Last week I
found myself asking a lot of new questions:
What is going to move people? Get
them excited? Where do I begin? Where can I find the epicenter of Detroit
culture, movement, history and food? Can
the Tigers be taken seriously with a player batting .056 in the lineup?
Tag the leading runner? Why?
All good
food for thought. And just like most
people (I hope), thinking gets me really hungry. So, I got in my car and headed over to the
Eastern Market on Saturday to see what trouble I could get myself into.
If you have
never been to the Eastern Market on a Saturday I can honestly tell you that you
are missing out on one of the most inspirational, historically significant and
sensory-overloading experiences our region has to offer. Detroiters have been flocking to the corner
of Russell St. and I-75 to buy the freshest produce that Michigan, Ohio and
Ontario, Canada have to offer since 1891! One of the
longest enduring traditions in the city of Detroit, Saturdays in the Eastern
Market are exciting for the eyes, ears, nose and mouth. Six city blocks reserved for farmers,
cultivators, chefs, restaurant managers, bakers, gardeners, singers, food
enthusiasts and political activists of all kinds. This
is the pulse of Detroit on Saturdays, this is where the people are.
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| Up to 40,000 people swarm the Eastern Market every Saturday |
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| Saxophone and drums on a beautiful Saturday afternoon |
Every
Saturday, Uncle Tony sets up his grill and his smoker in front of Bert’s and
cooks some of the most delicious chicken, pork and beef that the world has ever
had the pleasure of more-or-less digesting.
All day people can walk up to the cash register, buy 2lbs. of ribs for
$10 and enjoy them at the outdoor seating or through the doors of Bert’s Jazz
Lounge and Restaurant. Inside, people
can sign up to take the open mic and belt out some of the greatest hits that
helped establish Detroit as one of the most important cities in the global
music industry. B.B. King, Wynton
Marsalis, Boy George and Betty Carter are just some of the names that have
taken the stage at Bert’s to swoon the guests.
Berry Gordy himself would have
been impressed with a couple of the people who sang last weekend. Big old crooners, Whitney Houston wannabees
and even a Prince impersonator dawning ass-less chaps were all pleased to entertain
the patrons of Bert’s. Everyone was
feeding off of the energy of the food, the nice weather, the music and each
other. Feeling the love. That is what its all about. Bert himself even made time to talk with me amidst a crazy Saturday afternoon. He told me he would be happy to let me do a
piece about him for iEATdetroit. (Obviously
that got me pumped! So stay tuned.)
Overall, the
experience of taking a day by myself and strolling around the Eastern Market
was as heart-warming as any weekend I have had all year. It made me feel great to see a party
downtown. Good hearted fun, welcoming
people, diversity, music and food. That
is what I want out of life. That is what
makes people grow. It makes sense that
I am from a place that feels the same way!
Quick
Re-cap(s)
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| Slice of the day |
SUPINO
PIZZA. I said it. It’s so good that you almost feel dirty
letting the words out of your mouth. As
creative as it is delicious, Supino Pizzeria lives by the code of Owner and
Founder Dave Mancini who wrote on his blog, "if you have good crust you can tr just about anything on top of it." I tried the Slice of the Day: the Srping Sprung Early. A white pie with roasted asparagus, Porktown coppa, chèvre and rosemary. Earthshattering. I'll never be the same. As people kept flooding the small store front with a hand written sign on the door stating, "One hour wait MINIMUM!" I couldn't help feeling like the one slice, so flaky, doughy, cheesy
and light, was not enough! Want to learn more? Check out some reviews from Hour Magazine and Detroit Moxie.
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| Rib tips |
BERT’S BBQ,
PIZZA AND SOUL FOOD. Ribs, chicken, brisket, pulled pork, Polish sausage and
hot dogs so good you will not be able to stop eating it. I mean, my stomach kept saying, “Hey, Adam,
stop. You are full. No need to eat the last four rib tips!” Needless to say my tongue won this battle in
the never-ending war between taste and hunger!
Not a lot of reviews out there.
Check out yelp. But seriously, just
go there and eat the food, I promise a religious experience!
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| Dave of The Brinery |
FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF THE EASTERN MARKET. If you are
interested in learning more about the people who help stock the 5 Sheds at the
Saturday Eastern Market, what they are
selling and how they are using Detroit soil to help grow and cultivate crops, I urge you to check out the website for
the Detroit Eastern Market! Here is a
link to their blog, which is very interesting, giving direct insight to the
people that are turning the gears of our city.
Without people like them, our city would have a lot less flavor, flowers,
coffee and Zen Buddhist Collective kale salads (version 1 and 2).
This has been a lot of fun! Please follow me on twitter for updates (@iEATdetroit), like the facebook page and spread the word by good old fashion word of mouth! Thanks everyone for the support. Also, if you want to comment on the page and tell me how much you like the blog and what I need to change, I would appreciate it.
Eat well everyone!
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Raymond kitchen mgr. Russell St. Deli
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Monk from Detroit Zen Center
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| Some of the many flowers |
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| The Zingerman's crew from Ann Arbor |
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| Whitney? |
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