[Model D] Restaurateur Tony Vulaj to open Midtown Zeff's and Tony V's Tavern in Midtown

Anton Vulaj, who goes by the nickname "Tony V," has two new restaurants opening in the coming months in Midtown.

Vulaj is no stranger to the Midtown restaurant market: he's been in the game for 14 years now as the owner of the Olympic Grill on Warren and Campus Diner on Cass, both just steps away from the Wayne State University campus. "I like the neighborhood," he says. "Clientele-wise I know I won't have a better clientele than I do with Wayne State University."

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[Real Detroit Weekly] Anchor Bar

Photo by Nicole Rupersburg.

Lately Detroit has become known for the sort of see-and-be-seen bar scenes that appeal to the would-be Brooklynite trendophiles. And we love them! We love these craft beer bars and craft cocktail bars and anything else with the word "craft" in it. But sometimes you want to go ... well, where everybody knows your name, and also where you don't feel like you need to have a distiller-level knowledge of bourbon just to fit in.

Anchor Bar is that place. A family-owned business for over 50 years (with 20 years in the same location in downtown Detroit), Anchor Bar is that neighborhood place you always go back to no matter how many times you might stray. Sure, we all get tempted by those flashy new joints with their witty drink names and their architecturally-interesting repurposed furniture built from salvaged industrial materials. But sometimes we just want to go somewhere homey.

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[HOT LIST] Chicken soup

Photo from the Internet.

This post authored by EID Co-Conspirator Stefanie Cobb. 

The holidays are dead and gone, flu season has come into full swing, and it’s really fucking cold outside. February’s wrath bids the temptation to stock up on NyQuil, call into work, and hibernate until the trees start budding again. In an effort to avoid the downward spiral of self-loathing and misery that Michigan winters so graciously provoke, let’s consider chicken soup. This brothy delight is an ultimate “feel better” food and reliever of wintertime’s bitterness. Many swear by its slightly-less-than-scientific ability to remedy cold and flu symptoms, but if anything, at least it’s something to occupy your chops and quit whining.

Now, you could follow Deadpin’s advice and try to make your own. Yeah. Nothing like a little chicken and snot soup to make you feel better, you wretched disgusting mess of mortality. What are you going to do, cook it on your forehead? Better to leave this one to the professionals and their magic chicken anti-viral juju soup.

As a relatively standard menu item, most restaurants tend to serve up a lot of half-assed, soggy-noodle, Campbell’s imitation cup of bullshit. Fortunately, there are places in and around the city that know chicken soup and know it well. Pay these places a little visit if you’re feeling defeated by the flu or the unwelcome cold weather blahs (or, you know, if you just like soup). They know how to make you feel REAL good.

This is where magic happens. Photo from the Internet.

#1 Los Galanes (3362 Bagley Ave, Detroit)
Those who theorize about the healing powers of chicken soup must be referring to the one served at Los Galanes. That is a magical, magical soup. The carrots, zucchini, cabbage, and redskin potatoes are insanely tender and appropriately proportioned with the broth. Oh sweet Jesus, that broth. It’s not too bland. It’s not too salty. It’s just delicious. They top the bowl off by adding chicken that’s so ridiculously juicy, it’s almost effortless to fork off the bone. Every ingredient plays an essential role in fulfilling the unity of such a glorious soup. Although no one can confirm the truth behind its alleged curing ability, I’m almost certain I spotted mini angels swimming in my bowl.

#2 Green Dot Stables (2200 W Lafayette Blvd., Detroit)
We love Green Dot, Detroit loves Green Dot, EVERYONE LOVES GREEN DOT. That is unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past year. Putting all the obvious reasons for adoring this place aside, let’s talk about their Chicken Paprikash Soup. It’s really good and like everything else on their menu, its only $3. I may just be a sucker for anything with spaetzle, but any Hungarian twist on chicken soup is simply divine. Hey, if all else fails and you still find yourself seeking comfort from the cold, their drinks are still only $3 so you can get tanked to forget about how much winter blows. You could also get tanked AND eat Chicken Paprikash Soup.

Photo from Foodspotting.

#3 Pollo Chapin (2054 Junction St, Detroit)
It’s nearly impossible NOT to leave this poultry treasure box in a good mood because it is just so silly. Your dining experience will most likely be in the company of several tiny Mexican children drinking Jarritos (a Mexican version of Faygo only 9,000 times more sugary) and watching Dora the Explorer. Real life, y’all; this is not a stereotypical postulation. Their chicken noodle soup, costing something like a dollar fifty a bowl, is on point with its noodle to broth to vegetable ratio. There are few things in this world (well, at least in the world of dining out) that are more infuriating than ordering a bowl of chicken noodle soup and receiving a bowl of broth ONLY and, if you’re lucky, find a noodle and carrot floating around. Seriously, such a dick move on the behalf of whoever thinks it is acceptable to pull a stunt like that. Also, the chicken in their chicken noodle soup is, like, really chicken. It’s none of that creepy, spongy, cubed shit that sometimes makes you wonder if your body will actually be capable of digesting it. Pollo Chapin loves chicken. I love Pollo Chapin.

