Round 3: New Additions to the 3rd Edition of Detroit Restaurant Week

The participating restaurants for this third installment of Detroit Restaurant Week have officially been announced, and not only are there two n00bs in the mix but they've added an additional restaurant, bringing the total up to 18 overall.

Let me break down that +2 = 1 math for you: the newly-opened Detroit Seafood Market replaces the shuttered Detroit Fish Market (both literally and figuratively: the new restaurant even inhabits the old restaurant's space in Paradise Valley), and the historic Caucus Club has also joined the line-up.

The Caucus Club is one of the few remaining pillars of Old Detroit, a true "gentlemen's club" in the very proper customary English sense that does NOT mean "strip club." Initially conceived as the "waiting room" for the world-famous London Chop House across the street, the Caucus Club is perhaps most famous for being the place where Barbara Streisand began her singing career. The Caucus Club is a relic of -- nay, tribute to -- the former era of Detroit's glory days, and maintains much of that good-old-boy Mad Men-esque vibe. Not stuffy ... NOSTALGIC.

Named "Detroit's Best Business Lunch" by Gourmet Magazine, this is the kind of place where the three-martini lunch is still very much in vogue (too bad you can't also puff a pricey Cuban cigar, that would be SOOOO '50s chic). While you're here try their signature cocktail the Bullshot, a mixture of beef broth, vodka and spices that's been served here since 1952.

Another change to this round of Detroit Restaurant Week is the pricing: there's been a hike in the three-course prix fixe pricing from $27 to ... wait for it ... and you might want to sit down ... $28. You okay? You want some water? Paper bag to breathe in? You got this?

Next week I will start bringing you fun tidbits and factoids to get you ramped up for Restaurant Week, which runs Friday, September 24 - Sunday, October 3. Start making reservations NOW through Open Table (and don't think for a second that I'm kidding).

And here is the complete list of participating restaurants for the Fall 2010 Edition of Detroit Restaurant Week:

24Grille – Westin Book Cadillac Detroit

Andiamo Detroit Riverfront – GM Ren Cen
Atlas Global Bistro – Midtown

Caucus Club – Penobscot Building
Coach Insignia – GM Ren Cen

Cuisine – New Center
Da Edoardo Foxtown Grille – Foxtown

Detroit Seafood Market – Paradise Valley
Forty-Two Degrees North – GM Ren Cen

Iridescence – MotorCity Casino-Hotel
Mosaic Restaurant – Greektown

Opus One – Downtown
Rattlesnake Club – Stroh River Place

Roast – Westin Book Cadillac Detroit
Roma Café – Eastern Market

Saltwater – MGM Grand Detroit
The Whitney – Midtown Wolfgang Puck Grille – MGM Grand Detroit

Real Detroit Weekly: Tom's Oyster Bar

"Much has changed in Royal Oak over the past decade — gone are the punk stores (Editor's note: read--independent record stores, one of which I met Scott Ian from Anthrax one time...that was cool; also the OTHER Noir), head shops and independent coffee houses you could smoke in (Editor's note: remember THAT???); in are the upscale boutiques, chain eateries and high-rise loft developments. But Tom's Oyster Bar remains a monument of a former era, as relevant as ever in this Royal Oak Redux.

'Tom Brandel opened the first Tom's Oyster Bar in downtown Detroit in 1985. He had a vision of serving the freshest fish in the simplest ways, and having fresh fish and oysters delivered on a daily basis. His recipe for success led to the opening of this Royal Oak location in 1994, and Tom's still remains a Metro Detroit favorite...."

Read the rest of the article here.

99 Ways to Stalk Me

You know, I really shouldn't joke about that.

I'm not afraid to kill a man. Just for the record.

So I've got this blog. And I've got a fistful of publications I regularly contribute to which I typically link to here unless I forget or it's print-based only (944, edible WOW). I've got the Twitter, @diningindetroit, which you can choose to follow directly OR just view on the sidebar of this blog:
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I've also just added Yelp to my repertoire: nrupersburg.yelp.com.

Now here's the kicker: on this blog I can add "widgets" which will automatically direct you to my Facebook page, my Twitter page, and I can also opt to add some Yelp bling which I may or may not do in the future. I can also set Twitter up to automatically re-post all of my Tweets as status updates on Facebook, or just use the "select Tweets" functionality and hand-pick which ones get re-posted. Now on Facebook I can use the Networked Blogs function to re-post everything I post here (which I do, but selectively), as well as just include links in my status updates to anything with its own direct link outside of this blog (such as Real Detroit articles). And with Yelp I can auto-link both Facebook AND Twitter to re-post every new review I post.

