a casual eatery and charity casino, plus races and sports simulcast on 350 TVs. The Parade Company 9500 Mount Elliott St., Detroit; 313-923-7400: The nonprofit that puts on Detroit’s Thanksgiving Day parade does more than that: It’s part of the annual fireworks show, and offers event planning and one of the most unusual sites for a private party. Pewabic Pottery 10125 E. Jefferson, Detroit; 313822-0954; pewabic.org: Nonprofit world-renowned ceramic design studio founded in 1903. Royal Oak Farmer’s Market 211 S. Williams Street, Royal Oak; 248-2463000: Farm producers sell only what they have grown Fridays during farm season and Saturday all year round.
Stagecrafters / Baldwin Theater 415 S. Lafayette Ave., Royal Oak; 248-5416430; stagecrafters.org: Enjoy a show at a designated historic building while supporting the performing arts. Since1985, community theater has had a home at the Baldwin Theater, performing classics and contemporary work on its stages. Summer Solstice Jazz Festival June 17-18; eljazzfest.com: It may be the longest day of the year, but that’s still not enough for this two-day jazz festival in East Lansing. University of Michigan School of Art and Design stamps.umich.edu: The Stamps School of Art & Design is for more than students: It has a lively speaker series and special exhibitions as well. University of Michigan School of Music, Theater and Dance 1100 Baits Drive, Ann Arbor; 734-764-0583; music. umich.edu: Founded in 1880, the school has programs in dance, music, musical theatre, and theatre. Youmacon Nov. 3-6; youmacon.com: Detroit’s biggest celebration of Japanese popular culture, including anime, video games, artwork, and comics.
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Eat
Gold Cash Gold
Fashion plates
Photo by Kelley O’neill
How Detroit’s food scene earned the national spotlight by Michael Jackman
For decades, Detroit’s food scene was behind the times. With a few notable exceptions, the fine-dining crowd embraced barnlike buildings with generous parking, places serving meat and potatoes, surf and turf, and spaghetti and meatballs. Outside that realm, the metropolitan area was a bastion of Big Food, where national chains prevailed, selling food-service portions to indifferent diners who washed it all down with industrially brewed suds. How times have changed. In 2015, the fine-dining experts at Zagat named Detroit as a “Next Food City,” and The New York Times ran a serious travel piece on Detroit chefs that actually seemed to take everything from the Cass Corridor to coney dogs seriously. Now, even Chicago chefs are trying to get in on the red-hot action in Detroit. What were the magical ingredients that made it come to life? Among them are a new attitude in today’s kitchens. At the very best restaurants, the culture is chef-driven, in which the managers and moneymen are sympathetic to a chef’s goals. And many of the best chefs regard one another as collaborators, not competitors, sharing ideas and
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swapping information, finding ways to work together, helping create a scene that’s greater than the sum of its parts. The diners are different too. The way customers have warmed up to small plates helps drive creativity. Suddenly, the way we dine has become an expression of allegiance to local products, rewarding artisanal eateries that emphasize local ingredients. And the action is in the central city, where younger customers are filling up the small- to mid-sized buildings that sat dormant for decades. What you get on your plate is less Big Food and more small, slow, and local food. While the dishes are packed with flavor, the atmosphere is decidedly more casual: Your waiter is more likely to wear Converse than a cumberbund. And there are still the same gut-busting delicacies that seem ripe for new appreciation in the culinary limelight the area now finds itself in. In many ways, despite intimidating-sounding words like gastropub or locavorism, it’s a journey to the heart of comfort food, a return to fundamentals. Now that’s something everybody can dig into.
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EAT
Coney Island High Learning the feuds, fables, and fixtures behind longtime eateries by Michael Jackman
Photo by Kelley O’neill
A food business doesn’t stay open in Detroit by phoning it in. To last through decades of boom and bust, growth and upheaval, eateries need something special, even if it’s often just a gimmicky dish. It helps if it’s something inexpensive and earthy, a comfort food or a quick snack that can draw a passionate allegiance of fans. (It’s no secret that some Detroit’s longest-lasting food businesses produce such things as soda pop, potato chips, doughnuts, burgers, and frankfurters.) But, the funny thing is, people do get passionate about these creations. People who leave Detroit and can’t get decent hash browns or almond boneless chicken begin to ache for these foods. Part of a visit home to the city often involves a stop at a beloved Coney Island or barbecue joint. What’s more, new traditions are being born that fuse the past and present. Here’s an overview of some high points, old and new. American or Lafayette? The humble centerpiece of
Detroit food is the coney dog. Served at restaurants called “Coney Islands,” it is a steamed bun containing an all-beef frank with a natural casing, covered with beefheart chili, mustard, and chopped white onions. Coney dogs debuted in Detroit in 1917, with the arrival of Gus Keros, who opened American Coney Island. He got into a dispute with his business partner, his brother, who opened Lafayette Coney Island next door in the 1920s. Lots of people eat at both restaurants, but there are those who are loyal stalwarts either of American or Lafayette. It’s probably not an overstatement to say that preference for one or the other can sometimes make or break a friendship. American has a lot going for it. It has a third-generation spokesperson in the lively Grace Keros. It has its own chili provider, Detroit Chili Co. Their own proprietary hot dogs are made for them by Dearborn sausage company. American is brighter, more open, and airier, with red-white-and-blue designs
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accenting the interior. Lafayette would seem to have less going for it. It is not familyowned anymore. A trip to the bathroom requires an unusual journey down some ancient stairs into the bowels of the building. And the cooks and waitstaff, always within earshot, have a way of shouting out orders and clanging pots and pans and clattering dishes together that creates a lively din. And this is precisely the quality that Lafayette fans seem to prefer. In the end, what you get on the plate is very similar. Everybody’s a winner. In fact, both diners probably profit from the ancient rivalry. The ‘real’ Detroit-style pizza When it comes to our city’s contribution to pizza pie, it’s kind of the ultimate long, involved story. Start with the pie. It’s Sicilian style: rectangular. It often wears its sauce on top of its cheese. Some call it “deep dish,” but it’s nothing like the Chicago innova-
tion. It was first served at Buddy’s in Detroit. Toward the end of Prohibition, Buddy’s had been a little speakeasy at the corner of McNichols and Conant. After the booze ban was lifted, it stayed busy due to the crowding of wartime Detroit. But, after the war, the restaurant needed a little something to keep customers coming in. That innovation was Detroit-style pizza. That’s where the story gets complicated. As Buddy’s was bought and sold and as its staff and owners left and opened other places, the pizza became more than one bar’s specialty. Buddy’s founder Gus Guerra brought the pie to his new bar, Cloverleaf, in what is now Eastpointe. Louis Tourtois quit Buddy’s and used the kitchen at Shield’s to make pizza, and they wound up appropriating his recipe. In 1977, Tourois opened Loui’s in Hazel Park, which also serves the pizza. You can get this pizza with a pedigree at 19 different restaurants all over the metropolitan
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EAT area. (Buddy’s has 11 locations; Cloverleaf four; Shields three.) We’d single out the historic locations as special. The original Buddy’s in Detroit is a few rooms, including a charming old bar that you step down into. But perhaps Loui’s is the most unusual, a large place with empty chianti bottles on the walls, quirky decorations, and waitresses who call you “hon.” Why Tacos al pastor? Travel through Southwest Detroit and you’ll notice a definite Latino flavor. That’s because the neighborhood has been a destination for Mexican immigrants for decades now. But you may not be aware that most of these folks emigrate from one place in particular: Jalisco, the state in western Mexico famous for its tacos al pastor. That’s why you’ll find the tasty delicacies known as tacos al pastor at taquerias up and down Vernor Highway. They’re simple creations, but they take hours of preparation to do properly, with marinated pork, chopped white onions, cilantro, and a wedge of lime (and sometimes pineapple). They’re practically the house specialty at Taqueria Lupita, Taqueria Nuestra Familia, Los Altos, and almost every single place in Southwest Detroit — at prices less than half of what you’d pay in the suburbs. Almond Boneless Chicken Like a lot of Chinese dishes available in this country, almond boneless chicken is not authentic Chinese fare. It’s one of those hearty dishes that tweaks Cantonese fare for American tastes, and almost every Chinese food joint in town serves it. It’s a fried, battered chicken breast cut into sections atop rice and lettuce, drizzled with gravy, slivered almonds, and chopped scallions. The breaded chicken is rich, and the gravy softens the breading somewhat. The way the dish is situated on a bed of chopped lettuce wilts
EAT the greens slightly, and when they mix with the gravy, rice, and almonds, the concoction becomes something sublime. It’s a popular local comfort food so commonly ordered that die-hard Detroiters know it as ABC. But it’s only available here. Order it anywhere outside Detroit (and maybe Toledo), you’ll get something completely different, often a soupy mess completely unlike this classic dish. All the more reason for those returning home to rediscover this authentic Detroit delicacy. New vs. old-time barbecue A million years ago, back in 2005, Slows Bar-B-Q opened on Michigan Avenue, heralding the arrival of barbecuism in Detroit. Since then, dozens of new barbecue restaurants have opened across the metro area. Many of them are great, not just producing hunks of meat cooked low and slow, but complementing them with first-class beer selections, and often doing it in spruced-up historic buildings. But there’s another class of Detroit barbecue that’s often overlooked: It’s the barbecue of black Detroit, with sizzling, down-home fare that traces its heritage directly to the old South. It’s almost always take-out food, so you’ll want to rush it home, or to find a bar that will let you bring your own carry-out. But what you’ll find is a revelation of flavor. Barbecue joints like Uptown BBQ, Nunn’s, and Vicki’s offer excellent ribs at affordable prices. Perhaps best are Vicki’s, which come in hot and mild, the hot variety getting a generous shake of spices and an extra dollop of hot sauce. For something a little more offbeat, try Parks Old Style Bar-B-Q, which offers a signature vinegar-based Southern sauce. There are even unexpected treats available, such as a slice of the colorful “Kenta cake” from Nunn’s.
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Paczki vs. jelly doughnuts Every February, the residents of Hamtramck gear up to celebrate Paczki Day, a sort of Polishinflected Mardi Gras involving bar crawls, blackberry brandy, and a doughnut-like confection known as the paczek (PON-check). Since few people eat just one, they’re usually referred to by their Polish plural, paczki (POON-shkee). They usually come a dozen to a box, looking very much like jelly-filled doughnuts. But don’t call them doughnuts. They’re paczki. And paczki aren’t doughnuts. Unless they are: Some opine that real Polish paczki are richer, made of dough stuffed with all the lard and sugar in the pantry, since religious law forbade their consumption during the Lenten fasting season. That said, the American versions are super-sized compared to the ones you’ll find in Poland. As with everything else, we make things bigger here. The best “chicken & waffles” If you weren’t aware that chicken and waffles go together, you may want to explore this soul food dish a little more closely. It’s very much what it sounds like: Breakfast waffles with butter and syrup and fried chicken. In 2012, Metro Times readers selected as best a souped-up version served at Fort Street Brewery in Lincoln Park, which heaps a crisp Belgian waffle with cheddar cheese, peppered bacon, a fried egg, and breaded chicken strips, with maple syrup on the side. Two years later, our readers shifted their allegiance to New Center Eatery, which bills itself as “Detroit’s original home of chicken and waffles.” Perhaps things have changed since, with the opening of Kuzzo’s Chicken and Waffles on the Avenue of Fashion in northwest Detroit. Which is best? Ultimately, it’s your call. But what a delightful research assignment that is.
What’s a “deli slice”? How do you keep people coming in the door when there are fewer of them out on the street every year? A gimmick is just the thing. That’s one of the ways Dan & Vi’s stays in business in Detroit’s old Poletown neighborhood. The little deli and pizzeria run by the Skinner family is on an extremely depopulated stretch of Chene Street; in fact, it’s the last building left standing on its block. But it’s a hit at lunchtime. And almost everybody who comes in for lunch orders “the deli slice.” It consists of ham, salami, cheese, shredded lettuce, chopped tomato and onion, with Italian dressing, layered between two pizza crusts seasoned with butter and Parmesan. It’s basically a submarine sandwich that uses two pieces of pizza crust as its bread. Since the Skinners started selling it a decade ago, it has become a sensation. Tofu as catfish How does a newcomer to this dining landscape offer something you just can’t find anywhere else? There are still a thousand tricks waiting to be tried out. At Detroit Vegan Soul, it’s a fascinating challenge: What if you produced soul food that was vegan and healthful, with dishes that could be tweaked to cater to people’s dietary restrictions? That was the dare head cook and co-owner Erika Boyd set out to solve: How to take the culinary heritage of slavery, which relied heavily on animal products that can lend themselves to health problems, and transform it into a menu of healthful dishes that satisfied soul food’s most ardent fans. It’s expressed in such dishes as seitan pepper steak, organic greens enriched without fat, and a convincing tofu catfish. Perhaps it’s just the kind of new classic to keep another Detroit restaurant lasting into the future.
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Eat
Burger City
How to score in Detroit, right between the buns by MT staff
Are you a burger maven? Do you love belly bombs? Are you the kind of diner who loves biting into a two-hand, seven-napkin burger, feeling the juice streaming down your arms? We have good news for you. While the blossoming of the gastropub has helped widen the city’s offerings, it has always been a city of lunch-bucket fare. How else to explain the enduring appeal of the coney dog and fries? In Detroit, unironic meat-and-potatoes fare banks on a powerful heritage. Of course, even the hippest gastro-joints in town will still offer a burger. It’s almost a challenge to some kitchens to produce the fanciest burger possible. In the posh environs of Birmingham, the Rugby Grille serves one that costs $55, and it almost sounds worth it. Gold Cash Gold in Corktown takes a folksier, more artisanal approach with the “GCG Burger”: grass-fed patties, pimento cheese, and Thousand Island dressing on a pretzel bun. Burgers remain a staple up in Ferndale, which boasts such creations as the “Famous Burger” at the Emory, or the “B.F.J.” (“Big, Fat, and Juicy) at Dino’s. In a fine-dining setting, burgers are that welcoming dish that makes less adventurous customers feel more comfortable. But that’s because the larger culture of metro Detroit still embraces burgers in such a big way. Whether you’re talking about sliders, hamburgers, or anything with buns and ground beef, there are a multitude of out-of-theway only-in-Detroit spots. One of the more unusual burger stops has to be Marcus Burger, a small diner and hamburger joint across the street from Federal Pipe & Supply Co. on a sleepy stretch
of East McNichols Road. Marcus Burger has been in business for an astonishing 87 years, having opened in 1929. What accounts for this joint’s staying power? Hamburgers shaped like rectangles: They make their patties so they fit neatly into a puffy hot dog bun. It’s a gimmick they attribute to one fabled day when somebody bought the wrong kind of buns, causing the cook to improvise. Whether it’s true or an old wives’ tale is open to speculation, but it still brings them in to enjoy these creations amid the restaurant’s appealing old-time ambience. Another ancient burger joint is Motz’s Burgers, located along an industrial stretch of Fort Street. At Motz’s, half the fun is listening to the banter of the staff, hearing orders shouted out as ready, and watching the cook at work. Long before the conceit of the “open kitchen,” patrons of burger joints have enjoyed watching their food as it’s made. And it’s a pleasure to watch the hardworking cook churn out a steady procession of burgers as old-fashioned checks march along above. The sliders arrive too hot to be eaten, but worth the wait when they’ve cooled. Every bite is slider perfection, from the slightly greasy buns to the soft beef to the strands of onion each bite pulls from the burger. Probably the best burger we ever had was an out-of-the-way place Downriver called 3 Nicks, a workingclass tavern just off the highway. The patty is kind of a big, ugly thing, with the kinds of bulges and seams that practically scream “handformed.” It’s the kind of oversized
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patty that gives you that first, allmeat bite of buttery beef. Depending on who’s behind the grill, the burgers at Motor City Sports Bar in Hamtramck could be best. The somewhat rough exterior conceals an old-fashioned Hamtramck bar with surprising burger skills. Each burger has a half-pound of beef; they say there’s more than a half-pound of meat in the patty before it’s cooked, because it shrinks on the grill a bit. And that extra effort is laudable: They ensure that it’s an actual half-pounder when it arrives on your plate, a patty fully as big as the puffy sesame seed bun they top it off with. It probably doesn’t hurt that the bar also serves cevapi, a Balkan staple made of grilled minced beef, sort of like a skinless sausage. After all, a hamburger patty is sort of like a pljeskavica, another Southeastern European creation. The burgers are great, but the setting is unique at Frank’s Eastside Tavern in Mount Clemens. It’s an old-fashioned former speakeasy with a Tiffany lamp over a beat-up old table, and really good hamburgers made with meat from Stahl’s, just a stone’s throw from the place. We’ve never seen it, but we hear that Frank, the owner, often sits at the end of the bar with his dog, Suzy. It’s basically a century-old little farmhouse with a small foyer on the front where a porch should be. Open the door and you can walk directly down into a basement bar that probably looks much like it did in 1932, when Prohibition was the law of the land. They serve a classic hand-formed half-pound burger made of 100 percent ground sirloin. Order it medium rare, throw the
lettuce, tomato, and onion over your shoulder and enjoy it soft and bloody. In Eastern Market, there’s a place called Cutter’s, which has been producing a consistently impressive hamburger for a generation or more. They served several different sizes of burger, from the 3-ounce sliders to 8- and 16-ounce versions up to a 32-ounce burger. Is a two-pounder too much? Compare it to Mallie’s Sports Grill & Bar in Southgate. That’s where you can order a three-pound burger. Or consider the 10-pound “Monster Burger.” If a diner can eat that burger in less than two hours, it’s free, and the restaurant will award $100 and put your picture on the Wall of Fame. Now, some people swear by the little slider joints that have been open since the 1920s, inner-city places like the Telway, or suburban joints like Bray’s, Greene’s, or, best of all, Bates. True, the enamel-steel roadside diners have their charm, and some are quite good. But one place is that experience rarefied, and that’s Hunter House in Birmingham. It’s kind of like a trip back in time to those fastidious burger joints of yesteryear, with plenty of memorabilia to gawk at. Best of all, they lacquer on the cooked onions and create a powerfully fragrant slider. Then there’s another burger that goes by a moniker we’ve only heard at local Coney Islands: the “loose burger.” It’s ground beef, chili, onions, and mustard. Yeah, it’s what some might call a Sloppy Joe. But when you shoot your selfie holding a “loose burger” in Detroit? That’ll give you something no Sloppy Joe ever did: total burger street cred.
