[HOT LIST] Best new patios

Red Crown.

Another summer, another slew of "best patio" lists. I'll let you in on a little secret: these lists don't change much year to year. The Rattlesnake keeps being located on the Detroit River and the Whitney keeps having a garden and the Old Miami keeps having a big-ass lawn with a koi pond.

But this year, things have changed. New places have opened. A LOT of new places. And these places have built patios. Really nice patios. So instead of the same old reminder that the Rattlesnake's patio has a nice view of the Detroit River (and it does! so very nice!), here's a look at the best new patios to pop up just this year (and some as recently as last week).

SIDEBAR: It seems that Corktown is becoming PATIOTOWN.

El Barzon.

#1 El Barzon Southwest Detroit
For years you've loved the food and merely accepted the ambiance, but their new enclosed patio is a thing of real beauty. If you haven't been over there recently, it's time you went back.

#2 Red Crown Grosse Pointe Park
The Grosse Pointes are becoming quite the hotbed of new restaurant activity, with a second location of Luxe recently opened, a new Atwater brewpub in the works, Dave Gilbert's new restaurant Marais getting ready to open, and all of restaurateur Mindy Lopus's new ventures opening this year. The first was Red Crown, a Southern BBQ and comfort food restaurant with an excellent craft cocktail program and an even better patio. Whether its for Sunday brunch or an evening of cocktails, this is a pretty happy place to be.

St. Cece's Pub.

#3 St. Cece's Pub Corktown
There are a few spots in Corktown that could be considered one of the locals' favorite hangouts (Green Dot, Astro, Sugar House), and St. Cece's is among them. Is it the farm-to-table food? The fireplace? The dog-friendliness? The quintessential local neighborhood pub feeling? Whatever the case, get ready to love it even harder with their fab bum-proof patio. You know what I mean.

Griffin Claw beer garden. Photo by Nicole Rupersburg.

#4 Griffin Claw Brewing Company Birmingham
I have a total beer boner for this place despite it being in Birmingham and all of the inherent Birminghamness that implies. (The latest news: Dan Rogers got to rights the Screamin' Pumpkin recipe back - originally his when he was brewing for Michigan Brewing Company - and is now brewing it under the same name at Griffin Claw. AND IT IS THE BEST.) Another thing to love about it is the three-season beer garden.

The Jefferson House. From my iPhone.

#5 The Jefferson House Downtown
The subtlely bum-proof patio at the Jefferson House - featuring a plexiglass partition just high enough to keep Detroit's vagrant population from intruding on your meal, which isn't so much an insensitive comment as something WE ALL FUCKING KNOW HAPPENS - may effectively be located on Jefferson as it becomes the Lodge Freeway service drive, but the design is comfortable and contemporary and the view of the GM Renaissance Center doesn't suck.

Pizzeria Biga Royal Oak.

Honorable mention:
Last year I ran a list of the worst patios in metro Detroit. Because I get really bored with this shit, honestly. So I ripped into Pizzeria Biga Royal Oak and it was kind of a big deal but now we've all moved past it and are friends, but they also made some serious improvements to the patio (including a covered floor and enclosed roof, blocking out a lot of the undesirable sound and preventing the tables and chairs from wobbling, my two biggest bones of contention). While the patio is not NEW new, in that it existed in a form last year, it's new in the sense of being totally redone, and certainly worth a redeeming mention. So, I take that one back. Go check out their patio.

Bubbling under Ottava Via (Corktown), Ashley's Westland (Westland), MotorCity Wine (Corktown), Green Dot Stables (Corktown), Brooklyn Street Local (Corktown) - new concrete poured this year

What did I miss? Leave it in the Facebook comments.

[EID Preview] Griffin Claw Brewing Company

In the case of great minds thinking alike, my boy Nate Dawg...er, I mean, reporter Nathan Skid from Crain's...ran this preview of the new Griffin Claw Brewing Company opening next Thursday in Birmingham. Normally I'd just scrap my own plans to run something because why be part of the echo chamber, but since I already shot and edited the photos and just haven't had time to post I'll still give you my own sneak peek with some different details. If you look at mine first then his, it's kind of like a time-lapse! (My photos were taken last Friday; looks like Nate probably took his on Monday.)

So, to recap: Griffin Claw Brewing Co. is the lastest effort of the same family that owns Big Rock Chophouse and Clubhouse BFD (to be clear, each of these businesses have different owners, but they are all connected to each other by previous partnerships, marriage and blood: Bonnie LePage and Mary Nicholson own Griffin Claw; they co-own Big Rock Chophouse and the Reserve with their husbands Norman LePage and Ray Nicholson; and the LePages' son Scott LePage owns Clubhouse and Eastside Mario's).

Brewmaster Dan Rogers, who has racked up the awards since taking over as Brewmaster of Big Rock Chophouse in 2004 (see a complete list of his awards below - bear in mind, Big Rock was really just a small brewpub with no distribution and some of these awards are in the biggest categories in the biggest and most respected beer competitions in the world), is moving over to Griffin Claw along with all of Big Rock's brewing operations. All of their beer will now be under the Griffin Claw label.

Griffin Claw is a 12,000 square foot facility and most of that is the brewery (and soon, distillery - though the equipment isn't yet operational). They're looking at a 10,000 barrel production in their first year, and judging from early demand so far they've already outgrown that. Griffin Claw beers will be distributed in kegs to local restaurants, and they will also can four of their signature beers - Norm's Raggedy-Ass IPA, El Rojo Amber Ale, Grand Trunk Pilsner and Grind Line Pale Ale - for distribution to liquor stores through mega craft beer house Powers Distributing.

The taproom will have 12 draft handles with ever-rotating seasonals and speciality beers. Some of these speciality beers will also be canned but only available for purchase through the taproom. Some of what Dan has planned includes lots of Belgie beers - trippels, a Belgian stout, lots of sours (which, if you were at last year's Michigan Brewers Guild Summer Beer Festival in Ypsilanti, you may be in the elite group of those of us who decided Big Rock's sours were the best beers of the bunch). Dan plans on having lots of events here, including an Oktoberfest and Winter Fest and an annual bourbon-barrel-aged Russian Imperial Stout release party.

