[EID Features] Young Guns I at the Root recap

I'm not actually doing a "recap" in which I describe every single thing I ate course by course in excruciating detail and how it made me feel about myself. My official recap is that I went to this dinner in White Lake where there was so much talent in one room, it was unfair to all other rooms. There were the six chefs - James Rigato, Nick Janutol, Andy Hollyday Michael Barrera, Brennan Calnin, and Nikita Santches - but there were also some serious wine and cocktail gurus: Joe Robinson of Bailout Productions, Antoine Przekop of Great Lakes Wine and Spirits, and Sommelier Evan Barrett from the Plum Market wine team led by Master Sommelier and HBIC Madeline Triffon. Plus many more area chefs, booze hounds, food and wine writers, and restaurant owners who either came to help out the six stars of the evening or just came to eat. And a wonderful time was had by all.

There were a lot of intentions with this dinner, which you can read about in more detail in my interview with Chef James Rigato here, but one of the major highlights was the emphasis on collaboration. After the dinner, as the boys all kicked back with some beers and shot the shit with each other basking in a job well done, Jessi Patuano, Rigato's right-hand woman in the kitchen at the Root, came out and chatted with me for a bit. What really struck her was that strong sense of collaboration in the kitchen: here there were six hotshot young chefs and every last one of them checked his ego at the door. As soon as each one was done with their own course, they were right there on the line asking the next guy how they could help him - no ego, no showmanship, no solitary lone wolves, just total solidarity. And that was the whole point.

Here is the full menu from this event, including wine and cocktail pairings. To keep the element of surprise throughout the meal, the menus weren't presented until the end of the dinner, given to guests as a parting gift.

Tickets to the next event on February 23 go on sale at noon today. Get on it. This is an experience unlike any other in Michigan. [UPDATE: This event sold out in 21 minutes.]

And once again, below is the complete series of interviews I conducted with each participating chef leading up to this event. Give them a good read. These guys really put their hearts and souls into these answers and put so much more thought and effort into them than I ever could have asked for or expected. Afterwards, talking with chefs individually or with their girlfriends privately, I found out just how much of themselves they put into this and, you know, at the risk of sounding insincerely sentimental, it was touching. Many of these guys stayed up until 3a.m. after working 12+ hours, taking hours to make sure their answers were just right. This is all them, 100%. Metro Detroit's Young Guns. Nikki's Boys.

James Rigato, The Root
Nick Janutol, Forest Grill
Andy Hollyday, Selden Standard and Roast
Brennan Calnin, Imperial
Nikita Santches, Rock City Eatery
Michael Barrera, Streetside Seafood

The Week We Ate (The EID Week in Review)

Just one of the preposterous things Americans did to food this year.

ICYMI:
~Dearest readers, do yourself a favor and read this. All the way through. Beginning to end. And understand why James Rigato of The Root Restaurant and Bar is one of Nikki's Boys. Oh, I went and saved the best for last. [EID]
~If you missed the first Young Guns dinner…that sucks for you because it was totally awesome. But never fear! The next event has been announced, and tickets go on sale December 10. [EID]
~Pete's Chocolate Co. is hiring for the holidays and is looking to expanding into wholesale going into 2014. [Model D]
~Shop local this (and every!) holiday season at these temporary pop-ups and special retail events, including the Wheelhouse Detroit Bike Shop retail residency in Eastern Market Corporation, the Merry Market at The Detroit Mercantile Co., the Detroit Holiday Food Bazaar, 1701 Bespoke, Spielhaus Toys, and much more. [Model D]
~What's that, ANOTHER independent grocery store guide? Yup. Turns out, there's a lot of independent full-service grocery stores in Detroit. And this project isn't even comprehensive (nor is it done). This time I ended up in the geographic area I'm roughly calling "north central Detroit," which includes University Commons and stretches out in all directions from there. [Model D]
~Detroit Institute of Bagels is one of several small businesses in Corktown that have received a $50,000 grant from the Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy fund. [Model D]
~EVENTS! [EID]

Here is a lovely story from Hour Detroit about Andrews on the Corner, a 95-year-old family-owned Detroit business that has weathered many a storm, including a disastrous real estate deal that wiped out most of the businesses in Rivertown. [Hour]

"Hash House Sunday" - aka brunch - is now happening every week at Public House. [PH FB]

Another friend on TV! Check out Alysa from Real Detroit Weekly on FOX 2 Detroit giving RDW's picks for Michigan-made gift items, including American Coney Island coney kits and cupcakes from Just Baked (both can be shipped anywhere in the country). [Fox]

