[THRILLIST] 11 NEW DETROIT RESTAURANTS YOU NEED TO CHECK OUT RIGHT NOW

The Zenith. Photo by Nicole Rupersburg.

Summer is in the rear view, and it's time to start packing on the protective layers of blubber that'll allow you to survive another harsh Michigan winter. Luckily, Detroit's been blessed with plenty of exciting new establishments ready and waiting to feed you (and serve you drinks!), as Detroiters cannot survive on Vernors alone.

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[Metromode] Bustin' Up the Boy's Club: Metro Detroit's Female Mixologists

Jackie Foucha at The Oakland. Photo by David Lewinski Photography for Metromode.

Last week we ran a story about the rise of craft cocktail culture in metro Detroit and some of the key players who have pushed it forward. While forward-drinking female bartenders Lola Gegovic, Jacqueline Foucha, and Adrianne Martin were all name-dropped, the focus was all on the boys in the business. Through conversations with people interviewed for that story, it became glaringly obvious that female bartenders in metro Detroit get none of the press that their male counterparts do.

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[Model D] Restaurateur Maurice Wiggins to open The Addison, Restaurant 55 next spring

Red Velvet Pancakes at Hudson Cafe, a signature item and part of the opening menu with Wiggins on board.

Maurice Wiggins, CEO of International Hospitality Group, has plans to open two new restaurants early next year.

The first is located inside the former location of Atlas Global Bistro at 3111 Woodward, and is called The Addison. The Addison is an upscale restaurant that will be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily (though will likely open with just lunch and dinner to start) and happy hour Mondays through Fridays. Breakfast will include items like eggs benedict with crabmeat, while lunch and dinner menus will have steaks and seafood with vegetarian options for each meal. Renovation work is currently underway inside the space. Wiggins plans on opening this in March and hiring 20-25 people.

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[Model D] Restaurant round-up: what just opened and what's coming next

Delite Cafe + Deli, Hamtramck.

We love to write about food, and you love to read about it. So, since 2013 is closing with a flurry of food-related activity, more than we've even had the chance to cover, here's a quick look at places that have recently opened and places that are coming up next.

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[Model D] Our guide to select holiday shopping destinations

Tiki mugs at Hugh in Midtown. 

Last week we brought you a guide to pop-up retail happenings and events. It's such a handy list to clip and save (as if we still needed to do that) that we thought we'd re-run the story in this week's Development News column.

The guide below points you in the direction of many of Detroit's top permanent retailers and art galleries offering unique holiday shopping opportunities. While no means comprehensive, this list highlights a wide range of local retailers, including many that just opened within the last year.

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[Model D] Pete's Chocolate Company working towards wholesale expansion in 2014

Pete's Chocolate Company.

Pete Steffy got into chocolate-making as a hobby while living in the small city of San Cristobal de la Casas in Mexico, where he was teaching English. He enjoyed it so much that he began making chocolate for fun and playing with different recipes that he would give away to friends and family. Eventually a real demand grew, and Pete's Chocolate Company, Detroit's first small-batch artisan chocolate company, started selling at area markets and special events.

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[Model D] Detroit Institute of Bagels now open in Corktown

After a long (yet worthwhile) wait, Detroit Institute of Bagels is finally open in Corktown, putting an end to Detroit's days as a bagel desert and bringing with it some much-needed breakfast bagel sandwiches, bagels and lox, and free Wi-Fi in a beautifully designed historic building on Michigan Avenue.

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[EID Preview] A Boy and His Bagel Shop: Detroit Institute of Bagels

All photos by Nicole Rupersburg.

It's two days before Detroit Institute of Bagels officially opens to the public. Owner and chief bagel-maker Ben Newman looks tired. Scratch that: he's straight-up exhausted, wearing the expression of a man who has spent countless hours and sleepless days working on getting his business ready to open and now is finally ready to do it. It's a face I've seen before.

Ben has spent nearly three years and $500,000 to make his bagel dream into a bagel reality, and on Thanksgiving Day, Detroit Institute of Bagels will welcome its first official customers. Why Thanksgiving Day? Because there's plenty going on around downtown, like the Thanksgiving Day Parade – that's over a quarter of a million people right there. There's also the Lions game. But more than anything, after nearly three years of planning, nearly two years after acquiring the building at 1236 Michigan Avenue, and nearly a year since full-on construction started (they were delayed while waiting on Rehabilitation Tax Credits), Ben just needs to get the shop open. It's a story I've heard before.

