Browndog Creamery to Launch Better Made Ice Cream Flavors, New Faygo Flavor
On June 26, metro Detroit-based Browndog Creamery is introducing a whole new line of ice cream flavors in collaboration with one of the Motor City’s most beloved legacy brands: Better Made. The lineup features three new ice creams “Snack Attack,” peanut butter ice cream with chocolate-covered pretzels; “Detroit Mix,” cheddar cheese popcorn ice cream with salted caramel; and “Motown Chip,” malted vanilla ice cream with chocolate-covered potato chips and caramel ribbons. A pint of these may well be the “ultimate bargaining chip” this summer.
And if that’s not enough Detroit nostalgia marketing to tug at your heartstrings, Browndog’s latest Faygo flavor — Root Beer Float — drops the same day. The local ice cream maker is hosting launch parties where guests can sample the flavors and take home merchandise at its Browndog Barlor & Restaurant locations in Northville and Lansing on June 26 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Lyndsay C. Green Wins James Beard Media Award
Lyndsay C. Green, Detroit Free Press restaurant critic and former dining editor for Hour Detroit magazine, won a James Beard Media Award on June 16 for a story published last November. The piece, titled “As Detroit sees a future in urban agriculture, some pushback harkens to a dark past,” earned her the second James Beard Media Award of her career, this time in the Foodways category, which “acknowledges the importance of culture and history in food journalism,” according to the James Beard Foundation.
Also nominated at this year’s awards was regular Hour Detroit contributor Mickey Lyons, whose piece “Detroit’s Third-Shift Bars Were a Lifeline. Now, They’re a Dying Breed” for the publication Punch earned her a nod in the Beverage category.
Little Caesars Expands to India
Little Caesars is grabbing yet another piece of the pie, in terms of the world pizza market. This month, the first Indian Little Caesars is set to open in Delhi NCR, the brand announced on June 10. The multinational pizza corporation says this will mark the 30th country it has expanded to since opening its first restaurant in Garden City 66 years ago.
An exclusive menu was developed for diners in India, which the pizza giant says will blend its “signature quality and value with bold, local flavors.” As we’ve been able to parse from some of Little Caesars India’s online marketing content, it appears the menu will include — in addition to pizza — unique items like tiramisu, something called a “Choco Temptation,” as well as “Peri Peri Slices-n-Sticks,” and several flavors of Krazy Punch, a soft drink made in India. This location will be one of several planned to open around the country soon, according to the release.
Taste the Local Difference Launches New Online Local Food Guide
For those who think locally when shopping for groceries and visiting restaurants in metro Detroit (and around Michigan), the Traverse City-based publication Taste the Local Difference has launched an interactive online Local Food Guide. Its features include a “Find Food & Farms” directory, which allows the user to search by specific produce, meats, fish, and products — everything from apples to zucchini. Users can browse local farms, fisheries, butchers, and CSAs — viewing specifics like growing practices and where to purchase their offerings. Plus, you can locate breweries, distilleries, restaurants, food trucks, and even agrotourism in your area. To use the free “Find Food & Farms” tool, visit localdifference.org/find-food-farms.
Last Bobcat Bonnie’s Location Closes
The final Bobcat Bonnie’s in Lansing bowed out officially. After a slew of its locations closed since last August — Clinton Township, Ypsilanti, and Grand Rapids — followed by the original Corktown location where it was founded in 2015, Crain’s Detroit Business reported on Sunday, June 15 that the last Bobcat Bonnie’s in Lansing closed. Crain’s also reported that Buskard owes over $1 million in state tax liens, citing the Oakland County Register of Deeds.
Sister Pie Takes a Break from Regular Business Operations
Sister Pie, an acclaimed bakery in Detroit’s West Village neighborhood, is taking a break from regular operations. The final day of business at its brick-and-mortar location on Kercheval (for the time being) was Sunday, June 8. In a Facebook post in late May, owner Lisa Ludwinski said the business will “enter a period of rest and radical reconfiguration, of exploration and experimentation,” which will include occasional pop-ups and events, baking classes, and fulfilling special orders. In the same statement, she said that the business wasn’t “working in its current state” and cited “multiple, intersecting factors that contribute to this, and most urgently in the form of a financial crisis” as reasons for her decision.
Bonus News from Up North: Petoskey’s Terrace Inn Introduces New Chef and Outdoor Eatery
The Terrace Inn and its 1911 Restaurant — a historic destination for dining and lodging in downtown Petoskey — has welcomed a new executive chef, and a whole new culinary concept for the summer, Inn owner Mary Beth Bennett tells Hour Detroit. The new hire — Randy Hopkins — is a Michigan native who, according to his online biography, has previously worked under James Beard-winning chefs in Portland, the U.S. Virgin Islands and North Carolina. Along with the new chef, a new concept called Josephine’s is set to open on July 1. The outdoor dining destination — which will be in a “relaxed garden setting” on the premises, will feature a seasonal menu, with small plates, sandwiches, and burgers — plus a bar with cocktails, wines, and locally made beers. The concept is named for the late Josephine DeVol, who was the wife of the man who originally built the inn, William DeVol. For more information and hours, visit theterraceinn.com.