I agree with Thrillist more often than not. Here is an example of more often, in which they name Jolly Pumpkin Brewery's Noel de Calabaza one of the best holiday beers on the market (extra props to the selection of Jewbelation, which is a ridiculous beer that is surprisingly drinkable at 17%ABV, and Evil Twin, because Evil Twin). [Thrillist]

As for this one, I'm about 70/30 on it. [Thrillist]

Nice little brief on Detroit's Beautiful Soup. [Model D]

Food startup Pierogi Gals began as a way of preserving a family tradition; now the demand is so high they don't have enough production space to keep up. You can find their variety of standard, specialty, and seasonal pierogi at farmers markets, Randazzo Fresh Market, and Holiday Market. [Metromode]

Two James Spirits was featured in Al Jazeera America. [AJA]

Here's a look inside the new Northern Lakes Seafood Company in Troy, as well as more future plans from The Epicurean Group. [Crain's]

You might not like corporate chain restaurants, but $11 million in economic development is nothing to sneer at. If you've driven down Big Beaver near Somerset lately, you might have noticed that shopping plazas are popping up like crazy, and all of them boasting new restaurants. This is why. [Crain's]

Fun new Vietnamese street food carry-out spot opening in A2 in January. [Concentrate]

An Ann Arbor server at Tios Mexican Cafe reaped the benefits of #tipsforjesus, which is apparently a group of people plopping down $1,000+++ tips on credit card receipts for unsuspecting servers all across America. [Gawker]

Great story in Hour Detroit about Cannelle Patisserie. [Hour]

Sweet Heather Anne makes the most beautiful cakes in metro Detroit. This holiday season, let them fulfill all of your cake needs, and check out this story about them from The Michigan Daily. [Michigan Daily]

Fancy hot dogs and froyo coming to Royal Oak. [Royal Oak Patch]

Looks like Cold Stone is giving Royal Oak the cold shoulder. *rimshot* [Royal Oak Patch]

Metro Detroit McDonald's employees went on strike last week for $15 an hour wages. [Freep]

Misc.
~I'm just going to coast through the rest of this month with other people's end of year lists, because LISTS. And so, here is a list from Mashable of stupid shit Americans ate and freaked out over this year, because AMERICA. [Mashable]

~Some of these are spot-on. Others…well, you have to be a pretty insecure person to find the presence of a solo diner - who probably just doesn't want to be bothered with the existence of other people or is maybe just simply hungry and out and therefore decided to get food - so unnerving. [Thrillist]

[EID Feature] Young Guns: James Rigato, The Root Restaurant + Bar

Oh yes, I went and saved the best for last, just like in that Vanessa Williams song from 1992.

James Rigato is the Executive Chef of The Root, and the brains behind these Young Guns dinners. He's also one of my favorite people in the world, and that's equally as important. Because it is. Read more about James's background and how The Root came to be in this feature from Metromode (fellow Guns Andy Hollyday and Nikita Santches are also featured in it); you can also read more about James and how it was total LAFS at our first meeting here.

For this Young Guns interview series, I have loved all of the answers the Guns have given me and all of them are my favorite, though some are more my favorite than others. James came through with my favoritest, as I suspected he probably would. Please enjoy. It has been a pleasure bringing these to you. You can read all of the other Young Guns interviews via the links here.

EID: What is your culinary ethos? As in, as a chef, what do you BELIEVE in? What is important to you as a chef in your cooking and, in a bigger picture, what do you think the most important values are for a chef to have?

JR: I believe in food as a source for life. Not just literally, but holistically. The act of cooking is a responsibility to the earth, the guest and everyone in between. I think it's important to cook every day thinking like that. Am I giving as much as I'm taking? Can nature handle my impact? Am I connecting with my guest? Do they understand me? It's important to me to ask those questions. Sustainability. Seasonality. These should be a given, any good chef will tell you that. But are we thinking about the future of food. Where things come from? Where will they come from?

I find that being a chef can be an isolating experience from normality. I've severed nearly every nerve to holiday enjoyment. I can't sleep. I can't handle going to the mall. But spending so much time in food servitude makes me savor the little time I do have with my loved ones. So we break bread. I think the most important thing a chef can do is dine out. Drink Barolo. Drink aperitifs and digestifs. Say yes to champagne. Pick up the tab. Get coursed out. Be the customer in someone elses restaurant that you want in yours. And when you get back to your restaurant cook like your fucking life depends on it. Because, guess what? It does.

How/where do you see Detroit's/Michigan's culinary scene fitting in on a national level? Thinking in terms not of where it is (which is still far behind most other major cities/states) but where it COULD be, how can Michigan chefs/restaurants evolve and where do you see them going?

