Monday, April 29, 2013

The Week We Ate (The EID Week in Review)

This is a person who makes fun of Guy Fieri.

Eddie Huang of Vice came to Detroit, found burgers, abandoned buildings and poor people. [Eddie Huang Twitter]

Cork Wine Pub: dunzo, at least in the way in which you've known it. After a legal dispute between former partners that dragged out for what felt like forever, Cork is changing hands to the owner of the actual building, who plans on keeping it open as Cork but with a bit of concept revamping. [EID FB]

Spring fever = PATIO FEVER. Patios were all over the news and Facebooks this week; here's a few highlights: Brooklyn Street Local in Corktown is pouring themselves a proper patio; Mae's patio is now open (weather permitting); Foran's Grand Trunk Pub owner Tim Tharp gives the what-for re: the city saying they can't have a patio this summer because of the M-1 Rail construction, then saying just kidding you totally can n/m. [CBS Local]

Congratulations to the lovely (in the British sense, though I suppose also in the American physical sense too, but I meant it in the British sense) Cait James (and her equally lovely sisters and business partners) of Drought Juice on being named one of Crain's Detroit Business Class of 2013 20 in Their Twenties! [Crain's]

The Daily Meal names America's 35 best hot dogs: Lafayette Coney Island made the cut (while American Coney Island got snubbed). [Daily Meal]

I don't always support crowd-funding campaigns, but when I do, it's for someone whom I know first-hand can't just go out and get a business loan for the amount of money they need to make it happen. Rock City Pies has a space in Hamtramck and is moving along with the intent to open Rock City Eatery this summer, but owner Nik needs some help to get there all by himself. Plus there's good incentives! [Rock City Eatery Indiegogo]

St. Cece's Pub: pop-up incubator. [Freep]

A high-end national chain steakhouse has opened in BirmTroyFieldingham. Wherever. I might have even covered this before. Does anyone care? Would anyone know the difference? This one is called Eddie Merlot's, which is clever because, it's like, "Eddie" is such an everyman's name, but "Merlot" let's you know that they're serious. [MMX]

Hygrade Deli is a Detroit institution, and sadly, not one that is part of the current "comeback" narrative.  [Crain's]

Rodney Henry of Dangerously Delicious Pies Baked in Detroit will appear on the 9th season of Next Food Network Star, premiering June 2. [Biz Journals]

Also, Dangerously Delicious Pies now has a new home at the 3rd Street Bar, which is really great news for both parties (better location for DDP, plus 3rd Street will finally have food again). [Thrillist]

A lot happened in the 'burbs these last couple of weeks: Bill Roberts' new restaurant ML is now open in Bloomfield Twp., Local 212 is now open in Royal Oak, and Steelhouse Tavern is now open in Troy. [RO Patch]

The Cinco de Mayo fundraiser for the Downtown Boxing Gym Youth Program will feature food from Dave Mancini of Supino Pizzeria, Wolfgang Puck Steak's Marc Djozlija, Andy Hollyday from Michael Symon's Roast - Detroit, Will Branch from Corridor Sausage Co. and pastry chef Christina Gibbs, followed by boxing! Dinner at 5, boxing at 7. Tickets at different participating levels available through this link. [Downtown Boxing Gym]

Here's a good guide to restaurants in Hamtramck (which you can use well beyond Blowout). [Metro Times]

In case you missed it:
~La Palma Mediterranean Cuisine is now open in Midtown. [Model D]
~A list within a list (but including at least one tidbit I haven't already posted). [RDW]

Ann Arbor-based Fair Food Network is expanding its healthy food incentive program that it launched in Eastern Market Corporation 5 years ago into three Detroit grocery stores. The program will match purchases of fruits and vegetables made by those using food assistance programs and is the first of its kind in the country. [Crain's]

Detroit duck farmer Suzanne Scoville gets profiled in the Freep and her answers are once again thoughtful and hilarious. [Freep]

You know you want it: Crain's Detroit Business gives us a first look inside the new Whole Foods Market Detroit. [Crain's]

Beerie

Illinois rounding out this list of America's best craft beer states (at least Michigan beat them) ended up being only the second-most annoying thing that happened in beer this week. [USA Today]

 This was the first: 2013 Beer City USA nominations opened. Ann Arbor wanted on the ballot which, fine, okay Ann Arbor, you are special and unique, we know. Then the mayor of Kalamazoo said "US TOO!!!!" and wrangled a bunch of votes to get them on the ballot. Which is just a really, really fantastic way to split the Michigan vote three ways, and in particular between Grand Rapids and K-Zoo, which are all of 40 minutes away from each other and which could easily be considered part of a greater collective beerie region. But yeah, sure, one popular brewery (Bell's), two not-popular brewpubs (you wouldn't recognized the names if I told you), and a beer store TOTALLY make for a Beer City USA!!!!! -_- Perhaps this will be a good lesson to Michigan about sharing. Let's just all vote for fucking Asheville. And, as for next year, WARREN FOR BEER CITY USA 2014! And and: fuck you, Kalamazoo. [MLive]

At least there was this. [First We Feast]

From rumor to reality: Larry Bell will open a second brewery called Upper Hand in Escanaba in 2014. [Upper Hand Official]

Tickets to the REAL Summer Beer Festival go on sale this Wednesday. [Michigan Brewers Guild]

And here's news about the *other* summer beer fests. [Detroit News]

Props to MLive Detroit writer David Muller for wrangling all these brewers and getting them to tell him what they have planned for spring and summer. As someone who has attempted to put together lists like this multiple times and finally decided no more, I can say that brewers, bless them, are really f-ing flaky. LOVE YOU GUYS. But it's true. [MLive]

First one on this list of great IPAs from First We Feast: Bell's Brewery, Inc. (Official) Hopslam. As well it should be. [FWF]