The Week We Ate (The EID Week in Review)

McClure's has a new sweet and spicy pickle out, and it is only available at Whole Foods Midtown for now. This is a reason to brave the crowds, yes? (I've had it. It's awesome.) [McClure's]

A new microbrewery is coming to downtown Dearborn! This is how the west is won. [Dearborn Patch]

It's officially-official: DROUGHT will have a permanent home in Detroit at the new Shinola flagship store in Midtown, opening this summer. [Drought FB]

Turns the London Chop House is also totally metal, and Spin agrees with me on Guns + Butter. [Detroit News / Spin]

In case you missed it:
~The Cultural Living Room is now open to the public inside the DIA's Kresge Court. The design concept mixes modern and traditional, but why not just check out the pictures. [Model D / EID]
~June on Jefferson popped up during Jazzin' on Jefferson this weekend. Several stores are inhabiting newly-renovated storefronts in the Jefferson Chalmers commercial district, including Myra's Sweet Tooth and Goodwells Natural Foods. Also Coffee and (___), which was not originally reported because it was not originally listed on the website or mentioned in my interview. I'll make up for it, promise. [Model D]
~Just a Bit Eclectic is now open on Detroit's northwest side, selling vintage goods and antiques as well as teas from Detroit's INTU Specialty Tea and soups from Beautiful Soup. [Model D]
~HEY! Join me on June 29 for the Official Detroit Food Experience food tour with The Detroit Bus Company! We'll have house-made cheese and beer at Traffic Jam + Snug, have a picnic catered by Los Unicos taco truck and Mexicantown Bakery in Clark Park, and see how sausage gets made at Corridor Sausage Co.! [Detroit Bus Co]

Speaking of taco trucks, my first actual paid assignment as a freelance writer was a little over four years ago with Model D for a story about taco trucks in SW Detroit. So what I'm saying is, I did it before it was cool. Anyway here's this retro-chic story on SW taco trucks with a list of different vendors at the end and a sort of "white people guide to Mexican things." [Model D / Detroit News]

Apparently this was retro chic week! Hygrade Deli is "in" again, and now an unnamed national food network (though not necessarily THE Food Network) will be paying them a visit. [MLive]

And these places aren't trendy and won't be getting any fashionable food buzz anytime soon, but are worth checking out because they serve good food, the end. [Detroit News]

Attention all would-be mobile entrepreneurs: the MEDC has announced a new mobile start-up grant program of up to $10,000 for new or existing mobile businesses in order to boost Michigan's mobile food vending industry. There is also an additional grant of $10-50k for farmers markets at least four years old. [WILX]

The new Downtown Farmer's Market Detroit is held Thursdays at Lafayette Greens. (Hours will likely be changing as they figure out what times work best for customers.) [DFMD FB]

The Eastern Market Corporation Shed 5/Community Kitchen work was already happening so when the MEDC sent out this release earlier today I was a little confused, but maybe it's this particular $1mil grant that's new? And that's, like, a lot of money. So. YAAAAAAAAY! [Detroit News]

Michigan strawberries are in season! Here is a guide (with map) to U-Pick farms in metro Detroit. [Freep]

Sure, you know all the big name places to get ice cream around here ... but what about some of Detroit's lesser-known ice cream spots? Model D and Belle Isle to 8 Mile: An Insider's Guide to Detroit dig deep on this one. [Model D]

File under: best headline in the history of Crain's Detroit Business. "Union Joints Rolling at DTE Energy Music Theatre." [Crain's]

Commune is now Craft. It's still the basement of Bastone, now with more beer. [Commune FB]

Burgers burgers burgers (that pay workers living wages). [AnnArbor.com / Eyes on Windsor / Detroit News]

New steakhouse in St. Clair Shores, TBones Steak and Seafood, is overseen by former sous chef of SaltWater. Might be worth checking out? [Freep]

If Flavor Flav's Chicken + Ribs closes due to carbon monoxide leaks and no one notices because no one goes there, did it really happen at all? [TMZ]

Selma Cafe lives again in a new location! While no longer held in a private home, the brunch pop-up will happen in the common house of Sunward Cohousing on June 22. Brunch will be held on Saturday instead of Friday and hours will run later. Pretty much everything else remains the same. [AnnArbor.com]

Beerie
~Turns out I drink a lot because I'm a freakin' genius, THAT'S why. [MSN]

Poutine Queen
~I'm going to be spending some time in Canada this summer. In the interest of research, yes I will eat this. Even though it feels wrong, despite being a combination of two of my favorite things. [First We Fest]
~And here's 13 more. [The Grid]

[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.