#4 Rosie O’Grady’s Irish Pub (279 W Nine Mile, Ferndale)
Their chicken and dumpling soup will make you question everything you thought was true about Rosie’s. It’s essentially chicken pot pie in soup form with some peppered dumplings thrown in. A hearty bowl could provide just the comfort you need to press on through a day of February blues. The catch is that this place can be a real nightmare, so it’s probably best to avoid going after 6pm on a weekend. Go on a weekday afternoon and you’ll have plenty of opportunity to enjoy a cup without having to worry about ending up wedged in between two inebriates dry humping to Ke$ha…unless you’re into that.

#5 Polish Village Café (2990 Yemans Ave, Hamtramck)
Seeing as Fat Tuesday is next week, it is only appropriate to mention Hamtown. With this one, I recommend not only ordering the chicken noodle soup, but also everything else on the menu. While my intentions are not to veer away from fact that this is a “Chicken Soup” Hot List, I simply cannot imagine going to Polish Village Café and ONLY ordering soup, especially since it comes free with an entrée anyway. In any event, this is another place around the city that owns in properly proportioning chicken noodle ingredients (not too many noodles, not too much chicken, not too much broth, etc.). If you’ve been struck with the flu bug, order a quart, go home, and eat it all in one sitting. That shit works. For real.

Bubbling under Polonia (2934 Yemans Ave, Hamtramck), Blue Star Cafe (239 W Congress St, Detroit), Christine’s Cuisine (729 E Nine Mile, Ferndale), La Feast (315 S Main St, Royal Oak)

[EID Feature] Gimme, Gimme, Gimme the Honky Tonk Tacos: Imperial

Photo by Nicole Rupersburg. All other photos from Imperial.

From the very beginning, owner Jeff King has insisted that Imperial is “a community bar with a taco truck on the back, not a Mexican restaurant.” He has insisted that people don’t think of it as a restaurant, but as a bar … with a taco truck on the back (“truck” being, you know, a kitchen).

People pretty instinctively started to refer to this place as “that new Mexican restaurant in Ferndale.” I mean, it’s in a building that was totally worked over from the previous tenant (the Post Bar, if you care). Despite King’s comments, the presence of a full kitchen and absence of an actual truck made people think more “restaurant,” less what he said. It’s definitely a bar, but they serve food, so therefore restaurant.

Except that … no, it’s a bar. With, well … a taco truck on the back (if only in spirit rather than semantics).

Salt & pepper grilled pork belly w/apple, jicama & jalapeño slaw, cilantro & onion

Imperial has been open four weeks now and has been packed since the day they rolled back those Woodward-facing garage doors and welcomed in the public. And people love it.

I noted before that the place is California dreamin’ in the midst of Detroit realties, and that’s really the best way to describe this place. Or perhaps another friend’s description is a little more on-point: “…it’s well-designed, plays drunken alt country, [has] tons of good booze and the bartenders are all tatted-up badasses.” Pretty much.

The space is sparse but slick: tons of natural light and warm breezes come pouring through the garage doors; the booths, tables and floors are all light wood with breezy appeal; the centerpiece of the solid wood back-lit bar is a painting of Johnny Cash flashing his middle finger. It is, and stay with me here, Memphis rockabilly meets hipster L.A. in the way that a lot of people say something is “so L.A.” except that it actually is so L.A. There are community tables, plenty of bar stools and a patio out back. It feels like motorcycles and cigarettes, skinny jeans and cowboy hats, bourbon and blues, hipster and honky tonk, designer and dive.

There are no PBR light-up signs, no Corona mirrors or Miller Lite banners. King says, “I love all of that about a bar but what we’re trying to do is not the status quo. When you think of a ‘neighborhood bar’ you think of that place your grandpa went to … [I want it to feel like that] but not look it. I want it to feel like it’s been here 75 years with a little honky tonk vibe.”

And it works. It works in a way we never knew how much we needed it or wanted it but now that it’s here we’re so happy we have it.

It is correct that they have no taps and no bar guns. It is also correct that they have an extensive selection of tequilas and bourbons, and they also have a few key labels to cater to the craft beer crowd (who’s really gonna say no to AXL Pale Ale?). It is additionally correct that while they do not cater to the craft cocktail crowd, they still mix a mean drink (try the Mezcal Buck) and use all fresh house-made ingredients.