The mash filter.

The brewery is also a state-of-the-art facility, featuring a mash filter that was custom made for them. (Mash filters are rare to see in craft breweries, long the providence of the macros in American brewing. To Dan's knowledge, this is the only mash filter of its size in the country.) In layman's terms, this is an advantage in several different ways, including in the brewing of high-gravity (read: high-ABV) beers. Which, yes, he will be making. Griffin Claw will also be one of the top 10 largest breweries in the state when it opens, based on projected production.

The space was designed by Ron Rea, who has designed pretty much every restaurant in metro Detroit in recent memory, and includes communal tables inside and in the pretty pretty beer garden, which also has a fireplace and heaters to keep its season going even longer (these might just be the best seats in Birmingham).

Big Rock's Executive Chef Brian Henson, the Michigan Chefs de Cuisine Association's 2012 Chef of the Year, oversaw the menu at Griffin Claw. Both the atmosphere and the menu are a stark contrast to nearby Big Rock - much more casual. The menu will still be of the same high quality as its sister chophouse, just more burgers (and we're talking brisket and short ribs burgers here) than steaks. (They will have golf carts taking people back and forth between the two restaurants though, so you can have a few beers while you wait for a table at Big Rock, have a steak, then come back for more beers on the patio.)

As soon as he has all the equipment he needs, Dan will also start distilling. He'll be making a vodka from spelt and Michigan wheat, gin, rye whiskey, brandies, and absinthe - oh yes, ABSINTHE. To my own knowledge, I don't know of any other Michigan distillers making absinthe. Domestic absinthe has been known to be less than stellar (and that's assuming you like absinthe in the first place and have a palate for it), so I'm interested to see what Dan does with his. Griffin Claw will be opening a martini bar in the corner of building opposite the beer garden later this fall.

This will be the martini bar when it opens this fall.

Griffin Claw opens to the public on Thursday, July 18. The opening draft list is as follows: hefe weizen, wit bier, grind line pale ale, el rojo (red), norm’s raggedy ass ipa, go figure black ipa, platinum blonde, third rail belgian style trippel tripple, lemon shandy, saison st clair, berlinerweiss, red rock flanders red, bourbon imperial. (Emphasis added to indicate level of excitement.)

Brewmaster Dan's list of achievements while at Big Rock:

2011 Brain of Brewers
 Gold Medal - Witbier German Wheat Beer
2011 World Expo of Beer
 Gold Medal - Red Rock Flanders Red Ale
2011 Internatonal Beer Fest
 Gold Medal - White Cap Whit Belgian Farmhouse Ale
2010 & 2011 World Beer Cup
 Gold Medal - Norm’s Raggedy Ass India Pale Ale
 Silver Medal - Bonnie’s Raggedy Ass Imperial Pale Ale

2010 Great American Beer Festival
 Silver Medal - Go Figure American-Style India Pale Ale  Bronze Medal - American Brown Ale
2010 World Expo of Beer
 Gold Medal - Bonnie’s Raggedy Ass Imperial Pale Ale  Silver Medal - Norm’s Raggedy Ass India Pale Ale
 Silver Medal - Michigan Sour Cherry Tripel
 Bronze Medal - Red Rock Flanders Red Ale
2009 Great American Beer Festival
 Silver Medal - Red Rock Flanders Red Ale
2009 World Expo of Beer
 Gold Medal & Best In Show - Red Rock Flanders Red Ale  Gold Medal - Sour Cherry Tripel
 Silver Medal - Jessica’s Raggedy Ass Imperial IPA
2005 World Beer Championships
 Bronze Medal – Got Rocks Russian Imperial Stout
1998 World Beer Championships
 Gold Medal – Big Rock Scotch Ale
 Bronze Medal – Flying Buffalo Oatmeal Stout 

For more photos, view the Flickr set here.

[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.

[HOT LIST] Worst patios

Do you ever get sick of all the sunshine being blown up your ass from local media and particularly local blogs with names like "[something-something] DETROIT!" ? So do I. Here is a list of things that are awful.

Every year every media outlet runs the obligatory "best patios" run-down in time for summer. (Here's mine, and mind you that was pre-GLCRC.) There is usual very little variation from year to year or from one glorified PR/ad sales vehicle to the next, and phrases like "hidden gem" and "urban oasis" are used without restraint. But not all patios are good patios, much like not all restaurants are good restaurants. These patios pretty much suck. Here's why.

#1 Pizzeria Biga (Royal Oak)
I love the new Pizzeria Biga building. It's totes gorg, soaring ceilings and all the pretty things owned and designed by the man with the best taste in all of metro Detroit. And then there is that godforsaken patio. Proving once again that just because you can doesn't mean you should, the patio at Pizzeria Biga is the most poorly-situated patio in all of metro Detroit. Flimsy tables wobbling around on artfully broken concrete make your entire meal a balancing act, but the real crime here is that it's RIGHT NEXT TO THE FUCKING RAILROAD TRACKS. Do you know how many times that fucking train goes by during peak dinner hours? Twice on my last visit. Twice I had to completely cease all conversation because that fucking train is, literally, RIGHT NEXT TO YOU and even the loudest of us can't shout over it. And do you know what a train isn't? Short. It isn't short. What should offer some measure of tranquility ends up being as violently jarring as having a picnic in the parking lot behind the 7-Eleven where the EMS vehicles wait for their emergency calls. Love the inside, love the beer selection, love pizza, everything else is lovely, but that patio is the worst.

