[Model D] June on Jefferson pops up this weekend at Jazzin' on Jefferson

Jazzin' on Jefferson started out as a very small community and placemaking event for the Jefferson-Chalmers neighborhood. Now in its 10th year, the festival has grown significantly and has become a signature annual event for the east riverfront community.

Last year Jazzin' on Jefferson hosted a couple of pop-up concepts as a test run to see how the retail stores might perform. The response was positive, so this year the Jefferson East Business Association (JEBA) and American Institute of Architects (AIA) Urban Priorities Committee have partnered up to work with local entrepreneurs and artists to create June on Jefferson, a month-long pop-up business series.

Read more.

[EID Preview] Whole Foods Detroit

All photos by Nicole Rupersburg.

Today is the day! It's the moment we've been talking about for two years now. The moment every local media outlet and even some of the national ones has been anxiously anticipating, hailing it as a bold move for the national organic grocer chain and a sure sign of Detroit's impending recovery. It has been cheekily referred to as "the most important grocery store in America," and has proven itself to be as divisive as it is significant, drawing in equal parts to the palpable excitement sneers from the "Whole Paycheck" contingency (as well as some crying over tax incentives and hand-wringing for independent grocers which it will obviously put out of business immediately when it opens its doors as 9 a.m. today because Detroit can only handle one grocery store). It has also (whether directly or not) ushered in a new era of national, and even local, grocer chains taking a chance on Detroit, an example of what proponents will argue is just the start of national retailers, long reluctant to even step foot in the city, now taking a second look -- the perception being, "Well, if Whole Foods can do it..."

This is not the first store Whole Foods has opened in a "high-risk" urban environment. In recent years the company has taken to opening stores in less affluent urban centers in the early stages of development. For the corporation, it's not about making money (in fact, and this should be happy news to you "Whole Paycheck" types, prices at this Whole Foods location will more accurately reflect the Detroit community ... meaning things will be cheaper here than in its West Bloomfield and Ann Arbor counterparts). As both a marketing tool for the company in an effort to rebrand its inaccessible image, as well as an active effort to help build struggling communities (which the company actually does care about), these urban Whole Foods are markedly different than their suburban sister stores, and have demonstrably acted as a sort of harbinger of development (ah yes, this is where the gentrification accusers will start in) -- which, it can certainly be argued, Detroit (and Midtown especially) was already getting there anyway, but the city still has a long way to go in terms of perception, and sometimes just the presence of a Whole Foods is enough. In this new Detroit store they have taken great pains to reflect the Detroit community as much as possible, from the most painstaking design details to the products they carry and the staff they hired.

"Say nice things about Detroit" mural by Detroit artists in the entryway.

I had the chance to stop by for another walk-through yesterday, less than 24 hours before they open. The store was all organized chaos as 100 employees and dozens of people from corporate put the finishing touches on what could, in fact, actually be one of the most important grocery stores in America. Haters gonna hate, but like it or not, this is more than just a grocery store. It is a symbol of something much bigger.

To celebrate their grand opening (and boy is it grand), Whole Foods has entertainment planned all day which includes African drumming, a DSO string quartet, and Ballet Folklorico. There are also at least a dozen tents with local vendors set up in the parking lot. Alas, many of you can't take off work to go stand in line at a grocery store. I've got you covered. Here is the last set of preview photos anyone has taken prior to the store's opening. Considering many "preview" photo galleries were sans products on the shelves, in this instance I'm happy to be LAST.

The produce section looks like an art gallery.

List of community partners, first section to the left upon walking inside. 

Throughout the store, they encourage shoppers to buy local. Except for bananas, which obviously are not local.

You have no idea the restraint I exhibited here. 

The beer selection does not suck, and there's a ton of local beers with signs designating how far away the brewery is.

They REALLY want you to know this.

These signs are made from repurposed street signs. Notice also the stamped tin ceiling, a common design element in Detroit's historic buildings.

Here is just a small sample of some of the local products they carry.

The tables in the cafe are made from recycled car hoods. The opening day sign in the background further shows their enthusiasm.

A view from above, in the community rooms upstairs. Yes there are community rooms. Please inquire for usage.

A view from behind. 

For more photos (couldn't fit them all in one post!), check out the Flickr set here.

[EID Feature] DeVries + Co.

All photos by Nicole Rupersburg.

Last fall we all had a sad when it was announced that R. Hirt in Eastern Market was closing.

Well, sort of closing.

In the same breath that the announcement was made about R. Hirt, which had been in the same location operating under the same name for 118 years, it was also announced that the space would be re-opening under a different name but still operated by the same family.

It closed, and they did some much-needed remodeling ... the history of the place is great and all, but anyone who tried to elbow their way in on a Saturday morning past the cashier booths at the front knows it wasn't exactly well-equipped to handle the weekend market masses. Once past the bottlenecking at the front, past the incandiferous cheese and meat counters, shoppers who wandered all the way to the back found themselves surrounded by ... tchotchke. The place was dated, because it is well over a century old, but it was also dated.

