The Week We Ate (The EID Week in Review)

ICYMI:
~This is a beautiful story about a boy and his bagels. Detroit Institute of Bagels opened on Thursday, and it's been a long time coming. Two and a half years after our first conversation I sat down with owner and chief bagel maker Ben Newman again to take a look at how far he has come. [EID]
~This is the penultimate profile leading up to the sold out Young Guns dinner at The Root Restaurant and Bar on December 8: Nick Janutol, Chef de Cuisine of Forest Grill and recent replacement transplant (as in, moved back after moving away) to the Detroit area. [EID]
~EVENTS! (PS, are you ready for Repeal Day?) [EID]

It's not too late for an "alternative" Thanksgiving. [Freep]

Guns + Butter with Shinola in Singapore? Yep - Detroit done gone international. [G+B FB]

This was the first year since I started with Real Detroit Weekly many moons ago that I didn't take part in the annual Six Drink Slam (I was traveling). But my RDW colleague/protege Gary Bartle did such a fine job with his Valentine Distilling Co. SDS that you simply must read it. "I imagined flirting with Christina Hendricks and chain-smoking like I'd never heard of cancer." Indeed. [RDW]

The Stand is now open for lunch, and here is the menu. [The Stand FB]

Hamtown Farms lives! [Hamtramck Review]

Food + Wine names Dangerously Delicious Pies Baked in Detroit one of America's best pumpkin pies. (Okay, *technically* it was the D.C. outpost where Rodney Henry of Next Food Network Star fame is located. But we have a branch of that same company here in Detroit, and you can find them at Third Street Bar. [F+W]

Moo Cluck Moo will open a second location in Canton. [Detroit News]

Sweet Potato Sensations is one business helping revive Detroit with help from Goldman Sachs. You can read more about Goldman Sachs here. *crickets* [MSNBC / Rolling Stone]

Small Business Saturday might be over, but this video of Ryan Hooper, Creative Director of Pure Detroit, being interviewed (and flirted with!) by Fox News is timeless. [Fox]

Okay, so here's a bunch of Thanksgiving-related things for posterity and/or reference next year:
-Plum Market Master Sommelier Madeline Triffon's wine pairing suggestions [WDET]
-DRAFT Magazine's beer pairing suggestions [DRAFT]
-CraftBeer.com did their own version, naming Jolly Pumpkin's La Roja as one of their top picks [CraftBeer.com]
-SAVEUR Magazine on why pumpkin pie is the superior of the American pies [SAVEUR]
-Hope you didn't miss out on Thanksgivukkah celebrations, since it won't come around for another 70,000 years [BuzzFeed]
-What does your favorite pie say about you? According to the highly scientific calculations of BuzzFeed, this [BuzzFeed]

Beerie
~Winter Beer Fest tickets have already came and went; this time it sold out in three hours. You people really like standing outside in sub zero temperatures drinking beer. [MLive]

The Week We Ate (The EID Week in Review)

ICYMI:
~It's National Pizza Month poll time! What is the best pizza in metro Detroit? A national publication asked me, and so I asked you. ***I DID NOT MAKE THIS POLL*** and yes I know Buddy's is missing and that they totally missed the mark with the Supino selection (though that didn't stop you from voting for them by a landslide} and I think we all had a swell time making fun of these stupid selections, so thanks for playing! [EID]
            *While in Auburn Hills last week, I stopped by Jo Angela's Pizza + Deli, one of the mystery pizzerias on the befuddling national poll (above). Solid round pepperoni pizza and cheese bread, a nice dining room with free Wi-Fi, overall a good experience. Best in greater metro Detroit? No. But a strong show for NoOaCo. [EID FB]

~The Detroit Bus Company has purchased a new 90,000-square-foot building in Hamtramck called Eight + Sand which will serve as an entertainment complex and business incubator with anchor tenant Fowling Warehouse, an event space for Pot + Box, and a 7-bay all-season food truck park with a commissary kitchen (coming in 2014). [Model D]

~Dine Drink Detroit started last week with 13 restaurants offering a variety food + drink pairings for only $15 including favorite local spots like The Sugar House, Mudgie's, Green Dot Stables, Woodbridge Pub, Traffic Jam + Snug and more, while also benefitting the Detroit Riverfront. [Model D]

~The numbers are in for the fall 2013 edition of Detroit Restaurant Week, sponsored by Shinola. Newcomers Guns + Butter and The Jefferson House killed it, as did the old favorites. [EID]

~I've written about Valentine Distilling Co. now (at best count) about a dozen times. The stories have ranged from short blurbs about the bar itself to longer interviews with owner Rifino. This most recent one for Real Detroit Weekly falls into the latter category, and if you'll excuse the quasi-Marxist intro (I was reading Matt Taibbi's latest for Rolling Stone at the time), the full-on "American manufacturing" angle is a fresh approach. [RDW]