It's been about two and a half years since Ben and I first sat down inside his Corktown flat and chatted about Detroit's emerging food start-up scene. Back then, Ben was a starry-eyed bagel maker, figuring things out as he went along but excited about the prospect of bringing fresh homemade bagels to Detroit's bagel desert. But it wasn't just that – bagels are and always were a means to and end, never the end in themselves. Ben is an urban planner by trade; his goal was always to take a vacant property and make it an active space, a place that would employ people in a city where jobs are still desperately needed. "Once there was traction behind bagels I knew they could be a vehicle to do those things I was passionate about," Ben says. "Now my thing is for [my employees] to be successful, and the bagels are their avenue to be successful."

In the time since Ben and I first talked, Detroit Institute of Bagels has gained a tremendous local following. Their clever branding endeared them to Detroiters, with wink-wink jokes of Detroit as a "bagel desert" and artwork that played up their name as an homage to the Detroit Institute of Arts (which Senator Carl Levin also winked at yesterday). They successfully funded a $10,000 Kickstarter campaign. They were a semifinalist in the first-ever Hatch Detroit competition, and lost as gracefully as anyone could possibly lose. Now, as of yesterday, DIB was officially announced as a recipient of a $50,000 grant from the Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy – a grant 18 months in the making, and a sort of coming full circle from their early days as a Hatch semifinalist. It seems that everyone in Detroit is rooting for their success.

But timing is everything. A lot has changed in these last two and a half years. Detroit has changed, and dramatically so. Which isn't to say that every new business that opens isn't still greeted with a whole lot of fanfare – they still are – but the time will inevitably come that every new restaurant that opens in the city of Detroit isn't treated as the second coming of Slows. It's not a bad thing; when we eventually get to a point where there are so many people and so much activity that the singular hive-minded enthusiasm for each and every new place peters out and a new business opening is just business as usual, well, Detroit will really feel like a REAL city, Geppetto. That being said, Ben is relieved he started this when he did. "Everything happened at a fortunate time," he says. "I'm glad we started this project two years ago because so much has changed since then. It just happened at the right time to get the support we needed."

Now the Michigan Avenue commercial stretch in Corktown has not only the Slows/Sugar House/Astro Coffee corner, but there's a whole lot more going on – Two James Spirits (another Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy grant recipient), Brooklyn Street Local, MotorCity Wine, Ottava Via, Bucharest Grill, Rubbed, and Batch Brewery have all opened recently or are opening soon. If Ben tried to buy this vacant building now, the asking price might have been a lot higher, perhaps prohibitively so.

But things have worked out for Ben and DIB so far, and just getting to the point of opening is a pretty big deal. The historic building, which sat vacant for about 40 years prior to Ben purchasing it, was completely gutted. Original brick walls, archways, and wooden ceiling beams were exposed and preserved, now a design highlight of this, the "best-designed bagel shop in the world" (a comment Ben once made in jest and then sort of became a thing). Windows were knocked out to let in natural light. A second building was added for bagel production. Wood that once covered the ceiling was repurposed for the interior. The floors were re-done with reclaimed wood from an old gymnasium. Bars and tables were made with reclaimed wood from old bleachers. Industrial restaurant equipment was reclaimed from restaurant supply stores throughout the city, which stock used equipment from restaurants that have gone out of business or upgraded their equipment. The entire space is a testament to sustainability and reclaimed urban environments, truly the very heart of Ben's personal ethos and a shining reflection of Detroit's culture of revival, of reclaiming what is old and forgotten and making something new and thoughtful out of it. Out of the ashes, and all of that.

There is also a pocket park out front, with windows that look into the kitchen at specific points in the bagel-making process. Again, from an urban planning perspective, the park was an important addition for Ben. "Taking the context of Campus Martius downtown and Roosevelt Park across from Slows, both less than a mile away [in opposite directions], there aren't really any good points in between where a pedestrian can relax," says Ben. "A three-quarter-mile walk elsewhere, no one would think twice about that, but here [you have to walk over a freeway]." He plans on programming the space in the warmer months with movie nights and other activities.

