Pewabic Pottery

10125 E Jefferson Ave

Detroit, MI 48214

313-626-2000

Pewabic Pottery History

Pewabic Pottery was founded in 1903 by Mary Chase Perry in a vacant carriage house on Alfred street in Detroit.  Pewabic was a leader in the Arts and Crafts Movement and by 1907, it moved into its current Tudor style studio on East Jefferson in Detroit.

In 1909, Perry develops an iridescent glaze that establishes Pewabic (named after a copper mine in Perry's hometown of Hancock, MI) as one of the innovative potteries of its time.

Over the last century, Pewabic has been producing fine pottery and tiles for both consumer and architectural usage. Several early and late 20th Century Detroit area buildings, households and even a People Mover station features tiles produced by Pewabic.

Pewabic Pottery is open for self guided tours Monday through Saturday from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM and on Sundays from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM.  Going on these tours will allow you to experience a bit of Detroit's history.  

During these hours, their store is open for purchasing examples of their outstanding pottery and tiles.  In addition, Pewabic has an online store:     http://www.pewabicstore.org/  If you are a true Detroiter, one needs to own of piece produced by Pewabic Pottery.

Honest John's

488 Selden Street

 Detroit, MI 48201

Honest? John's Yelp Page

Honest John's has been a local bar establishment in the Midtown (Cass Corridor) area of Detroit for several years.  It is the prototypical neighborhood dive bar.  I have only recently been visiting HJ's over the last year or so.  Judging by the clientele dressed in scrubs, this place is frequented by employees of the Detroit Medical Center (hopefully after their work shift, J/K).

I first became aware of Honest John's back a couple of decades ago, the owner at the time, John Thompson, would organize 'Polar Bear Swims for Charity' in the Detroit River.  I don't believe the bar runs this event anymore.  Recently, I have read that the owners of the Sugar House have recently bought Honest John's.  They expect to keep the same dive bar atmosphere.  

Honest John's opens for breakfast at 7:00 AM and the Sunday morning that I took the above photo, they were pretty busy.  Because they serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, their menu is pretty extensive.  Last time I ate here, my wife had the Corn Beef sandwich and I had the Turkey Reuben.  We both enjoyed the sandwiches.  

During the warmer months, Honest John's has a patio area (like most good bars in Detroit) in the back adjacent to their parking lot. I get a kick out of sitting outside at a local bar in Downtown Detroit and Honest John's is no exception.  

Once again, if one is in the Midtown area of Detroit and wants to pick up a bite to eat, stop by Honest John's.  

The Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village

20900 Oakwood Blvd.
Dearborn, MI 48124-5029

The Henry Ford and Greenfield Village Website



Dedicated in 1929, the Henry Ford Museum and Village has continued to be one of the Detroit area's major attractions.  During the spring and fall, it's not uncommon to have the venue's parking lots filled with school buses for local school field trips.

The Henry Ford museum focuses on the last 200+ years of the industrial age.  It has a large collection of agricultural, manufacturing and transportation artifacts; there are no impressionist paintings at this museum.  One of my favorite displays is the Museum's historical car/truck collection.

The Greenfield Village is a collection of several actual historical and reproduction buildings. Locales like Thomas Edison's first laboratory, the Wright Brother's bicycle shop and a reproduction of Henry Ford's Bagley Avenue workshop are featured.  During the season, several annual events (one approximately every two weeks) are featured at the Village. These events include the Motor Muster (post 1932 automobiles & trucks), Civil War Remembrance, Rag Time Street Fair, Halloween & Holiday Nights.  

(All Photos Taken By The Blogger)

I have been going to the HF/GFV since the age of two (according to 8mm movies).  My wife and I have been Companion Flex members for the last several years.  We visit several times a year and always enjoy seeing the exhibits and discovering something new.

Although one can visit both the museum and village in one day, it is best to focus on one location per visit.  If your family and you are looking for a local day trip, you can't go wrong with visiting the Henry Ford museum and the Greenfield Village.

Tommy's Detroit Bar & Grill

624 3rd Street

313-965-2269

Tommy's Detroit Bar & Grill Link

Tommy's is located about a ten minute or less walk from both Cobo Hall and the Joe Louis Arena.  Because of its location, Tommy's is an ideal location for having food and drinks either before or after an event at either Cobo Hall or Joe Louis.

Tommy's menu is typical bar & grill fair and offers a very large selection of bottle and draft beer.  I have sampled their Grande Cheese Quesadilla's and the Dearborn Spiraled Ham sandwich and enjoyed both.  The service was very friendly and the food arrived quickly...which is important if one needs to catch the opening faceoff at a Red Wings game.

