The Week We Ate (The EID Week in Review)

New Belgium's Fat Tire. Photo courtesy of mL. in Birmingham.

After months (and really years) of whispers, it's finally official: Supino Pizzeria owner Dave Mancini has signed a lease for the space formerly occupied by Taste of Ethiopia. He won't be expanding Supino but will instead be opening a new restaurant serving tapas and braised meats and finally putting his liquor license to use. This announcement comes just in time for Supino's four-year anniversary this month. [Freep]

Ah, a Greek restaurant in Greektown. How novel. The Papases will be expanding the space and re-opening Mosaic (which closed earlier this month) as some really long Greek name no one will ever remember or correctly spell. Look for it late Sept. [Det News]

The owners of Russell Street Deli will open Topsoil this fall in the Auburn, a new mixed-use building in Midtown. This new venture will offer fast vegetarian and vegan cuisine and will carry on the same sustainable traditions of the Deli. Also, things I didn't see coming: veganism becoming A Thing in Detroit. [HuffPo Detroit]

Like, so much of A Thing there is yet another vegan concept that made the top 10 semifinalists for this season of Hatch Detroit. Which is all well and good but I am putting the entirety of my almighty vote-persuading force behind Rock City Pies, and not just because Nikita Santches looks like Justin Timberlake. [Hatch]

Famous person does something; public reacts. [WXYZ]

The Whitney axes half of their staff and debuts a new menu and new hours in an effort to reclaim their once-iconic position as the grande dame of Detroit's dining scene now that everyone loves Detroit so much. [Crain's]

Here's a fun game: next time you're in public yell, "Belle Isle winery!" and listen to everyone go "RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE!!!!!" [MLive]

A Whole Foods Detroit update: there is concrete. [WFD FB]

Stella is getting a facelift courtesy of Reclaim Detroit. [Model D]

More on the drama around Mudgie's would-be liquor license and also a Chekhov's Gun FAIL. (Maybe don't lead with "Mudge would just as soon let people bring in their own beer and wine. But he found out it was illegal." bit unless the MLCC's prohibitive liquor laws were the focus of the story because it implies an in-depth, researched look at the reasons WHY it is illegal, then never delivers. Besides, it's not exactly a secret and many other Detroit restaurants have been busted for allowing BYOB when they shouldn't have, so if anything this just makes Mudge sound oblivious.) [MLive]

Matt Prentice's latest impulse-opening venture Detroit Prime is now open and he plans on making it a chain. [Thrillist / EID]

The team behind Jolly Pumpkin -- aka my heroes -- debuted Lena and the new Cafe Habana in Ann Arbor this week. [AnnArbor.com]

The biggest thing to happen in beer this week: New Belgium Brewing Co. hit Michigan shelves. [Oakland Press]

The second biggest thing to happen in beer this week: Brewery Vivant's collaboration with New Belgium, Escoffier, hit shelves in extremely limited release. (Thankfully, I have beer friends). [MLive]

The third biggest thing to happen in beer this week: oh hey, did you guys know I write for the New York Post? Because I totally do. And I took my fawning over Jolly Pumpkin's Sobrehumano to that much larger platform. [New York Post]

The fourth biggest thing to happen in beer this week: Fox News drank every single beer in THE WORLD and named Jolly Pumpkin's Bam Bierre one of the 10 best. [Fox News]

The fifth biggest news to happen in beer this week: the completion of the installation of nearly $345,000 worth of energy-efficient equipment at Arbor Brewing Company and Corner Brewery was completed this week, making these Michigan's first solar breweries. [AnnArbor.com]

Okay, so this was really just A Very Beerie Week. The Michigan Brewers Guild U.P. Fall Beer Festival is next weekend. BTW, it's all about the U.P. right now, in case you didn't know. [UP Second Wave]

Beards Brewery has opened in Petoskey. And yes, this is the best name for a brewery ever in the history of brewing. [NW MI Second Wave]

According to Imbibe, the world's most cultish beers include Founders' KBS and CBS. Also I have a bottle of 2012 KBS I will sell to you for $50, because I am very generous. [Imbibe]

Another "media outlet" re-hashes Mario Batali's list of favorite places in the Traverse City/Leelanau area. I hope he's getting royalties on these. [Zagat]

Speaking of Batali, earlier this week he ate at Mani Osteria in Ann Arbor and Tweeted that he, like, totally loved it. Just after the latest issue of Travel + Leisure, in which they call Mani Osteria one of the "20 best Italian restaurants in America," hit shelves. Coincidence? [AnnArbor.com]

Stats! We love stats. Here are more of the same stats as to why beer is good for the local economy. These are all numbers you've seen before. [Click on Detroit]

All Meijer stores are accepting donations for their Simply Give program, which aims to replenish the shelves of nearly 200 food pantries in their five-state region during each campaign. It runs through Oct. 6 in support of National Hunger Action Month with Meijer matching all $10 donations, but during the Simply Give Week Sept. 2-8 Meijer is double-matching all $10 donations - so your $10 will mean $30 for local food pantries. Sometimes I'm not snarky. [Macomb Patch]

[EID Feature] Eastern Market Rules!