And I haven't even MENTIONED LinkedIn (which auto-links to this blog and Twitter).

So basically what I'm saying is for any given thing that I write there are potentially up to five different sources on which it may be re-posted.

Now. If you're my friend on Facebook, and you follow my Twitter, and you have this blog in your RSS feed, and we're connected on LinkedIn, and friends on Yelp, and you're a faithful reader of Real Detroit every week ... well, that's a WHOLE LOT of Nicole, and I get that. Not that there can EVER be too much Nicole, but I've heard men like a little mystery and also I really need to take care not to invite any more stalkers into my life aside from the self-professed and mostly-harmless ones I already have. So here's the deal:

Let's be friends on Facebook. Let's follow each other's Tweets (I'm lying there, I'm really probably not going to follow you on Twitter because that shit annoys me and MAN I thought some of your Facebook updates were tedious, you twit-wits took tedium to a whole new level with that). Let's connect on LinkedIn, Yelp, and whatever other social networking tool may come into vogue in the coming months and years. The following is the pledge I will make to you. Ready?

Dining in Detroit: I will continue re-posting excerpts from published pieces whenever possible, as well as contribute lengthy original material that is not held to the same level of professional expectation as everything else I write (which means I get to swear a lot). This is about as edgy as I can be without getting lawsuit threats -- and let's leave those with the old blog, shall we?

@diningindetroit on Twitter: This will now be used to automatically link to all Yelp posts, and I will continue to use this as I always have for small tidbits of pertinent restaurant information (great specials, events, openings, closings, random thoughts about beer, etc.). You will still be able to see this on the sidebar of this blog (and on LinkedIn! and on Yahoo Mail!), but I will continue to refrain from re-posting every Tweet on Facebook.

Facebook: Oooh, the biggie. Yes I will continue linking all published articles (including those NOT food-related) as well as posts on this blog to my Facebook feed. I will also continue re-posting delightful news tidbits (such as the recent "Alcoholics live longer" piece you all enjoyed) and sharing the occasional random thought. Most of you will be shielded from my profanity-strewn rage-filled updates unless you are filtered under my "Actual Friends" list ... and if you're not, please don't take it personally, as all you are really missing is me saying "fuck" a lot more than what you currently see. You ALSO have access to the almighty Food Pr0n album -- which, if live-action role playing real time conversations are any indication, you guys LOVE that shit. None of these photos are uploaded elsewhere. I COULD upload them to Twitter, but I don't. ARE YOU BEGINNING TO UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH THOUGHT I PUT INTO THIS YET??? ARE YOU?????

Yelp: All content on Yelp will be unique to Yelp, which means your only access to it will be via Yelp or Twitter. I will not re-post everything I post on Yelp onto Facebook, save for the occasional entry I particularly like or those that do not deal with food (and thus won't be re-Tweeted). There may occasionally be some cross-over (I may write about a place for RDW and write about it seperately for Yelp, etc.) but the content will be separate and unique. I mastered the art of writing about the same place six different times in six different ways long ago; behold my utter lack of concern here and cower at my masterful ability to use the same words and put them in different order so that it appears as though I'm saying something entirely different altogether.

Point (there's ALWAYS one eventually, you should know that by now): I try really hard to keep the content on ALL of these different sites as seperate and unique is possible so that it does not become overkill, while also trying to balance constant visibility and continuous branding. You may hate the self-indulgent rants I often devolve into here but love the more professional and succinct tone I use on Yelp, or vice versa. The bottom line is that your opportunities to read things that I write (be they 140-character bursts or 2,000-word opuses) are damn near limitless (or really, limited to what I am physically capable of cranking out in a given time period), and I make every effort to ensure that the Ruperstarski Super Fans out there don't get bored with any one outlet.

Seriously. I THINK about this shit. In painstaking and obsessive detail. You want to know what it's like inside my head? Read this post again. It's just like that, only on a continuous loop.

So now be my friend on Yelp. Thank you good night.

PS, does social networking make anyone else really sad for the future? I suppose that's a rant for another time and another media outlet.

D-Town Farm (Sort of) and Detroit's Urban Farming Movement (Mostly) and Detroit as a Urban Prairie and Food Desert (a Lot of That Too)

Because I did not receive a passing grade on this exam, I failed the Fall semester of one of my publications. However, this does not mean that my many hours of hard work in writing and research (*cough*) can't still be shared with the world. And let this be a lesson to, well, ME: phoning it in may work 97% of the time, but that other 3% is going to get called out. I wonder if this egg on my face would make a good omelette...