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Eat Raw kale salad from Om Cafe
The greening of Detroit Finally, vegans and vegetarians are getting an open-arms welcome by MT staff
More than most U.S. cities, Detroit has long been a “meat and potatoes” town. We’re talking insane portion sizes and gargantuan piles of meat. Until several years ago, being a vegetarian (let alone a vegan) meant subsisting on garden salads, half-hearted pasta dishes, and anything but the house specialty. We’ve changed a bit. The age of the gastropub has finally blossomed in Detroit, featuring small plates, craft cocktails, and plenty to make the meat-averse smile. Sure, there’s a sturdy complement of vegan restaurants, such as Royal Oak’s Inn Season Cafe and Cacao Tree Cafe, Ferndale’s Om Cafe, or Seva Detroit. They’ll do the heavy lifting for a vegan crowd with maybe a meat-eater in tow, if they’re not too fussy. And there have always been plenty of ethnic restaurants, such as Middle Eastern and Indian establishments, where it’s often easier to find vegetable-based choices. But the rise of the hip restaurant in Detroit seems to have coincided with a desire to provide plenty of appealing choices that are fresh, flavorful, and easy to tweak for special dietary requirements. It’s a challenge younger chefs take seriously. Take Jared Bobkin, executive chef at Ferndale’s Local Kitchen and Bar. He once told one of our writers, “A steak is always going to be a steak. You can
grill it a certain way, maybe put a nice sauce with it, but it’s still a steak. And that will please a lot of people. But to come up with great dishes that don’t have any meat that will please the masses? That’s a challenge in a good way.” And Christopher Franz, the executive chef at the Rattlesnake Club, once told us “It’s incredibly short-sighted to just ignore vegetarians and vegans. That sounds like it should be common sense, but there are still a lot of places that offer one or two [vegetarian or vegan] dishes. … That’s not a great way to get people to come back to your restaurant.” In fact, some of the more upto-the-moment restaurants are shying away from the old practice of dressing up vegetable protein as meat. With the focus suddenly on locally grown vegetables picked just hours before a meal, many chefs choose to offer plantbased dishes that revel in the flavors by treating them as the main course. For instance, at James Rigato’s Mabel Gray in Hazel Park, we’ve found that the plates of Brussels sprouts, green beans, and broccoli
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made more than a meal, and had thoughtful accents, the beans strewn with crunchy, chunky almonds, and the broccoli with an aioli redolent of olives. The offerings are similar at Hamtramck’s Rock City Eatery, which is moving to Midtown in March. RCE has offered spicy roasted Brussels sprouts with Thai basil, peanuts, scallions, smoked tomatoes, lime, and chile. A plate of al dente green beans with scallions, cilantro, cashews, and hoisin sauce is packed with flavor. But it’s also fun when Rock City tries the unusual and it works, as in one frequently appearing special: a plate of cooked olives. (Incredibly, it works.) At seasonal restaurant Selden Standard, there’s no telling what star treatment will be given to a carrot, potato, or squash on their menu. One recent vegetarian offering was a kale-and-date salad with Marcona almonds, Gouda, and spiced orange viniagrette. Not everybody wants to pay $7 for grilled scallions with Romesco sauce, but, if you do, they’ll likely be the best, most local, freshest scallions you’ve ever eaten.
A plate of vegetables just isn’t the boiled carrot and mashed potato it used to be. At Detroit’s Chartreuse last spring, they served a selection of vegetables that’s greenhouse grown in the city by a business called Recovery Park. It was a round plate of heirloom beets and asparagus tips, charred kohlrabi and baby radishes, baby green beans, lemon-pickled golden beets, and greens from beets, chamomile, and cilantro, all topped with an emulsified cherry viniagrette. Most surprising of all were the lemon-pickled beets, which bore a revelatory sweetness. Finally, thanks to a new attitude in the kitchen, and an improved knowledge out on the floor, restaurants have never been more able or willing to tweak dishes for diners with special restrictions, or even desires. These days, restaurants will answer your questions by phone before you arrive, and some chefs seem to enjoy the challenge of finessing a menu item. In short, it has never been better to be herbivorous in “meat and potatoes” Detroit.
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Eat 14 East Cafe 15 E. Kirby, Detroit; 313-871-0500; 14eastcafe.com: Trendy sweets, quality coffees, local art. 1515 Broadway 1515 Broadway St., Detroit; 313-965-1515: Theater-slashcafe, this venue is a nice place to grab a sandwich, bakery treat, or a cup of coffee with a staff that’s hip and friendly. Anita’s Kitchen 22651 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-528-0680; anitaskitchenonline.com: Bringing the flavors of Lebanon to Michigan, this restaurant offers classic Mediterranean food. Bad Brad’s 6525 23 Mile Rd., Shelby Twp.; 586-254.7010; 35611 Green St., New Baltimore; 586-716.9977; 36845 Groesbeck Hwy., Clinton Twp.; 3437 Baldwin Rd., Lake Orion; badbradsbbq.net: Some of the best barbecue, sandwiches and burgers in town. Bangkok 96 2450 S. Telegraph Rd., Dearborn; 313-730-8161: Open since 1996, this bright, warm space serves traditional Thai favorites of high quality. Bastone Belgian Brewery 419 S Main St, Royal Oak; 248-544-6250; bastone. net: Just 10 years old, Bastone’s offers Belgian-style favorites, pomme frites, then expands to sandwiches, thin-crust pizzas, seafood and more. Big Boy bigboy.com: The classic diner still abounds in metro Detroit, offering a full menu, as well as that salad bar. Just look for the big boy in the checkered overalls. Big Rock 245 S. Eton St., Birmingham; 248-647-7774; bigrockchophouse.com: The American seafood and steakhouse opened in 1997. It’s unknown if it’s named after the large rock in front of the building or the Colorado-inspired interior. Bistro 82 / Sabrage 401 S. Lafayette St., Royal Oak; 248-508-1970 or 248-5420082; sabrageroyaloak.com or bistro82. com: A premier nightclub and lounge on the weekends and an upscale, French restaurant for the rest of the week, Bistro 82 offers guests an exquisite dining experience while Sabrage hosts the after party. Blufin Sushi 18584 Mack Ave., Grosse Pointe Farms; 313-332-0050: Sushi and other Asian entrées served in a contemporary space with traditional decor touches and a patio. Bobcat Bonnie’s 1800 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-962-1383; bobcatbonnies. com: Opened on May 2015, Bobcat Bonnie’s serves “fresh, upscale food at a reasonable price” that’s influenced by traditional American dishes.
Boston’s Restaurant & Sports Bar 15133 Hall Rd., Shelby Twp.; 586-2474992; 3324 Owen Rd., Fenton; 810-7505800; bostons.com: National gourmet pizza chain serves hot wings, salads, calzones, and, of course, plenty of pizza pie. Bread Basket Deli for multiple locations see breadbasketdelis.com: This deli brings you the biggest and best corned beef sandwich … period! Cooked fresh every three hours. Best of Detroit winner.
The Chop House 322 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-669-9977; thechophouserestaurant.com: Luxurious, comfortable and elegant, serving prime beef, fine grainfed protein and exceptional premium wines.
Dirty Dog Jazz Café 97 Kercheval Ave., Grosse Pointe Farms; 313-882-5299; dirtydogjazz.com: Open since February 2008, jazz has a home on the east side in this pub-like setting. Great jazz, upscale setting, fine food.
CJ Mahoney’s 2511 Livernois Rd., Troy; 248-273-4600; cjmahoneystroy.com: Spacious sports bar popular on game day thanks to more than 30 TVs and an extensive American pub menu.
Dominick’s 812 Monroe St.; 734-6625414: Nestled in a quiet neighborhood, with ample outdoor seating. Closed Sundays.
Briggs Detroit 519 E. Jefferson Ave., Detroit; 313-656-4820; briggsdetroit. com: Opening shop in October 2015, Briggs offers 22 beers and two alcohol infusions on tap, burgers and a never ending stream of various sports games.
CK Diggs 2010 W. Auburn Rd., Rochester Hills; 248-853-6600: Family-owned and -operated eatery offers pasta, seafood, pizzas, sandwiches, burgers, and more in a comfortable dining atmosphere, with patio dining in good weather.
Brooklyn Street Local 1266 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-262-6547; brooklynstreetlocal.com: Supports urban farming and local food with sound breakfast and lunch menus.
Clawson Steakhouse 56 S Rochester Rd, Clawson; 248-588-5788; clawsonsteakhouse.com: Classy steakhouse has old-school charm and live entertainment and dancing on weekends.
Bucharest Grill 1623 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-965-3111: 110 Piquette St., Detroit; 313-965-3111: Growing out of a shop inside the Park Bar, Bucharest now serves a large menu of everything from gourmet hot dogs to beef shawarma at two locations.
The Clean Plate 45629 Hayes Rd, Shelby Township; 586-580-3293; cleanplate4u.com: Vegetarian and vegan dining dedicated to using organic ingredients from local farms.
Buddy’s for multiple locations see buddyspizza.com: The humble home of “Detroit’s Original Sicilian-Style Square Pizza: now has 10 sister locations across town. Cacao Tree Café 204 W. Fourth St.; 248-336-9043; cacaotreecae.com: Vegan, organic fare done well. Cafe 1923 2287 Holbrook St, Hamtramck; 313-319-8766; cafe1923.com: A cafe located in a beautifully restored 1920s hamtramck corner store. Cafe Sushi 1933 W. Maple Rd., Troy; 248-280-1831; cafesushitroy.com: Sleek sushi bar for those who want to try Japanese food but are scared away by raw fish. Delicious food, great service, slick, remodeled interior. Carson’s American Bistro 2000 Commonwealth Blvd., Ann Arbor; 888-4563463; carsonsamericanbistro.com: Good, solid American fare such as steaks and chops. CAYA 1403 S. Commerce Rd., Wolverine Lake; 248-438-6741; cayagrill.com: Smokehouse grill offers American plates and a unique atmosphere that blends both rustic and modern interior designs. Chocolate Bar Cafe 20737 Mack Ave, Grosse Pointe Woods; 313-881-2888; chocolatebar-cafe.com: With checkered tiled flooring, a jukebox, and swiveling bar stools, this nifty spot soothes the sweet tooth.
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Coach Insignia 100 Renaissance Center, 200 E. Jefferson Ave., Detroit; 313-567-2622: Stylish steakhouse with a romantic vibe and views from 72 floors up features classic American cuisine. Como’s 22812 Woodward Ave.; 248548-5005; comosferndale.com: Though they do serve pizzas and pastas, Como’s is best-known as a lively bar scene, particularly on their patio. Cork Wine Pub 23810 Woodward Ave., Pleasant Ridge; 248-544-2675: Wine is the centerpiece, but there are cocktails, snacks, appetizers, salads, and even grilled duck breast and marinated beef tenderloin. Da Edoardo Ristorante & Trattoria 19767 Mack Ave., Grosse Pointe Woods; 313-881-8540; daedoardo.com: Specializing in superb entrées, and featuring both a romantic and formal dining room as well as a more casual side. Dave & Buster’s 19375 Victor Pkwy., Livonia; 734-452-4600; 45511 Park Ave., Suite D, Utica; 586-930-1515: Partrestaurant, part-arcade, D&B is fun for the whole family, with two locations in metro Detroit. Diamond Jim Brady’s 1214 S. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-306-1954: A flashy throwback to the 1950s Detroit restaurant: plush, upholstered barstools and table seating, mirrored walls, and an all-pink ladies’ room. Jumbo shrimp and steak share the menu with more contemporary choices.
Downtown Louie’s 30 Clifford St., Detroit; 313-961-1600: One of downtown’s most lavishly redecorated interiors, Louie’s has a menu of hearty fare, a full bar, and a temperature-controlled wine room. El Barzón 3710 Junction St., Detroit; 313-894-2070: The Italian-Mexican place offers a variety of excellent house-made moles. Exceptionally friendly wait staff. Elie’s Mediterranean Grill 263 Pierce St., Birmingham; 248-647-2420: This upscale Lebanese restaurant and lounge offers traditional dishes in a contemporary space. The Emory 22700 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-546-8202; theemory.com: A combination of an upscale bar and a relaxed eatery offering a menu of crowdpleasing delights. Frita Batidos 117 W. Washington St., Ann Arbor; 734-761-2882; fritabatidos. com: Chef Eve Aronoff’s casual restaurant serving Cuban fare. Gator Jake’s Bar & Grill 36863 Van Dyke Ave., Sterling Heights; 586-9833700: Bright, breezy sports bar serves Cajun and Southwestern fare, plus darts, pool, and live music. Gratzi 326 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-663-5555; gratzirestaurant.com: Crowd-pleasing bastion of (mostly) northern Italian cuisine served in the former Orpheum Theatre. Metro Times Best Italian Restaurant Winner 2013. Green Lantern 28960 John R Rd., Madison Heights; 248-541-5439; see greenlanternlounge.com for more locations: Local mini-chain has more than a half-century’s worth of experience at the Madison Heights location. Honest John’s Bar and No Grill 488 Selden St., Detroit; 313-832-5646: Cheap eats and drinks, with local microbrews, a great jukebox, loyal regulars. Hot Taco 2333 Park Avenue, Detroit; 313963-4545; hottacodetroit.com; Dine-in and take-out tacos and burritos, plus beverages and coffee, with a three-tacosfor-$6 deal. Open 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., seven days a week.
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Eat Imperial 22828 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-850-8060: Hip taco bar boasts Baja influences, and opens up for sunshine and air in summer. Inn Season Café 500 E. Fourth St., Royal Oak; 248-547-7916; theinnseasoncafe.com: Fine, organic ingredients have always been this vegetarian restaurant’s hallmark. Iridescence 2901 Grand River Ave., Detroit; 313-237-6732; motorcitycasino. com: Iridescence is one of Detroit’s finest restaurants. Modern American cuisine is complemented by breathtaking city views. This is a restaurant for your bucket list, and elegant, and the service above reproach. Closed Mondays. Jolly Pumpkin Cafe and Brewery 311 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-913-2730; jollypumpkin.com: Pub-like in atmosphere, with food that’s a bit more sophisticated (tofu cracklings, French fries flavored with rosemary and truffle salt, and more). Korea House 32758 Grand River Ave, Farmington; 248-478-2889: Great Korean food, with traditional sides. KouZina Greek Street Food 121 N. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-629-6500: Relaxed counter-serve spot featuring a simple menu of gyros, spinach pie and other much-loved Greek dishes in big portions with small prices. La Dolce Vita 17546 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-865-0331: Tucked away behind a garden gate on Woodward Avenue just north of McNichols, a romantic, secluded, urban oasis. Friendly waitstaff, well-stocked bar, good food. La Feria 4130 Cass Avenue, Detroit; 313-285-9081; laferiadetroit.com: Authentic spanish tapas restaurant with a sexy, casual atmosphere. Lazybones Smokehouse 27475 Groesbeck Hwy., Roseville; 586-775-7427; lazybonessmokehouse.net: The east side’s beefiest bone yard. Lena 226 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734994-2773; lena-annarbor.com: Bringing some Latin flavor to the city, Lena offers the Spanish yapingacho: Potato cakes stuffed with queso blanco, avocado, peanut sauce and chorizo. Le Petit Zinc Creperie & Cafe 1055 Trumbull St., Detroit; 313-963-2805; lepetitzincdetroit.com: Excellent crepes range from simple to sweet to savory. Little Z’s BBQ 22428 Greater Mack Ave., St. Clair Shores; 586-585-1000: Dine-in, carry-out, or delivery, the barbecue at this small restaurant passes muster with aficionados.
Lockhart’s BBQ 202 E. Third St., Royal Oak; 248-584-4227; lockhartsbbq.com: Reasonably priced, hefty portions, with appetizers averaging around $8, sandwiches with one side around $9.
O’Tooles 205 W. Fifth Ave., Royal Oak; 248-591-9226: Casual public house with an Irish-American bar menu, high-defenition televised sports, theme nights and a quaint stone fireplace.
Luciano’s Italian Restaurant 39091 Garfield Rd., Clinton Twp.;586-263-6540: Upscale eatery serving Italian specialties amid Mediterranean-inspired decor.
Om Café 23136 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-548-1941: Ferndale’s Om Café, a fixture since 1985, is reinvigorated under new ownership. With weekend brunches, a few daily specials, and a tight team that delivers nutrient-dense food with speed, style, and courtesy.
The Lunch Room 407 N. Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor; 734-224-8859: Vegetarian and vegan cuisine that features well known dishes from around the globe. Mallie’s Sports Grill & Bar 19400 Northline Rd, Southgate; 734-287-0800: Home of the world’s largest burger. Mark’s Carts 211 W. Washington St., Ann Arbor; markscartsannarbor.com: Not a restaurant, but a food court filled with food carts. Mercury Burger & Bar 2163 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-964-5000; mercuryburgerbar.com: Mercury’s juicy burgers are made in-house and can be matched with eight kinds of French fries. Miller’s Bar 23700 Michigan Ave., Dearborn; 313-565-2577; millersbar.com: Consistently rated as one of the best burgers in the region. Closed Sundays.
Ottava Via 1400 Michigan Ave, Detroit; 313-962-5500: Rustic, simple decor with a wonderful Italian trattoria-style menu. Palate 449 N Main St, Milford; 248714-5707: American restaurant with a ridiculously good craft beer selection on tap. Palio 347 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734930-6156; paliorestaurant.com: Italian fare in a convivial setting, with the usual pastas, lasagnas and chicken, veal and fish options. Parks and Rec 1942 Grand River Ave., Detroit; 313-446-8370; parksandrecdiner.com: Parks and Rec Diner uses locally grown produce and Detroit-native products, serving breakfast and brunch whether you’re on-the-go or dining in.
