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Vol. 44 | No. 18 | FEBRUARY 21-27, 2024
EDITORIAL
News & Views
Editor in Chief - Lee DeVito
Feedback ............................... 6
Investigative Reporter - Steve Neavling
News ...................................... 8
Digital Content Editor - Layla McMurtrie
Lapointe............................... 12
Staff Writer - Randiah Camille Green
ADVERTISING Associate Publisher - Jim Cohen Regional Sales Director - Danielle Smith-Elliott
Cover Story
Sales Administration - Kathy Johnson
The Food Issue ..................... 16
Account Manager, Classifieds - Josh Cohen
BUSINESS/OPERATIONS Business Support Specialist - Josh Cohen
What’s Going On
Controller - Kristy Dotson
Things to do this week ........ 29
CREATIVE SERVICES Creative Director - Haimanti Germain Art Director - Evan Sult
Music
Graphic Designer - Aspen Smit
Local Buzz ............................ 32
CIRCULATION Circulation Manager - Annie O’Brien
Food
DETROIT METRO TIMES
Review ................................. 36 Chowhound ......................... 38
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NEWS & VIEWS Feedback Erratum: We got a couple things wrong in last week’s cover story on indie rock band Frontier Ruckus. One, the author byline on the cover should have read Jeff Milo, not Jeff Miles. Second, members of the band attended Brother Rice, not Country Day. The corrections have been made online. (Sorry Milo!) Anyway, you had a lot to say about Steve Neavling’s article, “Detroiters are bad at driving, and the consequences are deadly.” Hard to drive right when your dodging massive potholes —@nicksmallmusic, Instagram FYI this should say Detroit Area
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Drivers. Many of the drivers causing these accidents do not live in Detroit. Detroiters do however pay higher collision rates as a result of those accidents. That is something that needs to change. —@ragpapermedia, Instagram We need ACTUAL public transportation. But no, the city wants to pay for a stretch of electric-vehicle-charging-road. This place is a joke. I’ve lived in a few different places and Detroit is BY far the worst in every way. Aside from carelessness, recklessness, wild speeding etc etc etc, people and their high beams are outtttt of control. Half the time I’m driving I can’t even see bc someone is tailing me with their brights on going 70mph towards a red light. —@1_800_moonlight, Instagram
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NEWS & VIEWS
The Listen to Michigan campaign is urging voters to send a message to President Joe Biden over his handling of Gaza. VIOLA KLOCKO
Metro Times endorses ‘uncommitted’ in 2024 primary All too often, generation after generation of disaffected voters in the U.S. feel forced to make a choice between the “lesser of two evils” in the November general election, unimpressed by the candidates that the establishment produces. That’s likely to be the case among many in the unlikely coalition that united to send Joe Biden to the White House in 2020 — including progressives, liberals, centrists, moderate Republicans, and independents — considering the President’s low approval rating, which hovers around 39%. That’s not that far off from his predecessor Donald Trump’s ratings, which averaged 41% while in office. But Michigan’s Tuesday, Feb. 27 primary election isn’t about choosing between the lesser of two evils — it’s about choosing the candidate for the November election. That’s why Metro Times is endorsing “uncommitted” for the Democratic primary election. The “Listen to Michigan” campaign is urging voters who disapprove of the
Biden administration’s backing of Israel’s war in Gaza to select “uncommitted” on the ballot. Launched by local Democratic party leaders, including a number of members of Dearborn’s Arab American community who helped elect Biden in 2020, the campaign aims to use the primary to call for a ceasefire and end funding of the attacks on Gaza, which have killed more than 28,000 Palestinians, injured nearly 70,000, and displaced nearly 2 million, including many women and children. “Our numerous attempts to engage in meaningful dialogue with President Biden have been disregarded, showing a clear indifference to our concerns and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza,” Listen to Michigan’s Layla Elabed said in a statement. “By voting uncommitted, Democrats can send a powerful message that we cannot back policies that perpetuate violence and injustice. President Biden needs to realign his policies with the values of peace and humanity to earn our votes.” A December poll by Data for Progress
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and We the People — Michigan found a majority of metro Detroit voters, or 53%, supported a ceasefire in Gaza, including 80% of Democrats, 66% of independents, and 49% of Republicans. So far, Biden has merely paid lip service to the plight of the Palestinians. “I’m of the view, as you know, that the conduct of the response in the Gaza Strip has been over the top,” Biden told reporters at the White House during a recent press conference. What a euphemism. The United Nations International Court of Justice is currently investigating credible claims that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people under the cover of retaliation to the Oct. 7 attack from Hamas. We condemn that brutal attack, which resulted in more than 1,000 deaths in Israel and about 250 hostages being taken into Gaza, as we condemn all violence. This is why we demand that Biden join us in calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Israel has argued that it must eliminate Hamas
as a matter of self-defense, no matter the cost. We believe violence will only beget more violence, and that diplomacy and negotiations are not being prioritized. As U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib — the only Palestinian American in Congress — has pointed out, the conflict did not start on Oct. 7. For nearly two decades, Gaza has been under a crushing Israeli blockade resulting in high levels of poverty, malnutrition, and humiliating security checkpoints. Israel’s military campaign does nothing to address any of the issues driving people to join the ranks of Hamas. Biden occasionally speaking up for Palestine while continuing to send money and weapons to Israel is especially offensive considering the way he charmed many Arab Americans by using the phrase “inshallah,” or “god willing,” during a 2020 debate in response to Trump’s promise to release his tax returns. Many said they felt seen by the witty comment, with some calling it a “historic moment in America” given the prejudice people of Middle Eastern cultures have faced, especially after the 9/11 attacks. But now, Arab Americans are justified in feeling once again unseen by the U.S. government. Biden cannot afford to lose their votes in Michigan, which is once again shaping up to be a swing state in 2024. In 2020, he won by more than 150,000 votes here, home to some 300,000 people of Middle Eastern ancestry. That doesn’t even cover the many more people who disapprove of the war in Gaza, especially young people. The stakes are especially high because there is no doubt in our minds that Trump would be far worse for global stability, vowing to ban refugees from Gaza from entering the U.S. and suggesting that the war must be allowed to “play out.” Biden needs to change course on Gaza or else he runs the risk of losing to Trump. Other candidates have called for peace, including third-party candidate Cornel Westand the best-selling author and former Macomb County megachurch leader Marianne Williamson, who ended her Democratic primary campaign earlier this month. But the Listen to Michigan campaign is aimed squarely at the current President. Once voters send a message to Biden that they disapprove of the job he is doing by choosing “uncommitted” in Michigan’s primary election, Biden must then do everything in his power to stop further devastation in Gaza and help mediate what must become a lasting peace in the Middle East. —Metro Times editorial staff
Detroit man freed after being sentenced to life in prison An elderly man who has been in prison
since fatally stabbing a Detroit man in the chest during a 1965 robbery is being released as the result of a Michigan court ruling that changes how the state treats 18-year-olds convicted of murder. Ivory Thomas was resentenced last week to 40 to 60 years in prison, which means he has served his maximum penalty. Thomas was the oldest Wayne County man still in prison after being sentenced as an 18-year-old. In 2022, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled in People v. Poole that 18-year-olds sentenced to life without the possibility of parole are entitled to resentencing. A mandatory life sentence for an 18-year-old violates the state constitutional prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment, the court ruled. Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said she supported Thomas’s release because he’s “very ill” and has made a positive transformation in prison. She said the family of the victim also supported his release. “Mr. Thomas is 77 years old and has served 60 years in prison for taking the life of Michael Railsback since he was 18 years old,” Worthy said. “He is very ill and has accepted full responsibility for his actions. We have examined this case and believe in these facts, as well as Mr. Ivory’s transformation in prison, that the family of Mr. Railsback and I can fully support Mr. Ivory’s release.” Railsback was 18 years old when he was killed at Dueweke Park. Thomas was serving his time at the Thumb Correctional Facility in Lapeer. —Steve Neavling
Recall of Highland Park mayor approved The Wayne County Election Committee approved language Thursday for a campaign to recall Highland Park Mayor Glenda McDonald for allowing residents’ utility bills to skyrocket. Highland Park activist Robert Davis says he and recall supporters aren’t wasting time in collecting signatures to remove the first-term mayor. “Her days as mayor are numbered,” Davis tells Metro Times. “We’re going to hit the ground running. In the next couple of weeks, we are going to convene a strategy meeting so when the weather breaks in March, we will commence circulating petitions.” Davis has 180 days to submit enough signatures to place the recall on the November ballot. Under state law, Davis must collect signatures equal to 25% of all votes cast for governor in Highland Park in the 2022 election. That amounts to a little more than 500 signatures. The election committee, which is made up of the Wayne County treasurer, clerk, and probate judge, unanimously determined the language of the recall met the standards to begin the process of removing the mayor. Under state law, the recall language must be clear and factual. It does not have to prove criminal wrongdoing. Davis submitted three reasons to recall McDonald: She uses on-duty police officers to chauffeur her around, she allegedly recommended that the city council approve a water agreement that resulted in an increase in residents’ utility bills, and she declined to veto the water agreement. The commission voted in favor of the language that indicates McDonald declined to veto a water agreement with the Great Lakes Water Authority to end a years-long dispute over millions of dollars in unpaid water bills. As a result of the pact, Davis says residential water bills have soared.
The committee didn’t vote on the police chauffeur language because only one of Davis’s proposals needed to be approved to begin the recall process. “The voters are already up in arms by the fact that their water and sewage rates have significantly increased as a result of the mayor failing to inform the residents of Highland Park that, as part of the agreement with the state and Great Lakes Water Authority, the city would have to implement drastic water rate increases, which are like 200%,” Davis says. McDonald tells Metro Times that she plans to appeal the committee’s decision and defend herself to “the fullest and to the best of my ability.” “I will appeal this decision and move forward,” McDonald says. McDonald says she plans to release a more thorough statement later Thursday or Friday. Davis has held Highland Park officials to account. Last month, he was responsible for a judge ousting the city’s seven-term treasurer Janice Taylor-Bibbs from office. The judge agreed with a lawsuit filed by Davis that argued the treasurer was ineligible to run for reelection in November because she owes more than $90,500 as a result of a housing scandal. Davis also successfully sued the city over its controversial marijuana ordinance. In July 2023, a Wayne County Circuit Court judge agreed with Davis that the ordinance violated the Michigan Zoning and Enabling Act because city officials failed to get approval from the city’s Planning Commission to create eight zones where cannabis businesses were permitted to open. Davis also filed a lawsuit in 2022 that resulted in McDonald’s opponents being removed from the ballot for failing to properly fill out their Affidavit of Identity to run in the non-partisan race. —Steve Neavling
Macomb Prosecutor accused of ethics violation A county ethics board will soon review a complaint that alleges Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido violated a local election law by using his county property to promote a Republican candidate who was later charged with forging signatures on absentee ballot applications. Mark Brewer, the former chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party, claims Lucido, a Trumpsupporting Republican, used his office to pose for a photograph that was used by Paul Manni in campaign mailers when he was running for a seat on the Sterling Heights City Council in 2021. In two campaign mailers, Lucido endorsed Manni, and the two are photographed together in Lucido’s office. Manni lost the race and was later charged with nine felony counts of forging a signature on an absentee ballot and nine misdemeanor counts of making a false statement on an absentee ballot application. The Sterling Heights clerk became suspicious after
Manni dropped off about 50 absentee ballot applications with his signature. Nine of the voters reached by the clerk’s office said they were not seeking an absentee ballot. The clerk reported the suspected fraud to the Michigan Bureau of Elections, which investigated and referred the case to the Attorney General’s Office. As part of a plea agreement, the nine felonies and six of the misdemeanors were dismissed, and he was ordered to pay $1,500 in fines during his sentencing in December 2023. Macomb County Circuit Judge Edward Servitto Jr. did not sentence Manni to jail. Records show that Manni donated $1,500 to Lucido’s campaign in each 2020 and 2021. In response to the ethics complaint, Lucido’s office provided Metro Times with a sworn affidavit from Manni that insists he used the campaign photos without Lucido’s knowledge. “I want to clarify that I did not seek or obtain Peter J. Lucido’s consent to utilize these pictures in
my campaign literature,” Manni says in the affidavit. “It is important to note that Peter J. Lucido was not aware of my use of these pictures in my campaign literature. Our discussion during the meeting when these pictures were taken did not touch upon any matters related to political campaign activities or endorsements.” In a letter to the ethics board last week, Manni’s attorney Micahel J. Balian called the allegations against Lucido “entirely false.” Balian tells Metro Times that Manni met with Lucido at the time to discuss public safety issues in Sterling Heights. “It wasn’t about politics,” Manni says. Lucido declined to comment. “Prosecutor Lucido says the affidavit speaks for itself,” Lucido’s spokeswoman Dawn Fraylick told Metro Times in an email Friday. The Macomb County Ethics Board will conduct a probable cause review of the complaint on March 19. —Steve Neavling
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Dan Gilbert brings back bar owned by father in the ’70s An intimate lounge with
Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum is jam-packed with vintage arcade games and other curios. DAN KECK, FLICKR CREATIVE COMMONS
Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum is moving Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum says it’s not
game over for the arcade. Following a Farmington Hills City Council vote last week to demolish the strip mall it has called home for nearly 35 years to make way for a new Meijer store, Marvin’s ownership took to social media vowing that the business will live on. “This will not be the end of MMMM!” Marvin’s wrote in a Facebook post last Tuesday. “Yes, the city voted and the mall will be torn down but from what I understand we have our space till the end of the year. We will be moving, not closing! Where?