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With its sprawling acres of vacant, underutilized land parcels, the city of Detroit has earned the designation of “urban prairie,” a term coined to characterize an urban area’s seemingly endless acres of vacant land covered in weeds and litter often as the result of extensive demolition and urban decay. While some have viewed this as being symptomatic of the city’s blight and degradation, others see hope and opportunity in the open fields, arguing instead that the city is being reclaimed by nature and as a community we are returning to our roots. The past two years have seen an almost explosive trend of urban farms and community gardens throughout the city, tended by everything from schools to churches to restaurants to neighborhood communities. As a result, Detroit is at the forefront of a nationwide effort towards healthfulness and sustainability through urban agriculture, a significant factor in any dialogue on the subject due to our uniquely low agricultural density.

For many of the groups and organizations that tend their own farms and gardens, the concept itself means a lot more than simply growing your own produce. Another contributing factor unique to such a large city as Detroit is the lack of “food security.” The term “food security” refers to all the members of a community having easy access to adequate amounts of affordable and nutritious food. In the city of Detroit, the reality is that many city dwellers do not have a grocery store within a mile of their homes, making gas stations and convenience stores such as CVS or Rite-Aid primary food sources with fast food replacing home-cooked meals in many households. So it is our urban prairie has also become a food desert.

It was this community-wide food security deficiency that led to the development of the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network (DBCFSN) in 2006. The DBCFSN is a grassroots nonprofit organization which aims to change the way we think about food -- where it comes from, who controls it -- through several key programs designed to promote healthful eating habits and foster awareness of urban agriculture and sustainability. One of these programs is D-Town Farm.

In June 2008, the DBCFSN acquired the use of a two-acre site in the City of Detroit’s Meyers’ Tree Nursery in Rouge Park after two years of negotiations with City Council and the Planning, General Services and Recreation Departments, licensed for $1 annually for 10 years. This plot of land is D-Town Farm.

The urban farm movement is practically indigenous to Detroit. It has very strong roots in the city, with such well-respected nonprofit organizations as Urban Farming making international headlines with outposts all over the US and Caribbean Islands and headquartered, well, HERE. Especially over the last few years Detroit’s urban agriculture efforts have grown exponentially, currently totaling over 100 individual farms and gardens -- from the smallest shared community plots to larger, more industrialized operations (factor in small family gardens and that total becomes a towering 1200).

What makes this agro-socioeconomic movement so specific to Detroit is the very glut of vacant land that has otherwise been considered a representation of the city’s decline. The city’s total landmass spans a sprawling 140 square miles -- in other words, large enough to fit Manhattan, Boston AND San Francisco inside its borders with room to spare -- with much of it standing unused, whether playing overextended host to long-abandoned buildings and burnt-out houses or simply razed lots overgrown with grass and weeds. According to a block-by-block survey conducted by the Detroit Data Collaborative late last summer, there are a total of 91,488 vacant lots in the city, or roughly one-third of all residential parcels.

D-Town Farm is a model urban farm. Their operation includes organic vegetable plots, two bee hives, a hoop house for year-round food production, and a composting operation. Their produce is grown using sustainable, chemical-free practices and is sold on the farm as well as at Eastern Market and in urban growers’ markets throughout Detroit. The farm also hosts an annual Harvest Festival, which offers hands-on “learnshops,” free health screenings, children’s activities, farm tours, and of course all of their fresh produce is available for purchase.

Aside from simply practicing sustainability and providing the community with the fresh, healthful food it lacks, what makes D-Town Farm such a “model” urban farm is the way in which it engages the community. Every Saturday and Sunday from 8:00am – noon volunteers are welcomed to give a helping hand on the farm, which aids in the DBCFSN’s goal of facilitating mutual support and collective action among their members. They are also partnered with three African-centered schools in the Food Warriors Youth Development Program, which encourages young people to pursue careers in agriculture, aquaculture, animal husbandry, bee-keeping, and other food-related fields.