Motor City Sports Bar 9122 Joseph Campau Ave, Hamtramck; 313-875-4710; 21231 Mound Rd., Warren; 586-755-4750: Sports bar known for its fantastic burgers.
Park’s Old Style 7444 Beaubien St, Detroit; 313-873-7444; parksoldstylebarb-q.com: Offering barbecue for people who look for “that soul-deep flavor.”
Mudgies Deli 1300 Porter St, Detroit; 313-961-2000; mudgiesdeli.com: Located in Corktown, Mudgies Deli has an extensive menu of artisan food, wine, beer, and mead.
Plaza Deli 29145 Northwestern Hwy., Southfield; 248-356-2310: Reminiscent of New York’s best-known delis, Plaza is a casual cafeteria-style, take-out deli with delicious sandwiches.
Nemo’s 1384 Michigan Ave, Detroit; 313-965-3180; nemosdetroit.com: Right down the street from the ghost of old Tiger Stadium. Excellent burgers, prime beer selection.
Public House 241 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-850-7420: Restaurant with a full bar that offers high quality, inexpensive eats with food generally priced under $5.
Noble Pig Café 19222 Mack Ave., Grosse Pointe Farms; 313-640-4115; noblepigcafe.com: Best barbecue in the Pointes.
Peabody’s 34965 Woodward Ave, Birmingham; 248-644-5222: A restaurant and bar that serves contemporary American cuisine in a cozy, quiet atmosphere.
Northern Lights Lounge 660 W. Baltimore St., Detroit; 313-873-1739: A stylish bar and performance venue, the nightspot keeps its kitchen open Monday through Friday in a bid for weekday lunch and dinner crowds.
Red Coat Tavern 31542 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak; 248-549-0300: Famous for its half-pound hamburger.
Novi Chophouse inside Crowne Plaza Detroit-Novi, 27000 Karevich Dr., Novi; 248-305-5210: Sophisticated steakhouse in offers top-shelf meat and an extensive wine list. Nunn’s 19196 Conant St., Detroit; 313-893-7210; nunnsbbq.com: Traditional Detroit barbecue with classic desserts, strictly for carryout.
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Republic 1942 Grand River Ave., Detroit; 313-446-8360; republictaverndetroit.com: Republic offers unique dishes that incorporate “nose to tail eating.” Opened on February 2015, the old tavernlike restaurant places an emphasis on local and seasonal sourcing. Roast 1128 Washington Blvd., Detroit; 313-961-2500; roastdetroit.com: No ordinary steakhouse or barbecue joint, with all meat naturally raised and dry-aged for a minimum of 21 days.
Rock City Eatery 4216 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 248-633-3072; rockcityeatery.com: Complex and unique dishes with bar food prices and fantastic vintage decor. Moving to this location by March 2016. Red Smoke Barbeque 573 Monroe St.; 313-962-2100; redsmoke.net: Where the pork ribs are dry-rubbed, tasty and perfectly cooked. Republica 1999 Coolidge Hwy., Berkley; 248-268-3175: This little gastropub opened in 2013 and is now a Berkley mainstay, offering small plates, sandwiches and burgers, and entrées during lunch and dinner. Rub BBQ 18 W. Adams St., Detroit; 313964-0782; rubbbqdetroit.com: Downtown barbecue stop with great beers and good low-and-slow ‘cue. Shores Inn 23410 Greater Mack Ave., St. Clair Shores; 586-773-8940; shoresinn. com: Shores Inn specializes in regional and creative American cuisine. Outdoor dining area. Sindbad’s 100 St Clair St, Detroit; 313822-8000; sindbads.com; Great place for riverside dining or drinks. Slows Bar-B-Q 2138 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-962-9828; slowsbarbq.com: Excellent barbecue and amazing beer selection since 2005. Small Plates 1521 Broadway, Detroit; 313-963-0702; smallplates.com: Diminutive dishes run the gamut from hand-cut fries to pan-seared scallops. Almost everything is made in-house. Strada 376 N. Main St., Royal Oak; 248607-3127; stradarodyaloak.com: Authentic Italian dining, welcoming staff, and a wide selection of fine Italian wines and liqueurs as well as a seasonal cocktail menu. Sweetwater Tavern 400 E Congress St, Detroit; 313-962-2210; sweetwatertavern. net: Vibrant atmosphere and out-of-thisworld barbecue. Toast 203 Pierce St., Birmingham; 248-258-6278; toastbirmingham.com: Great food and wine “with humor in a fun, casual environment,” serving favorites and less-common options. Top of the Pontch 2 Washington Blvd., Detroit; 313-782-4313: Perched atop the Crowne Plaza Detroit, with spectacular views, TOTP offers executive chef Brandon Schatko’s upscale fare with a twist. Town Pump 100 W. Montcalm, Detroit; 313-9611929; thetownpumptavern.com; A Foxtown staple since 1996, with a $7 burger-and-beer lunch special, signature sandwiches, burgers, and hand-tossed pizzas.
Union Woodshop 18 S. Main St., Clarkston; 248-625-5660; unionwoodshop.com: Genuine American fare: mac’n’cheese, burgers, and pizzas. Uptown BBQ 15700 Livernois Ave, Detroit; 313-861-7590; uptownbbqdetroit. com: A soul food barbecue restaurant with great sides. Carryout only. Vicente’s Cuban Cuisine 1250 Library St., Detroit; 313-962-8800: Downtown hotspot is a hub for Cuban culture, from such dishes as tilapia or shredded beef to the salsa lessons that start at 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Vicki’s Barbecue and Shrimp 3845 W Warren Ave, Detroit; 313-894-9906: The best old-fashioned barbecue joint inside the boulevard. Vinotecca 417 S. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-544-6256; vinotecca.com: Eclectic wine list is well-balanced among vineyards around the globe. Each wine pairs perfectly with elegant but unpretentious entrées. Woodbridge Pub 5169 Trumbull St., Detroit; 313-833-2701: Open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. every day, serving inventive burgers and seasonal fare. Hip setting, friendly service.
The Wurst Bar 705 W. Cross St., Ypsilanti; 734-485-6720; wurstbarypsi. com: The Wurst Bar is a swanky hip Gastropub in Ypsi that literally serves up a tantalizing “sausagefest.” But these aren’t your uncle’s brats; expect vegetarian hot seitan, spicy rattlesnake chorizo, alligator and crawfish budin, cheddar summer sausage, and bison and lamb merguez, as well as a host of craft beers and cocktails to wash them down with. The owners are devoted to locally sourced foods. Drive the distance for this one. Zef’s Midtown 4160 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-831-1210: Full-service diner offers everything from a steak dinner, in a modern, clean space. Ziggy’s Cheesesteaks 30140 Southfield Rd., Southfield; 248-594-3890; ziggyscheesesteaks.com: Ziggy’s serves deliciously authentic South Philly cheesesteak sandwiches. Zingerman’s Delicatessen 422 Detroit St., Ann Arbor; 734-663-3354; zingermanscommunity.com: Opened in March of 1982 by Paul Saginaw and Ari Weinzweig, the deli served as the foundation for the extended Zingerman’s kingdom of today, which includes Zingerman’s Next Door (422 Detroit St.; 734-663-5282), as fine a deli as anyone could wish for, and Zingerman’s Roadhouse (2501 Jackson Ave.; 734-663-3663).
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Detroit beer city Witness a brewing renaissance in full swing by David Bardallis
If Detroit’s long and illustrious brewing history could be compared to a play, the first act ended in 1985 with the closing of the 135-year-old Stroh’s plant on Gratiot Avenue. Following an intermission of seven years, the second act began rather modestly in 1992 when the first brewpub license under Michigan’s new law allowing them became active. Customers of Midtown’s Traffic Jam and Snug were soon enjoying Canfield Ale, an amber brewed in the parking lot by Tom Burns, the lawyer-brewer most responsible for getting the brewpub law passed. In the ensuing decade, Traffic Jam and Snug was joined by three other small breweries turning out flavorful beers: Motor City Brewing Works (founded in 1995), Atwater Brewery (1997), and the Detroit Beer Co. (2003). Today, with the ongoing expansion of Atwater and the addition of three breweries to the city, including Brew Detroit, a $10 million, 68,000-squarefoot contract brewing facility in Corktown, Detroit beer seems poised to enter an even bigger and brighter third act. Thinking big “Detroit is one of the last developing parts of the state in terms of beer,” says Jason Schrider, director of operations for Atwater, whose products, including Dirty Blonde Ale and Vanilla Java Porter, are ubiquitous on area store shelves and in major venues such as Comerica Park. “But the city’s now growing in every way, and there’s a lot of new folks com-
ing in. The audience is returning, and that will help fuel more small breweries and pubs.” Today’s Atwater, however, is thinking anything but small, especially since a corporate reorganization saw investor Mark Rieth take the helm in 2005. “We’re in a state of hyper growth,” says Schrider. “We’re very sales-oriented, and outof-state expansions are at the forefront for us.” Among Atwater’s recent achievements are the completion of a new 100,000-barrel production brewery in Austin, Texas, and the introduction of a distillation program, which will produce Atwater spirits including whiskey, rum, vodka, and gin in the company’s facility on Joseph Campau. But Atwater beer — now distributed in 11 states — will remain the focus, according to Schrider: If you include its contract brewing operations, Atwater produced 40,000 barrels in 2014, making it the largest Detroit brewery by volume and the third largest in the state, behind only Bell’s and Founders. Corktown comes alive Part of what makes it all possible for Atwater is Brew Detroit, a large-scale operation that opened in a former ball bearing plant at the edge of Corktown in 2014. Now it’s busy producing and packaging a number of Atwater’s brands as well as Kid Rock’s label, Badass American Lager. The 100,000-barrel brewhouse, manned by former Atwater brewer Hazen Schumacher, among others, is capable of
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producing up to 70,000 barrels a year, among which will soon be a canned edition of Motor City Brewing Works’ flagship beer, Ghettoblaster Mild Ale. Earlier this year, Brew Detroit added a 7,000-square-foot public tap room to feature 10 rotating drafts of smaller batch beers, brewed on the two-barrel pilot system by director of retail operations Erika Brockberg, often in collaboration with visiting brewers from around the area. “We originally were conceived as a collaborative facility to contract brew other labels and help them to continue growing,” says Brockberg. “The tasting room is kind of like a bonus. With the craft beer industry exploding, everyone wants to go somewhere new and try something different all the time. We had the space, the location, and some talented brewers, so the tap room came out of this demand.” Just a block from one of the city’s largest brewing operations is one of its smallest: Batch Brewing, the long-awaited nanobrewery that opened in 2015 following both a successful Kickstarter campaign and a $50,000 award from Comerica Bank’s Hatch Detroit contest. Batch sports a seven-and-ahalf-barrel brewhouse with several four-barrel fermenters. The brewery’s small size allows for a diversity of offerings, including beers such as Son of a Batch West Coast IPA, Handsome Stranger Hibiscus Saison, and the Four Hops, a brew made with four Michigan-grown hop varietals, the proceeds from
which are donated to the Motown Museum. “Our beer menu is continuously changing and evolving,” says Patrick Ahrens, a brewer at Batch. “We pay a lot of attention to our yeast health, water composition, and sanitation practices, really focusing on the small details that can be left behind in large commercial brewing so we can just keep making better beer. The goal is high-quality beers that are good and unique.” Batch’s building — which years ago housed the Porter Street Station Bar and Grill — required extensive rehabbing by cofounders Stephen Roginson and Jason Williams, but the clean, comfortable space now includes a modern kitchen serving a variety of specialty sandwiches and other plates to go with the beers. As for what’s next, Williams leaves that up to his customer base. “We hope to be bottling by the end of the summer, but you have to let the business dictate where you go,” he says. “Having our beer on tap on other places is a goal, so if business says we need to do this, those are the steps we’ll take.” The Canfield beer corridor Over in Midtown, West Canfield Street is home to Detroit’s oldest brewing establishments, Traffic Jam and Snug and Motor City Brewing Works, as well as its newest, Jolly Pumpkin Pizzeria and Brewery, which opened in April amid much fanfare. It’s the third cafe location for the nationally acclaimed brewery
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DRINK headquartered in Dexter, just west of Ann Arbor, and brings something entirely new to a city once dominated by German lagers. “Sour beer,” says Dave Horchem, general manager. “We’re bringing sour beers from Jolly Pumpkin that are not always easy to find here. Right now we have 12 sours on tap, and I don’t think anyone else in Detroit has that.” Sour ales are typically left to ferment by “wild,” or naturally occurring, yeast, imparting a unique, funky characteristic to the brew. This technique is most closely associated with Belgian brewers, but in a 2010 New York Times blind tasting panel, Jolly Pumpkin’s Oro de Calabaza Golden Ale was chosen as the best Belgian-style ale, ahead of a number of examples from Belgium itself. Do Detroiters like this style? “Sour beers are a niche within a niche. We get fans of sours who come here seeking them out specifically, as well as people who have no idea what sour beer is and you have to kind of teach them,” says Horchem. “But we’re busy all the time.” A few doors down, Traffic Jam and Snug produces beers in a way unique from other Michigan breweries: on the same equipment it uses to make its own cheese. The celebrated restaurant’s previous owner, Ben Edwards, pushed for the legalization of brewpubs in Michigan and under current owners Carolyn Howard and Scott Lowell it still serves five different drafts brewed in-house. “Ben served Bell’s beer in the 1980s when it was still new, and seeing this different, handcrafted product delivered by the guy who made it inspired him to think, ‘Well, shoot, I can do that too,’” says Howard, who started working in the restaurant in 1984. “It’s been a nice part of
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our business, which is focused on creating things today to be enjoyed tomorrow, whether it’s grown on our rooftop garden or made on our dairy and beermaking equipment.” And across the street, the quirky Motor City Brewing Works building rounds out what beer tourists have begun calling the “Canfield Beer Corridor,” turning out Motor City Pale Ale, Nut Brown Ale, Honey Porter, and Ghettoblaster Mild Ale, and other beers from its 10-barrel brewhouse, as well as, since the 2007 addition to the tap room of a kitchen, brick oven pizzas that routinely win raves. Owner John Linardos, who with partner Steve Rouse took over the original brewing operation from Traffic Jam’s Tom Burns in the mid-1990s, shows no signs of slowing down, expanding Motor City’s production even further through a pending arrangement with Brew Detroit. “Things are a lot more competitive now, and it’s a challenge to keep our retailers supplied,” he says. “The bulk of our business is here, but with Brew Detroit, that gives us an increased capacity so we can grow statewide and keep areas supplied that we had to pull out of because we couldn’t keep up.” The future of Detroit beer Regardless of the size or focus of the brewery, those fueling Detroit’s beer renaissance all agreed the local industry has a lot of room to grow — and believe that it will. “Brew Detroit is making amazing beer, Motor City has grown from a pioneer in the industry to a staple product everywhere, and Detroit Beer Co. is working on brewing some things very different from what they’ve brewed in the past,” says Batch’s Ahrens. “I’m really optimistic about the beer scene in Detroit.”