#2 Majestic Cafe (Midtown)
Alright, so I realize Detroit is in its renaissance and everything is all better and so on an so forth and something-something DETROIT! But there are still things about Detroit that are no different now than they were three years ago back when the dominant narrative was one of a feral dystopic wasteland before the switch was flipped and we all happily hurled ourselves towards the other extreme. What I'm really trying to say is that no one told the housing-challenged about Detroit's renaissance, and they're still out there, shouting at cracks in the sidewalk and using bus stops as waste management facilities. New Yorkers like to talk big about their beggars but rest assured I've yet to find a city in the continental United States with a homeless population as violently aggressive as ours. The "homeless problem" is actually a significant one that only gets addressed when there's a Super Bowl in town and is otherwise ignored in the narrative of nu:Detroit. But for all the happy little hipsters playing house in Midtown, the homeless are still out there, all around us, still quite visible despite our collective efforts to ignore them. And lest this sound like soapboxing, I do it too and the last thing I want to deal with during my $30 bottomless mimosa brunch is the never-ending stream of vagrants angrily demanding money because that's just, like, a bummer man. And while the stark juxtaposition between the privileged colonizers who only look homeless but who have plenty of money for overpriced PBRs and shots of Jamesons and the long-time un-residents who haven't yet been pushed out by them is an anthropologically fascinating thing to witness and probably the closest thing to a true narrative of nu:Detroit, this is why I don't hang out on the Majestic Cafe's sidewalk patio.

#3 The Well (Detroit)
That last one was extra long so I'll keep this short: same as above. Also, as far as patios go, this one is just kind of silly but I have certainly witnessed some interesting things happen on it back when $2 Labatt Blue Light night was the highlight of my week. Yes, that happened.

#4 The Old Shillelagh (Greektown)
Not only is this the most awful place you could possibly be on a Saturday night (and it IS), but to get to their rooftop patio--which in itself isn't bad, aside from the awful people--you have to walk up like 16 flights of stairs. Okay, so you've got a bunch of freshly-made-21-year-olds who came to PARTY IN DETROIT, WOOOOOOOO and they're getting wrecked on Jaeger bombs because that's what newly-minted legals do and they're all partying on the patio because that's what people in Michigan in the summer do, but on top of that they're being made to navigate multiple flights of stairs in their exceptionally inebriated states like shaky foals just learning to walk on still-unstable legs (it takes years to develop proper alcohol legs). The only saving grace for the Old Shillelagh is that most of them won't remember the tumbles they took come the next morning and 21-year-olds still have yet to be fully indoctrinated into our compulsorily litigious society and are too afraid to tell their parents even if they are hurt because they probably weren't supposed to be there in the first place.

#5 BlackFinn (Royal Oak)
This place is the WORST. There is nothing inherently bad about their patio other than the fact that it's theirs. The problem is that the walls are the only thing containing the awfulness of this place and preventing it from breaking through its barriers and inflicting itself upon the rest of the world. The patio, with its garage doors that open into the bar, is a gaping entry into the Hellmouth.

Bubbling under Sneakers Pub (Ferndale), Niki's Pizza (Greektown), Crave Lounge (Dearborn), the Detroiter Bar (Greektown), Woody's (Royal Oak), Dino's Lounge (Ferndale)

 

[HOT LIST] Waterfront dining

Brownies on the Lake. Photo by Nicole Rupersburg.

"Hey look, we're located right on the water, our food sucks but no one cares!" is what almost every waterfront restaurant in metro Detroit has said ever. And admittedly, this list was a little difficult to put together because, well, ^that. But then again, the food is sort of secondary isn't it? Or is it? These places have spec-freaking-tacular waterfront views - and not like, "oh I can see the water from here*" but "my feet are practically dangling in the water from here" - and, refreshingly, they also put some thought into the food so you can have your waterfront restaurant and eat there too. (And it should go without saying that these places tend to be pretty seafood-centric.)

#1 The Rattlesnake Club (Detroit)
I mean, come on.

#2 It's a Matter of Taste (Commerce Twp.)
Amazing. A. Maze. Ing. The place has that European-villa-as-imagined-by-a-Midwesterner look to it but it has precisely that kind of charm too, and the deck! The deck!!! A massive stone deck overhanging Union Lake with an expansive, unspoiled view of the water lit up with old-fashioned gas lamps at night ... they may be "going for" that sort of vibe in a toeing-the-line-of-gimmicky sort of way, but by golly they also nail it. That big, beautiful deck is a sanctuary, and the food doesn't suck. The menu is heavy on steak, seafood and Italianate items and hasn't changed much in the seven or so years since I first discovered the place, but the scallops never did me wrong and I've never met a pork osso buco I didn't like.

#3 Detroit Yacht Club (Belle Isle)
First, become friends with someone who has a membership at the Detroit Yacht Club. Then, go there and go there often. I've been there bunches of times as a glommer-on to someone else's status and as a guest of private events and I will say, I couldn't tell you a thing about the food because every time I've been there I have achieved a distinctive state of being wholly unsober but holy FUN CITY. Belle Isle is rad; Belle Isle at a private club with a massive deck right on the Detroit River is, like, mind-blowing. They serve seafood? Or something? Idk.

#4 Marine City Fish Company (Marine City)
Tucked away in tiny Marine City (Take I-94 to 26 Mile Rd. Turn right. Stay on 26 Mile Rd. until it ends. Turn right.), Marine City Fish Company does what any riverside seafood restaurant should do: really fantastic fresh local fish. They also have a smoker in-house in which they smoke their own ribs, salmon and beef jerky (you can also buy the smoked salmon and jerky to take home). Homemade breads, soups (like the Company Chowder) and hand-breaded all-you-can-eat perch are just a few of the many things that make this place truly a hidden gem. So much so it was worth busting out the "hidden gem" meme. (*Note: Okay, so this is the one exception. The restaurant isn't situated quite exactly ON the river but across the street from it ... still, it was worth including here for the food alone and you can always go walk along the river after your meal.)

#5 River Crab (St. Clair)
It's one of those old fuddy-duddy Joe Muer joints with an old fuddy-duddy seafood and steak menu that more or less echoes the new Joe Muer downtown just without all of the buzz and newfangled fancy decor, but the sprawling riverside patio is phenom and so is the salmon pate.

