[Real Detroit Weekly] Detroit Seafood Market

Photo by Nicole Rupersburg.

"The Detroit Seafood Market was originally called the Detroit Fish Market when it first opened in 2009, but after a dramatic turn of events with previous ownership, the restaurant was bought out by new owner Kenny Akinwale in partnership with the former chef of the Fish Market, Leonardo Vulagi. They also brought the old General Manager Theodore Oresky back on board, and the powerhouse that built the restaurant's strong reputation was reunited once again to do it a second time.

''We spent the first four months reestablishing the brand,' Oresky explains – in other words, there was some damage control to be done. But they just celebrated their one-year anniversary as the Seafood Market, and business is even more bumpin' than ever..."

Read the rest of the story here.

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

[HOT LIST] Eat to do good

Fresh Food Share box (photo from Gleaners Food Bank)

Some people eat to live. Some live to eat. And then there are those who eat to do good. While people are becoming more conscious of what they eat in terms of environmental and economic sustainability, still others see food as an opportunity to make a political statement and enact social change. Whether that is getting involved with food activism targeting specific legislation (such as the Michigan Good Food Charter), operating an urban farm through a nonprofit organization, or helping to make inexpensive fresh food available in urban areas, now more than ever you are what you eat.

#1 Fresh Food Share (Detroit)
The Fresh Food Share (FFS) is a community food program in the city of Detroit that is part of the Green Ribbon Collaborative - a partnership between Gleaners Food Bank, Eastern Market, the Fair Food Network and Greening of Detroit. The Hannan Center is the local distribution and volunteer center. Through this program, community members can participate in a monthly fresh food program (similar to a CSA) payable by cash, check, or Bridge card. Shares of fresh fruits and vegetables are available in a variety of sizes up to 30 pounds ($17), or you can choose to support a senior with a 20-pound mixed fruit and veggie box for only $14. Orders are due by noon on the second Thursday of the month through December 8 (the next order is due in by September 8); distribution is on the third Friday. For more information or to place an order, call 313-550-8034.

#2 SEED Wayne (Detroit)
SEED Wayne is a program administered through the Wayne State University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (Department of Urban Studies and Planning) designed to help build a sustainable food system on the WSU campus and in the local community. They partner with other area nonprofits to create a culture of awareness and access, and the education starts with their own students. Since its launch, the program has planted three urban vegetable and herb gardens and now hosts a weekly on-campus farmers' market on Wednesdays (through October 26). They are also involved with fledgling programs such as Detroit FRESH (an effort to get fresh produce in corner stores), as well as host an annual Harvest Dinner.

#3 Forgotten Harvest (Oak Park)
The mission of Forgotten Harvest is to fight hunger and waste in metro Detroit by rescuing surplus prepared and perishable food and donating it to emergency shelters. They have hundreds of regular donors in addition to community food drives organized by private entities such as corporate offices and community groups (especially during the holidays). Their efforts benefit over 150 food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless and domestic shelters, senior citizens' and group homes, and children's homes all over Oakland, Wayne, and Macomb Counties. They also partner with other local businesses and organizations for a number of fundraising events including an annual charity golf outing and charity fashion events.

#4 Gleaners Community Food Bank (Detroit)
Gleaners Community Food Bank also strives to fight hunger in Southeastern Michigan through community outreach, education, and food distribution. They deliver 36 million pounds of donated and purchased food to agencies and people in need annually, and hope to raise that number to 50 million by 2013. To assist their fundraising efforts they host special events (such as the Bernie Smilovitz 2011 Harvest Classic this Sunday, September 11) and organize food drives. They also sponsor programs like "Cooking Matters," which teaches families how to shop for and prepare economical and nutritious meals at home.

#5 Capuchin Soup Kitchen and Earthworks Garden (Detroit)
The Capuchin Soup Kitchen is an 82-year-old organization founded by Capuchin friars to tend to people's basic needs, especially the need for food. The organization is inspired by the philanthropic works of St. Francis of Assisi, and serves the people of metro Detroit through a number of programs including the On the Rise Bakery and the Earthworks Garden. They also offer clothing, shelter, and rehabilitative services. You can start doing your part by attending the Earth Works Garden Annual Harvest Dinner on September 17.

