[NEWS BITES] Chef Kate Williams leaving Rodin for new pursuits

Dance party at Rodin.

Chef Kate Williams is leaving Rodin to pursue some new ventures, which are still on the DL but one of them is going to be SO AWESOME YOU GUYS I CAN'T WAIT TO TELL YOU.

Kate and Rodin owner Torya Schoeniger wanted to go in different directions with the restaurant/bar. As a French-trained chef, Kate understandably wanted to focus more on the dining end of the business, but with a tiny kitchen she was limited and both she and Torya said she couldn't do what she really wanted to do there, which was basically to have a full restaurant. The parting of ways is wholly amicable and you can expect to see some changes at Rodin soon - different food and more music being the biggies.

Rodin first opened its doors for Noel Night last year on December 1, with a grand opening on 12/12/12. After nearly a year in business, Torya and her team have had time to settle into the Midtown nightlife market and see what their clientele most demands and best responds to. Torya wants to transition the nighttime hotspot to have a greater emphasis on live music. And with a one-year anniversary coming up, you can bet there's going to be one hell of a party.

Rodin will still serve food, but the food will be less preparation-intensive and more along the lines of heavy snacks - think cured meats, cheese boards, pickled vegetables, and raw seafood, similar to this. They'll still have all the great cocktails, unique wines, and craft beer you love, and the sexy mid-century Parisian cafe-meets-urban industrial chic atmosphere that makes it such a delightfully unique space in Detroit.

Kate is officially done at Rodin this week. I'll have more details on some of her upcoming projects soon but SERIOUSLY YOU GUYS THIS ONE THING IN PARTICULAR THAT I KNOW ABOUT IS GOING TO BE AWESOME. And keep an eye out for Rodin's one-year anniversary party; I'll be sure to remind you!

[HOT LIST] Movement off-site food guide

Photo from the Official Movement Facebook page.

I get a lot of emails asking me for recommendations - places to eat that are new and cool, places to eat for an anniversary/birthday/special occasion, places to get married, places to sightsee. Etc. While I don't have time to respond to each and every one of these requests (seriously, I get a lot), I do try my best to answer as many as I can, particularly for people coming in from out of town (I get a lot of those, too).

Last weekend the social media coordinator for Beatport got in touch asking for some recommendations within walking distance of the Movement festival grounds while she was in town. She wanted beer bars, a beer store, and a place to get some of that oft-cited Detroit-style pizza that's been making some national waves lately. Which got me thinking: wouldn't it be nice if I had a list of places to go for ALL people coming into town for Movement? Even semi-local people who might not be as familiar with the area immediately surrounding the festival grounds?

Indeed it would. So here you go.

Note: this year, the boys of Bailout Productions invite you to take Refuge at the Rhino Bar. I recommend you do so.

#1 Foran's Grand Trunk Pub/MotorCity Wine Downtown
If it's beer you seek, to Foran's Grand Trunk Pub you should go. They were the first bar in Detroit to switch over to all Michigan craft taps and have a huge selection of craft beer by the bottle too. For Movement they usually have a few coordinating parties, plus they are also open for Saturday and Sunday brunch. *AND* they sell beer to go, *AND* they are all of five minutes walking distance from the festival grounds. Expect heavy Midwestern bar food: burgers, corned beef, deep fried pickles, deep fried pickle corned beef burgers (actually you would have to special request that, but they would totally do it), etc. Upstairs is MotorCity Wine, and this will be its last year in this location. Take advantage: yes it's a wine bar and as such they have a fantastic selection of wine, beer, cheese and charcuterie, but it's also a live music venue with events planned all Movement weekend. (Pro tip: Monday's "House Gallery" is free and goes on all day.)

Ribber at Bert's. Photo from @eatitdetroit Instagram feed.

#2 Eastern Market Eastern Market
Walkable for those who really enjoy walking (for everyone else, there's Uber), Eastern Market is pretty much the second-greatest thing about Detroit. The first greatest is the Riverfront, which, as a festival attendee, you are already familiar with (though if you need a break during the day, a jaunt down the RiverWalk and maybe even a guided bike tour with Wheelhouse Detroit -- they have special Movement tour packages for the weekend -- will offer some scenic solace). Eastern Market is quickly becoming Detroit's alternative arts district. Once home to many, many, many many manymanymany raves in the '90s (and maybe possibly this is occasionally still known to sometimes happen), Eastern Market is more legit with all the same grit. The Red Bull House of Art and the newly-opened Inner State Gallery both have Movement-partnered programming for the festival, while Supino Pizzeria, Russell Street Deli, and the market's Saturday food truck rallies and ribbers outside of Bert's Marketplace are all on the master Detroit bucket list.

