Hey friends, Jer here.
For many it's a holiday weekend (Hoppy Easter!) and my brain is kind of mush after all the interviews I did this week for the show.
A big one on Detroit stuff is dropping Monday on the podcast, in case you want to look for it.
So I'm going to keep today's stories (mostly) light and fun.
Before we get started, some housekeeping:
Our podcast studio open house is the morning of Saturday, April 26. Passes are going very quick for coffee, donuts, and Detroit conversation in Detroit's TechTown. [Eventbrite]
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Onward!
📘 There's a new children's book called "Hello Detroit." By Jeanette Pierce with art by Dave Toennies, it highlights some of most iconic and best places around the city.
I asked Pierce how she thought up doing a 22-page children's book.
"I had the triplets, and there was lots of time to come up with ideas for things while you're nap-trapped and rocking them over and over again. So instead of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" I started making up Detroit rhymes. And then basically put it down in a book. It really fills a niche for city kids and people that like to get out and with their kids in the city."
You can pick it up at a number of Detroit brick-and-mortar retailers as well as online.
🧱 Check out this tour of a long-empty mansion in Detroit's West Village / Indian Village area. In the video above, the folks from Sanborn Construction say that it's now under contract by someone to purchase it.
Built in 1912, for a number of years it was the Van Dyke Place restaurant. After it closed, some of the significant architectural details were being stripped when neighbors called the police.
After the historic heist, it was most recently owned by Michael Higgins who re-developed the Broderick Tower in downtown Detroit (among other projects with, let's just say, different levels of success). Higgins passed away in 2023.
Van Dyke Place was one of my grandma's favorite restaurants (she was friends with one of the owners). She lived down the street. So I went there when I was a kid, and have memories of it being pretty nice. I hope there's a good ending for this one — whatever it turns into.
📌 How do trade policies, tariffs, and rising costs really impact local businesses? Joe Hakim, General Manager of Ackroyd's Scottish Bakery in Metro Detroit, joined me on the Daily Detroit podcast to discuss the real-world challenges of navigating global supply chains and economic uncertainty. For him, it's not theory. It's his livelihood. [Listen on: Daily Detroit | Apple Podcasts | Spotify]
🍨 Which flavor reigns supreme? Producer Shianne and Engineer Randy sat down with me at the studio at TechTown and ranked Michigan-made Hudsonville Ice Cream flavors against each other. Some of these are new and limited edition flavors.
The entrants: Traverse City Cherry Fudge, Brownie Batter Cookie Dough, Mint Deer Traxx, Tropical Twist (Sherbet), Coffee Chip, and Peach Cobbler. [Listen on: Daily Detroit | Apple Podcasts | Spotify]
🌱 If you're into avoiding microplastics, you might want to check out this video from Detroit-based chef and content creator Jon Kung. I've always enjoyed Jon's stuff as it's good advice (I didn't know that mushrooms could take THAT much heat!) and it often has little local flourishes.
I'm going to need new kitchen gear soon, so I appreciate the tips on how to use fewer single-use, throwaway items and invest in something more sustainable.
🥃 The Perfect Cocktail Recipe? It's More Science Than You Think. Kevin Peterson has been on a quest to find the Platonic ideal of cocktails at his Midtown Detroit bar, Castalia. His scientific approach? Testing everything from dilution ratios to smoke particle concentrations. He’s a great human and I’m so glad to see him get some great national press. [Ars Technica]
We also featured his book on the podcast last fall. [Spotify]
🍴 St. Clair Shores' Nautical Mile is gearing up for Restaurant Week from April 21-27, featuring 13 eateries and a free trolley service.
If you're not from the east side, the Nautical Mile is on Jefferson Avenue between Nine Mile and 10 Mile Roads.
Spots include Baffin Brewing Co., Brunch With Me, Johnny Blacks Lakehouse East, DOX Grillhouse, Fishbone’s, HOOK, Leo’s Coney Island, Mike’s on the Water, Nautical Deli, Pat O’Brien’s Tavern, Pegasus Taverna, Watermark Bar & Grille, and Zef’s Dockside Bar + Kitchen. [C+G] [Full Restaurant Week Menu]
🍜 The old Andiamo spot on Main Street in downtown Royal Oak is going to become Michigan's first Jinya Ramen Bar. According to press materials, it'll open on April 24, 2025. [Jinya]
This will be the 71st location for the chain. They offer broths simmered for 20 hours, traditional Japanese rice bowls, handcrafted noodles, craft cocktails, and more.
The Royal Oak location will be open Sunday through Wednesday from 11a to 10p and Thursday through Saturday from 11a to 11p.
🎼 Tonight's newsletter was written to "Tears Dry On Their Own," by Amy Winehouse. To Detroit music aficionados, the backing music will sound VERY familiar as it's sampled out of what is probably my favorite Motown song, "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," specifically the Marvin Gaye / Tammi Terrell version.
That's all for now. Remember that you are somebody, and I'll see you around Detroit.
-Jer