I do not know as of yet but I hope to stay within the same general area and will keep everyone posted as things progress but again WE ARE NOT CLOSING!” In a follow-up post, Marvin’s wrote, “Kinda ironic the Gloria Gaynor movie ‘I will survive’ is having its one day theater showing today when I am echoing those same words! It’s fate telling us WE WILL SURVIVE as well! Bigger and Better! BE MARVELOUS!!!” Crain’s Detroit Business reports that Farmington Hills Mayor Theresa Rich said during last week’s council meeting that Marvin’s ownership “is
looking at this as an opportunity to grow the business.” The arcade is currently 5,000 square feet, but Rich said Marvin’s is looking for a space that is 10,000 square feet. “He would love the opportunity to add birthday rooms so they could have more parties there,” Rich said. “He said he has deliberately not weighed in on any of this throughout all the meetings because he didn’t want to get in the way of his landlord.” The business, which is packed from floor to ceiling with vintage arcade games, antiques, and other curios, was founded by the late Marvin Yagoda in 1980. It moved to its current home in the Hunter’s Square strip mall at 31005 Orchard Lake Rd. in 1990. Yagoda died in 2017 at age 78. His son Jeremy now runs Marvin’s. —Lee DeVito
Lyft launches Women+ Connect feature in Detroit For women, many seemingly harmless life activities can be scary, and sharing a car with a stranger can definitely be a cause for fear. Sometimes it’s a necessity though, so many women have hoped for a rideshare platform that connects them exclusively with other women. Thanks to Lyft, the option is now available in Detroit and more than 50 other cities nationwide. The app’s new Women+ Connect feature allows women and
nonbinary Lyft drivers to opt-in to request women and nonbinary Lyft riders, providing more comfort and earning opportunities. While users may still be matched with men, it increases the chance of being paired with other women and nonbinary individuals as long as a Women+ Connect member is available. The option first launched in September, and has since been used for nearly 7 million rides. More than half of eligible drivers are opted-in to Women+ Connect, according to
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a press release. Plus, the satisfaction rate among drivers who have used the feature is the highest of any driver feature Lyft has launched. Women+ Connect was created in partnership with the Human Rights Campaign, It’s On Us, the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives, and the National Sheriffs’ Association. More information on Women+ Connect can be found at lyft.com/women+. —Layla McMurtrie
tableside mixology is planned to open in downtown Detroit this spring. Saksey’s Cocktail Lounge, owned by Dan Gilbert and helmed by 7OH2 Hospitality, will be located on the lower level of the forthcoming Gilly’s Clubhouse & Rooftop at 1550 Woodward Ave. Saksey’s is named after a Detroit bar owned by Dan Gilbert’s father in the 1970s. Gilly’s Clubhouse & Rooftop is the vision of Nick Gilbert, who died from complications related to neurofibromatosis in May. Guests at Saksey’s can expect a craft cocktail menu by Eric Hobble, who was named Las Vegas’s Most Intriguing Mixologist in 2019. Some of the cocktails on offer include the “High Class Gal” with gin, cantaloupe juice, orgeat syrup, lemon, watermelon ice diamonds, and champagne. The “Smoke & Mirrors” includes tequila, lemon, Saint Germain, egg white powder, and charcoal lipstick kiss served in a black coupe glass. The lounge offers tableside mixology service. Shareable plates will also be on offer by 7OH2 Executive Chef Adrian Estrada who has designed menus for multiple venues across the Midwest and East Coast. The menu has been described as “a celebration of Detroit’s rich heritage featuring light bites with a flair for the dramatic,” whatever that means. The entrance to Saksey’s is through an alleyway just off Woodward that leads into a dimly lit lounge with lacquered wood and “adventurous patterns” designed by Jennifer Gilbert’s POPHOUSE, according to a press release. Adding to the exclusive feel, the bar will only have eight tables with a total of 55 seats. 7OH2 Hospitality is an Ohio-born hospitality company led by Josh Lang. Saksey’s and Gilly’s Clubhouse & Rooftop will mark the company’s debut in Detroit. “Saksey’s is designed to provide an experience that connects people,” Lang said in a media announcement. “I want guests to come in, try a little of everything on the menu, sit back and spend time with the people they love. Intimacy is a product of those you share it with. This room is built for intimate moments.” —Randiah Camille Green
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NEWS & VIEWS
The big demagogue makes a muscular new friend in Waterford Township.
ALEX WROBLEWSKI/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
Lapointe
Watch out, Detroit. Sore loser Donald Trump is watching you. By Joe Lapointe
As his campaign speech rambled well past an hour Saturday night in Waterford Township, former President Donald Trump finally uttered the welcome words “in conclusion,” as if it were the two-minute warning at a pro football game. But then the large, loud, orange-faced, yellow-haired demagogue suddenly veered off-script again, like a drunk driver on a cellphone transporting Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert in his passenger seat. Trump fired his final cheap shot at the city of Detroit, about 30 miles south of the chilly airport shed in Oakland County where he spoke. He predicted Motor City election officials will try to cheat in favor of President Joe Biden and against Trump in the presidential election on Nov. 5. Trump’s crowd was mostly white; Detroit and its election workers are mostly Black. “We gotta watch Detroit, we gotta watch Detroit,” Trump said, his voice in a tone of exaggerated suspicion. “Boyoh-boy-oh-boy. They had such horrible abuse. You know they had more ballots — you know this — they had more ballots than they had voters. Do you know
that? Gee. And they didn’t want to, you know, go into that.” Later, he added: “Don’t let ‘em cheat. Don’t let ‘em cheat.” His mob-boss style of innuendo was clear. Trump was repeating the piece of his 2020 Big Lie that cheating in Detroit helped give Biden his victory over Trump in Michigan en route to Biden’s victory in both the national popular vote and the electoral college. But like a broken clock that is right twice a day, even Trump can speak an occasional truth. “If we win Michigan, we win the election,” Trump said Saturday, calling the Great Lakes State “the whole ball game.” That might prove true, assuming Biden again is the Democratic candidate and Trump again represents the Republicans. It’s hard to judge enthusiasm for this one and difficult to predict. Unlike Joe Louis against Max Schmeling, this is not a rematch the public is clamoring for. Many voters consider Biden unfit mentally and Trump unfit morally and are deeply discouraged by their choice. In 2016, Trump won the White House over Hillary Clinton when he took
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Michigan by a narrow margin. Nationally, Trump won the electoral college, although she won the popular vote. On Saturday night in Michigan, Trump patronized factory workers, attacked the UAW, and occasionally seemed to lose focus on his script. Early on, he meandered into praise for the physique of an auto worker he said he met backstage. “He had the strongest build I’ve ever seen,” Trump gushed. “I said, ‘I’d like to have a body like that!’ Where is that guy?” A few minutes later, while complaining about electric Army tanks, Trump spotted the man in the audience. “There’s the guy!” said the visibly excited Trump. “Come on up here! C’mere. C’mere.” The smiling, physically fit, middle-aged man had a light mustache that drooped down the sides of his mouth. He took the stage wearing a red Trump hat, blue jeans, a green jacket, and a white hoodie. Trump made him strip down his torso to his tight, red T-shirt that said both “auto workers” and “Trump.” He patted the man on the shoulder. “I like this guy,” Trump said. “I met him backstage. He’s great. He’s great … Look at this guy. He could rip you apart.”
Trump invited “this guy” (he never asked this guy’s name) to spout a few words. “We got your back!” this guy shouted into Trump’s microphone. After a few more words, Trump thanked him and this guy replied, “You’re welcome, brother, fight the fight.” Trump gave the man a long hug as he left. But his infatuation lingered. “Look at these muscles,” Trump said. “He’s got muscles all over the place.” A few minutes later, Trump veered into another reference to his new friend, “That good-looking, strong guy with his beautiful muscles.” The rest of the speech mixed boilerplate personal insults, the general running down of the United States of America, and contempt for its multiple forces of justice, civil and criminal, which are beginning to close in on Trump with trials in four venues. Trump said mail-in voting is “totally corrupt”; he called Georgia prosecutor Fani Willis “fanny”; he called federal prosecutor Jack Smith “deranged” and added “he’s a crooked guy, he’s an animal”; he called “crooked” the judge who presided over his New York trial for financial fraud. He called his only Republican opponent, Nikki Haley, “Bird Brain,” sounding much like Oscar the Grouch teasing Big Bird on Sesame Street. Trump had serious moments, too. He said “we are a nation in decline, we are a failing nation.” “Look at our cities,” Trump said. “They’re falling apart. Look at our country. It’s falling apart. We’re like a thirdworld nation … We’re stupid. So stupid…” He vowed to oppose transgender rights and Black Lives Matter, along with fighting against vaccine and mask mandates. In that Trump and the Republicans have refused to do immigration reform now so Trump can use it as a campaign issue, he warned Saturday night of “migrant crime” to be feared. Murderers, Trump said, are coming in from Congo and many other places. “They’re coming in from prisons,” Trump said. “They’re coming in from mental institutions. They’re coming from insane asylums. They go and they beat up police officers. They stab people, hurt people, shoot people … Illegal alien criminals crawling through your windows and going through your drawers.” Trump also told his followers that these very same immigrants will take away high-paying jobs of UAW members by working harder and for less. “You’re going to get so screwed,” he promised. Trump failed to explain how full-time criminals could work full-time at auto plants. It didn’t matter. “Trump-Trump-TRUMP!” his fans chanted. “Trump-Trump-TRUMP!”
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THE FOOD ISSU
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UE
The Food STory of US
Once I became a man, it occurred to me how cool my family cookbook actually was
S
BY R OBE R T S T E M PK OW S K I
omeone I loved and lost
about a year ago put together a binder of my family’s old recipes for me. It doubles as a de facto scrapbook these days, its pages filled with memories I can taste. In it, there’s a sloppy joe recipe dating back to my Uncle Harry’s days in the Navy, when he served them up to ill-fated shipmates while stationed at Pearl Harbor, before and after that infamous December day in 1941. On another leaf, a seven-item list of the ordinary grocery store ingredients required to render my Aunt Mary’s irresistible salad dressing always leaves me laughing over restaurant customers I fended off in Phoenix through years begging me for them. I’d offer six for free, and the difference-maker seventh for a C-note. Oh, if they only knew. And reading between lines of nowfaded, hand-written pierogi-making instructions, I make mental note of my grandmother’s very vocal insistence that properly sized circles of pierogi dough are best cut by empty Maxwell House coffee cans. To this day, I scoff at seeing smaller scale models as authentically old school. To hear Grandma tell it, fist-sized pierogi set the standard. So it goes in my world. Further, walleye done right should always be fried in Stroh’s beer batter and eaten with Open Pit barbecue sauce, and sour cream is the proper finishing garnish for any good bowl of soup. Where simpler pleasures are concerned, nothing beats a plate of hot cottage cheese and noodles, kishka with scrambled eggs and ketchup, or a thick hunk of liver sausage with sliced raw onion, slathered with French’s mustard on good rye bread. If you’re suddenly concerned that I may have just disqualified myself as someone who can speak credibly on the subject of
“cuisine,” don’t be. It’s just that what’s going to be said here isn’t about fancy food anymore than I am or you are at heart. This is simply the food story of us.
In the beginning…
As a species, I don’t think our love affair with food started as a raw movement. While I’m sure our hunter-gatherer ancestors relished eating everything they could find, I’m guessing the harnessing of fire struck the first gastronomic thunderclap in human evolution. Through captive flame, primordial man procured not only game-changing creature comforts of warmth and protection, but burning embers to boot. Probably not many campfires later, cave dwellers got lit-up with another bolt of revelatory lightning or two. Maybe it happened by accident: a case of pre-Neanderthals in proteininduced comas leaving some carcasstartare leftovers close enough to the coals overnight to smell like a good steak come morning. Once man discovered the magic of animal flesh meeting flame, the dawning of foodie pre-history had happened. It’s also my theory that lighting farts became a thing shortly thereafter, when close quarters, meat methane-passing became an attention-getting gas around the communal pyre. But seriously, folks, as humankind made the civilizational turn from foraging to farming, the age of comfort foods (and basic adult beverages) dawned. From Babylonian to Biblical records, bread and wine were notably high on those lists.
Leaps-and-bounds food preparation progress followed. History teaches us that foodstuffs like butter and popcorn were staples in Mesoamerica, predating their pairing in 20th century movie theaters by nearly as much time as it took modern man to reclaim his affinity for toothsome pleasures like smoked fish and dehydrated beef (“jerky”) through preservation processes our forebears innovated to provide themselves such proteins in the pre-Costco period. During the Middle Ages, otherwise uneducated serfs slaving away in castle kitchens somewhere in southern France figured out how to keep cooked poultry in its own fat during pre-refrigeration days. By the French revolution, culinary technique in France became so refined that julienne fried potatoes were named after it. America’s fast food hard-chargers, pirates, and royalty — Colonel Sanders, Ray Kroc, Burger King, and the like — ascended several billion happy customers later. The rest, as they say, is history, albeit highly abridged here, past to present.
