It’s week 3 of Black History Month and this week we are featuring 2 of Midtown Detroit’s best kept secrets: Jolly Old Timers and Café Sous Terre.  What makes these places cool is that they aren’t big and flashy. Honestly, if you aren’t aware of them, you would walk or drive right by without a giving it a second thought.

In May of 2021, Danielle “Margo Moon” Bigham and Cedrick Andrews founded the pop-up taco shop called Shell Shock’d Tacos.  One of the places they would do a pop-up at is the Bagley Central Bar at 2545 Bagley Street in Detroit’s Southwest neighborhood.   (Bagley Central Bar has closed, and now the space is used as a “pop-up bar space” and is home to the ever so popular pop-up bar Blitzen’s On Bagley, during the holiday season.) They started with a Blackstone grill, a couple tables, some coolers and a tent serving up Detroit-style, Latina Inspired street food.

20 years ago, Charles (Chuck) Nolen bought Joey’s Meatcutters Inn . . . a bar located at the corner of Orleans and Division streets, just outside of Eastern Markets main drag.  It was originally a butcher shop turned bar, owned by Joseph Gajewski, which was known for their gigantic burgers. Charles renamed the bar to be just Cutter’s Bar & Grill . . . but kept the gigantic burgers on the menu along with other favorites.  The bar has some deep rooted history.  In the late 60’s and early 70’s it was owned by the infamous Purple Gang, one of Detroit’s most notorious organized crime gangs dating back to the 20’s and 30’s. 

Grandma Bob’s, in Corktown, was opened in 2019 by brothers Dave and John Kwiatkowski.  John founded the Detroit Optimist Society in 2014, as a parent company to his growing number of hospitality businesses. His first was 2011 when he opened the Sugar House, a nationally recognized craft cocktail bar, on Michigan Ave right next to Slows BBQ.  In 2014 they signed the lease to occupy the 2nd floor of the Wright Kay building at 1500 Woodward and Wright & Company was born.  Since 2014 his empire has grown to 8 of the most popular bars and restaurants in the city: The Sugar House Wright & Company Honest John’s The Peterboro Bad Luck Bar Mutiny Bar Time Will Tell Grandma Bob’s

Grandma Bob’s may seem like an odd name for a pizza place . . . but of course when there is an odd name, there is usually a good story behind it.  It is actually named after John & Dave’s grandmother Roberta.  She was nicknamed Robby, and their grandfather affectionately called her Bobby and the grandkids always called her Grandma Bob.

Growing up, we remember mom and dad taking us out for pizza at the local pizza place.  This was back before there was a carryout pizza place on every block. To get good pizza, you had to go to an Italian restaurant like Mama Mia’s or Corsi’s. These were the 2 that were the “go to places” where we grew up.  When we bought our first house in South Redford, we had the Mama Mia’s on Plymouth Road. But we quickly became fond of DeLuca’s in Westland.  We moved to Livonia in 2001, and of course you leave a lot of your local favorites behind and find new local favorites.  Well we recently made a special trip to get back to DeLuca’s and we are so glad we did. 

Downtown Detroit is going to be hopping with the Lions Playoff game starting at 8PM this Saturday, January 18th. Detroit has a lot of great restaurants . . . but maybe you don’t have the time to sit down for a meal.  Well, you are in luck because this week we are focusing primarily on locations throughout the Downtown area which are great places to grab something while on the go. 

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. 

It’s week 3 of Black History Month and this week we are featuring 2 of Midtown Detroit’s best kept secrets: Jolly Old Timers and Café Sous Terre.  What makes these places cool is that they aren’t big and flashy. Honestly, if you aren’t aware of them, you would walk or drive right by without a giving it a second thought.

In May of 2021, Danielle “Margo Moon” Bigham and Cedrick Andrews founded the pop-up taco shop called Shell Shock’d Tacos.  One of the places they would do a pop-up at is the Bagley Central Bar at 2545 Bagley Street in Detroit’s Southwest neighborhood.   (Bagley Central Bar has closed, and now the space is used as a “pop-up bar space” and is home to the ever so popular pop-up bar Blitzen’s On Bagley, during the holiday season.) They started with a Blackstone grill, a couple tables, some coolers and a tent serving up Detroit-style, Latina Inspired street food.

20 years ago, Charles (Chuck) Nolen bought Joey’s Meatcutters Inn . . . a bar located at the corner of Orleans and Division streets, just outside of Eastern Markets main drag.  It was originally a butcher shop turned bar, owned by Joseph Gajewski, which was known for their gigantic burgers. Charles renamed the bar to be just Cutter’s Bar & Grill . . . but kept the gigantic burgers on the menu along with other favorites.  The bar has some deep rooted history.  In the late 60’s and early 70’s it was owned by the infamous Purple Gang, one of Detroit’s most notorious organized crime gangs dating back to the 20’s and 30’s. 

Grandma Bob’s, in Corktown, was opened in 2019 by brothers Dave and John Kwiatkowski.  John founded the Detroit Optimist Society in 2014, as a parent company to his growing number of hospitality businesses. His first was 2011 when he opened the Sugar House, a nationally recognized craft cocktail bar, on Michigan Ave right next to Slows BBQ.  In 2014 they signed the lease to occupy the 2nd floor of the Wright Kay building at 1500 Woodward and Wright & Company was born.  Since 2014 his empire has grown to 8 of the most popular bars and restaurants in the city: The Sugar House Wright & Company Honest John’s The Peterboro Bad Luck Bar Mutiny Bar Time Will Tell Grandma Bob’s

Grandma Bob’s may seem like an odd name for a pizza place . . . but of course when there is an odd name, there is usually a good story behind it.  It is actually named after John & Dave’s grandmother Roberta.  She was nicknamed Robby, and their grandfather affectionately called her Bobby and the grandkids always called her Grandma Bob.

Growing up, we remember mom and dad taking us out for pizza at the local pizza place.  This was back before there was a carryout pizza place on every block. To get good pizza, you had to go to an Italian restaurant like Mama Mia’s or Corsi’s. These were the 2 that were the “go to places” where we grew up.  When we bought our first house in South Redford, we had the Mama Mia’s on Plymouth Road. But we quickly became fond of DeLuca’s in Westland.  We moved to Livonia in 2001, and of course you leave a lot of your local favorites behind and find new local favorites.  Well we recently made a special trip to get back to DeLuca’s and we are so glad we did. 

Downtown Detroit is going to be hopping with the Lions Playoff game starting at 8PM this Saturday, January 18th. Detroit has a lot of great restaurants . . . but maybe you don’t have the time to sit down for a meal.  Well, you are in luck because this week we are focusing primarily on locations throughout the Downtown area which are great places to grab something while on the go. 

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.