[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.

Read more.

[Metromode] The Rise of Metro Detroit's Mixologists

Shane McGrath at The Oakland. Photo by David Lewinski Photography for Metromode. 

Maybe it's because of metro Detroit's automotive history, but whenever a new trend hits we have a tendency to take it from zero to 60 with ear-splitting speed. We did it with food trucks. We did it with pop-ups. We did it with coffee and craft beer and artisan spirits. And we did it with craft cocktails.

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!

[EID Events] UPDATED October 3-November 2, 2013

The Sugar House. Photo by Nicole Rupersburg.

ONGOING

Plymouth Restaurant Week, through October 5
Has enough of restaurant weeks yet? Well, here's another one! This one's in Plymouth and features three-tier pricing.

Fall Flavor Weekends at the Henry Ford, through October 6
Celebrate harvest season at the Henry Ford during their Fall Flavor Weekends featuring a variety of fall foods and related programming.

Bastone Brewery Oktoberfest, through October 13
Bastone is now serving their annual Oktoberfest menu with their popular Rocktoberfest lager and special edition beer glasses.

TONIGHT

Fall Show Opening Reception at Rodin, Midtown October 3
The second best thing about art openings (aside from the ART, duh) is the booze. And Rodin has plenty of that. Check out the opening party from 6-8 p.m.

THIS WEEKEND

Free Lunch Friday (FLF), Detroit Labs, downtown October 4
Register now for a networky rah rah Detroit lunch thing at Detroit Labs next Friday. (Actually the free spots are all taken but you can still snag a non-free spot with a donation.)

8 Degrees Plato Two-Year Anniversary, Ferndale October 4
Celebrate two years of Tim and Brid and craft beer tonight from 4-8 p.m. with a free tasting featuring several Short's beers and some of their personal favorites, with Chicago-style hot dogs from Hippo's to go with the beer! Totes free. 

Manya's Birthday at Abick's Bar, Southwest Detroit October 4
Manya, the owner of Abick's Bar in Southwest Detroit, turns 90 years old today. Celebrate with her anytime this weekend at one of Detroit's oldest and friendliest bars. Read more about it here. 

The Greening Gala, Roast, downtown October 4
Yes, tickets are $500 each. Let's just get that part out of the way right now. This is a gala fundraising event for the Greening of Detroit and you either have the money or you don't. If you do, celebrity chef Michael Symon himself will be cooking using ingredients he'll source that morning from the Greening of Detroit's 2.5-acre farm in Eastern Market and locally-raised livestock in a five-course menu at his flagship Detroit restaurant Roast. 

Kuhnhenn Oktoberfest, Kuhnhenn Brewing Company, Warren October 5-6
There will be live music and German food in their tented biergarten and Kuhnhenn Festbier on tap. Time to break out the lederhosen! 

Hamtramck Neighborhood Arts Festival, Hamtramck October 5
Held over 26 locations with 50 artists, musicians, theatre, dance, readings and more. Grab a guide at Public Pool.

The DIA's Inside|Out Community Dinner, Gleaners Community Food Bank, the Villages October 5
This event, presented by the DIA in conjunction with Detroit Harmonie and Slows BAR BQ to benefit Gleaners, is on a wait list but it's worth a shot. This community dinner is the wrap-up event for the DIA's 2013 Inside|Out program; Gleaners was one of 13 locations in the Villages to host one of the images. 

Sundaylicious at MotorCity Wine, Corktown October 6
The weekly Sunday themed and pop-up dinner series at MotorCity Wine continues this week with Rubbed, a Euro-style deli opening soon in Corktown. 

The Great Lakes Regional Chili Cookoff, downtown Plymouth October 6
This 18th annual event features a huge chili cookoff with awards in several categories, a motorcycle show, music, kids' activities, and more.

NEXT WEEK

Big Dumb Tiki Party, the Sugar House, Corktown October 7
Celebrate the two-year anniversary of the Sugar House at their "Big Dumb Tiki Party" on Monday, October 7 starting at 5 p.m. with music from the Mexican Knives and the Hentchmen, exotic tiki coolers, cheap punch, and floral shirts. No cover. 

