The Week We Ate (The EID Week in Review)

The effects of 5-Hour Energy.

Hatch Detroit voting has started! A vote for Rock City Pies is a vote for America. [EID FB]

The "stunning" Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Company comes in at lucky #13 in this month's Food + Wine as one of America's 25 best new wine destinations for their "fantastic list of obscure natural wines." And don't forget about the beer! [Food + Wine / EID FB / scan courtesy of the Produce Station]

Michael Mina's Saltwater and Bourbon Steak are both closing and will be replaced by two new Wolfgang Puck concepts, Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria + Cucina and Wolfgang Puck Steak. Both operations will be overseen by Chef Marc Djozlija, who was temporarily displaced from Detroit when the Wolfgang Puck Grille closed earlier this year. Sad to see Mina go, but happier to see Marc stay. [Marx Layne press release / Freep]

This might wig out Dexter fans, and also WHAT is with this trend with Detroit businesses naming themselves randomly strung-together words that don't make sense or are in any way indicative as to what the thing actually is? Detroit Collision Works. Auto body shop? Nope, boutique hotel made of shipping containers. Sure, that was totally my first guess. [Curbed Detroit]

Farmington Hills-based $600 billion company 5-Hour Energy is the subject of an investigation being conducted by the New York state attorney general. Because people from New York hate everything that isn't from New York. Also, Deadline Detroit's Jeff Wattrick does some serious investigative probing of his own and finds that the secret to 5-Hour Energy's Hulk-inducing medicinal magic is ... caffeine. [Crain's / Deadline]

Gastronomy is now serving booze and open for dinner, and Southfield gets a new moniker. [Gastronomy FB / EID FB]

Here's a first look at Cafe Muse's new bar and menu. [Thrillist]

Cafe Con Leche has also caught New-Seattle-itis and would like to be a part of Detroit's growing coffee culture! Their current Indiegogo campaign will help raise some funds for a roaster and some new equipment. So, you know, cough up some cash. [CCL FB / Indiegogo]

SPICY GARLIC SAUCE. [Curbed Detroit]

Football Handegg season has started, and now you can get a decent beer at Ford Field. [EID FB]

The first-ever National Sour Beer Day was this Saturday. Told you it would be a thing. I celebrated accordingly. [SBD FB / EID FB]

Also, Founders Breakfast Stout was released ... which means CBS isn't far off. [EID FB]

So these exist. (Many LOLZ @ "artificially flavored.") [EID FB]

[EID Feature] Beer and Pizza ... Brilliant! Jet's Sportsroom

All photos by Nicole Rupersburg.

You know how the only thing that could possibly make Jet’s Pizza better is if it came with beer? There is a magical place where that dream is a reality, and that magical place is in Chelsea, Michigan.

The Jet’s Pizza in Chelsea originally added their “Jet’s Sportsroom” full service restaurant two years ago. The Sportsroom serves all Jet’s menu items but in a restaurant/sports bar setting – booths, tables, a bar, servers, the whole works. About a year and a half ago, they were approved for a beer-only liquor license (and wine, but meh) and started serving beer with their pizza. But not just ANY beer: craft beer. And not just ANY craft beer: they’ve got 21 taps with 50 more labels by the bottle and an emphasis on Michigan brews.

After hearing rumors of an Arbor Brewing tap takeover happening next Wednesday, and as a long-time devotee of Jet’s Pizza (and also hi Michigan beer, are you new here?), I simply HAD to investigate this for myself. I’m a big believer in “If it sounds too good to be true, it is,” and, well, this just sounded TOO good. Driving down Main Street through downtown Chelsea, Jet’s Sportsroom appears like a shimmering mirage just past the train tracks. (Or maybe that was the optical illusion effect of the heat radiating off the hot asphalt parking lot. Either way.) YES. YES, IT IS REAL. IT IS A REAL THING.

And it’s also the only one of its kind in the country. Jet’s corporate viewed this location as sort of a prototype and as it stands there are no further plans to transition any of the 260-or-so Jet’s Pizzas across the country or model any of the new stores (opening at a rate of about one per week) after this location. So not only is it the answer to every pizza and beer lovers’ prayers, it is THE ONLY PLACE LIKE IT IN THE WORLD. (I mean, other places serve pizza and beer, this is hardly anything new … but JET’S pizza and MICHIGAN beer? It’s like when those Taco Bell/Pizza Hut combos started opening. Like, holy shit, how does this not exist on every corner?)

