The Week We Ate (The EID Week in Review)

ICYMI:
~It's National Pizza Month poll time! What is the best pizza in metro Detroit? A national publication asked me, and so I asked you. ***I DID NOT MAKE THIS POLL*** and yes I know Buddy's is missing and that they totally missed the mark with the Supino selection (though that didn't stop you from voting for them by a landslide} and I think we all had a swell time making fun of these stupid selections, so thanks for playing! [EID]
            *While in Auburn Hills last week, I stopped by Jo Angela's Pizza + Deli, one of the mystery pizzerias on the befuddling national poll (above). Solid round pepperoni pizza and cheese bread, a nice dining room with free Wi-Fi, overall a good experience. Best in greater metro Detroit? No. But a strong show for NoOaCo. [EID FB]

~The Detroit Bus Company has purchased a new 90,000-square-foot building in Hamtramck called Eight + Sand which will serve as an entertainment complex and business incubator with anchor tenant Fowling Warehouse, an event space for Pot + Box, and a 7-bay all-season food truck park with a commissary kitchen (coming in 2014). [Model D]

~Dine Drink Detroit started last week with 13 restaurants offering a variety food + drink pairings for only $15 including favorite local spots like The Sugar House, Mudgie's, Green Dot Stables, Woodbridge Pub, Traffic Jam + Snug and more, while also benefitting the Detroit Riverfront. [Model D]

~The numbers are in for the fall 2013 edition of Detroit Restaurant Week, sponsored by Shinola. Newcomers Guns + Butter and The Jefferson House killed it, as did the old favorites. [EID]

~I've written about Valentine Distilling Co. now (at best count) about a dozen times. The stories have ranged from short blurbs about the bar itself to longer interviews with owner Rifino. This most recent one for Real Detroit Weekly falls into the latter category, and if you'll excuse the quasi-Marxist intro (I was reading Matt Taibbi's latest for Rolling Stone at the time), the full-on "American manufacturing" angle is a fresh approach. [RDW]

~Who are Michigan's most dangerous chefs? Find out on December 8 as The Root Restaurant + Bar hosts their first-ever Young Guns Dinner featuring 6 of Michigan's up-and-coming chefs! Each Young Gun is overseeing one of six courses. Menus will NOT be posted in advance - if you have dietary restrictions, you're going to have to sit this one out. These guys are coming out with guns blazin'!
James Rigato | Andy Hollyday | Nick Janutol | Nikita Santches | Brennan Calnin | Michael Berrera [EID]

~CIDER MILLS! [EID]

~EVENTS! [EID]

Hey, you know how it's all, gee, I wish there were somewhere in Detroit (or in a city located completely within Detroit) that served ramen all the time? Well now there is! Check out Rock City Eatery in Hamtramck for late night ramen made with two-day broth, brisket, pork belly, scallions, roasted broccoli, Japanese noodles. Available Monday -Thursday 10pm to midnight. Friday and Saturday 11pm-1. No veg option for now; it's made out of bones. [EID / RCE FB]

Oh look, ANOTHER story about Two James Spirits, and this one is in Food + Wine! [F+W]

Dan Carmody of Eastern Market Corporation was honored with a Shining Light award for helping make the market possibly “the most inclusive, resilient and robust regional food hub in the U.S.” Congratulations, Dan, and thank you for everything you do! [Freep]

Another Michigander is appearing on a Food Network show! This time it's College for Creative Studies student Gabriel Vinas on a show called Halloween Wars, which premiered last week. [CCS]

Detroit Vegan Soul (D.V.S) opened last month with a line out the door. Here owners Kirsten Ussery Boyd and Erika Boyd share more about their concept and why they thought a vegan soul food cafe is just what Detroit needs in Urban Innovation Exchange. [UIX]

Have you been to the new Firebird Tavern in Greektown yet? The owners spent months renovating the 1880s building and it's beautiful inside. Also, good from-scratch bar food and good craft beer. [Detroit News]

Tallulah Wine Bar and Bistro has been sold; previous owner Mindy Lopus is focusing on her Grosse Pointe restaurant Red Crown. [Freep]

It will be the end of an era if/when Harpos Concert Theatre closes (though I can't remember a time in my life when going there was ever considered "safe"). [Motor City Muckraker]

DONUTS! [Thrillist]

CIDER! [RDW]

I can't even keep up with all of the international press Detroit SOUP gets anymore, but here's another one. [DW.DE]

Freakin' Unbelievable Burgers isn't the only Flint-area-based burger joint staking its claim in SE Michigan: Halo Burger is franchising all over the place, with plans to open up to 25 restaurants in SE MI by the end of 2014 and expanding into other states from there. [Crain's]