The Week We Ate (The EID Week in Review)

Treat Dreams's "Michigan Salad" ice cream flavor was named one of the "Fifteen Funkiest Ice Cream Flavors on Earth" by Time Magazine. And it's in some interesting company - foie gras and bone marrow with smoked cherries also made the cut. To celebrate, Treat Dreams will be featuring this flavor June 2-15. [Time]

And here is a story from CNN Money about Treat Dreams owner Scott Moloney, who left a career in banking to make ice cream, reminding us that sometimes making crazy decisions and taking a (huge) leap can pay off. [CNN Money]

The building that is home to Jacoby's German Biergarten is up for sale, though that doesn't mean it's closing. [Crain's]

In case you missed it: Burger furor. [EID]

Join me on June 29 with The Detroit Bus Company! [Det Bus Co]

Or watch me fumble this Friday morning at Detroit Creative Mornings with Amy Kaherl of Detroit Soup! [Creative Mornings]

MLive takes us inside the new Whole Foods Midtown. Two more days! [MLive]

Check out the olde-timey label for Two James Spirits' gin. [Two James FB]

Hot sauce. It's going to be the next pickle. I'm telling you. Hell, even the picklers at the Brinery are getting into the hot sauce game with their new pickled hot sauce, now available wherever the Brinery products are! [Brinery FB]

The Detroit News spilled a couple of details about the two new restaurants that Curbed Detroit has been reporting on for ages now, or at least as long as the GAR has been under renovation. Which has sort of felt like ages, but restoring a castle takes time. [Curbed / Det News]

Detroit BBQ Co. will now be slangin' 'cue every weekend forevermore at Kuhnhenn Brewing Company in Warren. [Det BBQ Co FB]

Griffin Claw is getting close. [Hometown Life]

Herd shares (or "cow shares") are now legally recognized and allowed to operate unregulated in Michigan. Drink all the raw milk you want without the guv'ment butting in on your decision. [Farm to Consumer]

Grizzly Peak Brewing Company (and Jolly Pumpkin Brewery and Bastone Brewery and Monk Beer Bar and many more) owners plan to reopen the Old German in July! Here's more about this old Ann Arbor institution. [AnnArbor.com]

JBaldwins Restaurant-Catering was heavily damaged by a fire last week, though no one was injured. Owners Jeff and Rose Baldwin plan on rebuilding and hope to reopen by the end of summer. [Detroit News]

Baltimore media is doing a really great job covering Dangerously Delicious Pies Baked in Detroit's Rodney Henry's appearance on Next Food Network Star. Detroit is kind of dropping the ball with this one. We can partially claim him too, you know. [Baltimore Guide]

In Detroit, we take the Life Aquatic very seriously. Marinas are remaking themselves into floating resorts. [Detroit News]

Apparently Michigan's wine industry lobbying group is still better at their job than that of the craft brewers, but at least now we can drink wine at farmers markets despite protests from "opponents," who happen to make a lot of money from Michigan's strict distribution laws and thus stand to lose money at even the slightest relaxation of them, claiming it will lead to increased alcohol abuse because FOR YOUR SAFETY and also LESS MONEY IN THEIR FAT FAT POCKETS. [Detroit News]

Designtripper's Meghan McEwen, Corktown resident, names her favorite Detroit places for Fathom. [Fathom]

West Coast is the best coast! Here's more love for Traverse City and beyond. [Freep]

Michigan DOMINATES this list of the best summer beers with Bell's Brewery, Founders Brewing Co., Arcadia Ales and New Holland Brewing Co. all in the top 10, leaving only 6 spots left for the rest of the country. Let's hear it for the Great Beer State! [Fat Wallet]

Foran's Grand Trunk Pub's lovely Beth Joy is featured talking shit in Esquire. [Esquire]

[Model D] Cupcak'n is sweet on Hamtramck, will open this spring

Hamtramck is definitely experiencing a growth spurt. Another new food business is set to open, a cupcakerie and gourmet ice cream shop called Cupcak’n located at 2756 Evaline St.