Partners Joel Northam, Jason Povlich and Jason Bendinelli are all craft beer fans. Together they own four Jet’s franchises (the Chelsea location and four more in Toledo) as well as Back to the Roots, a sushi restaurant also in Chelsea. When they expanded their Jet’s carry-out to a full restaurant in the empty space that just so happened to be next door, they wanted to created a kind of comfortable community space for everyone to enjoy. “We realized that Chelsea is a small town,” Northam says. “We wanted to do something to bring the community together. It would be nothing to see the mayor come in here for dinner; we just wanted to create that sense of community.”

As business owners, they are known for being very passionate about their community and they try to support it in any way they can (Back to the Roots helps fund a number of different philanthropic nonprofit organizations, including the Asha House, a home for neglected and abandoned children). The decision to carry craft beer was as much a decision for the community as it was for themselves. “Jet’s is a Michigan corporation,” Northam says. “We want to feature as much of Michigan as we can here and the best way to do that is with Michigan beer, being the great beer state that we are.” While they still carry the macros for those who just can’t be converted (one day…), they also have an ample selection of Michigan (and some non-Michigan) craft beers from the likes of Founders, Brewery Vivant, Atwater, Arbor, MillKing It, New Holland and more. And now they’re hosting regular beer events.

Next Wednesday, August 8, Jet’s Sportsroom is hosting an Arbor Brewing Company VIP dinner and tap takeover from 6 p.m. to close. From 6-8 p.m., Executive Chef James Woodward from Back to the Roots, who was previously the Executive Chef for the Ritz Carlton, will prepare a four-course dinner with a beer pairing for each course. Guests will get a beer for the “reception,” then four 6-oz. pours during the dinner … all for a $25. TWENTY FIVE BUCKS, because that value actually needs to be spelled out. Arbor Brewing owner Matt Greff will be on hand to discuss the beers, then afterwards it becomes an Arbor Brewing tap takeover with 12 different Arbor beers including Sacred Cow, Ypsi Gypsi, Ypsi Jack, Fat Abbott, Sodibo (Arbor’s stellar sour), plus a firkin of Imperial Rye.

These beer dinners will become more frequent, with Founders hosting one on October 3 and Bell’s in November. After that they hope for it to be a regular monthly occurrence. In the meantime, Jet’s Sportsroom has built a very strong relationship with their suppliers and being the biggest craft beer bar in Chelsea they are able to get their hands on some serious labels. Right now they’re still sitting on bottles of Founders' Frangelic Mountain, which are currently going on eBay for $50 a pop. Stop on by and enjoy a bottle in the Sportsroom for $20. (WITH JET’S PIZZA!)

The space was recently remodeled and is comfortable and just a bit nerdy – the walls are decorated with Batman and Spiderman posters, and there are ET and Yoda figures scattered about. “[All three of us partners] were born in 1976,” Northam explains. “For all the people who were born around our time these are the things they grew up with.” They also have a “76er wall” honoring their collective birth year, and a house "76er" beer from Arbor Brewing (known elsewhere as Tally Wacker).

Northam says another motive for carrying craft beer is perhaps a bit selfish (but probably no one’s going to be mad about): “We think of this as our living room. We spend a lot of time here.” As craft beer drinkers themselves, it only made sense to carry the beers they want to drink. And their customers have been amenable to the cause. “We wanted to expose people [to something that maybe they don’t know about or aren’t familiar with], and they love it. I think we’ve hit a good stride.”

You guys, it’s a Jet’s Pizza that serves Michigan craft beer. I mean. Come on.

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

[Metromode] Fests and Fundraisers Go Local

Chef/Owner Brandon Johns of the Grange Kitchen + Bar in Ann Arbor at Baconfest Michigan

Here in metro Detroit we certainly have our fair share of fairs, festivals and food-centric fundraisers. But where food-centered events used to be primarily about gathering a bunch of restaurants together and serving the masses (with little regard to what exactly the masses were being served), over the last few years the nature of our local festivals has shifted to be more … well, local.

It probably goes without saying that any food event or festival held around town is going to feature local restaurants (and local art and local musicians and so on). But never before has there been such a strong emphasis on local products. Restaurants are one thing, but restaurants that source produce from local growers and meat from local farms are what people now really want to see. Beer, wine and liquor are standard-issue at any event, but Michigan-made beer, wine and liquor create a much stronger draw - while instilling a little hometown pride.

