The Detroit Foodie

June 1, 2012 | 6pm - 8pm | Admission = $12

Stop by at MOCAD this Friday for a DIY Food Fair - participating vendors include:

The Dunch Club - Fresh veggie goodies
Beau Bien Fine Foods - Jam and cheese snacks
Stuffed - Veggie and pork empanadas
Dr. Sushi - Freshly created sushi
The Batata Shop - Sweet Potato Waffles
Esperanza Salsa - Fresh salsa and homemade chips
Sofia’s Selections - Handcrafted, small batch olives
Anthology Coffee - Freshly roasted coffees
The Detroit Zen Center - Raw & organic foods 
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Location: 4454 Woodward Avenue Detroit, MI 48201 | Phone: (313) 832-6622

Palma Restaurant is located within a brightly colored yellow brick home across the street from the Hamtramck post office, and serves up some tasty Bosnian cuisine!

Upon entering the restaurant, you’ll feel like you’ve stepped back into the old country, visiting a second cousin who has laid out their finest linen table cloths in preparation for your dinner arrival. Greeting you as you walk in is not your cousin, but the waitress with a welcoming hello! Service here was courteous, the atmosphere has a casual yet intimate feel, and the workers are friendly & hospitable!

All the food is homemade, which includes the highly addictive bread (a consistency between foccacia & Greek pita), their chicken noodle soup will warm your soul, and the cevapi (a sausage looking medley of minced meat) was not bad.

Side notes: Cash ONLY & pricing is extreeeeemly reasonable (about $5-8 for a meal).

Location: 3028 Caniff St Hamtramck, MI 48212 | Phone: (313) 875-2722

Sunday May 27, 2012 | 10:30am - 4:00pm

Enjoy authentic Thai cuisine at the MBMC Sunday Market this weekend! It’s a bi-weekly outdoor food fair that features multiple vendors selling some of the best Thai cuisine around. There’s plenty of seating, so pick a few dishes get an iced Thai Coffee (a definite must) and relax on a Sunday afternoon at the MBMC : )

My personal favs are their Fried Plantains (pictured above) with hints of toasted sesames and coconut - highly addictive, Taro Puff-Pastries are a nice sweet airy dessert, Veggie Dumplings (pictured below: left) are scrumptious and the spicy/sweet sauce is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G, lastly the Corn Fritters (pictured below: right) with hints of lemongrass & a tasty sweet chili sauce, are phenomenal!

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Side Note: Prices range from $8 - $10 for large portions and $3 - $5 for small plates.

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Location: Midwest Buddhist Meditation Center  29750 Ryan Rd  Warren, MI 48092

Located in Bricktown, is one of Detroit’s oldest restaurants - Jacoby’s.

How old, you may ask? Old enough that the minute i stepped inside i was expecting to see Wyatt Earp throwing back a couple. Instead of Wyatt, there was a baby chillin’ at the bar. Don’t believe me, take a closer look at that picture above.

Jacoby’s also has a great selection of beers…specifically their pilsners! As for the German food, not bad. The definite highlights of our meal were the Jäger-Schnitzel and Red Cabbage. I was split, however, on the Koenigsberger Klopps. The meatballs with the lemon caper sauce were absolutely delicious, but the Spatzle that accompanied this dish were a disappointment - dry & stale. Our third dish, Rouladin, was a definite skip! The beef was old (it was actually grayish) and the sauce was terrible. 

But my biggest beef (pun intended): the horrid condition of the bathrooms!

Filthy, no toilet paper, broken stall doors, no paper towel, barely running water in the sink, and dirty floors. If they’re not taking care of people’s basic needs, then how’s the condition (aka the cleanliness) of the kitchen? I might not wanna know : /

Join the Hub of Detroit this Sunday May 20th, for a bike thru the city along with a fabulous dinner catered by Detroit Vegan Soul, Green Dot Stables, and Native Kitchen!

For more information about this event and to reserve a seat, click here! : )

Photo credit: Marvin Shaouni - amazing photographer!

For those of you that got to experience the outdoor biergarten known as Tashmoo, located within Detroit’s historic Indian Village, and for those who have yet to visit and are yearning for the Fall season - the wait is over!

Tashmoo Biergarten returns (temporarily) this Saturday & Sunday from 12pm-9pm, and will feature some local brews, pierogis, games, and an overall great time : )

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Side Note: Tashmoo is located at 1416 Van Dyke (between Agnes & Coe) in Detroit.

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Happy Hour: Tuesday – Thursday 5:30pm-7:30pm & Friday 5:00pm – 7:30pm

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Saltwater (within the MGM casino) has one of Detroit’s best kept culinary secrets!

How can you go wrong with $5 dishes, $3 beers, and $5 cocktails at one of Michael Mina’s finest dining establishments, located right here in the city!

Caiparinha à GoGo: Leblon Cachaça, Fresh Lime, Soda - refreshing drink, muito bom!

P.E.I. Mussels: Chorizo, Fennel, Onion, Pernod, Malt Vinegar Aioli - my fav dish!!!

Swedish Meatballs: Kobe Beef Meatballs with Rich Sage Gravy - deeeelish!