Bubbling under Sinbad's Restaurant (Detroit), Bobby Mac's Bayside Tavern and Grill (Ira), Captain's Landing (Mt. Clemens), Portofino Restaurant (Wyandotte), Beach Grill (St. Clair Shores), the Quay Street Brewing Co. and Restaurant (Port Huron), Mike's on the Water (St. Clair Shores), Brownies on the Lake (St. Clair Shores), McRae's Big River Grille (Algonac)

 

[HOT LIST] Outdoor drinking (Midtown edition)

The Alley Deck. Photo by Nicole Rupersburg.

This list started out as a more straightforward list of best patios. They I narrowed it down specifically to drinking patios, because dining al fresco and long outdoor drinking sessions are two very different things. Then I realized that two of my top five best outdoor drinking options were in Midtown. So, fine. Midtown - you win this round.

#1 The Old Miami
The beer selection sucks but everything else about this place is fantastic so drink your crappy overpriced beer and bite your tongue like a grown-up.

The Old Miami.

Inside it's an old Vietnam veterans bar filled with war vet paraphernalia ("Miami" actually stands for "Missing in Action Michigan"), and once upon a time (before Detroit became the "Official Cool-Kids Destination") this place was literally just an (crazy) old veterans bar, but now it's pretty regularly crawling with - here's that word again! - hipsters. (And until someone comes up with a better word than "fauxhemian," which as L Magazine points out fails to capture "that (fading) inflection of 'hipster' that actually refers to those individuals who led the way ... the first appropriators," I will continue to use it thusly. Because "first appropriators" is a bit cumbersome and "fascists in wool caps," as recommended by EID's Co-MFIC, just sounds harsh.) Inside there's a fireplace and couches for napping (what? They're for napping!) and it pretty much looks like a frat house's Salvation-Army-sourced living room/flophouse. On any given night there may be a techno show, a rap show, a punk rock show, a burlesque show or any other variety of cultural randomness. But outside! "Urban oasis" is an overused term (hell I've sad THAT enough times for it to be an overused term) but here, it's like opening the cupboard in a C.S. Lewis novel to a whole 'nuther world. Swinging chairs, lawn furniture, a koi pond ... it is glorious. Crappy overpriced beer aside.

#2 Seva
Located in the quiet heart of Midtown's cultural center behind the George N'Namdi Gallery, Seva offers some welcome respite from clamor of the Cass Corridor. They've got a big, beautiful patio with places to lock your bike up, all done up in the same urban chic motif as the interior. It might not have a river view or be surrounded by a garden, but the space itself is pretty and that makes it tranquil enough. They've also got a fantastic selection of craft beers, wines and cocktails - people seem to get so caught up in their vegetarianness that they totally overlook this very important thing. And while we're on the topic, yes it's a vegetarian/vegan restaurant, and it's awesome. You should try it.

#3 Z's Villa
You can skip the food but don't skip the backyard. Z's Villa is sort of hidden in plain sight (located in a house, which is vaguely villa-like), but out back they have a massive patio with a beach volleyball court. A volleyball court! And a horseshoe pit and fire pit too. They offer shuttle service to/from sporting events and also have WiFi, so regardless of your particular needs (recreational, professional, or a mix of both) they've got you covered. And if you don't skip the food, look no further than their pizza, a unique take on the signature Detroit style that tends to get overlooked in almost all discussions of Detroit pizza.

#4 Jumbo's Bar 

Because you see things like this (left). If for no other reason.

This is a straight-up shot-and-beer place, a total divey neighborhood bar that isn't divey in a trendy way, but divey in a divey way. It's a locals joint where everybody seems to know everybody and the staff is sassy and fun. When you want to escape the trappings of trendy dives (and Midtown has its share), head to Jumbo's. Great Internet jukebox, cheap booze, good people (the grizzled regular types), and a small patio but hey, they have one. Where you can possibly see things like this (above).

#5 The Alley Deck
The only problem with the Alley Deck, located on the rooftop of the Majestic Complex, is that if there's a show going on at the Magic Stick you can't get up there without paid admission. The Deck itself is often used as an additional venue space for the whole complex (DJs on Sundays, that sort of thing), but it's also a great place to grab a cheap drink after work (they have great happy hour specials) and enjoy the sunshine without being pan-handled by passersby (an unfortunate reality of sitting on the Majestic's sidewalk patio). And if you are at a show at the Stick, the Deck can be a nice place for a break between sets or during that crappy opening band you had hoped you got there late enough to miss but didn't because bands always go on late there. Amiriteoramirite?

Bubbling under The Whitney, Motor City Brewing Works, Bronx Bar, Traffic Jam and Snug, Honest John's Bar and Grill, Harry's Bar and Grill

The 5 Days of DRW: La Dolce Vita

Vitello Piccata. All photos by Nicole Rupersburg.

Words like "hidden gem" and "urban oasis" get tossed around a lot when talking about La Dolce Vita, and with good reason: located in a very unlikely spot at Woodward and McNichols in Detroit's Palmer Park neighborhood, the restaurant is surrounded by a whole lot of bleak-looking nothing (plus a strip club).

If it sounds seedy ... well, a rose by any other name would surely smell as sweet as a sweaty perfume-soaked stripper, right? But LDV owner Enrico Roselli has somehow managed to create a tranquil little corner of serenity here. Natural light floods the interior of the restaurant through arched windows, reminiscent of Old World European restaurants that you'd find tucked away in the corner of the Tuscan countryside. The stamped concrete patio is enclosed in ivy-covered brick, completing the Euro-bistro motif and creating a pocket of halcyon urbanity.

Operating as La Dolce Vita since 1995, this is the kind of place that's a really well-known best-kept secret made popular largely by word of mouth. Their Sunday bottomless mimosa brunches and Tuesday night dance parties on the patio during the summer are hugely popular events, and the rustic Italian dinner cuisine is a constant draw - Roselli was born in the Calabria region of Italy, then moved to Piedmont while in his teens, so the menu reflects the traditions of both northern and southern Italy.

Executive Chef Steve Siekierzynski continues LDV's Italian traditions. He has worked all over metro Detroit directly under such acclaimed chefs as Brian Polcyn and Jimmy Schmidt and has never had a job outside of the restaurant industry. "It's a calling," he says of being a chef. "It's not something you choose; it chooses you."