~Who are Michigan's most dangerous chefs? Find out on December 8 as The Root Restaurant + Bar hosts their first-ever Young Guns Dinner featuring 6 of Michigan's up-and-coming chefs! Each Young Gun is overseeing one of six courses. Menus will NOT be posted in advance - if you have dietary restrictions, you're going to have to sit this one out. These guys are coming out with guns blazin'!
James Rigato | Andy Hollyday | Nick Janutol | Nikita Santches | Brennan Calnin | Michael Berrera [EID]

~CIDER MILLS! [EID]

~EVENTS! [EID]

Hey, you know how it's all, gee, I wish there were somewhere in Detroit (or in a city located completely within Detroit) that served ramen all the time? Well now there is! Check out Rock City Eatery in Hamtramck for late night ramen made with two-day broth, brisket, pork belly, scallions, roasted broccoli, Japanese noodles. Available Monday -Thursday 10pm to midnight. Friday and Saturday 11pm-1. No veg option for now; it's made out of bones. [EID / RCE FB]

Oh look, ANOTHER story about Two James Spirits, and this one is in Food + Wine! [F+W]

Dan Carmody of Eastern Market Corporation was honored with a Shining Light award for helping make the market possibly “the most inclusive, resilient and robust regional food hub in the U.S.” Congratulations, Dan, and thank you for everything you do! [Freep]

Another Michigander is appearing on a Food Network show! This time it's College for Creative Studies student Gabriel Vinas on a show called Halloween Wars, which premiered last week. [CCS]

Detroit Vegan Soul (D.V.S) opened last month with a line out the door. Here owners Kirsten Ussery Boyd and Erika Boyd share more about their concept and why they thought a vegan soul food cafe is just what Detroit needs in Urban Innovation Exchange. [UIX]

Have you been to the new Firebird Tavern in Greektown yet? The owners spent months renovating the 1880s building and it's beautiful inside. Also, good from-scratch bar food and good craft beer. [Detroit News]

Tallulah Wine Bar and Bistro has been sold; previous owner Mindy Lopus is focusing on her Grosse Pointe restaurant Red Crown. [Freep]

It will be the end of an era if/when Harpos Concert Theatre closes (though I can't remember a time in my life when going there was ever considered "safe"). [Motor City Muckraker]

DONUTS! [Thrillist]

CIDER! [RDW]

I can't even keep up with all of the international press Detroit SOUP gets anymore, but here's another one. [DW.DE]

Freakin' Unbelievable Burgers isn't the only Flint-area-based burger joint staking its claim in SE Michigan: Halo Burger is franchising all over the place, with plans to open up to 25 restaurants in SE MI by the end of 2014 and expanding into other states from there. [Crain's]

What are some other "fast food" places (aside from Moo Cluck Moo and their much-publicized $15/hour wages) that treat their employees well? Zingerman's Delicatessen gets named in Bon Appétit Magazine's list with shout-outs from Z's to Corridor Sausage Co., Brownwood Farms and The Brinery.   [Bon Appetit]

Such a bummer. Gilbert's Lodge is an east side institution that was gutted by a kitchen fire last week. [Detroit News]

We be jammin'. [Detroit News]

Great story on Theatre Bizarre from Metro Times Detroit. Seriously, this event is SO worth your time and money if you're into Halloween at ALL. [Metro Times]

Chef Michael Symon's cooking advice is less is more. [Freep]

Beerie
~Detroit Beer Week starts next Thursday! Participating venues include Foran's Grand Trunk Pub, Green Dot Stables, The Jefferson House, Mudgie's, Rock City Pies, St. Cece's Pub, The Sugar House, Traffic Jam + Snug, and Woodbridge Pub. Some really cool events coming up, check out the growing list here. [DBW FB]

~Congratulations to all Michigan Great American Beer Festival winners! New Holland Brewing Co. took home medals for Pilgrim's Dole (gold) and Dragon's Milk (silver), while Bell's Brewery, Inc. (Official) scored a bronze for Sparkleberry and Detroit Brewing Company a bronze for XX Dwarf. Enjoy these award-winning beers during Detroit Beer Week starting this Thursday! [GABF Official]

~Atwater Brewery is getting ever-so-close to opening their Grosse Pointe brew pub and beer garden Atwater in the Park next spring, and are now hiring for this location. [Metromode]

~Ashley's Ann Arbor is still the beeriest bar in SE MI, according to the beeries of CraftBeer.com. [CraftBeer.com]

~The Detroit Free Press Film Festival will be held in March, but the launch party will happen on Nov. 7 at The Fillmore Detroit with a screening of The Michigan Beer Film. [Freep]

[Real Detroit] Valentine's Distilling Day

Photo by Nicole Rupersburg.

When you think of "American manufacturing," you probably think of massive warehouses filled with heavy-duty machinery and guys in protective jumpsuits and plastic face shields working on an automotive production line, or tool and die makers, semiconductor and steel manufacturers...all very American middle class; not exactly the sexiest of jobs but the backbone of the American economy.

But bones can break. We saw that just a few years ago in 2008 when the housing market came crashing down and the economy with it, when Wall Street and the Big Three were getting billions of dollars in bailouts and home foreclosures reached record highs as American homeowners, saddled with mortgage debts more than double their continuously-plummeting home values, simply chose to just walk away.