Squash Empanandas: Buttery, Flaky, and Tasty - great comfort food!

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Location: 1777 Third St  Detroit, MI 48266 | Phone: (313) 465-1646

8 Degrees Plato hosts a FREE beer tasting every Friday from 6-8pm.

Be sure to visit them tonight where they’ll be featuring carefully crafted beers like Shiner Red Bird and Short’s Soft Parade.

As one of Ferndale’s newest additions, 8 Degrees Plato is focused on carrying quality beers from local breweries, as well as international favorites! If you have any questions or need recommendations on what type of beers would fit your taste, don’t be afraid to ask…the workers here are attentive, hospitable, and knowledgeable in all things beer : )

Wednesday - May 9th from 5pm to 9:30pm

If you’re familiar with Zingerman’s in Ann Arbor (the Mecca of all things food), then be sure to check out their weekly changing pop-up restaurant: POP IN.

Today they’re featuring the budding Tunisian restaurant, Café Memmi. Last year i attended a dinner hosted by Café Memmi and their carefully crafted Tunisian menu was incredible! The flavors, aromas, and overall dinner ambiance were perfect…so i highly recommend visiting their pop-up dinner today!

Tunisian Fare M’soki - $15
A trio of harissa braised meats (lamb, beef and goat) with fava and fingerling potatoes with plenty of fresh herbs, served with m’hamsa (a Tunisian hand-rolled couscous).

Couscous Royale - $11
Slowly simmered chickpeas in a harissa and tomato sauce finished with fresh herbs served with m’hamsa.

Macaron - $2 each
The emperor of all French cookies….light, delicate, and delicious!

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Location: Zingerman’s Events on Fourth, at the corner of Kingsley and Fourth Street within the Kerrytown Market & Shops.

Who/What is Dr. Sushi? This sushi PhD offers patrons some amazingly tasty sushi, with a strong focus on using sustainable fish & locally sourced ingredients - awesome!

The sushi is available for pick-up every Wednesday at an undisclosed Corktown location. Sushi + Underground Dining + Secret Location = Love it!!!

How does it work, you may ask?

(1.) The weekly sushi menu is available on Facebook & Twitter.

(2.) Contact Dr. Sushi via email or Twitter to place your order.

(3.) Orders must be made by 11:00pm, Tuesday night.

(4.) You’ll get an email confirmation with the pick-up location address.

(5.) Enjoy your fresh tasting delicous sushi order.

The sushi menu changes weekly, so for this past week’s order i got two maki rolls:

$3 DAIKON ROLL = Daikon (a florescent yellow veggie) is the Japanese cousin of the radish. The roll was nice & crunchy, and not as peppery as a regular radish - great!
$5 ASPARAGUS DELUXE ROLL = Fresh asparagus with an ever so slight smothering of Wasabi cream cheese - fantastic!

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FYI: Dr. Sushi is also available for private dinners, classes, office lunches, & catering!

With Cinco de Mayo celebrations well underway, many of you will be frequenting Southwest Detroit (aka Mexicantown) this weekend.

Rule #1: Avoid the commercial touristy area -  i’m talking to you Xochimilco fans!

Why? This is NOT the real Mexicantown! To truly experience Southwest Detroit (filled with amazing Mexican & Central American shops, taquerias, murals, galleries, parks, historic churches) and the heart of this area, be sure to frequent these destinations:

Taco Trucks : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :

Forget about what you think you know about taco trucks! These mobile taquerias are the real deal - serving authentic & flavorful tacos, while El Guapo & Jacques Tacos do not! I know some of you may be wary of trying tacos out of a cart or a dingy little truck, but rest assure that you’ll have some of the best tasting tacos EVER!

Most of the taco trucks/carts are concentrated along Vernor, but there are soooo many to list that you’ll need to use this map (created by fellow foodies Lorna & Janelle) as your taco-finding guide - buen provecho!

Dining Options : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :

Pupuseria Salvadoreño - Pupusas + Pasteles + Curtido = Great Salvadoran food!

El Barzon - A Mexican/Italian restaurant that does both cuisines exceptionally well!

Taqueria El Rey - This little shanty/outdoor BBQ, makes some amazing tacos!

Angel’s Place - Puerto Rican cuisine? Yessir, but call ahead b/c of their off hours.

Mi Pueblo - Suadero tacos + Guacamole + Horchata = an authentic Mexican meal!

Pollo Chapin - Guatamalen food with some of the best fried chicken in the D!

Armando’s El Rey del Pollo - Please note, this is not Armando’s the restaurant, but Armando’s the awesome guy grilling some amazing chicken outdoors during the summer months. You’ll find him on Vernor, between Lansing & Ferdinand streets.

HELPFUL HINT: If you come accross a restaurant with the word ‘Taqueria’ in its name, you’re guaranteed authentic Mexican food =)

Sweets : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :

Chilango’s - A family owned bakery with delicious Mexican sweets & breads!

Cafe Con Leche - One of my favorite coffeehouses in Detroit!

Neveria la Michoacana - This neveria (open only in Spring & Summer) serves up homemade fresh fruit popsicles, ice cream, and their MUST TRY agua frescas - a smoothie/fruit punch elixir that’s refreshing, tasty, and overall fantastic!

