Murals in the Market

Eastern Market

Detroit, MI

http://www.muralsinthemarket.com/

Being a fan of downtown Detroit since I was a child in the early '60's, it is great to see the renaissance that is taking place in and around the Downtown area.  Granted, significant work and effort still needs to take place in the neighborhoods and schools of Detroit. However, in the short term, over the last few years, there has been a noticeable change in the Downtown landscape.

The Murals in the Market has been an art project started four years ago in the Eastern Market area.  In general, the murals have replaced street graffiti and has provided an artistic outlet for local and international artists.  

This September was the inaugural festival for Murals in the Market.  Dozens of artists participated in this event.  I talked with the artist working on the Busy Bee Hardware store mural and he indicated that there was a plan to have two events like this in 2016.  On a side note, he complimented me on the Guard color of my S550.  ;)  

If you visit the Eastern Market area, most of the murals are within a ten minute or less walking distance of each other.  Driving in and around the Eastern Market is also an option, but make sure you get out and walk the area.  

Besides the other attractions of the Eastern Market, these murals are becoming an important part of this area.  

Local Artist working on the Busy Bee Hardware Store.  

Detroit City Distillery

2462 Riopelle Street

Detroit, MI

(313) 338-3760

http://detroitcitydistillery.com/

First time the Guard S550 is featured in this blog.

The City of Detroit and the surrounding area has had a dramatic increase in the amount of micro brew start ups over the last five years or so.  However, as during the Prohibition era, the Detroit area is starting to have a high concentration of distilleries.  So far, I've reviewed two other local distilleries (and more to come), the Detroit City Distillery is the third.

Detroit City is located on the east side of Eastern Market a couple of blocks from the main pavilions.  This area of Riopelle street is narrow and features several establishments with no or discreet signage.  Outside, it gives Detroit City the aura of a speakeasy.  

Inside the decor is urban modern and inviting.  When we were there, I sampled the Path of the Righteous II.  I thought it was very good.  Check out their menu online as, like most distilleries, it changes regularly.  

Detroit Distilleries manufactures their own Homegrown Rye, Bloodline Whiskey, Two Face Bourbon, Gilded Age Vodka & Railroad Gin.  All feature Michigan grown grains. Recently, I noticed that the local Beer & Wine store where I live sells their products, keep on the look out in your area.

There are a lot of cool places in the Eastern Market that are worth visiting.  The Detroit Distillery is high on that list.  

The Most Holy Trinity Church
1050 Porter Street 
Detroit, MI 48226
(313) 965-4450
http://mostholytrinityministries.org/

The Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church was originally founded in 1834 in Downtown Detroit and was the first English speaking Catholic Church in Detroit.  In 1849 the Church was moved to the Corktown area of Detroit.  The current church was constructed in 1856 and it maybe one of the oldest churches in Detroit.  St. Anne's is an older parish, but its current church was built in 1886.

Although Holy Trinity does not have as an elaborate interior as other Catholic churches in Detroit, It does have some interesting religious art work.

The Corktown area of Detroit was initially settled by Irish immigrants in the mid 19th Century.  Starting in the mid 20th Century this same area saw an increase in Hispanic immigrants.  Holy Trinity honors both cultures with their weekly mass in Spanish as well as their St. Patrick Day mass celebration.

The Most Holy Trinity Church celebrates mass at 4:00 PM on Saturdays and at 9:00 AM (Spanish) and 11:00 AM on Sundays.  Once again, this church is another outstanding example of a historical Catholic Church located in the city of Detroit.

If you want to visit a piece of Detroit's religious history while visiting the expanding Corktown dining and entertainment establishments, plan to visit the Most Holy Trinity Church.

Valentine Distillery

161 Vester Ave.

Ferndale, MI 

629-9951

http://valentinedistilling.com/

Valentine's is a distillery located in Fabulous Ferndale.  Their building is located on a side street (Vester Ave.) one block north of 9 Mile and a 1/2 block east of Woodward Ave.  

Valentine Distillery has been open for about 6 years and their cocktail lounge has been open for four of those years.  Initially Valentine produced only vodka, but has since expanded to include a flavored vodka, two types of gin and a whiskey.

The lounge is decorated using recycled building materials and has a unique and comfortable look to it.  During the warmer months, they have a patio area out front which is

a great place to enjoy one of Valentine's cocktails.  

  

When my wife and I go to Ferndale to eat at one of the local restaurants, we usually stop by

Valentines for a pre-dinner drink.  I usually order their Bombshell, Old Fashioned or the Motor City Mary.  My wife tends to order either the Pink Pedal or the Belle's Garter. Valentine also has fifths of their products available for purchase.

