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| Coming in April! |
~This week's Young Gun is Brennan Calnin of Imperial. He has worked for Takashi and loves butter, liver, champagne, and pirates. Read his thoughts on Michigan's culinary scene and his lifelong call to the kitchen here. [EID]
~This week's Green Grocer series for Model D took me to Detroit's west side, where supermarkets are going through extensive remodels and adding energy-efficient equipment along with fresh food and low prices. [Model D]
~Here's your November news from the outer 'burbs: Great Lakes Culinary Center is now open, Buddy's Pizza has opened its first new location in 15 years in the Novi of the northeast, Troy is getting another "places for area office workers to go for a fast take-out lunch" place, and Smoke Street looks like it will be…serviceable. [EID]
~Did you miss the full episode of America's Best Bites on the Cooking Channel earlier this year when they featured Chef James Rigato of The Root Restaurant and Bar in White Lake? Fret not; the whole thing is now available to watch in four segments on YouTube and here they are. [EID]
~Speaking of James Rigato on TV, did you catch last night's episode of On the Rocks on the Food Network featuring Chef James of The Root? In this episode the team hit up The Oxford Inn of Royal Oak and re-vamped their back bar and private dining room into Lock + Key, a "speakeasy"-style bar with classic cocktails, all Kuhnhenn Brewing Co. beers on draft, and a small plates menu that Rigato helped design. The space has comfortable leather seating, its own patio for the warm months, and a cozy fireplace. Here's some photos I took there a few months ago; take a look! [EID Flickr]
~The Pursuit of Pappy: updated. [EID]
~Update: Bagger Dave's in Greektown is now open. [EID]
~EVENTS! [EID]
Are these the best (erp, "coolest") restaurants in (metro) Detroit? Well?
(EID's answer: if this list was from 2010, yes.) [Thrillist]Metro Times Detroit has been running this great series of old-school Detroit restaurant recipes, a "treasure trove" found in a Hamtramck attic (one must wonder just how many Hamtramck attics hold such treasure troves...probably most of them). Very cool stuff here from Schweizer’s Restaurant, the original Joe Muer Seafood, and the recently shuttered Caucus Club. [Metro Times]One Starbucks closes and another opens...just a few years ago one street-level downtown Starbucks closed, only for a new location to open just blocks away. The coffee-consuming market has changed drastically since 2009, with a whole lot more independent coffee houses all throughout the city and a whole lot more people (in the CBD especially) to spend money at them. Here's a great look at how the market has evolved in that time (though it should also be noted that there is another Starbucks that just opened downtown inside the Crowne Plaza, which realistically will really only ever serve hotel guests, but still. It's there.) [Detroit News]New bar in Eastern Market-ish area, Thomas Magee's Sporting House Whiskey Bar. [TMSHWB FB]The Atlantic Cities caught wind of the fight to save Hamtown Farms. Also read more about Hamtown Farms founder Michael Davis here. [Atlantic Cities / UIX]The Great Lakes Culinary Center in Southfield officially opened. It is a 20,000 square foot culinary center with a huge commercial test kitchen and indoor/outdoor event space that can be rented out for events as well as for aspiring food entrepreneurs that need access to a commercial kitchen in order to make and sell their products. It will also be used for cooking classes and demonstrations. Here's more details. [D Business / FB 101]More on the 8,000-square-foot Mega Buddy's in the Mega 'Burbs. [Freep]Royal Oak could potentially lose a bookstore in favor of gaining another bar. Which just speaks volumes. [Royal Oak Patch]Wicked Donuts has officially launched inside Treat Dreams. [TD FB]In the ongoing Matt Prentice Restaurant Group saga (once upon a time he owned a bunch of restaurants and was one of the area's top restaurant groups), a huge lawsuit was awarded against him by his former business partner. And that appears to be the end of that, as they say. [Crain's]Crain's Detroit Business looks at La Feria Detroit by the numbers with a bit of musing on the growing culinary competition in the city. "At one point in time, not too long ago, it was good enough just to be open in Detroit." I feel like we're not *quite* past that point yet, but eventually there will come a point when we're not all Detroit-obligated to like everything that opens. (That's not to say anything bad of La Feria, just my own musing.) Also, h/t to Ben at Detroit Institute of Bagels for introducing me to the phrase "Detroit-obligated," which I am going to use excessively from now on. [Crain's]The Root Restaurant and Bar will no longer be moving forward with plans to open a second location in Howell. This isn't a reflection on their business or lack of desire to expand; owner Ed Mamou has recently had some significant growth opportunities with his recycling business and is focusing his time and energy on that. Chef James Rigato, in the meantime, will continue to make the Root his focus with more Young Guns and other theme dinners, cooking classes, and work with nonprofits. [Livingston Daily]Bigalora Ann Arbor opens today! For those keeping score, this is Ann Arbor's bajillionth pizzeria, but one of very few in this elevated Neapolitan style (MANI Osteria + Bar being the only real comparison). [Freep]The Oakland gets a shout-out from Liquor.com for their selection of rare spirits. [Liquor.com]What's it like for someone from LA to move to Detroit? Shinola's Daniel Caudill shares some of this favorite spots in his new home city with Sight Unseen. Eastern Market Corporation, art, architecture, the whole nine. [Sight Unseen]After a fire shut down the popular JBaldwins Restaurant-Catering in Clinton Twp. earlier this year, renovation work is moving along steadily and the restaurant will be even better than it was before once it's all done. Check out some renderings here. [J Baldwins Official]Detroit SOUP's efforts at expanding into neighborhoods gets some coverage in the Detroit News. [Detroit News]And Ann Arbor SOUP is now also a thing. [A2 SOUP]MenuTest.com, a local tech startup developed at Grand Circus in downtown Detroit, will help restaurants train and test their staff more efficiently. [Model D]The Daily Meal reminds us that Traverse City is awesome. [The Daily Meal]U MAD, CHICAGO? [The Daily Show]Interesting look at not just foods but also food processes that are banned in the United States. One must also wonder why Massachusetts, New York, and New Mexico choose to specifically single out Flamin' Hot Cheetos and not their nuclear orange sibling, regular Cheetos. RAYCESS. [Thrillist]Beerie
~Why is branded glassware in bars such a big deal? Crain's Detroit Business has the full report (and, as is the case regarding any kind of alcohol legislation in the state of Michigan, it's...complicated). [Crain's]
~First look: Bell's Brewery, Inc. (Official) Oberon and Two Hearted can designs - coming in April. Best Brown, Winter White, and Smitten to follow. [Bell's Official]
~Drink beer? There's an app for that! [Apppicker]