So why the name change if it was just staying within the same family? The ownership of the retail outlet, which had previously worked in tandem with the R. Hirt wholesale operations, transferred hands to a different member of the family. David DeVries, grandson of Rudolf Hirt, Jr. who opened the store in his name so many years ago, took over control of the retail operation while the wholesale operation continues to be operated by his nephew Tom. While the two previously worked together as spokes on the same wheel, they are now entirely separate entities - two whole different wheels. (And the respective DeVries males in charge are perfectly happy to be going their separate ways - read into that as you will.)

Under David's ownership, DeVries + Co. has been respectfully remodeled. It still maintains much of that century-old charm, but they tore out those traffic-blocking booths in the front, laid down a wooden floor that they glossed up with maple resin, and restructured it a bit to be more shopper-friendly.

They also ditched most of the tchotchke and beefed up their inventory (which they are still building) to include many more basic grocery items and stock pantry stuffers. Where before there was only a couple of small shelves dedicated to Michigan-made products, now there is an entire section. There's the items you would expect - McClure's Pickles, Simply Suzanne granola, Sanders fudge, Faygo. But then there is Sansonetti hot sauce, Jerky Outlet jerky, Detroit Spice Co. spices, Musky Blood BBQ sauce, Mackinaw Island Fudge, gallons of maple syrup, honey. (And of course, Calder Dairy milk in the fridge.)

And then there was cheese. At closing, R. Hirt had about 300 different domestic and imported cheeses in their beautiful, stinky cheese cave. DeVries currently has about 200 and will continue to build that cheese portfolio back up to all its former glory. They also currently have about 100 meats. Which, who cares, we're talking about cheese right now.

After several months of renovations - which will continue as they begin working on the third floor, which is currently closed but will, much like the new market, be "mostly the same but a little different" - DeVries is now fully open for business as of this week. Visit them Tuesday through Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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

[EID Feature] 8 Degrees Plato Beer Company: No More Funny Business

All photos by Nicole Rupersburg.

You might recognize 8 Degrees Plato Beer Company owner Tim Costello. He has been on the national stand-up comedy circuit for the past 25 years, touring the country as well as being a home-town staple on the scene. "Twenty-five years was a long run," Tim says. "Stand-up is a lot of travel. It’s a long time on the road and away from my wife and daughter." Basically, it's a young man's game, and Tim had reached the point in his life where being a road warrior rambling from gig to gig didn't quite hold the same appeal as it once did. Tim echoes what pretty much every other working comedian says who isn't Jim Carrey or Jerry Seinfeld: people get into it because it looks fun, seems easy, and there's the promise of fame and fortune. The reality is starkly different: crappy pay, crappy hours, a constant hustle for work, and the looming panic that comes from being only as good as your next joke.

"It's very therapeutic," he adds. "You can get anything off your chest from the stage. It was something I enjoyed doing--it was a big part of me, but it's a lot different now. It's just not for me."

His last show was at Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle in February. In October, he opened 8 Degrees Plato Beer Company in Ferndale. "Where else can you try something new but Ferndale?” Tim asks. (No argument here.) "We knew if this business concept would work anywhere it would be here in Ferndale. People were actually waiting for something like this here."

But from stand-up comedy to beer? "It's every guy’s dream to open a beer store," he says. "I've always have had an interest in beer ... when I traveled throughout the country I was always bringing home regional beers you couldn’t get here." He and his neighbors, the guys from the now-closed Tenny Street Roadhouse in Dearborn, would drink and rate the beers and tell stories--quality male bonding time, essentially. Then Tim began discovering Michigan craft beers as they really started to come into their own. "I just felt that at my age and with the Michigan beer market ... we're leading the way in so many areas of beer, we're making some really good stuff and getting away from the 'bigger is better' mentality. I thought [8 Degrees] was the perfect way to encompass those things. My concept was to deal with the little guys."

8 Degrees Plato is not just a beer store. Probably best described as a "specialty market," 8 Degrees specializes in local craft and imported beer and all the things that go best with it: cheese, charcuterie, even chocolate. You'll find an assortment of artisan cheeses and cured meats, as well as small candy makers like Cueter Candy in Grand Blanc and their own private label salsas and spreads. "All the products are very local and independent," Tim says. "You can’t do just one product and expect to do anything, you have to diversify a little bit. We're not a convenience store or party store but we do have enough products to keep people who aren’t necessarily beer drinkers happy."

There are pint glasses and T-shirts with the 8 Degrees logo, books about beer, bracelets made with beer bottle caps from a local jewelry maker, even beer-infused handmade soaps from local soapmaker Aromaholic (the Belgian White Ale and Vanilla Porter Spice scents are amahzing). "All the products are very beer-friendly, and we're always actively searching out [locally-made pre-packaged food products] because we would much rather carry more local." Basically this is THE place for beer people and their friends.

Even the name itself is an inside nod to beer nerds. "Degrees Plato" is a measurement in beer brewing (read more here if you can make sense of it). They decided on this name because they felt it had more structure than a family name, and while it would definitely appeal to brewers and industry professionals, "for the rest of the 99% of us it’s a really great conversation starter!"

