The Week We Ate (The EID Week in Review)

Coming in April! 

ICYMI:
~This week's Young Gun is Brennan Calnin of Imperial. He has worked for Takashi and loves butter, liver, champagne, and pirates. Read his thoughts on Michigan's culinary scene and his lifelong call to the kitchen here. [EID]
~This week's Green Grocer series for Model D took me to Detroit's west side, where supermarkets are going through extensive remodels and adding energy-efficient equipment along with fresh food and low prices. [Model D]
~Here's your November news from the outer 'burbs: Great Lakes Culinary Center is now open, Buddy's Pizza has opened its first new location in 15 years in the Novi of the northeast, Troy is getting another "places for area office workers to go for a fast take-out lunch" place, and Smoke Street looks like it will be…serviceable. [EID]
~Did you miss the full episode of America's Best Bites on the Cooking Channel earlier this year when they featured Chef James Rigato of The Root Restaurant and Bar in White Lake? Fret not; the whole thing is now available to watch in four segments on YouTube and here they are. [EID]
~Speaking of James Rigato on TV, did you catch last night's episode of On the Rocks on the Food Network featuring Chef James of The Root? In this episode the team hit up The Oxford Inn of Royal Oak and re-vamped their back bar and private dining room into Lock + Key, a "speakeasy"-style bar with classic cocktails, all Kuhnhenn Brewing Co. beers on draft, and a small plates menu that Rigato helped design. The space has comfortable leather seating, its own patio for the warm months, and a cozy fireplace. Here's some photos I took there a few months ago; take a look! [EID Flickr]
~The Pursuit of Pappy: updated. [EID]
~Update: Bagger Dave's in Greektown is now open. [EID]
~EVENTS! [EID]

Are these the best (erp, "coolest") restaurants in (metro) Detroit? Well? (EID's answer: if this list was from 2010, yes.) [Thrillist]

Metro Times Detroit has been running this great series of old-school Detroit restaurant recipes, a "treasure trove" found in a Hamtramck attic (one must wonder just how many Hamtramck attics hold such treasure troves...probably most of them). Very cool stuff here from Schweizer’s Restaurant, the original Joe Muer Seafood, and the recently shuttered Caucus Club. [Metro Times]

One Starbucks closes and another opens...just a few years ago one street-level downtown Starbucks closed, only for a new location to open just blocks away. The coffee-consuming market has changed drastically since 2009, with a whole lot more independent coffee houses all throughout the city and a whole lot more people (in the CBD especially) to spend money at them. Here's a great look at how the market has evolved in that time (though it should also be noted that there is another Starbucks that just opened downtown inside the Crowne Plaza, which realistically will really only ever serve hotel guests, but still. It's there.) [Detroit News]

New bar in Eastern Market-ish area, Thomas Magee's Sporting House Whiskey Bar. [TMSHWB FB]

The Atlantic Cities caught wind of the fight to save Hamtown Farms. Also read more about Hamtown Farms founder Michael Davis here. [Atlantic Cities / UIX]

The Great Lakes Culinary Center in Southfield officially opened. It is a 20,000 square foot culinary center with a huge commercial test kitchen and indoor/outdoor event space that can be rented out for events as well as for aspiring food entrepreneurs that need access to a commercial kitchen in order to make and sell their products. It will also be used for cooking classes and demonstrations. Here's more details. [D Business / FB 101]

More on the 8,000-square-foot Mega Buddy's in the Mega 'Burbs. [Freep]

Royal Oak could potentially lose a bookstore in favor of gaining another bar. Which just speaks volumes. [Royal Oak Patch]

Wicked Donuts has officially launched inside Treat Dreams. [TD FB]

In the ongoing Matt Prentice Restaurant Group saga (once upon a time he owned a bunch of restaurants and was one of the area's top restaurant groups), a huge lawsuit was awarded against him by his former business partner. And that appears to be the end of that, as they say. [Crain's]

Crain's Detroit Business looks at La Feria Detroit by the numbers with a bit of musing on the growing culinary competition in the city. "At one point in time, not too long ago, it was good enough just to be open in Detroit." I feel like we're not *quite* past that point yet, but eventually there will come a point when we're not all Detroit-obligated to like everything that opens. (That's not to say anything bad of La Feria, just my own musing.) Also, h/t to Ben at Detroit Institute of Bagels for introducing me to the phrase "Detroit-obligated," which I am going to use excessively from now on. [Crain's]

The Root Restaurant and Bar will no longer be moving forward with plans to open a second location in Howell. This isn't a reflection on their business or lack of desire to expand; owner Ed Mamou has recently had some significant growth opportunities with his recycling business and is focusing his time and energy on that. Chef James Rigato, in the meantime, will continue to make the Root his focus with more Young Guns and other theme dinners, cooking classes, and work with nonprofits. [Livingston Daily]