As a brand-new business owner, Ben is still figuring things out as he goes along. As any home brewer-turned-professional brewer will tell you, transitioning from home equipment to high-volume commercial equipment isn't as easy as doubling the recipe. Things like payroll, insurance, point of sales and credit cards, inventory expenses, finding distributors for every food item, and dozens of other details are all part of business pre-planning – things you don't necessarily consider when first starting out as a start-up – and more things pop up every day. Now Ben has people – about 25 altogether – depending on him for a paycheck; another of his urban investment goals that he can now make good on. After the New Year, Ben plans on making bagels for wholesale, which will undoubtedly be a huge boon for his business. But for now, Ben just needs to get open – and a good night's sleep, but that's probably a few weeks off still.

Detroit Institute of Bagels will be open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day thereafter, seven days a week. They'll have seven standard daily bagel flavors as well as rotating "small batch" bagel flavors and over a dozen house-made cream cheeses and spreads. They have a full menu of breakfast and lunch bagel sandwiches – including a lox sandwich – and soup made fresh daily. There's free WiFi available with purchase for those who want to grab a bagel and coffee and hunker down to get some work done. The window behind the main counter is an operable service window that can potentially be used for late-night service and special events in the future. And Detroit's days as a bagel desert are finally over.

Want to see more? View the Flickr set here.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Model D] Green Grocer: Fresh food shopping on Detroit's Lower East Side

Food Town Super Market. 

The Detroit Economic Growth Corporation's Green Grocer program exists to strengthen the over 80 independently-owned full-service grocery stores in the city of Detroit. Each week for the next several weeks, Model D will profile a selection of these stores in neighborhoods throughout the city.

This week we're focusing on the Lower East Side.

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[Model D] Green Grocer: Remodeled fresh food stores abound on Detroit's West Side

The Detroit Economic Growth Corporation's Green Grocer program exists to strengthen the over 80 independently-owned full-service grocery stores in the city of Detroit. Each week for the next several weeks, Model D will profile a selection of these stores in neighborhoods throughout the city.

This week we're focusing on the West Side.

Read more.

[EID Rants] He had you until "Chernobyl:" Bourdain came into town and people lost their shit

At Duly's in Detroit. Photo from Bourdain's blog.

Oh, Detroit. Remember how excited you were on Friday about Bourdain's most recent visit to Detroit airing on CNN's "Parts Unknown" on Sunday? Remember how you lost your shit every time anyone posted anything about Bourdain and almost sprained your fingers "liking" it so hard?

Remember when CNN first posted teaser clips from the episode, and you lost your shit? Remember when CNN posted a trailer for the episode and Bourdain called Detroit "awesome," and you lost your shit? Remember when the Free Press posted effectively a scene-by-scene recap of the whole episode in advance, and you lost your shit? And then, as if you could have possibly had any more shit to lose, Bourdain himself posted his own thoughts on Detroit on his tumblr blog and you lost so much shit it's amazing you didn't die of dehydration like victims of dysentery?

Those were such simpler times, weren't they? When all one had to do was write "Bourdain" and "Detroit" in a headline and get a thousand million "likes"?

Oh but you are a fickle bunch, aren't you Detroit? Any celebrity who comes into town is only as praise-worthy as the last bit of praise they doled out to you.

Everyone was all hashtag-happy watching the "Parts Unknown" season finale shot in Detroit...and then Tony dropped a bomb. The "Chernobyl" bomb. And you lost your shit again. Because, I mean, UNFAIR, right? And he also showed abandoned buildings (including the Packard Plant, the most abandonedest building of all), and it was all, "WAAHHHHHH, WE HAVE ENOUGH RUIN PORN, WHY DON'T YOU SHOW EASTERN MARKET AND THE DIA."

Now. I am not Anthony Bourdain's biggest fan. This should come as a surprise to no one. But I also understand a bit about travel media. And the thing is, whether or not you've noticed, Detroit is a hot commodity in the national narrative right now, and everyone has been writing about it - writing glowingly positive things about Dan Gilbert's investments downtown and the growing startup scene and young people and creatives and popups (which, it should be noted, Bourdain also included). And every lifestyle section and travel outlet has run their own version of The Detroit Travel Story - Fodor's, Frommer's, HuffPo, Conde Naste, Travel + Leisure, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Guardian, Yahoo News, Time, Fox News, Food + Wine, Bon Appetit, and on and on and on it goes. And most of those outlets name the DIA and Eastern Market (and Slows, let's not forget Slows) as Things You Must Do in Detroit.