Penne Norma


The Food Network has made the career of the chef seem glamorous and romantic, showcasing people like Emeril Lagasse and Wolfgang Puck as celebrities instead of working men ... what it doesn't show is the 20-30 years of hard work, lost sleep, sweat and sacrifice it took to get there. "I call my wife a 'culinary widow,'" Siekierzynski jokes. "11 hours is a short day." Like anyone else who has taken the vow of chefdom, he does it for the love of it.

This season's installment of Detroit Restaurant Week marks the first time LDV is a participant. "It's a way for us to show ourselves off to a lot of people who wouldn't otherwise come here," Siekierzynski says. "$28 is a good way to get people in who think it's too expensive to eat here - which it's not."

The DRW menu is full of items selected from their regular dinner menu, so even after DRW ends guests can come back again and again for their favorites. Portions are also the same - bountiful Italian-sized portions that is, making the $28 a real value. You'll find some traditional Italian favorites as well as some new concepts. "We continue to try new things," says Siekierzynski. "We can't rest on our laurels, but we're still rooted in the basics."

Siekierzynski is excited to be working with Detroit Restaurant Week, knowing how huge the event has grown in the last two years since it's inception and how it has been able to introduce so many new faces to Detroit's finest establishments. "Detroit is very underrated culinary-wise," he states. "There are some phenomenal chefs in Michigan and Detroit. Events like this really get your face out there a little."

Pollo Marsala

FALL 2011 DRW MENU
FIRST COURSE

Minestrone
(The Classic)
-or-
La Mista
(Baby greens with balsamic vinaigrette, tomato, cucumber, red onion and shaved carrot)
-or-
Portabella Mushrooms
(Roasted portabella mushrooms with balsamic reduction)
-or-
Bruschetta
(Roasted red bell peppers and Parmesan cheese)
-or-
Calamari
(Fried crispy and served with spicy marinara, basil and olives)

SECOND COURSE

Filetto e Scampi
(Tender filet and jumbo scampi with chevre cheese and Marsala cream reduction)
-or-
Vitello Piccata
(Tender veal scallopini with artichokes and mushrooms in lemony sauce)
-or-
Pollo Marsala
(Sauteed chicken breast with porcini mushrooms, in a light Marsala cream)
-or-
Ravioli d'Aragosta allo Zafferano
(Saffron pasta stuffed with lobster and served with Palamino sauce)
-or-
Penne Norma
(Penne pasta tossed with marinara, ricotta cheese and roasted eggplant)
-or-
Salmone alla Griglia
(Grilled salmon with grain mustard and honey glaze)

THIRD COURSE

Choice of a Selection from the Dessert Cart
(Please ask server for details)

The 5 Days of DRW: Fountain Bistro

Wild-caught Alaskan salmon, sorrel cream sauce, fingerling potatoes and haricot vert

When Fountain Bistro first opened in June 2010, it was a great place for a quick and casual breakfast or lunch, somewhere you could drop into during one of the city's major events and get a sandwich and cup of coffee on the go. The food was outstanding, but the hours catered specifically to business and events traffic, and it really wasn't the kind of place where you would hang out and relax.

After closing for several months and re-opening earlier this summer, the Bistro has been transformed: the space went through some remodeling and they now offer a full dinner service and bar. The new menu from Executive Chef Tyler Herron is kind of classic Americana with French inspirations: steaks, burgers, salads and seafood, but all just a little dressed up. You can get lamb sliders, oysters on the half shell, black Angus beef burgers, and Michigan Lake Trout Almandine, and as new participants for this season's Detroit Restaurant Week, their prix fixe DRW menu is a little bit of showmanship of what the new Bistro is all about.

Twelve-ounce New York strip, pomme frites and Maître d'Hôtel beurre

Co-owner of Fountain Bistro Jay Lambrecht is also an owner of Bookies Bar and Grille, and they have carried a lot of the same concepts over to the Bistro - sourcing as much as possible from local farmers and purveyors; making everything from scratch; highlighting seasonal flavors; serving hearty, simple, flavorful food. While Bookies caters to the sports bar crowd, the Bistro is more of an upscale, sophisticated environment. There are no TVs inside, but who would need one? The fountain of Campus Martius Park is right outside the window.

All photos by Nicole Rupersburg.

If Campus Martius Park is meant to be Detroit's gathering place, then Fountain Bistro is facilitating that. They seat almost 90 inside and another 160 outside on their spacious outdoor patio right next to the dancing fountain. During the summer, enjoy the warm summer sun and outdoor breezes along with the splashing sounds of the fountain; in the winter, cozy up inside with a nice warm cocktail and gaze out on the majestic Christmas tree and laughing ice skaters.

Day boat scallops, wild mushroom risotto and sautéed spinach

DRW FALL 2011 MENU

FIRST COURSE

Soupe au Potiron
(Pumpkin, sweet potato and crouton)
-or-
Bistro Salade
(Gass Farms mixed lettuces, shaved pears, walnuts, goat cheese croquette and lemon-thyme vinaigrette)
-or-
Galette de Crabe
(Fire-roasted red pepper sauce and microgreens)

SECOND COURSE

Le Saumon
(Wild-caught Alaskan salmon, sorrel cream sauce, fingerling potatoes and haricot vert)
-or-
Pan de Poulet Rôti
(Pan-roasted all-natural chicken, mushroom ragout, pomme purée and haricot vert)
-or-
Steak Frites
(Twelve-ounce New York strip, pomme frites and Maître d'Hôtel beurre)
-or-
Seared Scallops
(Day boat scallops, wild mushroom risotto and sautéed spinach)
-or-
Gnocchi Parisienne
(Pâte à choux, sauce Mornay and shaved Parmesan)

THIRD COURSE

Crème Brûlée
-or-
Chocolate Mousse
-or-
Raspberry Millefeuille

[Real Detroit Weekly] Brownie's on the Lake

(Photo by Nicole Rupersburg)

"Earlier this year when the Andiamo Restaurant Group announced they would be re-opening the iconic Joe Muer's seafood restaurant in downtown Detroit, the positive response and excitement over the resurrection of this Detroit staple was so overwhelming that the Vicari brothers decided to try their hand at another metro Detroit institution: Brownie's on the Lake.