#3 Niki's Pizza Bricktown
For Detroit-style pizza, another bucket-lister, the biggies really require you to have a car and drive a bit (Buddy's Pizza being THE biggie). However, Niki's Pizza in Greektown will give you a good Detroit-style deep dish fix, and they're open until 4am on weekends. There is a Greek version of their pizza with feta cheese, black olives and lamb, which is sort of an extra-Detroit version of the Detroit pizza since we have such a strong Greek culture here. I mean, it's in Greektown, you know? Loco Bar and Grill serves meh Meximerican food next door but is also open until 4am which makes all the difference.

Sweetwater wings. Photo from @eatitdetroit Instagram feed.

#4 Sweetwater Tavern Bricktown
Detroit's most famous wings are at Sweetwater Tavern, all of five minutes walking distance from the fest. All-natural Amish chickens (Amish chickens taste better! Because they're Amish!) delivered daily from Eastern Market are marinated for 24 hours and rubbed in their secret blend of spices and seasonings. Go there. Get wings. The end. The beer selection sucks but if you like ice cream drinks, try the hummer (it's got booze and is also a Detroit "thing").

#5 Roast Downtown
If you have time for a proper dinner, or really just want to experience the very best dining Detroit has to offer, hit up Roast in the Westin Book Cadillac. It's a Michael Symon restaurant and it is outstanding - excellent beer list (do be sure to try some Jolly Pumpkin, Michigan's all oak-aged Belgian-style sour beer producer -- also available at Foran's), excellent bites (the Roast burger, the sweetbreads, the marrow, the everything), excellent cocktails (I hold them personally responsible for two of the worst hangovers I've had in the last two years), excellent space. And not exceptionally expensive; you can totally share apps and walk out spending the same you would in any other bar. Just excellent, all around. 24grille in the same building is also very, very good, only slightly less very, very good than Roast. If you need some quiet time on Sunday, check out the build-your-own Bloody Mary bar at the Motor Bar on the second floor.

Bubbling under Greektown Casino (Greektown - Market District food court for fast, Brizola for fancy), the Detroiter Bar (Bricktown), SkyBar Lounge (Downtown), Golden Fleece (Greektown), Jacoby's German Biergarten (Bricktown), Lafayette Coney Island (Downtown), American Coney Island (Downtown), Tom's Oyster Bar (Riverfront), Greenwich Times Pub (Downtown), Fountain Bistro (Downtown), Pegasus (Greektown), Red Smoke (Greektown), Buffalo Wild Wings (Greektown), Five Guys Burgers and Fries (Greektown)

[Model D] Always Brewing Detroit to open permanently in Grandmont Rosedale

When Amanda Brewington was a freshman at Michigan State University, she didn't know anyone else on campus. So she started hanging out at a local coffee shop that had an open mic on Thursdays. This coffeehouse was where she met most of her college friends, many of whom she is still close with.

This was the impetus behind her desire to open a coffeehouse in Detroit.

Read more.

[Real Detroit] Old Shillelagh

Photo by Nicole Rupersburg.

The Old Shillelagh in Greektown is known as a lot of things to a lot of people. Or maybe it is simply known as one thing to a lot of people: a really big party spot. A rooftop bar and patio, a tent in the parking lot for special events like St. Patrick's Day (when they get over 10,000 people through their doors in a single day) and Opening Day (this Friday!) and a clientele that is wholly focused on their liquid assets. As one of Detroit's most popular watering holes, the Old Shillelagh isn't really known first for its food.

And that makes head chef, kitchen and bar manager Sarge sad. Because Sarge loves his Fucking Awesome Burger. (The "FAB." That's really its name.) And he wants you to love it too. As well as the other items on their menu that are all made from scratch in-house.

Read more.

[Real Detroit] Epic

Note: I may be just a little bit making fun of the name here.

You know, the word "epic" gets tossed around quite a bit. And, it's like, not everything is "epic," you know? Not every Instagram photo is epic, not every Saturday night is epic. But every Saturday night can be epic at Epic Tavern and Grill in Novi!

