Detroit Eastern Market

Part One

http://www.detroiteasternmarket.com/ 

For those who are not familiar with the Eastern Market, it is a historic commercial district located just east of downtown Detroit.  The Eastern Market has been in it's current location since the 1850's.  The main section of the market contains both open and enclosed pavilions where regional farmers, butchers and budding product entrepreneurs can sell their products.  As a side note, Detroit also had a Central and Western Market, however, both have been closed for several decades.

 

The pavilions are open year round, but are most active during the spring through fall months on Saturdays. Besides the pavilions, there are several restaurants, bars, butcher shops, fish markets and special product stores in the general walking distance area.  One can spend several hours exploring the Eastern Market and discovering interesting sites and things to purchase.  Visit the Eastern Market website to view their calendar of events. 

 

This post is part one of several future posts focusing on the Eastern Market area.  Note that one of my earlier posts was on Supino's Pizza which is located on the western edge of the market.  I will provide more Eastern Market stores/shops/attractions in future posts.  Here are my first two local Eastern Market attractions.

 

Signal - Return

 1345 Division St.

 Detroit, MI 48207 

 (313) 567-8970

http://www.signalreturnpress.org/ 

 

 

 

Signal Return is a printing shop that offers, to anyone interested, workshops for the learning of printing and typography methods.  After completing two of their classes one has the opportunity to enroll in open studio time at Signal Return and start work on your own printing projects; business cards, posters, invitations, etc.  

 

When I visit the Eastern Market, I often walk over to Signal Return to see what type of printed material they have for sale.  Several of the available printed artwork has a Detroit theme to it and in my opinion, they are very well done.  I especially like their Eastern Market and Masonic Temple posters.  This past Saturday, when I last visited, they had for sale a cool poster featuring the early '60's Detroit Tiger head logo.  Over the last several months, I have purchased various Detroit themed post cards and coasters from Signal Return that I have framed and displayed in my man cave.

 

If one is visiting the Eastern Market, take a stroll over to Signal Return on Division Street.  One may find something of interest to purchase or even be enticed into signing up for one of their workshop classes.

 

 The Detroit Mercantile Company

3434 Russell Street

Detroit, MI 

(313) 831 - 9000

https://www.facebook.com/TheDetroitMercantileCo

 

 

 

Detroit Mercantile Company is a store on the northern edge of the Eastern Market that specializes in products about or made in Detroit.  DMC offers apparel, t-shirts, artwork, food products for sale from local companies such as Carhartt, Detroit Denim, and Better Made Potato Chips :).  

 

I liked their large variety of photo books that feature the architecture of Detroit as well as Detroit history.  Detroit Mercantile has a good selection of locally themed t-shirts and outer ware some which include the logos of the early 20th century Detroit breweries and the old Tiger Stadium/Briggs Stadium/Navin Field.  I'm going to need to buy an Auto City Brewing Company t-shirt.  While I was there, I had to pick up some of their line of vintage Detroit postcards. 

 

Saturday was the first time my wife and I visited Detroit Mercantile Company and it won't be our last as we plan to return in the near future to purchase more of their products.  The Detroit Mercantile Company is a short walk up Russell from the Eastern Market pavilions.  I recommend visiting DMC and looking over their Detroit themed products.  You may just find something that perks your interest. 

  

 

 

 

The Centaur

2233 Park Ave.

Detroit, MI   48201
313-963-4040

 http://www.centaurbar.com/welcome.html

The Centaur is a martini bar that is located behind (west of Woodward) the Fox Theater.  It is a short walking distance from, besides the Fox, the Fillmore, Cliff Bell's, Comerica Park and Ford Field.  

Although they have an appetizer menu, I have yet to sample their food.  Their menu looks interesting, especially their bacon wrapped dates.

What has brought my wife and me back to the Centaur are their martinis.  The Centaur offers a varied menu of martinis that changes on a seasonal basis.   One of my favorites is their Detroiter which features besides vanilla vodka and spiced rum, the best ginger ale in the world, Vernor's.  My wife loves their Lemon Meringue and Dirty Girl Scout martinis.  