As previously mentioned, Tommy's location tends to be a plus and you can take a pedestrian bridge and sidewalks to the Joe Louis west entrance or walk a few short blocks to Cobo Hall.  Make sure you ask for walking directions to Joe Louis as finding the entrance to the pedestrian bridge can be tricky.  For other sporting or entertainment events in Detroit, Tommy's also offers a free shuttle service.

The building has been around since 1840 and was used during Prohibition as a speakeasy.  The building and the Fort Street Presbyterian Church next door were also to have been part of the Underground Railroad.  If you meet Tommy, ask him to give you a tour of the basement and describe the paranormal activities that have taken place at Tommy's.

The Redford Theatre
17360 Lasher

Detroit, MI  48219
Redford Theatre Calendar

The Redford Theatre is located in the Northwest area of Detroit just north of Grand River Avenue on Lasher.  The general area is called Old Redford, a city that was annexed by Detroit back in 1926.  The theater is located in a residential area which allowed the locals just a short walk to view a movie.  The theater itself opened in January 27, 1928 and has been in operation ever since. Its interior features classical Japanese artwork and decor.  During WWII, most of the references to the Japanese culture were removed.

Since 1977, the Redford Theatre has been run by the Motor City Theatre Organ Society. Currently it runs classic, and some first run, films on weekends and at times features meet & greets of the films' stars.  Visit their site to see their current schedule for the next 4 months.

The Redford is literally a step back in time from the well stocked concessions stand (including Dots, Good & Plenty and Whoppers) to the original Barton Theatre organ.  This organ is still played prior to the featured movie as well as during intermissions.  Depending on the movie, the Redford has its own t-shirt print shop and offers souvenir t-shirts for sale that help support the cost of running the theater.

Over the last couple of years, I have attended the Redford for a 3 Stooges Film Festival and this past September for the showing of the movie Bullitt.  The showing of Bullitt was the theater's celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Ford Mustang.  Besides the movie, the Ford Motor Company Historian presented a short presentation on the history of the Ford Mustang.
My 2001 Mustang Bullitt edition and I were part of a select group of Bullitt Mustang owners which were featured in front of the theater.

The Redford Theatre is an ideal venue to watch your favorite classic movie.  Just a word of warning, call ahead as some of the showings tend to be sell outs.






  

Johnny's Noodle King

2601 W. Fort Street

Detroit, MI  

309-7946

Johnny Noodle King Facebook

Johnny's Noodle King is located in the southeastern edge of Detroit's Corktown about 2 blocks from the Ambassador Bridge.  This establishment has been open since September 2014 and is about 1/4 mile away from the Green Dot Stables.  In fact, the Green Dot Stable and Johnny's Noodle King are owned by the same individual and the menu is developed by the GDS's chef.

I recently visited the JNK for lunch with a co-worker who is a foodie extraordinaire.  Located in the industrial area of Corktown and across the street from the old Greyhound Bus terminal, Johnny's has a brightly painted exterior with a large bowl & chopstick sign which contrasts with the nearby gray and beige buildings.  One would be hard pressed to bypass this establishment. Inside its decor features recycled building materials and modern industrial accents which is overall well done.  

Johnny's menu features several noodle and soup based dishes.  Although the dishes are Ramen style, there are unique combinations featuring flavors and cuisine from around the world.  In addition, JNK offers Japanese beers, ales and sake as well as their own 'Johnny's Smoking Gun' whiskey locally produced in Corktown by Two James Distillery.  

My co-worker sampled the Tom Yum and I ordered the Southwest.  We were both impressed with our choices.  The broth, noodles and combination of meat and vegtables provided an enjoyable and filling meal.  The service was friendly and efficient.  A word of warning for those with dexterity limits, the dishes are served with chop sticks and asian style soup spoons.  I imagine they have forks if requested.

The Corktown area of Detroit is my favorite area of Detroit and with the addition of Johnny's Noodle King, it offers a large variety of great food choices at reasonable prices.

  

3rd Street Bar

4626 3rd Street

Detroit, MI

313-833-0603

3rd Street Facebook Page
Dangerously Delicious Pies

3rd Street Bar is located in the Midtown area (previously the Cass Corridor) of Detroit.  It is one of several neighborhood type bars near both the Wayne State University Campus and the Detroit Medical Center. 

The 3rd has an outdoor area which includes a small stage as well as amble room inside.  I like the outdoor beer garden atmosphere that 3rd Street features.  In my opinion, drinking establishments that offer outdoor seating is a major plus.  