While you might disagree with the idea of bar being named "Epic" in the first place – Is it too presumptuous? Too arrogant? Can it ever really live up to its own name? – this recently-opened mega bar in Novi probably comes as close as anything ever could.

Read more.

[Model D] SkyBar and Lounge now open on 33rd floor, previous ground floor space being renovated and expanded

Photo from SkyBar's Facebook page.

Up until a couple of weeks ago, "Sky Bar" was a bit of a misnomer, what with the bar and lounge being located on the ground floor of the David Stott Building in downtown Detroit.

"We are in the process of a rebranding," says Marshal Simons of Impakt Digital, community manager of SkyBar and Lounge. "When the owners first opened they were new at the bar industry and wanted to get in on the ground level of Detroit" … so to speak.

Read more.

[Model D] MotorCity Wine moving to Corktown this fall

Detroit's MotorCity Wine, currently at 608 Woodward Avenue on the second floor above Foran's Grand Trunk Pub and Foran's Deluxe Diner in downtown Detroit, is relocating this fall to the space currently inhabited by the Express Bar in Corktown. The new address will be 1949 Michigan Avenue.

Read more.

[Model D] Trinosophes cafe, gallery and performing arts space celebrates grand opening this Saturday

Trinosophes, a new art gallery and performance space in Eastern Market, has been hosting monthly events for the past few months, but they are now ready for their full-time debut with a grand opening set for this Saturday, March 9.

Musician and event producer Joel Peterson and MOCAD Deputy Director Rebecca Mazzei have partnered on this project, which includes an integrated café, gallery and performance space. Peterson had previously been booking shows through the Bohemian National Home, and it had been his intent to find a new space since 2008.

Read more.

[Real Detroit Weekly] Fifth Avenue

Fifth Avenue is one of the hottest spots to party in Royal Oak. Whether you're coming to check out the live bands upstairs, shoot some pool, take advantage of their great beer selection and killer happy hour deals, watch the game(s), or just chill with a group of friends, Fifth Avenue has you covered from every angle.

What sets Fifth Avenue apart from other bars that try to be all things for all people is that it actually succeeds at doing so. In the front corner you'll find a Vegas-style (albeit scaled down) sport book setup with leather lounge chairs and multiple big screen TVs. Grab your buddies and hole up for the night in this stylish and comfortable setting without missing a minute of the game.

Read more.

[DIY] Feed the Animals: Child Bite + The Emory

Photo by Nicole Rupersburg.

Shawn and Sean of Child Bite have big, beautiful beards. They are the beards of road warriors, and they have conquered many a road.

These guys aren't the phone-it-in, "I'm in a Detroit band" types who play the occasional gig when it suits them. These guys tour, and they tour hard - relying on the kindness of fans and strangers to put them (and their beards) up for the night while they're on the road. "I don't ever want to have regrets in life," says Shawn Knight, referring to the crazy life experiences they have while traveling -- not "crazy" like strippers and blow (though they've heard and can repeat their share of those stories), but more just ... random. Random and weird and wonderful.

I meet Shawn and Sean at the Emory for some pre-DIY Street Fair food and fun. We originally planned that they would order off the children's menu (get it? "child" "bite"?), only to discover the Emory doesn't actually have one. Crazy that a bar doesn't have a kids' menu, but I digress. Shawn and Sean may have some truly majestic facial hair (Shawn's, left, is 10 months old; Sean Clancy's, right, is 6 months), but they also have some wonderfully random stories from the road. Like that time they drove to Alaska for the World Beard and Moustache Championships. True story.

"We did a five-week tour to Alaska," Sean explains. "We were officially members of Beard Team U.S.A., representing the United States in the 'Beard' category." Sean spent about $2,000 on van repairs before they set out on this excursion, only to have that same van break down on them two days into it in Chicago. But since they had already made the commitment to play several shows on the route and had put so much work into making it happen, they decided they needed to see it through to the end, no matter what. Every dollar they had went into renting other vans -- the one with all their equipment had to be left state-side, so they also had to rent another van in Canada plus equipment once in Anchorage. On and on it went but they got there and they played, and they both went home with 4th place ... which is what everyone gets but who cares, how many of you represented America in an international beard competition? I certainly haven't.

Shawn Knight. Photo from Child Bite's FB page.