8 Degrees Plato is a great place to pick up some gifts for the beer nerd who has everything: Tim's wife Brigid puts together gift "buckets" ("Because if I put them together it would look like a guy put them together"), customizable ice buckets filled with your choices of beer and beer accompaniments. They can do small, medium or large sizes; just give them a couple of days' notice or pick from one of the pre-made buckets in the store. A "standard" bucket includes three bottles and a logo glass for around $20 (depending on the beer). One custom idea might be to do a Michigan vs. The World comparison bucket: stout for stout, sour for sour, how do Michigan's beers stack up again Belgium, France and the U.K.?

And while 8 Degrees Plato Beer Company certainly has a lot of beer-friendly foodstuffs and merchandise, their focus is first and foremost BEER. It's a small store but the inventory is growing rapidly, and if there's something special you want Tim will hunt it down for you. And like any good beer store worth its weight in malt barley, they offer the u-mix-six option: grab an empty sixer and choose six singles for your maximum sampling pleasure, plus get 15% off the mix. It's really the best way to sample new brews (because we've all been stuck with that six-pack of funky beer we decided to experiment with and paid $12 for and could barely choke down the first one). They've also got quite a nice spread of 375ml import bottles; their current selection of Christmas ales warms the cockles of my heart. (Or maybe that's the alcohol.)

They've barely been open two full months, but 8 Degrees Plato has already made a name for itself among the craft beer-drinking populace of metro Detroit. Now the rest of you need to discover it too. Tim says running the store is actually a lot like performing stand-up: “It’s still a matter of trying to get people to come see me and give me money, now I'm just always in the same place!”

Want to see more? View the Flickr set here.

[EID Feature] Whole Foods is Really Not That Expensive, We Promise

We're still reeling from the negative response the official Whole Foods to open in Detroit's Midtown announcement received from a very specific contingency of "Detroit is perfect the way it is" cheerleaders. Enough so that we're making it this week's theme.

Anti-Whole Foods "arguments" seem to fall into one of three major categories:

Number One. "We already have University Foods and Honey Bee and that's enough." To that contingency, wherever you got your business and/or urban planning degree from should no longer be allowed to teach. But we already addressed that, so let's move on.

Number Two. "They're using MY tax dollars to..." We've found that whenever a person starts a sentence with "They're using MY tax dollars to..." what-the-hell ever, that the rest of that sentence is going to be nothing more than a steaming stream of ignorance with a complete absence of understanding of how federal and municipal tax spending works. We call them "armchair politicians" and we just tune them out. But, for argument's sake (because we love a good argument), let's review. Actually, someone already did it for us:

Detroit is paying to attract a supermarket. That’s problematic. When Detroit pays to attract or retain sports teams with multi-million dollar stadium investments? No problem.

Tax credit financing for the Compuware Building or the Book-Cadillac restoration? Never a discouraging word.

Public infrastructure dollars spent so sprawl developers can build houses that will compete (in a shrinking market) with homes (built when this was a growing market) in the inner-ring suburbs? That’s progress!

When Ed McNamara decided taxpayers should build Northwest (now Delta) Airlines’ new branch office in Romulus (i.e. the new airport)? Look to the ground and shuffle your feet.

Hells bells, the very products sold in University Foods, Whole Foods or any other grocer are subsidized to the tune of billions of federal dollars. Leave the Whole Foods nickels alone for a second, and take aim at the piles of cash dumped on “heartland” agri-business.

Yet, a subsidy for a high-profile grocery store in a resurgent part of Detroit is the threat to our free market system? Columnist, please.

(From Jeff Wattrick at MLive, read the full article here.)

For good measure and just to make sure we cover all bases, we'll also throw in those film incentives that everyone was aaaaaaaall excited about and when threatened by "One Tough Nerd" Rick Snyder, created a large-scale uproar with protests and everything. Ironically, by some of the exact same people who are behind such precious jewels as the new Facebook fan page, "Whole Foods Isn't Worth $4.2 Million in Incentives." (Their opposition's Facebook fan page, "I am happy Whole Foods is coming to Detroit because I am not insane," is currently outpacing them in "fans" 90 to 12.) For the record, in 2010, the Michigan Film Office paid out $95 million in movie credits, with another $209 million approved but not yet paid. That equals - wait for it - over 72 times as much of YOUR tax dollars as what is being doled out to Whole Foods. So, please, pretty pretty please, shut up.

Number Three: "Whole Foods is too expensive and people in Detroit can't afford it."

Is that so? Well, to prove that line of logic totally and completely wrong, we did a little covert research this week, hitting up the Whole Foods in Troy and photographing a random sampling of kitchen cupboard staples and day-to-day necessities that are part of their brand signature 365 Everyday Value line (like Meijer's eponymous generic label and Target's Market Pantry line), then compared their prices to the prices for the same exact items at University Foods and Honey Bee (which, for whatever reason, are being upheld as Reason Number One).

Also, bear in mind, the 365 label is largely organic, which you already know is more expensive anyway, whereas many of the University and Honey Bee comparisons are not. We differentiate where possible. We also note where prices were compared to other generic labels instead of name brands.

Basic cereal

Here we looked at standard cereals, particularly corn flakes.
 

Whole Foods: $2.69
Honey Bee: $2.49 (generic label)
University Foods: $3.19 (generic label)

Beans
Garbanzo and pinto. Maybe not common in every household, but a common enough canned good.

