February 2025
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An Exit Interview With Devin Scillian
It’s been almost 30 years since Local 4’s Devin Scillian exited Oklahoma City where he was a news anchor at an NBC affiliate to come to Detroit’s WDIV-TV. After three decades of covering everything from the annual America’s Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit to the assassination of a prime minister in Israel, the prolific and affable […]
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From West Coast to the Great Lakes State
After WDIV-TV’s Devin Scillian does his last newscast this Friday, Dec. 13, Ty Steele, who has been appearing on Local 4 for a few weeks, will anchor the evening news at 5, 6, and 11 p.m. Steele most recently worked in Sacramento at KCRA-TV. Since moving his family — and their Maltipoo, Blue — to […]
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2025 Restaurant of the Year: Mabel Gray
It’s a rarity for a restaurant to storm onto the scene and remain exciting almost 10 years later. But Mabel Gray, which opened in September of 2015, continues to exceed our expectations by pushing boundaries with globally inspired seasonal menus, keeping its staff creative, happy, and fulfilled — and not getting stale. How do they […]
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Two Grecian Getaways to Explore on Your Next Vacation
Most visitors to Greece make a beeline for the Cyclades islands, charmed by the whitewashed buildings silhouetted against the sapphire sea and the buzzy, cosmopolitan beaches. Fair enough. But as summer tourism swells in the charismatic island chain, there are good reasons to look elsewhere for that authentic Greek experience — quaint harbors and Byzantine […]
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Don’t-Miss Metro Detroit Events for February 2025
Winter Blast The annual weekend event dedicated to frosty fun returns to downtown Royal Oak’s Centennial Commons this month, offering live music, ice skating, ice sculptures, a zip line, food trucks, kids’ activities, and even a medieval village. Jan. 31-Feb. 2 No cost. Centennial Commons, 221 E. 3rd St., Royal Oak; winterblast.com. Rod Wave The […]
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Culture Convo: My Longest Relationship is With a Restaurant
This isn’t a happy Valentine’s Day column. It’s not really for the heartbroken, either. It’s for those with an appetite. Because Valentine’s Day rarely has me looking into the future. This year, it has me looking down at my plate as a bachelor writer about to turn 36. It’s an age and time when I’m […]
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Black on Both Sides Pop-up Offers Spirits and Solidarity
Watching talented bartenders who’ve worked together for a long time is like watching an intricate dance: They know the steps, and they know exactly where their partner will be at any given instant. They’re in complete command of their space. For Lisa Carielle, John Neely, and Andre Sykes, it’s a dance they’ve done regularly for […]
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Editor’s Letter: 2025 Restaurant of the Year
People often ask how they “can get in Hour,” whether it’s their work as a creative or an article on their business. One of the best ways is knowing how to sell yourself. You can be the best in your field, but you’ve got to capture our attention. Less than 10 months ago, we received a […]
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Books From the Heart
501 Essential Albums of the 90s: The Music Fan’s Definitive Guide by Gary Graff Detroit-based music journalist Graff — who’s previously written books about Alice Cooper, Bob Seger, and Neil Young — edited this new collection of his (and his fellow journalists’) takes on the albums that defined the last decade of not just the […]
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An Hour Writer Follows in Their Footsteps
Conversations abound on how to foster empathy among people in positions of power. Real empathy, not the performative kind or the fleeting kind that ebbs with the headlines. Educators play some of the most impactful roles in nurturing the next generations, and Underground Railroad tour group Footsteps to Freedom has found a way to immerse […]
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Winter Destinations in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
When winter settles over Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, it reveals a side of the state that often goes unnoticed: quiet lakeshores dusted with snow, small towns twinkling with holiday cheer, and expansive forests blanketed in white (not to mention the northern lights, which are most visible in the U.P. between August and April). But now the […]
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Former Underground Railroad Stops Detroit and Windsor
Tower of Freedom The counterpart to Hart Plaza’s Gateway to Freedom sits across the Detroit River in Windsor. This sister monument depicts the arrival of freedom seekers into Canada and features four life-size bronze figures, including a young girl holding a rag doll. citywindsor.ca/residents/culture/monuments/tower-of-freedom. Second Baptist Church Croghan Street Station, in the basement of this […]
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Meet the Champion of Truffles
Aleksander Acovski is excited. That’s putting it mildly, by the way. The founder of Old World Truffles has an infectious, permanent smile plastered on his face, as if he’s just won the lottery and is keeping it a secret. When it comes to sharing food and conversation, he can barely contain his enthusiasm. Such is […]
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Made in Michigan: Editor Kelly Lyon
When it comes to comedy, timing is everything — and for Kelly Lyon, timing isn’t just a skill; it’s an art form she’s mastered over years of editing, one frame at a time. Lyon’s journey from a child behind her dad’s VHS camcorder in Farmington Hills to a professional walking the Emmy stage in a […]
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A Conversation with Jonathan Peregrino of JP Makes and Bakes
For as long as he can remember, Jonathan Peregrino wanted to do something culinary, but he wasn’t always sure what. Finally, in 2018, after 15 years in corporate America (plus a degree from Indiana University), he left to pursue his dream. Peregrino, a first-generation Filipino American, moved to Detroit after attending the Academy of Pastry […]
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Sustainability is the New Black at the Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center
If there’s one thing Detroiters know how to do best, it’s leading the nation — and even the world — in developing innovative strategies that elevate different industries. In the early 1900s, Detroit’s Ford Motor Co. transformed the world of auto manufacturing by doing two things: implementing new technology and introducing ways to improve the […]
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A Look Inside One Historic Lake Orion Farmhouse
When Royal Oak residents Sarah Barry and her husband, Timothy, were looking for a new home for their family in 2019, they had two things on their list: expansive property and water. “The minute we pulled up to an old farmhouse on Lake Orion, we got the chills,” Sarah Barry recalls. The house had been […]
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Lions’ Team Reporter Dannie Rogers Shares Her Style Tips
Fate? Luck? Coincidence? Whatever you want to call it, Dannie Rogers becoming the Detroit Lions’ team reporter the same year Dan Campbell was signed on as head coach “changed everything in my entire career,” Rogers says. “I didn’t think that the Lions winning would do much for me, because it’s about the team,” Rogers says. […]
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The Way It Was — Little Harry’s Restaurant, 1991
1991 For 55 years, from 1934 to 1989, Little Harry’s restaurant at 2681 E. Jefferson Ave., known for its classic American cuisine and piano bar, provided a popular fine-dining experience for loyal patrons including visiting celebrities and corporate titans. Built in 1850 as the home of Alexander Chene, the rare Federal-style brick residence was renovated […]