Bigalora Ann Arbor opens today! For those keeping score, this is Ann Arbor's bajillionth pizzeria, but one of very few in this elevated Neapolitan style (MANI Osteria + Bar being the only real comparison). [Freep]

The Oakland gets a shout-out from Liquor.com for their selection of rare spirits. [Liquor.com]

What's it like for someone from LA to move to Detroit? Shinola's Daniel Caudill shares some of this favorite spots in his new home city with Sight Unseen. Eastern Market Corporation, art, architecture, the whole nine. [Sight Unseen]

After a fire shut down the popular JBaldwins Restaurant-Catering in Clinton Twp. earlier this year, renovation work is moving along steadily and the restaurant will be even better than it was before once it's all done. Check out some renderings here. [J Baldwins Official]

Detroit SOUP's efforts at expanding into neighborhoods gets some coverage in the Detroit News. [Detroit News]

And Ann Arbor SOUP is now also a thing. [A2 SOUP]

MenuTest.com, a local tech startup developed at Grand Circus in downtown Detroit, will help restaurants train and test their staff more efficiently. [Model D]

The Daily Meal reminds us that Traverse City is awesome. [The Daily Meal]

U MAD, CHICAGO? [The Daily Show]

Interesting look at not just foods but also food processes that are banned in the United States. One must also wonder why Massachusetts, New York, and New Mexico choose to specifically single out Flamin' Hot Cheetos and not their nuclear orange sibling, regular Cheetos. RAYCESS. [Thrillist]

Beerie
~Why is branded glassware in bars such a big deal? Crain's Detroit Business has the full report (and, as is the case regarding any kind of alcohol legislation in the state of Michigan, it's...complicated). [Crain's]

~First look: Bell's Brewery, Inc. (Official) Oberon and Two Hearted can designs - coming in April. Best Brown, Winter White, and Smitten to follow. [Bell's Official]

~Drink beer? There's an app for that! [Apppicker]

The Week(s) We Ate (The EID Week in Review Double-Header pt. 2)

ICYMI (um, for next year now I guess):
Here are many ways to avoid the Dream Cruise entirely. And for whatever reason they all seem to revolve around beer. I like beer. Also zombies. There's a thing about zombies. And pop-ups because pop-ups. [EID]

And then there were four. [Hatch]

Sometimes I bury really good nuggets of information in my posts just to see if you're paying attention. I've determined that you're not, but other local media persons damn sure are. So here's more on the new Kuhnhenn Brewing Co. production facility that will be opening in Clinton Twp. (as well as a new take-out location for Bad Brad's). [Macomb Daily]

Bistros fare better than big restaurants in Birmingham, in part because of a shift in customer interests, but also because of the much higher overhead with larger spaces. Crain's Detroit Business checks in with Commonwealth, TOWNHOUSE, Social Kitchen + Bar, and Forest Grill to see how their model of smaller spaces with plenty of outdoor seating and more casual atmospheres attracts more customers. Now the question is...how does this bode for the Stand? [Crain's]

DRW announced their fall dates (Sept. 20-29, FYI). [DRW]

No one does XTREME foods better than Detroit! And, really, are we at all surprised by this? HEY, let's have a food festival dedicated entirely to fried foods! EXTREME fried foods!!! [MLive]

Also, Michigan's biggest contribution to the world of chain restaurants is Domino's Pizza. But hey, at least we're not Illinois. [Thrillist]

First pumpkin beers, now cider mills are opening for the season. Well, the end of summer isn't ALL bad. Yates Cider Mill is now open! [Yates FB]

Lock and Key, the new lounge inside the Oxford Inn that was redone by Food Network Extreme Makeover: Bars, is now open for your judgement. [Detroit News]

Famous person drinks coffee. [Freep]

Looks like Ferndale is getting a big new development that will likely become four storefronts, which means, more likely than not, another restaurant or two. Looking for space for your own concept you want to open? Get in on this early. [Ferndale 115]

A sad: yes, iconic Ann Arbor institution Blimpy Burger has closed. A happy: they're relocating. A sad: they don't know where or when yet. A happy: the best restaurant closing photo in possibly history. [AnnArbor.com / EID / Michigan Radio]

Mattie Armstrong and Ye Olde Tap Room were on Comedy Central's Drunk History. [somewhere on the internet]

Thrillist popped over to the newly-relocated MotorCity Wine, now in Corktown (and with a fab patio). Here is what they came up with for a first date (or any date, when you're still in that stage of dating where impressing the person matters) wine guide. [Thrillist]

Interested in getting involved with the growing local food economy? Have a small start-up food business that you want to get off the ground? FoodLab Detroit is having their first-ever member drive now. [FoodLab]