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Two James Distillery
Detroit’s booze boom
A new batch of microdistilleries are making their mark by David Barsallis
Detroit has been called many things including, most famously, Rock City and the Motor City. It could just as easily be known as Booze City, given its long love affair with hooch — a love so strong not even the heavy hand of the state could quash it. It’s been that way from the beginning. Surveying Detroit’s early history from a post-Prohibition vantage point, noted social worker William J. Norton observed, “Respect for the liquor laws appears to have been very meager.” He estimated that, in a city of only 900 souls, between 20 and 30 licensed taverns operated, while “still there were blind pigs in abundance.” During Prohibition, The Detroit News reckoned there were as many as 25,000 speakeasies operating in the area, while the “Windsor-Detroit Funnel” served as the conduit for, according to some sources, as much as three-fourths
of all the alcohol smuggled into the country. Following Prohibition’s repeal, a new thicket of laws arose to control the manufacture, distribution, and sale of demon rum and its brethren. The effect, over time, was for the booze to flow mainly from the large national and international distillers that could afford to navigate the expensive and sometimes bewildering legal morass, not to mention run lavish ad campaigns. To be sure, every Don, Duck, and Peggy enjoyed their three-martini lunches and cocktail soirees in the ensuing decades, but somewhere along the way, the idea of local, finely crafted liquor got lost. Until now. Going micro in metro Detroit Following in the foamy footsteps of the ever-growing craft brewing business, a craft distilling movement has sprung up in recent years,
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and metro Detroit’s microdistilleries — boutique-style producers that make spirits in relatively small batches — are at the forefront of Michigan’s nascent liquor industry. They aim to do for spirits what craft brewing has done for beer: namely, meet (and nurture) a growing demand for quality and variety, while serving as a boost for the local economy. According to the recently formed Michigan Craft Distillers Association, the state now ranks third nationally in the number of distilleries, at 40 and counting, and craft distilling has the potential to contribute as much as $400 million annually to Michigan’s economy. This growth spurt echoes a national trend. “When we started, there were around 20 microdistilleries in the country. Now there are over 700 and it keeps growing,” says Rifino Valentine, founder and owner of Valentine
Distilling in Ferndale and president of the distillers association “I’m excited that nationally the microdistilling movement has been gaining ground. It’s great that Detroit has really picked up on this too.” Like other microdistillers, Valentine is passionate about crafting a quality product. He worked for three years with Kris Berglund, head of Michigan State University’s artisan distilling program, to develop recipes before introducing his first spirit, Valentine Vodka, in 2008. “I’ve always appreciated products that were made by hand, in small batches,” he says. “I think it’s important to know that care, good ingredients, and a lot of effort go into a product.” Valentine’s painstaking approach — which relies on his own senses, not computerized processes, and includes using 100 percent Michigan ingredients and materials — is
validated by the long string of national and international awards his spirits have won, including the 2014 “World’s Best Cask Gin” designation from the prestigious World Gin Awards in London for his Liberator Old Tom Gin. By 2015, production had moved from the Valentine tap room to a 16,000-square-foot production facility, also in Ferndale, capable of producing 50,000 cases a year. Demand remains high for the flagship vodka and gins, as well as Valentine’s White Blossom Vodka — vodka infused with elderflower and grapefruit — and Woodward Ltd. Bourbon. Valentine’s spirits are sold in seven states, Canada, and even Europe, and there are more products coming, including a rye whiskey. But for Valentine, it’s about even more than creating world-class beverages. It’s also about the revitalization of a great American city. “One of my main premises at the beginning was to be a catalyst to bring manufacturing back to Detroit,” he says. “That’s why it’s particularly satisfying that so many others have jumped on board to make the city a haven for distillers.” Distillation City “So many others” now includes three distilleries in the city proper. In November 2013, Two James Spirits in Corktown became the first licensed distillery to open in Detroit in nearly a century. Two James was soon joined by Our/Detroit on Bagley Avenue and Detroit City Distillery in Eastern Market; both opened in August 2014. Two James is the brainchild of friends Peter Bailey and David Landrum, who named the company after their fathers. With partner Andrew Mohr, they converted a former taxi repair shop on Michigan Avenue into a distillery and tasting room, where they produce and sell 28 Island Vodka, Old Cockney Gin, and three whiskeys. Distiller Joe Lordon is always working on new things, recently introducing Absinthe du Nain Rouge, named after that diminutive bane of the city. Two James spirits are available at more than 300 retail outlets throughout the state. Our/Detroit is unusual in two
ways: First, it was born out of an international concept called Our/ Vodka from French conglomerate Pernod Ricard, which developed a single recipe and tasked affiliates from Berlin to Amsterdam to Seattle to, yes, Detroit, with producing the vodka using their own local ingredients on stills designed by corporate engineer Vincent Hoarau. Second, it’s run by an all-woman team, consisting of strategist Kate Bordine, distillery manager JeanMarie Morrish, and sales director Lynne Savino, who are looking to “bring authentic Detroit flavor to the brand while strengthening our mission to invigorate Detroit through community engagement, outreach, and celebration.” Mixed cocktails, along with the bottled product, are available at the open, minimalist tasting room; retailers throughout Michigan also carry Our/Detroit Vodka. There are eight people — friends from Bath (Michigan, not England) — behind Detroit City Distillery, a production facility and tasting room located in a 2,700-square-foot former slaughterhouse on Riopelle Street near Eastern Market. The partners include distiller J.P. Jerome, a former Bell’s brewer with a Ph.D. in microbiology, and Michael Forsyth, a retail development manager for the Detroit Economic Growth Corp. Detroit’s underground history during Prohibition informs everything from the low-key, exposed-brick speakeasy vibe of the tasting room to the names and labels of DCD’s localgrain-based spirits, which include Railroad Gin, Two-Faced Blended Bourbon, Gilded Age Vodka, and Bloodline Whiskey, the latter two of which won bronze medals at the American Distilling Institute’s 2015 competition. Growth by design Whence cometh all this growth among microdistillers? Most are quick to point to the success of their craft beer brethren as a catalyst. “Here in Michigan, we have great agricultural resources and a ripe audience that’s already been groomed by the local craft beer guys for a new industry like this,” says Rich Lockwood, owner and distiller at the area’s newest micro, Royal
Oak’s Motor City Gas, which opened in March 2015. “I have no doubt we’ll see craft distilling continue to take flight the way the craft beer industry has.” But legislative changes have also greatly aided the microdistilling movement’s growth. At the time of Valentine’s debut, the state began to relax and simplify some of the stringent post-Prohibition laws relating to distilling. The 2008 repeal of a law allowing only fruit-based spirits to be distilled meant not just vodka but also whiskey, gin, and other liquors were fair game. The cost of a license for microdistilling — defined as producing 60,000 gallons
cess to high standards and unique processes, including the use of artesian spring water from Hemlock and obsessively fine filtration. Looking ahead There are, of course, thorns among the roses. Despite a relaxation of some rules, many state and federal hurdles remain, according to Valentine, including some of the highest state liquor taxes in the country. At the federal level, local microdistillers making small batches are taxed the same as the big international concerns, who “spill more in a day than I produce in a year,” he says.
Rusted Crow Spirits
or less a year — was lowered from $1,000 to $100. Perhaps most importantly, a law allowing distillers to sell their spirits on premises directly to consumers opened the door to all the tasting rooms we see today. “Most states with distilleries do not allow tasting rooms, but Michigan does,” says Joe Schebel, founder and owner of Rusted Crow Spirits in Dearborn Heights, which opened in 2015. “You basically have a bar on site and people can come in and try a sample or buy mixed cocktails — you can’t do this in places like Washington, Illinois, or Florida.” Schebel’s spirits — which can be found in over 700 locations around the state — have also been garnering accolades. Rusted Crow’s Detroit Steam Vodka took “best of category” at the American Distilling Institute’s 2015 blind tasting, while Ginstache Gin earned a bronze medal. Schebel attributes this suc-
“Microdistilling is a new industry that a lot of people are not familiar with, so there are lots of hurdles at every step along the way,” says Motor City Gas’ Lockwood, who makes a variety of whiskeys available only from his Royal Oak tasting room. “Michigan can also make opening a microdistillery quite a bit more difficult than a brewery or winery, especially for smaller self-funded microdistillers like us. Overall it’s getting easier, but more needs to be done to make things easier, especially for the small guys.” But Schebel notes that, regardless of what the politicians do or don’t do, the genie is out of the liquor bottle — and it’s not going back in. “The market is going to increase,” he says. “Michigan is a highly entrepreneurial state, so if there’s money to be made, business will follow.”
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Seasonal sensations
Eight Michigan craft brews for winter spring, and beyond by MT staff
Late winter and early spring see a bevy of beer releases, but some are really worth celebrating. Here are a few. This year started off with a bang thanks to the buildup for Hopslam Ale from Bell’s Brewery. It’s a double IPA brewed with Michigan honey, and at 10 percent ABV, it packs a wallop. To meet the brewery’s already busy production schedules, it was released in cans this year, only the sixth Bell’s beer to bypass the bottle, but the first to come out in a six-pack. February is usually the last chance for Motor City Brewing Works’ Belgian Tripel, a classic Belgian-style golden ale that’s fruity and a bit spicy with a kick somewhere north of 9 percent ABV. It can be had in a sixpack of bottles up to a halfbarrel Sankeystyle keg. St. Patrick’s day marks the end of winter, making it the perfect time for craft brewers to release their Irish reds. Not all brews will be on store shelves, but you’ll be able to pick up a growler of Corktown Red at the award-winning
Dragonmead in Warren. But the malt-forward Red from Royal Oak’s Axle Brewing Co. is in the can. March is also when Founders Brewing Co. releases its Breakfast Stout, a seasonal ritual that gets beer dorks hot and bothered. It’s breakfast-like, with flaked oats, chocolate flavors, and two coffee notes, it’s like fresh-roasted coffee and syrupy pancakes in a bottle. Plenty of fans of Bell’s get keyed up for the spring release of Bell’s Oberon. For almost 20 years, Oberon has helped soften resistance to craft beer with the sun-splashed pale wheat ale that bears floral and citrus flavors. For many Michigan beer nuts, its release is a rite of spring. In all the fuss over wheats and wits, one thing that often gets overlooked in the spring is maibock, a traditional German springtime beer. That’s a shame, because Atwater Brewery’s Mai Bock may be one of the brewery’s best beers. Lovers of Detroit-area beer have more than seasonal bottles to look forward to in 2016. Kuhnhenn Brewing Co. is expanding into a new taproom in Clinton Township, scheduled to open by the
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space snowmobile is some of the silliest art yet, but in addition to being a moderately bitter brew with citrus and floral accents, the beer is gluten-free. It turns out the Brewer’s Clarex Short’s used to knock out chill haze also gobbled up gluten as well.
beginning of March. When that happens, the brewery will be releasing its sought-after DRIPA in four-packs of 12-ounce bottles. Literally a “Double Rice IPA,” it won the IPA Gold Medal at the 2012 World Beer Cup. And while it’s not technically seasonal, Space Rock, the newest beer to join the flagship line of the ever-flavorful Short’s Brewing Co., is worth a closer look. Yeah, the hipster riding a
Ron Gurdjian behind the bar at Tom’s Tavern.
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Drink in some history
Detroit’s historic neighborhood bars make their last stand by Peter Larson
As more and more metro Detroiters flock to places like the Oakland and Wright and Co. for craft cocktails artfully prepared by mixologists with perfect beards, there’s a class of Detroit bars that has been almost forgotten in this rush to elegance. Abick’s Bar While the 5:01 p.m. crowd leaves Quicken Loans and walks over to Punch Bowl Social to share a giant, glass globe of booze and a game of ping-pong, Eric Lakeman wonders if he’ll have to dip into his savings again to keep the doors open at Abick’s Bar in Southwest Detroit. Abick’s is one of the last of a dying breed, a true neighborhood bar. It’s also a member of Detroit’s Century Club — bars that have been open in the city for more than 100 years. It sits on a corner in a residential area, only a neon sign in the window sets it apart from the rest of the houses. Eighty years ago, the bar had huge plate glass windows in front, but according to Lakeman,
after the Detroit riots in the 1960s, insurance companies mandated that bars had to remove large panes of glass. They were forced to brick them over and replace them with smaller, thicker glass blocks. Lakeman will tell you he doesn’t know as much of his bar’s history as he should, but when you talk to him, his knowledge flows like the draft beer that pours out of the taps at his back bar, which was installed by Stroh’s Brewery and is complete with Tiffany glass light above. If you get him talking long enough, he’ll show the photos of numerous members of his family who worked the bar over the years. If you’re really lucky, you might even get him to tell you about the secret hatch in the ladies room where he found a few Prohibitionera liquor bottles or the four barrels of liquor he found below his building. He says they are three-quarters full and almost certainly from the years alcohol was outlawed in the United States. Abick’s is a Detroit gem. It’s also
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empty most of the time. “We are doing what we can,” Lakeman said. “It gets tough. There are some times at the end of the month you are looking at your ledger and you just have to sigh.” But Lakeman keeps on. He’s got to. It’s in his blood. Abick’s has been in Lakeman’s family for six generations. It was handed down to him from his grandmother, Manya Abick-Soviak, who tended bar almost until the day she died at age 91. “This bar is our family,” Lakeman said. “Not just family in terms of blood, but the family that comes in here. Our customers are our family. And I know a lot of places say that, but here they really are. People come here to visit. We’ve had everything from weddings to wakes here. There have been more babies crawling around on that pool table out there than you can shake a stick at because this is our family.” Times aren’t easy. Abick’s gets business from historic bus tours that feature some of the oldest bars in Detroit, but Lakeman says
he also credits other bar owners as well, as word-of-mouth is one of his most effective marketing tools. And he passes it on, reminding customers to go check in on Melissa at the Carbon Club and Mary at the Two Way Inn. He knows it’s not easy, but he doesn’t care. His family knows what it takes to persevere. “Maybe I’ll have to eat Spam and eggs for awhile,” he says. “But come and check on us in five years. We’ve been here since 1907. There aren’t many places that can say that.” Lakeman says that staying power is important and rare, and not something that many places in “New Detroit,” will experience. “In five years, how many fucking quail egg and kale burgers are you going to have here? You need more than glitter and flash,” he says. “You need people who give a shit, not people who are just pulling in to make some money.” So for now, Lakeman is doing his thing. He’s visiting with his family of customers, he’s planning his
bar’s biggest event, an auction that raises money for children with leukemia (it’s on March 11), and doing what he can to make that family of customers a little bigger. Oh, yeah, and if you go, don’t mind the dog. That’s just Shadow, he barks at most of the newcomers. The Two Way Inn Mary Aganowski has a similar story, but different in its own ways. Aganowski owns the Two Way Inn, which opened in 1876 and is Detroit’s oldest bar. Nestled sleepily on the corner of Nevada and Mount Elliott streets, the Two Way Inn has the distinction of being the oldest bar in the city to continually serve alcohol, even during Prohibition. “I remember talking with the woman who owned it before my dad bought the bar,” Aganowski says. “I asked her how the bar stayed open during Prohibition and she said, ‘Well, there was a dentist who rented the upstairs.’ As a girl, I just figured he helped pay the rent.” Years later, Aganowski learned that there were certain people, namely doctors and dentists, who would write prescriptions for medicinal alcohol. “They would write prescriptions for, like, four shots of whiskey an hour,” she says. “Isn’t that wild?” Agnowski’s father bought the bar in 1973, when she was 17. She’s been working and running things there ever since. In the 43 years that have passed, she says much has changed. “The neighborhood changed a lot,” she says. “It used to be so walkable. The seniors would drink until 2 a.m. and then walk right on out, turn the corner, and wave goodbye and say, ‘See you tomorrow.’ You can’t do that here anymore.” Despite changes, much remains the same. “The people don’t change much. About every 10 years a new group rolls in. Some of the older people don’t come in as much, and those that are a bit younger start coming more. You make bonds with these people. It’s like a family.”
Tom’s Tavern In January 2014, some thieves drove a truck into the back wall of Tom’s Tavern. They stole some booze and caused a great deal of damage. It wouldn’t have been out of the realm of possibility for the place to close its doors. Located on a stretch of Seven Mile Road near Washburn Street, it’s not in a great part of town. It’s been a bar for 88 years; in the last few of decades, it’s seen several break-ins, damage from scrappers, and even a devastating fire. But owner Ron Gurdjian preserveres. “No. Never,” he says when asked if he thought of shuttering after the 2014 break-in. “That kind of stuff is going to happen. But we deal with it.” At 76, Gurdjian might be the most senior bartender in Detroit. He stands behind the bar at Tom’s, which is fabulously slanted, and sells beer to an abnormal amount of people, considering the sketchiness of the neighborhood. The bar was originally opened in 1928, by Tom Lucas. Gurdjian said he frequented the bar as a kid, but never really saw himself as a bar owner. Until Lucas died. “That’s when I realized I didn’t want Tom’s to go away. And here we are, still going in 2016,” says Gurdjian. He credits his loyal patrons for his bar’s success in remaining open for so long. “Without them, I’d be dead in the water,” he says. “This place would have been closed long, long ago.” The bar is gearing up for its biggest night of the year, its annual Babe Ruth party, which celebrates the birthday of the legendary baseball player (Feb. 6). Gurdjian says the party will pack the bar, which, given its size, doesn’t seem like much of a feat. “You’ll see,” he says. “It’s going to be one hell of a party.”
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DRINK 526 Main / Tequila Blue 526 S. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-591-9000; 526main. com: Sit down and enjoy pianists at the lower-level dueling piano bar at 526 Main or party upstairs at Tequila Blue. The dual-level club offers guests two different experiences all under one roof. B. Nektar Meadery 1481 Wordsworth, Ste. B, Ferndale; 313-744-6323; bnektar. com: B. Nektar goes beyond the traditional honey wine, exploring other variations to create a one-of-a-kind mead. Briggs Detroit 519 E. Jefferson Ave., Detroit; 313-656-4820; briggsdetroit. com: Opening shop in October 2015, Briggs offers 22 beers and two alcohol infusions on tap, burgers and a never ending stream of various sports games. The Butter Run Saloon 27626 Harper Ave, St Clair Shores; 586-675-2115; butterrun.com: Vintage decor, extensive bourbon, whiskey and scotches, craft cocktails.
Gator Jake’s Bar & Grill 36863 Van Dyke Ave., Sterling Heights; 586-9833700: Bright, breezy sports bar serves Cajun and Southwestern fare, plus darts, pool, and live music. Green Dot Stables 2200 W. Lafayette; 313-962-5588; greendotstables. com: Thriving atmosphere, with eclectic sliders, fries, and an inexpensive, expansive beer selection.
Northern Lights Lounge 660 W. Baltimore St., Detroit; 313-873-1739: This stylish bar and performance venue in Midtown has excellent drinks.
Grizzly Peak Brewing Co. 120 W. Washington St., Ann Arbor; 734-7417325; grizzlypeak.net: Award-winning beers include several on-tap Weissbiers and ales during the summer months.
Oakland Art Novelty Company 201 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-2915295: To many, simply “the Oakland” — the concept is high-class, pre-Prohibition-style cocktails.
Gusoline Alley 309 S. Center St., Royal Oak; 248-545-2235: Local dive bar features plenty of cheap booze and eats. Bring coins to play with the big ‘ol jukebox and crank out those timeless tunes.
The Old Miami 3930 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-831-3830: Quirky dive vet bar, live shows, terrific backyard, access permitting.
The Inn Place 917 N. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-547-6051: “You’re only a stranger once” at The Inn Place. The cozy bar and grill satisfies your food cravings regardless of the time of day.
Centaur 2233 Park Avenue, Detroit; 313-9634040; centaurbar.com; An Art Deco masterpiece of a martini bar in the historic Iodent Building. Located in the heart of Detroit’s sports and entertainment district.
Jolly Pumpkin Cafe and Brewery 311 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-913-2730; jollypumpkin.com: Jolly Pumpkin’s award-winning Belgian-style ales sometimes outclass the real thing in worldwide competitions.
The Double D Bar and Grill 240 N. River Rd., Mount Clemens; 586-2310134; thedoubledbar.com: Great local sports bar on the river with plenty of sexy servers waiting to pour you a tall cold one. Serves salads, sandwiches, calzones and more. Dragonmead 14600 E. 11 Mile Rd., Warren; 586-776-9428; dragonmead. com: Award-winning, stylish microbrewery with a lounge and a bar, often live entertainment. Elektricity 15 S. Saginaw St. Pontiac; 248-599-2212; elektricitymusic.com: The very best in EOM every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday night. Falling Down 2270 E. 10 Mile Road, Warren; 586-799-2739; fallingdownbeer.com: Microbrewery with tweaked American bar food that pairs well with its craft beers.