Tours of the distillery are available between 4:30 - 6:30 and if your group is 8 or greater, call ahead for reservations.

There are several outstanding restaurants and bars in downtown Ferndale, Valentine's is one of those locations.  A great place to stop by and sample their fine products.

  

Brew Detroit

14401 Abbott

Detroit, MI  48216

Brew Detroit's Website

Brew Detroit's Facebook Page

Brew Detroit is yet another new establishment which open in February 2015 in the industrial area of Detroit's Corktown.  Brew Detroit actually opened during the same week as Batch Brewing.  The cool thing about both breweries is that they are within a short, 0.1 mile, walking distance from each other.  

Brew Detroit is first and foremost an operating brewery that has the capacity to brew 70,000 barrels of beer a year.  Besides their own products, Brew Detroit also brews for other local breweries specifically Kid Rock's BadAss brand and Atwater Brewery.

Brew Detroit's Tap Room is 7,000 square feet and features a central square shaped bar and has both tables for four as well as long tables for larger groups.  They use a lot of recycled materials throughout as the long tables look like they may have been made from shipping pallets.   

At any one time, Brew Detroit features 10 beers on tap plus bottles of BadAss and Atwater Dirty Blonde.  I have sampled BD's Classy Brunette (Brown Ale), Daywalker (Red Ale) and Bee's Knees (Honey Amber Ale).  I am partial to the Classy Brunette.  Pints are $5, Flights (4 glass samplers) are $8, which I recommend for first time visitors, and growlers are $10.  

Brew Detroit does not offer food but they encourage BYOF (Bring Your Own Food) from local establishments (menus are available). Since they are so close, I have noticed that a lot of patrons bring in food from Mudgie's.

Overall Brew Detroit is a very good micro bewery.  With both Brew Detroit and Batch Brewery being a short walk from each other, visiting both establishments is encouraged.  In addition, since Mudgie's, Green Dot Stables and Johnny's Noodle King are also very close by, one can enjoy some Detroit brewed beer as well as some outstanding food.   

Batch Brewing Company

1400 Porter Street

Detroit, MI  48216

313-338-8008

Batch Brewing Company

The Batch Brewing Company opened for business in February 2015 just down the street from Mudgie's Deli (http://www.mudgiesdeli.com/) in the Corktown area of Detroit.

Batch Brewing offers a great variety of beers, about a dozen at any one time.  I am fond of their Wheated Kolsch and the Belgian Golden.  

BBC also offers a limited food menu but about right for a microbrew.  So far, I've only have tried their Batch Pretzels which are similar to some that I have sampled in Bavaria.  There are two items that I would like to try in the future, the Ribeye Bolillo and the Patsy of the Week (Yopper delicacy).  

Rather then using the traditional pint glasses, Batch Brewing serves their beer in either Ball glass jaws or tulip glasses depending on the type of beer.

The decor of Batch Brewing is modern industrial and seating is either at the bar or at one of the long tables with benches similar to an Oktoberfest Beer Tent, but on a smaller scale.  

(sorry for the poorly focused photo)

Overall, I am impressed with Batch Brewing's product and atmosphere.  I will continue to visit this establishment either as a place to indulge in a pint or as a final evening destination. 

A future post will feature another micro brew within a short walk of Batch Brewing.

2nd Anniversary Bullitt In Detroit Blog Post

On January 31, 2013, I started this Blog.  Today, two years later, I have posted a total of 50 write-ups of places to see and restaurants & bars to visit.  I started this Blog (by the urging of a friend) as a means to document locations I have visited and found enjoyable or interesting.  By publishing my write-ups, I wanted to provide a service to others who may be looking for something versus the ordinary, franchise type establishments.

I will continue to post on this Blog in the coming months and hopefully years.  I still have a long list of places I would like to write about, either places I have visited or ones that I need to visit in the future (in Detroit as well as the Western Suburbs and the Ypsilanti/Ann Arbor area).  Early on, I attempted to write a post once every two weeks or so.  For a while, I fell dramatically off of that pace, but recently, over the last month, was able to recover.  Part of the delayed posts are either priorities with my personal time or that I have yet to take a photo of my 2001 Bullitt Mustang in front of the establishment (I only drive this car when the streets are dry and there is no snow).  

If you are a regular visitor to this Blog, you will notice that several of these establishments are near each other.  Also, they, like those located in the Corktown or Eastern Market area are near other places to visit.  

Saying that, one could use this Blog as a means to plan an outing or date.  As an example, my wife, two daughters and I this past Saturday went on the Guardian Building Tour, visited a bar that I will post in the near future, had lunch in the Eastern Market at Supino's and finished the day by visiting the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant museum.  We had a great time visiting some historical sites as well as enjoying Supino's pizza.