What are some other "fast food" places (aside from Moo Cluck Moo and their much-publicized $15/hour wages) that treat their employees well? Zingerman's Delicatessen gets named in Bon Appétit Magazine's list with shout-outs from Z's to Corridor Sausage Co., Brownwood Farms and The Brinery.   [Bon Appetit]

Such a bummer. Gilbert's Lodge is an east side institution that was gutted by a kitchen fire last week. [Detroit News]

We be jammin'. [Detroit News]

Great story on Theatre Bizarre from Metro Times Detroit. Seriously, this event is SO worth your time and money if you're into Halloween at ALL. [Metro Times]

Chef Michael Symon's cooking advice is less is more. [Freep]

Beerie
~Detroit Beer Week starts next Thursday! Participating venues include Foran's Grand Trunk Pub, Green Dot Stables, The Jefferson House, Mudgie's, Rock City Pies, St. Cece's Pub, The Sugar House, Traffic Jam + Snug, and Woodbridge Pub. Some really cool events coming up, check out the growing list here. [DBW FB]

~Congratulations to all Michigan Great American Beer Festival winners! New Holland Brewing Co. took home medals for Pilgrim's Dole (gold) and Dragon's Milk (silver), while Bell's Brewery, Inc. (Official) scored a bronze for Sparkleberry and Detroit Brewing Company a bronze for XX Dwarf. Enjoy these award-winning beers during Detroit Beer Week starting this Thursday! [GABF Official]

~Atwater Brewery is getting ever-so-close to opening their Grosse Pointe brew pub and beer garden Atwater in the Park next spring, and are now hiring for this location. [Metromode]

~Ashley's Ann Arbor is still the beeriest bar in SE MI, according to the beeries of CraftBeer.com. [CraftBeer.com]

~The Detroit Free Press Film Festival will be held in March, but the launch party will happen on Nov. 7 at The Fillmore Detroit with a screening of The Michigan Beer Film. [Freep]

The Week We Ate (The EID Week in Review)

This aggression will not stand! 

ICYMI:
~Will The Stand Gastro Bistro be the best new restaurant in Birmingham? Maybe even the best in metro Detroit? With Chef Paul Grosz at the helm, it certainly could be. The Stand has officially opened; read more details about it here (including a full vegan menu and craft cocktails from the master) and see photos of the amazing transformation the former Zazio's space has undergone. And here are photo collages of my opening night meal, part 1 and part 2. [EID]

~Have you visited the newly-opened Schramm's Mead in Ferndale? Maybe you've had one of B. Nektar's crazy mead concoctions? The craft mead business is taking off throughout the country and metro Detroit is at the very center of it. What makes these local guys so important? Read on. [Hour]

~The U.P. is fabulous, especially in the fall. Here I take you on a 6-day roadtrip from Pictured Rocks to the Keweenaw Peninsula. It should be noted that the U.P. is not the place for those with dietary restrictions, calorie-counters, fussy eaters or uppity gourmands. Also, abandon all hope of boutique hotels, ye who enter here. If you enjoy hearty Midwestern comfort foods, challenging hikes, mountains and waterfalls, scenic remote locations, and everything about the great outdoors, the U.P. is its own kind of paradise. Also, go to The Fitz. Stay at their inn. And get some monk muffins in the morning. [Fox]

~Ever wonder what happened to that tiny little walk-up counter where Good Girls Go To Paris Crepes got their start? It's now Chickpea in the D, serving fresh, healthy items made in-house daily to the downtown lunch crowd. [Model D]

~ALL OF THE EVENTS. (You might really want to start paying attention to this weekly column. And you're welcome.) [EID]

~Happy 90th birthday to Manya! Read all about the historic Abick's Bar and its wonderful owner Manya here in Model D. Manya turned 90 on October 4. [Model D]

~Introducing: Ferndale Restaurant Week and a brand-new fall/holiday festival from One-Eyed Betty's, FestivALE. [EID]

It's National Pizza Month! !!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If there's a way to make EID any more pizza-focused I don't know what it is but I will find it. First, check out the new Trattoria Da Luigi in Royal Oak and their uncompromisingly Italian menu with wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizzas. #pizzamonth #pizzacleanse #EIDluvspizza [Detroit News]

Have you read enough about Two James Spirits yet? I've written about them in three different publications myself. Well, here's another one. Seriously the place is pretty cool. And everyone else seems to think so too, prompting a significant increase in their operating hours. [Detroit News / Two James FB]

They're still a long ways off from actually opening, but that didn't stop BLOUIN Culture + Travel from naming Detroit City Distillery one of the top 5 urban distilleries in the world. An impressive accomplishment, considering. (Blouin must not have seen all the press on the actually-open and also urbanly-located Two James.) [Blouin]