Motor City Wine 1949 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-483-7283; motorcitywine. com: Hundreds of bottles of wine, tasting room, outdoor patio and pop-ups and live music.
Griffin Claw Brewing Company 575 South Eton St., Birmingham; 248-7124050; griffinclawbrewingcompany.com: Well known for their World Beer Cup champ Norm’s Raggedy Ass Ale.
Cadieux Cafe 4300 Cadieux Rd., Detroit; 313-882-8560; cadieuxcafe.com: Classic Belgian bar with food (mussels, frites), live music and feather bowling.
Corktown Tavern 1716 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-964-5103; corktowntavern. com: Home to a $2 menu, Corktown Tavern is a bar and grill serving good eats and drinks at affordable prices. There’s live music every Friday and Saturday.
Motor City Brewing Works 470 W. Canfield St., Detroit; 313-832-2700; motorcitybeer.com: This brewpub is a local favorite, with a quirky tiled interior, affordable Wednesday-night art shows, and a sturdy menu of pizzas and more.
Kuhnhenn Brewing Co. 5919 Chicago Rd., Warren; 586-979-8361; kbrewery. com: Microbrewery is one of Michigan’s largest, serving beer, wine, mead and soda, some with kick-in-the-face flavor. The Last Word 301 W. Huron, Ann Arbor; 734-585-5691; thelastwordbar.com: In addition to its well crafted drinks, the bar also offers a refined food menu. Majestic Cafe 4120 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-833-9700; majesticdetroit. com: More than a restaurant, the wraparound bar has a full line of spirits. Mash 211 E. Washington, Ann Arbor; 734-332-6046; mashbar.net: A bourbon, whiskey and beer bar that brews its own beer in the cellar and offers creative cocktails, live entertainment and whiskey tastings. Monk Beer Bar 419 S. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-544-6250; monkbeerabbey. com: Belgian-style restaurant honors Belgium’s tradition of brewing in its monasteries. Menu offerings include mussels served five ways, waffle sandwiches and duck fat fries.
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Old Shillelagh 349 Monroe Ave., Detroit; 313-964-0007: Downtown party palace is a madhouse on St. Patrick’s Day, but excellent on any day, with its rooftop patio and game-day shuttles. One Eyed Betty’s Beer Bar and Kitchen 175 W. Troy St., Ferndale; 248808-6633: Craft beer bar, with hearty, meat-oriented menu. Try their gargantuan burger gilded with garlic aioli, cheddar and applewood smoked bacon. O’Tooles 205 W. Fifth Ave., Royal Oak; 248-591-9226: Casual public house with an Irish-American bar menu, high-defenition televised sports, theme nights and a quaint stone fireplace. Peet’s Coffee and Tea 17043 Kercheval Ave, Grosse Pointe; 313-499-9891; 1423 E. Stadium Blvd., Ann Arbor; 734680-8086; peets.com: Hailing from the West Coast, Peet’s serves handcrafted coffee, tea, and espresso drinks. PJ’s Lager House 1254 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-961-4668; pjslagerhouse. com: Pleasant old-time dive pub near the downtown area with live, local music in an intimate side room. Rusted Crow Distillery 6056 N. Telegraph Rd., Dearborn Heights; 313551-4164: Old-fashioned cocktail spot pouring inventive drinks in a distillery with a charming, vintage vibe. Sabrage / Bistro 82 401 S. Lafayette St., Royal Oak; 248-508-1970 or 248-5420082; sabrageroyaloak.com or bistro82. com: A premier nightclub and lounge on the weekends and an upscale, French restaurant for the rest of the week, Bistro 82 offers guests an exquisite dining experience while Sabrage hosts the after party.
Schramm’s Meadery 327 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-439-5000; schrammsmead.com: Local mead expert Ken Schramm’s own meadery serves his special creations. Small’s Bar 10339 Conant St., Hamtramck; 313-873-1117: One of the greatest mid-sized stages in town, Small’s often hosts local noisemakers, punk heavies, and hardcore comebacks. Sugar House 2130 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-962-0123; sugarhousedetroit.com: Seasonal craft and classic (as in pre-Prohibition) cocktails, rotating selection of beers and fine wines. TAP MGM Grand Detroit Casino, 1777 Third St.; 313-465-1234; mgmgranddetroit.com/tap: Bets on being a better sports bar and succeeds; there’s room for more than 300 people matched by a gazillion TVs. Third Street Saloon 701 W. Forest Ave., Detroit; 313-831-3434: Longtime neighborhood tavern has recently been reborn as a college-area bar, with a super-secret tiki bar in back. Town Pump 100 W. Montcalm, Detroit; 313-9611929; thetownpumptavern.com; A classic, ivy-covered tavern that’s the perfect place to enjoy a cocktail before a show or game in the historic Foxtown district. Two James Spirits 2445 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-964-4800; twojames. com: Located in Corktown, Two James offers handcrafted drinks with a focus on using local products. Valentine Distilling 161 Vester Ave., Ferndale; 248-269-9951; valentinedistilling.com: Valentine is a must-stop for those who enjoy a cozy space with a dash of mystique and a superb craft cocktail made with Valentine’s awardwinning liquors. Vinology 110 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-222-9841; vinowinebars.net: The Jonna family’s Ann Arbor sophisticated wine shop aims and succeeds at educating people about wine. Vinotecca 417 S. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-544-6256; vinotecca.com: Enjoy fine wine and maybe learn a thing or two from knowledgeable waiters. Ye Olde Tap Room 14915 Charlevoix, Detroit; 313-824-1030; yeoldetaproom. com: Marvelous beer selection. Literally hundreds of beers.
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music
We hold our own An instant lesson in the history of Detroit hip-hop by Kahn Santori Davison
Metro Times’ own hip-hop expert Kahn Santori Davison takes us on a tour of the four distinct eras of hip-hop music in Detroit: 1980-1992: The Jerry Flynn Dale era Many Detroiters over 60 will tell you music died in the Detroit area when Berry Gordy moved his franchise to the Golden State back in 1972. If that was a true “death” for music in this city, then the 1980 opening of Future Funk Records was its rebirth. Future Funk was a neighborhood record store on West Seven Mile Road. I was there when a young aspiring emcee named Jerry Flynn Dale befriended the owner. “Every weekend, Jerry would put out this makeshift stage on the sidewalk and play instrumentals; we would come up there to rap,” says Kalimah Johnson (aka Nikki D). “Flynn” first made beats on a four-track machine in his bedroom. But in 1985 he opened Def Sound Studios in Detroit. “Def Sound was the first studio that was designed for recording hiphop artists,” Dale says. “Rappers didn’t have anywhere to record back then. Local studios thought rap was dangerous, and wanted nothing to do with it.” The landscape was also dangerous. While Johnson tells stories of rocking shows at Harpos and the Grand Quarters, she says that other shows often ended in violence. “It seemed everywhere we went and tried to rap, it was a shootout,” she says. The east side of Detroit was building its own foundation in hip-hop with the help of James “The Blackman” Harris. Harris was a teenage DJ who had toured with
MC Shan, LL Cool J, and Marley Marl in the early ’80s. He used his basement as a lyrical playground for teenage emcees to hone their skills. By halfway through the 1980s, Detroit’s own unique sound had been crafted. There was the trunk-rattling bass of Kaos and Mystro’s “Mystro on the Flex,” the hardcore street realities in Detroit’s Most Wanted’s “City of Boom,” the addictive hook in Merciless Ameer’s “A Day Without a Rhyme,” and the sophisticated gangster swagger of A.W.O.L.’s “You Don’t Want None of This.” Prince Vince sampled Detroit’s own Parliament Funkadelic in “Gangster Funk” years before Dr. Dre and the West Coast artists did, while Champtown sounded like the perfect mixture of Biz Markie and Eminem (whom he influenced). As dope as all this music was, the man responsible for making sure it was heard on the radio was DJ Bill T. Billy T spent his early years on Detroit radio in the last fleeting era before corporations took over station playlists. He used his popular shows, Billy T’s Basement Tapes and The Rap Blast, to expose listeners to Detroit’s talented crop of emcees. Detroit made noise nationally but never kicked the door in. Not a single star emerged from the scene (outside of outlier Flint’s MC Breed), but serious careers did get started. Boss found success with Def Jam, Smiley was the first female emcee to go gold, and Awesome Dre was the first Detroit emcee to be featured on Yo! MTV Raps and BET’s Rap City. “Even though we were trying back then, I just don’t think people took to the Detroit sound,”
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Detroit’s rap roots are obscure, but worth finding, such as Kaos & Mystro’s “Mystro on the Flex.” Johnson says. Dale feels his era has been left behind. “The next generation forgot about them,” he says. “We have a throwaway society, so we throw away people all the time. People just forget.” 1993-2000: The Hip-Hop Shop era You could put the talent pool of the Hip-Hop Shop-era artists next to any in the country. In many ways, the artists from the Hip-Hop Shop era accomplished everything their predecessors failed to. Big Proof won the 1998 Blaze battle and scored a 1999 “Unsigned Hype” feature in The Source magazine. Royce da’ 5’9’ signed with Tommy Boy, Phat Kat signed with Pay Day (Jay Z’s first label), Eminem and D-12 signed with Interscope, Slum Village signed with Barak/Capitol, and Dilla began making beats for A Tribe Called Quest and the Pharcyde. But before all the record deals and a movie called 8 Mile, there was Maurice Malone’s HipHop Shop. The Hip-Hop Shop was located right next door to the alreadyshuttered Future Funk Records storefront. Malone and Jerome Mongo together owned the spot; they sponsored historic freestyle battles every Saturday. MAHD, who grew up going to the Shop with his older brother Black Milk, was a regular. “It felt like a whole different world,” he says. “Seeing cats freestyle and compete to show who was the coldest emcee in the room was dope.” This was one of a string of
spots, including Saint Andrew’s, Cafe Mahogany, and the Rhythm Kitchen, that showcased hip-hop on different days of the week. “Detroit hip-hop matured in the Hip-Hop Shop era,” says writer Khary Kimani Turner. “Prior to that, there was a perception that the music industry didn’t recognize Detroit.” But it all really came down to the beats and the rhymes. Dilla was a technician on the SP-1200; Waajeed was soulful; and the legendary battles and ciphers are still talked about. “ They know all of us overseas,” SuperEmcee says. “All of us from that Dilla/ Hip-Hop Shop ilk have fans in Europe.” There were also outliers: Several emcees who crafted their own path without feeling like they had to be a part of certain crews. Esham built up a following releasing his own personal brand of “acid rap” as early as 1989. Kid Rock was becoming “Kid Rock” while ICP had taken a page out of Esham’s book. “I respected all the rappers who were at the Detroit Hip-Hop Shop; I just built my own lane and went in a different direction,” says Russell Colvin, the CEO of Fallen Angelz Ent. and Paypa Boi Ent. 2001-2008: Bloodshed and activism The early 2000s saw the emergence of Black Lagoon, King Gordy, Moody, PL, Street Justice, Budda Bless, Njeri Earth, Stretch Money, Finale, Athletic Mic League, and Quest MCODY. A rapper named Invincible arguably
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became the best emcee from Detroit not named Eminem. She used Detroit Summer (a nonprofit organization) to fuel her fire to change the world via youth mentoring, grassroots activism, and politically charged lyrics. “I’m more interested in those into rap and hip hop who are interested in making a community,” she told Metro Times in 2008. As hard as Invincible and likeminded emcees were fighting to make Detroit a better place, chaos was surrounding Detroit’s hip-hop scene. Proof and Royce pulled guns on each other in June 2004. Three months later, Wipeout of the Eastside Chedda Boyz was murdered. In April 2005, Blade Icewood was murdered. And eight months later, Obie Trice was shot. The city, the culture, the artists all had to look in the mirror and hit the reset button. “Reflecting on the aftermath ... I think on one end it polarized communities even more,” says Khalid El-Hakim, former vice president of Proof’s Iron Fist Records. “But, it also gave space for some artists to come out of the shadows and flourish. I was with Proof in Europe in 2005, when Royce did a couple of shows and to be able to see two men work out that tense situation and then tour together was a great example of how any Detroit hip-hop beef needs to be resolved.” The mid-2000s also took J Dilla away in 2006; he died from a blood disorder. Two years later, Flint’s all-star artist MC Breed died of kidney failure. And the next year, Slum Village member Baatin died of a cocaine overdose after a long battle with mental illness and substance abuse. Detroit hiphop artists were forced to look at the value of mental and physical health. 2009-Present: Danny Brown and the era of social media The more things change, the more they stay the same. The terms “gangsta rap” and “backpack” have been replaced by “trap”
and “boom-bap.” Danny Brown is a lyrical beast, a king of the underground who still collabs with Eminem. The “Air Up There Hip-Hop Series” at Bob’s Classic Kicks was (and is) one of the best hip-hop showcases in years. But the Internet has changed the way artists fraternize. There’s not that one spot everyone kicks it at. Today, connections and relationships are established online before artists even hit the smallest stage. Studios are home-based and a free software-made beat might just make you incredibly popular overnight. The old heads don’t understand how the new kids can get 5,000 Twitter followers, while the new kids don’t understand how the old heads ever sold cassettes out of the trunk of a car. All of which brings us to today. And we just might be said to be experiencing the very best era of Detroit hip-hop yet. Why? Because everyone is still going strong, and the injection of new blood is incredibly refreshing. Because Phat Kat and Guilty Simpson are still releasing projects. Because Jerry Flynn Dale is recording. Because Proof’s mother Pepper Holton represented the culture until her death last year. Because Dilla’s mother Maureen Yancey keeps her son’s legacy going strong. Because Trick Trick is still going. Because Elzhi and Royce haven’t stopped. Because Big Sean chased Kanye West down for a record deal. Because DeJ Loaf and Detroit Che are continuing Detroit’s strong line of female emcees. Because of Cold Men Young, Pierre Anthony, Chavis Chandler, Valid, Captwolf, D.S. Sense, djkage, MAHD, Leaf Erikson, Nametag Alexander, Sheefy Mcfly, Angel Haze, Doughboyz Cashout, Kash Doll, and Boldy James. Emcee and beat-maker Nolan the Ninja says it best: “If you look at Detroit artists from the past and present, we’re fearless. We hold our own, and many respect us off of that.”
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music
Up in the Club Detroit’s hottest dance nights by Stephanie Brothers
It’s a beautiful thing when people share in the primal, near hedonistic urge to dance their asses off in a crowded room. Suddenly, our post post-modern malaise slips away, the glowing cellphone screens disappear, and all that matters is executing some awkward moves while bumping into sweaty, gyrating strangers for the next three hours. In fact, uninhibited booty-shaking is the cure for most matters of the heart, from breakups to grieving over dead rock stars. So in the spirit of moving your body, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite, vogue-inspiring dance nights in and around Detroit. The Bang! @ Blind Pig The Bang! is a nonstop, anything goes mixtape dance party that has been going strong since 2001. Fifteen years later, it’s pretty safe to say they’ve perfected the craft of encouraging folks to dress up, dance, and get ridiculous. If you’ve missed the last “Ninja Bang,” “Space Bang,” and “Pizza Bang,” you’re probably going to want to check out the upcoming “Love Bang,” in honor of Valentine’s Day. What you’ll hear: A mix of the classics, (the Ramones, Iggy Pop, and Bowie) and whatever’s new, danceable, and fun. Without fail, the closer is “Bang Bang” by Squeeze. When and where: Monthly (check website for details) from 9:30 p.m. to 2 a.m., at the Blind Pig, 208 S. First St., Ann Arbor; 734-996-8555; blindpigmusic.com $8 admission; 18 and older. Haute to Death @ Temple Bar Haute to Death founders Jon Dones and Ash Nowak must have had Iggy Pop’s “Nightclubbing” on the brain when they started this decadent dance party eight years ago in the tight confines of the infamously gritty Temple Bar. Sweaty, carefree
dancing, loud fashion, and vibrant party personalities meld together to the beat of new wave, Italo disco, electro, post-punk, and much more. What you’ll hear: Anything from Ministry to Midnight Star. “If it makes us move, we play it,” says Ash Nowak. When and where: The third Saturday of every month, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.; Temple Bar; 2906 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-832-2822; hautetodeath. net; $2 before midnight, $3 after; 21 and older. Populux Detroit’s roots in techno, house, and Motown soul come together in this sleek, bass-thumping incarnation of the former Magic Stick. Three bars, VIP bottle service, and an LEDilluminated dance floor complement nightly DJ sets by EDM legends and up-and-coming underground artists alike. What you’ll hear: A lot of local love, from Kevin Saunderson and Derrick Carter to Stacey Pullen and Matthew Dear. Where: Populux; 4120 Woodward Ave., Detroit; populuxdetroit.com; $5 admission; 18 and older. Grasshopper Underground Less is more when it comes to the nightly parties at Ferndale’s Grasshopper Underground, a lounge with an old-school warehouse feel, a great sound system, and an eclectic array of electronic DJ talent spinning ghetto-tech, dubstep, techno, and a whole lot of house. What you’ll hear: Hard-hitting basement thumpers, from Juan Atkins to DJ Assault and Claude Vonstroke. Where: Grasshopper Underground, 22757 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248298-0330; $5 admission; 21 and older. Movement Festival Detroit’s biggest dance party is
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Macho City
celebrating its 10th year under the direction of Paxahau this Memorial Day weekend. So, it’s not surprising that the producers are pulling out all the stops with big-deal headliner Kraftwerk and their phenomenal 3-D act. If you weren’t inspired to brush up on your German after raving with a bunch of Berliners for 72 hours straight, you’ve got a good reason now. What you’ll hear: New and classic, local and international electronic artists from Mike Huckaby to John Digweed, Caribou to Four Tet. Where and when: Saturday, May 28 to Monday, May 30, at Hart Plaza, at the foot of Woodward Avenue, Detroit; movement.us; weekend passes are $135; 21 and older. Macho City @ Rivets Macho City DJs Mike Trombley, Jeffrey Sfire, and Scott Zacharias deliver choice cuts of classic disco, house, and techno at one of the most renowned and beloved gay parties around. Each month, expect a diverse dance floor (read: CCS kids dancing next to leather daddies, etc.) with an appeal that goes far beyond the LGBT party scene — a true testament to the power of disco. What you’ll hear: Disco that transports you back to the legendary club days of the Muzic Box and Paradise Garage. These guys are good. Where & When: Monthly; Rivets; midnight to 5 a.m.; 7525 Fenkell Ave., Detroit; $5 admission; 21 and older. Something Cold @ UFO Factory The industrial digs of UFO Factory provide the perfect setting for DJ Justin Carver and Dan Stolarski’s fogcoated, coldwave dance party. This all-vinyl set explores the genres of minimal-synth, post-punk, coldwave,
industrial, and experimental music, and often culminates with a visceral live act. What you’ll hear: DAF, Bauhaus, Nitzer Ebb, Cabaret Voltaire, with a touch of New Order. When and where: Every third Thursday of the month from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., at the UFO Factory, 2110 Trumbull Ave., Detroit; somethingcold.com; no cover; 21 and older. “We Can’t Be Friends”: Miscellaneous Crates @ Donovan’s Julian Kendall from Hello Records gathers his friends and they indulge their expansive music tastes with emotionally charged dance tracks that fall outside the realm of the mainstream, yet get you moving and shaking all the same. What you’ll hear: According to Kendall, “There is more of a focus on slow pressure dance tracks, hard-tofind ’80s boogie-funk records, cosmic disco, early house and techno, plus some newer records. We’re keeping it weird.” Where and when: Every third Sunday of the month from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. at Donovan’s; 3003 W. Vernor Hwy., Detroit; no cover; 21 and older. Monday Is the New Monday @ Motor City Wine Bar Resident DJs Ryan Spencer, Charles Trees, and Ben Saginaw serve up the jams, while guest chef Julian Spradlin serves up Asian-inspired vegan goodies, like cold sesame peanut noodles and organic miso soup with tofu and wakame. Where and when: Every Monday from 7 p.m. to midnight, at Motor City Wine Bar, 1949 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-483-7283; motorcitywine.com; no cover; 21 and older.