As I am an Engineer by trade, grammar and composition do not come easy for me.  I hope I get my general message across in my posts and that you enjoy reading about these great places.  You probably noticed that my posts tend to be in a positive nature.  I will only write about places I have enjoyed.  If a place is not on this Blog, it does not necessarily mean I didn't like it, usually it means I have had not had a chance to do a write up or pay a visit.

Thanks for viewing this Blog and enjoy the Detroit area.

Roma Cafe

3401 Riopelle

Detroit, MI  48207

313-831-5940

Roma Cafe's Website

The Roma Cafe is located on the northern edge of the Eastern Market area of Detroit.  It is labeled as the oldest Italian restaurant in Detroit which is saying a lot considering how many Italian restaurants are in the local area.

The building that houses the Roma Cafe was first opened in 1888 as a boarding house for farmers who sold their produce/livestock at the Eastern Market.  By 1890, the boarding house formally opened as as restaurant.   The original owners sold their restaurant in 1918 to ancestors of the current owners.  Family ownership of the Roma Cafe is now in its

third & fourth generation.

The first time I was introduced to the Roma Cafe was over 30+ years ago by my girlfriend at the time and now wife.  We would go there on dates or at times with her family for special events. Lately, we visit about once every year or so.  Although I have tried other entrees, I typically order the Homemade Paglia & Fieno (Green & White Shoestring Pasta with Prociutto and Peas).  My wife usually gets the Tortellini and Meat Sauce or their Lasagna.  I find that the cost of their entrees are on the moderate side, however, the portions are plentiful.  

The waiters wear black tuxes and the overall ambiance is like going to a restaurant out of a Godfather movie.  The building is indeed over 120 years old and that is part of the attraction of visiting this establishment.  

If you decide to visit the Roma Cafe, just a few words of advice.  For weekend dinner time meals, it is best to make reservations, although waiting for your table in the bar area is a treat.  Also, there are times when the wait staff are not as accommodating to their guests as they should be.

The Roma Cafe also offers a shuttle service to Red Wing hockey games for a $3 round trip fee.  

If you are in the Eastern Market area or just want to try a dining experience at a historical establishment, check out the Roma Cafe.

The Guardian Building

500 Griswold Street

Detroit, MI

Historic Detroit - Guardian Building

Pure Detroit Guardian Building Tour Website

The Guardian Building is a designated Historical Landmark located in Detroit's Financial District on Griswold Street.   Originally called the Union Trust Building, it was completed over an 18 month period between 1928 - 1929.  The Guardian is the finest of Detroit's Art Deco architecture buildings built during the '20's and '30's of the last century.  The Guardian also represents the magnitude of Detroit's wealth during the early 20th Century.

The architect of the Guardian Building was Wirt C. Rowland and when completed was the world's tallest masonry building, rising 36 stories.  The building inside and out features American Indian and Aztec motifs.  The exterior uses a specially formulated orange brick color called 'Guardian'.  In addition, the interior is decorated with mosaics and tile supplied by both Pewabic and Rockwood potteries.    

Inside, on the main floor, the south wall features a mural painted by Erza Winter (Winter). This four story mural represents all the sources of Michigan's wealth at the time including forestry, farming and manufacturing.  

When opened, the Guardian was named the 'Cathedral of Commerce' and the building does feature cathedral type details including the two towers on each end as well as the interior lobby designed as a naive with two side isles.  The partition that separates the lobby from the main first floor area features a Tiffany glass clock, one of only four to exist.   

First Floor Elevator Area

There are several additional details and interesting facts about this building that I will not expand upon in this post. I recommend that one take a tour of the building that is organized by Pure Detroit.  Pure Detroit (http://www.puredetroit.com/) has one of their stores located on the first floor and offers free tours of the building on Saturdays during two time periods, 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM.  My family took the 11:00 AM January 18, 2015 tour and really enjoyed it.  The tour guide was very informative and displayed a great sense of humor. Check the Pure Detroit website for any changes in times or dates.

Before and after the tour, visit Pure Detroit's store, they feature several Detroit themed clothing, artwork, books, jewelry and food.  A great selection of products that are made in Detroit & Michigan.  

The more places I discover or visit n the Detroit area, the more I realize how rich this area is in history, culture and diversity.  

  

Detroit Historical Museum

5401 Woodward Avenue

Detroit, MI 48202

Detroit Historical Museum Website

The Detroit Historical Museum is located on Woodward Avenue in the Cultural District that includes the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the Detroit Science Center and the main Detroit Library.