Read more.

[Metromode] All Things Pickled

Perkins Pickles at Rust Belt Market. Photo by Nicole Rupersburg.

Rumored to be a lucky food (for anyone who has a six-year-old jar of "lucky" pickles in the fridge), a hangover cure (especially true when speared into a Bloody Mary), and now the latest trend to get skewered by IFC's Portlandia, pickles are all the rage. As the momentum of artisan food movements across the country continues to barrel forward, there is a subset of makers interested in traditional food preservation methods. From home canning to charcuterie clubs to self-professed picklers and briners, centuries-old techniques are au courant, and we've got more than a hand-full of artisanal pickle producers right here in metro Detroit.

Read more.

[Real Detroit Weekly] Bazaar Foods

Pete's Chocolate Co. All photos by Nicole Rupersburg.

The second-annual Detroit Holiday Food Bazaar will be held this Friday, 12/9 from 5 to 11 p.m. in Eastern Market above Cost Plus Wine. Launched in 2010 by Noelle Lothamer, co-owner of Beau Bien Fine Foods, the Detroit Holiday Food Bazaar is an event that celebrates Michigan's independent artisan food producers. While you might recognize names like McClure's Pickles, some of these vendors are only available via direct sales at events such as this. Consider the Food Bazaar a well-curated selection of the best of Detroit's micro food producers – it doesn't GET more local than this.

This year's list of vendors has increased from 16 to 25, and there will be some non-food vendors as well: the winner of the first-ever Hatch Detroit competition Joe Posch will be representing his winning concept Hugh with vintage dishes and cookware; there will also be other cooking accessories like cutting boards, aprons and linens available for purchase (can you say Christmas presents?). Detroit photographer Marvin Shaouni will be selling prints, and DJs Ash Nowak (from Haute to Death) and Amy Kaherl will be tag-teaming the event. Cost Plus will be open too, and be sure to come hungry and bring cash (most vendors are cash-only)!

Here's a sneak peak of just some of this year's vendors:

Read the rest of the story here.

[HOT LIST] Made in Michigan gift baskets

Toasted Oak Grill's Michigan cheese platter. Photo by Nicole Rupersburg.

Putting together a good gift basket is like putting together a good mixed tape. There must be a rhythm, a theme. You must really think about what it is you're trying to communicate with this offering. Not only are your selections a reflection on you and your tastes, but they also reflect the relationship you have with the recipient: what do you really know about them and their tastes; what are you going to give them that says "I enjoy this and hope you will too?"

Now, there's the good ol' Harry and David gift baskets you can fall back on: order online and have it sent straight to your recipient without ever so much as touching the basket, much less actually sampling any of the products, or really even knowing what products are included. (It's about as personal as a Visa gift card. Hell, I'd rather have the gift card.) But a proper gift basket, one that you actually put a little bit of thought and effort into, that means something. (After all, the way to pretty much anyone's heart is through their stomach.) Gift baskets abound at markets and specialty stores during the holidays, but these places are going the extra mile with thoughtful gift baskets highlighting Michigan-made products that can be custom-made and shipped anywhere in the country.

(1) Toasted Oak Grill and Market (Novi)
Cheese and charcuterie: there's really no way to go wrong. With a wide selection of Michigan-made and imported artisan cheeses and full selection of charcuterie made in-house (sausage and salumi, terrines and patés), Toasted Oak's holiday platters (served with house-made accoutrements like bacon caramel and lavender honey) are a crowd-pleaser for when you need to bring a dish to share. For gift-giving, their Picnic Tote includes two Michigan wides, a tartan plaid picnic blanket, a Toasted Oak signature cheese board cut in the shape of the state of Michigan, a cutting knife and a wine key.

(2) Motor City Wine and Foran's Grand Trunk Pub (Detroit)
Technically two separate businesses but I'm clumping them together just so that I can sneak a sixth on this list without it being obvious. Upstairs at Motor City Wine, you can choose from pre-made baskets or order one custom. Choose wines from their affordable boutique wine collection (with plenty of Michigan wineries to choose from, including bubbly from L. Mawby to put you in the holiday spirit) and pair with their Michigan-made pasta and pasta sauce for a proper Michigan meal in a basket, or select from several varieties of chocolates, organic olive oil, olives, crispbreads and T-shirts. They can also include local cheeses and cured meats if you are able to keep the basket refrigerated. Order online or by phone for curb-side pick-up. Downstairs at the Grand Trunk Pub, their baskets include four assorted Michigan craft beers, a bottle of Faygo, and a couple of bags of assorted Better Made Chips for $20. Custom baskets also available; contact Suzanne at 313-961-3043.

