This week we are in Eastern Market, at Frank’s Deli & Grill, enjoying breakfast after a great morning at the Saturday Market.  We have been coming to Eastern Market on a regular basis, 15-20 times a year, for the past 10 or more years.  We know all the places to eat and drink and have featured many of them in this blog. Frank’s is one place that we have known of, but never stopped in to eat until just recently.  The truth is, no one goes on and on about it like they do Vivio’s, Zeff’s or Farmer Frank’s.  Maybe it’s because it is not in the “actual market area” like the rest of them. I think it is what kept us from getting here sooner . . . but we finally did!

The Brentwood Grill has only been around for about 18 months . . . but it has much deeper roots than that.  If you have never heard of the Brentwood Grill we wouldn’t be surprised. You may know it better as Steve & Rocky’s.  Steve & Rocky’s, which was owned by Steve Allan (Steve) & Charles Rachwitz (Rocky), since around 1998 was a staple to the Novi area.  Last year, when Steve & Rocky decided to step away from day to day operations, their General Manager Bob Loomis stepped in and purchased it from them.

If you live in the Detroit area, and have never been to the Whitney, it needs to be on your list! Not necessarily to dine, even though we highly recommend it, but just to see and maybe take a tour.    If you are not familiar with the Whitney, it is an old mansion on the corner of Woodward and Canfield.  It’s name is an homage to the original owner, David Whitney Jr, a lumber baron and the wealthiest man in Detroit at the time, who had the house built as a residence for himself and his Wife Sara. 

This week we are in Oak Park at Ernie’s Market to grab a couple of Ernie’s renowned sandwiches.  We heard about Ernie’s a couple of years back, through my brother Don, but were not able to get there until recently. In 1955, Ernie & Virginia Hassan (Ernie’s parents) purchased the local Austin Heights neighborhood market, at the corner of Capital and Republic, for $4000 (the equivalent of $50,000 today) but, according to Ernie, it has been in the family for over 100 years. 

This week we are visiting 2 places in New Buffalo Michigan, The Beer Church and The Stray Dog Bar & Grill.  Both of these places are a great place to stop if you are in the area.  We go to Chicago a lot and are always driving by the billboards on I-94 advertising these location in New Buffalo so we finally decided to exit the highway and check them out.  Both places have great history or backstories, both have wonderful food (though the Stray Dog has a more expanded menu) with full bars and they are literally 2 blocks form each other. 

This week we are checking out Sullivan’s Steak House in Downtown Detroit.  Sullivan’s is located on the ground floor of the Westin Book Cadillac, on Washington at Michigan Ave in the space that Michael Symon’s Roast used to occupy.  Sullivan’s opened the doors in Detroit on September 20, 2023, but nationally they opened in 1996 in Austin Texas with the commitment of big steaks, big portions, big drinks and big hospitality.  That theme has carried on to all 15 of their locations from Anchorage, Alaska to Raleigh, North Carolina.  The Detroit location, which has been open for a little over a year, is very spacious.  When you walk in, the restaurant is to the left of the hotel lobby.  It has 3 separate dining areas all set with white linens and white high back chairs.  

In 1936, Gus Guerra opened Buddy’s Rendezvous in Detroit, on Conant at 6 Mile. Originally is was a blind pig, since prohibition had just ended a couple years earlier.  The “Detroit-Style Pizza” legacy began in 1946 when Gus Guerra and his team made their first square-shaped pizza. 

They used square forged-steel pans, “borrowed” from local automotive plants that used them for holding automotive parts. 

They were able to produce a pizza with a very light cheesy and crispy crust, which is now known as Detroit-Style Pizza. This was something that had never been done before and was the first known square pizza in the country.  Now, more than 78 years later, the pizza style has become a national favorite to most people . . . unless you are from New York or Chicago.

Downtown Plymouth has become one of the hottest areas around for dining and nightlife and the Post Local Bistro is a popular location for good food and live entertainment.  Located at 844 Penniman, The Post, which was formerly The Rock Bar & Grill, was opened by Jim and Jennifer Dales in 2013 and have been going strong ever since.  The Dale’s were not new to the restaurant business, having owned a number of other Post Bar locations in Ferndale, Auburn Hills, Detroit and East Lansing until 2007.  While those locations were primarily bars first and restaurants second, they vowed to make this location a destination for all ages and they started with the name, Post Local Bistro.

In 2013 David Steinke (who also co- owns the Mercury Burger Bar on Michigan Ave) and Tim Springstead (who co-owns Nemos Bar also on Michigan Ave) had the thought of opening a new and exciting restaurant in Corktown.  The area was bouncing back and the building right across from Nemos, at the corner of 8^th St. and Michigan Ave, was available and turned out to be the perfect location for them to open up an Italian restaurant.  Ottava Via (pronounced O-Tava Via), which translates to Eighth Way or 8th Street was the perfect and most obvious name, and it sound cool.  The building, which was built in 1914, is the former home of Dime Saving Bank way back in the day and most recently a pawn shop before being transformed into what it is today.