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life (“Jennyoke” on Sundays) to any random sampling of local or touring acts. Artists who record for Hardly Art, Sacred Bones, Holy Mountain, Trouble in Mind, and Captured Tracks are liable to play at this understated venue. The fancy hot dog menu is actually worth trying, and if you order a side of Tater Tots remember you can put a fried egg on top of it to really satisfy cravings. Don’t forget to take a selfie in the mirror of the bathroom while there; that’s a thing, apparently. Open 11 a.m.-2 a.m. daily; 2110 Trumbull St., Detroit; ufofactory. com.
On any given night Detroit nightlife is always simmering, and sometimes cooking by Mike McGonigal
Jazz newcomer Marcus Elliott regularly performs at Cliff Bell’s.
Are you in the mood to check out some really good music, whether it’s a weekly jam session or a cool bar with a heavy schedule of solid local and traveling talent? Basically anything except for hip-hop and dance music? (Already expertly discussed elsewhere in our Annual Manual.) From stages where jazz is alive to venues where rock has never died to intimate clubs where folk is revived on a daily basis, we have got you covered with these six can’t-miss clubs. Scoping it all out PJ’s Lager House is always a great first spot to hit early in the evening. Their food is far better than the average fare, their bar staff has far better music taste than any DJ on the local airways (save for AM 580), and drinks are reasonable. It’s centrally located just on the edge of Corktown headed toward downtown on Michigan Avenue, and is populated by friendly Detroiters who’ve probably lived here for more than a few years. The bands that play PJs tend toward the rock, blues, folk, and garage spectrum, and more often than not are venerable locals. So, if you do enjoy the music, just
hang out. But if you’re looking for something else, you’re liable to get expert advice on what’s going on that night from anyone within an earshot. Owner PJ even operates a B&B space above the bar if you really want to stay there, literally. Open 11 a.m.-2 a.m. MondayFriday, 10:30 a.m.-2 a.m. SaturdaySunday; 1254 Michigan Ave., Detroit; pjslagerhouse.com. The buzz band hive Marble Bar is one of the newest additions to Detroit’s nightlife, catering to alternative rock, dance, and hybrid forms of both. Don’t worry that it looks sketchy when you arrive; not only does Marble Bar regularly employ security on the periphery of the venue, but it’s super nice inside. The venue has ample space for people to lounge and chat in between acts, notably in the beautifully restored wooden alcove above the stage area. However, it’s not really a place you want to be if you’re not in love with the music going down on the spacious main level, so make sure this is a show you want to be at before you enter. That’s because the well-connected owners of Marble Bar have installed a
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menacingly state-of-the-art sound system. Open 9 p.m.-2 am. Daily, 1501 Holden St., Detroit; 313-551-3158. Sweet sounds of jazz Cliff Bell’s is such a well-run and sophisticated spot. Detroit is so lucky to have this swanky, restored art deco joint that pairs a creative, eclectic menu with live jazz on stage nightly. The cocktails are not cheap, but there’s so much care put into each one that it’s definitely worth it. Here is where you take someone you want to impress. The quality of the music is on par with all else; it may not be revolutionary, but it’s always very damn good. Open 4 p.m.-midnight TuesdayThursday, 4 p.m.-1 a.m. Friday, 5 p.m.-1:30 a.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday; 2030 Park Ave., Detroit; cliffbells.com. Rock ’n’ roll connoisseur The UFO Factory just might be your best single bet for a spot to have a great night out, if you’re looking for underground rock music. All varieties of new, loud, and fun music happen here, from the greatest karaoke event of your
Get folked-up To say that the Ark in Ann Arbor is a local institution is barely touching the surface. The storied folkster hangout recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. If you’re thinking of checking out one of the national troubadours who perform at this low-key but kind of swank spot, be sure to do your best to get those tickets early; events here tend to sell out quickly. The crowd is a nice mix of old and young devotees, and their attentive disposition is contagious. What we mean is, you probably don’t want to bring any bachelor parties here. Open most days at 7:30 p.m.; 316 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; theark.org. Expert’s choice Trinosophes doesn’t have events every night of the week, but they often hold events on the weekends. At most of them, an employee of the venerated Peoples Records will be on hand to open the store in-between acts. Experimental, unclassifiable sounds that straddle the lines between jazz, folk, noise, ethnic, improvisational, and rock-based sounds are the norm here, which is basically to say that there is no norm. Spacious and chronically underattended, one often feels like a Trinos show is your own private performance. Just roll with it, and enjoy. Open most weekends at 9 p.m., 1464 Gratiot Ave., Detroit; trinosophes.com.
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music The Ark 316 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-761-1451: A nationally known acoustic and folk music venue since 1965. Seats 400 many of its 300 live performances each year are sold-out. City Club 400 Bagley St., Detroit; leylandcityclub.net: This 20-year-old nightclub is best known for its industrial nights.
The Old Miami 3930 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-831-3830: This quirky dive bar is a Detroit institution. The live shows rock the house. Check out the terrific backyard, access permitting.
Detroit Institute of Music Education 1265 Griswold St., Detroit; 313-223-1600; dime-detroit.com: The DIME is a full-service school teaching the art and business of becoming a musical superstar.
PJ’s Lager House 1254 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-961-4668; pjslagerhouse. com: Pleasant old-time dive pub near the downtown area with live, local music in an intimate side room.
Detroit Opera House 1526 Broadway, Detroit; 313-872-0614; motopera.org: Home of Michigan Opera Theatre.
Record Graveyard 2610 Carpenter St, Hamtramck; 313-870-9647: Buy, sell and trade vinyl jazz, soul, blues, and Motown records from the 1920s to the 1960s and much more.
Detroit Symphony Orchestra 3711 Woodward Avenue, Detroit; 313-5765100; dso.org: Founded in 1887, known for performances in collaboration with world-renowned artists and its commitment to Detroit. Elektricity Nightclub 15 S. Saginaw St., Pontiac; 248-599-2212; Elektricitymusic.com: A one-of-a-kind mecca for EOM fans, with artfully crafted cocktails, innovative beats and an atmosphere to mingle with friends and soon-to-be friends. Filmore Detroit 2115 Woodward Ave, Detroit; 313-961-5451; thefillmoredetroit. com: Historic Detroit entertainment venue in the heart of the entertainment district. Grasshopper 22757 Woodward Ave., Detroit; thegrasshopperunderground. com: In a basement adjoining Ferndale’s busiest intersection, Grasshopper packs in electronic dance fans and some of the world’s most popular DJs. Jazz Café at Music Hall, 350 Madison St., Detroit; 313-887-8500: Billed as “Detroit’s best-kept secret,” this venuewithin-a-venue is a cool café featuring jazz, poetry, and the occasional burlesque show. The Machine Shop 3539 S. Dort Hwy., Flint; 810-715-2650; themachineshop.info: One-stop destination for entertainment that can include hard rock, metal, even cage fights and comedy. The Magic Bag 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-544-3030; themagicbag. com: Smallish, cozy, club with cabaretstyle seating draws national acts. Majestic 4120 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-833-9700; majesticdetroit.com: Venue that contains the Magic Stick, the Majestic Theatre, the Majestic Café and the Garden Bowl bowling alley.
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Northern Lights Lounge 660 W. Baltimore St., Detroit; 313-873-1739: A stylish bar and performance venue with several regular residencies.
Small’s Bar 10339 Conant St., Hamtramck; 313-873-1117: One of the greatest mid-sized stages in town, Small’s often hosts local noisemakers, punk heavies, and hardcore comebacks. St. Andrew’s Hall 431 E. Congress St., Detroit; 313-961-8137; saintandrewsdetroit.com: Since the 1980s, this downtown venue has hosted national rock shows. Stormy Records 13210 Michigan Ave., Dearborn; 313-581-9322; stormyrecords. com: A record shop with a twist. Featuring the occasional in-store performance. Street Corner Music 26020 Greenfield Rd., Oak Park; 248-967-0777; streetcornermusic.com: Detroit music lovers have kept the record store going strong for the past 20 years. The Token Lounge 28949 Joy Rd., Westland; 734-513-5030; thetokenlounge. com: Want to see a kickass show? Head to the Token. This live rock venue is loud, heavy and ready to party. UHF 512 Washington Ave., Royal Oak; 248-545-5955; uhfmusic.com: This record store has already established itself among the greats. University Musical Society 881 North University Ave., Ann Arbor; 734-764-2538; ums.org: Heading into its 136th season, UMS is one of the oldest performing arts presenters in the country, committed to connecting audiences with performing artists from around the world. University of Michigan School of Music, Theater and Dance 1100 Baits Drive, Ann Arbor; 734-764-0583; music. umich.edu: Founded in 1880, the school has programs in dance, music, musical theatre, and theatre.
ARTS & CULTURE
Culture shock
From prewar grandeur to postindustrial grit, Detroit has plenty to look at Story and photos by Tom Perkins
Upon jumping out of a cab and looking toward the skies during his first visit to Detroit, New York Times architecture critic Robert Sharoff was startled and struck by what he discovered. “It was like Oz with the lights out,” says Sharoff, in what is perhaps one of the best descriptions of 1990s downtown Detroit. Indeed, the city possesses a cinematic quality that comes with a concentration of extravagant art deco and neoclassical architecture. Detroit rose on wealth amassed from the automobile industry in the early 1900s, eventually growing to be the nation’s fourth largest city in the 1920s through the 1940s. Then came the bust, and depopulation left some of its jewels in various states of disrepair, though no less spectacular. The wide open space and ample elbow room that came with depopulation also created an environment where artists could produce large installations, sculptures, and collages entwined with the environment that feel, like the city’s architecture, so uniquely Detroit, and contribute to its visual appeal. Here’s a short list of some of the unusual architecture and installations that one can easily access by car. The Heidelberg Project What in the world could a roughly six-block indoor-outdoor art installation cobbled together over the decades with discarded junk, debris, found objects, and “magical trash” that’s arranged on, over, under, and through vacant lots, sidewalks, aban-
doned houses, occupied houses, sidewalks, and streets possibly mean? Well, above all, it’s fun. Who doesn’t love hanging out among homes covered in vacuum cleaners, shoes, polka dots, and records? And there’s truly nothing close to similar to the corner of the universe artist Tyree Guyton’s carved out in Detroit’s struggling east side. But there’s more to it. Guyton started painting the abandoned houses around his own home in the 1980s as a means to ward off crack heads who turned the derelict structures into drug dens. That then evolved into the Heidelberg’s larger “war against urban blight,” and Guyton sought to call attention to the neighborhood’s condition. However, a blight war rankled community members across the spectrum from neighbors (who some suspect are behind a recent string of arsons at the project) to mayors, and the Heidelberg is something of a controversy magnet. But it has continued to grow and evolve into a broader community nonprofit that, in the words of Guyton, seeks to “inspire people to appreciate and use artistic expression toe enrich their lives and to improve social and economic health of the greater community.” Guardian Building Wirt C. Rowland, the Guardian’s architect, is Detroit’s answer to Barcelona’s surrealist master Antoni Gaudí. He dubbed his 40-story downtown tour de force the “Cathedral of Finance,” setting out to create a skyscraper as
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See over-the-top monuments to departed Detroiters at Woodlawn Cemetery.
elegant and exciting as Europe’s great cathedrals. Like Gaudí, he succeeded in dreaming up and building a remarkable, fantastic, unmatched, and weird world. Detroit’s Pewabic Pottery produced the tiles that create the building’s Native American motif, as well as the intricate tile work in the two-story, half-dome entrance that portrays progress through flight. The exterior is a combination of terracotta and orange limestone pulled out of a Tunisian mine opened just for the Guardian project. Woodlawn Cemetery Ford, Dodge, Groesbeck, Cobo: Those are some the last names of the bones in the ground at the 140-acre cemetery on Woodward and Eight Mile’s southwest corner. The bodies of Rosa Parks
and James Jamerson now rest in the cemetery. Stevie Wonder and Diana Ross have both planned a Woodlawn interment. If you’re a Motor City hotshot, this is the ground for you. And the final accommodations are what one would expect for the rich, famous, and powerful. A small village of ornate mausoleums larger than some apartments line small roads and offer a sort creepy “Up North” feel in the areas around the lakes and creeks. It’s a cemetery full of “neoclassical hubris” as one blogger put it. The fancier departed’s memorials, stones, and mausoleums include stained glass windows, weeping angels, Greek columns, ornamental obelisks, four-story crosses, columned domes, 20-foot Mary statues, stone elephants, stone lambs, a woman’s bust carved
into a gravestone, life-sized men in mourning, and two proud Sphinxes that guard the Dodge family’s gravesite. Masonic Temple The temple is more evidence of Detroit’s love of the over-the-top during the 20th century’s early decades. The 16-story Masonic Temple, built in 1922, is the largest of its kind in the world at 12 million cubic feet. The sootstained Indiana limestone exterior and Gothic design make for an intimidating and fun building. Its walls are adorned with the psychedelic stonework of Bill Gehrke, whose statues include demonic and distorted figures, shields with Masonic symbols, Egyptian imagery, and other highly detailed work by a man considered to be among one of the last master sculptors. Highland Park’s Highland Towers One of the nation’s art deco treasure troves is in Highland Park’s Woodward corridor. During the 1920s, the city became a fashionable spot for the automotive companies’ white-collar workers, and it also holds the Detroit area’s highest concentration of apartment buildings. None are more ornate and elegant than the Highland Towers, a trove of intricate tile and stonework blending Spanish Revival and deco styles. In 2015, several urban explorers discovered clear evidence that the building also holds the world’s
first underground parking garage. Sadly, the Highland Towers met the same fate as many of Highland Park’s jewels — several years of vacancy before a fire gutted the majority of the building. Log Cabin of Palmer Park Believe it or not, Palmer Park holds Detroit’s only log cabin. Built in 1885 from oak trees with bark still on (a rarity), the home was a summer cottage for lumberman and U.S. Sen. Thomas Palmer. He donated the 120 acres of land on which the cabin sits to the city in 1893, and it was subsequently turned into a park. As an added bonus, the cabin is next to the Detroit police’s horse stables, and within eyeshot of a derelict lighthouse, grandiose abandoned handball courts, and the Palmer Park Historic Apartment district. Frank Lloyd Wright’s Turkel House It wasn’t long ago that one could grab a 40-ounce of malt liquor and go hang out inside the Turkel House, an example of Wright’s Usonian style. Fortunately, the home, at 2760 W. Seven Mile Rd., sold to a Birmingham couple for the basement bargain price of $400,000, and is in the process of being restored. Viewed from the outside, the Turkel is an exceptional work of modernism, even for Wright. The communal living room looks like a wonderful place for a hip party, but Metro Times managing Palmer Park’s log cabin presents an unexpected glimpse of Midwest as frontier.
Hamtramck Disneyland
editor Michael Jackman writes that the rest of the house is a “labyrinth of narrow hallways and 2-foot-wide doorways concealing bedrooms, bathrooms, and other small rooms. You feel like you’re aboard a ship or a railroad car rather than inside a 4,000-square-foot house.” Hamtramck Disneyland Over the span of seven years, Dmytro Szylak pieced together the surreal folk art collage/installation in his backyard and atop two neighboring garages in a dense Hamtramck neighborhood. His love of pop culture and Elvis is evident. Propellers, wooden ducks, Santa Claus figures, a homemade wooden helicopter, rocking horses, wooden soldiers, toy guns, lawn ornaments, Mickey Mouse, wooden missiles, a large tiger figure, and all other variety of oddities painted nearly every color under the sun are stacked and attached to one another. The project, built between 1992 and 1999, was spontaneous — Szylak never designed the Hamtramck Disneyland, or drew up plans and blueprints, but continued adding to it as he saw fit. And that makes the fact that it doesn’t come tumbling down all the more impressive.