Alley Wine: now even closer to being almost open. [Alley Wine FB]

Small Plates is opening a second location in Syracuse, NY, with plans to make it a national chain. Probably like the Cheesecake Factory. Only plates will be small, instead of gargantuanly large. So that's a new twist. Remember a few owners, management teams, and years ago when this was one of the best restaurants in Detroit? Memories... [Syracuse.com]

Vegan news: The FBI's largest domestic terrorist organization is now trying to buy space for its propaganda in Detroit using the promotion of veganism as a lifestyle choice that will save Detroit as its excuse. [Freep]

Soooooo...Snack in the Box is opening soon. Somehow I don't imagine this was a pre-opening PR stunt. Oh, Detroit... [Motor City Muckraker]

Chinese fooooood? Yes and then. Here's a list of a few spots I've heard of and more I haven't because, honestly, this is really not my thing. But this is Freep writer Erin's thing! And she totally provides. I think. I wouldn't actually know. I like pizza. [Freep]

Bookies Bar N' Grille and The Oakland are both celebrating anniversaries this Friday. Something tells me there is not going to be a lot of audience overlap here. Like, "MAN, I TOTALLY wanted to go to the Oakland's party but then I'm going to miss out on Bookie's!" is probably something you're not going to hear. But maybe! But probably not. [Detroit News]

Beerie
~The best food bloggity-blog named Jolly Pumpkin's La Roja the best beer in the state. They are not wrong. [First We Feast]

~Let my people go. Or something. [Nasdaq]

~Here is USA TODAY's recap of a list made by The Daily Meal (which was probably aggregated from somewhere else) that says the exact same thing. So, once again, YAY Bell's Brewery and Founders Brewing Co., from now into infinity for every time they should appear on one of these lists, which is every time one of these lists is made and then aggregated in perpetuity. [USA Today]

~Why does The Big Lebrewski Brewing Company not exist yet? Why/ WHY???? [Spotted by Locals]

~People really expend a lot of energy wringing their hands over this. [Business Week]

~Five years ago, oh how people laughed. Now it is being said that craft beer is BETTER in cans. "Ugh, is that a BOTTLE in your hand? You sooooooo just don't get it." [Slate]

~As someone who goes to Vegas usually as few times every year, this news makes me very, very happy. Even as recently as last month when I was there for just a couple of days I noticed some new spots with an actual, bonafide, LEGIT beer list. I've been to both spankin' new Five50 Pizza Bar at ARIA and the very fine Sage at ARIA, and while I think it's a bit early to claim they have the BESTEST BEER LISTS EVAAAAAR as the article seems to suggest (they don't; still a lot of predictable brews and didn't see much evidence of these so-called rare birds), it's still vastly improved from what it used to be. I wouldn't make Vegas your next beercation destination, but give it a year - things happen quickly there. [Forbes]

Misc
~Seriously though, First We Feast is just fucking brilliant. And here is a rant about Cro-Tards and XTREME foods I could not possibly have written better myself. [FWF]

~The cronut. The waffacle. The ramen burger. Now Pepsi-flavored Cheetos. Please let this be the cultural nadir of the XTREME subset of "foodie" culture. [Food Beast]

~USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! [Top Info Post]

~I'm not sure how the math behind all this works (the claim is, essentially, that servers made MORE money despite the automatic gratuity being slightly less than their actual tip average prior to that AND adding tip-sharing with the kitchen crew), but here's another one to add to the "the tipping system in this country is absurd" category. [Slate]

~But for as long as our archaic tipping system is still in place, if you REALLY want to know how to get better tips, take a cue from this guy. Allons-y! [Stranger on Baker Street]

The Week We Ate (The EID Week in Review)

Of all the Detroit photos run in national news outlets this week...

Here is your official Detroit bankruptcy travel guide, courtesy of me and Fox News. [Fox]

The beer list for the Sweet 16 MBG Summer Beer Festival is out. Hour gave some pro tips and MittenBrew put together this handy guide to the 800+ beers on hand. [MBG / Hour / MittenBrew]

ICYMI:
~For the sake of Just Baked and their continued expansion, I really hope this cupcake bubble doesn't burst. Just Baked is one of the likely new tenants of the Woodward Gardens Block Development in Midtown, which will be completed by the end of the year. [Model D]
~Well we ARE a burger town. Check out the new Eastern Market Corporation murals by The Weird, presented by Inner State Gallery and 1xRUN, and read more about them here. [Pure Detroit FB / Model D]
~Okay so I was wondering about the beer on offer at the new Coors Light Sky Deck at the Detroit Opera House. So I asked. Answer: all the MillerCoors products (including Blue Moon and Leinenkugel). They also plan on hosting beer tastings with food pairings. [Model D]
~Mr. Tim of Detroit BBQ Company is one of Nikki's Boys, and this is why. [EID]