Current events — dining market adjustments or crash? Blithe backstory aside, commercial epicurean society finds itself in some sobering circumstances these days. Coming completely current, the jury’s out right now on how much of an extinction event COVID-19 may amount to in the restaurant sphere as a whole. There’s certainly been some seismic shifting in how a hungry world of consumers are choosing to eat “out.” Eating in’s not the norm anymore. Pandemic panic and/ or precautions hit sit-down dining like a killer meteor, and the fallout’s still raining down hard, especially on the proprietary landscape. Remote work
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has devastated business lunch rushes which daytime restaurant owners and their service staffs could once count on. Meal delivery services may be booming and replacing a portion of jobs lost to food and beverage workers, but these deliver food from the fast and quickserve sectors much more so than the dine-in segment of the industry. From full-service, family restaurants to fine dining, the attrition’s been atrocious. So are the prices food businesses are charging. Whether forced to by their own skyrocketing purchasing costs, an ongoing epidemic of profiteering greed that COVID triggered in some unscrupulous corners of both wholesale and retail food commerce, or a likely combination of such factors in many cases, fast food menus are pushing limits even the convenience-focused customer may prove willing to pay a premium for at this point, while the dine-in demographic is being asked to accept dinner pricing for lunch and pork chops for what most steakhouses were charging for prime rib and porterhouses at the end of 2020, when all this hard-to swallow food inflation started.
And on the home-cooking front, it’s time to call out some businesses, for better or worse It’s rare that I buy retail beef these days. Save for Cattleman’s in Taylor and Value Center Marketplace in southeast Livonia, I’ve found too little in the way of value perception in the meat and seafood department during my yearand-a-half exploration of grocery shopping options in metro Detroit. And it’s more and more seldom that my going to market experiences satisfy overall. Kudos to places like Trader Joe’s and Busch’s for the premiums they obviously place on customer service. Love Trader Joe’s for their company brand gourmet goods (olives, pesto, gnocchi, edamame, etc.), bread quality, and seemingly opening-up another checkout line with a smiling, content team member any time I find myself waiting more than a minute or two there in line. Busch’s staff step up, too, in that regard, from the deli and meat and seafood crews, to managers constantly monitoring and manning the check-out lines and customer service desk. While I’ve only managed a small sampling of what higher-end markets like Nino Salvaggio’s, Westborn, and Joe’s offer, I will say I’ve always gotten what I’ve been willing to pay for from them: pristinely fresh and picture perfect produce, primarily, along with ultra-fresh seafood (you, too, Busch’s). Perchance you’re noticing the Kroger brand conspicuously absent from my
complimentary list. What can I say? Don’t get me started. In my experience, this company has clearly abdicated virtually all the duties to customer service I’ve just commended a number of their competitors for. And that’s probably because monster conglomerate Kroger Corporation feels no real pressure to perform out of fear of losing sufficient market share to have to actually make any effort to even appear to give a shit about the food- buying public they treat like human chattel here in their Michigan market. I say that and make that distinction because as a loyal Fry’s shopper for decades in Arizona (that’s the name the Kroger brand conducts business under there), the stores are better stocked, better staffed, and better maintained generally than the condition I find them in this state, for whatever reason(s). And this isn’t some COVID thing they can blame. I left Arizona well into 2022. No, there must be other reasons for Kroger’s Mitten State mess: the constant log jams of long, self-service lines attended by outnumbered and demoralized staffers left to manage too many customers struggling with self-checkout at terminals that can’t accept cash, give the correct change when they do, or even price things correctly, and just aren’t open in numbers sufficient to handle their business flow. It’s a sad shopping experience most often at any Kroger I visit around town. Between staffers’ broken-down morale and the run-around it always seems to require to ring-your-own and bag-your-own groceries, it’s usually a shitshow, if truth be told. No wonder Kroger’s ad campaign is a cartoon. I doubt they could find enough real people — either customers or employees — to film a live commercial that would come across as an endorsement.
OK, where is all this leading? As to our future forays into life’s eating adventure, who knows where we’re headed? I’m not some Nostradumbass trying to predict what’s coming next or where this inflation that’s blowing-up everybody’s food spending budget will end. I’m just a guy observing the same food trends you are, filling my grocery cart everywhere you do, and hoping the current concerning trajectories touched on here level off for everyone’s sake. I have endless empathy and deep concern for full-service restaurants that are struggling mightily in specific; mom and pop operators who’ve always had to walk tightrope-thin profit margins, and a food service industry in general that feels a need to charge more and more for less and less. On the home front, my heart goes out to hard
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working people in families who have to swim against these rising tides of food that’s getting far less affordable. Doing my professional duty, I see startling numbers of fairly-empty dining rooms. In businesses that are all about putting butts in seats, that’s worrisome. On my own dime, I spend ample time standing in grocery store lines, looking around and listening. In places where people have no problem paying four bucks a pound for jalapeño peppers, it’s a different reality. In dollar stores where few things actually cost that little anymore, I see another story: moms and dads with small baskets half-filled with cans of refried beans and 10-packs of corn tortillas, eyeing every next ring of the register, and trying not to make too much of having to say no to their little ones’ wants for some candy treat things are just too close to cover that day.
Now, back to that old recipe binder of mine What food is costing us these days takes me back to what I’ve always done during times when either money’s been tight and I’ve had more mouths to feed than just my own, or I just hungered for a little comfort: some real, simple sustenance for body and soul. I head into the kitchen where I can always whip up a recipe for that, whether I make something that makes me remember or helps me forget. For all the life’s choices I could second-guess, I’ve not one regret over becoming a cook. It’s done me and mine nothing but good, while serving and satisfying others. A meal made with social intention then shared is such a genuinely human exchange. It’s thoughtful gift-giving as palpable as anything could be; something we smell and taste that truly touches. Making something for others to eat is a most generous use of our time. Raised by three women who helped mother me while constantly wearing kitchen aprons, I learned their love language of food. Virtually everything I cut my teeth on as a boy was served homemade, heartfelt, and homespun. I watched my grandmother make regular hot lunches for our mailman during the Dearborn winters of my boyhood. Whenever company came to our door for whatever reasons, expected or not, feasts awaited them, either at the ready or readily prepared at a moment’s notice. My Aunts Helen and Mary baked constantly, “in case someone comes over,” they’d say, keeping up constant provisions of pound cakes and pies to feed small armies on any contingencies or impromptu occasions. Some of our food hospitality embarrassed me back then. Blushing boy me wondered:
Who eats this stuff but us? Pig’s feet gelatin? Duck blood soup? Reflected in our plates, we appeared way too ethnic for my tastes. Sometimes while sitting at our tables, I couldn’t wait to grow up and get out of the crazy international house of Polish potato pancakes I was born into. Then, a funny thing happened. I grew out of that childishness shortly after running off out West to find myself working in the restaurant business. There, I found beet soup on fine dining menus, fresh sausage being made by artisan suppliers, and things not far from Grandma’s boiled and chopped chicken livers playing well to ’80s-’90s foodie crowds in pate form. From that point of revelation, backwater perceptions of my food heritage pivoted into something I took new stock in personally and professionally. Ever since, my cooking life’s been an ongoing exercise in both purist preservation of my family cookbook, and rewriting some recipes to suit tastes that have changed over time in me, my family and friends, and the clients and customers I’ve cooked for and served over the years. The story of us — each and all — is a never-ending tale rich in character development that takes its turns along with the times we’re given to live in and learn from. When I was a child, I thought as a child, and ate as a child while thinking my family food story was something peculiar that I’d do well to keep to myself when I got older. Once I became a man, I put away such childish things the minute it occurred to me how cool my family cookbook actually was. And I’ve been cooking from it ever since; adding pureed chipotle peppers and grated asiago to Grandma’s pierogi filling sometimes, and just eating her potato and fried onion version at others. I’m glad I’ve carried on our family food traditions that way and started new ones with only minor variations to them (my kids love those Polish-New Mexican pierogi). To those of you reading this: If you’ve some food legacy of your own you’d like to share, reach out to us at eat@metrotimes.com. And if you’re some grocer or other food vendor who feels you have something to offer our food content readers, do the same. If there’s something newsworthy or otherwise noteworthy you can indeed contribute to the conversation, we can talk about it in either in my weekly Chowhound column or, perhaps, feature you in some future piece we’ll put together that will do metro Detroit some good on that front. We’re all about that. We may be “alternative,” but we’re not aloof to addressing collective needs of our community as a whole.
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Since opening in 2014, Selden Standard helped kick off a new era in the Cass Corridor.
A DecADe of Fine Dining How a slice of the Cass Corridor became an upscale culinary haven B Y S T E V E N E AV L I N G
A
decade ago, this small pocket of
the Cass Corridor was a desolate landscape, dominated by abandoned, graffiti-strewn buildings.
Then two men who believed in Detroit’s comeback sunk their money in a squat, brick building with torn-up concrete floors at the corner of Second and Selden in Detroit with a vision of transforming the vacant dry cleaning business into a premier dining establishment. To many, the plan seemed foolhardy and improbable. Why, the skeptics reasoned, would people flock to this dilapidated corner for fine dining? But like many mavericks, Andy Hollyday and Evan Hansen saw potential where no one else did. Their idea was to create a restaurant that served seasonal, fresh, and flavorful food made from scratch. With a rotating menu of small plates, much of the food would come from local farms and be charred in a wood-fired oven.
“A lot of people thought we were nuts,” chef-owner Hollyday tells Metro Times. “Evan and I had a solid vision. We wanted to be in a neighborhood, but we really didn’t want to be downtown. We had our vision. We were optimistic. The restaurant scene wasn’t what it is today, so we decided to create our space, and we just hoped people would find it. We saw the potential. And 10 years later, this is a great location.” Hollyday had plenty of culinary experience and built a following while working as executive chef at Roast at the Westin Book Cadillac. The Toledo native graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and cooked at L’Essentiel in Chambery, France; Tribute in Farmington; and Oliveto in Oakland, California.
MICHELLE GERARD
Selden Standard opened in November 2014 and quickly became a success, earning many accolades, including Restaurant of the Year by the Detroit Free Press in 2015, Hour Magazine in 2016, and USA Today in 2024. The New American restaurant also was a James Beard semifinalist for outstanding restaurant. Last year, Hollyday was a finalist for best chef in the Great Lakes region. With a rustic, casual ambience, the Selden Standard attracts a steady stream of diverse diners and is often filled to capacity. “We just wanted space to express our love for food and drink and bringing people together,” Hollyday says. “It all came from a place of love for our craft. We had no idea what it would turn into. At the time we felt if we did this people would find us and we would be OK. We never thought about this being a catalyst.” On its 10th anniversary, the Selden Standard is now at the center of a culinary haven that has grown around the restaurant. A block away on Selden near Cass is SheWolf, a fine dining restaurant that focuses on contemporary Italian food inspired by old Rome. SheWolf opened in the summer of 2018 on the ground floor of a new loft building and is one of the hardest restaurants to get a reservation for. A decade ago, the space was a long-vacant, crumbling building. The success of Selden Standard was one of the main reasons SheWolf chose that spot, says SheWolf executive chef and proprietor Anthony Lombardo. “They’re a good restaurant, and we wanted to build off that synergy,” Lombardo says. With a close proximity to Wayne State University, major hospitals, and numerous theaters and sports venues, Lombardo says the location was bound
to take off. “The location was kind of strategic,” Lombardo says. “It’s not downtown, but it’s close enough where you can get a meal before a theater show or something at Little Caesars Arena or summer concerts. You can get a meal and walk to the show.” One block north of the Selden Standard on Second Avenue is Mad Nice, an upscale, Italian-inspired restaurant that opened in March and occupies a building that once housed a lower-income grocery store and later a fine leather goods retailer. The latest fine dining restaurant to open in this small pocket is Vigilante Kitchen and Bar, a modern, high-end eatery with Asian and French influences, located a half-block west of the Selden Standard on Selden. The restaurant opened in June and welcomed diners with a unique space accented with purple neon, skulls, and punk rock decor. Vigilante partners with next-door neighbors Nain Rouge Brewery, which offers more than a dozen specialty beers. Vigilante declined to speak with Metro Times. Since Selden Standard opened, other businesses have also sprung up. On the same block as Vigilante are Condado Tacos and Barcade, which features dozens of video games and pinball machines, along with a full bar. Seasons Market, a small grocer with a cafe and farmer’s stand, opened in 2022 across the street from Mad Nice and offers homemade meals and inseasons fruits and veggies. It was built with bricks from the building that was demolished at the location where SheWolf is. Hollyday and Hansen could never have envisioned the transformation that their restaurant inspired. While the menu is constantly changing, their reliance on fresh, seasonal, local, and handmade food has not. “I would say most of everything is very similar conceptually to when we started,” Hansen says. “At a root level, the approach to the food and drinks and service is still the same. It’s like a dinner party.” On a recent Friday evening, the Selden Standard was buzzing, with every table occupied. Diners feasted on freshly made sourdough bread, succulent oysters, tender beef tartare, and creamy crûléed cheese tart. “From the very beginning, we wanted it to be an experience like you’re coming into our house,” Hollyday says. “We wanted this to be a space that wasn’t stuffy and was very successful. Everyone is welcome. It should be fun and relaxing.”
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Love Buzz
Our favorite metro Detroit coffee shops
F
B Y L AY L A M C M U R T R I E
or many of us,
caffeine is a daily essential, but sometimes broadening your coffee or tea horizons can be hard. Plus, in the era of remote work, finding fresh spaces to be productive is important. Fortunately, the Detroit area has a plethora of awesome cafes, each with their own distinctive charm and unique offerings. We’ve curated a list of some of our favorite cool, cozy, and quirky coffee shops to stop at for more than just a beverage.
The Congregation
9321 Rosa Parks Blvd., Detroit; 313-307-5518; thecongregationdetroit.com With ample space and various seating options, The Congregation is great for a date or a group meeting. The spot, whose building used to be a church, serves up alcohol and coffee along with some food options. There is also a beautiful outdoor patio with plenty of seating for when the weather is warmer.