'Brownie's was formerly located where the Beach Grille is now but was shut down after 40 years of business when a devastating fire destroyed it. When Jack's Waterfront Restaurant on the Nautical Mile in St. Clair Shores closed earlier this year, the Vicaris secured the rights to the old Brownie's concept from the previous owners and even brought in Brownie's long-time (and now retired) chef Sam Giardano.

''We brought him out, picked his brain, reinvented some of the things Brownies was famous for,' explains Andiamo's Corporate Executive Chef James Oppat. 'The heritage is very much the same as Andiamo: everything made fresh, prepared from scratch daily, with an emphasis on quality ingredients and methods of preparation...'"

Read the rest of the article here.

Want to see more? Check out the Flickr set.

Real Detroit Weekly: Rojo Mexican Bistro

"Rojo Mexican Bistro is the latest concept from the Vicari family, the well-known restaurateurs behind the Andiamo Group. Their first location for this upscale Mexican cuisine concept was so successful, they opened additional locations in Rochester and St. Clair Shores (another is scheduled to open soon in Partridge Creek Mall).

'What's the draw of Rojo? Unlike other cheesy Tex-Mex and Mexicali joints with cactus paintings and sombreros mounted on the walls, Rojo (which means "red") has a distinctly dramatic flair. Red fabric cascades like waves from the ceiling in the main dining room. Hand-painted murals of Mexican workers in a tequila factory and agave field are from legendary Detroit artist Andrzej Sikora. Dark wood details are used to create angles reminiscent of Mayan temples – "modern Mayan," if you will. The red motif is carried throughout the dining room and upstairs bar, Taco Rosa, with various accents like red-hued wall sconces, glass panels, chandeliers and linens..."

Read the rest of the article here.

Real Detroit Weekly: The Beach Grill

"One if by Land,

'Two if by Sea ...

'No matter how you get there, it's always a party! (How's that for poetry?)

'This 19,000-square-foot 'restaurant and resort' is home to one of the most popular party scenes in the summertime. Every Friday, you can check out the Mega 80's obliterating the dance floor with '80s pop, rock and metal covers in the Aqua Bar. Saturdays bring you DJ Mike Anthony and DJ Matt A with the sexy summer party series called 'Disco Beach.' Most recently, Playboy Playmate (and the world's sexiest DJ), Miss Colleen Shannon, spun for an A-list crowd at their 'Midsummer Night's Dream' ('wet dream' would be more like it).

'The place is expansive — soaring windows and ceilings drenched with light and color create a swanky resort feel, while the 5,000-square-foot patio (complete with a tiki bar) offers a lively outdoor experience in the heart of the Nautical Mile directly over Lake St. Clair. The Aqua Bar is a destination all its own, with a state-of-the-art light and sound system and 30-foot video projection, as well as a dance floor bigger than most people's apartments.

'Let's see ... indoor/outdoor destination for the land-dwellers and water-logged alike; ultra-trendy nightclub and lounge that attracts world-class DJs and celebrities; award-winning restaurant serving a variety of fresh seafood and tropically-minded dishes. This place is basically a paradise-themed playground for adults — a Caribbean-concept Vegas resort as imagined by Michiganders, where it's Spring Break all summer long!..."

Read the rest of the article here.

Real Detroit: Como's

"Como's has been a Ferndale institution since 1961. They're just as popular on today's scene as they were back when your parents hung out, with great pizza and late weekend hours, during which they serve their great pizza until long after the bars have closed (seriously: if you think it's busy at 10 p.m., you should see it at 3 a.m.). You don't really need much else — but add a huge outdoor patio and daily drink specials ($3 wells, $1 PBR drafts and $3.25 24oz. Bud Light — all day every day), and you've got yourself a whole lot of win over here on this corner of 9 Mile and Woodward.

'Como's is a traditional Italian-American restaurant serving classic dishes like Veal Marsala, Chicken Siciliano, Shrimp Scampi and a variety of pastas served with meat, red, palomino and butter sauces. The appetizer selection is a long list of deep-fried favorites (basically, if you can bread it and drop it in a fryer, they've got it). But when people say 'Como's,' people mean pizza..."
Read the rest of the article here.

Detroit Alfresco

A couple of weeks ago I went out with a friend of mine for a few drinks and, it being a pleasant evening, he wanted to go somewhere outdoors. However, he couldn't think of anywhere besides his usual haunts--Beaubien St., Motor City Brewing Works--so he turned to me for my unique expertise in the matter. And so it was I thought to myself, "Hmm."

And from that "hmm" came this little guide to dining in Detroit alfresco-style (or, in some cases, just drinking). I will pre-empt this by saying, yes, I know I missed some things (parts of Corktown, all of Southwest Detroit and Hamtramck, a handful of spots in Greektown); you're just going to have to forgive me for that. This isn't meant to be an all-inclusive list, but rather just one to get you by (and by "get you by" I mean "could probably navigate the bar scene better than most locals").

I've separated it by neighborhood this time around (we'll just go ahead and pretend I didn't already do something similar to this last summer on that other blog, as it was long before this one was officially launched and you fine readers deserve your chance to be informed), and stopped just shy of making a Google Map for you. I need to leave you SOME fun of your own!

Now that the weather has finally reached above-60 at night (what is it now? July?), it's the perfect time to enjoy outdoor wine tastings or a burger and a frosty cold beer in the sunshine. Bon appetit!

Central Business District & Campus Martius

Detroit Brewing Company: Home to some of the best beer and bar food in the city.

Enoteca Campo Marzio: Sip a glass of Sauvignon Blanc as you watch the action at Campus Martius and chat with the best staff in town.

Foran's Grand Trunk: The "patio" is tiny, much like the bar itself, but the atmosphere is always welcoming and sometimes you might even find a techno DJ spinning. Also, some of the best corned beef in town.

Pulse: Tiki torches will keep you warm on a chilly evening; so will the martinis.