I pretty much agree with every other chef that answered this question. My only addition would be that Michigan is a source. We make food. It grows wild. We forage, hunt, harvest and fish. Not every region can claim that. To me, that's the origin of significant food regions. I believe Michigan is the most beautiful and rewarding state in the US and I think chefs are at the front line of showing the world exactly that. I think we can go as far as we want. But I look to places like the pacific northwest, Chicago and Vermont as regions that should parallel.

What advantages does a chef have in Michigan over other states? 

Seasonality. Farm land. Space. Water. Tenacity. Fearlessness. DIY attitudes. Midwestern grit. Callouses.

Michigan makes me proud because of it's unflinching forward-moving determination. We opened The Root in White Lake in 2011. Everyone told us it was a bad idea. But I stuck with my gut and bet on Michigan wanting real food and it paid off.

I've mentioned many times that the 8 Mile soundtrack album was the soundtrack to opening The Root. And at the risk of sounding cliche, I feel like that's what makes Eminem so enigmatic here in Detroit/Michigan. He's the mascot of any underdog putting passion first. So yeah, we got Eminem.

What is your favorite cuisine and/or what are your favorite or signature dishes to make? What do you geek out over?

This is my most asked and least favorite question. But I will say I love Italian food. Real Italian food. When I need to eat, like really eat, as in my spirit hurts, my hands are cracked and bleeding and I am forgetting why I sold my soul 15 years ago, I go to Bacco. I take a friend, a coworker, my wife or a sous chef. We sit and eat Italian food and drink Italian wine. Even though I've never been to the motherland I feel at home. And I am restored. Literally.

As for cooking. I love charcuterie. I love vegetables. I love whole animal cookery. I love Jacques Pepin. Anything he does. I geek out over his style of cooking. My favorite chef in America right now is Paul Virant. I think he is wildly underrated and the new north to which I calibrate my compass.

I love olive oil. A lot.

Who have you worked with who has most influenced you, and who most inspires you as a chef?

Paul Virant. We've done a few dinners together at collaborations and charities. He is a great chef and a kind, generous man. A real poet. He is the one who inspired me to get my Michigan chef friends together for Young Guns. Chef Dan Hugelier moved me as a student. I used to tear up in class listening to lecture. I've never heard anyone speak about the industry so passionately as him. Luciano Del Signore is my industry adopted father. Chef Brian Polcyn is my industry adopted crazy uncle. Matt Prentice was a rolling stone.

Hard at work, doing his thang.

How - and maybe more accurately why - did you first come up with the idea for the Young Guns dinner? What greater goal do you hope to accomplish with this dinner aside from it just being a totally awesome event?

The Young Guns came to mind shortly after a dinner at Vie in Chicago with Bill Kim, Paul Virant, Paul Kahan, Johnny Anderes and Elissa Narrow. It was one of the best nights of my career and I thought, why don't we do this back home? So when I got home I thought about what a dinner like that would look like here. Metro Detroit has some great veteran chefs that are easy picks. But when I thought about who I was seeing at events and whose food I was eating and who was taking chances or swashbuckling I put together this group of guys. I want to keep the Young Guns evolving and doing more dinners and rotating chef's based on who's available. I think it has potential to be an entity of Michigan cuisine. A canvas.

I also wanted to showcase the talent behind a lot of these local restaurants. Few chefs can be owners, therefore, many chefs are victims of circumstance or agenda or budget. This event is to free them/us of that. This night is for us. We certainly see a value and encourage being a customer of such an event but this is our night. That's why there's no menu available. No options or modifications. It's like music. This is our debut album.

I should also mention I've heard the saying Young Gun's referred to young "hot shot" chefs 1000 times. I also hear the reference of Detroit being the wild west, especially with food. So I found it appropriate. We take food seriously. Not ourselves. Does that make me Emilio?

What made you approach the particular group that you did? Can we expect to see more of these dinners, maybe with some other local talent?

Andy is great. I met him as a customer and fan of his at Roast. We share distributors so we hear about each other but we finally met and just really got along. I love his food. Michael Barrera is a great customer of mine and a really great guy. I love stopping in Streetside and noshing when in Birmingham. It's the most approachable, comfortable spot in Birmingham. Brennan is electric. Not only are his taco and salsas and bar food ridiculously high class at Imperial but he's holding back immense talent. I think he's a star about to burst. His flavors are so loud and tight I'm inspired by a goddamn taco. Nikita to me is the definitive Young Gun. Blue collar. Tireless. He literally built his reputation one plate at a time and built his own restaurant one brick at a time. I'm excited about his future. Nick Janutol and I worked together at Rugby under Dave Gilbert. Nick was as intern from CIA and a relatively quiet young guy who I'd challenge to late night dance off's in the kitchen, to which he'd lose. But since then his career has flourished as did his resume. I think his attention to detail and French focused style rounds the group out. Then me. I think The Root is a great place to start the event because of it's size and freedom to create. We have a large kitchen and no culinary rules. We're free.