"Really it's kind of a dog show, you're on the runway and you have a number," Sean explains. It could be said that they were doing the whole "beard thing" before it was cool, growing "tour beards" while on the road because, well, it's just easier than shaving. The beard thing is serious business, too: I joke about them getting sloppy with some milkshakes but no-can-do. As Sean explains:

"Ice cream and frosting and things of that nature, when they get into your beard or your moustache they stick, no matter how many times you try washing it out. It grows a very foul odor. It’s just something I’ve experienced." He says that no amount of soap or scrubbing helps. "I wash my beard more than any other part of my body. Like, I’m so paranoid about it. … it couldn’t get any closer to my face. It’s a part of me!"

Okay, so no smashed cake and dripping ice cream photos, got it. But being the road warriors that they are, they've also had some solid food adventures.

At Voodoo Doughnut in Portland they got a donut that was later shut down by the FDA for having a Dimetapp glaze. (They also got a "King Dong" there, which is exactly what it sounds like in donut form. "We were eating it for, like, three days," Sean says.) In Waterloo, Ontario, Granny Bonn's is "in this weird shitty strip mall and looks like a high school cafeteria inside." It's also an Asian-owned fish and chips place. "It's the best food I've had..." Sean trails off. "I think about it all the time. It was fucking awesome." Shawn adds, "We felt like we were in a Chinese restaurant but they served fish and chips."

Sean swears by metal bar/burger joint Kuma's Corner in Chicago (one of the country's most famous burgers at the moment). "I waited two and a half hours in line for a burger there. They make their own ketchup that's, like, salsa ketchup and super delicious, plus the waffle fries and the pretzel bun... I got the YOB [named after a metal band] and it was awesome, and they fucking played awesome metal music."

They also discovered "313 Detroit-style pizza" at a pizza shack in Austin, Texas while playing SXSW. "I love pizza," Sean says. "Whenever we’re out of town I think about pizza. Michigan has really good pizza but not a lot of places do ... that 313 pizza was like Buddy’s or Jet’s ... I’ve never seen that [Detroit-style deep dish] pizza anywhere besides Detroit and now this shack in Austin." If you're ever in Milwaukee, Palomino Bar and Restaurant has a large selection of vegetarian and vegan options and offers large portions for low prices. Sean says, "Milwaukee is very into the local beers and local food. They don’t really have a lot of bullshit."

But the question burning on Detroiters' lips of course is -- WHAT ABOUT US???

Shawn and Sean both dig Green Dot Stables for the funky sliders (like catfish, and duck, and lamb) and Christine's Cuisine in Ferndale for items like the "Burrito Bomb." Sean sings the praises of Slows' sandwiches. Shawn likes Hot Taco right down to its inconsistencies ("I like that when different people are working there it tastes different"), and Sean can't get enough of the New York Red Hots coney island in Madison Heights. "It has the same menu every other fucking coney island has, but the chicken fingers pita and the Reuben," he pauses for emphasis. "The food is delicious there and no one's ever in there and it's open 24 hours." Unlike other coney islands that are swarmed with "drunk assholes" as soon as the bars release them to the public, "There's, like, literally no one ever there, EVER."

Naturally the $5 burger-and-beer combo and the Emory every Tuesday is one of their top picks (Sean recommends you get a side of the creamy Italian dressing and put it on the burger), as is the ever-popular Treat Dreams in Ferndale (Passalacqua are also fans) and their ever-popular Sunday Breakfast ice cream (with bacon). (For the record, if Child Bite were an ice cream flavor it would be chocolate-orange, inspired from an experimental "float night" they once had on tour when they made a float with chocolate ice cream and orange soda.)

As for the other question burning on Detroiters' lips -- how does Child Bite keep their beards so "full"? -- the answer is, "Children, duh." "Young babies." "The whole idea behind the band is hiding in plain sight." "We eat kids." Just call them Child Swallow.

Child Bite plays the McClure's Stage at the DIY Street Fair Saturday at 11:15 p.m.

[DIY] Feed the Animals: Passalacqua + Treat Dreams

Passalacqua getting into some serious business. Photos by Nicole Rupersburg.

You may know them as "Mister" and "Blaksmith." I know them as Bryan Lackner and Brent Smith because really I'm not that cool. But a rapper by any other name would still sound like Passalacqua, and last week I had the chance to sit down with the boys and eat some ice cream.