Whole Foods: $1.39 garb & pinto (both organic)
Honey Bee:  $1.39 garb, $1.29 pinto (not organic)

University Foods: $.99 garb, $1.29 pinto (not organic)

Broth
We look at 11-oz. non-organic small cans, 32-oz. non-organic large cans, and 32-oz. boxed organic to compare solely to Whole Foods' 32-oz. boxed organic.

Whole Foods: $1.99 (organic)
Honey Bee: $1.19 (small), $3.39 (large), $3.49 (organic box)

University Foods: $1.05 (small), $2.49-3.19 (large), $3.49 (organic box)

Frozen waffles
Here we compare Whole Foods' organic frozen waffles to Eggo and Kashi (limited selections available at comp stores)

Whole Foods: $2.69 (organic)
Honey Bee: $2.99 (Eggo brand)
University Foods: $2.85 (Eggo brand), $4.59 (Kashi brand, closest organic comparison available)

Frozen Fruit Bars
Not popsicles, but whole fruit bars. Best comparison at comp stores was Edy's Fruit Bars.

Whole Foods: $2.99 16-oz. 4-pack
Honey Bee: $3.00 16.5-oz. 6-pack
University Foods: $3.99 16.5-oz. 6-pack

Please note: the weight in ounces are nearly identical though the bar count differs.

Instant oatmeal
Once again comparing Whole Foods' organic product to non-organic products at comp stores, same weight.

Whole Foods: $3.39
Honey Bee: $4.19
University Foods: $4.19

Kettle chips
Here we compare pricing on 15-oz. bags of kettle chips at Whole Foods to much smaller bags at comp stores. We're not making this up.

Whole Foods: $1.49 (15-oz.)
Honey Bee: $3.99 (9-oz.)
University Foods: $3.49 (8-oz.)

Yogurt
Here we look at 32-oz. containers of yogurt from Whole Foods, organic and not, as well as single-serving cups, compared to non-organic comp stores.

Whole Foods: $2.69 (non-organic large), $2.99 (organic large), $.79 (single)
Honey Bee: $3.29 (non-organic large), $4.49 (organic large), $1.29 (single)
University Foods: $2.59 (generic non-organic large), $3.19 (Dannon non-organic large), $.79 (single)

Mayonnaise
32 ounces of non-organic mayo at Whole Foods compared to 30-oz. Hellman's at comp stores.

Whole Foods: $3.99
Honey Bee: $6.29
University Foods: $5.99

Pasta sauce
25-oz. jars of organic pasta sauce at Whole Foods compared to same size both organic and non-organic at comp stores.

Whole Foods: $3.39 (organic)
Honey Bee: $2.89 (Prego), $4.99 (organic)
University Foods: $3.19 (Ragu), $3.59 (organic Ragu)

Peanut Butter
18-oz. organic peanut butter at Whole Foods compared to same size both organic and non-organic at comp stores.

Whole Foods: $3.99 (organic)
Honey Bee: $2.89 (non-organic JIF), $4.49 (organic)
University Foods: $1.99 (non-organic JIF on sale at time of research), $7.69 (organic)

Items we were not able to covertly snap pictures of include:

Milk (comparing both organic and non-organic at all three stores)

Whole Foods: $3.49 (gallon, non-organic), $3.49 (half-gallon, organic), $1.99 (half-gallon, non-organic)
Honey Bee: $3.49 (gallon, non-organic), $4.59-5.59 (half-gallon, organic), $2.49 (half-gallon, non-organic)
University Foods: $3.69 (gallon, non-organic), $3.79-4.49 (half-gallon, organic), $2.69 (half-gallon, non-organic)

Eggs (comparing all organic at Whole Foods to both organic and non-organic at comp stores)

Whole Foods: $2.99-4.39 (all organic)
Honey Bee: $1.49 (large white non-organic), $1.99 (large brown non-organic), $4.49 (large white organic)
University Foods: $1.00 (large white non-organic, on sale at time of research), $2.99 (large brown organic, on sale at time of research, regularly $4.39)

Orange Juice (comparing all organic at Whole Foods to all non-organic comp stores)

Whole Foods: $3.39 (half-gallon, organic), $3.99 (half-gallon, organic juice blends)
Honey Bee: $2.49 (half-gallon, non-organic), $4.59 (half-gallon, non-organic juice blends)

University Foods: $2.99-3.99 (half-gallon, non-organic), $3.49 (half-gallon, non-organic juice blends)

Okay? Cool? Can we be done with this idiocy now and just be happy we're going to have something nice for once, FOR ONCE?

Yours truly,
The staff of Eat It Detroit

[HOT LIST] Detroit Grocery Stores + Markets

(All photos by Nicole Rupersburg)

How do you start a hipster riot? In Detroit, it seems, all you have to do is click your heels together and say repeat the words "Whole Foods" three times. (Actually, you don't have to click your heels together and you only have to say those two little words just the once. Once is plenty.)

And, right, so, of course we get it. Some of you are happy with the existing options. And why not. Eastern Market is amazing. (We should know. We basically live there.) The Honey Bee on Bagley has Mexican Coke and guacamole and that is also awesome. Some of you, the sort content to go through life quietly punishing yourselves for various hidden sins, even think that University Foods is a real grocery store. (Let's not start another mini-riot; instead we'll just bob our heads up and down in agreement and move on.) You like to think that Detroit is just fine the way it is, give or take a light rail line or two. 'Grats. Loving your optimism.

