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.