All photos by Nicole Rupersburg.

Eastern Market rules. As the oldest continuously-operated public market in the country (at 121 years), it has always been a popular place for wholesale distribution and has been home to a number of different meat packers and distributors for decades. Saturdays have always had a draw for families all over metro Detroit, so to call Eastern Market a local destination is nothing new. But lately it has become so much more than that.

It is no longer just a local destination; it is a national one. With the spike in Detroit tourism that has happened really over the past year or so, Eastern Market is a tourism hub and a draw entirely unto itself. The Los Angeles Times ran an op-ed which praised Eastern Market as "a bright spot" and celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern saw fit to pay a visit last summer while filming an episode of Bizarre Foods in metro Detroit ... which is to say nothing of everybody's favorite pizza place Supino Pizzeria, which has grabbed national coverage from the likes of the Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" and the New York Times. Russell St. Deli is also a belle of the market with their own fair share of New York Times love. The best part is you can walk into any of these places at any time and have a chat with the owners like it's no big.

The recent slew of renovations (which will soon include a community kitchen) have also helped spurn the popularity of the market forward as old meets new, and Eastern Market Corporation President Dan Carmody has actively sought out the DIY artisan food producers who are creating so much local buzz (people like Perkins Pickles, Slow Jams, Corridor Sausage Co. and People's Pierogi Collective, among countless others). New stores are opening with increasing regularity inside the market district, including eclectic boutiques and community spaces as well as food shops. And it has solidified itself as a regional food hub.

Slice from Supino Pizzeria.

In the oft-traversed rhetoric of Detroit's rebirth, there often seems to be an assumption that these things happened overnight. In the case of someone like Midtown's Sue Mosey, Crain's 2012 "Newsmaker of the Year," the seeds for forward progress were planted over a very long two decades and only just recently have borne fruit. She may be newsmaker of this year, but she's been doing it for over 20.

But there are rare cases in Detroit where one can pinpoint an exact moment in time in which a pivotal change occurred, the very clear point at which "before" became "after." One such instance is Corktown. The other is when Dan Carmody and the nonprofit Eastern Market Corporation took over the market in 2006. In a little over five years the market has been transformed, and is in so many ways the heart of Detroit. They have been working hard to reinvent the market and stay at the head of the curve as people have enthusiastically embraced sustainable food culture, local food movements, and DIY food production ... as well as the city itself.

In honor of the 46th Annual Eastern Market Flower Day happening this Saturday, May 20 (the market's most popular event, drawing in over 200,000 people annually), here are some of EID's favorite spots in the market, new (and really new) and old. And more news: starting on Saturday June 9, EID will be offering the long-promised walking tours of Eastern Market - meet some of the business owners and the people behind the products, sample some food and learn a bit of history. More details to come!

Germack Coffee Roasting Co.

Really New
DeVries + Co.
The 118-year-old R. Hirt Jr. Co. is reborn as DeVries - a cleaner, more open space offers the same great products and then some. Read more here.

Germack Coffee Roasting Co.
The company best known for bringing us those pink pistachios now roasts their own coffee on-site in a brand-new, fully spiffy location that also serves as a coffee shop with WiFi and specialty market selling a variety of locally-made artisan food products. Instant love.

Detroit Mercantile
From the original maker of Made in Detroit, Detroit Mercantile is an all-things-Detroit store featuring locally-made clothing lines, cruiser bikes and rock posters. They'll also serve a Detroit-themed breakfast and lunch on Saturdays. Opens this weekend.

OmniCorp Detroit
Sort of a creative think-and-do-tank with actual hands-on equipment like a sewing machinery and even a metal working shop, OmniCorp is a hub for hands-on DIYers with "open hack" nights where anyone can go and make things using salvaged materials.

Signal-Return
A fully-functional print shop that uses old-fashioned letterpress for personal and commercial work (they also have a gallery space and teach workshops on using the letterpress and bookbinding).