Pig + Whiskey: the best event of the summer. Nikki's Boys KILLED IT, btw. [Metro Times]

Are you guys just not familiar with The Bruery? I expected a lot more excitement about this. And am disappointed that it has not received it. THIS IS A HELL OF A LOT FUCKING BETTER THAN OSKAR BLUES, YOU GUYS. [Produce Station FB]

Bon Appétit Magazine gives some love to Vinsetta Garage, a "hip eatery" in an old gas station among many hip eateries in old gas stations in America. [Bon Appetit]

Have you been to the Wayne State University Farmers Market on Wednesdays yet? This is a project of SEED Wayne, overseen by Kami Pothukuchi. Read more about her work here in Urban Innovation Exchange. [UIX]

In keeping with "nothing keeps Detroit down" (even bankruptcy), after his world-famous coffeeshop closed in Ferndale, AJ O'Neill continued on to launch AJ's Coffee Works in Highland Park. Roasted by the century-old Becharas Brothers Coffee Company, Detroit Bold is very much a Detroit product. [Michipreneur]

Next thing you know Oak Park will allow broads and The Blacks to vote. !!! [Detroit News]

BuzzFeed does something other than run slideshows of Nicolas Cage as your favorite Disney princesses; Detroiters likely would have pitched a petulant fit over this but then the bankruptcy announcement happened and everyone expended all their energy on self-affirming fit-pitching instead. [BuzzFeed]

In a super-scientific and totally reliable study published by HuffPo, Detroit has been ranked the most gluten-free city in America. This is likely because of all of the meat that we eat. [HuffPo]

And that's a wrap now for Chen Chow. Looks like the Dali Group is officially kaput (at least in its Vegas-in-Birmingham capacity). [Crain's]

La Feria Detroit is getting closer to opening and is now hiring all positions. [La Feria]

Gas station food. I'm telling you, you guys. It's going to be a thing. [Royal Oak Patch]

What are some of the local products on offer at Whole Foods Market Detroit? Here's a nice rundown of Detroit producers that can be found on the shelves. [Model D]

His name is actually "Happy." LOL. [WXYZ]

The owner of Beans and Cornbread Soulful Bistro and Bar has opened Southern Nosh, a vegetarian soul food restaurant also in Southfield. Card-carrying meat-eater Nathan Skid of Crain's Detroit Business says it doesn't suck. [Crain's]

Thrillist took a look-see-eat at Bistro Joe's, the buzzy new bistro above Papa Joe's Gourmet Market in B-Ham. [Thrillist]

Wolverine Lake is this teeeeeeeeeeeeny tiny township in the middle of Commerce, Walled Lake, Wixom and West Bloomfield. (Fun bit of EID trivia: one time I threw a party in the park there and got into a fight with the cops around 2am.) Chef Jeff Rose is a well-known chef around town, and his new concept CAYA Smokehouse Grill is probably going to be worth the drive twisting and turning through all of the lakes in the area. Very pretty location, and did I mention there's a pretty cool park on the lake there? (Just don't party there after 2am. They don't like that.) [Freep]

Food Network was in town last week filming an episode of On the Rocks (think Kitchen Nightmares but for bars) at The Oxford Inn of Royal Oak. If you'll recall an announcement earlier this year to re-brand as a country-western bar was met with a lot of eye-rolling, ultimately hurting the business. When this opportunity to be a part of the Food Network's show came up and they took it. Lock and Key, a "speakeasy"-themed bar, is now open to the public, and the episode will air around the end of the year. An insider source tells me the production team and on-air talent was brutal during the flip, which is pretty typical for these kinds of shows, but owner Bob Higgins held it together and didn't pull an Amy's Baking Company. And now you can check it out for yourself. [Royal Oak Patch]

And here is an update on Craftwork in West Village. [Crain's]

Detroit, are you showing Next Food Network Star contestant Rodney Henry of Dangerously Delicious Pies Baked in Detroit Internet love? Vote for him up to 10 times a day on this Food Network poll. [Food Network]

At least the name "Red Sauce" still works. Red Sauce inside Breeze Dining Court at MGM Grand Detroit has ditched the Mexican and gone (back) to Italian. [My Fox Detroit]

Chef Robert of Bastone Brewery, Monk Beer Bar, Vinotecca and Craft is a lovable kind of guy (in a shitwit kind of way) who loves what he does. [Daily Tribune]

John D Bistro has a new chef (one of the The Detroit Three) and a new weekend menu. [Detroit News]

Free popcorn Tuesdays run through August 27 at MJR Digital Cinemas. With popcorn being almost as much as the cost of a movie ticket, seems like a pretty good deal. [MLive]