We met at Ferndale's Treat Dreams and chatted with proprietor/Head-Ice-Cream-Maker-in-Charge Scott Moloney. Talking to Scott is sort of like that scene in Forrest Gump when Bubba talks about all the different preparations for shrimp, and I mean that in the best possible way. He's made candy corn ice cream, pizza ice cream, spaghetti ice cream, salt and vinegar ice cream, Sunday breakfast ice cream (with bacon -- one of his most popular), Better Than Bacon ice cream (a cult food trifecta of peanut butter, bacon and Nutella), Dark Dark Goose ice cream (a chocolate-coffee-bourbon-beer ice cream made for B. Nektar Meadery's anniversary party earlier this year), Hennessy ice cream (for the Hennessy family) ... you get the drift. Since opening Treat Dreams in 2010, Scott has made a name for himself as the guy who makes all the crazy ice cream flavors, and that's how Bryan and Brent first got to know Treat Dreams.

"I've been coming since the last DIY," Bryan says. That was when Scott made his Macaroni and Cheese ice cream -- which sounds disgusting but Bryan assures was actually really good and made him a Treat Dreams devotee. "At first it's just a lot of combinations of flavors you wouldn't necessarily associate with ice cream," Bryan says. Then you get hooked. "You're always going to come in and see something different."

Passalacqua will be meeting with Scott again soon: they'll be passing out ice cream at the DIA to celebrate the end of summer on Sunday, September 30 and Scott needs to concoct a special, exclusive Passalacqua signature flavor for this occasion. So what will the official taste of Passalacqua be? We toss some ideas around.

Brent: "We don't want to duplicate a flavor that's already been done. We have to do something original!"

Me: "So what are you goes really passionate about? What do you guys really like? What says 'Passalacqua'?"

Bryan favors dark beer and coffee (a winning ice cream combo for sure). Brent's feeling more like cognac, pear and cinnamon, which would certainly be more in line with Scott's more experimental nature. (And, after all, he did make an ice cream exclusively for the London Chop House to serve to the freakin' Hennessy family.) For the record, I tossed around some ideas of my own for a signature Eat It Detroit ice cream. (Scott shot me down on poutine ice cream, though Bryan and Brent promised they'd try it.)

As it so happens, the hip hop duo lend themselves particularly well to having their own ice cream flavor. With songs like "Pineapple Faygo" and "Better Made" (a nod to being "a cut above the average rappers," not a song about potato chips), and a tradition of chanting "WHEN I SAY ICE CREAM YOU SAY SUNDAE! ICE CREAM!" "SUNDAE!" "ICE CREAM!" "SUNDAE!" onstage (not for any reason; it just became A Thing), Passalacqua seems like a natural candidate for one of Scott's more creative concoctions.

These colors don't run.

Speaking of creative concoctions, I asked Scott to bring the guys a few random flavors mixed together to shove their faces into. For journalism! After we all sampled some other flavors like the Butter Bacon (Bryan and Brent both liked it; I thought it was too much bacon ... contrary to popular belief I'm not actually made of bacon), the Chocolate Sauerkraut (Scott promised it's just like the coconut in German chocolate cake ... I don't like the coconut in German chocolate cake; Bryan and Brent were more enthusiastic about other flavors), the White Russian (Bryan liked it so much he bought a pint; Brent kept saying "Oh yeah"), and the Lemon Ricotta (this was an across-the-board winner), Scott brought out a towering sundae of Swedish Fish, cookie monster and chocolate mint ice creams. I recommend you taste these individually and not together. (But holy SHIT the Swedish Fish tastes JUST LIKE SWEDISH FISH. Brent on the Swedish Fish ice cream: "Whoa whoa whoa whoa." And that's all that needs to be said about that.)

So where else do rappers go to eat when they're not sampling a bunch of esoteric ice cream flavors?

How fitting: Scott now has a Passalacqua T-shirt.

Bryan explains he usually stays home for dinner, but for breakfast he's all about Mae's. (In fact this is where they hold their "Rapper Brunches.") Brent is loving hard on Harmonie Garden Cafe in Midtown right now, huge portions of tasty Mediterranean at cheap prices. It's also right next to the new Jet's Pizza location. "If I were still at Wayne State I'd be really fat!" Brent jokes. Hey, those freshman 15 have to come from somewhere. Brent also mentions Green Dot Stables as they place everyone is talking about but with good reason. Nutella and marshmallow fluff sliders? Mystery meat? $3 beer? LET'S GO. (In the colloquial sense. But also in the literal sense. What are you up to right now?)

