 
Dbc
Member
Username: Dbc
Post Number: 129
Registered: 09-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, May 29, 2008 - 10:27 pm: |    |
My wife, infant daughter, and I were in the Detroit area (we live near DC) over Memorial Day weekend to visit my folks (I grew up in Canton) and celebrate the little one's first birthday on Saturday with family. Anyway, I just wanted to recount the activity-packed weekend and to remind all you DYessers how much the city has to offer. (As if you already didn't know.)
FRIDAY
(1) DIA - Got there at 11:30 A.M. and went to the Ashcan exhibit, which was phenomenal.
(2) Bureau of Urban Living - Nice space with cool stuff for the nearby lofts. Given limited luggage space, we bought a couple of City Bird Detroit totes and a ball for the baby.
(3) Motor City Brewing Co. - Tried to buy some beer to go, but left sad and empty-handed because they only had cold beer. (As you'll see, it would have gone skunky considering the day ahead.)
(4) Lidel's Bookstore - We bought a bunch of books for the little one, and the owner, who owns the store with her daughter, is delightful. (Btw, Mudgie's next door appeared to have a decent lunchtime crowd.)
(5) Lafayette Park - Took a quick spin through a truly unique neighborhood; a place I'd never been.
(6) Foran's - Guinness pit stop.
(7) Caucus Club - Always wanted to go, but had never been. The bathroom and dining room could use some spiffing up, but the London Broil was perfectly tender, the Bullshot delicious (it's like A-1 over ice), and that's what truly matters. An awesome lunch!
(8) Guardian Building - My favorite building in the world. We got a soda from the Rowland Cafe and some Germack peanuts and Detroit Spice Co. hot sauce from Pure Detroit.
(9) Border's - Bought a CD.
(10) Happy Cream - I got the banana pudding ice cream and my wife got something similar to butter pecan. Both were delicious. Nice, friendly place.
(11) Riverwalk - We walked from the RenCen Wintergarden to Rivard Plaza, which looks great. It was kind of chilly out, so we only saw maybe 20 people - including three walking security guards and three on bikes - and the carousel was empty. (Btw, no work has been done yet where the @water condos will be.)
(12) Fusia - We had some appetizer plates and sushi. The food and service were both excellent. At 7:00, there were maybe ten people in the place, but the waiter said that when it becomes a nightclub, i.e., Sutra, the place is packed. I'm not a shill for the place, but we've been twice and have really enjoyed it both times.
(13) Cliff Bell's - What a cool place, it's like going back in time. Great music and nice beer selection. They have done an amazing job.
(14) Proof - The place was packed with the Movement crowd, and my wife liked her pomegranate martini. (I enjoyed the late night walk back to the Compuware garage - my wife is like a paranoid suburbanite, but she's slowly coming around - with plenty of people walking around at 1:00 A.M. Plus, the garage only cost us $5 even though we parked there after driving through Lafayette Park about twelve hours earlier.)
(15) MGM Grand - Perfect place for a bathroom break (I had one too many club sodas as the designated driver) and to lose $20 on the slots. I searched for a blackjack table, but they all started at $25, with even a couple $75 and $100 tables. Too rich for my blood, and there were almost no seats available anyway, as the casino was pretty crowded. We left around 1:30 A.M., and the clubs seemed pretty full, too.
SATURDAY
(1) Eastern Market - The refurbished shed looks great, and I love the original brick without the gaudy screaming chicken or whatever the hell that thing was. The market was absolutely packed, and the Piazza Detroit restaurant that is going in the market shortly had a portable brick oven in front of their future location. The margarita pizza was excellent.
(2) Rafal Spice Co. - Got some spices and more hot sauce. Yes, it looks like the place is being emptied out, and the fact that many of the spices are labeled "Out" troubled me. Nevertheless, the guy behind the counter tersely told my wife they were not closing.
(3) Germack Pistachio - Bought the best pistachios and cashews money can buy.
(4) Cost Plus Wine - Bought a Late Harvest Riesling from Black Star Farms in the Leelanau peninsula and a white wine blend from Chateau Grand Traverse.
(5) New Palace Bakery in Hamtramck - Bought some paczki, kolaczki, and poppy seed roll. My favorite Polish bakery.
(6) Polish Market in Hamtramck - Stocked up on Polish chocolate and candy you can't get out her in DC.
(7) Buddy's pizza and antipasto - It was from the Warren location, but so good nonetheless.
SUNDAY
(1) Comerica Park - Eight hits, Cruceta gives up a grand slam - I'm not a fan of the intentional walk - , and Todd Jones can't even pitch well when the Tigers are DOWN four runs. BUT, the sky was cloudless, it was a beautifully breezy 70 degrees, the Labatt Blue was cold, and the Ball Parks were perfect!