Bubbling under Fair Food Network Detroit, Slow Food Detroit, Feedom Freedom Growers, ROC-United

[EID Feature] iBurger: Hamburgers Gone Halal

All photos by Nicole Rupersburg.

In Dearborn, there are plenty of places to get a good burger. There's Miller's Bar, which Food and Wine just ranked among the top 25 burgers in the country. Then there's Howell's Bar, which anybody whose anybody knows has a better burger than Miller's (some girls just get ALL the attention; what can you do?). The Biergarten also gives gimmicky Miller's a run for its meat. And now, there's iBurger.

iBurger Lounge is the new kid on the block. It opened about a year and a half ago in the West Village Commons. Everything they serve is homemade, organic and halal-certified, in response to the dietary needs of the area's Muslim population. For your reference, a McDonald's restaurant began serving a halal version of its Chicken McNuggets in Dearborn in 2000. Sales were so strong that they expanded the offering to a second Dearborn location, and later to select stores in the U.K. and Australia. When such a significant number of the population requires such specific dietary needs, even the world's largest hamburger fast food chain pays attention, which just begs the question - why did a place like iBurger take so long?

Owners Hassan Aoun and Houssam Aoude decided to open iBurger - a burger joint in a city with an already disproportionate number of burger joints - so that the area's Muslim clientele could enjoy this classic American food too. Manager Mariam notes that, despite the popularity of places like Miller's et.al., the Arabic (specifically Muslim) community did not have something like that for themselves - most of the halal restaurants serve Arabic food, with very little variety.

But iBurger isn't JUST a halal burger joint. They serve gourmet certified Angus beef burgers; a leaner, juicier beef. "This is something new," Mariam says. "We're offering something entirely different to the area." Their burgers are also less wax-paper-and-ketchup and more gouda-and-arugula. They have 15 signature burgers, like the "Pesto" with tomato, onion, fresh mozzarella, homemade pesto dressing and arugula; and the "Boss," made with two half-pound steak patties, cheddar cheese, beef bacon (Islamic law forbids pork consumption), golden onions, tomato and shredded lettuce. The buns are all firm, hearty artisanal buns. The rest of the menu is rounded out with a large selection of salads, wraps, paninis, classic appetizers, and gourmet thin crust pizzas (try the Filet Mignon pizza, a house specialty).

Phase 2 of iBurger Lounge will be opening in September. The restaurant will expand with more seating in a more comfortable, lounge-like atmosphere, and will have a raw juice bar, a full ice cream shop, and will also offer their full menu and homemade desserts.

Because it is a halal restaurant, they do not have a liquor license nor will they apply for one. They are, however, open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. (3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays), so this is a great place to grab a bite to eat after a night out, or just hang out with some friends for a late afternoon lunch on the patio.

[Real Detroit Weekly] Global Eats

A little preview of some of the "eats" at the 2011 Arts, Beats and Eats.

All photos by Nicole Rupersburg.

Heavenly Chicken and Waffles
Americans like to fry things even more than the notoriously unhealthy Scottish, but at Heavenly Chicken and Waffles everything is made in-house from scratch and is made to order, including their golden Belgian waffles topped with melted butter and crispy, flavorful hand-battered chicken. It’s a healthier way to deep-fry. Check out their new location inside Marilyn’s American Tavern in Greektown.

Katana Steakhouse and Little Tree Sushi Bar
Little Tree Sushi Bar has been in Royal Oak forever and ever, and is still one of metro Detroit’s favorite places for sushi (and is the place where many metro Detroiters popped their sushi cherry). Little Tree offers Japanese, Thai and Phillipino on their menu, and their sister restaurant Katana Steakhouse (located next door) is a Japanese-style hibachi steakhouse with more of that infamous sushi.

Camelia’s Mexican Grill
The newly-opened Camelia’s Mexican Grill in Royal Oak (their second location) serves up delicious, flavorful Mexican-American dishes using all homemade ingredients – corn and flour tortillas, tortilla chips, salsa, guacamole – to create simple yet fantastic dishes that err more on the side of Mexican than American, a refreshing new addition to an area that was lacking. This is a family-owned operation (Camelia is the owner’s mom) and feels just as friendly and welcoming as being in Camelia’s kitchen.