Ferndale Restaurant Week, October 7-13
More here.

Dine Drink Detroit, October 10-16
More here.

(revolver) October 11
The new communal-style chef's tasting dinner is now taking reservations for October 11 but hurry, only 35 seats are available. Read more about them here and make your reservations.

AND BEYOND

Jolly Pumpkin and North Peak Beer Dinner, Forest Grill, Birmingham October 14
Five courses featuring the beers of Jolly Pumpkin and North Peak as well as some Civilized Spirits. Tickets are $70pp.

The Great Pumpkin Feast at the Root, White Lake October 16
Every course features pumpkin as a highlighted ingredient with beer pairings from, naturally, Jolly Pumpkin Brewery. Seats still available.

Detroit Beer Week, October 17-27
New Official Beer Destinations now and events are being announced daily; follow the Facebook page for updates.
~Rock City Eatery Food + Beer Specials featuring Dark Horse, October 17-27
~Sammie, Soup + Beer Combo Special at Mudgie's all through DBW, October 17-27 
~Cans for Cans at Green Dot Stables, October 24 
~Beer Fest Hangover Brunch at Woodbridge Pub, October 27

Windsor Craft Beer Festival, Windsor October 18-19
Right on the other side of the Detroit River lies the exotic land of Windsor-Essex, and lo and behold they brew beer there. Can't wait for Fall Beer Fest in Eastern Market? Get prepped the weekend before with this celebration of craft beer heritage in Windsor-Essex in historic Olde Walkerville.

WindsorEats Bikes + Beers Cycling Tour (Beer Fest Edition), Windsor October 19
Visit local beerie establishments by bike then end your tour at Windsor's inaugural craft beer festival.

Theatre Bizarre: The Procession, the Masonic Temple, Detroit October 18-19
New this year is a Preview Gala on Friday night. Limited tickets are available for this intimate event where masks are mandatory and masqueraders are led through a strolling dinner and scheduled performances. On Saturday, join the Procession.

Halloween Harry Potter Hogwarts Feast at the Old Town Hall, Farmington October 19
Off the Beaten Path Books presents this Harry Potter-themed Halloween feast in Farmington. Dress in your wizardly best and allow the sorting hat to decide if you are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or (shudder) Slytherin. (There are only 25 seats per table so not everyone can be Gryffindor.) There will be house tables and house cups, butter beer, and readings from the Harry Potter books. Artisan Knitworks in downtown Farmington will also have knit kits available to make your own house scarves and earn your house extra points (okay, so houses will be sorted in advance). Tickets are $25.

Kung Food Pop-Up Dinner After the Shanghai Ballet, Music Hall, downtown Detroit October 20
Following the performance of The Butterfly Lovers (China's own Romeo and Juliet) by the Shanghai Ballet at the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts, enjoy a dinner with local Asian food pop-up Kung Food. Combo tickets are $50.

Michigan Brewers Guild Fall Beer Festival, Eastern Market October 25-26
As if this needs any kind of explanation.

Wrestlemania Halloween at Green Dot Stables, Corktown October 31
Break out your '80s spandex for a Wrestlemania Halloween at everyone's favorite slider joint, Green Dot Stables. There will be food and drink specials and theme music. 

Dia de los Muertos at Imperial, Ferndale November 1-2
Remember when they did this last year and it was amazing? Well, they're doing it again. Details TBA. For now, set those dates aside. 

[NEWS BITES] Dine. Drink. Detroit.

Wine at Great Lakes Coffee. Photo by Nicole Rupersburg.

Detroit Restaurant Week is coming up September 20-29. (This year is kind of a big deal with the addition of the already sold-out Guns + Butter pop-up.) Now, we've all been through this before, and I'm not talking about the three-course $30 prix fixe dinner menus. I'm talking about the race for reservations. The disappointment when your restaurant of choice is booked for the evening you're free. Having to settle for your seventh choice. Trying to wrangle together groups of friends who all have different availability and want to go different places. Trying to have a normal dinner at one of these places during these 10 days, forgetting exactly what 10 days they actually are, and finding them unable to accommodate you. Yes, for all the fun there is to be had, it can also be a bit stressful. Especially for those of us (hi) who are loathe to ever plan anything in advance.