Trinosophes
1464 Gratiot Ave., Detroit; 313-778-9258; trinosophes.com/cafe This cafe near Eastern Market is attached to Peoples Records, so you can sip while you shop for new music. If you’re sitting in, the cups used to serve up beverages are handmade and beautiful. Plus, Trinosophes has its own mini library, a publication, and a room to the side for live music and other events, adding to the community feel.
Cafe Sous Terre
445 W. Forest Ave., Detroit; 313-228-2880; cafesousterre.com Just opening in July 2023, Cafe Sous Terre is a hidden gem barely seen by cars driving by, located down a stairwell in the basement of a 19th-century mansion in Midtown. The European-style spot operates as a coffee shop during the day, offering espresso, lattes, and tea, with great space for remote workers and students. At night, it shifts into a bar serving French wine, cocktails, and mocktails with housemade syrup.
The Commons
7900 Mack Ave., Detroit; 313-447-5060; thecommonsdetroit.com Waiting for your laundry at a laundromat is usually boring and unappealing, but The Commons changes the game. The eastside spot is a coffee shop and laundromat, with a big open space upstairs
to work and chill. Plus, the drinks and breakfast items are all super affordable.
Haraz
Multiple locations; harazcoffeehouse.com This family-owned Yemeni-inspired coffee shop has locations in Detroit, Warren, Louisville, and beyond (with more coming), but it all started in Dearborn. Its beverages are perfectly flavored and the ambiance is equally as enjoyable.
Eastside Roasterz
16555 Warren Ave., Detroit; instagram.com/eastside.roasterz Currently located inside Next Chapter Books in Detroit’s Morningside neighborhood, this Black and queerowned coffee company plans to open its own brick-and-mortar right next to the bookshop later this year. For now, you can grab a coffee while you peruse for new and used books. The spot offers unique drink options made with housemade syrups, plus bags of beans that you can buy to enjoy at home.
Cairo Coffee
2905 Beaufait St., Detroit; instagram.com/cairo_coffee You may enjoy Spot Lite for a night out, but during the day, the art gallerynightclub operates as a record store and coworking space, with beverages served up by Cairo Coffee. The coffee counter used to be located in Savvy Chic boutique in Eastern Market, but relocated in 2021. The owners pride themselves on relationships with community members and grassroots organizations.
Vámonos
4444 W. Vernor Hwy., Detroit; instagram.com/_vamonos__ This community space in Southwest Detroit offers fresh juices, tea, and coffee. Plus, it hosts weekly fitness classes,
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art events, and more, so you can make new friends or nourish your body while enjoying a good beverage.
Morningside Cafe
16369 E. Warren Ave., Detroit; 313-499-8054; coffeexvibes.com Located in Detroit’s Morningside neighborhood, this small spot is great. There is beautiful Detroit-themed art painted on the walls, community information on the counter, and a big table for work meetings in the back.
Roasting Plant
660 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-782-4291; roastingplant.com If you’re downtown or hanging out at Campus Martius and need a boost, this is a great spot to get a fresh cup of joe. While standing in line, you can see fresh coffee beans being roasted. The chain, which has 13 locations in the U.S. and London, says it’s the only one that roasts in-house at every site.
Cred Cafe
6340 E. Jefferson Ave., Detroit; instagram.com/cred.cafe This family-run shop in East Rivertown just opened in 2023, and is more than meets the eye. On the surface, it appears as just a coffee shop, but is also a speakeasy, lounge, event space, and coworking space.
Alba
2124 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-462-4797; alba-coffee.com Located in Corktown’s former Astro Coffee, Alba, which means “sunrise,” or “dawn” in Spanish and Italian, is a fusion of its owners’ Mexican and Italian heritages. The coffee and the interior design are both inspired by cultures around the world, as well as the city of Detroit.
Lucky Detroit
Multiple Locations; luckydetroit.com With locations in Detroit, Grosse Pointe Park, and Birmingham, Lucky Detroit provides a rustic setting for coffee drinkers. The shops are all located above or next to Detroit Barbers, under the same ownership. So, you can get a
haircut, then go get a coffee, or if your partner is getting a cut, you will have a great space to chill and kill time.
Kitab Cafe and Bookstore
2727 Holbrook St., Hamtramck | 411 W. Canfield St., Detroit; kitab-cafe.com This Hamtramck-based coffee shop recently opened a second location in Midtown’s former Avalon International Breads. The space is welcoming, and the food prices are affordable, offering baked goods and baguettes from Zingerman’s. You may find your next unique read too, as the book selection consists of culture and self-help.
Be Shroomed
16555 Harper Ave., Detroit; 313-728-2157; beshroomedfarms.com Mushrooms are on the come up, and apparently so is mushroom coffee. Well, this fairly new spot on the eastside offers its own brand of mushroom coffee including Turkey Tail, Reishi, and Lion’s Mane blends. The “premier mushroom farm” also provides edible and medicinal mushrooms, as well as other mushroom products and apparel.
Lilys and Elise
19037 Livernois Ave., Detroit; 313-657-9658; lilysandelise.com While this tea house is not fully open to the public yet, it has already begun hosting special events. The spot, located on Detroit’s Avenue of Fashion, is currently hiring for all positions and will be the first high tea spot in the city.
Coffee Down Under
607 Shelby St., Unit B, Detroit; 313-444-6626; coffeedownunder.com If you’re walking around downtown and need a pick-me-up, this hidden spot is a go-to. You’ll have to head inside of the Shelby building and down some stairs to find the little coffee counter. Right next to it is a secret bank-vault door entrance to the Shelby speakeasy.
Diwan Yemeni Coffee & Tea
5125 Schaefer Rd., Dearborn; 313-429-3166; facebook.com/romanticacafe20 There are many Yemeni coffee shops in Dearborn, but this one is a favorite. The seating is comfortable and beautiful, adding amazing ambiance to the already great service, drinks, and sweets. You can get a pot of tea or coffee to share with friends or a single-serve cup for yourself.
Detroit Bubble Tea
22821 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-239-1131; detroitbubbletea.com Some people would rather drink bubble tea than coffee, and this is a great spot to get it. The options are endless and Ferndale is always a vibe.
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Khana Still KicKS aSS
Following The Great Food Truck Race, the Pakistani fusion pop-up is setting its sights on a brick-and-mortar this year BY R AN DI A H C AM I L L E GR E E N
K
Maryam Khan.
RANDIAH CAMILLE GREEN
hana owner Maryam Khan
is busy at work behind the counter of the Congregation making butter chicken sandooris and coconut curry lettuce wraps. The Pakistani fusion food pop-up has been taking over the coffee shop’s kitchen for a few days a month since January. Khan is coming off of a run on season 16 of Food Network’s The Great Food Truck Race, with Khana coming in second place. And before you ask, no, Khana is not a food truck, but they have been popping up around Detroit
since 2018 with recipes inspired by Khan’s Pakistani heritage. Khan has dreamed of being on the Food Network since she was a teenager so getting the call to compete on The Great Food Truck Race was a literal
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dream come true. Sometimes getting what we ask for comes with a few unwanted side effects, however. For many viewers, Khan was the villain of the season. The controversy came mostly because Khan fired one of her teammates, Jake Nielsen, on camera after episodes of infighting and a communication breakdown. Since Khana was left with only two members, Khan was allowed to bring in former competitor Carl Harris from The Block food truck, which had been eliminated episodes earlier. It was the first time someone had ever been fired from the show on
camera and that a team was allowed to replace a lost member. Viewers have trashed Khana on social media since the show, leaving negative reviews despite never trying the food. “The Khana girl is arrogant and it’s off putting,” one commenter writes on a Reddit thread. “I absolutely cannot stand them,” writes another. “The main girl is a toxic bully, the tattooed team member [Al Jane] kisses her ass in a way that makes me die a little inside, and their whole vibe is so negative and mean. Really hoping they don’t win. Their behavior is shitty.” “The show came out and it was a nightmare,” Khan says. “If you go on our Facebook page, we used to have a five-star rating and [now] it’s like a 2.3 because it’s all strangers who watched the show being like, ‘I would never eat here, it’s horrible,’ and I’m like, you’ve never even tried it! It’s so whack.” Khan declined to go into detail, but says Nielsen was dealing with some heavy personal issues that were causing him to be preoccupied and detached. She says she tried to talk to him several times to reach a resolution off-camera, but it eventually became clear that it just wasn’t working out. Khan felt that if Nielsen stayed on the show, his inability to work with the team was going to get them sent home. “He had a lot of things going on in his personal life that he had brought on himself and was projecting them on everyone on the show,” she says. “But people chalked it up to what they had witnessed on the 30 seconds of what TV aired from like a two-week situation… Food Network is catered toward people who want things to be simple and easy. They don’t want to see a brown girl who is in charge firing a white man.” Despite the haters, Khana’s popularity seems to have skyrocketed back home in Detroit since coming off the show. In addition to the takeovers at The Congregation, which Khan hopes to do monthly, Khana also has its firstever multi-course dinner at Frame on Friday. Khan is also setting her sights on opening a brick-and-mortar in Detroit by the end of the year. When Khan first started Khana back in 2018, she wasn’t quite sure where her life was going and felt a little lost. She has had a passion for food since she was 16, however, and decided to get creative with the recipes she grew up eating in her Pakistani household. Khan is a first-generation American born in Detroit to immigrant parents. “I had all these creative ideas for making some fun twists on [Pakistani food] that I had never quite seen as someone who loves eating out and eating food from different cultures,” she
says. “Our first pop-up ever blew up. We had a line down the hallway at Kiesling. We popped up on their patio and we sold out within a matter of hours. We’ve been asked by so many businesses across Detroit to come in and do pop-ups ever since. That was around the time that pop-ups were gaining traction but now I feel like they’re a lot more commonplace.” One of Khana’s staple menu items is the butter chicken sandoori, a fried chicken sandwich drenched in spicy butter chicken sauce. There’s also Chana masala tacos and an aloo gobi burrito, which is a potato and cauliflower dry stew in a burrito. For Khan, the pop-up has been a way to reconnect with her Pakistani identity, which is something that she struggled with as a first-generation American, especially during the surge of Islamaphobia post-9/11. She explains that prior to 9/11, she was a devout Muslim who wore a hijab but abandoned the religion because she felt it was “divisive.” She also realized that she had never questioned religion before as she grew up Muslim, and wanted to decide her beliefs for herself. “Seeing that kind of hatred made me hate myself,” she says. “I was attending an Islamic school at that time and the school had to be evacuated and shut down for a week because it was full of Muslim women wearing headscarves and it was like, we’re a target now. I remember one of my teachers was shot at at a gas station.” She continues, “I distanced myself from that entire part of my personality and I started finding out there’s not a lot of answers to these questions that I have… so I denounced religion and at that point, I really resented everything that was part of my identity of being a Pakistani woman. And that was a struggle because then I grew up, moved out of my parents’ house and was very much focused on being like every other American person.” Moving out also made her miss her parents’ cooking so she began trying to recreate traditional Pakistani dishes, though she admits her mother was an incredible cook and she could never mimic her recipes exactly. So she began experimenting, inspired by Detroit’s multicultural food scene. “I was able to give new meaning to being Pakistani,” she says. “It opened up a completely new wave of feeling like, I don’t have to have this superimposed religious view on life that’s passed down through generations. I can have my own relationship with being Pakistani, being non-religious, but also having a sense of tradition that isn’t tied into some of the toxic things that are expected of women, particularly, in
this culture.” Food allowed Khan to foster a relationship with her heritage outside of religion. She remembers being bullied in middle school by white kids who would call her racist names and feeling ashamed, but now she’s proud of her Pakistani roots. “They would say horrible things… like I’m Hindu one day and it’s shitty or I’m a Muslim terrorist the next day and it’s shitty, and all I wanted to do is just be like these kids,” she remembers. “But now I’m so glad I’m this person from a heritage and a culture that’s so beautiful and has so much rich history and depth and spans multiple countries. Pakistan hasn’t even been around for 100 years, like our roots go back to India, which is also beautiful.” While Khana didn’t win The Great Food Truck Race and received a lot of hate afterward, it’s also gained fans worldwide. Of course Detroit is always going to root for Detroit, but Khan says she’s gotten tons of messages from people asking her to come to Dubai, Australia, and Canada. “I’ve been getting a lot of love globally from South Asians who found out about us from word of mouth through the show,” she says. “The people who wanted to hate us got the opportunity to hate us but the people who were open minded saw the vision of what we’re trying to do. We were dedicated to putting our names out there and being like, yo, Pakistani food is dope [and] Pakistani identity is not like what it used to be… It was really cool to have the platform to share that with so many people.” She continues, “It would have been sick to bag a win for the South Asian community, for people of color who are underrepresented… [but] even though there was so much negative backlash, ultimately I would do it again.” For now, Khan is focusing on 2024. So far, The Congregation pop-ups have been two nights with one night featuring a fully vegan menu though Khana always offers vegan options. While Khan is still trying to secure funding for the brick-and-mortar, she says she hopes to have a location by the end of the year. “It feels like the right time to do it,” she says, “I want to take Khana to the next level and open a brick-and-mortar that is beyond just an eatery. Khana has always been more than just a food pop-up. We’ve worked with local DJs and I have tons of talented friends who make music and art. I’d love to have a space that embraces that side of Detroit that is so multifaceted and yet connected. We just have such a dope, deep network in Detroit and I want Khana to be a hub for all of that.”