What Crepe?
Hands-down one of the best restaurants in metro Detroit, What Crepe? is an adorable Euro-style café. Walking in you’ll feel instantly transported to a chic Parisian bistro; the décor is both dramatic and fun. But the food shines above all: they have over 50 crepes (savory and sweet) and every single one is outstanding. Fresh, flavorful ingredients, delicate crepe shells, and inventive combinations in huge portions at affordable prices in an achingly romantic setting? J’adore!

Union Jack’s
Any time Union Jack’s catering company has a booth at one of the local festivals they ALWAYS have the longest line. Maybe it’s because this is the only opportunity most people have to try their food … or maybe it’s just their food. Crispy, flaky, juicy deep-fried fish and chips just like you get at tiny little food stands all over the U.K., and their piece de resistance: the deep-fried Mars bar.

Pegasus Tavernas
One of Greektown’s longest-standing Greek restaurants, now attached to the Greektown Casino, Pegasus Tavernas serves up an enormous variety of traditional Greek dishes, from marinated olives and artichoke hearts to rich stuffed grape leaves and juicy grilled lamb chops. And, of course, the Greektown classic saganaki: Greek kasseri cheese flamed with brandy and doused in lemon. Opa!

Read the article as it printed here.

Want to see more? View the Flickr set here.

[Real Detroit Weekly] Red Ox Tavern

Photo by Nicole Rupersburg.

"Red Ox Tavern defines itself as an 'upscale sports bar,' and that's probably the only way to really describe it. A massive building on Walton just north of Squirrel Rd., in what is formally listed as 'Auburn Hills' though others insist it's Rochester (we'll just say it's 'on the edge' of both), Red Ox is a large, impressive space with quite the eye-catching waterfall behind the bar and a large outdoor patio with a firepit.

'As far as 'sports bars' go, this is the kind of place where you can go to watch sports in an atmosphere that still feels like a casual-upscale restaurant – in other words, you won't find the walls plastered with vinyl Budweiser banners or fat dudes named 'Tiny' with their faces painted the colors of their fave team. The clientele here is mostly business types from the nearby Chrysler headquarters, as well as students from Oakland University (which is right across the street). Suits and newly-legal seniors may make strange drinking buddies, but the mix works well here. (Weekends, obviously, are a different beast altogether.)..."

Read the rest of the story here.

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

[Real Detroit Weekly] Orleans Billiards Cafe

All photos by Nicole Rupersburg.

"Downtown Mount Clemens has seen plenty of change over the last two decades. Before it was the charming, somewhat quaint brick-paved hub of independently-owned businesses and outdoor art installations that it is now, it was ... well, NOT that. When Orleans Billiards Café opened 15 years ago, it was right at the beginning of downtown Mt. Clemens' transformation, and the place is still evolving.

''We have to keep it fresh,' says Paul Boone, who owns Orleans with his brother Mark. 'We have to do something new every year. I want people coming back asking, "what's he done now?"

'His latest change will be a revamping of the menu. Wait, what? What's that you say: Menu? They serve food in a pool hall?

'First off, DON'T call it a pool hall! Yes, there are six pool tables. There are also three shuffleboard tables, three dartboards, 27 plasma TVs (32''-63''), 10 LCD TVs, Keeno, Quizzo, even beer pong on Tuesdays (and starting in August, Thursdays too). There's also a nice outdoor patio. So it's not a pool hall. It is the watering hole equivalent of an everything bagel..."

Read the rest of the story here.

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

Halal [HOT LIST]

Chicken Tikka Pizza from Halal Desi Pizza. Photo by Nicole Rupersburg.

Sunset today marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting, and the beginning of Eid, the two-day Muslim holiday following Ramadan. Here in metro Detroit we have an estimated population of over 200,000 Muslims, and we also have the highest concentration of ethnic Arabs outside of the Middle East. To honor our Muslim friends (truth be told, Dearborn is one of our favorite cities in metro Detroit), we bring you this Halal Hot List.

Halal means "lawful," referring to food (and other items) that are permissible in accordance with Islamic law. Islam forbids the consumption of pork, alcohol, carnivorous animals and birds of prey, and blood, as well as any food that may be contaminated by these products. "Halal" also refers to a specific method of slaughtering (the Jewish "kosher" is very similar to the Islamic "halal"). A restaurant that is certified halal will serve none of these outlawed items and will prepare everything in accordance with Islamic law.