I recommend Centaur as a place to grab a drink either before or after a concert or sporting event, or just for the sake of sampling their fine martinis.

Motor City Brewing Works

 470 West Canfield

Detroit, MI  48201

 http://www.motorcitybeer.com

Not one of my better photos, too much shadow from the adjacent building

The Motor City Brewing Works is located in the Mid-Town area of Detroit around the Wayne State campus, just off of Second Street on West Canfield.  The MCBW is actually located adjacent to the parking lot that services the Traffic Jam and Snug so be forewarned that there is limited parking available in front the brewery although there is additional parking one street over.

 

I have frequented Motor City Brewing about 4 times over the last couple of years and always enjoyed my experience, the last being about 3 weeks ago.  The times I have attended I sampled both their Pale Ale and Ghettoblaster products.  Both of which I found to have very good flavor.  In fact, Ghettoblaster is now one of the ingredients featured in my homemade chili.:).  Motor City also provides craft beer for the Greenfield Village in Dearborn of which I have sampled their Steam Station beer while visiting the Village.  If you review Motor City's web site, they offer several types of beers, wines, ciders and sodas (pops); several of their products are seasonal however. 

 

When the outdoor temperature allows, MCBW features a second floor outdoor sitting area.  I have not experienced sitting in this area yet, but plan on it this summer.  Great opportunity to sample Motor City Brewing Works finest beer and take in the sounds and smell of downtown Detroit.

 

Like several craft breweries around Detroit, Motor City Brewing Works features a limited menu featuring appetizers and pizza.  The pizza is a 10" round individual size and I found it to be very tasty and on par with the type of pizza Supino's (see earlier post) serves.  A pint or two of their beer and a pizza make a great meal.

 

The decor is recycled industrial and features a U shaped stone bar.  Although the bar counter is stone, it has that wrought, as cast, iron look to it.  I find the decor of MCBW to be very cool in an urban rustic way.

If you are in the Wayne State/Midtown area for an event or want to sample a craft beer before a Tiger or Lion's game, Motor City Brewing Works is a recommended stop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hermann's Olde Town Grille

195 W. Liberty Street 

Plymouth MI 48170
 http://hermannsotg.comI

Hermann's Olde Towne Grille is located about 2 store fronts down from the Liberty Street Brewery.  It is at the corner of W. Liberty and Starkweather Streets in the Old Village area of Plymouth.   Hermann's offers a great variety of bar food; burgers, sandwiches, salads and a very good pizza. We usually visit on either Friday or Saturday nights, and typically there is a 15 minute wait or more for seating.  

During the late spring to early fall, Hermann's offers outdoor seating along Starkweather Street. Eating outdoors is a nice feature, but the interior has an interesting decor to experience including a very large moose head above the bar.  With several TV's located through out the bar, Hermann's is a great place to watch the local college or pro team compete.  My wife and I with friends have frequented Hermann's several times to watch a Saturday night Red Wings game.  Just a word of warning for you MSU fans, Hermann's has a slight slant towards U of M. 

As mentioned earlier, Hermann's menus is quite extensive and one should have no issue with finding something they would enjoy.  For a bar pizza, Hermann's version is outstanding.  Their sandwiches and wraps are also very good. Hermann's bar also features a large variety of beers including Michigan beers like Bell's and Founder's.

We usually frequent Hermann's about once a month and have never been disappointed with their food or service.  It is not uncommon for us to start an early Friday evening at the Liberty Street Brewery, have a few pints, and then grab a bite to eat at Hermann's. 

As Plymouth, MI is known for their active downtown bar scene, you will not go wrong with traveling a little North to the Plymouth Old Village area and experiencing both the Liberty Street Brewery and Hermann's Olde Town Grille.

Liberty Street Brewing Company

149 W. Liberty Street

Plymouth, MI  48170

http://libertystreetbeer.com/

The Liberty Street Brewing Company is in located the historic Old Village area of Plymouth, MI.  They have been in operation since 2008 and is one of the first brew pubs that I have frequented having been introduced to Liberty by my brother and sister-in-law.  

