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.