Us, though? Well, if you're asking, we say Whole Foods can't come soon enough. Sure, it's not going to fix all of Detroit's problems, but you know what else won't fix all of Detroit's problems? Not opening a Whole Foods. That's what. (And neither will light rail, and neither will Dan Gilbert and neither will a Somerset pop-up store, but again, in the interest of keeping the peace, let's move on.)

Yes, come early 2013, we won't be pried out of our Eastern Market lair all that easily, but having a massive selection of organic produce, artisanal food products, assorted imported and organic food stuffs, boutique wine and craft beer, all within walking distance, available seven days a week and late into the evening hours? This is not something we will be unhappy about. Not at all.

Then again, a year and a half is a long way off. In the meantime, let's take a look at some of of Detroit's best existing markets and shops. Some you've heard of, some you haven't; they're all fanbloodytastic.
 
#1 E and L Supermercado Southwest
You love Honey Bee for the Mexican Coca-Cola in the bottle. Well, it's half the price here. E and L has a huge selection of fresh tortillas and other Hispanic food products and produce (this is Southwest, after all). They also have a fantastic prepared foods counter where you can get proper tacos (chicken, steak or pork with onions and lime) and quesadillas for a buck-thirty each or 3-for-$3 (and you can call-ahead order while on your lunch break for a quick grab-and-go). Their homemade guacamole is also cheaper than Honey Bee (and is better too, IOO), and their homemade tortilla chips and salsa will make you swear off all other pre-packaged store brands forever and ever, amen. But the real beauty is their butcher counter: they have the widest selection of butchered meats at the cheapest prices and highest quality anywhere in the city ... and, really, even beyond. Porterhouse steaks, ribs, filets, beef tenderloin, chorizo, al pastor, even goat (barbacoa); and let's not forget their 16-ft marinade counter loaded with marinated chicken wings, drums, fajitas, and carne asada; or their top-quality luncheon meat counter sliced to order. And it's all criminally cheap.

#2 R. Hirt Jr. Co. Eastern Market
It's Detroit's own genuine, bonafide, olde-timey general store selling lots of odds-and-ends and kitchen trinkets, but the reason we love R. Hirt so very much - despite its severely limited hours - is that cheese counter. THAT cheese counter. The cheese and deli counters are the showpiece of R. Hirt, located right front-and-center (and usually causing some massive bottle-necking in the narrow aisle). The selection is enormous. Blah blah blah meats, BUT, cheeeeeeese. Over 300 different varieties of cheese are on-hand here, some sitting out and letting their luscious aromas waft throughout the building, the rest stored in their massive backroom freezer. The emphasis isn't huge on locally-made cheeses (though there are some), but the import selection is outstanding and, no joke, up to $10 per pound cheaper than Zingerman's. Feel free to ask for samples; we certainly do.

#3 (Tie) Cost Plus Wine Shoppe Eastern Market + Motor City Wine Downtown
Detroit's abundance of liquor stores is well-documented (usually tagged with key words like "food desert"), but despite all the widely-available booze there are two - two - stores in all of Detroit where you can find a quality selection of small-production boutique wines from all over the world. Cost Plus has a larger store and thus a larger selection, and we've found some mind-blowing Chilean wines for a whopping $7. Cost Plus also has a nice collection of Michigan craft beers from some of our favorite labels (Bell's, Founders, New Holland, Short's). Motor City Wine has a smaller but exquisitely-curated wine selection, and is also a hotspot for live music with their "Hot Pot" Detroit techno Thursdays and world-renowned jazz on weekends. They have a leg up on Cost Plus with later hours, weekly events and regular wine tastings, and what they lack in craft beer they make up for by being located above another of our faves: the Grand Trunk Pub, which sells mix-and-match sixers of beer to go.

#4 Azteca Supermercado Southwest
Food desert. Pfffffff. The sheer abundance and per-capita density of grocers, supermarkets, butchers and bakers in Southwest Detroit more than makes up for what might be lacking elsewhere in the city. It's really quite astounding how many places there are to buy fresh food in SW, and how busy they all always seem to be. We don't really love Azteca for any one thing - we love them for all things. Fresh CHEAP produce (and a ginormous selection), fantastic butcher shop, fantastic bakery, a complete line of both American and Hispanic food items (like two full grocery stores in one), a huge and sparkling clean store, and awesome weekly specials that are cheap cheap CHEAP. If you want to settle for smaller selections at higher prices with lower quality and claim that it's "good enough," that's your prerogative.

#5 Goodwell's Natural Foods Midtown 
Goodwell's is essentially the local mom-and-pop version of Whole Foods. The focus is all on natural and organic foods with lots of vegan and raw this-and-thats. Their homemade pocket sandwiches are cheap and delicious, making it a nice little alternative to the often-overrun and rather 'spensive Avalon International Breads next door, while still maintaining the same ethos. The grocery selection is small but has all the staples you need; because it is all organic it is also more expensive, but such is the price you pay for eco-consciousness and sustainability. Which, if you're shopping here, you probably already know.