Fear not! For now there is Dine. Drink. Detroit. #DineDrinkDetroit brings together 13 slightly-less-than fine dining establishments offering a combination of food and drink for $15 - no reservations, just a special offering available at each of these locally- and independently-owned establishments.

The first-ever #DineDrinkDetroit will be held October 10-16. More details for this event will be forthcoming but for now, mark your calendars for an extra special week of celebrating all that which is dining and drinking in Detroit!

#DineDrinkDetroit is the brainchild of Scott Rutterbush from Great Lakes Coffee and Kate Williams of Rodin. 

The Week We Ate (The EID Week in Review)

Not the same thing.

Thank you, once again, for the overwhelming outpouring of unsolicited support via personal emails, Facebook posts and messages, and texts. This fall I plan on being a Nine Inch Nails groupie and follow them around on the festival circuit while also pursuing my dream of not being home for pretty much all of July through October. Which I think is explanation enough, but if not, this once again. [EID]

So I posted this:

OFFS. Another terrible national "breastaurant" chain is franchising throughout metro Detroit. Victor Ansara, who owns 22 Red Robin locations in MI and OH as well as two 2Booli locations and Portofino in Wyandotte, and his 4 sons (2 of which founded Burgerz, now working on their third location) have set up "Motor City Peaks LLC" and will operate 6 new Twin Peaks location. The first one could be open as early as next summer.

The press release also contained this gem: “Michigan is new territory for Twin Peaks and there’s a huge demand for this kind of concept in the Detroit area,” said Ansara. “We have a huge number of loyal sports fans here and they want a fresh, new restaurant experience and that means more televisions, great food and a fun atmosphere – that’s exactly what Twin Peaks provides.”

Well, nothing says "fresh" and "new" like a sports bar drowning in the glare of its own flatscreens tended by co-eds in micro-shorts! 

Also, fuck you for ruining Twin Peaks for me. Fuck you so hard.

And this is what happened from there.

No legal booze was bad news for Cheesecake Bistro, turns out. [Crain's]

In case you missed it:
~Craft cocktails have gone from a niche corner of the bar market to the new expectation for all discerning drinkers and drunks. Roast, The Oakland, and The Sugar House led the way, but now the local artisan distilling industry has made huge gains and a new crop of craft cocktail bars is rising up including Red Crown, The Sardine Room, Pizzeria Biga - Royal Oak, The Last Word and more. What a difference two years make, eh? [EID]

~The Crowne Plaza Detroit Downtown-Convention Center opens next month, and with it The Jefferson House and Urban Cellars. Here is the very first look inside at the space and some of the menu items. Will this be the new Detroit hot spot? With a 40-seat outdoor patio (not pictured) and plans to reopen the Top of the Pontch, it most certainly could be. [EID]

~The Downtown Detroit Farmer's Market is held every Thursday from 11am-6pm in Lafayette Greens with vendors like Brother Nature Produce, Brooklyn Street Local, Detroit Bulk Company, and more. [Model D]

~Kitchen Connect, a partnership between FoodLab Detroit and Eastern Market Corporation, will soon start accepting applications for their community kitchen/business incubator partners in Osborn and SW Detroit. [Model D]

~Bike rides and barbecues and boats, blah blah blah. Here are 10 things to do this summer that aren't the same-old parks + rec round-up. (Complete with both Shakespeare and HST references.) [Metromode]

~A very sincere thank you to everyone at The Detroit Bus Company, Traffic Jam + Snug, St. Cece's Pub, El Taco Veloz, and Corridor Sausage Co. for a fantastic inaugural Eat It Detroit/DBC tour and a great Saturday afternoon, and thanks to everyone who came out! [EID FB]

The wonderful James sisters now have a permanent Detroit storefront presence with their DROUGHT juice inside the new Shinola store in Midtown, which just opened to the public on Friday. Here is an interview with co-owner Julie James. [Shinola]