There are certified halal restaurants all over metro Detroit, from Dearborn to Garden City, Hamtramck to Sterling Heights. They are Iraqui, Yemeni, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Lebanese (we'll look specifically at these ethnically distinct restaurants in future posts). The five restaurants featured here specialize in five very different kinds of foods. "Halal" doesn't have to mean Middle Eastern or Indian food ... it also means burgers, tacos, pizza, and rotisserie chicken; a little something for all palates (including wholly Midwestern American ones). And to our Muslim friends during this holiday, Assalamu alaikum.

#1 Halal Desi Pizza (Hamtramck)
If you've ever driven down Caniff off of I-75, you've noticed Halal Desi Pizza. It's a box of a building at the corner of Lumpkin and Caniff, covered in signage announcing their pizza, gyros, burgers, chicken wings, Chinese food, and Mexican food. Yes, all of those things. This Bangladeshi establishment serves a variety of popular catch-all American fast food items, and every last one of them is certified halal. The pepperoni for their pizzas is made from beef and they also serve a lot of lamb (their New York-style gyros are a bestseller, and they also have a lamb burger for only $5). But the chicken tikka pizza makes a journey to Hamtramck for pizza alone entirely worthwhile. Chicken tikka (marinated and seasoned tandoori chicken) baked crispy on the edges and bright red with seasoning, along with green peppers and onions on chewy, traditional round crust (do yourself a favor and say "yes" when they ask if you want the crust buttered and sprinkled with parmesan). Alhamdulillah, we love a good melting pot!

#2 Al-Ameer (Dearborn, Dearborn Heights)
We couldn't NOT put a straight-up Middle Eastern restaurant on this list, and this is the most famous of all. At Al-Ameer, you get the full Lebanese-Muslim experience: lamb, lamb, and more lamb; skewered, marinated meats (like lamb; also chicken); and also plenty of light, flavorful vegetarian dishes like fattoush salad, hummous, baba ghanouge, tabbouli, falafel, labneh ... and then lamb. "He don't eat no meat? That's okay. I make lamb." Etc. The baked kebbie is tasty, but the raw kebbie is where it's at. (Hint: it's lamb.) But if you only ever order one thing here, the buttery-tender stuffed lamb with labneh should be it.

#3 Fuego Grill (Dearborn)
There is perhaps no other country on earth that loves pork more than Mexico. Except America. So opening a certified halal Mexican restaurant is certainly not without its challenges. Fuego Grill is the only certified halal Mexican restaurant in the state of Michigan: that means no carnitas, no tacos al pastor, no tripe. But the food here is fresh, all made in-house from scratch, and they do what they can with what they have. They make a chicken-based chorizo with vinegar, cumin, and a dried pepper paste that could easily pass for "the real thing" (and even if not, it's still damn good). They also serve excellent tender, juicy steak dishes (like the braised beef tips).

#4 Zayeqa (Farmington Hills)
It's Chinese food done in Indo-Paki style, the end result of Chinese diaspora into northern India. What this means: it's spicy. It has flavor. There's a lot of curry. And it is better than most other Chinese places you will eat; spare us the almond chicken and egg foo young. The menu is a melding of Hakka, Indian and Pakistani items; we recommend the hakka noodles and every last one of the chicken dishes. But take note: this is legit Indo-Paki food, which means it is H-O-T. If your palate is most comforted by Choose-Your-Meins, this might not be the place for you.

#5 Golden Chicken (Dearborn)
You want chicken? They got chicken. Chicken shawarma, shish tawook, chicken and rice, etc. But if you order anything other than the rotisserie chicken you are doing both yourself and this restaurant a disservice. It would be like going to Roast and ordering a vegetarian dish. You haven't actually experienced this place and are out of your element in all discussions of it. Beautiful, golden, juicy chicken cooking on a spit until it's charred up crispy on the edges; this is what Golden Chicken is about.

Bubbling under Al-Ajami (Dearborn), Byblos Cafe and Grill (Detroit), Al Sultan Restaurant (Garden City), Tawaa Cuisine (Garden City), Najeeb Kabob House (Warren), Sheeba Restaurant (Hamtramck), Aladdin Sweets and Cafe (Hamtramck)