Sightseeing : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :  : : : :

Historic Churches - Home to many of Detroit’s historic & oldest churches like Holy Redeemer, St. Anne de Detroit, and St. Hedwig’s - def worth visiting!

Fort Wayne - This historic, often overlooked, site is one of SW Detroit’s best kept secrets! With rolling green hills, old army barracks, and underground tunnels gives visitors a glimpse into the once rural & developing city of Detroit - very cool!

TAP (The Alley Project) - Awesome community project located in the alley between Avis & Falcon streets, where garages are used as canvases for beautiful murals & graffiti. Please note:  it’s located in the hood, so be sure to visit TAP during daylight hours!

Outdoor Artwork - Take a drive down Vernor, starting at the old train station and heading west, and you’ll uncover amazing murals (like the one pictured at the very top), high quality graffiti (pictured above), and sculptures (located throughout Clark Park).

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Bonus: Be sure to make a stop at Honeybee Market! : )

Sandwiched between Ferndale & Pleasant Ridge, is my new favorite dining spot - Mae’s. They serve staple diner food with a strong emphasis on using quality ingredients, home style cooking, all in a quaint little setting.

Just a couple side notes:

(a.) Make sure you get there early or go after the lunch crowd (like around 1:30 or 2:00), otherwise you’ll be waiting for an hour. Above are the before & after lunch crowd pics. The one of the left is us finally getting seated after a 45minute wait, while the pic on the right is the 2:00pm crowd - the ideal time to visit Mae’s! : )

(b.) This tiny diner may be hard to find, so look for the storefront that says ‘Susan’s Special Needs’ and Mae’s is located right next door.

(c.) Open only till 3:00pm, Tuesday thru Sunday.

Aebelskievers (pictured above): Scandinavian styled pancakes, that are spherical rather than flat. Taste and texture wise, they reminded me more of beignets (very airy & fluffy). They were also topped with whipped cream & freshly made raspberry syrup - delicious!

Pancakes: Huge, fluffy, and tasty!

Applewood Bacon: A-MAE-ZING! Don’t tell anyone, but…there was a little piece of bacon that cracked off and fell on the counter, then stood there for well over 10 seconds when i decided i NEEDED to pick it up and proceeded to devour that little morsel. Yea, it was THAT good!

Grits: Just okay, wouldn’t order them again. I hate wasting food, so i drowned the grits in sriracha just so they’d be edible.

Desserts: Everything from their freshly made chocolate chip cookies and homemade pop-tarts are great! So, definitely leave room for dessert : )

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Location: 24060 Woodward Pleasant Ridge, MI 48069 | Phone: (248) 548-5355

Sunday Supper Club : : : April 29th at 7:30pm

Please join the Jamison Social Club (2900 E. Grand Boulevard Detroit, MI) this Sunday for dinner, featuring some momma-inspired Greek home cooking!

I had the lovely opportunity of attending a Greek themed dinner here last month! As you can tell from the pics, the atmosphere has a quaint & charming feel and all the food was fantastic! Each dish was handcrafted with tender lovin’ care : )

As your fellow foodie, I highly recommend attending one of their dinners!

The Menu for April 29th:

Avgolemono (Lemon and egg chicken soup)

Horiatiki Salata (The quintessential Greek salad: tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion & feta)

Vegetarian Pastitsio (A new spin on a classic: pasta, eggplant & mushroom bolognese, bechamel sauce, baked in the oven)

Kolokithokeftedes (Zuchini fritters)

Tzatziki

Bread

Wine

Galopita (milk pie)

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To reserve a seat, please email: lady@happyabandon.com with ‘reservations’ in the subject line by Saturday. Please note: A $10/person donation is suggested.

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Batata Pop-Up Shop - April 24th : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :

Starting at 9am, check out the Batata Shop at MOCAD! They’ll be selling wholesome batata (aka sweet potato) waffles with their in-house made pecan butter spread, yum!

Tour de France: Wine Tasting - April 24th : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :

From 7pm-9pm visit Green Zone Pizza for a tasting of 8 French wines + a meal. Secure your spot by making your reservation ASAP! Call 313-332-0559 : )

Royal Oak Restaurant Week - April 27th : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :

Visit the 20+ restaurants participating in Royal Oak’s Restaurant Week!

A Tour of Italy - April 27th : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :

Plum Market offers wine tastings on a weekly basis, but be sure to check this particular event for a tasting of 20 Italian wines. Side note: Tickets must be purchased in advance.

Taste of Detroit - April 28th : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :

A Waldorf School fundraiser sponsored by Gleaner’s Food Bank, where patrons get a strolling dinner featuring some of Detroit’s finest dining establishments like Roast, Slows, Joe Muer Seafood, Seva, Russell Street Deli, and many others. Tickets are going fast, so buy yours in advance!

Potluck Brunch at Lincoln Street - April 29th : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :

Bring a dish or two, some drinks, and a chair and enjoy a Sunday brunch at Detroit’s newest public art space: Lincoln Street Sculpture Park!