Howell's Bar

 1035 Mason St. Dearborn, MI

 313-565-6322

https://plus.google.com/100949536928311504513/about?gl=us&hl=en 

I have known of Howell's Bar for probably 5 decades, but the first time I visited Howell's was this week; August 1, 2013.  This is a brief review due to my limited, but enjoyable experience.

Howell's is located one block south of Michigan Avenue in downtown West Dearborn about 1 mile from Ford's Research and Engineering Center.  In bar vernacular, Howell's would be classified as a 'Dive' bar.  However, saying that, it is in very good shape, and has that cozy corner bar atmosphere.  I found that the help was very friendly and accommodating. 

Like Miller's down the street, Howell's offers a limited bar menu including fish dinners.  This week, I only sampled their cheese burger and fries.  I thought the burger was very good and the day I went, they only offered steak fries which I enjoyed.  The waitress/cook, it was not busy during the weekday lunch hour, said, when I ordered the burger medium, is that how she normally cooks the burgers.  So if you want a well done burger, you may have to be very specific.  The condiments were standard, like Miller's, although Howell's also offers fresh tomatoes.  

It does not appear like Howell's offers any different beers other then domestic and Canadian brands.  Although I would consider Howell's a dive bar, it was very clean and nothing was run down about it.  Plus for a bit of nostalgia, Howell's has a couple of wood phone booths in their back area.

Based on my first impression, I plan on visiting Howell's again in the coming months for a very good hamburger for lunch.

 

Miller's Bar

 23700 Michigan Ave, Dearborn, MI

 313-565-2577

http://www.millersbar.com/

Miller's Bar has been in business since 1941 and has been serving outstanding ground rounds for the last 50+ years or longer.  I first started going to Miller's back in 1973, the year I was eligible to legally purchase alcohol (drinking age was 18 in 1973).  Back then it was a right of passage for West Dearbornites to purchase a ground round, fries and a shell of beer while sitting at one of Miller's bar stools.

 During the week, it is not uncommon to find Ford employees having lunch at Miller's as it is about 2 miles from Ford's Research and Engineering Center in Dearborn.  As there website indicates, people from around the world have visited Miller's.  I myself, have introduced several South Korean's to Miller's finest cheeseburger.

Miller's offers several items on their menus, but the standard, as mentioned previously is a hamburger or cheese burger with fries.  In addition, one can select their baked beans.  Don't expect a plate as the burgers are served on waxed paper and the fries are served on a paper tray.  The condiments that Miller's offers is restricted to mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise, raw onions and pickles.  Pretty basic fair compared to other burger bars around Detroit.  I have never sampled anything else on their menu beyond their burger, fries and beans.

The atmosphere is basic corner bar, someplace you would be comfortable bringing the family.  Since I have been visiting Miller's the decor has changed maybe twice, still it is very clean and well kept up.   The beer selection is standard domestic, I don't believe they offer any local craft beers.

Over the years, I find that their burger is very consistent and very  good.  I don't think there are may places that has offered a consistent product over the years like Miller's.  Miller's is also consistently voted one of the best bar burgers in the Detroit area every year.  

If you want a very good bar burger, Miller's is the place to visit.

 

Sweetest Heart of Mary Catholic Church

and

Sweetest Heart of Mary Pierogi Festival

 4440 Russell Street

Detroit, Mi 48207

 313-831-6659

 http://motherofdivinemercy.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sweetest-Heart-of-Mary-Pierogi-Festival/116880695000667 

This post will be the first of several that will focus on the Roman Catholic Churches of Detroit.

Built in 1893, Sweetest Heart of Mary is a Roman Catholic Church founded by Polish immigrants.  Located just north of the Eastern Market, it is one of three Polish parishes within 3/4 of a mile stretch along Canfield.  The other two churches are St. Albertus located on St. Aubin, founded in 1885 and St. Josaphat located on Canfield and founded in 1889.  St. Josaphat is the church one sees will driving down I-75 towards downtown.  Driving by these churches, which are very large by today's standards, it is amazing that the local neighborhood back then could support these three churches, let alone that the were all built within an 8 year span.