It all began in 1929 when Joe Muer Sr, a cigar producer, decided to open his first restaurant in Eastern Market.  It was a small oyster bar, on Gratiot at Vernor, with only 7 tables and 5 employees.  As he gained popularity he scaled back his cigar production, to expand the restaurant.  The restaurant continued to grow and they kept expanding.  By the 1950s Joe Muer Seafood was one of Detroit’s top dining destinations and was known worldwide.  When Joe Sr passed away, he left the restaurant to his son Joe Muer Jr, who then passed it along to his two sons Joe Muer III and Chuck Muer, who also went on to become an icon in Detroit’s food scene . . . until his disappearance in 1993 while sailing through the Bermuda Triangle.

This week we are in Novi at Border Cantina for Happy Hour.  While we are not sure exactly when Border Cantina opened its doors, we can say it has been a long time.  We have been coming here for what seems to be over 30 years.

This years reopening of the Michigan Central Train Station has drawn a lot of visitors to the area, and the local restaurants are reaping the benefits.  In the vicinity you have at least a dozen places to choose from.  Places like Slows BBQ, Takoi and Ima, Supergiel, Cork and Gable and Grandma Bob’s, just to name a few, all right there within walking distance . . . but this weeks adventure is taking us to Mercury Burger Bar.

Nothing beats the food and atmosphere of a small town diner.  You can always tell the home cooked, scratch made food that is from the heart.  Ma’s Diner in Onaway is no different.  They opened their doors in 2023 and are going strong today.  They open daily at 4:30 for all the early birds who want to get in before they have to get to work.   

What do Goodnite Gracie and D’Amato’s in Royal Oak have in common?  Well to start, they are sister restaurants, owned by the same owner, and both offer a superb happy hour.  Happy Hour is the same at both places, just with different hours. We’ll get into that later.  What sets these 2 places apart from the others is their longevity.  Not only have they been in business for decades, they are also off the beaten path.  These are not places you are going to just stumble by and stop in, they are “destination” places that people go to on purpose.

In 2011, in the height of the foreclosure crisis, Gary and Vicki Brown purchased this property, which at the time was a small landscaping company call Northland Gardens.  They already owned  landscaping and lawn service companies and thought it would be a nice addition to their businesses.  In 2012, they decided to add a little trailer, selling some smoked ribs, brisket and pulled pork, to attract some tourist drive-bys and people from the state park across the street…thus Lakeshore Smokehouse was born.  At first glance, this unique eatery might not catch your eye. In fact, you might have driven past Lakeshore Smokehouse during previous trips without taking a second look..

This week we are visiting the Side Hustle Lounge, a retro bar which is located and part of Mootz Pizza in Downtown Detroit.  Mootz Pizzeria opened its doors in late 2018 or early 2019 serving their authentic New York style pizza.  Shortly thereafter they opened their “side hustle”, which is a walk up “grab n go” pizza by the slice, for those who do not want to have a sit down meal.  It is designed to resemble a NY subway station.  Fast forward to April of 2024 when they opened The Side Hustle Lounge.

If you know us, you know we are suckers for good BBQ.  In the past 15-20 years it seems that a lot of BBQ places have popped up in the metro Detroit communities.  Some good and some . . . not so much.  The problem that most people have with BBQ is that it can be expensive, and nobody likes to pay top dollar for average food.  Well Lockhart’s BBQ in Royal Oak is far from average. 

C.A. Muer Restaurant Group was founded in 1965 by the legendary restaurateur Chuck Muer, which at its peak had 18 restaurants in 4 states. Charles Rachwitz, also known as Chuck or Rocky, worked for the C.A. Muer restaurant group for 18 years. He served as their Corporate Executive Chef and was a mentor to many future chefs in the Detroit area. Rocky was a integral part of the Muer Corporation by creating and establishing many successful restaurants for his mentor and best friend Chuck Muer. A year before the tragic disappearance at sea, of Chuck and his wife in 1993, he helped Rocky turn the former Northville Charlie’s restaurant into Rocky’s of Northville and he is still going strong today.

The Brakeman, which is referred to as a “Beer Hall” on their website, was opened in March of 2019 by the NOHO Hospitality group. They operate many successful restaurants in New York and have cornered the market here with The Brakeman, also owning Penny Reds, Mister Dips and San Morello in the Shinola Hotel. 

While it feels more like a sports bar than a beer hall, it’s a cool place to stop in for a refreshing cold beverage and maybe play a game of shuffleboard, beer pong, foosball . . . or just watch your favorite team play on one of their many TVs.