Passalacqua will be playing the Metro Times Stage at 9:15 p.m. on Sunday at the DIY Street Fair. Treat Dreams will also be there with several flavors including Scott's latest savory creation, grilled cheese ice cream made with cheddar cheese, bacon, toasted brioche, and Slow Jams tomato jam. (If you're extra-lucky, I'll be the one serving it to you. Yep, living out some treat dreams of my own this weekend.)

For more about Passalacqua (like, actual stuff about their music), check out their website. And here's a pretty cool article I found about them too.

[Prosper] DIY Street Fair: Ferndale-centric Fun for the Whole Family

There are countless many festivals held in Oakland County throughout the summertime, from small Main Street festivals celebrating their community’s unique charm to massive art, music and food festivals (like Arts, Beats and Eats) that overtake a whole city for several days. From craft beer to arts and crafts, from fairs to faires, there is no shortage of ways to celebrate summer. But there is nothing quite like the DIY Street Fair.

The DIY Street Fair, which will be held in downtown Ferndale on September 14-16, is now in its fifth year. While the concept of bands, beer and BBQ certainly isn’t unique, what sets DIY apart from the others is its staunch commitment to all things local. Chris Johnston, who co-owns the Emory, Woodward Avenue Brewery and the Loving Touch, started DIY in 2008 specifically with the intention of promoting local artists, local musicians, local restaurants and local beer (in fact, aside from the Michigan Brewers Guild beer festivals, DIY was really the first to emphasize Michigan craft beers in their beer garden). He wanted to create an event that helped out as many local people as he could.

Read more.

The 5 Days of DRW: Cliff Bell's

All photos by Nicole Rupersburg.

One of the new faces of this year's fall edition of Detroit Restaurant Week is Cliff Bell's, Detroit's premiere jazz and supper club - or, rather, supper and jazz club.

"Detroit Restaurant Week is an opportunity for us to be recognized as a restaurant, not just a jazz club that has good food," says Executive Chef Matt Baldridge. "This validates us as a restaurant. I hope this gets us out there to people who haven't been here yet."

Grilled salmon with spaghetti squash, shaved radish, pumpkin seeds and champagne cream sauce.

Baldridge has been with Cliff Bell's since they first opened their kitchen three years ago. But despite how long they've been at it, it seems a lot of people still aren't aware they actually serve fully coursed-out menus. They serve lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch, and also have a killer happy hour. The menu is updated 4-5 times per year in order to stay seasonal and offer the best ingredients available at the time, highlighting fresh, local flavors.

"We try to find the best product available," Baldridge says. "We let the product itself stand alone. There aren't 22 things on a plate; just good, clean flavors."

Butternut squash gnocchi with walnuts, brown butter and fried egg.

The menu is entirely Baldridge's creation. Before Cliff Bell's, he had worked at the Rattlesnake Club on and off for seven years (his last title there was Chef de Cuisine under Jimmy Schmidt). At Cliff Bell's, he has absolute creative control over the menu. "[Owner Paul Howard] lets me do what I want. There's a lot to be said for that; it keeps me here!"

Cliff Bell's is a modern American supper club. Located in an Albert Kahn-designed building, the original Cliff Bell's opened in 1935 - the namesake lounge of one Cliff Bell, a man who opened and operated over a dozen speakeasies during Prohibition. The gorgeous mahogany-and-brass jazz club was shuttered in 1985, but reopened again in 2005 thanks to the efforts of current owners Paul and Carolyn Howard and Scott Lowell. The fully-restored nightclub underwent its final rounds of renovations eight months ago to celebrate their fifth anniversary (a fully-restored Steinway piano will be the final touch), with plush cream and maroon upholstery, expansive murals, and a glittering mosaic showcasing their name.

The interior retains all of its former art deco glory, and is well-known as one of the most popular entertainment spots in Detroit featuring world-renowned jazz acts, electronica and techno, funk, and other eclectic events like burlesque performances and the NPR-darling storytelling series The Moth.

But now, finally, Cliff Bell's is also gaining a reputation as one of the best restaurants in Detroit. "We're upscale without the pomp and circumstance," Baldridge says. Think roasted salmon belly nicoise and oxtail osso buco with savory brown rice pudding, but all of it in a very comfortable, casual atmosphere sans the white linens (and oftentimes with live and loud music). The kitchen stays open until 11 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and until 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays, so other industry folk (restaurant and music alike) have a place to go for a fantastic meal after work.