Red Bull House of Art
It's so new it hasn't even opened yet, but check it out next week as it launches in time for Movement.

Some Unnamed Restaurant with Two Custom-Built Brick Ovens
So new it doesn't even have a name yet.

Also New
Supino Pizzeria
It only just opened in 2008 but fast became one of Detroit's most popular pizzerias, and with good reason - their Neapolitan-style pizzas are superior, and items are all sourced locally from places like Brother Nature Produce, Porktown Sausage and City Wings.

Russell Street Deli
Sustainability-sourced and community-conscious, Russell St. Deli (under new ownership since 2008) sources their products locally straight from the market and makes everything from scratch in-house while also giving back to the community through various philanthropic fundraising efforts. Also vegetarian and vegan-friendly.

Mootown Ice Cream
Just opened in the summer of 2011, this family-owned ice cream shop is the first ice cream shop in Eastern Market's history. Read more here.

Division Street Boutique
A funky, Detroit-centric T-shirt store (makers of the infamous "Detroit Hustles Harder" T's). They're also hosting their 4th annual block party during Flower Days this weekend.

Famers Restaurant.

Old
Bert's Warehouse
Whether you love them for the massive events they host (like the Dirty Show) or for the wall of ribbers lined up outside on Saturdays grilling endless slabs of meat for the masses while metro Detroit's finest warble their best karaoke, Bert's is a classic.

Cost Plus Wine Shoppe
Still one of the only places in the city where you can buy good beer and wine, Cost Plus has a nice variety of affordable craft and imported beers and small-production wineries, including many Michigan producers.

Gabriel Import Co.
Offering a huge selection of imported olives (sample as many as you'd like!) as well as Mediterranean specialties like hummus, tabbouleh and spinach pies made fresh daily.

Milano Bakery
Simple breads; fantastic homemade soups, sandwiches and desserts; and great pizza can be found at this Kosher bakery with the largest hearth oven in Michigan.

Vivio's
A Detroit staple famous for their Bloody Marys and mussels.

Cutter's
A best-kept secret a bit on the outskirts, their stuffed burger is one of the best in Detroit.

"The Meat Mall" (Gratiot Central Market)
Beef, corned beef (made by four generations of the same families), pork, poultry (including game birds), specialty meats (from goat to tripe), fish, BBQ supplies, a bakery, and prepared foods like sammiches. Six days a week (and sometimes seven for holidays and Lions games).

Rocky Peanut Company
An emporium of bulk candies, nuts and other items.

Louie's Ham and Corned Beef
Enough said. Read more here.

Farmers Restaurant
Greasy spoon gut-bombs breakfasts and also corned beef. Read more here, again.

[HOT LIST] FOOD! DETROIT! THE BEST YEAR EVER! [2011 edition]

Brooklyn Corktown (photo by Nicole Rupersburg)

#1 DETROIT IS THE NEW BROOKLYN.
The natives got their feather hair extensions ruffled over that one, then continued to make it true. The Tashmoo Biergarten was probably the most-lauded example of this, and then there were all the DIY artisan food producers like Detroit Institute of Bagels, Suddenly Sauer, Pete's Chocolate Co., so on and so forth. Also pop-up uhhhhhhhh...restaurants? I guess? Well, anyway, restaurant owners let other would-be chefs, food producers and restaurateurs use their kitchens, as was the case with Neighborhood Noodle popping up at Supino Pizzeria once-monthly on Mondays, Pie-Sci working out of Woodbridge Pub on Sundays, and Traffic Jam and Snug being the commercial kitchen home of Perkins Pickles.

But who started the meme? ME. ME. I DID. IT WAS ME.

Er, sort of.

In a Twitter post dated June 9, 2011, I wrote: "Corktown is to Detroit what Brooklyn was to New York in the '90s." (With a link to this story in the New York Post, written by moi.)

To which Dave Gasparovich (who hails from, predictably, Chicago) was all, "WAAAAAAAAAAAH, I hate you, you're stupid."

OH YEAH, DAVE? WHO'S LAUGHING NOW, HUH?

Let's follow the meme a bit, shall we?

