Detroit: The Whitney
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.
It is a Romanesque Revival style home (a popular style in the late 1900’s for churches and public building because of it’s implied visual strength) designed by architect Gordon W. Lloyd between 1890 and 1894 at an Estimated cost of $400,000 (nearly $14 Million today). It is over 22,000 square feet, a granite exterior, 52 rooms, 10 bathrooms and 20 fireplaces and numerous stained glass windows crafted by Tiffanys of New York. In addition they spent $250,000 for furnishings ($8.6 Million today) and another $300,000 for art work ($10.5 M today) This landmark retains the exquisite charm of Detroit early upper echelon as a venue for all to enjoy.
The Whitney’s were neighbors to some of the most prestigious people in the City, as well as being right next to the original Detroit Athletic Club. This was not a coincidence since Whitney and his son were both active club members. They would regularly watch polo matches from the second and third floors of the home.
After the passing of the Whitneys (David in 1900 and Sara in 1917) from 1917 until 1932, the family allowed the Wayne County Medical Society to move in free of charge, and only a caretaker lived in the home. The Whitney’s were huge advocates of the medical profession. A good number of the tenants who occupied The David Whitney Building on Grand Circus Park were medical professionals. In 1941 the Whitney family gave the house to the society, who remained there until 1956 when it built a more modern facility near the Wayne State Medical Science Building.
The Visiting Nurse Association, which had been using the carriage house as their offices since 1929 purchased the home for $150,000 with grants from the Metropolitan Detroit Building fund and The McGregor Fund, a private foundation started by Catherine Whitney and her husband Tracey McGregor in 1925. The VNA occupied the property until 1979 when it was sold to entrepreneur Richard Kughn when he learned it would likely be torn down after the VNA left. He believed it should be preserved, not for personal use but for all the public to see and enjoy.
In 1986, after a costly restoration (nearly $3,000,000) Kughn opened The Whitney Restaurant. He called it “an American restaurant in an American palace”. He got some help from John McCarthy and John Fox, who ran Van Dyke Place, a French restaurant in the West Village of Detroit. He enlisted some students form the Center for Creative Studies (CCS, right down the street) to help bring the painted murals back to life. The kitchen was installed in the old servants quarters and all the dining rooms on the first and second floors were uniquely furnished and named after their original purpose. The third floor became a cocktail lounge named the Winter Garden. The Whitney quickly became a culinary leader in Detroit for many years.
Once again, in 2007, The Whitney changed hands. Kughn sold the mansion to Bud Lieber, a former Chrysler Executive, for a little more than $2,000,000. He originally only wanted to purchase the carriage house, but Kughn would only sell it as a package deal. Leiber shut the restaurant down for a few weeks for renovations, to restore a lot of the wood finishes and retool the menu. An additional $300,000 was spent outside in the garden area. Lastly they renamed the third floor bar “The Ghost Bar” after tales of Whitney’s ghost haunting the building.
The full History can be found on their website www.thewhitney.com/history. It is quite extensive and well worth the time to read. Here are some pictures of their beautiful interior:
Let’s talk a bit about the happy hour and other food options.
Located on the 3rd floor, the Ghost Bar is the place to go for their Happy Hour. They offer $5 off their 5 Curated Cocktails and $3 off their house special beer, Ghost of The Whitney, made just for them by South Lyon’s Witch’s Hat Brewery. The cocktails also have special names as well like The Witching Hour, fort Pontchartrain and Eastern Market Flower Day to name a few.
For food they offer $5 prime rib sliders which are served on a pretzel roll with caramelized onions & Swiss cheese. These are the same sliders they serve as part of the Eat Detroit Food event every summer. They also had an appetizer trio with Espresso seared tenderloin, chilled shrimp “in-love” and a goat cheese crostini. The trio was good but the sliders are the way to go. You can also order off their bar menu with great selections like calamari, steak tip, baked brie and crispy fries.
On top of their main lunch and dinner menus, which are what you might expect to find at a fine dining establishment, they offer number of special event dining as well.
A 2 course Pre-theatre dinner menu for $49 pp
A spectacular afternoon tea menu for $59 pp
A wonderful Sunday brunch for $69 pp.
The Ghost Bar also serves late night desserts and coffees with the house specialty The Whitney Carrot Cake which has been on their menu for over 31 years.
If you are interested in a tour, they offer Champagne Tours on Saturdays for $19, and late night paranormal tours for $39 pp which includes cocktails and appetizers.
Not wanting a tour, maybe afternoon tea would be better suited for you. They offer afternoon tea service Wednesday-Friday at 1 and Saturday from 12-1.
However the most interesting tour would be the Paranormal Dining Experience Spirited Dining and Estate Tour for $199 pp. This includes the Champagne Tour, 4 course dinner with selected spirits and a paranormal expedition through the mansion, gardens and Carriage House.
You can also join the PPSC (Preservation Partnership & Social Club) for $100 annual membership fee which includes the following:
A $25 gift card for your next visit
A steak and lobster dinner on your birthday
10% discount on your total food check all the time
$20 off bottles of wine $50 or more
Guaranteed VIP reservations with 24 hour notice
Invitation for 2 to 2 Partner appreciation social events in November and May
Special invitation to events and promotional items throughout the year
The ability to reserve one of their outdoor balconies for the perfect AL Fresco dining experience
The Whitney is located in Detroit’s Midtown at 4421 Woodward Ave at the corner of Canfield.
Their hours are:
Lunch M-F 11AM-1:30PM
Dinner M-Th 5PM-9PM Fri-Sat 5PM to 10PM Sun 4PM-8PM
Sunday Brunch 10AM-1:30PM
The Ghost Bar M-Th 4PM 9:30 PM Fri-Sat 5PM-10:30PM Happy Hour M-F 4-6:30 PM
Afternoon Tea W-F at 1PM and Sat from Noon to 1
The Outdoor Gardens are open Memorial Day through Labor Day.
They also offer a great birthday discount. If you come on your birthday you will receive 50% off your entire food tab for a party of 2, 33% for a party of 3 and 25% for a party of 4 up to $100 maximum discount.
Until next time . . . Live well, eat well and enjoy life!
-Keith & Teresa Becker