So CNN (stands for: Cable News Network) has this show hosted by the country's most outspoken culinary bad boy and you expect him to cover the same shit everyone else does, huh? Here's the thing: "Parts Unknown" isn't a travel show. This is CNN, not the Travel Channel. Anthony Bourdain is not personally hand-crafting a travel itinerary to the destinations he visits. The point of this "Parts Unknown" is to show these cities in a way that hasn't been done for an international cable television audience before - the good, the bad, the ugly, the unknown. I mean, it's right there in the title. RIGHT there. So sorry those of you who thought that with all the cheerleading lead-up that this episode was going to be all puppies and fucking rainbows. But guess what (and brace yourselves for this one): Detroit is not all puppies and fucking rainbows. Sure, parts of Midtown, Corktown, downtown and a handful of neighborhoods smattered throughout Detroit's 141 square miles are varying degrees of okay (some even nice!), but the bulk of this city's mass is a shithole. Spend some time driving around that huge swath of land east of 75 and north of 94 if you need some convincing. Or Northwest. Or west. Much of Southwest. East. North of New Center. Meh, most of New Center. Mostly everything not on or near the Woodward Corridor. Dan Gilbert might own most of downtown but the bulk of the rest of the city still looks like a bombed-out third-world post-apocalyptic nightmare.

Or, as Bourdain said, "The only place I've ever been that looks anything like Detroit does now is Chernobyl."

And you lost your shit. (Here and here and don't miss the BATTLE RAGING here.)

No one does self-righteous outrage quite like Detroit, and every time any kind of FOREIGNER (meaning anyone not actually from Detroit, often also including those who dare live north of 8 Mile or south of Ecorse or west of Telegraph, though no one ever uses the latter two as examples because apparently the real crime is living in Ferndale, not in Melvindale or Dearborn Heights) comes to Detroit and dares to tell the tale of it, we are all apparently Detroit-obligated to pitch an indignant fit because they either (a) spent too much time covering all the obvious places ("What about all the things that aren't Eastern Market and the DIA and Slows???? UNFAIR."), or (b) spent too much time not covering all the obvious places ("What about Eastern Market and the DIA and Slows? UNFAIR.").

Detroit has got to be the most exhaustingly exasperating city in the country. If we just really need to feel like we are the best at something, it is that. So congrats there.

To be fair, much of this exhausting indignation is spurred on by the three dozen Detroit-based media outlets (60% of which didn't exist three years ago) all trying to beat each other to the same story, which is why we now have liveblogs and Twitter recaps and sensational BATTLE RAGES headlines aplenty. And perhaps this is why we also now confuse shiny happy hashtag journalism with actual real (and often harsh) journalism. Bourdain didn't set out to validate Detroit. He set out to tell the truth about it. And the truth is that a whole hell of a lot of it looks like a nuclear reactor melted and the city was abandoned overnight and left for the cockroaches. But that there are also people still living, still surviving despite that. And the vast overwhelming majority of them aren't white yuppie Brooklyn transplants funded by Detroit Venture Partners. There are black people barbecuing (yes, Anthony Bourdain came to Detroit and HUNG OUT WITH BLACK PEOPLE...which might actually be a national television first). There are firefighters risking their lives on a daily basis for $10 an hour but still manage to have their camaraderie because really, what else is left? There are Salvadoran immigrants making pupusas and serving them out of their homes. There are the obligatory coney dogs, but from Duly's and not the oft-filmed Lafayette and American. And yes, there are white people doing pop-up dinners in artsy spaces because that's part of the Detroit fabric now too.

In other words, this was broadcast journalism, not PR.

He didn't mince words. He didn't try to spare your feelings. He didn't try to cater to fragile Detroit egos. He did call Detroiters "bold, proud, ferociously enterprising survivors," and so I ask you, is this really how bold, proud, ferociously enterprising survivors act? Detroit, you are capable of being tougher than this. Admitting reality is not the same as admitting defeat. Be proud of your fucked-up city, but know (and admit) that it is fucked up. For fuck's sake, you just made me defend Anthony Fucking Bourdain. Not everything has to be one extreme of tinkling yourself with excitement or the other of spearheading a Twitter hashtag lynching. Learn how to be stoic. People will respect you more.

[Model D] La Feria now open for lunch and dinner, celebrating grand opening with Melt this week

Photo by Doug Coombe for UIX. 

It's been over a year since La Feria, a Spanish tapas restaurant located in Midtown in what could be called the Cass Corridor Design District, won the 2012 Hatch Detroit competition, earning an extra $50,000 towards opening their business. Detroiters have anxiously waited as we've watched the progress at 4130 Cass Ave. all the way up through the fancy new façade and signage from D MET Design. And now, they are officially open for business.