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WHAT’S GOING ON Select events happening in metro Detroit this week. Be sure to check venue website before events for latest information. Add your event to our online calendar: metrotimes.com/AddEvent. MUSIC
Wednesday, Feb. 21 Flint Under the Stars: Jazz 7-9 p.m.; FIM Capitol Theatre, 140 E 2nd Street, Flint; donations welcomed. Foxxy Gwensday Wednesdays and Renaissance Port Presents: “The Livingroom” Tribute ft. LadyLove & Darren A. Jackson wsg Denise Edwards Quartet 7-10 p.m.; Aretha’s Jazz Cafe, 350 Madison St., Detroit; $35. Night Lovell, Haarper, Germ 7 p.m.; Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit; $23.
Thursday, Feb. 22 Nate Topo 8-11 p.m.; Baker’s Keyboard Lounge, 20510 Livernois Ave., Detroit; $15. Deap Vally 7 p.m.; Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; $72. Militarie Gun, Pool Kids, Spiritual Cramp, Spaced, Slice 6 p.m.; Edgemen, 19757 15 Mile Rd., Clinton Twp.; $20. Stephanie Mills 8 p.m.; Sound Board, 2901 Grand River Ave., Detroit; $59-$71. Wyatt Flores, Brendan Walter 7 p.m.; Magic Stick, 4120 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $20-$75.
Friday, Feb. 23 38 Special 8-9:30 p.m.; FIM Capitol Theatre, 140 E 2nd Street, Flint; $60-$125. Blake Shelton, Dustin Lynch, Emily Ann Roberts 7 p.m.; Little Caesars Arena, 2645 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $49-$349. Daft Punk Night 9 p.m.; The Crofoot, 1 S. Saginaw, Pontiac; $12. ericdoa, Bixby 7 p.m.; El Club, 4114 W. Vernor Hwy., Detroit; $27.20. Gary Puckett & The Union Gap, The Buckinghams 8 p.m.; Andiamo Celebrity Showroom, 7096 E. 14 Mile Rd., Warren; $35-$79. Holy Profane, Rose St. Germaine, Dang Quixote 8 p.m.; Lager House, 1254 Michigan Ave., Detroit; $17. Emo Nite 8 p.m.; Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; $16. Municipal Waste, Ghoul, Necrot, Dead Heat 6 p.m.; Magic Stick, 4120 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $25. October London, J. Brown, The Shindellas 7 p.m.; Cathedral Theatre at the Masonic Temple, 500 Temple St., Detroit; $42.50-$52.50. Remnants, Pink Spit, DJ Big
Kahuna 9 p.m.-12:30 a.m.; Bowlero Lanes & Lounge, 4209 Coolidge Hwy., Royal Oak; no cover. Sammy Boller, The Messenger Birds, Gold Crayon 7 p.m.; Sanctuary Detroit, 2932 Caniff St., Hamtramck; $15. Tennessee Whiskey - A Tribute To Chris Stapleton & Ultimate Eric Church Experience 7 p.m.; District 142, 142 Maple St., Wyandotte; $18. The Prize Fighter Inferno, carobae 7 pm; Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit; $25. The Prince Project 7:30 p.m.; Flagstar Strand Theatre for the Performing Arts, 12 N. Saginaw St., Pontiac; $34-$69. Viola Yip and Joo Won Park 7-10 p.m.; Entropy Studios, 25908 W. Six Mile Rd., Redford; $10.
DJ/Dance The Submission Show 8:30 p.m.-2 a.m.; Harpos, 14238 Harper Ave, Detroit; $10.
Saturday, Feb. 24 Candlelight: The Best of Joe Hisaishi 6:30-10:45 pm; Christ ChurchDetroit, 960 E. Jefferson, Detroit; $34.00. CLOCKWORK: An Immersive Experience by Ahya Simone and Ackeem Salmon 6-9 p.m.; Irwin House Gallery, 2351 Grand Blvd., Detroit; $57-$63. Club 90s Present Justin Bieber Night (18+) 8:30 p.m.; The Fillmore, 2115 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $13-$43. Former Critics, Pretoria, In a Daydream, Social Meteor 8 p.m.; Lager House, 1254 Michigan Ave., Detroit; $17. Haken 7 p.m.; Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit; $40-$60. Hollywood Casino Greektown Present Peabo Bryson 8 p.m.; The Music Hall, 350 Madison Ave., Detroit; $30-$65. Magic Bag Presents: MEGA 80s 7 p.m.; Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; $20. The Four Horsemen - The Ultimate Tribute To Metallica 7 p.m.; District 142, 142 Maple St., Wyandotte; $18-$28. Twistin’ Tarantulas, DJ Bforeman 9 p.m.-12:30 am; Bowlero Lanes & Lounge, 4209 Coolidge Hwy., Royal Oak; FREE. Uptown: Motown Remix 8 p.m.; Andiamo Celebrity Showroom, 7096 E. 14 Mile Rd., Warren; $35-$69. Vinnie Dombroski: Edo’s 6th Anniversary 7-11 p.m.; Edo Ramen House, 313 W. 13 Mile Rd., Royal Oak; no cover. Yuno Miles Debut Concert 6 p.m.; The Crofoot, 1 S. Saginaw, Pontiac; $20$60.
Night 9 p.m.-midnight; The Old Miami, 3930 Cass Ave., Detroit; no cover.
THEATER
DJ/Dance
Performance
Bowling for Baldrick’s Fundraiser 4-8 p.m.; Bowlero Lanes & Lounge, 4209 Coolidge Hwy., Royal Oak; $10 suggested donation. Maddix, Fedo, Aledro, Nayt 9 p.m.; Magic Stick, 4120 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $15-$25.
Detroit Opera House Shen Yun. $90$180. Friday, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, 2 & 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m.; Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 25
Detroit Repertory Theatre August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come And Gone. Friday, 8 p.m.; Saturday, 3 & 8 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m.
Black Stone Cherry, Saint Asonia 6 p.m.; District 142, 142 Maple St., Wyandotte; $35-$100. Blue Oyster Cult 6:30 pm; Royal Oak Music Theatre, 318 W. Fourth St., Royal Oak; $46-$112.50 Classic Albums Live: Aretha’s Gold 8 p.m.; Caesars Palace Windsor - Augustus Ballroom, 377 E. Riverside Dr., Windsor; $23-$68. Flyana Boss, Honey Bxby 7 p.m.; The Shelter, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit; $20. Have Faith Haiti Fundraisr 4-8 am; Italian American Banquet & Conference Center, 39200 Five Mile Rd., Livonia; $100. Ballyhoo! - Shellshock Tour with Dale and ZDubs 7 p.m.; Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; $20. MÝA 7:30 p.m.; Sound Board, 2901 Grand River Ave., Detroit; $45-$57. Mouthbreather, For Your Health, Wounded Touch, Deeper Graves, Splinters 6 p.m.; Sanctuary Detroit, 2932 Caniff St., Hamtramck; $15. Provoker, Riki 8 p.m.; Lager House, 1254 Michigan Ave., Detroit; $17.
Monday, Feb. 26 Jon Batiste: UNEASY Tour 6:30 7 p.m.; The Fillmore, 2115 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $37.50-$97.50. Profanatica, Nunslaughter, Tombs, Syphoned, Baazlvaat 6 p.m.; Sanctuary Detroit, 2932 Caniff St., Hamtramck; $25. DJ/Dance Adult Skate Night 8:30-11 p.m.; Lexus Velodrome, 601 Mack Ave., Detroit; $5.
Tuesday, Feb. 27 Author & Punisher, Morne, Glassing, ObsElite 7 p.m.; Sanctuary Detroit, 2932 Caniff St., Hamtramck; $20. Maddie Zahm, Leanna Firestone 7 p.m.; The Shelter, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit; $25. Porno For Pyros, Tigercub 7 p.m.; The Fillmore, 2115 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $37.50-$97.50. The Sheckies 6 p.m.; Garden Bowl Lounge, 4120 Woodward Ave., Detroit; no cover.
DJ/Dance B.Y.O.R Bring Your Own Records
Detroit Public Theatre Blues for an Alabama Sky. $47. Wednesday, 2 p.m.; Thursday, 8 p.m.; Friday, 8 p.m.; Saturday, 2 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m.
Fisher Theatre - Detroit Pretty Woman - The Musical. $40-$180. Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, 7:30 p.m.; Friday, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, 2 & 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, 1 & 6:30 p.m. Planet Ant Theatre The Best of the Planet Ant Training Center Sketch Comedy Show! $20 advance, $25 at the door. Fridays, Saturdays, 7-8 p.m.; and Sunday 2 p.m.
Musical A Little More Alive Wednesday, 8 p.m.; Thursday, 8 p.m.; Friday, 8 p.m.; Saturday, 2 & 8 p.m., and Sunday, 2 & 6:30 p.m.; Meadow Brook Theatre, 207 Wilson Hall, Rochester; $43. On Your Feet!: The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan Saturday, 2:30 p.m.; Fox Theatre, 2211 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $30-$80.
COMEDY Stand-up Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle Nathan Macintosh, Travis Spotts , Ned Rice. $25.Thursday, 7:30 p.m.; Friday, 7:15 p.m. & 9:45 p.m.; Saturday, 7p.m. & 9 p.m. Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle Katherine Blanford, Travis Spotts, Vivian Burgett. $30. Sunday, 7:30-9 p.m. Banquet Hall Club 9 Tiffany “T.Barb” Barber. $20 advance, $25 at the door. Saturday, 8-10 p.m. FIM Capitol Theatre Flint City Comedy Festival with Norm Stulz, Tim Finkel, and host Tam White. Adult content, intended for audiences 18 years and older. $16. Saturday, 7:30-9 p.m.
Continuing This Week Stand-up Blind Pig Blind Pig Comedy FREE Mondays, 8 p.m. The Independent Comedy Club at Planet Ant Tonight vs Everybody: Open Mic Comedy. Doors and Sign up 8:30 p.m., Show at 9 p.m. $5 suggested donation.
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Improv
Continuing this week
Go Comedy! Improv Theater Pandemonia The All-Star Showdown. Fridays and Saturdays, 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m. $25.
Color & Ink Studio UNIFIED a Keto Green Solo Show. Dontations welcome. Fridays, 5-8 p.m.; Saturdays, noon-3 p.m.; and Sundays, noon-3 p.m.
DANCE
Detroit Contemporary Loralee Grace - Futurelands. Through Sunday, Feb. 25.
Dance performance
PARC Art Gallery The Art and Soul Exhibit & Sale. Featuring the work of Al Bonacorsi, Allen Brooks, Cheryl Chidester, Winnie Chrzanowski, Susan Clinthorne, Jan Dale, Ellen Doyle, Lulu Fall, Kelsey Fox, Brian Fritz, James Guy, Tim Haber, Laura Johnson, Krisjan Krafchak, Mary Lane, Michelle M Beaupre, Christine Minderovic, Stephanie Onwenu, Wendy Scarbrough, and Joan Witte. No cover. Through March 4.
The Music Hall Hollywood Casino Greektown Present Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance. $59-$99. Friday, 8 p.m.
FILM Screening AMC Bel-Air 10 A Table Of Our Own: Black People And Psychedelic Therapy. $20. Saturday, 6:30-9 p.m.
Film festival Motor City Cinema Society An evening of Curated Short Films. Monday, 6:30 p.m.
ART Photography Carl Toth: Reordering Fictions: Curator’s Talk + Panel Discussion Saturday, 1-5 p.m.; Cranbrook Art Museum, 39221 N. Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills; no cover with Museum Admission.
Artist talk Woodward Lecture Series: Janine Antoni: “At Home In the Body” Tuesday, 6-7:30 p.m.; College for Creative Studies Wendell B. Anderson Auditorium, 201 East Kirby St., Detroit; no cover.
Fashion show Extra Crispy Studios Le Mélange de Gala. Showcasing the wearable art collection handcrafted and fashioned by 29, emerging artist Kayla the Artist painting, and performances by DJ A-List, Thee Xperience, and GhettoTech Reject JMT. $5. Saturday, 6-9 p.m.
ART Art exhibition KickstART Gallery & Artisan Shop Pauly M. Everett Exhibition. The grand reopening of the KickstART Gallery, at 23616 Farmington Rd., Farmington. Through April 6. Friday, 6-10 p.m. The Michigan Art Gallery Michigan Art Collectors Sale. No cover. Saturday, 2-5 p.m.
Stamelos Gallery Center, UMDearborn Andy T’s Urban Vision 20012024. No cover. Through April 21. University of Michigan Museum of Art Unsettling Histories: Legacies of Slavery and Colonialism. No cover.
WELLNESS Drug awareness ACCESS presents Opioid Overdose Prevention: Naloxone Training Register at bit.ly/narcancommunity. Attending this training will help you be better prepared to reverse an overdose and save a life. Monday, 5-6:30 p.m.; ACCESS Hope House, 6470 Williamson St., Dearborn; no cover, limited to 50 people; 313-633-1361.
Self-wellness Day of Renewal for Helping Professionals (1-day Retreat) Immersed in nature with all-level yoga sessions, guided breath meditation, mindfulness and nature connection practices, receive a professional massage, and enjoy periods of personal and group reflection with others in your field, exploring techniques to prevent burn-out and improve self-care. Sunday, 9:30 a.m.5:30 p.m.; Earthwell Retreat Center, 18580 Grass Lake Rd., Manchester; $160-$280; earthwellretreat.com. Yoga+ Wellness Retreat at Saint John’s Resort Saturday, 2 p.m.; Saint John’s Resort, 44045 Five Mile Rd., Plymouth; $395. 734-414-0600.
Car culture Gateway Classic Cars of Detroit Caffeine and Chrome – Classic Cars and Coffee at Gateway Classic. Every last Saturday. No cover. Saturday, 9 a.m.noon.
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Sponge frontman Vinnie Dombroski plays Edo Ramen House.