But really, these guys are the real deal. These are my brethren. These are the people you will hear about years from now. Michigan food will evolve at their hands.

Future events are in the works as we speak. [UPDATE: Since conducting this interview, the second Young Guns events has been announced.]

As a chef, what do you hope to achieve in your career? Where do you see yourself in 5, 10, 20 years? And how do you hope to help strengthen and bolster Michigan's culinary scene?

I want to continue supporting the local butchers and farmers that work so hard for me. My goal has always been to showcase resources. I am very blessed to be able to work this hard and see gratification. I will not let up. I feel like my generation of chefs approach martyrdom. For me, I have nothing else. I can't support myself in any other field. I'm a cook. I'm a dishwasher. A janitor. A servant. A chef.

I want to keep my focus on putting Michigan on a national stage. Cook every plate like it's my only chance. I think building the reputation of our region is extremely important but not as important as delivering on that reputation when actually called upon.

[NEWS BITES] Second Young Guns dinner announced; tickets go on sale December 10

The first-ever Young Guns dinner, featuring six of metro Detroit's hottest (and I mean that in both the literal and figurative sense….YOWWWWW!) up-and-coming chefs, sold out in less than 48 hours. Most people hadn't even heard about it before tickets were already sold out. Now people are offering babies and bribes to get tickets to Sunday's dinner (I'm definitely not kidding about the latter and only sort of kidding about the former).

Now the second Young Guns dinner has officially been announced for Sunday, February 23, and tickets will go on sale December 10. The host location will be Terry B's in Dexter and Young Gun Andy Hollyday, who is unavailable on that date, will be replaced with a new Young Gun, Terry B's Executive Chef Doug Hewitt. You can read more about Doug in his "Insider" profile on Dexter here.

Eat It Detroit has been running profiles of each of the Young Guns leading up to the first event this Sunday. The profile of host chef (and the brains behind the guns) James Rigato of the Root Restaurant and Bar will follow later today.

Read them all here:
Nick Janutol, Forest Grill
Andy Hollyday, Selden Standard and Roast
Brennan Calnin, Imperial
Nikita Santches, Rock City Eatery
Michael Barrera, Streetside Seafood

Here is the press release for the next Young Guns dinner:

On Sunday, Feb. 23, 2014, the Young Guns will present their second Young Guns Dinner with a culinary takeover of Terry B’s Restaurant and Bar located at 7954 Ann Arbor St. in Dexter, Mich. The six-course dinner will begin at 7 p.m. and showcase the talents of six of Michigan’s premier chefs. Tickets are prepay only and will be available for purchase beginning at noon on Tuesday, Dec. 10. The cost of the dinner is $125 per person, inclusive of alcohol, tax and gratuity. Reservations are required and can be made by calling Terry B’s at 734-426-3727.

The Young Guns Dinner chef lineup is as follows:

Hosted by Doug Hewitt – Terry B’s Restaurant and Bar

Michael Barrera – Streetside Seafood

Brennan Calnin – Imperial

Nick Janutol – Forest Grill

James Rigato – The Root Restaurant and Bar

Nikita Santches – Rock City Eatery

The Young Guns were formed by chef Rigato earlier this year in an effort to feature the region’s up-and-coming chefs and bring attention to the growing food scene in metro Detroit. The first Young Guns Dinner, which sold out in less than 48 hours, will take place on Sunday, Dec. 8 at The Root Restaurant and Bar.

Terry B’s Restaurant and Bar serves upscale, contemporary cuisine in downtown Dexter in a former farmhouse, which was built in the 1850s.  The restaurant is located at 7954 Ann Arbor St. and is open Tuesday through Saturday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. For more information, visit www.terrybs.com or call 734-426-3727.

The Root Restaurant and Bar is located at 340 Town Center Blvd. and is open for lunch and dinner Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. The restaurant features hand-made, from scratch, chef-driven cuisine with a commitment to seasonality and sustainable sourcing. For reservations or for more information, call 248-698-2400, visit www.therootrestaurant.com or follow on Facebook.