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[Model D] Green Grocer: East Side expands with fresh food choices

Fresh seafood at Mike's Fresh Market.

The Detroit Economic Growth Corporation's Green Grocer program exists to strengthen the over 80 independently-owned full-service grocery stores in the city of Detroit. Each week for the next several weeks, Model D will profile a selection of these stores in neighborhoods throughout the city.

This week we're focusing on the East Side.

Read more.

[Model D] Eastern Market is a prime example of urban placemaking according to MIT

Eastern Market

A study conducted by the Department of Urban Studies and Planning (DUSP) at MIT that was just released last week that explores the evolution of the urban planning and design of public places toward placemaking, evaluating high-profile placemaking projects throughout the country including Detroit's Eastern Market.

Read more.

[NEWS BITES] Pedal-powered brewery coming to Detroit

Aaron and Shawn Grose have a crazy idea. They want to open a nanobrewery in Detroit - that's not the crazy part (based on the response Batch Brewing Co. has received, there is a mega market for nano beer in this city). No, the crazy part is that they aim to make the entire brewery operation 100% pedal-powered.

It makes sense, what with Detroit's exploding cycling scene and the symbiotic relationship that seems to exist between beer and bikes.

So here's how it will work: customers will come in and ride bikes (think of them like the stationary bikes at the gym) and create pedal power. That power is then used to power the brewing equipment, so, essentially, pedalers are actually helping to brew the beer themselves. (And how often can you really say that?)

Of course, you're not obligated to contribute your personal pedal power; you can just come in and drink like at a normal brewery. But those who pedal receive membership accounts with an escalating point system to get discounts, merchandise, and other freebies. AND, if enough pedal power is produced, their utility costs will be significantly lower, making the beer significantly cheaper. Everybody wins!

Their pedal-powered brewery concept is called Windmill Pointe Brewing Company, named after Windmill Pointe in Grosse Pointe. Aaron and Shawn are both Grosse Pointe natives and the name not only pays homage to the harvested energy of a windmill, but also to Detroit's history (Windmill Pointe was first settled by French farmers and the whole area was filled with ribbon farms). All of the beer they will brew will have names that refer back to some piece of local history. Both are avid home-brewers and long-time industry vets.

They do not yet have a location for Windmill Pointe Brewing but would ideally like to be located in Eastern Market. This February they will host a private tasting party and fundraiser kick-off featuring their home brews where they hope to be able to use their pedal power technology (which they're still figuring out) to brew a five-gallon batch right then and there. To start out, they need to have about 20 bikes to power a 2.5-barrel system.

It's still very much in the early stages so it's far too soon to say anything definite - right now it's still just two dudes brewing beer in their garage - but the concept is certainly promising and it will be interesting to see how it develops after the holidays. They would like to open sometime in 2014.

[NEWS BITES] Downtown Detroit Bagger Dave's set for November 10 opening

Photo from Detroit Regional News Hub.

Back in March, the Bagger Dave's in Greektown was experiencing some construction delays but was still moving forward with plans to open. Just last week, the Detroit News Hub noticed some work happening out front. Well, now it is official: the downtown Bagger Dave's will open for business on November 10.

Here's the press release:

Bagger Dave's Freshly-Crafted Burger Tavern, a unique, full-service, ultra-casual restaurant and bar, will celebrate the grand opening of its downtown Detroit location 11 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 10. The new restaurant is located at 1224 Randolph.

As part of the restaurant’s commitment to give back to the communities in which it operates, through Sunday, Nov. 17, Bagger Dave’s will donate 10 percent of its sales from the location to the Children’s Leukemia Foundation of Michigan.

“The opening of a downtown Detroit tavern has been a longtime priority of ours and we’re extremely excited to pull back the curtain on this labor of love. Being part of the city’s resurgence is exciting,” said T. Michael Ansley, president and CEO of the Southfield-based Diversified Restaurant Holdings, which operates Bagger Dave’s. “The city needs fresh dining options. Detroiters have shown their commitment to locally sourced products and freshness in their products. These are Bagger Dave’s core values. We look forward to being a viable part of the community.”

Diversified Restaurant Holdings also owns and operates the Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant in the space adjacent to the new Bagger Dave’s.