(2) Cyprus Taverna - It doesn't get much better than some flaming Greek cheese and sausage, a Greek lager, and the Greek Trio.
Man, I miss home. |
Spiritofdetroit
Member
Username: Spiritofdetroit
Post Number: 970
Registered: 11-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, May 29, 2008 - 10:59 pm: | |
I love Detroit |
Gazhekwe
Member
Username: Gazhekwe
Post Number: 2196
Registered: 08-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, May 29, 2008 - 11:05 pm: | |
That was a great weekend! It looks like you packed in as much activity as anyone possibly could. It's a great itinerary, and I think I will save it for a nice vacation at home. All that will take about a week for us to get through. |
Lowell
Board Administrator
Username: Lowell
Post Number: 4826
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, May 29, 2008 - 11:06 pm: | |
What a grand tour DBC! Almost enough for a book. Thanks for sharing. |
Smogboy
Member
Username: Smogboy
Post Number: 7973
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, May 29, 2008 - 11:50 pm: | |
Methinks I'm gonna have to look at that itinerary a little closer and modify a weekend like that for me. That seriously sounded like fun. |
Gsgeorge
Member
Username: Gsgeorge
Post Number: 612
Registered: 08-2006
| | Posted on Friday, May 30, 2008 - 2:40 am: | |
Monday on Belle Isle was a helluva time. |
Detroitduo
Member
Username: Detroitduo
Post Number: 904
Registered: 06-2005
| | Posted on Friday, May 30, 2008 - 3:28 am: | |
I absolutely LOVE the Happy Cream!••• not only is their Ice cream awesome, but their Gumbo is fantastic!
All that and a name that makes you smile when you say, hear or see it. :-D |
Kathleen
Member
Username: Kathleen
Post Number: 2873
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Friday, May 30, 2008 - 8:42 am: | |
Thanks for sharing, DBC! That type of itinerary reminds me of what my husband and I do to celebrate when either of our birthdays falls on a weekend!! Others should follow suit, and pack their special day with all that Detroit has to offer! Glad you had a great visit (and I assume that the grandparents got some quality babysitting time too?)! |
Detroitbill
Member
Username: Detroitbill
Post Number: 639
Registered: 09-2006
| | Posted on Friday, May 30, 2008 - 10:45 am: | |
Thnks DBC,, great summary and above all sounds like a great time,, It really is a good answer to those on here that seem to feel there is little to do, for those of us who live here, that summary show many good reasons why we do..Living/enjoying Downtown is really a good lifestyle. |
Gianni
Member
Username: Gianni
Post Number: 374
Registered: 05-2004
| | Posted on Friday, May 30, 2008 - 11:57 am: | |
Thanks for the great post. For those of us that live downtown, that is why we love it. We do those things all the time (maybe not all in one weekend). And next time think about bringing the little one along. Except for the Casino and Proof, my young children have enjoyed just about everything else on your list, including Cliff Bell's, Foran's and DBC sans the pomegranate martinis or Guiness. And they're regulars at Happy Cream. |
Putnam
Member
Username: Putnam
Post Number: 125
Registered: 05-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, May 31, 2008 - 8:14 am: | |
I got here searching for news about Mudge's ("Btw, Mudgie's next door appeared to have a decent lunchtime crowd.") Great article and it sounds like a great time.
...but a something else stood out that I can't resist answering.
Beer doesn't skunk because of temperature change (Exposure to certain frequencies of light combined with certain hops profiles cause that flaw.) Taking beer from a cooler and slowly allowing it to warm to room temperature will not change any aspect of the taste of beer either. (If you test this, as I have, be sure to keep the taste trials blind, preferably double blind). Essentially, every beer ever stored at room temp was once stored cold/cool! And yet stores and distributors continue to store beer this way. They aren't skunking it or ruining it by changing the temperature, but they are destroying freshness by keeping it that way for too long.
Summary: 1) beer should be stored cool. 40-45 deg. F is good for most beers. 2) It will not ruin cold beer to allow it to warm up. 3) storing beer at room temperature for too long WILL ruin it -- some beers more quickly than others and 4) as storage temperatures rise above ~75 degrees F spoilage due to staling will become quite noticeable quite quickly.
If temperatures in your vehicle were to exceed 70, 75 deg. F it was probably just as well not to load up on inventory at MBC.
I hope my concern doesn't seem excessive on this point. I want nothing more than to see empowered beer drinkers obtaining their due taste satisfaction!
(Message edited by putnam on May 31, 2008) |
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