La Feria now has la signage. [La Feria FB]

Detroit is a mac and cheese kinda town, and there sure is a lot of it. But this mac and cheese comes in a parmesan bowl with a parmesan crisp top. It's, like, a mac and cheese and cheese sandwich. $8, also available gluten-free. [Rock City FB]

Win 5th row tickets to see the Detroit Lions on October 20 courtesy of Uber and StubHub with a VIP tailgating experience featuring Mudgie's and MillKing It Productions! Enter the promo code "GreatSeatsDet" into your Uber account to be entered to win. [Uber]

The State of Michigan has declared this aggression will not stand, and Belle Isle is now a state park. Sometimes when you close your eyes and wish for something really really hard, it happens. Like that Belle Isle will actually get CLEANED. Imagine that! Trash picked up! Facilities maintained! Maybe...just maybe...some cool new amenities will be brought to the island? Maybe the Zoo could be reopened? Possibilities are endless. Dare to dream! [Detroit News]

Eastern Market Corporation, in partnership with Charter One and the MEDC, has awarded nearly $100,000 to 30 Detroit-area food entrepreneurs including Beautiful Soup, Beignets, Drought, Ethel's Edibles-Gluten Free, Slow Jams Jam, StrEat Eat and more. [Crain's]

Detroit Beer Week is coming up October 17-27. New events and venues are being announced daily on the blog and Facebook page, and you can also follow them on Twitter at @detbeerweek. [DBW Official]

What the WHAT. Sanders' new Chocolate Fudge Bumpy Cheesecake has received ALL of the likes. [Detroit News]

Bill Shea of Crain's Detroit Business reports on the important things in life and baseball: bacon burgers. [Crain's]

So, ARE these the best sandwiches in Detroit right now? (To sum up your comments, in a word, no.) Mudgie's, Russell Street Deli, Mike's Famous Ham Place, Detroit Vegan Soul (D.V.S) and Lunchtime Global all make an appearance on this list from Thrillist. [Thrillist]

LADY farmers. [Freep]

Detroit can haz goats? Will these cities provide a model that Detroit can follow, or is Detroit a special and unique snowflake city that other cities' methods doesn't apply to what with all the rumored rabid dogs and whatnot? [MLive]

Great profile of The Detroit Three in this week's Metro Times Detroit. [MT]

Jamaican me crazy! Need to know where to go for Jamaican food that isn't Bahama Breeze? Here you go. [Freep]

Freakin' Unbelievable Burgers is coming to Farmington Hills. The Flint-based burger joint has already received some national buzz. I'd love to say I've visited but Flint is far. Farmington Hills is less far, so that's nice. [Metromode]

Troy-based chain Olga's Kitchen has a new CEO and he's got big plans for the company. [Crain's]

Things having to do with people on TV
~The Detroit episode of Cooking Channel's Chuck's Eat the Street aired last week. Here the Detroit News speaks with celeb chef Chuck Hughes about his experience of Detroit. [Detroit News]

~Iron Chef Michael Symon was in town last week for the Greening of Detroit annual fundraiser gala at Roast. Here Hour Detroit talks with Symon about Detroit, Slows BAR BQ, B Spot Burgers, The Chew, and everything else. [Hour]

~Another Michigan native is competing on Top Chef. Aaron Cushieri hails from Livonia and previously worked at Assaggi Bistro before moving to Chicago where he is now under the wing of another chef with Michigan history, Takashi Yagihashi, at Slurping Turtle. The previous Top Chef winner was Kristen Kish, another Michigan native. Can a native Michigander snag the title of Top Chef two years in a row? [Detroit News]

Beerie (and merdie)
~B-rad of B. Nektar is featured in this BBC News story about the rising popularity of mead. [BBC]

~Jerry of Hour Detroit talks seasonal beers - the best of the Michigan-made Oktoberfests and pumpkin beers from breweries like New Holland Brewing Co., Dragonmead Brewery, Atwater Brewery, and Griffin Claw Brewing Company (GCBC) - as well as info on seasonal food pairings. [Hour]

~GAYOT.com - The Guide to the Good Life named Jolly Pumpkin Brewery's Bam Biere as one of the 10 best craft beers. [Gayot]

~Bars staying open until 4am? Not the first time this has come up - Granholm previously shot this down. But with all of the changes and loosening-up on local liquor laws as of late, this might actually stand a shot. [Freep]

[Metromode] Distilling the Greatness of Michigan-Made Spirits

Photo by Nicole Rupersburg.