The two-story space, which was built as a bank in the late 1800s, has been gutted and restored to highlight the historic front window, building’s original limestone façade, and skylight extending the length of the building, above the bar.  The restaurant’s main floor will seat approximately 60 people and the second-floor bar area will seat 70.

Like all Bagger Dave’s restaurants, the Detroit location will offer a warm, welcoming neighborhood atmosphere and memorable guest service. The restaurant will feature full table service and a bar serving local craft beers and wine.  Patrons can create their own hand-crafted and legendary beef, turkey or veggie black bean burger made with never-frozen, no filler, 100 percent USDA beef-blend, delivered daily, and all-natural, fresh, Midwestern-sourced ground turkey, a choice of 30 Meaningless Free Toppings®, which include six cheese choices, a variety of artisan buns, six house-made sauces and more.  A selection of Signature Burgers is also available, including the Tuscan Turkey Burger™ (sliced mozzarella, tomato, onion, basil and balsamic vinaigrette) and the famed Train Wreck Burger™ (fresh-cut fries, fried egg, mild cheddar, sautéed onions and mushrooms, and Bagger Dave’s Railhouse Burger Sauce™).

The menu also features the option to offer all meals as platters, which are served with a choice of Fresh-Cut Fries, Dave’s Sweet Potato Chips®, a side of Twisted Mac ‘n Cheese, a side salad, cup of Amazingly Delicious Turkey Black Bean Chili® or Tomato Basil Soup.  Also on the menu are sandwiches, salads and hand-dipped milkshakes.

            

Atmosphere is equally important at Bagger Dave’s, which was founded in 2008. The company has identified a niche in the burger business with a modern interpretation of the old-fashioned neighborhood bar. The restaurants are inviting for adults and kids alike, with localized décor of the town’s historical past displayed throughout, a bar, and even an electric train that runs above the dining room and bar areas. For more information, visitwww.baggerdaves.com.

            

As the Detroit location opens, the company will launch its new mobile loyalty and in-store rewards program, Bagger Dave’s Fresh Rewards.  Once enrolled in the program, which can be participated in via microsite registration, SMS or by scanning an in-store QR code, patrons can be rewarded by checking-in at any Bagger Dave’s location, purchasing specific products, rating their dining experience, referring friends or sharing the program via Facebook or Twitter.

            

Bagger Dave’s Fresh Rewards also features instant-win game experiences with prizes including gift certificates and big tickets items such as $10,000 to use toward a holiday shopping spree.

About Bagger Dave’s

Headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, Bagger Dave’s Freshly-Crafted Burger Tavern often gets accused of getting “fresh” with its customers, and rightfully so. The company’s menu features hand-crafted never frozen burgers, delivered daily. Burgers are made of 100 percent USDA beef blend with cuts of prime rib and no fillers or naturally raised, always fresh, Midwestern ground turkey. Burgers can be accented with more than 30 toppings from which to choose, fresh-cut fries, made from Bagger Dave’s own brand of potatoes, hand-dipped milkshakes and a selection of local, seasonal craft beer and wine.

Each restaurant quickly becomes a neighborhood gathering spot, showcasing historical photos of the city in which it resides and a nostalgic electric train that runs above the dining room and bar areas. The company has 16 restaurants across Michigan, Indiana and Missouri. For more information, visit www.BaggerDaves.com

About Diversified Restaurant Holdings

Diversified Restaurant Holdings, Inc. ("DRH" or the "Company") is the owner, operator, and franchisor of the unique, full-service, ultra-casual restaurant concept, Bagger Dave's Legendary Burger Tavern® ("Bagger Dave's") and one of the largest Buffalo Wild Wings® ("BWW") franchisees.  Between the two concepts, the Company currently operates 47 restaurants in Michigan, Florida, Illinois, and Indiana, and one franchised Bagger Dave's in Missouri.  The Company routinely posts news and other important information on its website at www.DiversifiedRestaurantHoldings.com.

[Model D] Green Grocer: A fresh food oasis in Northwest Detroit

Metro Foodland

The Detroit Economic Growth Corporation's Green Grocer program exists to strengthen the over 80 independently-owned full-service grocery stores in the city of Detroit. Each week for the next several weeks, Model D will profile a selection of these stores in neighborhoods throughout the city.

This week we're focusing on the neighborhoods of Northwest Detroit: Grandmont-Rosedale, Rosedale Park, Old Redford, and 7 Mile and Evergreen.