The bar features an interesting array of recorded music that, during my visit, included '70's Funk to early '60's Broadway.  To while away the time, there is also a classic shuffleboard table.  The bar offers a very good variety of bottled beer including the hipster standards as well as the historic local favorite:

  
Although the 3rd Street is an interesting local Downtown Detroit Bar, its major attraction is that it is the home of Dangerously Delicious Pies.  DDP, depending on the day, features several Savory (Pot Pie Style), Quiche and Sweet Pies.  When I visited, I was able to sample two of their Sweet Pies; Mobtown Brown and Baltimore Bomber.  I thoroughly enjoyed both; these are substantial stick to your ribs style pies.  In the future, I will need to revisit 3rd Street and try one of their Savory Pies.     

If you are ever in the Midtown area, swing by the 3rd Street Bar to enjoy some adult beverages in a unique atmosphere and sample some of Dangerously Delicious Pie's fine fare.

Hygrade Deli

 3640 Michigan Ave

Detroit, MI 48216

(313) 894-6620

http://www.yelp.com/biz/hygrade-deli-detroit

Hygrade's Facebook Page

Hygrade's Deli is about 1 mile west of Slow's BBQ on Michigan Ave. in Detroit's Corktown area.  Don't judge Hygrade's by it's exterior appearance.  Hygrade's serves up an outstanding array of deli food.  So far, I have sampled their Pastrami Special and Salami sandwiches.  Both sandwiches were on the large size, especially the Pastrami Special and I highly recommend them.  Hygrade's features a very dense great tasting Rye bread.  The one time my oldest daughter went with me, she ordered the hot Roast Beef sandwich she fully enjoyed.

Hygrade's offers standard fountain drinks as well as Dr. Brown's Soda which is a NYC Deli staple.  Both times I visited Hygrade's I was impressed by the friendly and knowledgeable waitstaff.  They know they serve great products and are very proud of it.  

Keep an eye out for this deli in the upcoming 'Batman vs. Superman' movie.  The Hygrade building will be featured in the movie, although its name will be changed. Since I took the above photo, Hygrade's have updated their exterior with a new sign and paint....Looks Great.

I recommend that one visit Hygrade's during the day for lunch.   

Motown Museum

 2648 West Grand Boulevard
Detroit, Michigan 48208
(313) 875-2264

http://www.motownmuseum.org/

 My '01 Bullitt and Arkansas Mike's '67 Bullitt Replica

These two houses were the home to the Motown Sound from 1959 to 1972.  Berry Gordy ran Motown like a automotive production line and subsequently created a steady stream of hits through the '60's and '70's.  Between 1961 and 1971, Motown had 110 Top 10 hit records.

Visiting this museum, one will appreciate the effort that the Motown group put forth to generate their vast succession of hits.  The infamous 'Garage Band' label from the '90's does not hold water in Detroit.  Motown was recording in the garage of the house on the right since 1959.

If one wanted a Motown audition, you had to work the front office of Motown Records first and acts were subjected to a 'Finishing' school.

The museum is open from Tuesday - Saturday from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

The Motown Museum is a nice visit on a Saturday afternoon.  One will appreciate what Motown did to generate their hit's in the '60's and early '70's.

Nancy Whiskey Pub

2644 Harrison Street

Detroit, MI

313-962-4247

http://www.nancywhiskeydetroit.com/

Nancy Whiskey's is located on the far North side of Corktown.  It's North of I-75 which one would think that it is not in the Corktown area, but apparently it is.

Nancy Whiskey was first open as a bar in 1902.  It was also was a Speakeasy during Prohibition and had a significant fire in 2009.  

I have visited NW twice over the last 9 months; just for drinks.  It is a classic neighborhood bar albeit it's patrons are not local but from around the Detroit area.  They have a good selection of domestic and local microbrews as well as a Guinness tap which is a requirement for an Irish Pub.  I have found that the bartenders and waitstaff are outstanding.

I have not sampled their Fish Fry on Friday's yet, but they are significant enough to be featured in a Long John Silver's commercial :).  On Saturday's they feature live music.  I have not had the opportunity to witness the music, but I imagine the bands feature a mouth organ or a sax or both.

Since Whiskey Nancy is North of the central Corktown area of Detroit, I was told it was a good place to hang out during the St. Patrick's Day Parade festivities; crowded, but manageable.

Whiskey Nancy's is yet another Detroit bar that has well over a 100 year history.  Give it a try, just be aware that it is located on a residential street and subsequently there are not any other commercial establishments in the general area.