But what separates D-Town Farm, and more specifically the DBCFSN, from other organizations espousing similar ideals regarding health, community and sustainability is their particular focus on the African American community, which comprises the majority population of the city of Detroit and is the community most profoundly affected by this food desert (such as with diet-controllable health ailments like diabetes and obesity). Viewing the food security deficiency issue as being not only an issue of community health but a greater socioeconomic issue directly affecting the majority African American population, the DBCFSN has written public policy on food security, citing economic injustice in the food systems and identifying the shocking absence of African Americans in participation and ownership within them. They speak of food literacy, culture as dynamic, and economically vulnerable families living with a constant threat of hunger whose nearest access to inexpensive food is the heavily processed and severely unhealthy items found at gas stations, party stores, dollar stores and fast food chains. All taken together, theirs is a carefully articulated argument regarding the interdependency of food, health, access and affordability as it affects this specific population and its restricted resources.

D-Town Farm is a pinnacle example of how urban farming can directly and positively affect a community and exemplifies all that which can be achieved through community outreach and education. For the members and leaders of the DBCFSN, it is not simply enough THAT people eat the sustainably-grown, healthy produce, but also that they understand why they SHOULD, and how food security so deeply impacts the community. For all its woes, the city of Detroit is rich with people who are passionate to effect this change, and ironically it is because of its declined population and vast vacancy that they have the opportunity to do so.

Real Detroit Weekly: Bar None

"It all started with Tom Nevells' great-grandfather and a little place called Mitch's on Cass Lake, which was THE place to be in the '70s. Since then, this Greek-American family has gone on to become a mini-restaurateur empire. It's a family business and still retains that independent family vibe, but with eight currently operating restaurants, this multi-generation family enterprise is anything but small.

'Bar None in Brighton is the most recent development for a family that became famous for their Greek salads and ribs. The building was a satellite of their signature brand E.G. Nick's, a popular rib joint with locations in Lapeer and Plymouth. After many successful years of the same formula the place was getting a little tired. In January, they closed E.G. Nick's, deciding to inject some new blood into the old boy. Reopening in May as Bar None, the Nevells have introduced a new kind of dining to this off-the-beaten-path stretch of Brighton..."

Read the rest of the article here.

Psssst: Detroit Restaurant Week Returns

The nitty-gritty tiddly-bits have yet to be finalized, but it has been officially announced that Detroit Restaurant Week will return again this fall for another 10 days of fine dining frenzy.

But wait, what's this??? A press release??? Heavens to Mergatroyd!

PS, I will be the official blogger once again, and we're going to mix it up a bit this time. Don't worry, I'm sure I'll still be able to squeeze in a long-winded ramble or two.

"The Detroit Restaurant Week dinner promotion returns Friday, September 24 through Sunday, October 3 at select fine dining restaurants located in greater Downtown Detroit.

'Detroit Restaurant Week is a great opportunity for residents from southeastern Michigan and visitors from Windsor, Ontario and beyond to enjoy outstanding three-course meals for just $28 per person (excluding tax, gratuity, and beverages).

'The 10-evening promotion has become increasingly popular among restaurant customers since it launched in the fall of 2009 when 27,454 covers (persons seated) were recorded. For the spring edition the covers increased by 5.5 percent to 28,958. The combined cover total for both campaigns was an impressive 56,412.

'Check out www.DetroitRestaurantWeek.com to get the latest information about restaurant announcements, menus, helpful tips, restaurant reviews, and a list of after dinner activities.

'Detroit Restaurant Week is presented by DigDowntownDetroit.com in collaboration with the Downtown, Midtown, Corktown, Eastern Market and New Center districts. Paxahau Promotions Group is the producer of Detroit Restaurant Week."

Another Lazy Press Release: Arts du Jour

This is where I talk about how I love being media again. No one ever gets sick of hearing that. I certainly don't get sick of saying it.

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After a multi-year absence, Arts du Jour returns on Thursday August 26, 2010. As a preview event to the much-anticipated Ford Arts, Beats & Eats festival, Arts du Jour will not only give partygoers a "taste" of what's to come over Labor Day weekend, but will help raise money for nine worthy not-for-profit organizations in the metro Detroit area. It will be held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., with a Late Night After Glow from 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. at the Royal Oak Farmers Market, 316 E. 11 Mile Road, just east of the 11 Mile/Main intersection.

Scrumptious food from 50 local restaurants and caterers, live entertainment, local celebrities, cultural performances and art displays will make the festival kick-off a night to remember. The event will be held for the first time ever at the Royal Oak Farmers Market in Royal Oak. The evening will be a celebration of great food, culture and fun.