Bubbling under Honey Bee La Colmena (Mexicantown), Al-Madeena Grocery (Hamtramck), Lafayette Foods (Lafayette Park), Kim's Produce (Midtown), Polish Market (Hamtramck)

Toasted Oak Grill (Extended Cut from Real Detroit)

I'm going to be honest: I LOVED this place so much I had to write more about it than space allows for in the Clean Plate Club column. So here it is, the full cut of me gushing about how great this place is (and it IS). It makes the drive out to Novi worthwhile, and I have NEVER said that before!

It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s a gourmet market AND a sustainable restaurant adjoining a swank Novi hotel!

Toasted Oak Grill & Market just opened in April and already it has received rave reviews. But perhaps more importantly, it has received the attention of foodies from Ann Arbor to Detroit, many of which are already proud repeat customers. (It’s true: I took a Facebook poll.)

After seeing the space and sampling the cuisine, it’s no small wonder: the sprawling space which is separated into three distinct sections is refreshingly hip. Designer David Ashen, who has designed all of Sage Restaurant Group’s ventures, has created a space that feels “Up North” rustic gone ultra-chic: a suspended fireplace encased in slate-gray stone, wood floors and paneling, accented with bright, bold colors like yellow and royal blue, and modern, plush furniture. Decorative touches such as a crate, glass goblet, and candle wax sculpture in the middle of the second dining room add whimsy. The chalkboards announcing the cheeseboard and charcuterie selections create a fun, casual vibe—while also smacking strongly of Zingerman’s, which was a strong inspiration for this restaurant concept.

But wait, did someone say “charcuterie”? Yep: Chef Brian Polcyn of Five Lakes and Forest Grill, who is also considered one of the worldwide leading experts on the art of smoking and curing meats (“charcuterie”), is churning out a whole new generation of chefs dedicated to meat and sustainable cuisine over there in his classrooms at Schoolcraft Culinary School. Toasted Oak’s Executive Chef Steven Grostick studied under Polcyn in school, then trained under him for 11 years at the now-reconceptualized Five Lakes Grill. Grostick espouses the same ideals Polcyn drilled into him all those years: meat is an art; support local farmers.

When Grostick was brought into Toasted Oak, he was given complete autonomy to design a menu that is seasonal and sustainable, focusing on all things local from working with local farmers to all Michigan-made products. There is also an herb and flower garden outside in one of the three outdoor patios. “How awesome would that be,” exclaims Grostick, “the cook runs out of basil and someone runs outside with a pair of scissors! You can’t get any more fresh than that!”

The Pickled Spring Beets is a great showcase of Michigan in the spring, with butter lettuce, goat cheese croquettes, pistachios, and orange vinaigrette. The mussels used in their three different preparations are the superior Blue Hill Bay. The Mussels Dijonaise are served in a heavy Dijon, tarragon, and cream sauce, perfect for dipping the grilled bread and hand-cut frites that come with them. The Lake Huron Trout is served over a spring salad of frisée, spinach, and spring peas, with a mustard seed vinaigrette. And for bread, each table is served exceptionally moist cornbread out of a tin can with whipped butter and a dash of sea salt. (When asked about it, Grostick grinned and said, “That one I’m keeping a secret!”) I ended with the Butterscotch Blondie Brownie Sundae—ooey gooey decadence, served in a glass canning jar. Everything is also very reasonably priced here: the most expensive item on the menu is the Creekstone Farms Filet at $28, and this is beef that has been massaged daily and air-lifted to the slaughterhouse. The market plates include a variety of pates and terrines as well as cheese boards and Grostick’s own charcuterie platters. Much of what they make and use in-house is also available for purchase in the market, from maple syrup to dressings to a bacon caramel sauce that they cannot keep in stock. (And yes, it is THAT good—try it with cheese or ice cream.)


But what separates Toasted Oak the most from other restaurants is its retail wine pricing. Everything you see on the wine list is also available for purchase in the market, and all of it is priced the same—no 200+% restaurant mark-up. This is a concept almost unheard of; for only a small corking fee, you can enjoy a bottle of wine with dinner for the same cost as you would have if you’d bought from the market and taken it home. Also, in keeping with their local commitment, they’ve got the largest selection of Michigan wines I’ve ever seen in the metro area: labels like Black Star Farms and the tiny Peninsula Cellars that you just simply cannot find anywhere else.

Another shining star to add next to their name: exceptional service. The servers (many of them Detroit Fish Market refugees) are knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and passionate, and this shows in how excitedly they talk about the food, the wine, and the ethos. While the Grill and Market are located inside the Baronette Renaissance, they are separate entities unto themselves. They do provide catering and room service for the hotel, but outside of that they’re simply a really great restaurant and market that happens to adjoin a chic hotel. From the initial concept to the product and the talent, Toasted Oak is scorching hot.

To read the article as is printed, click here.

The IKEA Cafe

It's a furniture store. It's a home accessories store. It's a grocery store (for those hard-to-find Swedish items no kitchen is complete without). And it's a restaurant!