The Week We Ate (The EID Week in Review)

ICYMI:
~This is a beautiful story about a boy and his bagels. Detroit Institute of Bagels opened on Thursday, and it's been a long time coming. Two and a half years after our first conversation I sat down with owner and chief bagel maker Ben Newman again to take a look at how far he has come. [EID]
~This is the penultimate profile leading up to the sold out Young Guns dinner at The Root Restaurant and Bar on December 8: Nick Janutol, Chef de Cuisine of Forest Grill and recent replacement transplant (as in, moved back after moving away) to the Detroit area. [EID]
~EVENTS! (PS, are you ready for Repeal Day?) [EID]

It's not too late for an "alternative" Thanksgiving. [Freep]

Guns + Butter with Shinola in Singapore? Yep - Detroit done gone international. [G+B FB]

This was the first year since I started with Real Detroit Weekly many moons ago that I didn't take part in the annual Six Drink Slam (I was traveling). But my RDW colleague/protege Gary Bartle did such a fine job with his Valentine Distilling Co. SDS that you simply must read it. "I imagined flirting with Christina Hendricks and chain-smoking like I'd never heard of cancer." Indeed. [RDW]

The Stand is now open for lunch, and here is the menu. [The Stand FB]

Hamtown Farms lives! [Hamtramck Review]

Food + Wine names Dangerously Delicious Pies Baked in Detroit one of America's best pumpkin pies. (Okay, *technically* it was the D.C. outpost where Rodney Henry of Next Food Network Star fame is located. But we have a branch of that same company here in Detroit, and you can find them at Third Street Bar. [F+W]

Moo Cluck Moo will open a second location in Canton. [Detroit News]

Sweet Potato Sensations is one business helping revive Detroit with help from Goldman Sachs. You can read more about Goldman Sachs here. *crickets* [MSNBC / Rolling Stone]

Small Business Saturday might be over, but this video of Ryan Hooper, Creative Director of Pure Detroit, being interviewed (and flirted with!) by Fox News is timeless. [Fox]

Okay, so here's a bunch of Thanksgiving-related things for posterity and/or reference next year:
-Plum Market Master Sommelier Madeline Triffon's wine pairing suggestions [WDET]
-DRAFT Magazine's beer pairing suggestions [DRAFT]
-CraftBeer.com did their own version, naming Jolly Pumpkin's La Roja as one of their top picks [CraftBeer.com]
-SAVEUR Magazine on why pumpkin pie is the superior of the American pies [SAVEUR]
-Hope you didn't miss out on Thanksgivukkah celebrations, since it won't come around for another 70,000 years [BuzzFeed]
-What does your favorite pie say about you? According to the highly scientific calculations of BuzzFeed, this [BuzzFeed]

Beerie
~Winter Beer Fest tickets have already came and went; this time it sold out in three hours. You people really like standing outside in sub zero temperatures drinking beer. [MLive]

[EID Feature] Young Guns: Nick Janutol, Forest Grill

In anticipation of the first-ever Young Guns dinner at the Root - which sold out in less than 48 hours - Eat It Detroit will run a new profile every week leading up to the event featuring each of the six participating chefs. This week, it's Nick Janutol, Chef de Cuisine of Forest Grill.

Chef Nick's background: After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, Chef Nick Janutol moved to New York City where he worked under Daniel Humm and was part of the team that elevated Eleven Madison Park to three Michelin stars. Looking to move closer to home, Chef Janutol moved to Chicago. In Chicago he worked under his friend and mentor Chef Matthew Kirkley. Under Chef Kirkley’s leadership, Chef Nick opened the two Michelin star RIA in the Elysian hotel. The pair then left and moved to L2O, where they took the restaurant to a two Michelin star rating. Chef Janutol finally made the move back to Michigan where he has been able to take his experience in fine dining to create an exceptional spin on the causal and comfortable atmosphere he has always enjoyed in restaurants.

EID: What is your culinary ethos? As in, as a chef, what do you BELIEVE in? What is important to you as a chef in your cooking and, in a bigger picture, what do you think the most important values are for a chef to have?

NJ: This feels a little like a loaded question. I could talk for days about the values and beliefs behind why I do what I do. The words that best describe my philosophy are quality, consistency, integrity, and hospitality. If one starts by truly believing that every guest is equally important and works as hard as they can to make them happy, then you have done your job.

How/where do you see Detroit's/Michigan's culinary scene fitting in on a national level? Thinking in terms not of where it is (which is still far behind most other major cities/states) but where it COULD be, how can Michigan chefs/restaurants evolve and where do you see them going?

I think you are right in saying Detroit is behind major cities like New York, Chicago and the San Francisco area, and it is unreasonable to say we are not. That being said I don’t think we are as far behind as far as you think. Having lived in both New York City and Chicago for a number of years, I have had the chance to see once empty neighborhoods explode with incredible restaurants. When I look at Corktown or Ferndale it feels like the West Loop or Brooklyn five years ago, you can feel this energy. It really feels like we are one or two great restaurant away from creating the competitive playground needed to propel this city.

What advantages does a chef have in Michigan over other states? 