New Metro Detroit Restaurants and Bars:
Ryuu Sushi in Grosse Pointe
In late May, Grosse Pointers welcomed a new sushi spot, located in the former Shift Kitchen & Cocktails space and run by the same hospitality group. Ryuu Sushi features a new menu from chef James Lee. Co-owner Mark Adamo, who also co-owns Sidecar Slider Bar, says the new project came from more than a year of feedback, during which sushi “kept coming up again and again,” he said in a press release. The totally refreshed menu includes small plates like Hamachi Crudo and Angus Gyoza, plus signature rolls and tempura. The “& Cocktails” element of the previous restaurant has also gotten a makeover — in addition to signature mixed drinks, Ryuu offers sakes, sojus, and plenty of imported beers and wines. For more information and hours, visit ryuusushi.com.
Father Forgive Me in Detroit
Steps away from a free-to-visit art gallery and a free-to-use skatepark co-designed by Tony Hawk, Father Forgive Me is a new cocktail bar from the team behind downtown Detroit’s Standby, Deluxx Fluxx, and The Skip. Located at 1265 Parkview Street in Detroit’s Little Village, the bar will soon have another neighbor — Warda Pâtisserie — which plans to move from Midtown into a renovated house on the Little Village premises later this year. For more information and hours, visit fatherforgiveme.com.
The Franklin Oyster Bar & Eatery in Franklin
The Franklin Oyster Bar & Eatery, a seafood restaurant located in a historic carriage house in downtown Franklin, officially opened June 10. A more casual eatery called Polly’s next door from the same owners is anticipated for later this year. For more information and hours, visit thefranklinmi.com.
The Rectory in Detroit
A new pizzeria from the owners of The Congregation (and located right next door in Detroit’s Boston Edison neighborhood) celebrated its soft opening on June 8. This week, The Rectory is open (pickup orders only) with a limited menu Thursday to Saturday 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The pizzeria, located at 1920 Atkinson Street, is shooting to begin full service by mid-July, an employee tells Hour Detroit.
Fred’s in Detroit
A once-popular Ann Arbor breakfast and lunch spot has been revived — this time as a Detroit restaurant — near Eastern Market. Fred’s opened recently at 1454 Gratiot Ave. in the space below Pocket Change, a cocktail bar from the same owners that also opened recently. Its hours are Wednesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Restaurants Opening Soon in Metro Detroit
Little Kim in Ann Arbor
Little Kim, a sister restaurant to the acclaimed Korean restaurant Miss Kim in Ann Arbor, is readying to open in Kerrytown Market. Chef-owner Ji Hye Kim, who earlier this year earned James Beard semifinalist status for the fifth time, says Little Kim will draw broader influences from around Asia and will be exclusively vegetarian, with plenty of vegan options. The new concept will also be a little more casual than its predecessor, with counter service as opposed to table service. Kim tells Hour Detroit she doesn’t have an opening date set yet as she’s still finalizing details with the city but hopes to open by July.
Big Rock Italian Chophouse in Birmingham
A combination Italian steakhouse, cigar lounge, and club is anticipated to open next month in Birmingham. Big Rock Italian Chophouse will be located in a building with lots of history and personality: the city’s former Grand Trunk Western Railroad Depot. Its two-year renovation is nearly complete; the space was previously Big Rock Chophouse, which closed in 2021. The new menu is said to include steaks, seafood, pastas, a large wine list, and cocktails. For stogie enthusiasts, part of the building will also be home to The Rock Cigar Club. Both the restaurant and lounge are set to open on July 15.
Street Beet in Corktown (and later, Birmingham)
As previously reported, Street Beet — a longtime Detroit vegan pop-up known for plant-based comfort food like smashburgers and crunch wraps — is moving to the former Bobcat Bonnies location in Corktown at 1800 Michigan Ave. That location is anticipated to open in late July, according to a recent press release.
The vegan eatery also announced that this fall, it will be opening another location, this one in Birmingham at 233 N Old Woodward Ave. Street Beet owner Meghan Shaw says it will be sharing space with a vegan “bodega” — a separate business that is yet to be announced.
According to a press release, the Birmingham Street Beet location will be at the back of the bodega, with “alley access and a walk-up window,” and will offer carry-out service with a menu of “fan favorites,” grab-and-go items, plant-based lattes, soft serve ice cream, and more. Street Beet says it plans to eventually open locations in Rochester and Ann Arbor.
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