June 13, 2011: New York Post: The new Detroit cool 
Note: Actually it ran on June 8; not sure why the discrepancy but this is relevant when referencing my Twitter post on June 9.
Hostel Detroit, Pink FlaminGO!, Slows, Astro, Sugar House, Le Petit Zinc, Detroit Institute of Bagels, Mercury Burger Bar, Roosevelt Park ... all the bases were covered and "Brooklyn" was alluded to (especially obvious to a New York audience). This piece was followed shortly after by this in the New York Times, which many attribute as being the origin point of the "Detroit is the new Brooklyn" meme. But in reality, nowhere in this story is the Detroit/Brooklyn comparison made, or even hinted at; they actually went with the vastly less popular "Detroit is the new Berlin" meme. (Also true; not the point.) Also TriBeCa, in a quote. Please note, TriBeCa is not in Brooklyn. Nor was TriBeCa ever in its very worst days even a tenth as dumpy as Detroit. And if we're being really real here, if Corktown is Detroit's Brooklyn the rest of Detroit is not Manhattan, it's the Bronx.

July 1, 2011: New York Times: Detroit Pushes Back with Young Muscles
Detroit is lifted in parties, pictures and positive discourse. (Also see above.)

Then, a meme is born:

July 7, 2011: PBS: Is Detroit the new Brooklyn?
There, now it's out there, in no uncertain terms. Stated in the form of a question lessons the authority of the claim a bit, but that didn't stop this meme-train from reaching epic proportions.

The self-appointed guardians of the city's image then chimed in on the subject:

July 12, July 26 and August 9, Model D (and here, and here).
July 21, NPR.
August, 7STOPS (A navel-gazey blog by a blank-slater who insists it's about more than just the blank-slating, and the origin point of "Detroit is the new Detroit." Cute.)
August 15, MLive.
September 26, Curbed Detroit.

Now this was mostly a summer thing, and any remnant of its relevance was pretty much lost with that whole HuffPo hullabaloo. (In which half a dozen bloggers argued via multiple back-and-forth huffy-puffy blog posts over the right of anyone's claim to the city if they don't actually live there, and whether or not the city needs the suburbanites anyway. Seriously. This is a conversation that actually happened.) Except that .... nyooooope, still going strong well into November:

November 11, Crain's Detroit Business.

And finally:

November 21, 2011: MLive: Detroit Cliche Watchdog: Let's just go ahead and change the name of the city to Brooklyn
Could we? Brooklyn sounds nicer. A tree grows, and all.

Now we just need our very own hot hipster butchers, like what they have in Brooklyn. (But but but ... can ours be hot plz?) Then the circle will be complete.


#2 FERNDALE SAYS TO DETROIT, "ANYTHING YOU CAN DO I CAN DO BETTER."

Red Hook (photo by David Landsel)

Heh ... it's funny 'cuz it's true. Curbed Detroit mentioned this in their Corktown versus Ferndale Curbed Cup neighborhood showdown, but we can even look at this on a larger scale. After some particularly Cooley-centric coverage in 2010, Slows stopped "hogging" the media spotlight (get it?) in 2011, though Corktown continued to do so.

Old-timey craft cocktail bar the Sugar House opened in Corktown. Ferndale answered directly with the Oakland Art Novelty Company, and a little less directly with the Valentine Vodka cocktail bar and the Italian-themed Torino Espresso + Bar. Astro Coffee also opened on that same block of Michigan Ave. that is home to Slows and Sugar House (question: WHERE THE FUCK DO YOU PARK). Ferndale fired back with Red Hook, which also resuscitated our favorite fallen bakery, Pinwheel Bakery. And, again, Torino Espresso + Bar.  Detroit had a whole bunch of pop-up retail happenings; Ferndale opened the Rust Belt Market.

And the competition continues as we barrel into the new year with Sean Harrington's Hot Taco (on Park Ave., next to Centaur) in a neck-and-neck race with Woodward Imperial (another taco joint with a fancy sign). What Ferndale did NOT get, however, was a hostel or a B+B. (*fingers tapping*)

Mussels Provencale at Joe Muer Seafood.

#3 HOLLYWOOD ISN'T THE ONLY ONE REBOOTING OLD FRANCHISES.
Last year at about this time I wrote about the London Chop House reopening soon. Well, it still hasn't opened yet, but perhaps we'll see it before the Mayan apocalypse of 2012. Whether or not that corpse is worth digging up, spritzing with perfume and making it dance around like Bernie on a bender, only time (and probably a lot more of it, knowing how things tend to work in Detroit) will tell.

But 2011 did see another storied Detroit establishment revived: Joe Muer Seafood opened in the former Seldom Blues spot in the Renaissance Center as a partnership between Joe Muer, grandson of Joseph Muer Jr. who opened the original location in Eastern Market in 1929 (it closed in 1988 after nearly 60 years in business), and Joe Vicari of the Andiamo Restaurant Group (which have been opening Rojo Mexican Bistros like Taco Bells lately), after what was rumored to be a high-profile bidding war between the Vicaris and Matt Prentice for that primo locale. And after much restructuring over the last two years, the Matt Prentice Restaurant Group is poised for a huge comeback of its own next year with Gastronomy.