The Markets of Cadillac Square started Friday, which now means we have Campus Martius Park Beach, the weekday food vendors in Campus Martius, the Downtown Farmer's Market Detroit on Thursdays and now this. Downtown Detroit is turning into a sour Skittle-colored bazaar! [Crain's]

Rodin is now open for lunch. [Rodin]

A new late-night menu starts at Imperial on July 5. Which now effectively eliminates my need for the recently-reopened Taco Bell on Woodward just north of 8 Mile. [Imperial]

Great Lakes Midtown just turned one years old. [GLC FB]

Mike Illitch continues making the dough. [MLive]

The Foodtruck Cafe is now open, for those who want all the fun of food trucks without having to deal with the the pesky impracticalities of mobile dining. Also known as a "restaurant." [Royal Oak Patch]

Looks like Bistro Joe's, located above Papa Joe's Gourmet Market in Birmingham, is also now open. Based on this lone Yelp review, it at least sounds promising. [Yelp]

Here is another story about MSU's Artisan Distilling Program with a nod to Detroit City Distillery. [Lansing State Journal]

The Sugar House got a fancy new sign. (Yes, this is news.) [EID FB]

Marcus Market in Midtown (next to the Bronx Bar) also got a fancy new sign, and this is really news because the Marcus Market is definitely not known for being fancy. Which is a nice way of saying it is known for bums hanging out in the parking lot. One EID reader implied that this is part of "the Shinola Effect." Which is sort of like the Whole Foods Effect, but more focused on aesthetics. [EID FB]

Here is an excellent story about Jim Geary and Woodbridge Pub, also known to some as a home away from home, or "third place." [Model D / Metromode]

If you missed German Park this weekend, you have two more chances to make it this summer: July 27 and August 31. [AnnArbor.com]

World's largest urban farm, Hantz Woodlands, is shaping up on the east side. [MLive]

The Fourth of July is upon us (and the Detroit fireworks have, blessedly, come and gone). Here is a guide to MOAR mortar in metro Detroit. [Daily Tribune]

Etc.
Should tipping be outlawed? As a Detroit resident, I'm not entirely convinced of the "no tips means servers won't do their jobs" counter-argument (first in the comments). Because. Um. Have you been to a lot of Detroit bars and restaurants? I rest my case. [Esquire]

I don't know what I'm more surprised about: the lengthy defense of the website people most love to hate (Yelp), or the fact that Buzzfeed ran something that wasn't a list with animated GIFs. [Buzzfeed]

Beerie
~Another day in Detroit, another pop-up biergarten. [AIA Detroit]

~I very much look forward to spending at least part of the fall in the U.P. again this year. And now someone even made a handy guidebook for me! All of the breweries + The Fitz = DONE. (Though, sadly, Upper Hand Brewery won't open until 2014. Darn it all, guess I'll have to go back again next year.) [UP Second Wave]

~Traverse City Ale Trail? Why, don't mind if I do! (Though I'd also like to see beer bars like 7 Monks Taproom and Brew Traverse City on there, as they also significantly help promote the local beer culture.) And check out the list of "soon-to-be-opened establishments:" TC will be nearly doubling its number of breweries with these! Brewery Terra Firma, Beggars Brewery, The Workshop Brewing Company, Bravo Zulu Brewing and Rare Bird Brewery and Taproom. [The Ticker]

The Week We Ate (The EID Week in Review)

Welp. Cheesecake Bistro is closed already (for "renovations;" reopening "soon"). Which surprises no one. Allegedly it's under new ownership and management, so let's hope they also have sense enough to give it a new name. [EID FB]

Campus Martius Park and Beach got its own bar and grille (check out photos here) as well as its own food vendors Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. [Crain's / Thrillist / D:hive]

Is The Sugar House one of the best bars in the country? Playboy says so. [Playboy]

And on the hottest sunniest most swelteringest day, let there be bottled iced coffee from the bestest People of the Bean, Anthology Coffee. [Anthology FB]

It's Monday so again, COFFEE. Always Brewing Detroit in Grandmont Rosedale is now open! Here's some photos. The grand opening is scheduled for July 19. [Curbed]