Critics’ picks Modern Pakistani Dinner with Khana
FOOD: Detroit food pop-up Khana has been slinging Pakistani-inspired food around the city since 2018 but has never hosted a full-fledged multi-course dinner until now. On Friday, Khana will be taking over Hazel Park’s Frame with a “Modern Pakistani Dinner Party” by owner and chef Maryam Khan. Khana is coming off a run on Food Network’s The Great Food Truck Race last summer, where it finished in second place. The pop-up did a month-long residency at Frame Bar in 2022 with a la carte items but for this dinner, Khan is planning a five-course meal with the flavors we’ve come to expect of Khana plus some new items. While the menu hasn’t been released, we’re told to expect “chimichutney, tandoori, tons of candlelight, [and] vibey beats.” The 100% halal dinner has seatings at 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. with both vegetarian and meat-eater options available. Just a heads up: Khana’s food can be spicy, so no wimps allowed. —Randiah Camille Green Seatings at 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 23; Frame, 23839 John R Rd., Hazel Park; framehazelpark. com. Tickets are $75.
Vinnie Dombroski: Acoustic Rodeo
MUSIC: Royal Oak’s Edo Ramen House is celebrating its sixth anniversary with a little help from some friends. The ramen hangout will host an acoustic performance from Vinnie Dombroski (Sponge, the Orbitsuns, Crud), who will play
TRACY KETCHER
a mix of covers and originals, with art on display from other members of metro Detroit’s extended rock ’n’ roll universe, including Niagara, Johnny Bee, Leni Sinclair, and more. Drink and food specials will also be available for $6 (naturally). Reservations are recommended. —Lee DeVito From 7-11 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24; Edo Ramen House, 4313 W. 13 Mile Rd., Royal Oak; 248-556-5775; edolounge.com. No cover.
Fireside Lovefest
MUSIC: Detroit-based entertainment event production company Code x Rosella is preparing to host its inaugural R&B festival, Fireside Lovefest. The group’s mission is to open doors for local artists, and this event is centered specifically on providing a platform for R&B musicians to reach audiences outside of their own. Happening not too long after Valentine’s Day, the Fireside Lovefest centers around themes of love in all forms including romance, self-love, friendship, and the community’s love for the city of Detroit. Performers include Natasia, 904 Matcha, Tommy Papi, Racquel Soledad, Jahz Watts, and B Free, among many others. There will also be a hot cocoa and s’more bar, along with Big Pink’s usual alcoholic bar options. Tickets can be purchased on Resident Advisor. —Layla McMurtrie Starts at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 25; Big Pink, 6440 Wight St., Detroit; bigpinklovesyou.com. Tickets are $22.85 for general admission and $91.45 for VIP.
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MUSIC ALL YOUR TEAMS PLAYING ON OUR BIG SCREENS!
Fri 2/23
PHOSSILS/INTENT ACCIDENT/A DEATH CINEMATIC/ANDRE FOISY/STEVE FORS (rock/noise/metal/ambient) Doors@9p/$5cover
Sat 2/24
MAGIC CLUB RECORDS & STANGE MUSIC PRES. ABRACADABRA ‘24 15 BANDS! STRANGE MAGIC/ DOUBT IT/WOUNDED TOUCH/CYANIDE/ MUDDHOUSE/PEPPER & THE HEAVY BOYS/CYADINE/MUTTHOUSE & MORE
Afro Nation apparently couldn’t get enough of the Motor City.
(hardcore/punk) Doors@9p/$10cover
KAHN SANTORI DAVISON
Local buzz
Sun 2/25
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ANTONIO CLARK!
Afro Nation is heading back to Detroit for a second year
Mon 2/26
FREE POOL ALL DAY Tues 2/27
B. Y. O. R. BRING YOUR OWN RECORDS (WEEKLY) Open Decks@8PM NO COVER IG: @byor_tuesdays_old_miami
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JAMES CARNEY! Coming Up: 3/01 Dom Shbeats/Greyhound/ Sean Monaghan/Woof/Lucy V 3/02 DJ Marcie Bolen 3/08 STRICTLY FINE/Tree No Leaves 3/09 BANGERZ & JAMZ (monthly) 3/15 Mammon/Something Is Waiting(chi)/Gator Pit 3/16 3rd Annual Barfly Awards! VOTE NOW@the bar! 3/22 Craig Brown Band / Matthew Teardrop/Hill Killer 3/23 SeaHag/Permanently Pissed/ EKG 3/24 Nain Rouge After Party w/ BANGERZ & JAMZ 3/30 Matt Smiley’s Birthday Bash 4/05 TIGERS OPENING DAY! Book Your Parties at The Old Miami Email us: theoldmiamibarevents@gmail.com
In 2023 Detroit became the second U.S. city to host the international afrobeats festival Afro Nation. Organizers of the music and culture festival celebrating the African diaspora have announced they plan to return to Detroit for a second round in 2024. “Motor City we’re back!! Afro Nation is coming to Detroit this year for #AND2024!” Afro Nation posted on Instagram on Thursday. “You know the vibes, you bring the energy and you love the music! We loved the experience last year and can’t wait to be back where the magic of music started! Dates & location coming soon!” Afro Nation came to Detroit on August 19-20 last year in partnership
with Bedrock. Some of the headliners included Burna Boy, Latto, Ari Lennox, and Dej Loaf. The two-day outdoor festival was held at Bedrock’s Douglass Site, where the former Brewster-Douglass Projects once stood. The international festival, previously held in Ghana, Portugal, and Puerto Rico, touched down in the U.S. in Miami in 2023 with Detroit to follow. Beyond just afrobeats, it includes acts from across the African diaspora including hip-hop, R&B, amapiano, dancehall, and reggae. Last year’s Detroit festival featured several events like a comedy showcase running in tangent with the main festivities. Organizer SMADE also
collaborated with local businesses like Detroit vs. Everybody which printed special “Afro Nation vs. Everybody” and “Africa vs. Everybody” shirts for the occasion. Despite some confusion about the venue and complaints over set times being released a day before the festival, the event seemed to go over well with attendees. Following the festival, Afro Nation donated $100,000 to the Motown Museum. Dates and performers for Afro Nation Detroit 2024 have yet to be announced. Metro Times has reached out to Bedrock for further details. —Randiah Camille Green
Zeds Dead, Mersiv to headline GRIDLIFE Midwest Michigan’s GRIDLIFE Midwest motorsports and music
festival has announced the lineup for its 2024 edition, scheduled for Friday, June 7-Sunday, June 9 at Gingerman Raceway in South Haven. The bass-heavy lineup features headliners Zeds Dead and Mersiv, with support acts including Tape B, Barely Alive, Eazybaked, G-REX, A Hundred Drums, a b2b set from SuperAve and Heyz, and more. Dubbed “The Music Festival At High Speed,” GRIDLIFE combines electronic
32 February 21-27, 2024 | metrotimes.com
dance music with on-track motorsports exhibitions and a car show. The event is now in its 11th year. “As pioneers of the music and motorsports festival concept, the GRIDLIFE Midwest Festival authentically brings together the cultures of cars and music,” organizer Chris Stewart said in a statement. “It hosts dozens of nationally touring musical acts on Friday and Saturday nights, with non-stop motorsports on track all day, including the wheel-to-wheel GRIDLIFE Touring Cup, epic full-course drifting with some
of the world’s best drivers, and the brutal speed of Time Attack in the NOS Energy TrackBattle Championship. Coupled with much more throughout the festival, it’s truly an experience like nowhere else in the world.” This year, the festival is also introducing the HPDE Beginner Single Sessions, where attendees can learn how to drive their own car on the track with the help of a driving instructor. Tickets and more information are available at gridlifemidwest.com. —Lee DeVito
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MUSIC Finding hope in tragedy
Seize the Smoke honors an aspiring Detroit rapper whose career was cut short by gun violence By Kahn Santori Davison
On July 12, 2023 Brandon Allen and DeLisa Glaspie received news no parent ever wants to hear: their son Khalil Amari Allen, 18, was killed in a shooting on Detroit’s westside. “He was on his way to get some food and he was involved in a drive-by shooting,” his father Brandon Allen says. “He was shot 11 times, car was shot up 18 times.” Khalil had just graduated from University High School Academy in Lathrup Village, and was a three-sport star athlete. He had just received a scholarship to Claflin University, an HBCU in South Carolina and was set to start in less than two weeks. He was also an aspiring rapper who went by Klil and had just started being courted by record labels. “He had gotten like 300,000 views, I had people offering me deals and everything, but we were just waiting for the best thing,” says Allen. As Allen and Glaspie processed their grief they received condolences and moral support from nonprofit organizations Peoples Community Anti-Violence Association, Ceasefire Detroit, and FORCE Detroit. They were encouraged to start a nonprofit organization of their own. “He died in July, both of us were in total shock the month of August with all that comes with losing a child,” says Glaspie, adding, “They thought about us starting a nonprofit that would continue to honor [Khalil’s] life and legacy, but done so in a way that not only honors it, but it also gives a message behind it.” The result is Seize The Smoke, a nonprofit organization started by
Khalil Amari Allen was only 18 when he was killed in a drive-by shooting.
Allen and Glaspie with the intentions of mitigating violence in Detroit and trying to save parents from experiencing the pain they’ve felt. An inaugural celebrity charity basketball game will be held at Wayne State Fieldhouse at 1 p.m. on Sunday. Participants include former NBA player Derrick Coleman, filmmaker DeJuan Ford, and Fox 2 Detroit anchor Josh Landon. The event will also include a shoe raffle, memorabilia with Khalil’s name on it, and scholarship giveaways. Another highlight of the event will be the debut of the single “Seize The Smoke” featuring Courtney Bell, J-Nutty from Rock Bottom, and HBK Kid from Doughboyz Cashout. Khalil was passionate about music and the single will be a tribute. “The acclaimed producer Helluva gave us a beat for free of charge, and we got some Detroit legends and they got together and made a tribute track to him, so we’re going to drop that track at halftime of the celebrity basketball game,” adds Allen. “They reached out to me and told me what was going on, so it was no
34 February 21-27, 2024 | metrotimes.com
question that I was going to help anyway I could,” says Helluva in a separate interview. The tribute song is more than just a collaborative event from Detroit’s artists, but a lyrical calling for a change to be made. “Seize the Smoke simply means we’re going to demand a stop to this and we’re gonna hold everyone accountable for fulfilling their roles — parents, judges, politicians, legistors, and all that’s involved to clean these streets up to make this movement move forward,” adds Glaspie. Glaspie also wants to bring back positive themes in hip-hop music, and Allen cites the violent culture that goes unregulated within many social media platforms. “If I was to post something on social media against community guidelines, they would take it right down,” says Allen. “Or if I posted something with a song I have to say, ‘I don’t own the rights to this music.’ But right now the new thing with the youth is trolling; they’re on there with semi-automatic weapons rapping about the individuals,
COURTESY PHOTO
basically kind of telling the whole tale.” The plan is to make the charity basketball game an annual event, and on July 12 a march in Khalil’s honor is scheduled from West McNichols and Greenfield to West McNichols and Evergreen, the area where Khalil was murdered. Moving forward, both Allen and Glaspie are going to implement mentorship programs and conflict resolution strategies with trained professionals. “We plan to present a proposal to the Detroit Public Schools to bring in programs by fall,” says Glaspie. “And if we can do that, that would be amazing. I work for Detroit Public Schools as a licensed therapist so I know the need, I know what’s happening every day.” “We have to change that narrative because it’s a pandemic on us,” adds Allen. Seize the Smoke’s inaugural celebrity basketball game is planned for 1-5 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 25; Wayne State Fieldhouse, 1290 W. Warren Ave., Detroit; allevents.in. Tickets are $25.
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FOOD
As a finer dining destination, Ypsi’s Thompson & Co. is just north of nothing special.
COURTESY PHOTO
Going South By Robert Stempkowski
Thompson & Co. 400 N. River St., Ypsilanti 734-441-6200 thompsondepot.com
There’s a line separating
culinary creativity in all its artistic license from the lesser art of cooked-up interpretation. And there’s discernable difference between dishes thoughtfully “deconstructed” and those merely reduced to pale comparisons of their classic preparation and presentation. Though its menu reads very American Southern-inspired, Ypsilanti’s Thompson & Co. aspired to little more than CliffsNotes versions of several deep South signatures during our recent dinner visit, dishing up pricey yet relatively poor samplings of a cuisine style it strains at doing justice to. More’s the pity, since the restaurant property itself proffers an impressive platform from which to perform. Stationed in Ypsi’s Depot Town since its Civil War army barracks days, T & C’s come current as a hopping hub for legions of food and drinkseekers, enlisted together to the cause of emancipating Ypsilanti from its longtime perception as almighty Ann
Arbor’s poorer, college town relation. And certainly, the place was packed on our arrival after a short walk from free parking. Shoulder to shoulder with many others who’d marched in on a Saturday night, we found ourselves among ranks of a tony, mixed crowd of twenty-to-fiftysomethings, for the most part; looking uniformly well-coiffed and content as a collective, breaking bread and making merry throughout the sprawling interior. T & C’s laid-out long. A beautifully high-backed bar anchors one end. A live entertainment space staged with comfy furniture occupies an adjoining lounge area. The main bar and dining room — framed in iron girders, brick, and woodwork — is set with almost schoolroom-functional tables and chairs. Bookending the inside beyond that, a bit boxier-looking room likely serves some large party-banquet utility. It’s altogether expansive yet cozilycloistered. Outside, a patio dormant in winter conjures can’t-wait wishes for spring. From any angle, everything about the look and feel screams great date night destination, guys’/girls’ night out hang, or group gathering; a place you might want to keep in mind for any and all such occasions.