First opened in 1928 in the Cadillac Tower, the DHM moved to its current location in 1951. This current structure has a '50's modern architectural look to it.

I recently visited the Detroit Historical Museum for the first time in my life.  I was pleasantly surprised at the exhibits featured at this museum.  The museum, over three floors, covers the history of Detroit starting in 1701.  The main focus of the museum, however, is Detroit's 20th Century history which is its hey day.

The basement has a representation of a city block at the turn of the 19th Century.  It is very detailed right down to the cobble stone streets.  I thought this exhibit was very well done.

There are several other exhibits at the DHM, which again, focuses on Detroit's 20th Century history.  One exhibit outlines the contributions of Detroiters to business and society.  One in particular, if you are a Detroit area Westsider, is Edward Hines, who originated the concept of painting a white line down the middle of a road to separate traffic.

Another exhibit, which was funded by Kid Rock, does a good overview of the Detroit Music scene.  It is called the Kid Rock Music Lab and is an interactive display that documents Detroit's music heritage.

There is also, relative to the Detroit area's standards, a small collection of classic automobiles. One feature of this exhibit is the body decking process that was taken from the Cadillac Clark Street assembly plant that once was located in Detroit.  Only in Detroit would one see an assembly line in a museum.

Another exhibit focuses on Detroit's speakeasies, night clubs and neighborhood taverns.   Several are still open and will be featured in future posts on this blog.  

Admission to the museum is free, however, parking in the museum lot is $6.  There is street meter parking around the Cultural Center also, but depending on the time of day, maybe difficult to obtain.

I recommend going to the Detroit Historical Museum either singularly or coupled with any of the other locales in the Detroit Cultural Center.  All are within a short walking distance of each other.

Vivio's

2460 Market Street

Detroit, MI

(313) 393-1711 

Vivio's Yelp Link

Vivio's is located in the Eastern Market of Detroit and has been around since 1967. Because of its location in the center of the Eastern Market, Vivio's has a distinct Blue Collar flair to it. The clientele, at times, express themselves in a loud, salty, manner.

What is not salty, are Vivio's corned beef based sandwiches; the Reuben Grill, Dinty Moore & Corned Beef.  They feature Grobbel's Corned Beef which is produced at the Eastern Market.  This sandwich lineup is outstanding.

What also is outstanding are Vivio's Bloody Marys.  I find that the spices are better balanced with Vivio's version versus the locally popular McClure's Bloody Mary mix.  Try it as a pre-meal drink or a starter if you are down at the Eastern Market on a Saturday morning, 

Beyond the Corned Beef sandwiches, Vivio's also feature 'Knife and Fork' sandwiches.  I have not had a chance to sample any of these, but they sound like intriguing, robust sandwiches and will sample one next time I'm at Vivio's. 

If you are in the Eastern Market area for Lunch or Dinner, stop by Vivio's and give them a try.  

The Detroit Institute of Arts

5200 Woodward Avenue

Detroit, MI  48202

313-833-78900

DIA Website

The Detroit Institute of Arts was first founded in 1885 and has been in its current location since 1927.  According to the DIA website, the collection is among the Top Six in the U.S. The DIA features a large diversity of artwork including European, American, Modern, African, Asian and Native American art.  

As an example of the featured artwork, one can see paintings by Cezanne, van Gogh, Gauguin, Picasso, Bruegel the Elder and Rembrandt.

In my opinion, the most significant piece of artwork at the DIA are the Diego Rivera Detroit Industry Murals   Commissioned by Wilhelm Valentiner, the artwork features 27 panels depicting industry at the Ford Motor Company's Rouge complex.  Edsel Ford, Henry Ford's son, who was a great supporter of the arts, contributed $20,000 (over $300,000 in 2014 USD) to this project. The panels were painted using the fresco process and took 8 months to complete between 1932 - 1933, during the height of the Depression.  

Because of Rivera's political views, plus it was commissioned during the Depression, the mural was a very controversial piece of art.  Without going into details, one can review the history of the mural at this site:  Wikipedia

Edsel Ford (Grey Suit) and Wilhelm Valentiner (Dark Suit)

This site has a very good analysis of the mural:  Detroit Industry Mural

For residents of the Tri-County area (Macomb, Oakland and Wayne) admission to the DIA is free although a nominal donation is encouraged.  The museum hours are shown on their website.  They are opened from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Saturdays and Sundays.  

Parking is available either on Woodward Avenue or at various local lots:  DIA Parking

Going to the DIA is nice afternoon event any time during the year.  It is interesting wandering the 100 galleries.

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