Zug Island Industry built Detroit, and driving back on Springwells Court affords one the rare opportunity to get up close and personal with an industrial spectacle. The island simultaneously looks like the past and the future. Smoke stacks belch huge billows of white smoke. Flames continuously shoot into the air. Piles of petroleum coke make the air scratchy. The deafening noise sounds as if 100 freight trains are racing 100 fighter jets around the island. The panoramic view of the island is mesmerizing, terrifying, beautiful, disgusting, depressing, and incredible at the same time. The noise is apparently so loud it’s causing strange, audible vibrations in Windsor. Windsor city leaders asked Zug’s tenants to stop making so much noise. They and the American government said no. Most of the 325-acre island, which is situated where the Detroit River meets an industrial drain called the Rouge River, is dedicated to a U.S. Steel production facility. DTE Energy and a rail company also operate on the island, and a now-abandoned Honeywell chemical plant also takes up space. While its fascinating, don’t stay long. The Free Press reports six of the state’s 10 most polluted ZIP codes sit near the island.
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ARTS & CULTURE
Detroit Artists Market
Detroit on your wall
Art buyers can still find great deals in the city
ioned way, featuring the work of artists from Detroit and the rest of the state.
ware, but their tiles remain popular. At $20, a lover’s knot tile can make an unusual accent in a fireplace, or up on the mantel.
by MT staff
Believe what you read in the national press, especially given the arrival of New York’s Galapagos space, and and you’ll figure artists began to flock to Detroit just a few years ago. Luckily, they’ve always been here, and continue producing a body of work that often comes at a bargain price. Here are some likely places to look for good deals on a relative shoestring. This Week in Art For almost a decade, Motor City Brewing Works has hosted a consistently popular art night each Wednesday. It’s called “This Week in Art,” and it features working Detroit artists offering smallerscale work than usual. And some of the artists have been local heavy hitters, including Robert Sestok, Gilda Snowden, Carl Oxley III, Gwen Joy, and Glenn Barr. It’s
also a great place to meet local folks into art. Detroit Artists Market Long before people talked about “emerging artists,” the Detroit Artists Market was pursuing its mission of being a market of art made by Detroiters. Since 1932, DAM has done that and more, offering educational programming, mounting art exhibitions, and offering everything from large-format work to giftsized work. Signal Return 1345 Division St., Ste 102, Detroit This letterpress shop, founded in 2011, aims to preserve the craft of letterpress printing by teaching workshops. They also have a retail area where they sell original edition prints made the old-fash-
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Pewabic Pottery 10125 E. Jefferson Ave., Detroit Co-founded by artist and teacher Mary Chase Perry Stratton in 1903, Pewabic Pottery is more than a ceramic studio. These days, it’s a nonprofit school and studio, designated a National Historic Landmark in 1991. But Pewabic has long been known for its shimmering glazes, and its tiles adorn many of downtown’s grandest skyscrapers. Some are even on exhibit at the Louvre in Paris. They sell vessels and dinner-
Detroit Urban Craft Fair Every December Handmade Detroit puts on the biggest crafter bazaar of the year: the Detroit Urban Craft Fair. It hosts 100 vendors and takes place inside the Masonic Temple. The two-day event allows shoppers to peruse goods that might otherwise only be able to buy online, to meet with crafters, and generally enjoy the company of other DIY- and craft-lovers. The CCS Student Exhibition The College for Creative Studies students spend all year making work for this end-of-the-year exhibition, and collectors come early to snatch up paintings, photographs, sculptures, and more from tomorrow’s great artists and designers. The opening reception is also a great opportunity to drink wine and stroll through the college’s campus.
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ARTS & CULTURE
Our Detroit arts bucket list 20 arts and culture experiences you must have in Detroit before you die by MT staff 1) Bask in the grandeur of prewar design in the Guardian Building’s mezzanine: The magnificent art deco building gets its Native American color theme from designer Wirt C. Rowland, who inlaid the 40-story treasure with colorful hues. But the interiors can be just as stunning. Drop in for a bite at the Rowland Café in the building’s mezzanine to see an almost psychedelic display of geometric shapes all around you. 2) Visit the Burton Historical Collection at the Detroit Public Library’s main branch: The Detroit landmark designed by not just one, but two Cass Gilberts (senior and junior) is a great place to do some research. But the Burton collection, with its statue-studded, open two-story room, is crowded with local history. It’s also most beautiful in the spring, when the trees on the lawn are in blossom on a misty morning, as seen through
floor-to-ceiling windows. Who says bookworms don’t get out enough? 3) See “Detroit Industry” at the DIA: If you haven’t seen it yet, what are you waiting for? Diego Rivera’s controversial mural depicts workers at Henry Ford’s Rouge complex, with workers toiling over the assembly line, amid machines that look sort of like Toltec and Aztec deities. The murals have been reviled, praised, attacked, and defended, but never ignored. Every Detroiter should spend at least a few minutes looking at this monument to the workers and technicians of the Motor City. 4) Buy a black-and-white print of a penis at The Dirty Show: You gotta hand it to Jerry Vile: He turned a jerry-rigged art event into the biggest art event in town, with thousands of hotties, horndogs, and hedonists attending over two
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weekends. Yes, sex sells, and The Dirty Show is the perfect place to buy that immodest piece of art to add a little slap-and-tickle to your walls. 5) Seduce a mate at the Detroit Opera House: An opera is rich with seductive opportunities. Yes, the unhappy endings can be a bummer. But the rich interiors and lush staging excite the senses. The tragic stories and passionate singing inflame the emotions. Plus, nothing screams class quite as deafeningly as the opera, and your date knows it. No matter what you do later that night, that person you took to the opera will have to grudgingly admit that you at least aspire to culture. 6) Admire Orchestra Hall while watching the Detroit Symphony Orchestra: Seeing our DSO, under the baton of Leonard Slatkin, is a feast for the ears. And experienc-
ing this in the historic gem that is Orchestra Hall instead of some modernist cube adds a note of pageantry not heard often enough. 7) Get freaked the fuck out at Theatre Bizarre: About 15 years ago, the Theatre Bizarre crew turned the backyards of a few cheap houses along State Fair Street into a creepy circus midway, hosting the city’s most anarchic costume party every Halloween season. The city shut them down, but they’ve only expanded into a larger, crazier anarchic costume party in an established venue. It’s often sold out months before it happens, but astute buyers can usually obtain a ticket or two. It’s worth it; the experience is about as close as you can get to Burning Man without leaving Detroit city limits. 8) Spend a day at Cranbrook: In
ART addition to the museum, the art school, as well as various other academies, there’s much else to see and experience at Cranbrook. There are few places where you can hike through grounds this beautiful, enjoying both the historic Cranbrook House as well as the manicured gardens, which are tended by a huge group of volunteers and decorated with such art as the weeping statue of Zeus. 9) See a classic movie at Redford Theatre: The atmospheric, Japanese-themed Redford Theatre still wows audiences with its imitation sky, its crowd-pleasing programming, and the mammoth organ it fires up for silent features. The movies it shows run from Hollywood classics to evenings of Three Stooges shorts. Once threatened, it’s a neighborhood jewel shined up nice and bright, thanks to the Motor City Theatre Organ Society. 10) See international cinema at the Detroit Film Theatre: Tucked away in the back of the Detroit Institute of Arts off John R, the Detroit Film Theatre has programmed a high-quality selection of hard-to-find-on-the-big-screen films for a generation or more. On any given night, chances are high you’ll see a challenging work that provides plenty to talk about over drinks afterward. What’s more, the seating is very comfortable.
Detroit environment, with vacant houses fancifully decorated with everything from political messages to colorful dots. Everybody in the region should drop in for an afternoon to see the otherworldly fantasyland, a kind of urban protest art, that has become an international destination. It’s all the more precious after being threatened by firebugs last year who systematically torched the lovingly decorated houses. 13) Enjoy the fruits of over-thetop creativity at Maker Faire: It’s an annual delight that Maker Faire touches down in metro Detroit each summer. Past years have brought such dizzying joys as a moped racetrack, homemade windmills, and a 60-foot-long metal dragon that breathes fire. The event also includes a local craft fair where you can take a bit of that creativity home with you when you depart.
to some awesome mansions built by architects such as Albert Kahn and Louis Kamper. Catch one of the community’s annual Home and Garden Tour for a peek inside some of these gorgeous homes, where you can dream about owning one. (Where else but Detroit can you buy a mansion a couple miles from downtown for $400,000?) 17) Take the Marche du Nain Rouge: In French, nain rouge means “red dwarf.” In mythology, it’s an imp with horns and a tail that heralds yet another disaster for the Motor City. But good luck remembering any of Photo by Kate Cho
film to music to performance art to such high-concept pieces as Mike Kelley’s “Mobile Homestead.” 19) See a play at the Detroit Rep: The Detroit Repertory Theatre, or “the Rep” as it’s often known, is tucked away on a depopulated stretch of Woodrow Wilson Street on the city’s west side. For more than a half-century, “the Rep” has staged several plays a year, including plenty of national premieres of topically important work. All productions have a prestige factor, with quality sets, pitch-perfect lighting design, and a tight technical ensemble that Marche du Nain Rouge
14) Browse the art fairs in Ann Arbor: Commonly known as the Art Fair, the event’s official title is actually the Ann Arbor Art Fairs, and consists of four independently juried art fairs taking place simultaneously and contiguously throughout downtown Ann Arbor. Which means that you’re sure to find just the right bit of flair to dress up your pad.
11) Meet a ton of artists at the Russell Industrial Center: Formerly the J.W. Murray Manufacturing plant, the Russell Industrial Center is exactly the kind of industrialturned-artistic space that starryeyed artsy-fartsy types are thinking of when they talk about Detroit’s changing economy. The sprawling complex is home to more than 100 artists, from glass blowers to clothing designers to screen printers.
15) View an ofrenda at Detroit’s day of the dead: Celebrate the Mexican tradition of ofrenda altars by visiting Southwest Detroit on Day of the Dead. Traditionally decorated with ornate sugar skulls, flowers and favorite foods, mementos and pictures of the deceased, contemporary ofrendas are created as a way to pay homage to not only people but also places, moments in time, ideas, and events that people feel are worth commemorating. It’s popular art at its purest.
12) Try not to burn down the Heidelberg Project: This neighborhood-turned-art project created by artist Tyree Guyton is an only-in-
16) Check out some sweet cribs in Indian Village: One of Detroit’s most historically affluent neighborhoods, Indian Village is home
that by the time you’ve marched in this costume parade and poured into a nearby bar to drink with revelers. Thought up spontaneously several years ago, this costumed shindig draws droves of young Detroiters hoping to chase the city’s bad times away. Add to their numbers. 18) See art designed to resonate in Detroit at MOCAD: You won’t always see a whole lot of Detroit art at MOCAD, as the city’s contemporary art museum mostly draws an exciting array of today’s international art stars. But the repurposed old warehouse off Woodward Avenue hosts programming intended to engage the people of this city, and it ranges from wall hangings to sculpture to
keeps productions at the Rep ontime and humming. 20) Dress as your favorite comic book character at the Motor City Comic Con: Look, comic book guys: You probably spend 364 days of the year embracing convention and perhaps even conservatism. So when the Comic Con rolls around, screw it: Dress up like the Green Lantern and spend two months’ rent on the first appearance of Ghost Rider. Hit on a girl who’s dressed like Power Girl, obviously a professional model and waaay out of your league. But, who knows, she might admire your gumption. And your spandex.
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SHOP
Counter culture 10 shops you’ll only find in the Detroit area by MT staff
People are fond of saying, “Detroit is different.” Indeed it is. And its richness often comes from the “only in Detroit” things it has to offer. Here are 10 shops that we challenge you to find equal to anywhere else.
used-book business for essentially his entire working life. To find a used bookseller of this volume, you’d have to visit the Strand in New York (but you’d still find King’s staff more helpful).
Architectural Salvage Warehouse 4885 15th St., Detroit; 313-8968333; aswdetroit.org Detroit is famous for its demolitions. Every year, thousands of buildings come down, from the mundane to the magnificent. But not all of the pieces end up in landfills. The good people at the nonprofit Architectural Salvage Warehouse painstakingly deconstruct buildings to save appealing architectural details. Those items are resold to the public at dramatically reduced prices. Buyers can look over bathroom vanities, clawfoot tubs, chandeliers, windows, vintage doors, doorknobs, lumber, bricks, wood floors, fireplace mantels, granite countertops, whole kitchens and everything in between, all the way down to saving the real iron nails used in historic construction. Open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. TuesdaySunday.
Vault of Midnight 219 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734998-1413; vaultofmidnight.com For more than 15 years, this downtown Ann Arbor shop has served as a one-stop shopping destination for geeks of all varieties. Not only does it carry a large selection of graphic novels and comics, from decades-old rarities to the latest mainstream titles and hard-tofind small-press issues, but it also stocks a vast supply of vinyl toys, action figures, and, especially, tabletop games. If a game involves rolling dice, spinning wheels, advancing tokens, or picking up cards, chances
John K. King Used & Rare Books 901 W. Lafayette Blvd., Detroit; 313-961-0622; kingbooksdetroit. com For decades, the hulking downtown warehouse has been a treasure trove, boasting a collection of “1 million books, give or take a dozen” in more than 900 subjects. The store’s hand-painted sign and giant glove (a nod to the building’s days as a glove factory) are an iconic sight for those taking the freeway downtown, and the store has a reputation the world over. Presiding over the collection is John K. King himself, a man who has been in the
are it’s available at Vault of Midnight. And, frankly, if you haven’t paid attention to tabletop gaming in the last 10 or so years, you should see all the creative new games on the market. (It ain’t all Monopoly anymore!) Plus, the staff at Vault of Midnight don’t just know their stuff, they live and breathe it. Peoples Records 1464 Gratiot Ave., Detroit; 313831-0864; peoplesdetroit.com Packed to the gills with rare
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The Detroit area offers shoppers rare beads at Dabl’s (top right) and snazzy dice for tabletop gaming at Vault of Midnight (below left). Photos by Lee DeVito
soul, jazz, R&B, and rock, Peoples Records is known worldwide as a key spot for record hunters. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, but they leave you alone to dig as you want to. But if you ask what weird funk record they’re playing, you’re likely to get a graduate
seminar-level response. And there’s literally a European TV crew in the store filming once a month. They’ve bounced around Midtown for the last decade, but have found a cozy home at Trinosophes, with a huge bank of boxes with 45 singles. City Bird 460 W. Canfield St., Detroit; 313831-9146; ilovecitybird.com This charming boutique features work from local artisans that includes jewelry, housewares, cards,
apparel, and accessories. It arrived on Canfield six years ago before the strip got super hip with Shinola, Third Man Records, and Jolly Pumpkin. It’s worth it to stroll through and see a lovingly selected stock of locally made wares, and maybe sneak over to Motor City Brewing Works for a pint. Bob’s Classic Kicks 4717 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-832-7513; bobsclassickicks.com Words like sneakers, trainers, and tennis shoes simply don’t describe the range of wares at Bob’s Classic Kicks. Yesterday’s sturdy, athletic footwear has become today’s bold fashion statement. But Bob’s has them both: classic designs from Nike, ASICS, Puma, Adidas, Reebok, and other brands, as well as more bombastic, colorful, and trendy styles. In Detroit, kicks are serious business, and Bob’s keeps its shoe game tight. The store stocks stuff for men and women, along with clothing, hats, and other accessories. Open noon-7 p.m. MondaySaturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Dabls’ African Bead Gallery 6559 Grand River Ave., Detroit; 313-898-3007; mbad.org
SHOP Olayami Dabls’ African Bead Gallery and MBAD Museum is part of a sprawling outdoor art installation near Grand River Avenue and West Grand Boulevard. The site includes impossible-to-miss buildings covered in pieces of mirrors and brightly colored paint, a sculpture garden made out of reclaimed materials, and traditional African statues. It has been more than 15 years since Dabls set out to create what is now arguably one of Detroit’s most iconic destinations. But underneath all the art, Dabls remains African bead collector and salesman. Some of the beads in his collection are more than 300 years old.
Photo by Luanne Lin
Detroit Threads 10238 Joseph Campau Ave., Hamtramck, 313-872-1777 If you’re a fan of Detroit techno, and looking for the clothes, the music, and the accessories to let it shine, your first stop should be Detroit Threads. Proprietor Mikel Smith is a native metro Detroiter who was embedded in rave culture throughout the 1980s and 1990s. After almost two decades in business, his humble shop has become hallowed ground for visitors the world over. And when the electronic hootenanny known as Movement takes over Detroit’s Hart Plaza, many global electro fans will make the pilgrimage to his Hamtramck shop.
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Polish Art Center 9539 Joseph Campau Ave, Hamtramck; 888-619-9771; polartcenter.com Are you or somebody you love a member of that international community that shares Polish heritage? It’s called “Polonia,” and it has left its mark on the city-within-a-city known as Hamtramck, which until the 1990s was majority Polish. You can choose from a selection of its cultural artifacts at the Polish Art Center, which sells a selection of books, handcrafted boxes, wooden toys, Polish-themed T-shirts, jewelry, and other ornaments. It’s also a mom-and-pop shop, run by longtime Hamtramck residents. Henry the Hatter 1307 Broadway St., Detroit; 313-962-0970; 15616 W. 10 Mile Rd., Southfield; 248-557-7770; henrythehatterdetroit.com Has any piece of men’s apparel been so devalued as the hat? Seventy years ago, you weren’t fully dressed to go out without a lid. These days, if men wear hats at all, it’s often kids’ stuff like ball caps or wool headgear. But Detroit’s African-American community never stopped thinking of grander toppers as necessary finery, and that’s largely the reason why Henry the Hatter survives. They have it all, from hats made famous by celebrities to an attractive selection of classics, including pinch-front fedoras, trilbies, porkpies, homburgs, as well as a full selection of less ostentatious caps. Polish Art Center
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Motor City to go Take a piece of Detroit home with you by MT staff
When you visit a place like Detroit, it’s always nice to come back from your journey with a few bits of swag to spread around among your pals. Naturally, you’re going to get something bigger for yourself or those important folks in your life. But here are a few cheapies that will garner grins for whoever picks you up at the airport or fed your cats while they were gone. Trust us: They’ll hug you.