Ste. Anne de Detroit

Catholic Church

1000 Ste. Anne Street

Detroit, MI  48216

 313-496-1701

http://www.ste-anne.org/

Located on the southern edge of Mexicantown near the Ambassador Bridge, Ste. Anne de Detroit is the oldest Catholic parish east of the Mississippi and the second oldest Catholic parish in the United States.  Ste Anne was the first structure built in Detroit with construction starting on July 26, 1701 on Ste. Annes Feast Day by the first Detroit settlers led by Antoine Cadillac.  The current church is the 8th Ste. Anne's and was built in 1886. 

Like most Detroit church's built during the 1880's, Ste. Anne's has a very elaborate interior.  The stained glass windows feature several saints.  Each stain glass has a plaque which identifies the donator.  Famous Detroit names like Beaubian and Vernor are featured.

St. Guillaume with his foot on Satan's neck - One Tough Dude

Ste. Anne has a 5:00 PM Mass on Saturday as well as two masses on Sunday; 8:30 AM & 10:00 AM.  The 10:00 AM Mass is in Spanish.  Like most historic Catholic churches in Detroit, the Saturday masses are lightly attended.  Don't be surprised if Ste. Anne's priest gives you a warm welcome.

 

If you are in Mexicantown to enjoy the various Mexican restaurants and bakeries, cruise over to Ste. Anne's and check out the early history of Detroit.

Whiskey in the Jar

 2741 Yemans St

 Hamtramck, MI 48212

http://www.yelp.com/biz/whiskey-in-the-jar-hamtramck 

 

The Whiskey in the Jar is a classic corner bar located in Hamtramck, MI a half block west of Jos. Campau Street on Yemens Street.  The Whiskey is a Hipster bar and features a wide selection of beers and spirits.  Although it is a hipster hangout, the group I was with included 20 somethings as well as individuals that are in the senior stages of life and we were very well accepted by the staff and clientele. 

Whiskey in the Jar features several Polish beers either on tap or in bottles, plus a good variety of craft beers including ones locally produced.  They also serve Crabbie's Ginger Beer, if you have a chance, sample it...Crabbie's taste like Vernor's with an alcohol kick. Other beers that they offer are hipster favorites like PBR, Hamm's and Carling's Black Label.

The Whiskey in the Jar also has a standard bar pool table and an internet juke box that was never silent when we were there.  Nothing better then drinking a few adult beverages and listening to Motown.

The group I was with went to Whiskey in the Jar after attending Saturday afternoon mass at St. Florian's and before dinner at the Polonia restaurant.  When talking to the bartender, she indicated that stopping by the WITJ either before or after a local event in Hamtramck was a popular event.  

We were very impressed with this classic dive bar establishment and will add it to our visit itinerary whenever we visit Hamtramck.

St. Florian Polish Catholic Church

 2626 Poland Street

 Hamtramck, MI 48212

http://www.stflorianparish.org/en

St. Florian is a Polish Catholic church located in Hamtramck, MI.  The initial parish was founded in 1905 by the Archdiocese of Detroit to serve the Polish immigrants who were working at the Ford, Dodge & Packard auto plants in the local area.  

The current church was built in 1929 and was designed by Ralph Adams Cram using Gothic Revival architecture themes.  

Not unlike Sweetest Heart of Mary in Detroit, St. Florian has a very beautiful interior which is a tribute to the blue collar Polish immigrants who collected the $500,000 to build it in the mid 1920's.  Like most Polish Catholic churches in the Detroit area, St. Florian has an area dedicated to the Divine Mercy.  The Divine Mercy painting, shown above, also includes John Paul II.

On Saturday's and Sunday's, St. Florian celebrates mass at 4:00 PM (Saturday) and 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM and 6:30 PM (Sunday).  The 10:00 PM and 6:30 PM masses are celebrated in Polish.

St. Florian is one of the classic churches of Detroit and if you are in the Hamtramck area to visit one of the local restaurants, stores or bars, drop by St. Florian for an architectural treat.

Ottava Via

 1400 Michigan Ave.

Detroit, MI 48226

 313-962-5600

https://www.facebook.com/Ottavaviadetroit 

http://www.yelp.com/biz/ottava-via-detroit 

Ottava Via is located on 8th Street (Ottava Via is Italian for 8th Street) and Michigan Avenue directly across 8th from Nemo's.  Ottava has been open since the summer of '13 and is one of the newer restaurants in Corktown.  It is located in a building that used to be the Dime Bank and still features the bank's Loan sign.  