The Liberty Street features at any one time several craft beers and hard ciders on tap.  One of their standard beers is their Liberty Belle Blonde Ale which I tend to sample frequently and consider it outstanding.  They usually offer either a blueberry or cherry cider (featuring Michigan cherries).  My wife and I really like these ciders and typically purchase a growler of cider to serve at home during the holidays or when we have visitors.  Reviewing their online menu which features their current on tap beers one can probably identify a brew to their liking.

Liberty Street features a limited appetizer menu.  The deal on this menu is their $1.00 popcorn. Liberty Street does allow food from nearby establishments to be delivered; they have a variety of menus from local establishments for you to choose from if you are interested in eating while sampling their beers.    

The interior is finished in natural finished woods and brass.  The brewing area is located in the front of the brewery located behind glass walls.  The bar is Z shaped and the seating is somewhat limited on the first floor.  However, they do have a small patio area in the back and the second floor can handle 70 people for either overflow or can be reserved for special parties.  Overall it's a great atmosphere to sample Liberty's products.

The cool thing about the Liberty is that it is located on a street that has that turn of the 19th Century look.  One feels like they are going back in time when walking down Liberty Street.  If you frequent the western suburbs of Detroit, the Liberty Street Brewing Company is a recommended stop.

Mason's Bar and Grille

13490 Farmington Road

Livonia, MI

http://www.masonsbarandgrill.com/

Mason's is the first location outside of the City of Detroit that I will be writing about.  I have been going to Mason's since 1976.  It is located on the northern edge of the Livonia industrial corridor that cuts through, east to west, the center of Livonia.

There are several burger bars in the Detroit area and Mason's is among my top 6.  Although they have a fairly extensive menus of snacks, appetizers, sandwiches and salads, their main attraction and what they have been known for is their burger. 

By being located in this industrial park area, Mason's has a very unique interior motif.  Livonia's industrial park, during the '60's - '90's, was the location of several small, medium and large companies including several that supported or were run by the Detroit 3.  Displayed in Mason's are several hundred company signs/logos of these companies.  Some of the companies are still in business, others like the one I worked for back in '76, are long gone.  This is your typical blue collar oasis, although not in a roughneck sort of way.  It is not uncommon to see families, sport teams and old friends hanging out at this establishment.

Mason's offer a good variety of cheese and toppings to customize your burger to suit your tastes.  The hamburgers they grille are consistently good; just don't expect gourmet dining as the hamburgers are served on paper plates. :)

If you are looking for a outstanding bar burger in the Livonia area, I highly recommend sampling the burgers at Mason's. 

Honey Bee Market

2443 Bagley Ave.

Detroit, MI 48216

 http://www.honeybeemkt.com/

I 'discovered' the Honey Bee Market about 5 years ago while working with a warehouse on Fort Street.  The market is a medium sized grocery store that focuses on foods and delicacies of Mexico.  It is located on the eastern edge of Mexicantown just south of the Michigan Central Station.

The Honey Bee offers a full compliment of fresh produce (including cactus), canned goods, dairy products (they sell 5 lb bricks of Muenster cheese!), meats, sauces and baked goods.  In addition, they sell several products that are popular in Mexico including Gansito brand cake treats; think Twinkies with cream and strawberry filling covered in chocolate.  Most of the major Mexican beer brands, Sol, Modelo, Pacifico, Dos Equis and Corona are available for purchase.  Another product that they sell is cane sugar pops (sodas); Mexican brands as well as Coke, Fanta and Faygo.  Yes, you can taste the difference.

When I make my ever evolving Chilli recipe, I visit the Honey Bee for several of the chilli's ingredients including their homemade chorizo.  In addition, when we have guests over for a get together or party, we usually swing by the Honey Bee to purchase their outstanding guacamole, salsa and fresh made tortilla chips.  While we are at it, we also purchase a variety of Mexican beers that they offer.

The store is exceptionally clean and the staff is friendly and helpful.  If you are in the Mexicantown area for a visit to one of the several restaurants, swing by the Honey Bee Market and see what they have to offer.  They are open from 8 to 8 Monday through Saturday; 8 to 6 on Sunday.  You will not be disappointed.