36 February 21-27, 2024 | metrotimes.com
Without doubt, Thompson & Co.’s enjoying some local hot spot status. It takes reservations and a two or threeperson door staff to greet and seat its clientele adeptly (which it does), creating finer-dining expectations of paying for what you get while getting your money’s worth in return. Yet value perceptions proved the other rub we ran up against during dinner. Coupled with compromised, appropriation issues we took with the fare, the food experience fell flat for one reason or the other. The skillet cornbread, for starters ($9.50), was sugary and dense enough to pass for pound cake, much more so than corn-sweet and crumbly as one with traditional tastes for this down-South staple sustenance might be willing to swallow. Though the jalapeño jelly was a hoot, it could only help a ten-dollar, palm-sized serving of sweet, cakey bread and butter so much. Frankly, of our three first-course selections, only Louisiana shrimp ($16.25) satisfied; netting us a generous handful sautéed firm and plump in a piquant butter sauce we sopped and eventually squeegeed from their plating with nicely-charred, thick slices of still-spongy (in a good way) crostini. Cajun seafood spinach dip ($18.25), sadly, tipped the
scales toward overall disappointment with the appropriately-named “rations” menu, affording us a meager ladling of what was essentially over-creamed spinach dotted with a morsel or two of chopped shrimp and crawfish tails, sorrier still under another let-down layer of torched-black, splotchy crust left under the flash broiler too long. Listen, I love the look, texture, and taste of things browned nice and toasty, but under a salamander, seconds count, chefs. Someone lost count in this case, and put out a product burnt in places which could and should have been caught — then quickly and easily replaced — before it left the kitchen pass. As we sat feeling a little singed over a rough start to dinner, Racheal, our server, began endearing herself to us with some plucky tableside manner. When she essentially asked me to “suck it in” during her first pass between my chair and the table behind us, I was instantly engaged and entertained. As a former restaurateur, I’ve always had a thing for hiring personalities to fill front-of-house positions. I’m convinced most customers enjoy a little back-andforth with staff who can give as good as they get; tactfully, cleverly, and with good humor. Racheal was all that as
she bandied with me to a point where dining companion Debra offered her a “can’t take him anywhere” apology for some of my comments over Racheal’s brushing my backside as she worked her way around me all evening. Racheal and I saw eye-to-eye, no butts about it. She held up her end of the business, being a personality chameleon who colored her table talk in the very tone I set for our table, when teasing her first squeeze by me to say hello. I loved your service, girl, and, between you and me, the way you framed your suggestions and answers to my ever-probing menu questions was brilliant. Kudos, Kiddo. As satisfying as the service was from start to finish, our entrées went on to leave us wanting. I liked that they took a temperature on our pan-seared salmon order ($29.25). Too bad the fresh broccoli that came with was so undercooked. I get al dente, but we got barely blanched florets with still-hard stalks. Gilded with a dull, congealed lemon butter, the nicely-crusted but noticeably under-seasoned fish filet left us wishing we’d ordered something else. So, too, the étouffée ($24); another good catch of shrimp, crawfish (though hardly in evidence), and holy trinity veggies (bell pepper, onions, celery) smothered in a sauce somebody stopped building flavor into after they browned the roux. From Louisiana-spiced heat and buttery unctuousness to shrimp and shellfish stock ladled in, such added nuances are what distinguish stellar étouffée as the gastronomic, bayou gods intended from utterly ordinary attempts to mimic this simply stewed masterpiece. What we had tasted was one-note floury and far from mastered. As a table share, Nashville hot chicken ($18.50) played better in tribute to Southern food hospitality, treating us to a slightly crispy, tender breast of bird, brushed and rubbed saucy and spicy, served on a grilled Challah bun built with crunchy, puckery pickle and creamy jalapeño slaw, sided with a big, piping-hot pile of skin-on, skinny fries. Most impressed by this sandwich plunked in the middle of some unimpressive dinner entrees, I’ve told myself to consider the possibility that T & C’s sandwich, pizza, and/or salad offerings — which I’ve yet to try — may prove the menu’s stronger suit, so I’ll commit to returning for a lunch sampling of those soon, and followingup on that in a future column. Fair’s fair. For now, though, my grilled steak ($31) sears my mind’s lasting impression of what epitomizes Thompson & Co. as an evening meal destination. Check out the photo of that plate, which I just had to attach to this review. Car keys were included in the pic to give that small twist of striated Hanger Steak some scale. I understand this
The grilled steak.
ROBERT STEMPKOWSKI
cut of beef is fairly prized for what it is. What it wasn’t was satisfying in any way whatsoever. I ate two bites, shared two bites, and left two bites. And that’s all there was to it: six bites. Total. The meat was essentially unseasoned to our palates, though cooked perfectly medium as requested. Chimichurri helped as a condiment, but didn’t make up for otherwise fairly flavorless beef. There was good news and bad news on the other go-withs. The grits were textbook: velvet creamy and cheesy. The red beans and rice were, again, a reductive representation of a side dish I think much better served classically, with its key ingredients combined all dirtied-up together, not as you see; in a tin lined with a paltry few beans and a melon ball scoop of plain white rice plopped atop. Meh. Did we have dessert? Sure: leaden doughnut twists that had no business masquerading as airy, soft and snowy Beignets ($8.25); their powder-sugared component almost abjectly absent in the presentation, and a Dairy Queentake on Bananas Foster ($8.50) that featured an ordinary scoop of ice cream in a boat sunk by completely un-brûléed or otherwise caramelized segments of plain-sliced bananas afloat on a cold sauce that forsook all the luscious hot-cold yin-yang there is to love in a true rendition of Bananas Foster. As for vegan chocolate cake ($8), I concur with dining companion’s comment (she makes a mean chocolate zucchini bread): “Yeah, no. Not much going on, flavor-wise.” Paying our $185 bill, it offered an option to pay $178 by cash instead. It seemed small compensation. Leaving Thompson & Co., I looked for Racheal to thank her for her service, then walked out not looking forward to what I’d have to report. I’ll go again and give the fried green tomato salad a try, or maybe pizza with brisket or okra, and hope for better results.
EMPLOYMENT Robert Bosch LLC seeks Functional Safety SW Calibration Eng (Mult Pos) (Farmington Hills, MI). REQS: Bach deg, or frgn equiv in Mech Eng, Elec Eng, Ctrl Sys Eng, Comp Eng, Comp Sci or Auto Eng +3 yrs exp as a Powertrain Calib Eng, Powertrain Appl Eng or other occ/pos/ job title involving e-drive or engine ctrls or powertrain torque mgmt. Telecomm: Remote Work May Be Permitted. 10% dom and int’l trvl req. Apply online at https://www.bosch.us/careers/, search [Functional Safety Software Calibration Engineer / REF221077T]
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FOOD Chowhound
The three bears Chowhound is a weekly column about what’s trending in Detroit food culture. Tips: eat@metrotimes.com.
Watching that wild Christmas episode of Hulu’s The Bear reminded me a little of what Lent could be like for my Polish Catholic clan when I was a kid. Forty days of semi-dedicated fasting, psycho-flagellation, and a steady subsistence diet of God-awful salmon patties turned the three women who raised me into growling, prowling animals just looking for a fight. By the time they holed up together in our kitchen to make scratch kielbasa and pierogi for the entire family’s Easter Sunday dinner at our house, Momma Bear, Grandma Bear, and Auntie Bear were really snarling and showing their teeth. “I thought you gave up those damn cigarettes until Sunday,” I remember my Aunt Helen calling out my mother for walking back into the house reeking of Lucky Strikes after a way-toolong trip to the alley to “take out the garbage.” “It’s Thursday night,” Mom clapped back, crediting herself fully for time served. “Every day’s Thursday for you, Ginka.” Ironically, my aunt always used my mother’s Polish-affectionate nickname. “And what did you give up, Helen?” “Two bedrooms, remember?” Aunt Helen’s constant reminder to my mother that she and I were boarders in her house tended to have a last-word effect on their ever-flaring exchanges. Then Grandma would intervene with some admonishment in Polish while pointing to me, piping two of her rival daughters down, and redirecting all that negative energy into grinding pork or rolling out dough, though rarely managing to separate them. “I’ll grind. You hold the casings, Ginka.” “Something you’re good at,” Mom snarked, making sister seethe again, and leaving Grandma trying to keep things quiet with her pleading, leveling look. “Hold those damn casings out straight!” Aunt Helen snapped viciously at any break or bubble in the long, loud, link-making ordeal. Watching Jamie Lee Curtis in The Bear play nearly that exact same
Jamie Lee Curtis in The Bear.
persona to a T triggered my unhappy household-made PTSD to a point I could pretty much taste again. To this day, I more than contentedly and routinely make many dishes my family made: pierogi, city chicken, borscht, stuffed cabbage, kapusta. But fresh kielbasa? No thanks. I take no pleasure in the process, having had my fill of all that noise. And just now as I’m writing this, I see the reality of the residual scarring written into Chef Carmy’s psyche in The Bear. Mine has also manifested as an obsession to cook for everyone in my world. Talk about revelation and catharsis. It suddenly occurs to me that the entire time I’ve spent at the stove, whether making my living or just trying to make good things for friends and family to enjoy, I’ve been trying to make things right that went so wrong in my boyhood home so long ago. Holy crap, Chowhound readers: is there a therapist in the house willing to take smoked mushroom enchiladas, green chile stew, and jicama salad as payment for a session or two? If so, I can offer you those three dishes (or whatever) as down payment, then when we’re done, I’ll treat you to renditions of the same Polish Easter dinner staples I’ve reworked over the years. It’ll be as therapeutic for me as it might prove tasty to you: curried smoked salmon cakes with charred red onion and lime-dill crema, chipotlehoney and clove-roasted ham, poblanocotija pierogi fried empanada-style, and
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FX
crisp-skinned New Mexican sausage just in case my anti-fresh-made kielbasa aversion isn’t cured by Lent’s end. “So, how’s dinner everyone?” Aunt Helen would fish for compliments around our Easter dinner table, as always. “Bobby, did you try my kielbasa yet? It’s delicious.” She’d try to make nice while noticing I hadn’t. “I’ll have some more ham, please,” was my standard response in silent protest. Then I’d see my grandmother look toward me with a wink in her wise old eye, breaking the language barrier between us and letting me know she understood exactly all I wasn’t saying. She got me completely, God bless her heart and soul. And I guess I’ve finally gotten a whole lot more from what’s at the center of The Bear. It’s something universally true that Chef Carmy and all of us cut our teeth on to some manageable degree or otherwise: real family dysfunction. It’s hard to swallow when it happens, and something that takes time to even begin to digest let alone leave behind and flush out of our systems. In hindsight, I’ve had three bears to deal with. Two could be so hottempered or cold-blooded toward each other. One was always just right when I needed her. That’s probably as close to a Goldilocks family experience as most anyone comes. On the bright side, no one at our house ever drove a car through the living room while we all sat lobbing
soft insults and accusations (but no silverware) back and forth at each other across the dinner table. As I explained in a previous column over the holidays, Aunt Helen hated having to drive even short distances. Applauding a great place in Allen Park: Nothing but a big, loud bravo from me for Gus & Us Grill, which friends just introduced me to last week. From the outside, the restaurant appeared pretty mom-and-pop typical for a minute, until I noticed the number of cars packing the parking lot late on a cold, dreary Tuesday morning. It’s no wonder. From soup to nuts (food and service), everything I sampled was way better than what I expected to be treated to. Hand-battered fried mushrooms ($7.29) and zucchini slivered like breadsticks (same price) were crispy, piping hot, and fresh. My friend’s two stuffed bell peppers ($13.99, I think) were a generous portion, beautifully homemade, and emblematic of a long list of hearty daily features ranging from American to ethnic homespun, that complimented a comprehensive, Coney-meets-family steakhouse menu. Service paced our three-course luncheon perfectly, sociably, and professionally. This place is a peach, and serves bargain-priced beer, wine, and cocktails to boot. Gus & Us Grill is located at 17445 Hamilton Ave., Allen Park; 313-359-2700.
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CULTURE
Mildred Victoria Penman and Izaya Spencer star in Blues For An Alabama Sky.