Read more.

[Model D] Detroit City Distillery receives approval from the city, aims at spring 2014 opening

After a five-month-long process requiring two public hearings, Detroit City Distillery has been approved as a distillery by the City of Detroit.

Detroit City Distillery is a partnership between seven young professionals who are also long-time homebrewers and distillers. At the center of it is distiller J.P. Jerome, a Ph.D. in microbiology, and Michael Forsyth, manager of retail development for the DEGC and director of the REVOLVE Detroit program. The distillery will be in a 2,700 square foot space at 2462 Riopelle St. in Eastern Market, a former slaughterhouse.

Read more.

[EID Events] Detroit Beer Week

DAILY DBW SPECIALS

$15 Food + Beer Combinations at Traffic Jam + Snug, October 17-27 (check their Facebook page for hours)
All during Detroit Beer Week, Traffic Jam + Snug in Midtown is offering a $15 pick-and-choose pairing menu featuring any of their beers paired with one of the following dishes featuring their very own house-made beer, house-made cheeses, and house-made breads, all day every day through October 27! So local it comes from the same address!

Sammie, Soup + Beer Combo Special at Mudgie's, October 17-27 (check their Facebook page for hours)
For the full run of Detroit Beer Week, Mudgie's is offering a $15 combo deal for a sandwich, soup and beer combo all day every day! Sandwiches will be made with beer-braised meats and soups with beer bases. Plus Mudgie's will have different daily specials made with beer infusions for Beer Week!

Beer Flight + Pulled Pork Slider Special at St. Cece's Pub, October 17-27 (check their Facebook page for hours)
All through Detroit Beer Week, St. Cece's Pub will offer beer shot flights (2-oz. pours of each of their eight draft beers) paired with pulled pork sliders for only $10! This special is good for lunch AND dinner.

Rock City Eatery Food + Beer Specials featuring Dark Horse, October 17-27 (check their Facebook page for hours)
All during Detroit Beer Week from October 17-27, the newly-opened Rock City Eatery in Hamtramck will offer food + beer pairing specials featuring Michigan's most metal brewery, Dark Horse Brewing Co.!

Afternoon Delight Daily at Woodbridge Pub, October 17-27 (check their website for hours)
For the full Detroit Beer Week run October 17-27, Woodbridge Pub will run the "Afternoon Delight" with $2 off drafts from 3-6pm, 7 days a week. They'll also have a draft beer and appetizer special combo for $10, all day every day!

Three-Course Menu at the Jefferson House for $20, October 17-27 (check their Facebook page for hours)
For Detroit Beer Week, Chef Justin Vaiciunas at The Jefferson House has created a three-course menu with Michigan beer pairings for only $20. This special DBW menu is available every day for dinner only.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17

Griffin Claw's Brewmaster Dan Rogers at Woodbridge Pub, 7-9 p.m.
Celebrate the launch of the fifth annual Detroit Beer Week at Woodbridge Pub with Brewermaster Dan Rogers of Griffin Claw Brewing Company (GCBC)! Dan has won dozens of gold and silver medals from the top beer competitions in the country during his time at Big Rock Chophouse and Brewery. From 7-9 p.m. on Thursday, October 17, we'll sample different Griffin Claw beers as Dan tells us more about the new Griffin Claw brewery, his signature beers, and a little bit about his brewing process. This is a very rare opportunity to speak one-on-one with the man himself!


FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18

Short's Tap Takeover at Foran's Grand Trunk Pub, 4-9 p.m.
On Friday, October 18, Foran's Grand Trunk Pub will host a tap takeover with Short's Brewing Company from 4-9 p.m. featuring Funkin Punkin, Noble Chaos, Bourbon Barrel Aged Pig Pen, The Curl, Spruce Pils, Soft Parade, and Huma-Lupa-Licious.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20

Orange + Black Party at Woodbridge Pub, 11 a.m. - 2 a.m.
On Sunday, October 20, join us at Woodbridge Pub for a fall seasonal orange + black party! New Holland Brewing Co. will take over the taps with pumpkin beers, stouts and porters (get it????) plus there will be special themed culinary and cocktail concoctions all day. Get in the "spooky" spirit starting with brunch and going all the way through dinner with Pie-Sci! There is no charge for admission and you don't HAVE to wear orange & black to come...but you know you want to!