Many of metro Detroit's best restaurants, caterers and purveyors of fine food will be sampling selections from their menus including: bd's Mongolian Grill, Beverly Hills Grill, Black Finn, Bloomfield Canapé & Cheesecake, Bonaventure Bread Company, California Pizza Kitchen, Cold Stone Creamery, D'Amato's, Garden Fresh Gourmet, Kirk's BBQ, Lily's Seafood Grill,Melting Pot, Mezza Mediterranean Grille, Moose Preserve & Iroquois Club, Noodles & Company, Palm Palace, Party Cakes, Peking House, Phoenicia of Birmingham, Pronto, Qdoba, Rangoli Indian Cuisine, Russell Street Deli, Sanders Chocolates, Sangria, Schakolad Chocolate Factory, Sonic, Streetside Seafood, The Melting Pot, Town Tavern, Vince & Joe's, What Crepé, White House Tavern, and Zumba.

During Arts du Jour, the Royal Oak Farmers Market will showcase celebrity chefs serving up food from participating restaurants, including members of the local media Chuck Gaidica, Guy Gordon, Jay Towers, Andrew Humphrey, Katrina Hancock, Lauren Podell and Rod Meloni, Jason Carr, Jackie Paige, Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson, and Lisa Jesswein.

"The return of Arts du Jour is a boost to the quality of life in Oakland County. It is a great opportunity to support Ford Arts, Beats & Eats and some very worthy charities," said Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson.

Nine not-for-profit organizations will receive 75 percent of the proceeds from Arts du Jour including Boys and Girls Club of Southeast Oakland, Forgotten Harvest, Gleaners Community Food Bank, The Rainbow Connection, Rose Hill Center, Royal Oak Chamber of Commerce, South Oakland Center, Arthritis Foundation and The Children's Center

Featured performers at the event will include the Golden Rain Percussion Ensemble, whose members will perform light classics and Mexican folksongs on the marimba. The marimba has been described as "the wood that sings," and is an instrument that lends itself to the beautiful melodies and warm harmonies reminiscent of exotic lands and tropical climates.

Also performing will be Nadanta, a Indian artistic and cultural organization, who recently had the world premiere of its latest production "Rhythms of India" featuring music of Academy and Grammy award winner A.R. Rhaman. Nadanta combines the best of Indian classical, folk and creative dance forms with a contemporary multi-cultural outreach.

"We are thrilled to bring back Arts Du Jour as the official charity preview for Ford Arts, Beats, and Eats. It is a wonderful opportunity to generate excitement about the festival's new location in Royal Oak and to raise awareness and funds for our charitable partners," said Jon Witz executive producer of Ford Arts, Beats and Eats.

Entertainment at the Late Night After Glow includes Sean Blackman whose unique World Music style is influenced by Armenian folk, both South and West African music, along with Brazilian Jazz and Flamenco, Jazz, Blues, Rock and Soul.

Also performing is IMPACT 7 with its soulful assortment of blues, rock & roll, Motown, funk and jazz. IMPACT's shows are noteworthy for their tight harmonies, choreography and a lot of high energy.

Homegrown dance band Boogie Dynomite will have guests up on the dance floor and enjoying dance music from many different decades.

Making sure that After Glow guests have a great time will be emcee, Lisa Jesswein. Jesswein is a local radio personality and motivational speaker who currently hosts her own Internet radio podcast show, "Positive Now," on Empower Radio.

Guests are requested to dress in summer chic or summer upscale attire.

The schedule for Arts du Jour is:

Main event
5:30 p.m. Arrive & Register Early
6 p.m. Doors Open
6 p.m. - 7 p.m. Celebrity Chefs Serve up for a great cause.
6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Barbara Peyton & the Big Boss
6 p.m. - 9 p.m. Strolling Dinner & Cocktails, Entertainment

Late Night After Glow 9 p.m. - 12 a.m. Music & Dancing

Tickets for Arts du Jour are $75 each. This event is made possible thanks to the generosity of Arts du Jour sponsors, including Skidmore Studio, Uptown Entertainment, WWJ Newsradio 950, Little Black Dress Wines, Social Connection, The Oakland Press, C &N Party Rentals, Health Plus, Birmingham Investments, Phoeni Innovative, Pepsi, Street Smart Marketing, WDIV-TV, and Garden Fresh Gourmet.

For more information on Arts du Jour, and to purchase tickets benefitting the charity of your choice visit http://ArtsDujJourRO.org, or call (866) 234-6097.

Held over Labor Day weekend, September 3-6, in downtown Royal Oak, Ford Arts, Beats & Eats will be open from 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and, 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. on Labor Day Monday. All net proceeds will benefit local charities. For additional public information on the festival, visit www.artsbeatseats.com or call 248.334.4600.