Since the IKEA in Canton opened in the summer of 2006, metro Detroiters from all corners have been making the pilgrimmage for some finely-crafted, inexpensive Swiss-engineered contemporary furniture and accessories (which includes everything from carpet to drapes to picture frames to entertainment centers to complete bedroom sets to kitchen ranges and bathroom sinks). I've known many (self included) who have decorated their homes almost entirely in IKEA because it's cheap and stylish and anyone can make their Home by IKEA®, as evidenced by the sample domiciles in which the fine folks at IKEA show you just how much you can do with 377 sq. ft. of living space, etc.

And let's not forget, whole soap operas have also been filmed here (unbeknownst to the employees).

Ah, IKEA, how do we love thee? Let me count the days! A trip to IKEA is a journey that lasts from dawn 'til dusk (or 10AM-10PM, whichever...it was a figure of speech) wandering amongst the many realms of decorative and functional possibilities--so much so that we may even need to take a break for some nourishment. Never fear, IKEA has that covered too!


Enter the IKEA Restaurant & Cafe, a cafeteria-style eatery with an abundance of options which include fresh soups, desserts, and favorites such as Swedish Meatballs in a cream sauce with potatoes and lingonberry jam for only $4.99 ($2.49 on Tuesdays after 4:00PM through December 29!). Much like everything else in IKEA, the food is dirt cheap; and much like everything else in IKEA, surprisingly good despite the low price.

(Also be sure to clean up after yourself; this is part of the reason why you're paying such low prices for the food, as the signs located all over the dining area so gently remind you.)


Their menu items change regularly but there are always the standards, such as those Swedish Meatballs (which you can also purchase by the bag in the grocery store downstairs), as well as Penne Pasta in Marinara Sauce for only $1.99 and a daily $0.99 breakfast which includes scrambled eggs, 2 strips of bacon, and potatoes. Wednesday is rib night at IKEA; enjoy a half rack of baby back ribs with french fries and corn bread for only $7.99 every Wednesday from 4:00PM-close.


For my dinner, I chose a Buffalo Chicken Wrap ($3.99), a Princess Torte ($1.29), a cup of coffee ($0.99) and a Milk Chocolate Bar for later ($0.99). For $7.64, I had a full meal with treats for later.

Note: The coffee is not available in to-go cups upstairs, but if you get there late enough you can go to the downstairs cafe (where they also sell ice cream) and tell them that the upstairs restaurant had already dumped their coffee and that Jenny sent you down there, and the girls will smile knowingly and hand you a fresh to-go cup which you can then fill and be on your merry way. Thanks for the tip, Jenny!

And I'll say, for seven smackers, this was a tasty meal. The Buffalo Chicken Wrap was served cold and was stuffed with grilled chicken rolled in a mild buffalo sauce, lettuce, and lots of shredded cheddar cheese. Bleu cheese dressing was served on the side, and thank God for that because as much as I love cheese I can't stand bleu cheese dressing (or really any dressing that is little more than liquified mayonnaise with added flavor). The verdict? 2 mmmm's up!


Next I had the Princess Torte, which I'm pretty sure I only picked up because it was a really pretty green color that matches my apartment. Regardless, this pastry made with sponge cake, raspberry jam, Bavarian creme, and covered in Marzipan was a tasty little treat. I usually shy away from Marzipan because it's just so damned sugary, but this was light enough to enjoy. I was a tad disappointed to find the "Bavarian creme" was the fluffy kind and not the creamy custardy kind...which I should have known by the word "creme" but I tend to see the word "Bavarian" and stop paying attention after that. This confection was enjoyable, but with custard instead of creme it would have been soooooooo much better.

The "Choklad Ljus" milk chocolate bar I saved for later, and have since enjoyed several S'ores (that would be a s'more without the marshmallow) at home. The chocolate is creamy and not at all waxy like one might expect with a "cheap" chocolate. This may even have a strong enough structure to be melted and used in fondue...though I might also just be making that up. Take from it what you will.

Downstairs in the grocery store portion you can find cakes, cookies, sparkling fruit-flavored water, Swedish meatballs, lingonberry jam, more chocolate, dried potatoes (at least I think that's what they were judging from the picture), coffee, mini cinammon rolls, chocolate and hazelnut syrups...apparently the Swedes like their sweets, anyway.


While there I also eyeballed a whole new bedroom set for me (I've had the same set since I was 12...black lacquer isn't really "in" anymore, is it?) as well as kitchen solutions and accessories that for some reason I feel compelled to own despite the fact that I don't cook. Oh well, when it's this cheap, hell...why not buy two?

So next time you make the trek out to IKEA for some lightbulbs, power strips, a decorative vase, a shiny new showerhead, new countertops and kitchen cabinets (install yourself, DIY-ers!), a duvet cover, ceiling fans, framed art, glassware, storage boxes that require assembly, and frozen meatballs, make sure you also go there hungry because the savings don't stop 'til they hit your stomach!

It Don't Mean a Thing if It Ain't Got That Zing: Zingerman's Deli

Over the weekend I decided to do a little culture tour of Ann Arbor, that little city just on the outskirts of what is formally considered "metro Detroit" but which makes a lot of noise on the arts and culture radar. On the advice of one Ann Arborite as well as with my own limited knowledge of the area, I had a lovely little day trip (because, mark my words, A2 is a DAY TRIP--anything that takes an hour to get to is, in my book, a DAY TRIP, and not just somewhere you go for a "quick bite" or a "couple of drinks"), which ended with me at Zingerman's Deli.