The Sweetest Heart church is an outstanding example of Gothic Revival architecture.  The alter area is very beautiful with the usage of colors, statues and architectural details.  The stain glass is all original from the 19th century and is extremely detailed in the execution.  Unfortunately, I do not have a good photo example. 

Sweetest Heart has two masses during the weekend, Saturday's at 4:00 pm and Sunday's at 10:00 AM.  If we are going to Detroit for a Saturday night event, we usually attend the 4:00 PM mass. 

Sweetest Heart is also know for their food, specifically pierogi's.  The parishioners make pierogi's on a monthly basis and sell them by the 1/2 dozen after both masses.  The profits from the pierogi sales help support the church.  We have purchased several dozen pierogis over the last couple of years and they are highly recommended.

Once a year, the parishioners of Sweetest Heart have a yearly Pierogi Festival.  Like the weekly pierogi sales, the festival helps support the church.  It is usually the second weekend in August.  This year, 2013, it will be during the weekend of August 10th - 11th.  Held on the grounds of the church, the festival offers Polish dinners including kielbasa, pierogis, golabki and potato pancakes. They also serve a dinner featuring only their pierogis.  Besides the excellent food, the festival features Polish dancers, Polka bands and plenty of beer.  We went for the first time last year and really enjoyed the event.

If one wants to experience one of the most beautiful churches in the Detroit area and enjoy some outstanding food, I highly recommend visiting Sweetest Heart of Mary during their Pierogi Festival.
 

     

  .

Slow's BBQ

 2138 Michigan Ave  Detroit, MI 48216

 (313) 962-9828

http://slowsbarbq.com/ 

I've waited on posting a review of Slow's since I wanted to first post some lesser known establishments around the Detroit area.  Slow's has been open since 2005 and I first started frequenting it about 5 years ago.  A running joke that I had was I went to Slow's five times and have eaten there twice.  Early on, if you tried to eat dinner during the peak hours of a Friday or Saturday night, one would expect a 1.5 to 2 hour wait.  Recently, Slow's expanded their dining area and the wait is a lot less then previous years, usually around 30 to 45 minutes.  If one goes during off peak hours or on a week night, assuming no major concert or sporting event, one can be seated quickly.  If you are in a waiting situation, you can always sample a beverage at one of their two bars (several Michigan micro brews are available) or go next store and have a custom made cocktail at the Sugar House.

Over the years, I have sampled several items on Slow's menu including Hoppin' Jack, Jambalaya, Carolina Style Pulled Pork and their Texas Style Beef Brisket.  One can't go wrong with anything on their menu, but I generally lean toward the brisket.  Another item I recommend is their Yardbird sandwich.  It features pulled smoked Amish chicken and apple wood bacon, a very good change of pace from the typical ground round.  

 

Slow's offer several sides either available with an entree or separately.  I like their cole slaw and baked beans and usually one or the other of two sides choices with an entree.  However the second side is always their Mac-N-Cheese.  It is simply outstanding. 

 

There are a few other BBQ places around the Detroit area, but in my opinion, don't compare to Slow's.  If you are in the mood for BBQ, one can't go wrong with sampling Slow's fare.

  

"The Fist"

Monument to Joe Louis

At Woodward Avenue and Jefferson

Detroit, MI

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monument_to_Joe_Louis

Most cities around the world have statues of various founding fathers, dignitaries or war heroes.  Detroit has those type of memorials also.  What Detroit has that no other city has that I am aware of is a monument of a man's arm and fist.  It is not just anyone's arm and fist, it represents Joe Louis', Boxing's longest running Heavyweight Champion from 1937 to 1949.  

Although not born in Detroit, Joe Louis moved with his family to Detroit when he was 12 in 1926 during the Great Migration from the South.  He made his amateur boxing debut at age 17 and his record as an amateur was 50-4 with 43 knockouts.