Ottava Via features moderately priced Italian fare including individual pizzas.  They also offer a good variety of craft and imported beers and wines.  I have sampled their Italian pizza, calamari appetizer and Carbonara entree and really enjoyed them all.

The inside features remnants from the bank as well as traditional Italian and modern decor.  It has a lot of open space and a high ceiling so it can get loud.  The two times that I have visited, it was very busy and we had to wait about 15 minutes for a table.  I found that the waitresses were very good and accommodating.

Ottava Via is yet another go to establishment that is part of the expanding Corktown scene. 

Nemo's

1384 Michigan Ave.

Detroit, MI  48226
313-965-3180

http://www.nemosdetroit.com/

Nemo's is located on Michigan Avenue 1 block east of old Tiger Stadium.  With the closing of the Lindell AC several years ago, Nemo's is probably the oldest sports bar in the Detroit area.  In fact, it may be the original sports bar in Detroit.  When both the Detroit Tigers and the Detroit Lions both played at Tiger Stadium, Nemo's was the place to visit either before or after the game.  I had lunch at Nemo's prior to the 1984 Tiger opening day game.

Nemo's decor is standard sports bar but their memorabilia goes back 80+ years and features all of the Detroit area sports teams including U of M and MSU. 

I can't remember the last time I was at Nemo's so I recently visited it with Kathy.  They had a pretty decent crowd on a Saturday night considering the Red Wings were not playing and there was no other special events going on in downtown Detroit at the time.  I can tell by the interaction between the bartenders and the patrons that there were a lot of regulars that night.

Although Nemo's has a good variety of items on their lunch menu, their weekend menu is not quite as extensive....just Hamburgers, Cheeseburgers and Fries.  :)  We visited on a Saturday night and the cheeseburger that we had were OK, not in the range of Miller's, Mason's, Howell's or the Red Coat Tavern, but very good for a bar burger.  Also, they feature mostly domestic beer so don't expect any craft beers.

Beyond the food, Nemo's offers an outstanding Sports Bar atmosphere and because of how long it has been around, very authentic.  Although most sports bars have various sports memobilia, Nemo's can say it lived the events shown on their walls.  

Nemo's provides shuttle service to Tiger's, Lion's and Red Wing's games, so I imagine they are still very busy during game days.

I recommend visiting Nemo's for the sole purpose of re-living the eras when the Tigers, Red Wings and Lions were dominant in their leagues.  Plus, one can walk down to the old Tigers Stadium filed and pretend you are Al Kaline from the right field corner throwing a runner out trying to take 3rd base or Willie Horton at the plate driving a ball into the deep center field bleachers.




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Two James Spirits

2445 Michigan Avenue
Detroit, MI 48216
 (313) 964-4800

http://twojames.com/?age-verified=81d01d385c

Two James Spirits is located just west of the Michigan Central Train Station on Michigan Ave.  It opened mid-year in 2013 and is the first legal distillery operating within the city of Detroit since Prohibition.  Two James is located in a nondescript warehouse type building and it is easy to drive buy and not notice.  I think this is one of the attractions of Two James, a very understated facade sort of how one would envision a speakeasy from the '20's.

Once inside the tasting room you immediatly are focused on the circular bar made from poured concrete.  The decor also includes oak whiskey barrels and art work that is available for purchase.  Overall the decor is very warehouse loft looking.

The tasting room features cocktails based on the products that they produce:

28 Island Vodka

Old Cockney Gin

Grass Widow Burbon

Two James Rye Whiskey

Two James Bourbon

Two James 'Reserve' Single Malt Whiskey

 Of course you can order their products straight up.  The Vodka, Gin, Bourbon and I believe the Rye Whiskey are available for purchase by the fifth at the tasting room.  Two James features local ingredients in the production of their spirits.

The Two James drink/cocktail menu features most of the cocktail standards but it is not as elaborate of a drink menu that Sugar House offers.  Still I believe one will find something on the menu to their liking.  I myself usually order an Old Fashioned featuring Two James Rye Whiskey.  Overall, based on the four times I have visited Two James, they do change up their drink menu on a regular basis.  

Two James also offers tours for a nominal fee of their distillery that is located adjacent to the Tasting Room.  The tour includes tastings of four of their products.  Use their online booking system to register.

 Overall,Two James is yet another cool place to stop in Corktown, either as a final destination or as a starting point for other events/locales in the downtown Detroit area.  Their website also offers some interesting information on the production of their products as well as upcoming events. 

By the way, don't be concerned about the bikes in my photo above.  I took that photo during Two James opening celebration last summer.  The event featured vintage motorcycles as well as a very good Rock-A-Billy band.  :)