They serve what King calls “L.A.-style street vendor tacos.” No hard shells, no hamburger, no sour cream, no shredded cheese. They make everything from scratch in-house right down to the salsas. “Consistency and quality is a focus,” says King. “It’s all very affordable, [made by a chef] and all fresh, all authentic L.A.-style.”

Chef Brennan Calnin went to culinary school at Kendall College in Chicago then worked in Chicago (under Takashi Yagihashi) then in Milwaukee under a three-time James Beard-nominated chef, then as a private chef on a ranch for a Wall Street president, then under Eric Patterson at the Cook’s House in Traverse City … as King jokes, “This ain’t no line cook.” Through his relationships at the Cook’s House Calnin was connected with one of the other partners at Imperial. “It was a no-brainer to jump on board,” he says.

Carne Asada - marinated steak, red pepper salsa

“I really like the idea of a limited menu because I feel like you’re not spreading yourself thin trying to do a bunch of things,” Calnin explains. “You have the idea you’re trying to get across and [you can] do it very well. It ends up promoting consistency.”

Calnin and King are both very passionate about providing high-quality from-scratch foods made with fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. “Tacos are such an ingredient-driven food and Michigan has so many things to use locally,” says Calnin. “It’s really important [to us] to forge relationships with local farmers … it’s so important for so many reasons,” including the economy and ecology. “We have all these great things – tomatoes and peppers and sweet corn and chicken and eggs and beef and lamb and goat – right here in our backyard.”

Elote Especial - Grilled sweet corn, poblano lime cream, cotija cheese and chilies

King notes, “We’re not interested in someone’s pre-conceived notion of what they like in a taco. We’re trying to present something that is unique to the area. We didn’t reinvent the wheel and want people to experience what the authentic style is.” He explains that they don’t want to muddle down the flavors of the main ingredients. “It’s very fresh and very clean, not diluted with other items. We’re not going to add or subtract things people might not be used to or might not care for [or muddle the flavors down] with a bunch of other stuff. [This is food that] goes great with a beer, and also goes great at 2 a.m. while you’re waiting for a cab and need some food real quick to throw down your throat.”

Eventually they want to have their own mobile truck prowling the streets so the whole “taco truck” joke will become a reality. “We really like the idea of mobile vendors and street vendors,” King comments.

For right now they’re just focused on running the bar in the midst of all the huge opening buzz and the tremendously positive reception they’ve received so far. They’re open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. (the kitchen closes a bit earlier but plans are to have it eventually be open as long as the bar).

 

[Curbed Detroit] Hot Taco Opens

Hot Taco. Go ahead.

[pause]

Done snickering? Okay. So Hot Taco opened yesterday. Owner Sean Harrington, who also owns the Town Pump Tavern and Centaur and pretty much that whole block of Park Ave. behind the Fox Theatre, envisioned this to be a gringo Baja California-style taco shack. "Shack" probably isn't the right word -- it definitely has that slick ground-floor-of-an-ultra-sleek-urban-loft-building feel to it what with the brushed metal countertops, a white ceramic tile backsplash, red walls, floor-to-ceiling plate glass windows and exposed ductwork (or maybe that's the ghost of Hugh demanding a certain design aesthetic from when this space was home to the first-ever Hatch Detroit winner and Detroit's first pop-up retail store) -- but the food is definitely what you could imagine being served by a deeply-tanned dude with long blond hair who uses the word "dude" un-ironically. You could even imagine yourself eating them outside in the hot sun while breathing in the salty sea air ... if, you know, it weren't 20 degrees outside and imagining that sort of scenario weren't a form of self-flagellation.

Choose from rotisserie chicken, pulled pork, chorizo, marinated steak, shrimp or vegetarian, on corn or flour shells, 3 for $6 (steak and shrimp are extra), and wash it all down with a bottle of Jarritos (with a cup of ice, for you gringos who can't drink warm soda). For abusers of the word "authentic" who will be quick to point out that Taqueria Lupita's is better ... congratulations, you are very well-educated in the ways of Mexican culture, but for our part we like the total lack of pretenses here and that at least it isn't trying to present itself as "authentic accessible upscale Mexican" at $12 per plate.

Right now it's cash only (give it about a week) and they're serving about 80% of their menu. Be patient as they find their footing and open in "phases" (a future phase might even include beer!). Hot Taco is open daily from 11 a.m. until 2 a.m. or later. Detroiters are already rejoicing over the addition of another lunch and late-night food option in the CBD (of which there are surprisingly few). Maybe this will help the case for Downtown next year in the Curbed Cup? Only 363 more days to go...


For more of the Coxian Curbed design perspective, check out this post on Curbed Detroit.