Michigan chefs have a blank canvas and a public that wants to see it colored in; we have a clientele who wants to see more. All in all Detroit is an entrepreneurs dream.

You recently moved back to Michigan after working at some high-profile restaurants in Chicago. What really prompted you to make that decision, to leave such a high-profile market for one that is markedly less so?

Michigan especially the Detroit area is home, and there is a great future for her food scene here. Maybe I am niave in thinking that Detroit will rebound, but I will see it through. I am committed to this area and want to be a part of this great upswing that I feel is inevitable. With that said, the goal of entrepreneurship is one of the biggest reasons I moved back.

What is your favorite cuisine and/or what are your favorite or signature dishes to make? What do you geek out over?

I guess the pc answer is “seasonal products from the farmers market,” but that should be a standard in any restaurant you go to. With that said, I love French fare, not the typical American French bistro, but true French food that is produced by great chefs like Charles Barrier, Alain Ducasse, Joel Robuchon, Olivier Roellinger, and Yannick Alleno to name a few. For me it is truly inspiring to see what is possible with food. I strive to create dishes that are not spur of the moment, but well thought out and executed consistently.

Who have you worked with who has most influenced you, and who most inspires you as a chef?

I have learned from so many people in this industry. There are so many great chefs out there, each with their own philosophy and ideology. However, Matt Kirkley, the chef of L2O, has been one of the most influential chefs for myself as well as a great friend that I have worked for. He inspired me to have a hunger for knowledge, a drive for quality as well as reinforcing the need for integrity.

When James approached you about being a part of this Young Guns dinner, what was your reaction? Did you consider yourself one of "Michigan's most dangerous chefs" prior to this? What do you think of your fellow Young Guns?

The whole young guns name is a bit contrived, but I love the idea that we as chefs are getting the opportunity to cook together. This will be a great event, where we can share ideas and techniques with each other. That is something that is huge in Chicago and New York, the idea of meeting up after work and swapping stories and ideas. This event will only help Detroit grow as a restaurant scene.

As a chef, what do you hope to achieve in your career? Where do you see yourself in 5, 10, 20 years? And how do you hope to help strengthen and bolster Michigan's culinary scene?

Over the next 20 years, I hope that I continue to grow as a chef and businessman in the Detroit area.

The Week We Ate (The EID Week in Review)

ICYMI:
~LET THERE BE BAGELS! Detroit Institute of Bagels opens on Thanksgiving Day! [EID]

~All of the Young Guns have given terrific interviews for EID's Young Guns profile series, but Detroit's favorite young(-ish…his words!) Gun Andy Hollyday of the soon-to-open Selden Standard might just be my favorite yet. [EID]

~Thanksgiving is one week away! Whether you want to buy a locally-raised turkey to make at home, buy a pre-cooked turkey (or the whole damn meal) to serve, or want to skip that whole mess and just go out to eat, here are some local places that will facilitate all of your needs. [EID]

~Another week, another Green Grocer profile, this time on the lower East Side. Not to be partial or anything, but Food Town Super Market is super-nice, and how cute is Chandler Park? [Model D]

~Another previous pop-up is making the transition to permanent. Coffee and (_______) will now be a permanent fixture in the developing Jefferson Chalmers neighborhood. [Model D]

~Tuesdays market season at Eastern Market Corporation may be over, but they're having one last hurrah next Tuesday for their Thanksgiving Market, where they'll have everything you'll need for your holiday table as well as food trucks, Christmas tree farmers, the launch of the Wheelhouse Detroit Bike Shop + Detroit Bikes retail residency, and the newest release from Arcadia Publishing, 'Detroit's Historic Eastern Market' - co-written by EM businesses development VP and owner of Detroit Spice Co. Spices and Hot Sauces, Randall Fogelman. [Model D]

~Local chef Brian Beland won a culinary thing in Dubai. [EID]

~It's the most wonderful time for EVENTS! [EID]

Detroit in L.A.: Guns + Butter is popping up on the west coast at the super-trendy Hollywood Roosevelt - a Thompson Hotel. With the recent G+B endorsement from Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown at one of the trendiest hipster/scenester hotspots in Hollywood, this dinner is going to be a big deal. [LA Times]

A new restaurant is now open in Midtown. It is called The Grille Midtown. You can take a look at the menu online…looks like pretty standard "grille with an e" offerings; definitely trying to be a bit more upscale. [The Grille Official]

Give thanks for ready-made Thanksgiving meals from places like Zingerman's Roadhouse, The Produce Station, Eat Catering And Carry-Out, and more. [MLive]