Read more.

[Metromode] Distilling the Greatness of Michigan-Made Spirits

Photo by Nicole Rupersburg.

Thanks to the growth in the craft beer industry and craft cocktail culture, the craft distilling industry has been growing exponentially in recent years, from barely two dozen microdistillers across the country in 2000 to over 250 in 2012, with dozens more currently seeking federal licensing. Michigan alone has over 30 licensed craft distillers with more in the works, including several in metro Detroit. There is also a Michigan Distillers Guild in the early planning stages, mirroring itself after the Michigan Brewers Guild to be an advocacy group for Michigan's microdistillers.

Read more.

The Week We Ate (The EID Week in Review)

ICYMI:
~Rock City Eatery is now open! They will have a limited menu and hours during their soft opening period, so be patient. Once they're firing at 100% the menu will include items like duck rilette sandwiches, charcoal-grilled beef tongue skewers, pork "fries" with togarashi, and bone marrow fritters, with plenty of vegetarian options like roasted brussels sprouts with Thai basil and smoked tomatoes, and grilled heirloom carrots with fast-pickled apples and goat cheese. [EID]
~Dine Drink Detroit, Ferndale Restaurant Week, Hamtramck Food Week, Revolve Detroit's Art + Retail on the Ave in conjunction with Detroit Design Festival's Light Up Livernois, expanded Detroit Restaurant Week and bunches of new restaurants opening: yeah, this fall kicks all other falls' asses. [EID]
~The Two James Spirits tasting room is now open with limited hours, but you can find their 28 Island Vodka in stores and on the shelves of local favorites like SLOWS BAR BQ, The Sugar House, and Michael Symon's Roast - Detroit. You can also buy bottles directly from the tasting room. [Model D]
~Interested in the growing craft spirits movement happening in metro Detroit? Here I talk in-depth with folks from Valentine Distilling Co., Griffin Claw Brewing Company (GCBC), Two James Spirits and Detroit City Distillery about craft spirits as part of the local foods movement and how recent changes in the laws governing microdistillers have allowed them to flourish. [Metromode]
~Better mark Eastern Market After Dark on your calendar for next year. [EID]

Get your taste of Hamtown with the new Hamtramck Food Week starting today: 10 restaurants with dinners priced at $10 or less and a host of other coordinating events. [Model D]

The new ballroom at COBO Center is now open and it's spectacular. Want to see it for yourself? Sign up for the Crain's Detroit Business House Party this Thursday, which includes an afterparty inside the new ballroom (with strolling dinner and open bar). Registration closes today. [The Detroit Hub / Crain's]

Public House is also now open for all your rock and bao roll needs north of 8 Mile. [Real Detroit]

Ben Hall and Jason Murphy, owners of Russell Street Deli, are opening a new restaurant on the outskirts of Corktown this spring called Lafayette Kitchen and Diner. [Crain's]

Excellent article about a book about supper clubs - The Supper Club Book - and about Detroit's own historic supper club, Cliff Bell's. Join them for Detroit Restaurant Week going on now through September 29. [Detroit News]

Celebrate the Garden Bowl and Lounge's centennial Dude-style on September 28. [Detroit News]

Here is an example of the powers of media being used for good: Bedrock (parent company of Quicken) has dropped the eviction notice against Angelina Italian Bistro after word spread through the media and Bedrock received a good public social media shaming. [Freep]

Yates Cider Mill is 150 years old this year and it's officially CIDER SEASON! [Yates Official]

Crain's Detroit Business takes a look at how area cider mills are diversifying after 2012's apple crop devastation, including a new cider house and winery at Blake's Cider Mill, expanded offerings at Paint Creek Cider Mill, and a brewery, winery, and distillery in the works at Miller's Big Red. [Crain's]

It is now officially fall. And that means pumpkin EVERYTHING - including Pumpkin Pie a la Mode ice cream from Guernsey Farms Dairy. [Guernsey Official]

Here's why the annual Tour de Troit is more than just a bike ride. If you missed it this year, better mark that one on your calendar for next year too. [Model D]

Beerie
~This video from Founder's should give you an attack of the eye-watering "allergies."

~Speaking of Founders Brewing Co., Thrillist named the best breweries in each state and Founders was named the best in Michigan. [Thrillist]

~On their search for Michigan's best brewery, MLive paid a visit to Warren's newest brewery Falling Down Beer Co. Here's more about it. [MLive]

~Who makes one of the best pumpkin beers in the country according to Complex Magazine? Jolly Pumpkin Brewery, of course! (As is to be expected.) [Complex]

~Detroit Beer Company celebrated their 10-year anniversary this weekend. [DBC FB]

Misc.
~One woman's experience surviving Whole Foods. Namaste. "Next I see the gluten-free section filled with crackers and bread made from various wheat-substitutes such as cardboard and sawdust. I skip this isle because I'm not rich enough to have dietary restrictions." [HuffPo]

~I want to hang out with these kids. [Death + Taxes]

~Chipotle Mexican Grill wins. [Gawker]

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]