(3) Three Little Birds Fine Foods (Northville)
As if Northville could get any more adorable, here's Three Little Birds. Their all-natural handmade granola is wheat-free, dairy-free, oil-free and cholesterol-free (as natural granola should be) and is available in an assortment of flavors. They also support other local businesses, such as with their Made in the Mitten Baskets which includes McClure's potato chips, Dave's Sweet Tooth Toffee, Matt's Mix all-purpose seasoning, their signature granola, and a Pewabic Pottery ornament. Order at 248-739-9199.

(4) Plum Market (Bloomfield, Ann Arbor, West Bloomfield)
Plum Market has arguably the most extensive and wide-ranging selection of Michigan-made products of any of the grocery stores and specialty markets in the metro area. Browsing their selection even in the comparatively selfish summer months will make you instinctively think "These would make great gifts!" (Seriously, hats off to whoever does their displays: they serve their purpose in making me want to buy everything.) They have a fantastic assortment of different gift baskets available (order online and ship anywhere); there's the old stand-bys of fruits and chocolates, but they also have themed baskets like "Gluten Free" and "Go Green." The Michigan Made basket is packed full of some of Michigan's best artisan food products, like Kelly's Karamels and Guernsey Dairy Hot Fudge.

(5) Good Hart General Store (Good Hart)
Just north of Harbor Springs in the small coastal city of Good Hart, the Good Hart General Store is making some mean baskets. Available for shipping around the globe, the Pure Michigan Gift Basket features all Michigan-made products like maple syrup and goat's milk soap, and their Homemade Preserves basket features all of their own local fruit preserves made in-house. They can also make custom baskets, like the Virgin Mary Basket ($52) with McClure's Bloody Mary Mixer and Michigan pickled asparagus. Just add vodka! (Valentine, naturally.)

Bubbling under Western Market (Ferndale), Merchant's Fine Wine (Dearborn), Zingerman's Creamery (Ann Arbor), 8 Degrees Plato Beer Company (Ferndale), Chateau Chantal (Traverse City), Papa Joe's Gourmet Market (Rochester, Birmingham), Nino Salvaggio International Marketplace (St. Clair Shores, Troy, Clinton Twp.)

[HOT LIST] Michigan cheese

At Reserve in Grand Rapids. L to R: "Brighid" from Cowslip Creamery, Fourme D'Ambert (France), and "Heard It Through the Grapevine" from EverGreen Lane. All photos by Nicole Rupersburg.

Behold, the power of cheese. According to the Michigan Department of Agriculture, Michigan was the 8th largest producer of cow's milk cheese in the country in 2010. As artisan food movements continue to gain momentum all over the country, Michigan's artisan cheese makers are growing in number, visibility, and overall quality and diversity of product, making cheeses not just from cow's milk, but also more esoteric cheeses from goat's and sheep's milk.

We all know about Zingerman's Creamery and their popular Detroit Street Brick (a creamy goat's milk cheese made with peppercorns and widely available in area restaurants and markets) as well as their hands-on mozzarella classes, but what we should also all know by now is that when ol' Z's sets the bar, others will surely follow. The Michigan Cheese Makers Cooperative exists to promote and support the craft of artisan and farmstead cheeses and has coined the term "Great Lakes, Great Cheese." From funky artisan to old-world Amish farmers cheese, Michigan's cheesemakers are certainly earning that title.

#1 Leelanau Cheese Company (Suttons Bay)
In 2007 the Leelanau Cheese Company, located on the Black Star Farms agricultural property in Suttons Bay, was awarded "Best in Show" at the 24th Annual American Cheese Society cheese competition for their aged raclette. So it's not just one of the best cheeses in Michigan; it's one of the best in the country. The Leelanau Cheese Co. makes precisely two kinds of cheeses: raclette and aged raclette. With all of that undivided attention it gets, its no wonder that this buttery, semi-firm cow's milk cheese receives such high accolades. If you're in Traverse City, stop by Tastes of Black Star Farms for a traditional Matterhorn Grill Dinner featuring Leelanau's raclette cheese (a steal at only $50 per couple WITH wine).


