We invited Detroit’s top chefs and restaurant professionals to come to our “backyard party” on the city’s North End, and bring a dish or drink to share. 22 RSVP’d “Yes!”
Jambalaya Crispy Rice Salad: Amber Beckem’s rice salad has tomato and Tabasco vinaigrette, with fresh herbs and lettuce cups.
From left: Cole Lauri, Chef de Cuisine at Freya, eating Rock and Rye Ribs with Fennel Salad; Amber Beckem, Chef at Vinyl Tasting/Quee Kitc eating Jambalaya Crispy Rice Salad; RJ Scherer, executive chef at Ostrea/London Chop House/Fishbones eating Smoked Trout Canapé; Jermond Booze, chef at Vinyl Tasting eating Jerked Ribs
Salade Niççoise: Vincent Strolis’ salad combines gem lettuce, haricots verts, garden cherry tomatoes, Persian cucumber, Niçoise olives, egg, confit and raw tuna, fingerling potato, French breakfast radish, and lemon vinaigrette.From left: Kariann Fifer, wine director at Oak & Reel, brought the wine; David Richter, owner of Alpino, brought the Fennel & Orange Salad; Vincent Strolis, executive chef at Le Suprême, brought the Salade Niçoise
“Summer in Michigan is magical, and so is our produce. Any dish that is described with the words ‘from my garden’ is where I’m headed.”
– Kariann Fifer
Fennel and Orange Salad: David Richter’s summery dish includes blood orange, Kalamata olives, and pistachio.Left: Mary “Lou” Hammer, pastry and sous chef at Street Beet, brought the Vegan Garlic Cheese Plate. Right: Meghan Shaw, owner of Street Beet, brought the Venezuelan Vegan Hot Dogs.Venezuelan Vegan Hot Dogs: Meghan Shaw’s street-style vegan dogs are loaded with shredded red cabbage, green onion, pink sauce, and crushed potato chips. Vegan Garlic Cheese Plate: Lou Hammer’s almond-based vegan garlic cheese plate includes variety table crackers, fresh gooseberries, fresh blackberries, red pepper jam, and orange marmalade.
“When the party is almost over, the sun is going down, and the fire starts to die out, I’ll project a scary movie onto the garage and wind down!”
– Mary “Lou” Hammer
Godwin Ihentuge, chief villager and founder of Yum Village, brought the Fried Fufu and Callaloo Sauce.Fried Fufu, Callaloo Sauce, and Fried Plantains: Crispy on the outside with a warm, mashed potato-like center, Godwin Ihentuge’s fufu are balls of plantain-cassava mix topped with dry aged cheese and deep-fried. Here, they’re served with plantains and a fragrant callaloo sauce for dipping.
What’s your favorite summer party activity and why?
“Grilling with good music in the background — something about the sound of food sizzling while Afrobeats or old-school hip-hop plays just brings everyone together. It’s the heart of the vibe. Plus, it gets people talking, laughing, and sharing stories over a plate of something smoky and delicious. On a rooftop with some fireworks in the background — peak.”
– Godwin Ihentuge
Colin Campbell, executive chef of Alpino, brought the Thuringer Sausage.
Christian Vasquez, chef de cuisine at Hiroki-San and Sakazuki, brought the Tamago Sando
What is your go-to dish when hosting a summer dinner party?
“I like to bring some sort of sandwich. They are easy to eat while we all wait for the grill to fire up.”
– Christian Vasquez
Tamago Sando: Egg salad with Kewpie mayo on shokupan (milk bread).
Host & Guest Do’s…
… prep ahead, keep drinks cold, have shade or fans ready, build a playlist that shifts with the evening, and take a to-go plate.
– Amber Beckem
… have enough seats for all guests. Introduce people who may not know each other. Keep music playing.
– David Richter
… bring yummy food; wear sunscreen. Have too much fun and get wheeled out of the backyard.
– Mike Conrad
& Don’ts
… serve dry food. Period. Keep it juicy or have sauces on deck.
– Godwin Ihentuge
… overcomplicate the menu or wait until folks are starving to serve. And please don’t let your grill game be mid.
– Jermond Booze
… lay in the grass shirtless. Itchy.
– Colin Campbell
… run out of ice. If attending, don’t be the last guest at the party.
– RJ Scherer
Standing: John Neely, bartender and co-founder of Black on Both Sides, brought a secret signature cocktail; seated left: Andre Sykes, bartender and co-founder of Black on Both Sides, brought a Summer Old-fashioned; seated right: Lisa Carielle, bartender and co-founder of Black on Both Sides, brought a Coconut Sangria.
Left: Mike Conrad, executive chef at Leña, brought the Tortilla Española; right: Marcello Molteni, chef de cuisine at Leña
“I love hosting parties.I think it’s the chef in me. I also come from a family of people who inherently love to serve. I wholeheartedly believe that you can be the host and also enjoy the party to the fullest.”
– Marcello Molteni
Tortilla Española: One of Spain’s most beloved dishes, this egg and potato omelette is cooked in olive oil and served at room temperature. Mike Conrad and Marcello Molteni’s toppings include guindilla peppers, jamón, and Better Made potato chips.Summer Old-Fashioned: With gin instead of whiskey, Andre Sykes’s take on the classic has a crisp, botanical taste. The Nick and Nora glass and lemon twist with scalloped edges add a contemporary look.
Vegan Mango Lassi: Maryam Khan’s blended frozen drink mixes fresh mango chunks and coconut milk, plus citrus and sumac for a tart punch. It’s light and refreshing and blends well with your choice of liquor.Left: Maryam Khan, chef/owner of Khana Detroit, brought the Vegan Mango Lassi
What food or drink item do you look for when attending a party?
“I come from a South Asian family and grew up with a dad obsessed with marinating and grilling meat, and no grilled meat on Earth has ever held a candle to my dad’s seekh kebabs. I begin to crave them at the very sight of a grill!”
– Maryam Khan
Omar Anani of Saffron de Twah brought the Loaded HummusLeft: Edgar Torres, executive chef at Vecino; right: Ricardo Mojica, chef de cuisine at Vecino
“Always respecting the host and their efforts is the biggest thing for me. Never leave without saying ‘thank you’ and helping a little bit with cleaning.”
– Ricardo Mojica
Secret Signature Cocktail: John Neely keeps his go-to cocktail recipe for entertaining closely guarded. … All we know is it’s minty and delicious.
Patrick Laramie, chef de cuisine at Puma, brought the Choripán
I am bringing a giant choripán to share with everyone at the potluck! It’s our special Argentinian sausage recipe on a crispy grilled baguette with some tangy, bright chimichurri. Anything grilled is always perfect for a summer barbecue, and this is a fun way to serve and share instead of regular brats or hot dogs (love those, too).”
– Patrick Laramie
This story originally appeared in the August 2025 issue of Hour Detroit magazine. To read more, pick up a copy of Hour Detroit at a local retail outlet. Click here to get our digital edition.