Cliff Bell's is the ultimate collision of class and comfort, a classic watering hole with hand-crafted cocktails and stunning decor where you're just as likely to run into a group of men in business suits as you are a pack of scruffy hipsters. Black and white, old and young, professionals and artists - Cliff Bell's is that rare breed of place where ALL people of Detroit come together on common ground.

DRW FALL 2011 MENU
FIRST COURSE

Butternut Squash Gnocchi
(Prepared with walnuts, brown butter and fried egg)
-or-
Tellicherry Peppercorn-rubbed Beef Carpaccio
(Served with wild mushrooms, radish and frisée)
-or-
House-smoked Pork Belly
(Served with fingerlings and apple sauce)

SECOND COURSE

Zinfandel-braised Beef Short Ribs
(Served with roasted beets, matchstick potatoes and horseradish cream)
-or-
Grilled Salmon
(Served with spaghetti squash, shaved radish, pumpkin seeds and Champagne cream sauce)
-or-
Maple-cured Chicken Breast
(Served with roasted root vegetables and herbed spaetzle, finished with chicken jus lié)
-or-
Roasted Vegetable Pot Pie

THIRD COURSE

Vanilla Crème Brûlée
(Served with fresh berries)

[Real Detroit Weekly] Berkley Front

(Photo by Nicole Rupersburg)

"The year was 1994. Through the fog of flannel-shirted grunge there was still a glimmer of raw punk ethos and rockabilly pompadours in the likes of Social Distortion and Detroit's own Suicide Machines. It was also the year that the Berkley Front opened. One has nothing to do with the other, but the Front certainly looks like the kind of place Mike Ness and Jason Navarro could be spotted grabbing a beer together, with its stamped tin ceiling and old school jukebox filled with the Morrissey, Wilco, etc.

'For 17 years running, this place has been a beer bar. It has always been a beer bar, and it will always be a beer bar. They were here before being a beer bar was cool. It's pretty much the protopunk of metro Detroit beer bars..."

Read the rest of the story here.

Want to see more? Check out the Flickr set here.

[Real Detroit Weekly] The Emerald Theatre

(Photo by Nicole Rupersburg)

"Different bars all have their own unique music vibe. If you want indie prog-rock, you go to the Majestic. If you want techno, you go to Bleu, Oslo or the Works. But if you want ROCK – we're talking true Eastside, devil horn-flashing, head-banging, mosh-pitting, "SLAYER!!!"-screaming ROCK – you go to the Emerald Theatre.

'The Emerald is a live concert venue and nightclub that's been offering the best live entertainment in Macomb County for 10 years now. On Fridays they host "Orion," a top 40 club night with DJ Paul Martindale where they've got a LED wall with changing patterns and videos on display and a variety of eccentric performers every week – think fire dancers and fire eaters. Wednesdays in their Rock Room are Whip Cream Wednesdays, an 18+ top 40 club night with go-go dancers, whip cream drink specials and body shots.

'But let's get back to the ROCK.."

Read the rest of the article here.

Want to see more? Check out the Flickr set.

Real Detroit Weekly: Northern Lights Lounge

We all love the bathrooms (So big! So clean! So nice!) at Northern Lights Lounge, but this place is more than just a pretty potty. If the Big Lebowski were set in Detroit instead of Los Ang-ga-leez, this is where the Dude and Walter would have hung out and debated whether or not "Chinamen" was the preferred nomenclature ... something about the orange vinyl and white aluminum lounge chairs, the scuffed-up shuffleboard and the old-Vegas-esque multi-colored neon sign out front.

But even if the carpet-pissers hadn't dragged the Dude down the rabbit hole to chase one Bunny Lebowski, this place would still have the slickest L.A.-retro/desert-deco vibe and the most diverse entertainment offerings in the city. It kind of feels like New York in the '80s – there's punk rock night (Mondays), retro goth night (Tuesdays), live jazz night (Wednesdays), hip hop night (Thursdays), house and electronic night (Fridays), live rock bands (Saturdays) and karaoke (Sundays). They also hold burlesque shows, Noir Leather shows, fashion shows and IF there's a cover it's rarely more than $5.

So much for not having a reason to go out on any given night...

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