Immediately upon walking in, I am greeted with their mammouth cheese counter. It's like porn to me.

I admit, it's been awhile. A long while. And I realize probably great advancements have been made in the field of sheep's milk harvesting, culturing, and pasteurization which have potentially caused an increase in price. BUT. For my favorite cheese--the one cheese I can actually clearly taste on my tongue when I think about it, the cheese that is to me like a heroin fix to a junkie--to go up $10.00 per pound from $14.99/lb. to $24.99/lb.???

Pardon my language, but are you out of your f$%#ing mind????

When the cheese monger handed me my humble hunk of Pecorino di Toscana priced at a very clearly written $14.57, the feeling I had was bittersweet. Yes, this is my favorite cheese, and I haven't tasted it is years. But Christ, $14.57??? For this tiny-ass nugget that I'll eat in one sitting????

And now I'm afraid to eat it because, well, what if? What if it isn't as good as I remember it being? What if, after paying almost $15 bucks I find out that it is not, in fact, made of solid gold? Not to mention that now I feel like it has to be some sort of special occasion cheese, that I can't just bust it out any old night. Now I have to make a big event of it...not that I'm going to share it with anyone because my God, it was 15 freakin' dollars!

Zingerman's, you've changed.

You needn't remind me of the preaching I've done about people who complain about prices and how it's neither appropriate nor accurately informed. I'm well aware of the preaching I've done in regards to this.

But this? THIS??? Inflation on cheese is a 67% increase in five years? I have a hard time swallowing that (and not just because it's so damn expensive I feel guilty eating it).

But let's further explore the goods available at Zingerman's, shall we? A wall full of olive oil from all around the world (they weren't named by Atlantic Monthly Magazine as "the country's leading purveyor of olive oil" for nothing), olive oil so rich in flavor that it puts your Meijer-bought bottles to shame. Hardly any priced under $20.00 and most hovering in the $30.00 range. While you are certainly paying more for quality (and if you've never experienced a truly fine olive oil, rest assured it is well worth the money), still--DAMN.

Moving along. Oooh, Mango Preserves! Oh. $16.00 per jar. And then there's the $27.00 pistachio butter. Not a single box of tea costs less than $11.00. Salt water taffy from France, $25.00. And just so we're clear on this, these are all standard sizes, not bulk. As much as I appreciate the eclectic array of hard-to-find imports available here, another part of me is forced to wonder who in their right mind is paying these prices for these products during these unstable economic times?

Apparently the recession has yet to affect A2.

I am a huge proponent of the Slow Food Movement. I believe in sustainable cuisine. I believe in locally-grown, seasonal, organic food items. I support artisinal products. I just can't help but think Zingerman's might be capitalizing on people such as myself who share these beliefs and appreciate the quality of finer foods but don't quite know where else to find them, or get easily caught up in the self-propelling hype machine that is Zingerman's (this is Ann Arbor, after all: safe, liberal, artsy, wealthy, white). My thing is, if you want saltwater taffy, buy Michigan-made direct from sellers like Mackinac Fudge Shop for only $8.95 for a 10-oz. bag (versus $25.00 for the French 1lb. tin--and a good chunk of that pound is in the tin, guaranteed). Is this the Slow Food Movement or the Elitist Food Movement?

And you wonder why Mercury Coffee Bar didn't make it (one of the owners hailed from Zingerman's, and they charged $7.00 for a bite-sized grilled cheese sandwich in the city of Detroit, which doesn't give two squirts about your fancy Ann Arbor food).

I will give them this, the staff is unflappably perky. (Something I would have also said about MCB.) They'll smile broadly and become your new best friend as they offer you samples of any over-priced item you'd like to try and convince you of the value it would add to your life.

I decided to give them one last chance. I was already there, after all, and hungry. After several minutes of deliberation (during which time I was offered assistance no fewer than three times), I decided on Jay's BBQ Chicken Sandwich--pulled Amish chicken in their housemade BBQ sauce with Vermont cheddar on a soft bun. BTW, no sandwich on the menu is less than $10.00, save for the one exception--our old friend, the $7.00 grilled cheese.

So what does a $10.00 BBQ chicken sandwich taste like? Strikingly similar to a $5.00 one. It was good, don't get me wrong...but it wasn't great. It didn't change my life. This wasn't the sandwich to end all sandwiches. And frankly, the BBQ sauce didn't quite live up to my $10.00 expectations. But I ate it. It tasted just fine. The pickle was good, too.

And now here I am, still trying to figure out how a sandwich, a soda (all-natural sugar cane!), and two small hunks of cheese cost almost $35.00, and feeling like something of a traitor to the local artisinal movement I so desperately want to promote. I've determined that the Zingerman's crowd is almost cultish, and those that don't follow that cult mentality are punished with feelings of guilt and are forced into questioning their own judgment...which is how I feel right now.

No thank you, sir, I don't want any Kool-Aid, I just want my cheap cheese back.