Starting on Monday, March 6 there will be a revamp of Maccabees Midtown. The restaurant will now be called Maccabees Traders and will boast a new menu.
The co-owner and operating partner David Kraus has brought in executive chef Rafael Esparaza from Chicago to head the kitchen. The menu will be Asian-inspired with a Detroit twist.
What does that exactly mean? We’ll get to that in a second.
Kraus was raised in southeast Michigan and has since returned to the Detroit food scene. While he has been away he was involved in consulting and opening management for numerous restaurants in Chicago and Los Angeles.
The new menu will offer sharable starters, sides, salads, sandwiches and entrees that have a Asian influence. Some of those dishes include; Vietnamese fish-sauce chicken wings, vegan, pork or duck buns, shrimp bahn mi.
If you’re wondering where that Detroit twist is there will be Vernor’s glazed pork belly and grilled tofu steaks with zip sauce.
“Detroit’s culinary scene has catapulted to the national stage as a dining destination, so to return at such an exciting time and build on that momentum by introducing Maccabees Traders in the heart of the city is rewarding,” said Kraus. “Our primary goal in developing the concept was to maintain a degree of continuity in respect to the space while elevating the menu’s offerings to combine Asian cuisine with the soul of Detroit to offer an approachable and memorable dining experience.”
Besides the changes to the menu, there are some visual upgrades to the restaurant. The bar has been expanded, and the décor has been updated.
The windows have also been exposed, so now you will be able to look out onto Woodward. Before, the space really didn’t take advantage of the street frontage.
After a sort of soft open brunch service on Sunday, the place will officially open on Monday, March 6. Maccabees Traders hours of operation will be:
Lunch: Monday – Friday 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Happy Hour: Monday – Friday menu and drink specials from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Dinner: Monday, Tuesday from 5:00 to 9 p.m. with extended hours to 10:00 p.m. Wednesday – Saturday.
Late Night: Thursday – Saturday bar and late night menu from 10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.
Sunday brunch: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The Maccabees Building is located at 5057 Woodward Avenue in Detroit.