#2 EverGreen Lane Farm and Creamery (Fennville)
The cheeses made at EverGreen tend towards more of a cheese aficionado's palate. They make artisan goat's milk cheese from their heard of La Mancha and Alpine goats and cow's milk cheese using milk from the Jersey cows at Moo-Nique Dairy in Vandalia, Michigan (Jersey cows are known for a richer, sweeter milk with higher butterfat content). Both farms are committed to sustainable practices. Known for their creamy fresh chevre, a recent discovery at Reserve in Grand Rapids called "Heard It Through the Grapevine" (a washed rind semi-firm goat's milk cheese washed in red wine) is an outstanding example of their artisan craft with an extraordinary balance of flavor and texture.

#3 Cowslip Creamery (Grand Rapids)
Meet the ladies of Cowslip Creamery. First, the 30 Jersey Cows; then the cheesemaker herself, Jana Deppe (who is about to obtain the prestigious "Master Cheesemaker" designation). Jana makes approachable artisan farmstead cow's milk cheeses which include Brighid (a tangy yellow semi-firm cheese with a thin layer of pine ash in the center) and Phocas (a mild, earthy semi-soft cheese).

#4 Pinconning Cheese Company (Pinconning)
The Pinconning Cheese Company has been around since 1948, producing their signature Old-Fashioned Pinconning Cheese, a Colby-style cheese with huge aging potential (the "super sharp" and "super super sharp" aged varieties are only available in the retail store). They produce a wide range of different flavored cheeses, cheese curds and cream cheese spreads, and also carry a variety of different imported cheeses on their online store, along with Michigan-made meats and a host of specialty food products. Gift boxes are available for the holidays.

#5 Farm Country Cheese House (Lakeview)
Located in Michigan's Amish countryside, Farm Country Cheese House has been making cheeses in Lakeview using milk supplied by the surrounding Amish communities since 1984. The cows are naturally raised, grass-fed, antibiotic-free and hand-milked. Farm Country produces over 20 different kinds of traditional and distinctive cheeses, including their decadent Truffle cheese (made with black truffle peelings and white truffle oil) and their extra, extra sharp Christmas Cheddar, aged for three years and only available during the holidays. Their products are widely available in gourmet markets like Holiday and Plum, or you can order online.

Bubbling under Traffic Jam and Snug (Detroit), Zingerman's Creamery (Ann Arbor), Grassfields Cheese (Coopersville), Dancing Goat Creamery (Byron Center), Michigan Farm Cheese Dairy (Fountain), Williams Cheese Co. (Linwood), Greystone Farm and Creamery (Chelsea)

[Real Detroit Weekly] Snacks from the Mitten

All photos taken inside Holiday Market in Royal Oak by Nicole Rupersburg.

We Michiganders don’t screw around when it comes to our snack foods. Some of our all-time favorite snacky-cakes and cheesy poofs (etc.) are made right here at home and they’re some of the best products on the market. We love to support local, but we love it even more when our local products are better.

Kelly’s Karamels
Kelly’s Karamels, based in Troy, are a long-held family tradition. The recipe used for these traditional soft caramels is the same one Grandma Renie used decades ago, using only six ingredients. These slow-cooked, all-natural caramels are soft and chewy – no hard edges, no strange textures, just mouthfuls of beautiful buttery caramel that melt in your mouth but don’t stick to your teeth. Old-fashioned is so nouveau.

Stahl’s Famous Original Bakery
Stahl’s Bakery has been hand-baking in New Baltimore for 78 years now. Their famous “Belly Button Cookies” started as a baking mistake and have since become a Detroit favorite for the past 30+ years. These chocolate and walnut praline-style cookies are delicate and break easily, but their buttery crunch and explosive flavor is addictive. You’ll eat them like chips and, much like Lay’s, you can’t eat just one.

Garden Fresh Gourmet
Garden Fresh Salsa is the number one salsa in North America, racking up numerous awards over the last 13 years. But this Ferndale-based company (in wide national distribution) makes a variety of other fresh products, including our favorite: Garlic Lover’s Hummus. It is exactly what it says it is, and you should be exactly that to fully enjoy it. Their unsalted tortilla chips are some of the best you can buy in stores.