#TooOldForFrostedTips

#4 THE FOOD NETWORK REALLY, REALLY LOVES DETROIT. (REALLY.)
In a seemingly endless stream of clips that aired on the Food Network this year featuring metro Detroit restaurants (because when WE say "Detroit," we mean metro Detroit and so should you THE END ... seriously, it went on for days), the loud, frosted-tipped Guy Fieri visited Union Woodshop and Clarkston Union, Traffic Jam and Snug, Supino Pizzeria ... and possibly more? Or no? Idk, I felt like there was a new episode premiering every damn week LONG after the point that I thought they had all aired already. Also, the short bald-headed one came into town and loved Supino too.

6,955 monthly active users as of Dec. 6. Aww, I wuv u 2!

#5 EAT IT DETROIT WAS BORN.
Really shoulda been #1, I know, but I'm super-modest. Dining in Detroit was re-named and re-branded with a whole new focus and a facelift (hey, I know I'm no spring chicken anymore), resulting in the in-your-face Eat It Detroit. And you like it; you really like it!

Bella Piatti (photo by Nicole Rupersburg)

No, but seriously, #5: BIRMINGHAM STOPPED SUCKING SO HARD.
First Commonwealth opened and it was LAFS. Sure, it's only open for breakfast and (late) lunch, but they roast all their beans in-house and serve chef-prepared foods and all of their products are ethically-sourced. Truth be told, it feels a little out of place in Birmingham for all its emphasis on quality and sustainability, but it's about damned time.

Then Tallulah Wine Bar and Bistro hired on Executive Chef Daniel Campbell who gave the menu a much-needed revamping, then Tallulah owner Mindy Vanhellemont opened a second restaurant in Birmingham called Bella Piatti which Campbell also oversees. You know how restaurants tend to need a couple of months to gain their footing before you can really give them a fair assessment? Bella Piatti was firing hard on all cylinders only a month into their opening, and is more than a welcome addition to Birmingham's dining scene: it is a welcome addition to the dining scene of the whole of metro Detroit, a farm-to-table restaurant using Michigan products with an Italian emphasis (basically, it's SW MI's answer to Trattoria Stella).

Not all new openings showed as much promise, but at the very least, in the swamp that is Birmingham's overpriced and underwhelming dining scene populated by flashy restaurants with mediocre food, these little bright points of light give hope to the city that has been alternatively known as "Boringham."

Model D: Downtown Pizza Makers Go Gourmet

Featured this week in Model D:

"Metro Detroiters are familiar with Detroit mainstay pizzerias like Buddy's and Pizza Papalis, and let's be honest: the $5.00 Hot-n-Readys from Little Caesar's are a great friggin' deal. But in the last year, Detroit pizza has taken on a new identity -- one that doesn't emphasize the fast-and-cheap so much as taste and quality. (GQ even noticed, naming us the No. 3 pizza town in the country.) We've seen an upswing of new pizzerias that cater to the pizza lover with a discriminating palate, and die-hard pizza aficionados couldn't be happier..."

(Read the rest of the story by yours truly here.)

Superior Supino

It's no secret: I love pizza. I had been eyeballing the recently opened Supino Pizzeria in Eastern Market for some time, but had never got up the gumption to go. Independent pizzerias are so hit-and-miss, and I already had my other favorites. Until I was told that it was the best pizza in the city, and even though that seemed to be a tall claim, I was much more inclined to investigate.
Supino Pizzeria inhabits a very visible spot on Russell Street in the heart of Eastern Market. Nestled between an Ethiopian eatery (supposedly quite good but seemingly never open) and a Coney Island, and across the parking lot from R. Hirt, Cost Plus Wine Shop, and Vivio's, you really can't drive into Eastern Market without taking notice of it. The interior is small, with a few tables set up for people to dine in, though they must still place their orders at the counter, most likely with owner Dave Mancini himself or one of his friends.

Don't be surprised if, when you call to place your order in advance, you overhear "Hey, Dave, how much is a [insert name of pizza here]?" Dave Mancini is always in the back making pizzas, hands covered in flour, but quick to hastily wash them off to take your order, ring you up, and hand you your freshly-made pizza. On multiple trips I've observed apparent friends of Dave's hanging out and keeping him company (and also answering the phone for him!), as well as people stopping in for a bite to eat after work and enjoying Dave's outstanding pizzas in his completely relaxed and unfussy dining area.