Wearing of the grid Detroit has an unusual street grid. Downtown is a honeycomb of streets based on the Woodward Plan. Then it’s an irregular waffle-iron grid that blunders north by northwest for 20,000 acres before conforming to the four points of the compass. There’s no other street grid like it. And it’s just the thing to have on a pin or a composition book. Best of all, it’s the prewar grid, with nary a freeway to be found. Get it at City Bird, 460 W. Canfield St., Detroit; 313-831-9146.
pointed out last year, “Detroit vs. Everybody” got a huge co-sign when Eminem adopted it as the title of a track he dropped in 2014, and “apparel featuring the slogan has been repped by guests on the likes of American Idol, The Colbert Report, ESPN, and Nickelodeon.” You can drop buy the water bottle for $9.99 at the retail store downtown, at 400 Monroe Ave. #340, Detroit; 313-638-2980.
Junkyard bling Rebel Nell is a store that sells jewelry and accessories made from “fordite.” While Fordite, aka “motor agate,” initially was a byproduct of painting cars with sprayers, Rebel Nell now collects fordite from graffiti laced streets in metro Detroit. It’s then turned into pendants, earrings, rings, and more. It can be found at the Peacock Room, just to name a few.
Gear for the gearhead The Speedcult brand initially started as a metal fabrication compound, making such bizarre things as a flaming backyard roller coaster, an air-cannon car, and a bicycle that shoots flames. But they also offer men and women apparel, hats, and patches that can be bought through Amazon or at Ferndale’s Rust Belt Market, 22801 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 810-441-0956.
Pole support Have a friend with Polish heritage? Help them celebrate it with a gift from the Polish Art Center in Hamtramck. Their inventory includes art pieces, greeting cards, apparel, and traditional costumes. Each item showcases Polish pride, but a T-shirt that says “You Bet Your Sweet Dupa I’m Polish” will probably win you that smile. Drop in at 9539 Joseph Campau Ave., Hamtramck; 888-619-9771.
Declare war on everybody As our own Lee DeVito
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The sweet smell of success Third Man Records in Cass Corridor has lots of stuff, but perhaps the best gag gift is this White Stripes peppermint air freshener. It’s only $3, and it really does smell like peppermint. Have a sniff at 441 W. Canfield St., Detroit; 313-209-5205.
Can’t-miss D’s The iconic old English D has gone from a baseball signifier to a broader cultural brand, appearing on rear windshields, T-shirts, even as tattoos. But check out these unusual bamboo earrings, which are available on Etsy.com at TheDTheJewelry, and they come in 1-inch, 2-inch, and 3-inch-high sizes.
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SERVICES Andrea Cartwright 24750 Lahser Rd., Southfield; 248-352-8722; detroitbankruptcylawfirm.com: Offering solutions and a helping hand to people with overwhelming financial situations, handling bankruptcy, Chapters 7 and 13, creditor harassment and more. BCS Coatings 14885 Taconite Dr., Sterling Heights; 586-256-0275: Residential, commercial, and industrial customers seek out BCS for the finest interior and exterior paint and epoxy floors. Body Relief 4U 16060 Eureka Rd., Southgate; 734-324-8840; bodyrelief4u. com: Specializes in working the kinks out tired muscles with services that include chair, foot, table and sense therapy massages. Campbell Ewald 2000 Brush St., Ste. 601, Detroit; 586-574-3400: Advertising and marketing firm headquartered in Detroit, with offices in L.A., New York, and Texas. Detroit Orthodontic Specialists 407 E. Fort St., Ste. 502, Detroit; 313-769-2030; detroitorthodonticspecialists.com: Few people look forward to seeing to their teeth, but this bright, airy, modern space downtown makes it look almost like fun. Douglas J Aveda Salon 500 E Liberty St., Ann Arbor; 734-222-5416; 230 N. Adams Rd., Rochester Hills; 248-841-2188; douglasj.com: A unisex salon offering a variety of hair treatments as well as professional styling. Elite Ink Tattoo Studios 25543 Van Dyke Ave., Center Line; 586-217-3328; more locations in Warren and Dearborn Heights: Professional, experienced tattoo artists with more than 20 years of experience. Essential Massage Therapy 22941 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-5475428; emtherapy.com: Staffed with fully licensed therapists, this is the place to go for a massage that’s specifically catered to your health needs. Hardline Tattoo 18617 Fort St., Riverview; 734-225-6323: High-quality tattoo and piercing company where the artists know their stuff, offering custom designs and great atmosphere. JC Jones Bootcamp 2239 Fenkell St., Detroit; 13560 McNichols E., Detroit; 313-342-8195; jcjonesbootcamp.com: Fitness training facility that offers services that include kickboxing, zumba and spin classes.
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Lola Salon 23908 Woodward Ave., Pleasant Ridge; 248-399-0104: This is a salon that also produces its own product and offers to create a program to put unhealthy hair back on track.
Men on the Move locations in Wayne (734-744-9547), Oakland (248-354-2525), and Washtenaw counties (734-913-9966), as well as Downriver (313-292-MOVE): Full-service moving company services residential and commercial accounts, provides free quotes, and even climatecontrolled storage. Michael L. Steinberg Royal Oak 248-542-1010; mikesteinberglaw.com: Personal attention with a lawyer experienced with criminal defense law – from drunk driving and drug possession to violent crime defense. Mike Dezsi 615 Griswold St., Ste. 1600 Detroit; 313-879-1206; dezsilaw.com: Dezsi has handled and argued dozens of appeals at the federal courts for the Courts of Appeals, and in trial and appellate courts. Pinnacle Drug Treatment Ann Arbor Treatment 4673 Washtenaw Ave., Ann Arbor; 734-544-1523; annarbortreatment. com; 34208 Van Dyke Ave., Sterling Heights; 586-554-7136; sterlingheightstreatment.com: Outpatient drug addiction treatment programs offer the tools to rebuild physical health, mental health, and healthy relationships. Plymouth Dental Associates 42801 Schoolcraft Rd., Plymouth; 734-4202326: Founded in 1963, PDA has it all: general dentistry, board-certified specialists, a friendly environment, and a unique partnership with U-M. Rocket Printing rocketonestop.com: Your one-stop shop for all sorts of printing services, including stickers, business cards, brochures, calendars, and more. Royal Oak Manor 606 Williams St, Royal Oak; 248-541-4197: Located in downtown Royal Oak, this apartment complex for seniors is affordable, wellmaintained, and gives everyone a voice in decision-making. SEWD Business Consulting 313861-7156; sewdconsultingservices.com: Consulting company that explains basic business needs to new entrepreneurs, including software training, marketing, and business plan development. Thru Luna’s Eyes 513 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-545-5413: Full-service hair salon trained in precision cutting, permanent and temporary color, extensions, dreadlocks, thermal smoothing, and manis, pedis, and facials by appointment. Vintage House Banquets & Catering 31816 Utica Rd., Fraser; 586-415-5678: Offering banquet facilities for wedding receptions, bridal and baby showers, and off-site catering with more than 40 years of experience. mt
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SHOP American Jewelry and Loan 20450 Greenfield Rd., Detroit; 313-345-4000: Sure, you’ve seen the Gold family on Hardcore Pawn, and now you want to see them in real life. Get an appraisal, or leave with a treasure, even if it’s just a selfie. Area 51 16301 W. Eight Mile Rd., Detroit; 313-638-5151: Medical marijuana dispensary that’s easy to remember thanks to its outer-space mascot: a little green man. Astreins Jewelers 120 W. Maple Rd., Birmingham; 248-644-1651; astreinjewelers.com: Find both name-brand and custom designed jewelry; classic pieces as well as contemporary designs, certified diamonds and gemstones. Biker Bob’s Harley-Davidson 14100 Telegraph Rd., Taylor; 734-947-4647: At Biker Bob’s, you’ll find the very best signature Harley-Davidson apparel and pre-owned inventory. Brand313 the313brand.com: Apparel for Detroiters near and far, including Tshirts centered around the 313 area code. Bra~vo Intimates 517 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak; 248-582-7286; bravointimates.com: Visit the bra fit experts at Bra~vo Intimates. Get a fitting and feel confident in your intimates at one of the best lingerie stores in Michigan.
Danto Furniture 7701 W. Vernor Hwy., Detroit; 313-841-1200: Buy furniture, appliances, and computers at a familyowned business founded in 1940. Dearborn Music 22501 Michigan Ave., Dearborn; 313-561-1000: With 60 years in the business, Dearborn Music has new and used CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays and vinyl covering rock, jazz, classical, and more. More than 50,000 titles, with helpful staff. A Detroit Alternative 16555 Harper Ave., Detroit; 313-571-3108; adetroitalternative.com: Get your grams straight up or baked into pastries. A Detroit Alternative offers muffins, custom cakes or banana bread. Detroit Hardware Co. 6432 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-875-0838: Dense but delightful hardware store in New Center has friendly staff, a small parking lot out back, and, best of all, is family-owned and -operated since 1924. Detroit Mercantile Co. 3434 Russell St., Detroit; 313-831-9000: A store with a great collection of Michigan-made products, both new and vintage, located in the heart of Eastern Market. Dick Blick 28878 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak; 248-548-7679: For generations, the Blick name has been synonymous with quality art supplies. Choose from three stores in metro Detroit.
Busted Bra Shop 15 E. Kirby St., Ste. A, Detroit; 313-288-0449; bustedindetroit.com: Custom fit, specialty Bra Boutique that carries specialty bra sizes in everyday and fashion styles.
Dixieland Flea Market 2045 Dixie Hwy., Waterford; 248-338-3220: Has more than 250 independent merchants offering antiques and collectibles.
Chronic Releaf 21651 Eight Mile Rd., Detroit; 313-693-4564: Call it a wellness center or a medical dispensary, but it all means the same thing: Caring staff, evaluation services, and access to the healing power of cannabis.
Detroit Roots 12626 E. Jefferson Ave., Detroit; 313-332-1901; detroitroot.com: Detroit Roots’ mission is to help every individual who comes through their doors by providing safe and affordable medical cannabis to patients.
Comic City 466 N. Telegraph Rd., Pontiac; 42727 Ford Rd., Canton; 7366 Haggerty Rd., West Bloomfield Twp.; 3410 West Rd., Trenton; comiccity.com: Billed as “Detroit’s graphic novel and comic headquarters,” Comic City has books, gear, novelties, shirts, even games.
Elphie Elora 206 W. Sixth St., Royal Oak; 248-556-5027; elphieelora.com: The emporium for odd items, Elphie Elora opened in 2015. The quirky shop offers a random collection of items you won’t find in any other shop.
The Cultivation Station 23529 Little Mack, St. Clair Shores; 586-775-9485; tcs-hydroponics.com: Year-round supplier of indoor and outdoor gardening and hydroponic supplies. The Cure 3845 W. Eight Mile Rd., Detroit; 313-397-2873: Indicas, sativas, hybrids, extracts, edibles, topicals, and everything else you need to find that path to health.
Emery’s Creative Jewelers 30975 Orchard Lake Rd., Farmington Hills; 248855-0433: Neighborhood jeweler offers you the chance to have it your way. Found Sound 234 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-565-8775; foundsoundvinyl.tumblr.com: Get your #tbts worth at Found Sound. The 2012 record store buys and sells vinyl, LPs and other music formats, both old and new.
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Fuego Medical Dispensary 12632 E. Eight Mile Rd., Detroit; 313-821-4350: Medical marijuana dispensary offers patients what they need, with a wide variety of stock. Funky 7 411 S. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-398-6700: A staple in Royal Oak for 17 years, this family operated business is a Detroit-themed retailer specializing in high-quality apparel. Expect Detroit sports gear, incense, posters, hats, and gifts. Gentlemen’s Consignment 623 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak; 248-5914554; gentlemensconsignment.com: Opened in March 2009, offers a wide selection of men’s designer suits, sport coats, dress and casual shirts and more. Green River Meds 24363 Grand River Ave., Detroit; 313-246-6912: State-ofthe-art medical marijuana dispensary providing holistic medicine. The Green Room 18495 Mack Ave., Grosse Pointe; 313-423-6892: Alternative and holistic health centered around strains of cannabis Hydro Giant 14455 Ford Rd., Dearborn; 313-216-8888; 21651 W. Eight Mile Rd., Detroit; 313-387-7700; 19363 Eureka Rd., Southgate; 734-281-8888; 7480 Haggerty Rd., West Bloomfield; 248661-0034; hydrogiant.com: Professional indoor garden supply center has it all: the lighting, grow media, nutrients, to grow flowers, herbs, fruits and vegetables. Kroger see kroger.com for a store near you: You know Kroger, right? It’s the country’s largest supermarket chain by revenue, and second-largest general retailer behind Walmart. And it’s all over suburban Detroit. Lover’s Lane 27246 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak; 248-549-9478; see loverslane. com for many locations: From kinky costumes to adult toys, it’s mind-blowing to see just what’s available to those looking to spice up their love lives. MB Jewelers 6600 Telegraph Rd., Bloomfield Hills; 248-356-7007; mbjewelrydesign.com: Women’s and men’s jewelry, custom designs for earrings, watches, necklaces, brooches, rings and more. Michigan Artisans 1400 E. Fisher., Detroit; 313-355-4316; michigan-artisans. org: A store with an intriguing collection of Michigan made products and services located in Eastern Market.
Modern Skate and Surf 1500 N. Stephenson Hwy., Royal Oak; 248-545-5700; modernskate.com: Royal Oak’s massive indoor skate park houses many ramps for skateboarding, skating, and scootering all year round. Mount N Repair 205 Pierce St., Birmingham; 248-647-8670; mountnrepair. com: With one of the largest inventories of jewelry in metro Detroit, Mount-NRepair provides custom designs, repairs, appraisals and more. Nature’s Alternative 15837 Mack Ave., Detroit: Nature’s Alternative is a Michigan medical marijuana clinic dedicated to helping licensed patients and caregivers gain safe access to high-grade medicine. Natures’s Answer locations in Ann Arbor (734-623-2273) and Detroit (313783-4812); naturesanswerinfo.com: Michigan’s favorite medical marijuana certification and renewal company. Naughty Time Novelty 21354 Hall Rd., Clinton Twp.; 586-465-4688; naughtytimenovelty.com: Bachelor and bachelorette party gear, gag gifts, cards, exotic dancewear, role-playing costumes, lubes, bondage gear and more. Noir Leather 124 W. 4th St., Royal Oak; 248-541-3979; noirleather.com: Buy leather goods and satisfy leather fetishes at this shop. Noir Leather specializes in S&M and bondage gear. Northern Lights Hydroponics 29090 Campbell Rd. Madison Heights; 248-4396269; northernlightshydro.net: Indoor, and outdoor gardening supplies, soil, growing media, and more; brands include Sunlight Supply, Hydrofarm, etc. Optik Birmingham 245 W. Maple Rd., Birmingham; 248-646-6699; optikbirmingham.com: Vintage and contemporary eyewear, accessories and objets d’art. The Peacock Room 15 E Kirby St, Detroit; 313-559-5500: Located in the historic Park Shelton. Houses a collection of women’s apparel and accessories inspired by vintage looks. Peoples Choice Alternative Medicine 2245 W. Liberty St., Ann Arbor; 734-3698573: Committed to helping members safely access medical cannabis in accordance with the Michigan Marijuana Act. The Pleasure Zone 35806 Van Dyke Ave, Sterling Heights; 586-722-7913: Adult store offers a full array of toys, lubes, apparel, and more.
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Record Graveyard 2610 Carpenter St, Hamtramck; 313-870-9647: Buy, sell and trade vinyl jazz, soul, blues, and Motown records from the 1920s to the 1960s and much more.
The Station 25940 Michigan Ave., Inkster; 313-561-7969: Long serving as a way-station for heads, hippies and novelty-seekers, the helpful folks here will help you light up in style.
Red Wagon 2940 S. Rochester Rd., Rochester Hills; 248-852-9307; 1613 Livernois Rd., Troy; 248-404-9999: You don’t last 50 years in the vino business by phoning it in. Both Red Wagon locations have some of the finest wines, including Michigan brands, as well as a full selection of spirits.
Steven Bernard Jewelers 22266 Michigan Ave., Dearborn; 313-5628484; stevenbernardjewelers.com: Serving Dearborn for generations, with quality selection and repair.
Royal Oak Farmers Market 316 E. 11 Mile Rd., Royal Oak; 248-246-3276: One of the premium farm market venues in southeast Michigan, with farm producers selling from an enclosed building on Fridays May through Christmas, and Saturday all year. Popular flea markets every Sunday, and a calendar of special events throughout the year. Scott Colburn 20411 Farmington Rd., Livonia; 248-476-1262; scottcolburnwestern.com: One of Detroit’s best Western outfitters, with thousands of boots for men, women and children.
Tha Head Shop Smoke Shop 737 E. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-6770178: Head shop has it all: glass pipes, vaporizers, vapor pens, oil pens, blunts, papers, and all your smoking accessories. Uptown Video 16541 Woodward Ave., Highland Park; 313-869-9477; 16401 W. Eight Mile Rd., Detroit; 313836-0647; uptownadultvideos.com: Satisfy all your adult needs, including DVDs, lotions, magazines and more. Vaporcraft 255 E. 14 Mile Rd., Clawson; 248-850-0194: Metro Detroit’s electronic cigarette experts, with discounts for military and first responders.
Spectacles 230 E. Grand River Ave., Detroit; 313-963-6886; spectaclesdetroit. com: “For those that like to stand out” is Spectacles’ motto.
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