MONDAY, OCTOBER 21

New Holland Double-Header at Woodbridge Pub, all day
For two nights straight Woodbridge Pub will feature special New Holland Brewing Co. events. On Monday, October 21, the second night of the New Holland double-header will be its own double header, with a New Holland beer and shot special - get any New Holland beer on draft (except for Dragon's Milk) and a shot of New Holland Artisan Spirits Beer Barrel-Aged Bourbon for $7. Monday night is also their weekly Slow Jams!

Kill All the ZomBEES at Foran's Grand Trunk, 4-8 p.m.
On Monday, October 21 from 4-9 p.m., join us at Foran's Grand Trunk Pub as we break out the bottles of B. Nektar for a night of zombie killing featuring Vanilla Cinnamon, Cherry Chipotle, Necromangocon, Orange Blossom, and Wildberry Pyment all in bottles and Zombie Killer on tap.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22

Wheelhouse Detroit Progressive Bike Dinner, 5:30-8:30 p.m.
Join Detroit Beer Week and Wheelhouse Detroit Bike Shop on Tuesday, October 22 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. as we go on a progressive bike dinner through the city of Detroit! We'll start with a first course at Mudgie's Deli (with beer). We'll then move on to St. Cece's Pub for pulled pork sliders (and beer). And from there it's on to The Jefferson House for dessert (and beer). All in all you're getting a full three-course dinner with full beers at each venue, plus a guided bike ride through the city and along the beautiful Detroit Riverwalk with Wheelhouse Detroit!

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23

Jolly Pumpkin Night at the Sugar House, 5 p.m.
Celebrate Detroit Beer Week with The Sugar House by drinking some beers from Jolly Pumpkin Brewery! Great deals on bottles all night, plus beer flights, special vintage beers and a brand new flavor never before on draft, and even some hard-to-get Leelanau Brewing Whaleback White!!!

Arbor Brewing Company Tap Takeover at Foran's Grand Trunk Pub, 4-9 p.m.
On Wednesday, October 23, Foran's Grand Trunk Pub will host a tap takeover with Arbor Brewing Company from 4-9 p.m. featuring Violin Monster, Bollywood Blonde, Sacred Cow IPA, Yipsi Gypsy, Buzzsaw, Phat Abbot.

Wednesday Night Trivia with Beer Fest Ticket Giveaways at Woodbridge Pub, 8-10 p.m.
On Wednesday, October 23, head to Woodbridge Pub for their Wednesday Night Trivia starting at 8 p.m. The grand prize is two pairs of tickets to the Michigan Brewers Guild Fall Beer Festival on Friday, October 25!

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24

Bell's Tap Takeover at Foran's Grand Trunk, 4-9 p.m.

On Thursday, October 24 from 4-9 p.m., Foran's Grand Trunk Pub will host a tap takeover with Bell's Brewery, Inc. (Official) featuring: Hopsoulution, Wheat Love, Raspberry Ale, Spiced Stout, Java Stout, Q - Falls, Pianiste, Two Hearted, and Best Brown. There will also be surprise daily bottles in very limited quantities.

Cans for Cans at Green Dot Stables, 5 p.m. to midnight
Hit up Green Dot Stables on Thursday, October 24 for "Cans for Cans," when $1 of every can of craft beer sold will go to benefit breast cancer support.

Arbor Brewing India Beer Dinner at Woodbridge Pub, 6:30 p.m.
On Thursday, October 24, join Arbor Brewing Company owners Matt and Rene Greff at a very special beer dinner at Woodbridge Pub! The Greffs recently opened Arbor Brewing Company India in Bangalore, India, a sister brewpub to their Ann Arbor original, open since 1995. We're honoring this expansion onto another continent with an Indian-themed vegetarian-friendly beer dinner at Woodbridge Pub featuring recipes from the India brewpub and from their own personal recipe collection. This four-course dinner will be paired with some of Arbor's signature beers, including Bollywood Blonde.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25-SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26

Michigan Brewers Guild Fall Beer Festival

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27

Beer Fest Hangover Brunch at Woodbridge Pub, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Nurse your Beer Fest hangover the right way: with bacon, Bloody Marys and beer! Woodbridge Pub is hosting a Beer Fest Hangover Brunch on Sunday, October 27 from 11am-3pm, following the two-day Michigan Brewers Guild Fall Beer Festival fiasco in Eastern Market Corporation. Bring in your ticket stub from Fall Beer Fest to receive 15% off your total bill (including booze). Each person MUST have ticket stub to receive discount!