Dave is always quick to greet customers coming in--even if he is busy prepping multiple orders--and is warm and friendly towards every person who walks through his door. I find the pizzeria a welcoming, inviting place that feels very "homey," a place where friends and neighbors can go to sit and visit ("chew the fat" so to speak), where everyone is treated like family.

Dave named the pizzeria after his father's hometown in Italy and treats it very much as the hometown-style family restaurant that would exist in a small Italian village where everyone knows everyone else and all are out to support each other. The casual, welcoming attitude is infectious and patrons can't help but to leave with a smile on their faces.

Which is to say nothing of the pizza itself: I'm not even remotely exaggerating when I tell you that this is hands-down the best pizza in all of metro Detroit. Pies are a little pricey at $10.00-$17.00 (average), and bear in mind that one 10'' is just enough for one person, but the higher cost buys higher quality and you get what you pay for at Supino.

I started with an Affumiciata ("Smoky") Pizza--smoked prosciutto, roasted garlic, mozzarella, smoked gouda, and ricotta. Out of all my trips here and the different pizzas I have sampled, this is still my standout favorite. The flavors are beyond compare--the salty, smoky prosciutto tempered by the slightly sweet roasted garlic, then taken to new heights with the rich and pungent gouda offset by the mild, creamy ricotta...each bite is a burst of strong yet complementary flavors, and no two bites are the same. Typically when the flavor of a pizza is inconsistent (I've made reference to the "gobbing" of ricotta cheese before), I would consider it a fault. But for this pizza it is a strength, as the number of different flavors at play have the chance to take centerstage, one bite at a time, and not one of these impressions on the tastebuds wasn't a pleasurable experience. Of all the different menu options, this is probably the one that most closely resembles something you would find in Italy, and it was absolutely divine.


On other trips I sampled more of the "classics:" the Margherita Pizza, made with fresh basil, mozzarella, tomatoes, and parmigiano, as well as the all-time king, Pepperoni. The Margherita Pizza was almost as fantastic as the "Smoky;" large pieces of freshly cut basil play on the tongue with the juicy diced tomatoes and tangy parmesan-mozzarella blend. This is another pizza full of wonderful flavors, though not quite as life-altering as the "Smoky." The Pepperoni Pizza I found a little disappointing, only because of the excessive greasiness of the pepperoni used. The flavor of the pepperoni itself was perfectly spicy, but the grease was off-putting and soaked through to the bottom of the otherwise flawless crust.


Ah, but the crust: this is what makes Supino superior. The hand-made dough is a perfect balance of crispy and tender and chewy and dense and easy to tear. It is also as full of flavor as the toppings on the pizzas themselves--savor the crust and taste notes of extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, and high-end organic flour. The crust is as much a sensational experience as the rest of the pie, and all compliments to Chef Dave for his expert dough-making. Your pizza will come out of the pizza oven cooked perfectly and without any burning or charring--no small accomplishment there, either--and the shape will be lopsided and uneven, the true sign of a hand-tossed crust.

Other menu options are small but attempt to cater to other tastes--there is a salad and a pasta option, as well as a dessert. I sampled the dessert, called "Crespelle" (Italian "crepes"). The Crespelle dessert consists of two house-made crepes made with sweetened ricotta, chocolate sauce, and roasted pistachios. The crepes were paper-thin, doughy but perhaps just a little too doughy, and the ricotta was quite a bit of ricotta. If the proportions were better balanced, the flavors would have worked well, but as it was I had a big floppy crepe about to burst with ricotta cheese. Fair enough, this is a pizza place after all; for dessert crepes I'll just stick with Bucharest Grill or Good Girls. This in no way alters my opinion of Supino's superior pizzas, or Dave Mancini's embracing rapport with his clientele.


Though they might not consider themselves a "gourmet" pizzeria, they are more gourmet than most of those that claim to be. South Beach Pizza Bar might have the chic ultralounge interior, but their pizza cannot even compare. Taste is great, but it's just not Supino. When you're willing to sacrifice atmosphere for quality food and know the value of paying more for better product, Supino is your pizza joint.

Supino Pizzeria is open Tues.-Thurs. 11:00AM-8:30PM and Fri. & Sat. 11:00AM-10:00PM. Call 313-567-7879 to place your order. Pizzas take about 20 minutes to cook. You may also order individual slices, lunchtime only.