Thanks to the growth in the craft beer industry and craft cocktail culture, the craft distilling industry has been growing exponentially in recent years, from barely two dozen microdistillers across the country in 2000 to over 250 in 2012, with dozens more currently seeking federal licensing. Michigan alone has over 30 licensed craft distillers with more in the works, including several in metro Detroit. There is also a Michigan Distillers Guild in the early planning stages, mirroring itself after the Michigan Brewers Guild to be an advocacy group for Michigan's microdistillers.

Read more.

The Week We Ate (The EID Week in Review)

ICYMI:
~Rock City Eatery is now open! They will have a limited menu and hours during their soft opening period, so be patient. Once they're firing at 100% the menu will include items like duck rilette sandwiches, charcoal-grilled beef tongue skewers, pork "fries" with togarashi, and bone marrow fritters, with plenty of vegetarian options like roasted brussels sprouts with Thai basil and smoked tomatoes, and grilled heirloom carrots with fast-pickled apples and goat cheese. [EID]
~Dine Drink Detroit, Ferndale Restaurant Week, Hamtramck Food Week, Revolve Detroit's Art + Retail on the Ave in conjunction with Detroit Design Festival's Light Up Livernois, expanded Detroit Restaurant Week and bunches of new restaurants opening: yeah, this fall kicks all other falls' asses. [EID]
~The Two James Spirits tasting room is now open with limited hours, but you can find their 28 Island Vodka in stores and on the shelves of local favorites like SLOWS BAR BQ, The Sugar House, and Michael Symon's Roast - Detroit. You can also buy bottles directly from the tasting room. [Model D]
~Interested in the growing craft spirits movement happening in metro Detroit? Here I talk in-depth with folks from Valentine Distilling Co., Griffin Claw Brewing Company (GCBC), Two James Spirits and Detroit City Distillery about craft spirits as part of the local foods movement and how recent changes in the laws governing microdistillers have allowed them to flourish. [Metromode]
~Better mark Eastern Market After Dark on your calendar for next year. [EID]

Get your taste of Hamtown with the new Hamtramck Food Week starting today: 10 restaurants with dinners priced at $10 or less and a host of other coordinating events. [Model D]

The new ballroom at COBO Center is now open and it's spectacular. Want to see it for yourself? Sign up for the Crain's Detroit Business House Party this Thursday, which includes an afterparty inside the new ballroom (with strolling dinner and open bar). Registration closes today. [The Detroit Hub / Crain's]

Public House is also now open for all your rock and bao roll needs north of 8 Mile. [Real Detroit]

Ben Hall and Jason Murphy, owners of Russell Street Deli, are opening a new restaurant on the outskirts of Corktown this spring called Lafayette Kitchen and Diner. [Crain's]

Excellent article about a book about supper clubs - The Supper Club Book - and about Detroit's own historic supper club, Cliff Bell's. Join them for Detroit Restaurant Week going on now through September 29. [Detroit News]

Celebrate the Garden Bowl and Lounge's centennial Dude-style on September 28. [Detroit News]

Here is an example of the powers of media being used for good: Bedrock (parent company of Quicken) has dropped the eviction notice against Angelina Italian Bistro after word spread through the media and Bedrock received a good public social media shaming. [Freep]

Yates Cider Mill is 150 years old this year and it's officially CIDER SEASON! [Yates Official]

Crain's Detroit Business takes a look at how area cider mills are diversifying after 2012's apple crop devastation, including a new cider house and winery at Blake's Cider Mill, expanded offerings at Paint Creek Cider Mill, and a brewery, winery, and distillery in the works at Miller's Big Red. [Crain's]

It is now officially fall. And that means pumpkin EVERYTHING - including Pumpkin Pie a la Mode ice cream from Guernsey Farms Dairy. [Guernsey Official]

Here's why the annual Tour de Troit is more than just a bike ride. If you missed it this year, better mark that one on your calendar for next year too. [Model D]

Beerie
~This video from Founder's should give you an attack of the eye-watering "allergies."

~Speaking of Founders Brewing Co., Thrillist named the best breweries in each state and Founders was named the best in Michigan. [Thrillist]

~On their search for Michigan's best brewery, MLive paid a visit to Warren's newest brewery Falling Down Beer Co. Here's more about it. [MLive]

~Who makes one of the best pumpkin beers in the country according to Complex Magazine? Jolly Pumpkin Brewery, of course! (As is to be expected.) [Complex]

~Detroit Beer Company celebrated their 10-year anniversary this weekend. [DBC FB]

Misc.
~One woman's experience surviving Whole Foods. Namaste. "Next I see the gluten-free section filled with crackers and bread made from various wheat-substitutes such as cardboard and sawdust. I skip this isle because I'm not rich enough to have dietary restrictions." [HuffPo]

~I want to hang out with these kids. [Death + Taxes]

~Chipotle Mexican Grill wins. [Gawker]