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

[HOT LIST] Sliders

All photos by Nicole Rupersburg.

"With everything?" Yes, EVERYTHING.

Everything = ketchup, mustard, pickles and onions, wrapped in paper where they further soak in their own grease letting all the flavors marinate together (the true test of a good slider is how greasy the paper bag gets on your drive home). This is universal language for "everything" when at your local slider shack.  In metro Detroit, our little white huts of bite-sized burger worship have been around longer than most of us have been alive ... and the prices are practically the same as they were decades ago. Our slider shacks have a long history here, and the locals are fiercely protective of their favorites. Part of their appeal is their nostalgic sentimental value; the other part is their food: fast, cheap and greasy. Like relics of a former era - which most of them are (some dating back to WWII) - these slider shacks have silently shaped our food scene for decades, standing tall even as trendier and more commercial places have tried to de-throne them. Say what you will about your coneys; metro Detroit just wouldn't be the same without its sliders.

#1 Telway Hamburgers (Detroit)
Telway fans all swear they're the best, and that Motz, Bates and Greene's just don't compare. Located on Michigan Ave. in Southwest Detroit, Telway is probably the best-known of all the local burger emporiums. Part slider joint, part donut shop, they're open 24 hours and can cater to any and all of your grease, salt, fat and sugar cravings. They promise the "Best coffee in town," and at 45 cents it's pretty hard to beat. (We love $4 French press as much as anyone, but sometimes a no-fuss 10-second 45-cent cup of good 'ol American joe hits the spot.) Their burgers are a bit smaller, but at 85 cents at pop for a cheeseburger there's no reason to complain. Plus, this place is EXTRA adorable inside, even more old-timey and cute than all the other cute old-timey places. Cash only. Also in Madison Heights.

#2 Sonny's Hamburgers (Detroit)
Sonny's fans all swear they're the best, and that Telway, Motz and Bates just don't compare. Depending on your perspective, Sonny's has either the distinct advantage or disadvantage of being probably the least-known slider joint in town. Located in NW Detroit's Brightmoor neighborhood, it suffers from the seclusion of not being in one of Detroit's, errrr, trendier parts. But locals know: their burgers are the best. The BEST. Meatier, greasier, just plain gooder. The neighborhood might not be the most enticing but inside Sonny's is plenty welcoming (and no, there's no bullet-proof glass, just the same old giant stainless steel counter you'll find everywhere else). Their cheeseburgers are a little "pricier" at $1.50 each, but you're getting what you pay for. Plus you can order small or large burgers AND they accept credit.

#3 Motz Hamburgers (Detroit)
Motz fans all swear they're the best, and that Bates, Telway and Greene's just don't compare. Ahhhh, DELRAY, another neighborhood in Detroit you have to be a bit adventurous to visit (though being on the edge of SW it's a little less out of the way). Named one of the best burgers in the country by USA Today, Motz is known for thick, meaty "sliders" as big as regular fast food joint burgers, killer fries (with malt vinegar on every table), and a fairly diverse menu of other cheap 'n greasy victuals including other varieties of burgers. Like the geographically-appropriate Mexican Burger. And, Veggie. Which would presumably be cooked on the same beef-grease-coated grill. Which defeats the whole purpose. Kind of like ordering a veggie burger in a slider joint in the first place. Cash only.

#4 Travis Hamburgers (Saint Clair Shores)
Travis fans all swear they're the best, and that Motz, Greene's and Telway just don't compare. Open 24 hours and serving a bevvy of gut-bomb breakfast food in addition to glorious burgers, Travis is an eastside thing, you wouldn't understand. More of a full-fledged diner than a simple slider joint, this place is predictably packed after-hours and is also known for a stellar old jukebox that kicks out the likes of Patsy Cline. You want ambiance? This place has an old-school punk appeal that only comes with decades of serving drunkards warbling along to Johnny Cash. Cash only.

#5 Bates Hamburgers (Livonia)
Bates fans all swear they're the best, and that Greene's, Telway and Motz just don't compare. It's tiny, it's white, it's got the stainless steel counter and the old-fashioned sign menus with the push-in mismatched letters. Bates is known for having a slightly bigger burger, and no trip to Bates would be complete without indulging in their thick chocolate shakes or crispy crinkle-cut fries (add chili for extra oomph). They're also known for having solid coneys, and to mix up your slider experience a bit, get your burgers on a sesame seed bun. Open Monday through Sunday, 7am to 11pm. Cash only.

Bubbling under Greene's Hamburgers (Farmington), Old Fashioned Hamburger (Detroit), Bray's Hamburgers (Westland), Carter's Hamburgers (Lincoln Park), Comet Burger (Royal Oak), Joe's Hamburgers (Wyandotte), Hunter House (Birmingham)