In case you missed it:
~If you follow me on Instagram (@eatitdetroit) then you already got a teaser of this...the biggest new development happening on the Avenue of Fashion will be a huge cafe/restaurant in a century-old barn, a yoga studio, a high-end retail shop, and will also have a fantastic courtyard for drinks and events. It will open in phases over the next few years, starting with the courtyard this summer. [Model D]
~Coffee and (_______) is now open in a beautifully renovated space on Jefferson. This is their second pop-up; find out more about pastry chef Angela Foster's plans and why it's called (___). Also check out the Kung-Food dinner there this and every Friday through July 9. [Model D]

This event is Saturday! With ME! Have you bought your tickets yet? This is also kind of a second-anniversary party-thing too, because I haven't had time to put together a real one. So it's this. Official Detroit Food Experience + EID 2-Year Anniversary! Join me! [Det Bus Co]

So, who makes Michigan's best burger? The results from MLive.com are in...and will probably surprise you. [MLive]

And since we have burgers on the brain, Crain's Detroit Business's Nathan Skid talks to Iron Chef Michael Symon about his plans to open B Spot Burgers in the D. [Crain's]

Woodward Whiskey, the latest from Valentine Distilling Co., is now available! (And it's good, guys. Much like the Liberator Gin.) [Promote Michigan]

One thing I learned this week is that people get HEATED when it comes to discussions about allowing dogs in restaurants. [WILX]

Another thing I learned is that some people have no idea what the fuck I'm talking about when I refer to "session beers," but that doesn't stop them from commenting. Anyway, since session beers (DEFINED AS 4% ABV AND LOWER) are something the rest of the world has been doing well for centuries now (farmhouse ales and saisons and pilsners and kolsches and ESBs and traditional stouts and some wheat beers and so on, and not just "watered down" Budweiser, which is the American version and apparently the only other available option aside of XTREME beers), it's time for American brewers and beer bars alike to get the fuck with it already. If I can drink more in one sitting, I will spend more and stay longer. Good for you (beer bar owner and/or brewer) and good for me and good for the economy and good for America. [Red Eye]

Here's a great story on DROUGHT and the CEO, Crain's Detroit Business Twenty in Their 20s Cait James, in Metromode. [Metromode]

Restaurants are the new food trucks. [Metromode]

Meet the boys of Bailout Productions. [Model D]

Detroit's most popular patio is at Green Dot Stables, and it hasn't even opened yet. [GDS/EID FB]

Chef Luciano del Signore of Pizzeria Biga was featured in Pizza Today. [Pizza Today]

This wine country is only an hour away, very inexpensive and not yet run over with tourists. Sure, it's not Traverse City, but: all of the above. The wines are also very interesting and worth exploring (definitely not doing the same thing as the SE MI trail and certainly not the same as northern MI). [Windsor Star]

Fair Food Network is extending its Double Up Food Bucks program from farmers markets into three full-service grocery stores: Honey Bee Market, Metro Foodland, and Mike's Fresh Market. [Fair Food Network]

So you hear a lot about urban farming in Detroit. But what about the soil itself? [Model D]

Detroit Chocolat opened their first storefront on Lakeside Circle, a local chocolatier that uses and sells products from other Michigan makers like Kelly's Karamels and Germack Pistachio Co. This fourth-generation chocolatier spent a decade working for Morley. In the store you will also find products from The Popped Kernel, Cherry Republic, Better Made Snack Foods and Faygo Beverages Inc. [Macomb Daily]

Necessity is the mother of invention. This family turned unemployment into Aunt Nee's Taste of Mexico Salsa. [Metromode]

You guys, social media! This time Just Baked in Entrepreneur Magazine. [Entrepreneur]

The proposition of a new Red Wings arena (that has been reported and speculated on for forever now) has been approved by others based on its merits as a proposition and the fact that Mike Illitch has already gobbled up all the property. This $650 million sportstainment megaplex still needs county approval. You know, the same county that approved a massive jail at the entryway of downtown. [Detroit News]

Bring me more whiskey and rye! [BuzzFeed]

Ever wondered about the legality of carrying cheese on a plane? This is for you. [Wisconsin Food]