Small Plates: The plates really aren't that small, but they appeal to a wide range of tastes and budgets with a great cocktail and wine list to match. A sure bet every time.

The Well: The daily drink specials are great (my favorite is the $2.00 Labatts on Thursdays), but be warned: the area vagrants are aggressive here.

Corktown

Hoots on the Avenue: It's a hip-hop and R&B crowd that is always jammin'. Good only if you like hip-hop and R&B. Go for the homemade Mac & Cheese and the weekly Friday Fish Fry.

PJ's Lager House: Now serving food! Gilmore's Grill operates from the back patio on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights until close. The menu includes botanas, hamburgers and veggie burgers, chicken wings and hot dogs.

Le Petit Zinc: Magnifique! A wonderful creperie and cafe tucked away in a desolate corner of Corktown with a cute 'lil patio where you can sip a superior capuccino and nibble on a crusty baguette sandwich. It's a little hard to spot from Howard St., but if you find yourself in an area where there seems to be absolutely no life, you've found it. All the life you need is inside, trust me.

Slows Bar-B-Q: One of the trendiest eateries in the city (and the country!), Slows Bar-B-Q regularly packs in a sizable crowd. To skip the lines and enjoy the outdoor breeze, head there mid-afternoon or late-evening mid-week.

Foxtown

Bookies Bar & Grille: Do I have to repeat myself? The rooftop deck is massive and can easily accommodate large parties (as it did during Movement and for Opening Day); also, the food is great.

Harry's: Classic bar burgers and a sports-friendly atmosphere make this a pre-/post-game favorite. And much like its rival down the street (Bookies), the patio is enormous.

Greektown

Beaubien Street Saloon: A great dive, right next to another great dive with a patio, the Detroit Bar

The Detroiter Bar: See Beaubien Street Saloon

Exodus Lounge: They serve food until 1:00AM and thump out the beats--whether it be jazz or techno--until much later. Located on the roof of the Golden Fleece Restaurant.

Niki's Pizza: On the same stretch as Beaubien Street and the Detroiter Bar, but can (and does) handle large after-hours crowds (they serve food until 4:00AM on Fridays and Saturdays).

Midtown

The Bronx Bar: COMING SOON! The owners promise that the addition of the outdoor patio will not detract from the much-loved well-worn indie vibe of the place, and if this is true, the patio can only make it better. Also, they offer a build-your-own Bloody Mary bar Saturdays AND Sundays noon-5:00PM. Beat that!

The Magic Stick/The Alley Deck: You can't always access the Alley Deck for free (it is attached to the Magic Stick, so when there is a concert there you won't have access to the roof unless you have a paid ticket), but when you can it is the most rockin' deck in Detroit. Be sure to order a PBR (when in Rome...).

Motor City Brewing Works: I like pizza! And the kitchen is open 'til midnight or later daily. Nom nom nom.

The Old Miami: Remember all those backyard high school graduation parties you went to where there was BBQ food and lots of beer and someone's friend's band was playing? It's kind of like that. Brilliant. And probably the biggest backyard in the city. No lie; it's an oasis.

Z's Villa: This is one of my favorite unknowns. They have no website and they get very little press, but in the summer they've got a great outdoor patio with volleyball courts and there's always a few good techno parties here during Movement. It's a hidey-hole still fairly hidden...enjoy that while it lasts!

New Center

Cuisine: Excellent food and wine in a relaxing, tucked-away atmosphere; Chef Paul is amazing and the whole staff incredible. Also be sure to check out their weekly Friday wine tastings, held every Friday evening at 5:00PM on their patio.

Palmer Park

La Dolce Vita: Brunch on the patio here should go on your list of things to do before you die. It's like stepping out of Detroit and into Florence, Italy. Just make a right at the Deja Vu.

Riverfront

Andiamo on the Riverfront: One of the stronger offerings from the Andiamo chain has a lovely view of the Detroit riverfront, and also hosts weekly wine tastings every Thursday.

The Rattlesnake Club: Weekly Wednesday wine tastings on the gorgeous riverfront patio all summer long, as well as one of the best happy hours around.

River's Edge Grille: They maintain some of the traditional Irish menu from the former McNarney's and also CHEAP BEER ($2.50 for a 20-oz. domestic draft beer, all the time). And a huge patio that's always empty, save for the occasional techno or jazz event.

Tom's Oyster Bar: We've already made peace, Tom. The patio overlooking Jefferson Ave. with a view of the Ren Cen is pretty cool, too.

If It Works, Don't Fix It: Motor City Brewing Works

Motor City Brewing Works in Detroit's Midtown neighborhood has long been known for its hand-crafted Detroit-centric microbrews, with names like "Motor City Muscle," "Old Gear Oil," "Corktown Stout," and everyone's favorite, "Ghettoblaster." I've half-wondered if it was merely the clever naming conventions that made their brews so popular. Ghettoblaster, "the beer you can hear," has even inspired its very own compilation albums.

Truth be told, the brews at MCBW are good, but not great. Ghettoblaster is a medium copper-colored English dark mild ale, with hints of citrus fruit and caramel on the nose and tongue. Slightly nutty. Hoppy, but not overtly so. A little thin. Inoffensive, but not earth-shattering. What makes this beer great isn't the beer itself, but the fact that the name alone has made it a Detroit institution; any bar in the city that has local brews on tap always has Ghettoblaster, and most people who would normally stick to PBR or Miller Light find themselves compelled to order it whenever they see it's available. It isn't so much a great beer as it is a great concept, and if nothing else, MCBW should be showered with accolades for producing a B- beer and being able to market it so tremendously well.

The Honey Porter (and oh how I love my porters and stouts) is everything expected and nothing out of the ordinary. It poured black like a stout with a creamy tan head, showing notes of chocolate, oats, roasted malts, and only the faintest hint of honey. It had a definite creaminess, but the body was still a little thin.

Motor City Lager is the brewery's Bud Light, and nothing more needs to be said about that.