Owners Faness and Anthony Gray will debut their interactive cupcake bar concept this spring. Like a Cold Stone Creamery where you pick your own ingredients, they will offer eight different cupcake flavors with 14 kinds of frosting and over 20 different toppings so you can build your own cupcake. Chocolate cupcake with cream cheese frosting with Oreos and fudge on top? No problem.

Read more.

[NEWS BITES] Ferndale's Treat Dreams expanding into former Pak-Mail space next door

Photo from the Metro Times.

Scott Moloney, the completely insane man who opened an ice cream shop in Michigan in the middle of the Great Recession, is now expanding his successful artisan bakery and "micro"-creamery Treat Dreams in Ferndale (known for fan favorite flavors like salted caramel as well as funky -- and I mean funky -- flavors like macaroni + cheese and lemon olive oil).

Since opening in 2010 Treat Dreams has been a staple at every single local festival and major event where food is any sort of a significant component (not to mention countless food truck rallies). Scott's ice creams, now topping over 500 unique flavors since opening in August 2010, have developed a cultish following and have earned Treat Dreams the distinction of being one of Michigan's top 10 ice cream parlors.

Today Scott officially announced that he will be expanding Treat Dreams into the space formerly (and currently still) occupied by Pak-Mail. This will allow him to double the size of his kitchen and almost triple the size of the dining room, allowing Treat Dreams to function as more of a "dessert cafe." Scott tells me that this will entail "a total makeover of my current and new space." Officially construction will start on February 18 and Scott hopes to have it completed by March 15.

He has also launched an Indiegogo campaign in the hopes of raising about one-third of the cost of expansion via crowd-funding. (For the full story of Treat Dreams, click on the Indiegogo link. It's a good one. Plus Scott has some good incentives for contributing, like a six-month subscription for $35 and design your own ice cream flavor with four pints to take home for $50.)

After reopening, he'll also be launching "Treat Dreams After Dark" -- an ice cream camp for adults. All of this in addition to a gnarly new truck for events and mobile service. Not too shabby for a guy who had only ever made two batches of ice cream in his life prior to opening an ice cream shop! Scott Moloney: living the dream.

The Week We Ate (The EID Week in Review)

Troy keeps it classy.

Ye Olde Butcher Shop is experiencing Ye Olde Detroit Landlord Drama; still plans on opening and is already stocking shelves with non-perishables. [MLive]

Once again, if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery I should be one flattered motherfucker. (Headlines? Really?) Except that if you're going to BLATANTLY copy me and get paid for it, please kindly do your fucking research. Here's a spotlight of some up-and-coming local chefs in which long-time chef Alexis Henslee of The Metropolitan Cafe is called "new" and Myles McVay is mis-reported as still working for D'Amato's Restaurant despite having accepted a position at Cafe Muse and made the official move long before this story even went to print. (CBS Local / Metromode)

Dangerously Delicious (and exceptionally expensive) Pies are now available seven days a week at Comet Bar. In related news, Comet Bar is still open. Yeah, it surprised me too. [My Fox Detroit]

Any joke about Slows is worth re-printing. Curbed reports that the weight of Slows' patrons waiting for a table over the weekend collapsed the sidewalk. Not really, but the wait hasn't gotten shorter. [Curbed Detroit]

Mudgie's Deli is applying for a liquor license and needs your help in epistolary form to attest that they will not be a booze-fueled dirty hipster sex den, or whatever the dispute is about. Besides, Detroit's dirty hipster sex dens never needed booze to operate. [Mudgie's FB]

Troy keeps it classy. Two chicks break bottles, pull hair at Mon Jin Lau. [Royal Oak Patch]

Detroit Restaurant Week announces their fall 2012 dates, Sept. 28-Oct. 7. [DRW FB]

24grille starts brunch service on September 9. This is now on my calendar and e-vites will be sent shortly. [24grille Official Website]

Are these 'Michigan's Best Ice Cream Parlors'? Meh, who cares: how can *I* get paid to do this? [MLive]

Fodor's rehashes Mario Batali's list of favorite places in Leelanau. [Fodor's]

USA Today gives some love to the UP's Keweenaw Brewing Company's Widow Maker. [USA Today]

Does anyone still listen to Richard Florida? Well if you do, he's all about craft brewers now. [The Atlantic Cities]