[Model D] Detroit Vegan Soul celebrates grand opening in West Village this Saturday

Scrambled Tofu, Polenta Cheez Grits, Red skin potatoes, vegan sausage, and sprouted cinnamon raisin toast from Detroit Vegan Soul

2012 Hatch Detroit finalists Detroit Vegan Soul will celebrate a grand opening in its new space in West Village at 8029 Agnes St. this Saturday, Sept. 28.

After starting out with a vegan meal delivery and catering service, Kirtsen Ussery and Erika Boyd realized that there is a real demand for homemade vegan comfort food in Detroit. Both vegan themselves, they started veganizing their family recipes and found that people really loved it.

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A Slice of Life and Cheesecake at SPICE

There was recently an article in the Detroit Free Press about Charles Walker, Jr., owner of the recently-opened SPICE Restaurant located at 18354 Fenkell at Grand River. I typically don't go for the sob-story School of Hard Knocks type of journalism, but when that "school" is actually the Culinary Institute of America my interest is much more readily piqued.

SPICE is a pretty standard Detroit diner; they pull a large carry-out business and offer such popular neighborhood fare as fried fish and chicken, house-smoked chicken and ribs, burgers, fries, salads, and a much-touted cheesecake. It's a soul food spot with a CIA designation, and an owner who truly had to overcome a number of difficult personal obstacles in order to realize his dream.

A diner with a chef who trained at the CIA? I'll stand behind two sheets of bulletproof plexiglass for that. Read the full article here; during a time when there is so much negativity in the news (well, moreso than usual, and in regards to Detroit especially), it's refreshing to hear such an uplifting story. And now I really want that cheesecake.