What are the best pizzas in the state of Michigan? According to MLive.com, MANI Osteria and Bar is #1, Buddy's Pizza is #2, and Supino Pizzeria is # N/A because they're not even in the top 10. Which just goes to show you that other people's opinions are exactly that. [MLive]

And in a separate link (MOAR CLIKZ), the rest of the list. (Supino Pizzeria is on this one but alas, no Bigalora.) [MLive]

Looks like Toronto has some Detroit envy… great story on Detroit's Dr. Sushi here from our northern neighbors. [Toronto Standard]

As far as travel stories go, this one is…brief. (But does manage to squeeze in "Bourdain" despite that.) And according to this, La Feria Detroit is the new restaurant of note. [AOL]

The Royal Oak Barnes and Noble stays for now. Commence bitching about BLAH BLAH BLAH CORPORATE BLAH. [Royal Oak Patch]

Peet's Coffee and Tea has set up shop in metro Detroit in a major kind of way. Here are all of the many grand openings happening. [Royal Oak Patch]

Beerie
~The times, they are a-changin'! Several bills that significantly loosen the restrictions on breweries and brewpubs are making their way through state legislature, as are bills allowing temporary licenses for new bars and restaurants going through the licensing process and "economic development" liquor licenses available in any and all municipalities. [MLive]

Misc.
~They…they understand why this is totally f-ed up, right? Don't they? [The Daily Meal]

~Celeb chef and part-time Michigander Mario Batali took to the Twitters to raise money for a cause he personally believes in, and in true form, the mouth-breathers of Twitter voiced their opposition with the usual derpaderpaderpaDER. His responses are quite humorous. [The Raw Story]

~Hate Wal-Mart? So does Ashton Kutcher. Here is another celeb Twitterer taking a social media stand. (For whatever that's worth.) [Salon]

~And then Jon Stewart totally pussed out. [Salon]

[EID Feature] Young Guns: Andy Hollyday, Selden Standard

In anticipation of the first-ever Young Guns dinner at the Root - which sold out in less than 48 hours - Eat It Detroit will run a new profile every week leading up to the event featuring each of the six participating chefs. This week, it's Chef Andy Hollyday formerly of roast and partner in the soon-to-open Selden Standard in Midtown. 

Chef Andy's background: Andy Hollyday started cooking in a small family run restaurant in his hometown of Toledo. He pursued training at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., and has since cooked from coast to coast in the United States and also spent a summer cooking in France. He recently left his position as executive chef at Michael Symon’s Roast and will be chef/owner of Selden Standard, a new American restaurant opening in Midtown Detroit in mid-2014.

EID: What is your culinary ethos? As in, as a chef, what do you BELIEVE in? What is important to you as a chef in your cooking and, in a bigger picture, what do you think the most important values are for a chef to have?

AH: I believe in keeping things simple. I believe if you have some beautiful vegetables you don't need to do much to them to make them delicious. Sometimes as a chef you need to get out of the way and not complicate matters. All of us want to chef it up and get super creative, but the older – and hopefully wiser – I get the more I understand the adage, “less is more.” Food can and should speak for itself. That said, it's not always an easy thing to do. That’s why one of the most important values for me is to support farmers who are doing things right. Supporting their integrity on a local level will hopefully change farming and culinary practices in this country. If we don't, it will all be hormone pumped, pesticide poisoned, taste-like-nothing bullshit. And of course, if I’m trying to respect my farmer pals, I also have to be a chef who gives respect to my crew. They bust their asses for me and for our customers, and I want to teach them and mold them into not only good chefs but help them be the best people and the best colleagues they can be.

How/where do you see Detroit's/Michigan's culinary scene fitting in on a national level? Thinking in terms not of where it is (which is still far behind most other major cities/states) but where it COULD be, how can Michigan chefs/restaurants evolve and where do you see them going?

Clearly, the Detroit food scene is currently lagging a bit behind other cities. We do have a lot of gems, but everything is so spread out so it feels like we have less than we actually do. But we are in a unique position to highlight what Michigan has to offer. We’re a state that’s rich with a big network of farms, orchards, forests, and waters surrounding us. It’s the inherent quality of those things combined with Detroit’s history and personality that will make us distinct. We’ve always had a wealth of great ethnic food, but what's exciting, especially as a chef, is all the energy that's coming from these new restaurants, pop-ups, distilleries, breweries, and urban farmers. We’re contributing to a culture that's putting a demand on local resources, and utilizing them to define our local cuisine. There’s a lot of momentum building.

What advantages does a chef have in Michigan over other states? 