But this isn't just about the beer; this is also about the bar. Motor City Brewing Works is a favorite spot for locals and suburbanites alike; walk in on any given night and you're sure to find the bar lined with chain-smoking, Ghettoblaster-drinking hipsters and a couple of tables of Tigers fans or other forms of Detroit tourists. And it's tiny: I would venture that the capacity inside hovers around 45, and there are only so many places to sit.

MCBW is a great place to visit in the summertime when the upstairs patio is open, but a word to the wise: the patio fills up quickly, so come early or don't come at all.

But Motor City Brewing Works is more than just a decent brewery and hipster hangout; it is also a popular art space, in the tradition of other Detroit restaurant-cum-art galleries such as Cass Cafe and the Majestic Cafe. The place looks "arty" with the tiny multi-colored broken tiles covering one wall and the wooden chairs painted bright orange...not to mention the 4-1 hipster presence (hipster = arty). But every Wednesday night, Motor City Brewing Works hosts "This Week in Art," a weekly-revolving single-artist showing currently curated for the past two years by Graem White, who will be turning it over to Christina Gibbs after January 7th. Artwork is affordable and is one of the best opportunities to view Detroit's up-and-coming unknown talent. Plus, it brings more hipsters.

Early in 2008, Motor City Brewing Works introduced their newly-built brick oven pizza kitchen, to much local acclaim. I've heard many refer to it as "the best pizza in Detroit," and possibly it is. Granted, I'm not a fan of most Detroit pizza and there really aren't that many places (as in, sit-down restaurants with bars and other people) in the city that offer pizza on their menus. So, you know, it could very well be the best in the city, which is kind of like being named the creme-de-la-crap.

What I do like about their pizza is that they offer a host of specialty pizzas as well as build-your-own options. Previously I've had the Margherita pizza (fresh mozarella, fresh basil, and sliced tomatoes with an herb-tomato sauce) and was quite pleased; I also recall a four-cheese blend no longer on the menu with Gorgonzola, Fontina, Mozarella, and goat cheese (globs of Fontina and goat cheese tend to be a bit much, FYI). This time around, I sampled the Roasted Pear pizza with olive oil, Gorgonzola, pears roasted with figs, and red onion. The flavors of roasted pear and gorgonzola pair well together, but the occasional crunch of a fig seed was off-putting, and the pizza as a whole would probably have been better with a mozzarella cheese base with just a smattering of gorgonzola for flavor, as opposed to it being the sole cheese flavor. It's a bit overwhelming on its own, and not fully tempered by the pear. The red onions were, thankfully, mostly unnoticeable.


Other specialty pizzas include a Middle Eastern-style pie called "Mary Had a Little...", made with lamb, garlic, mint, tomatoes, pine nuts, feta, cucumber, labneh, and zatar spice. There are also Meditterranean and Mexican -style pies, as well as a pizza-fied version of the Rueben sandwich. A la carte ingredients for the build-your-own include 5 kinds of sauce, 7 kinds of cheese, 8 kinds of seafood, poultry, and meat (including smoked clams), and a variety of spices. A+ for creativity, but the execution depends on the pie itself. Roasted Pear gets a nice, round B. The crust, always cooked to perfection in the brick oven (I will definitely give them that) and of an absolute perfect thickness- to doughiness- to airiness- ratio, could have more flavor. A perfectly balanced chewy and crispy cardboard is still chewy and crispy cardboard. Throw some olive oil in there. Herbs. Something.

For an appetizer, I followed my heart and went for the cheese board. Cheese offerings are noted on an overhead chalkboard (pity the people sitting beneath it), as are the current beer and wine offerings. Intially I went for the Sharp Cheddar and Stilton, only to find the Stilton gone and ending up with Swiss instead. The cheeses were served as two nice-sized wedges on a wooden slab, with sliced baguette bread and this god-awful horseradish/mustard seed spread that I would recommend be banned from the planet. Both cheeses were mild and satisfying. MCBW also offers Artichoke Dip and Crab Dip, as well as three different hearty salads to whet your appetite.

Beer is not your only drinking option, either: while the brewery does not have a license for hard liquor, they do also carry a modest, funky assortment of wines by the glass, including locally-made wines. On my most recent trip I had a sweet and tart cherry wine; in the summer I remember sampling an interesting blackberry wine. While neither were noteworthy enough to bother learning the names of the producers, both were an interesting addition to the already ecclectic if limited offerings at MCBW. And if you're not in the mood (or old enough) to imbibe, try one of their house-made all-natural sodas (choose from Natural Root Beer, Natural Ginger Beer, or Orange Cream), made with real cane sugar and caffeine-free.

As noted previously, the place fills up quickly and seating is limited. Once full, service immediately becomes abyssmal. Expect long waits for everything--to place your order, to receive your drinks, to receive your food, to receive your check. I had to hunt down our frazzled server to ask for the check, which makes this the second time in a row I've had to do this at this establishment. Granted, when capacity is only about 45 people, it should be a bit easier to manage; however, when there only appears to be two people working the floor and one is constantly pouring drinks, I can see how this would be a problem. Previous trips pre-kitchen have seen me waiting long periods for a beer at the bar (or to be so much as acknowledged)...really the only time it is good to go here and expect decent service is before 5:00PM on a weekday. Though I don't know what the peak lunch crowd looks like, so I will ammend that to say "between 3:00PM and 5:00PM on a weekday."

Also, don't think that just because there is a big, pretty parking lot out front that parking is free. The lot is owned by Traffic Jam & Snug and they are not very generous with it. All hours of the day and night that MCBW is open for business, there is a guard out front who will immediately ask for your $5.00 the moment you step out of your car. MCBW has a tiny lot of its own right in front of the doors; the five spots allotted to it are tyically taken by staff and regulars long before you'd stand a chance at acquiring one.

Overall, Motor City Brewing Works in more of a necessary Detroit experience than it is a good place to dine. The artistic hipster vibe is oh-so-Detroit, as are the cleverly-named beers and creatively-designed culturally-inclusive pizzas. The food, beer, and service really aren't that great, but the ambiance of it all is enough to keep the place crowded seven nights a week.