Sanders Candy
Sanders has been around since 1875, so it is with utter and total assurance that we say that no one can remember a time when an ice cream sundae with Sanders hot fudge wasn’t the grand dame of local desserts. Their signature Cream Puff and Bumpy Cake are classic (if you don’t know, you’re not from around here), but it’s the jars of hot fudge we know you stash in your fridge for late-night spoonfuls while your sig-o sleeps. Don’t lie. We’ve seen the morning-after chocolate stains.

McClure’s Pickles
Pickles as a snack? Hell, these pickles could be a full meal. Great Grandma Lala’s old pickle-making recipe has created a whole new legion of devotees. The Spicy Pickles and Garlic Dill Pickles are so packed with flavor you’ll eat them straight out of the jar. Their Bloody Mary Mix is agreed by 10 out of 10 people who know what they’re talking about to be the best Bloody Mary Mix possibly in all of history and the world. Their brine is even used in shots called a “pickleback.” And have you ever had one of their pickles deep-fried? (Go to Rosie O’Grady’s if not.) We rest our case.

Koegel Meats
Since 1916 Koegel Meats in Flint has been making some of the best hot dogs in metro Detroit. They make a wide variety of processed meat products – all kinds of franks, sausages, bologna, brats and loafs – but it is the signature snap of those classic natural-casing Viennas that we always go back to.

Charley’s Ballpark Mustard
And no proper hot dog can be served without mustard. Just ask Charley Marcuse, the infamous Singing Hot Dog Man of Comerica Park, he of the additional “There is no ketchup in baseball” fame. He is so passionate about the mustard-only hot dog that he made his own – and it might just be the best damn mustard you’ll ever taste.

Thomas Organic Creamery
The all-natural, organic ice cream from Thomas Organic Creamery in Henderson starts with their 35 grass-fed Jersey dairy cows. The milk from these cows is rich in butterfat, which makes for a decadent, richly-flavored ice cream. Every item they use is certified organic and the highest quality they can find, from the mint in the Michigan Mint Chocolate Chip to the Madagascar vanilla.

Better Made Potato Chips and Snack Foods
With over 80 years in business, Better Made’s potato chips might be the snack food Michigan is best known for. But what makes a potato chip “better” made? They use locally-grown potatoes and trans fat-free cottonseed oil to produce their slightly thicker, slightly less greasy, slightly potato-ier potato chips. Could this be the reason Detroiters eat on average 7-lbs of potato chips annually, compared to the rest of the country’s 4-lbs? We’re not fat, we’re husky.

Faygo
Vanilla Crème Soda. Grape. Orange. The appropriately-named Red Pop. (And yes, it’s POP.) The transcendent Rock and Rye. A whole world of fun, colorful flavors (Jazzin’ Blues Berry! Pineapple!) including 6-packs in glass bottles of the original flavors, made with 100% pure cane sugar. You almost have to feel bad for people in other states who don’t understand that “red” is a flavor and “pop” is soda.

Germack Pistachio Company
Since 1924, Germack has been an artisan roaster of a variety of nuts including pistachios, cashews, walnuts, almonds and pecans. But the red pistachios – red for no good reason other than that they can be – is what sticks out in the hearts and memories of Detroiters. As you break open each nut your fingers turn a progressively brighter shade of pink, which is why they’re also called “red lip” pistachios – for obvious reasons. Visit their retail store in historic Eastern Market, or order online at germack.com.

Good People Popcorn
Good People Popcorn is a family-owned gourmet popcorn shop in downtown Detroit. They make their popcorn fresh daily and offer the standard butter, caramel and cheese flavors (try the caramel and cheese mix for the good ‘ol sweet ‘n salty combo), as well as seasonal flavors such as the bacon cheddar made with cheddar popcorn and bacon seasoning.

A slightly different version appeared in print and online, view it here.

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

The Henry Ford: Everything Old is Made New Again

Most of us only think of the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village in the context of elementary school field trips we would have much rather spend at Cedar Point ... when a 12-year-old is given the option between rollercoasters and hands-on historical education via painstakingly detailed re-creation (remember learning how to write with quills and ink wells in the Greenfield Village schoolhouse?), well, show me the 12-year-old who chooses the latter and I will show you a 12-year-old who is going to have a very difficult time with peer acceptance and social assimilation in high school. It's only as we become adults that we learn that learning can indeed be fun, and we drag our young students and kin (who would much rather be in Cedar Point) along with us to the Village.

