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.

l

St. Aloysius Catholic Church

1234 Washington Boulevard 

Detroit, MI  48226

St. Aloysius Web Site

St. Aloysius is a Roman Catholic Church located in central Downtown Detroit about 1/4 mile walk west of Campus Martius Park.  The current church is the second building located at this site.  The first structure was originally the Westminster Presbyterian Church which had its first service in 1861.  

In  1873, the Archdiocese of Detroit bought the church, renamed it St. Aloysius, and held the first service on August 23rd of the same year.  Then in April 1930 the original structure was razed and a new church was constructed.  The first service of the new church was held four months later.

The current church is built of solid granite combines Italian and French Romanesque architecture.  Its location is unique in that it is between two large multistory buildings that tend to dwarf the church.

Inside, in front of the main alter is a 'Well' which is similar to older European churches, at least the ones I have visited in Italy and southern Germany. Typically there are tombs and/or a grotto in the Well.  I don't believe there are any tombs located in St. Aloysius's Well.    

Seating is on the smaller size compared to the other Churches in Detroit due to the Well and that the alter used for masses is located in front of the Well.  However, a cool piece of architecture is that there is an upper balcony that runs along both sides of the church as well as the back choir/organ area.  

If one wants to check out this excellent example of neo Romanesque architecture, St. Aloysius has masses at 4:00 PM on Saturdays and 11:30 AM on Sundays.