143. Poole’s Tavern – September 27, 2015 – Northville, MI

Northville is the kind of cutesy little town that is perfect to explore on a beautiful fall afternoon; it’s like a Metro-Detroit version of Star’s Hollow (shout-out to my fellow Gilmore Girls fanatics!). But even the most bro-sy of bros will appreciate Poole’s Tavern. It’s got a great patio (it was still gorgeously warm when I was there a few weeks ago! RIP, warm weather, RIP) and bar food that extends beyond the usual fare (I enjoyed a dish of steak tips, hummus, and pita bread).

157 E. Main St.

Northville, MI 48167

poolestavern.com

142. Detroit City Distillery – September 26, 2015 – Detroit, MI

The last stop on my most recent Detroit Day (my simple term for a day where I spend a glorious chunk of time exploring new-to-me locales around the city) was another Eastern Market anchor, Detroit City Distillery. If you are a liquor drinker to any degree, you’ll pretty much swoon over its menu of craft cocktails featuring what it refers to on its website as “small batch artisanal whiskey, gin and vodka.”

The service was great, and the drinks were amazing. I am pretty much worthless for drink recommendations because I can’t remember the names of any of the drinks that we got at this point, and the menu on the website is different than the one featured when we were there. I had a rye whiskey cocktail with fig preserves in it; another friend got one containing pureed watermelon and vodka that was quite good, and my absolute favorite was some sort of concoction with chai tea or something along those lines in it. . . yeah. But check out the drink menu on its website to get an idea of the unique cocktail creations and to be entertained by the names alone (Drunk Yoga! Carpal Tinder Syndrome!).

2462 Riopelle St.

Detroit, MI 48207

detroitcitydistillery.com

141. Brew Detroit – September 26, 2015 – Detroit, MI

Photo courtesy of J. Otto

I loved Brew Detroit! The tasting room is a cavernous space with an industrial vibe – spare bulb lighting and furniture made out of packing crates. It was slow the Saturday afternoon we were there; there were just a few of us huddled around the center bar area. The bartender was very cool; he explained to us that while the tasting room is relatively new, Brew Detroit is actually the third largest brewer in Michigan. In addition to brewing its own small-batch creations served in its tasting room, other businesses contract it to make some of their recipes (Atwater Brewery and Kid Rock’s Badass Beer are two of its notable clients).

One interesting fact about Brew Detroit’s beers; not only are they brewed in small batches, but if I understood correctly, none of the beers served there are ever made again beyond the first batch (about five kegs’ worth, the bartender told us) that is created. That makes for a lot of variety! The bummer: if you like a beer, you’re not likely to see it the next time you’re back, so grab a growler and take that sucker home! The above photo is of the chalkboard above the bar showing the beers on tap during my visit.. I tried a pint each of Experimental Batch #2 (a saison flavored with lavender and chamomile) and Tootsie (a blonde infused with vanilla beans and cacao nibs – phenomenal!).

1401 Abbott St.

Detroit, MI 48216

www.brewdetroit.com

140. Detroit vs. Everybody – September 26, 2015 – Detroit, MI

Because a huge part of our love affair with Detroit is embracing its underdog mentality – in every color-combo of T-shirt options imaginable!

This is the new Eastern Market store. Check out the graffiti art gracing the entrance stairwell – amazing.

2501 Russell St.

Detroit, MI 48207 (also a Greektown location)

http://detroitvseverybody.com

139. Supino Pizzeria – September 26, 2015 – Detroit, MI

Detroit Day – woo hoo! Yes, me and my pals had what we like to call a Detroit Day – an extensive jaunt around the city – two weekends ago. On an absolutely gorgeous Saturday afternoon (we’ve had quite a lovely string of weather this fall, haven’t we?), we jaunted down to the Eastern Market area, which was kickin’. Supino Pizzeria sits in a strip of businesses that hugs the perimeter of Eastern Market. I’d heard great things about the place; it was on my to-try list for quite a while. But I didn’t expect it to be quite so in-demand! There was a line out the door to wait just to place an order. Granted, the place is tiny – a tightly-packed little shoebox of hipster eclecticism plus old-school Italian charm (there’s not too much more to the place than what you are seeing in the photo of the interior above – just a few rows of tables), so it’s not hard to form a line that extends out the entrance. But still, we probably waited about a half hour just to place our order. I’ve chalked it up as part of the experience. Because after all of the waiting, we were happy to discover that the pizza was legit! I had Margherita pizza, and it was all cheesy, olive-oily, fresh-basil-and-tomatoesy goodness.

2457 Russell St.

Detroit, MI 48207

http://supinopizzeria.com