First and foremost, the people here make the city and that is why I'm here – to feed them! I came to Michigan 10 years ago, and have been working in the city of Detroit for over 5 years. And I definitely don’t have any plans to leave. I’m inspired by all the hardworking, ballsy risk takers that I've met and become friends with. Opening a restaurant anywhere is risky, but it seems as though the rewards – and I mean that in terms of relationships and a sense of contributing to something more than financial – in the city are much bigger. What really excites me is being able to be a part of a neighborhood. Take our block, for example: Alley Wine is going to open nearby, apartments are getting cleaned up, the El Moore project that the Green Garage guys are doing. It’s fun to be part of what is almost a collaborative vision, even though we’re all doing our own, different projects. I also think that people often come to the city with low expectations. And to be honest, it feels good to exceed those with a stellar dining experience that will help change their overall outlook of Detroit.

What is your favorite cuisine and/or what are your favorite or signature dishes to make? What do you geek out over?

I hate this question, but I love pasta. And in terms of cuisine, I really like anything simple, rustic, and Mediterranean. Something as simple as grilled bread or grilled onions can be outstanding.

I truly "geek out" when vegetables are at the peak of their season. When you eat that perfect peach off the tree or carrot straight from the dirt. When food is alive is when it tastes the best. I love a fresh caught fish fried after a day of fishing in the lake. Ramps and morels are always exciting but taste better when you pull them from the woods yourself. Since I left Roast, I’ve had the chance to visit a few farms in Michigan and across the Midwest, and it’s been so interesting, so much fun. When Selden Standard opens, I’m just excited to be able to work more closely with some of them.

Tell me a little about your new restaurant - what is the concept? How will it fit within the existing Detroit restaurant scene, and how will it be different than what's already out there? What is your "in a perfect world" timeline for opening?

We wanted to open a place that was the kind of restaurant that we like to eat at. So that’s what Selden Standard will be: very sociable, seasonally driven, shared plates. There are a lot of great meals to be had in fine dining. A lot of them can be found here in Michigan, and believe me, I’ve ate at all of those places. But I don’t want white linens and an eighteen page wine list every single time I go out to eat. More than anything, I love great food and hanging out with my girlfriend and our friends. So we’ll be a much more casual, neighborhood place with outstanding food and drink. A place where you can feel comfortable eating with your hands and still hopefully leave saying, “Wow, that was a special meal.”

Detroit already has a lot to offer: I eat at Supino and La Feria and New Center Eatery and Roast and all those places all the time. But there are so many variations in what a good restaurant can be, and right now, there aren’t a lot of places where the menu is changing every 3, 4, 5 weeks; there aren’t a lot of places that have the capacity and culinary scope of a bigger, formal restaurant that are aiming to do more casual; and so on. So hopefully we will give people something new. I know other chefs and restaurateurs in town are looking to do more seasonal cuisine, more sociable dining room experiences, and I’m excited for that too. Greater downtown is growing, and speaking as someone who loves to eat, we need as many perspectives on interesting food as we can get. I’m just glad that we’ll be a part of that.

In terms of opening, our perfect world scenario is sometime in May, but we’re saying “mid 2014” because there are still so many variables. Ask me again in a couple months.

When James approached your about being a part of this Young Guns dinner, what was your reaction? Did you consider yourself one of "Michigan's most dangerous chefs" prior to this? What do you think of your fellow Young Guns?

I was stoked that James asked me. I don't really consider myself DANGEROUS and definitely not that YOUNG anymore either. I mean, I got into the industry 20 or so years ago, and I graduated from the CIA more than ten years ago now. So it’s hard to think of myself as young. But when James gets all amped up and starts talking about a community of chefs, how can you say no? His energy is contagious, and we do need to all support each other. Some sense of competition (for lack of a better word) should be there, but it should always respectful and friendly. All the chefs are very talented and great guys. I love all their restaurants. So something like this is fun to do.

As a chef, what do you hope to achieve in your career? Where do you see yourself in 5, 10, 20 years? And how do you hope to help strengthen and bolster Michigan's culinary scene?

Well, first, I want people to come into our restaurant and have a great time with great food. That’s why you get into this business and stay in it, you know? But in terms of the bigger picture, I hope to positively impact Detroit's dining scene and along the way, help build a better connection with the farmer not only at restaurants but for the general public. I want to cook good food and help change the way people look at the city of Detroit. I love working with new cooks and hope to have mentored the future Young Guns of this town. In 5 years, I hope to have kids and be married. In 10 years I would love to own a farm that would be solely dedicated to sourcing my restaurant(s). At some point, in a dream scenario, I would love to open another business, but first thing's first. Finally within 20 years, I hope I’ve had some role in inspiring and teaching younger chefs to stay here and continue the craft so I can go eat at their places with my family and friends.

Read last week's interview with Chef Brennan Calnin of Imperial in Ferndale here.

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]