Joe Louis turned pro and compiled a 69-3 record with 57 knockouts over his career.  The two major bouts of his career was against Max Schmeling during the late '30's.  At the time, Schmeling represented Nazi Germany while Louis represented the U.S.  The two bouts took place just prior to WWII in 1936 & 1938 and had social/political implications between the two nations.  Schmeling won the first bout and Louis the second after only 2 minutes and 40 seconds of the first round.  This second win presented a major propaganda victory for the United States and African Americans at the time. Without going into additional detail in this post, one can review Joe Louis' life and career at  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Louis .

The monument was erected back in 1986 and was commissioned by Sports Illustrated magazine.  Besides paying homage to Joe Louis, the 8,000 lb., 26 foot long sculpture, over the years, has also been a symbol of Detroit's pride and defiance.

The statue is best viewed early in the morning on weekends as both Jefferson and Woodward are the two major streets in Detroit and are quite busy during the week.  As an example, the photo above was taken around 10:00 AM on a Sunday morning.  Also, viewing during the weekend mornings allows one to park close by and walk to the statue.  Although not a major attraction in Detroit, it is still an interesting art form worth seeing. 

 

Motz's Burgers

 7208 West Fort Street

Detroit, MI
313-843-9186

http://www.motzs.com/Home.html

 Motz's Burgers Facebook

 

Motz's is located on Fort Street in Detroit about 1.5 miles east of the Ford Rouge complex.  Motz's is a family run business since 1929 and based on that it is one of the original slider establishments in the Detroit area.  

Like most slider establishments, there menu is pretty basic.  Hamburgers, Cheese Burgers, specialty Big Burgers, Fish Fry Flounder and Fried Shrimp dinners.  They also offer hot dogs and coney islands as well as fires, fried mushrooms and onion rings.  Beverages include coke products and coffee as well as vanilla and chocolate shakes.

I have only had the chance to eat at this establishment once, but I was very impressed with their sliders and fries.  They have a lunch deal where they offer two sliders, an order of fries and a pop for $5.00.  It's $6.00 if you want cheese with your sliders.  That's a pretty good deal considering their sliders are on the large size, over twice the size of a White Castle.

I found the servers, as well as the patrons, to be very friendly and accommodating.  While I was there for lunch, I had a lively conversation with one of the waitresses.  We were comparing notes on other slider establishments as well as discussing Motz's recent review on the PBS 'Under the Radar - Michigan' TV show.

I plan on returning to Motz's frequently this summer, both to sample their fine hamburgers as well as experience their friendly waitstaff.

 

 

Bates Hamburgers

 33405 5 Mile Road

Livonia, MI 48154

 734-427-3464

http://www.batesburgers.com/ 

The next two posts will focus on a couple of  locations that specialize in the classic hamburger 'Slider' . 

Bates Hamburgers is family owned and has been located at the 'Downtown' intersection of Livonia (5 Mile and Farmington) since 1959.  They also have a location on Middlebelt south of 9 Mile in Farmington Hills.

I have been going to Bates since moving to Livonia back in '86.  As the photo above shows, Bates Hamburgers has the classic hamburger grille restaurant architecture similar to the old White Castles.  Although they offer a breakfast menu, and judging by weekend morning drive bys, they have a  brisk morning business, Bates menu is basic hamburger fare.  In fact all of the main food groups are represented; hamburgers, cheese burgers, chili burgers, hot dogs and coney islands.    They also offer french fries (crinkle cut), soups of the day and soft drinks and chocolate shakes.

Our favorite menu items are the double cheeseburgers, the fries and chocolate shake.  The double hamburger helps equalize the bread to meat ratio.  Of course, one must include the grilled onions.  The other menu item we purchase frequently are the coney islands.  They are very good and on Wednesdays, Coney Day, they are only $1.15.  

As one can see when reviewing the menu, Bates offers an economical meal that tastes great.  Bates offers both inside dining and carryout.  The inside dining features a lunch counter atmosphere.  Carryouts are ordered and picked up in a small enclosed area adjacent to the main diner.  It is suggested that for carryouts, you pre-order over the phone as the carryout area can get quite cramped with people placing and awaiting for their carryouts.

If you are in the Livonia area and are hankering for a slider and fries, give Bates Hamburgers a try.