But even as adults sometimes we miss some of the finer details. Yes, the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village is a phenomenal collection of local historical artifacts, a treasure trove of Detroit's automotive history (and by extension, America's industrial history), as well as an elaborate piece of preserved Americana: "American's Greatest History Attraction." But did you know that the food service program in both the Museum and the Village (including the Village's full-service restaurant, Eagle Tavern) is one of the most passionately and progressively locally-sourced menus in metro Detroit?

'Tis true. When Director of Food Services and Catering Jesse Eisenhuth took over the operations just a few short months ago, he saw that there was already quite a bit being sourced locally, but there was opportunity for so much more. "We try to do as much as we possibly can," he says. "Our ice cream comes from Melting Moments in Lansing. We use Guernsey [from Northville] milk. Even our bottled water is from Absopure [based in Plymouth]. I've been looking at every single item we use here to see if there's some way we can use a product made locally instead."

For him it's not just about supporting the local economy - it's about staying true to the educational component and historical accuracy that Greenfield Village strives for. Simply put, in the mid-1800s (the era in which the Village is set) food and beverage products would have been made locally utilizing produce and livestock grown and raised on nearby farms that would change with the seasons. Sustainability is not just about good business sense and being ecologically-conscious; it's a matter of authenticity.

This new practice being implemented across the board by Eisenhuth even extends to the beverages. "We're historically accurate with everything else here; why not drinks?" he points out. In that spirit, they carry a selection of "Spiritous Liquors" in the Eagle Tavern and bar from Michigan's New Holland Distillery, which include whiskey, gin, two kinds of rum, and a "Michigan grain spirit" (called such because "vodka" would have been unknown at this time, except maybe as moonshine). New Holland's spirits were also chosen because the labels have a look more suited to the 1850 era (versus something like the cheeky 1920s-era pin-up girl on the Valentine Vodka label, superior though the product may be). Beers (called "malt beverages" on the menu) are custom-made from Detroit's Motor City Brewing Works with labels exclusive to the Henry Ford, and are bottled in such a way as to appear more era-appropriate (though bottled beer would not have existed back then). "With everything we do we consider 'how can we position this properly to have it here?' We're not going to the extreme of carrying Bud Light. We're still keeping our look and feeling [with these beers]."

The cocktails are another example of this practice. Classic cocktails are prepared in classic ways, like the Mint Julep which is really a simple preparation of simple syrup, muddled mint and bourbon or brandy. "It's also part of the educational process, which is part of our identity here," Eisenhuth explains. "We can make the drink however someone wants it - with more syrup or with rum instead - but how we make them here is historically accurate." The drink recipes have been changed to be more local and era-appropriate; for the Mint Julep, the Greenfield Village Herb Associates grow their own mint that is used in the drink. They make their own simple syrup (as they would have done in 1850), as well as their own aromatic bitters using a recipe from the Jerry Thomas Bartenders Guide published in 1862. "The drinks wouldn't have been fancy back then," Eisenhuth notes. "They would have only had two or three ingredients just to mask the flavor of the alcohol." (Hence the use of bitters, which do that job rather well. And let that serve as a warning to you.) If you still question their commitment to the authenticity here, then know this: currently they are planting Orange Pippin trees, which is a specific kind of apple, in the Village so that in time they can make the historic bitters recipe really as it was made.

One more time: they're growing apple trees in order to make more historically accurate bitters. Lots of bars are making their own bitters nowadays, but how many can claim that?

Drinks are also served with a macaroni straw. Why? Because plastic hadn't been invented yet (though a metal straw would have been more common then). "You can taste history here," says Eisenhuth. "There's something here for everyone, including the adult kid."

Granted this level of detail is impossible to carry out to absolute authenticity, or there would be a whole lot of things unavailable to visitors which would make for a whole lot of unhappy customers (if you've ever tried to get between me and my morning coffee, amplify that by dozens of caffeine-deprived middle-aged mothers wrangling hundreds of screaming children EVERY SINGLE DAY), but in those cases there is still a concentrated effort at carrying local products so long as they are cost-effective. Most products that the Henry Ford carries are from within 150 miles of the museum (and are mostly from Michigan though occasionally do extend into northern Ohio); most places are considered to be "local" if they stay within 200 miles.

In addition to sourcing locally, the Henry Ford is also committed to sustainability in greening initiatives as well.

Compostable products are from Michigan Greensafe Products in Detroit (including "plastic" drinking cups made from corn). They bale and recycle their own cardboard. They use filtafry to filter and recycle all of their fryer oil and have started to recycle paper, plastic bottles and cans. Even down to their condiments they show an eco-conscious sensibility, carrying ketchup and mustard in large pump containers with biodegradable condiment cups instead of the ecologically disastrous plastic packets. And once again, this environmental awareness is dual-purpose: in 1850 recycling went without saying, so much so that it didn't need its own name, and there was no such thing as non-biodegradable.

It just goes to show that everything old is made new again. As eco-consciousness, sustainability, sourcing locally, even classic craft cocktailing have become the hottest "new" trends in food, fashion and industry, what's really happening is that society's mindset is shifting away from Bigger Faster Stronger to Smaller Older Slower, rejecting the incessant expansion brought about by industrialization and embracing the idea of a "simpler time," so far removed from our current culture that it seems foreign and exotic. By getting back to the idea of having a small community in which you know your farmer and who makes your artisanal products like breads and cheeses, where you grow your own herbs and can your own fruits and create your own compost pile of biodegradable materials to supply nutrients to the soil in which you'll grown your own garden, we haven't stumbled across a new concept - we've rediscovered a very, very old one.

It seems only fitting then that a place like the Henry Ford would take the concept very seriously.

From the restaurants to the cafeterias to the food stands, the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village offer the most local, sustainable, and historically accurate dining experience you're likely to find pretty much anywhere for a historical attraction of this magnitude, or even just as far as your everyday restaurant is concerned. Eagle Tavern and A Taste of History Restaurant are open daily 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. through October 15, or whenever Greenfield Village is open.

If you're interested in learning more about the places that the Henry Ford sources their products, here is a list of just some of their providers:

Fresh-ground pork - Ernst Farm, Ann Arbor , MI

Chicken breasts and products - Eat Local, Eat Natural, Ann Arbor , MI and KBD Detroit , MI

Hot dogs and brats - Dearborn Sausage Co., Dearborn, MI

Milk pints and dipping ice cream, Guernsey Farms Dairy, Northville, MI

Custard is - CF Burger, Detroit, MI
Ice cream novelties (cookie sandwiches and moment bars) - Melting Moments, Lansing , MI

Bottled water - Absopure, Plymouth , MI

Pies - Achatz Handmade Pie Co., Chesterfield Township , MI (some pies also made from scratch in-house)

Early Joe cider and vinegar products - Almar Orchards, Flushing , MI

Bread, bagels, Danish, etc. - ASB Distributors, Lincoln Park , MI (they distribute local products)

Dinners rolls - Avalon Bakery, Detroit , MI

Coffee - Becharas Brothers Coffee, Highland Park , MI

Corn chips and tortillas - Casa Hacienda, Detroit , MI

In-season produce produce - Jon Goetz Farm, Riga , MI .

Cotton candy mix, popcorn kernel, popcorn seasonings - Detroit Popcorn Co., Redford, MI

Ketel Corn - Kettle Corn of Michigan,Wyandotte , MI

Soda and assorted Faygo products, Detroit , MI

Slush Puppie 100% Juice Slushie, Northville , MI

Eggs - Grazing Fields, Charlotte, MI

Pasta - Mamma Mucci, Canton , MI

Peanut Butter - Naturally Nutty, Traverse City , MI

Old-fashioned candy - Shernni’s Candy, Washington , MI

Dried cherries - Tabone Orchards, Traverse City, MI

Assorted cheese - Traffic Jam and Snug, Detroit , MI

Flour and corn meal - Westwind Milling, Argentine, MI

Metromode: Made Here, Eaten Everywhere

"When people think of Michigan-made food products, they usually think of the iconic brands, items unique to the Mitten that are a staple of nearly every household's pantry. Vernors ginger ale, Faygo pop, Better Made Potato Chips, Sanders' milk chocolate fudge and Bumpy Cake - these are the brands we most readily identify as 'ours.' This would lead one to think that these much-beloved Michigan brands represent our largest food processors, products that are most likely to have national recognition. It's a natural assumption to make. It'd also be wrong.

'Much as we adore our 'Red Pop' and the potato chips that promise to be the best (or at least 'better'), good luck trying to find these products outside of the state. Still, Michigan is not without its nationally-distributed brands, many based in our very own southeastern pinky of the Mitten. You may not have heard of them or even knew they were manufactured locally, but chances are you've eaten them..."

Read the rest of the article here.