CHUK NOWAK
Arts spotlight
The consequences of toxic friendships By Randiah Camille Green
Some people will drag you to
hell if you let them. It doesn’t matter what you’ve been through together, how much you’ve done for them, or how much you love them — someone who is a black hole of destruction will swallow everyone in their path. It’s their nature. In Blues For An Alabama Sky, the sweet-talking blues singer Angel is that black hole. The play was written by Detroit native Pearl Cleage and is running at the Detroit Public Theatre until March 3. In the play, the Harlem Renaissance is on the decline during the Great Depression, and a crew of close-knit friends is trying to navigate love and artistic expression alongside economic hardship. “Sometimes you have friends that you love who are not going to be good people, who are going to be dangerous and toxic, and you are not going to be able to reform them and make them what you want them to be,” Cleage tells
Metro Times about Angel. The character is played effortlessly by Mildred Victoria Penman. Cleage continues, “She doesn’t have a dream beyond looking out for herself.” Angel has just gotten fired and can’t find work as a performer anymore. Her gay roommate and costumer Guy (Izaya Spencer) is sending his handmade dresses to his friend Josephine Baker in Paris in hopes that she’ll send for him and he can escape to Paris. Both Angel and Guy have resorted to sex work in the past to get by, and Angel has found herself there again as a last resort. Meanwhile, their neighbor and social worker Delia is trying to open the neighborhood’s first family planning clinic. She finds an unlikely ally and love interest in their mutual friend Doc, a doctor who has performed illegal abortions. “We have such a romanticized idea about the Harlem Renaissance when we look back on it,” Cleage says over
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the phone. “Once the Depression came a lot of the patrons lost everything, so they could no longer afford to support artistic work because they were trying to worry about survival like everybody else. So I thought it would be interesting to look at what happens to a vibrant, thriving, artistic community when all of a sudden the resources that have been supporting it are gone.” Things come to a head when a mysterious stranger from Alabama named Leland, who turns out to be a conservative homophobe, falls for Angel. A southern Christian trying to court a jazz singer turned sex worker whose best friend is a flamboyant gay man is a recipe for a disaster. But Angel is so hell-bent on Leland being her meal ticket out of her destitute situation, that she pretends to be someone she’s not and asks her friends to do the same. The play hits on a myriad of issues like reproductive rights and homophobia, that are ever present today with the
repeal of Roe v. Wade and “Don’t Say Gay” laws. While Blues for an Alabama Sky isn’t subtle in its political undertones, Cleage says her focus is always to tell a good story first and make people reflect on these issues second. “Of all the plays I’ve written this one is probably produced the most because people are in love with these characters, but also because the questions are still so important and can be looked at in the context of a great story,” she says. “My aim is not to preach to people because I don’t think that’s why people go to the theater. People go to the theater because they want to hear a story… and if you do it right, then people will also consider the questions that are on your mind as a writer.” The pacing of the play and the character development feel very smart. The audience gets to know and love the characters like friends, which makes their hurdles on the road to reaching their dreams feel more real. You want them to win. While Guy is the friend who is always there for you, no matter what, Angel just can’t seem to escape her cycle of poor decisions. “I believe that we make our worst decisions as human beings when we’re frightened,” Cleage says. “And that’s the problem with Angel… she never escapes fear. Of all the characters, she never learned any lessons that would change her.” There is a concept in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali about having compassion for unhappy people while disregarding those who can be viewed as “wicked.” Sutra 1.33 roughly translates as “By cultivating attitudes of friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous, and disregard toward the wicked, the mindstuff retains its undisturbed calmness.” “Wicked” is a bit of a harsh word, but this sutra sums up the lesson in Blues For An Alabama Sky. Have compassion for people who are going through tough times, share happiness with other people who are joyful, and don’t engage with toxic people or those with opposing views if you want to keep your peace. That last one is important, especially when those opposing views are extreme enough to get someone killed. Cleage wants viewers to remember that the most important thing, however, is their responsibility to themselves. “What is your responsibility to protecting yourself and to creating around you an atmosphere where you tell the truth and you require that people around you do the same?” she asks. Blues For An Alabama Sky runs through March 3 at Detroit Public Theatre; 3960 3rd Ave., Detroit; 313-974-7918; detroitpublictheatre.org. Tickets are $15.
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CULTURE
Ethan Coen teams up with his wife for an antic roadtrip comedy that puts lesbians in the driver’s seat
FOCUS FEATURES
Film
Sapphic jam By Cliff Froehlich
Drive-Away Dolls Rated: R Run-time: 84 minutes
One of the many pleasures — and
occasional frustrations — of the Coen Brothers is their predictable unpredictability. From the outset of their career — which began with the markedly dissimilar (and remarkably accomplished) quartet of Blood Simple, Raising Arizona, Miller’s Crossing, and Barton Fink — Joel and Ethan Coen have refused to conform to anyone’s expectations other than their own. That principle has long guided the Coens’ work: More than 25 years ago, when I attended the junket for The Big Lebowski, the brothers were asked whether they fretted about following up the relatively naturalistic Fargo and its multi-Oscar-winning bona fides with a project so wildly different in tone. Ethan blithely dismissed any anxiety: “It might be a worry if we worked consistently in one genre, made one specific kind of movie and then leaped to something else. But that’s not the case with us. We do different kinds of movies, to the extent that this might disappoint or please people who had seen our previous movies. It’s never really an issue. In our minds, they’re all just too different.”
Given such a defiantly iconoclastic approach, Ethan Coen’s Drive-Away Dolls therefore shouldn’t surprise, but even dedicated Coen-heads can be forgiven if they’re a bit taken aback by the comic thriller’s queer content and playfully exuberant sex — neither of which is evident in the filmmaker’s previous work. Because I purposely chose not to read about Drive-Away Dolls in advance, I found the centrality of lesbian culture in the film entirely unexpected, and an uncomfortable thought kept intruding: Is the presumably hetero Coen really the appropriate director for this material? As it turns out, I needn’t have worried: Coen’s wife, Tricia Cooke, although only credited as co-writer and editor because of Directors Guild rules, actually served as the film’s co-director, and despite their longtime marriage, she continues to identify as queer. As the couple explained in a joint MovieMaker interview last year, Cooke told Coen that she was a lesbian when he first asked her out, but they eventually established a polyamorous relationship, with both having other partners. Normally, this gossipy backstory wouldn’t have relevance in a review, but knowing that Cooke was a primary driver of Drive-Away Dolls helped mitigate my concerns over Coen’s potentially leering male gaze and the authenticity of its portrayal of the queer experience.
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Of course, Drive-Away Dolls isn’t particularly concerned with realism in either its farcical plot or its colorful details. Early in the proceedings, a comically wall-mounted dildo clues us in to the film’s fantastical bent: The phallus makes for an undeniably funny (and prescient) gag, but — and I’m speculating here! — it would also seem somewhat, um, impractical. Proudly featuring a trash aesthetic, the film consciously emulates the exploitation films of the ’60s and ’70s, with Cooke and Coen citing the works of John Waters, Russ Meyer and nudie specialist Doris Wishman as inspirations. (The filmmakers’ preferred title, Drive-Away Dykes, further speaks to its transgressive spirit.) Cooke foregrounds the film’s deliberate cheesiness with outlandishly over-the-top editing transitions, and enigmatic flashbacks periodically interrupt the main storyline with tackily retro psychedelic imagery. There’s a clear risk that some of these devices will read as simple filmmaking ineptitude, but once we recognize their winking intent, they add to the film’s parodic fun, which includes nods to Tarantino’s signature car-trunk shots and to the mysterious briefcases in Kiss Me Deadly and Pulp Fiction. In fact, this film’s briefcase — whose contents I’ll resist revealing — is the engine propelling Drive-Away Dolls.
When Jamie (Margaret Qualley), a talkative, carefree Texan, cheats on lover Sukie (Beanie Feldstein), a volatile cop, she’s booted to the street. The newly homeless Jamie opportunistically seizes on uptight lesbian friend Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan) and insists on accompanying her on a planned road trip from Philadelphia to Tallahassee, Florida. Quickly finding a “drive-away” car bound for their exact destination, they sign on to pilot the vehicle south and hit the road, but their seeming good luck proves a case of mistaken identity: The actual intended drivers — a pair identified collectively in the credits as the Goons (Joey Slotnick and C.J. Wilson) — arrive shortly after to pick up the car only to find it already gone. Dispatched by their apoplectic boss (Colman Domingo) to track the women and recover the vehicle, which has the aforementioned briefcase stowed in its trunk, the amusingly squabbling Goons begin a pursuit complicated by Jamie’s highly indirect path to Florida — a circuitous route largely planned around visits to lesbian bars, with the goal of getting glum, sex-deprived Marian laid. Although Drive-Away Dolls is the first narrative film that Ethan Coen has made without his brother (he also directed the 2022 documentary Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind, which recently began streaming on Amazon Prime), the film’s mix of comedy and crime obviously recalls such previous collaborations as Raising Arizona, Fargo, The Ladykillers, and, especially, The Big Lebowski. Cooke’s influence, however, seems clear, not just in the queer subject matter but also in the film’s engaging looseness, its free-spirited lack of inhibition. In that respect, the film harks back to the Coens’ earliest films, shot by Barry Sonnenfeld, which delighted in pushing hard at extremes in their formal inventiveness. But as much as I appreciated many aspects of Drive-Away Dolls — including abbreviated appearances by Pedro Pascal, Matt Damon, and an unbilled Miley Cyrus, and a droll performance by the seemingly ubiquitous and always exemplary Bill Camp — I ultimately found the film only fitfully funny. I did laugh uproariously at a confrontation between the Goons and a volcanically angry Sukie, who has no hesitation in narcing on her former girlfriend, but Drive-Away Dolls lacks the astonishingly sustained highs of the Coens’ best comedies (Raising Arizona and The Big Lebowski), even if it avoids the lows of such misfires as Intolerable Cruelty and The Ladykillers. Given the highly personal nature of humor, your own laugh mileage may vary, but the ride provided by Drive-Away Dolls remains worth taking.
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CULTURE Savage Love
me to good-naturedly say, “I’m totally gay for musical theater”? Or is it a slur that I shouldn’t say, no matter how playful or well-intended? —The Cautious Joker
Routine maintenance
A: When someone says, “that’s so gay,”
By Dan Savage I’m off this week. Please enjoy this column that originally ran in December of 2014. —Dan
Q: What is your stance on maintenance
sex? I’d never thought about the issue until reading Amy Poehler’s new memoir. I didn’t find anything she said controversial and was surprised when this quote blew up in the feminist blogosphere: “You have to have sex with your husband occasionally, even though you’re exhausted. Sorry.” I’d never realized many people firmly believe one should have sex with their partner only when they are in the mood! Some articles even made it sound like maintenance sex is a form of nonconsensual sex. I have sex with my husband pretty often when I’m not in the mood. He would prefer sex every day, and I’m more of an every-other-day or twicea-week girl. I’d say about 25% of the time we are having sex, I am doing it for maintenance purposes. I always enjoy it and I get off the majority of the time, but I don’t always go in wanting it or needing it. Is this wrong? Am I not the feminist I thought I was? —Maintenance Sex Supporter
A: I’m pro maintenance sex, MSS.
Sometimes I need to sex my husband when I’m not feeling it; sometimes he needs to sex me when he’s not feeling it. But maintenance sex is not the same thing as enthusiastic sex. The person asking for maintenance sex — the horny partner who’s being indulged/ milked/sexed by the non-horny partner — shouldn’t expect mind-blowing, toe-curling, sheet-shredding sex. Maintenance sex is mellow sex, low-impact sex, low-stress sex, it’s sex that requires minimal effort, and it’s likely to be nonpenetrative sex — and gratitude is the only appropriate response. Another important note: Being pro maintenance sex doesn’t obligate a person to have sex whenever their partner wants it. Proponents and practitioners of maintenance sex still get to say no. There’s a difference between indulging your partner when you’re not fully feeling it — when you could take it or
leave it — and forcing yourself to have sex (or being guilted/pressured to have sex) when you’re exhausted, sick, angry, or just unable to go/blow there. And as you’ve discovered, MSS, and I can also attest, sometimes you go into sex “not wanting or needing it” and soon you’re enjoying it, too, e.g., you weren’t really in the mood when you started but you were in the mood before you finished. Those are the times when lowstress maintenance sex turns into mindblowing sex. I would hate to think of how much great sex I would’ve missed if my feminist principles didn’t allow for maintenance sex.
Q: I’ve recently discovered that I am
a panty sniffer. Though since I’m a gay man, maybe I’m a briefs breather? The smell gets me hard and gets me off. I discovered this when a fuck buddy left his shorts behind, and for the next few days I jerked off sniffing his shorts. That brings me to the young millennial techie guys at my work. They are fucking slobs, and they’re always leaving their underwear and socks on the floor of the company’s gym in our office. The janitor picks them up and puts them in a lost-and-found bin. I started checking the bin, and nothing was being removed. No one ever claimed their shorts. So, I started taking a pair every now and then. At home, I fantasize about who they belong to, and when I’m done with them, I just toss them. First question: Am I stealing? I assume the guys aren’t missing them, since they’ve been in the bin for a week or more. Second question: Have I become one of those perverted panty sniffers from those old “Chester the Molester” comics? —Singleton Now Inhaling Funky Funk
A: First answer: technically, yes. But a
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case could be made that you’re reusing and recycling. If there were a Green Building Certification program for kinks, SNIFF, yours would qualify. Second answer: “Chester the Molester” was a disgusting comic strip about a guy, Chester, “who was interested in sexually molesting women and prepubescent girls,” according to my old friend Wikipedia. This vile comic strip, which ran in Hustler in the ’70s and ’80s (because of course it did), made child rape look like harmless and hilarious fun. Dwaine Tinsley, the creator of the strip, wound up going to prison for molesting his daughter — and I’m guessing his kid didn’t experience being raped by her father as harmless or hilarious. Since you are not interested in prepubescent boys, SNIFF, I don’t think you’re a pervert in the “Chester the Molester” mold. But a case could be made that your actions have a whiff of the nonconsensual about them — your coworkers would most likely object to how you’re reusing and recycling their abandoned underpants — and, if you want to be scrupulously ethical, you should probably knock it off. There are plenty of guys selling their used underwear and jocks online, from college athletes to porn stars, and if you work at a place with a private gym, SNIFF, you can afford to buy a few pairs.
Q: Vanilla straight guy here. As a fellow
Washingtonian, I feel proud to live in a state that was among the first to legalize marriage equality by a popular majority vote of the people. I avidly follow the NFL and eat fried bologna sandwiches and do lots of other manly things. However, I have always loved musical theater. Whenever I go to New York, I have to see at least two or three big shows. My question: Is it socially acceptable for
but means, “that’s so stupid,” they’re being homophobic. Obviously. But a straight guy who says he’s gay for musicals isn’t saying he’s stupid for them, TCJ, he’s saying, “I love something that many gay men are passionate about — and I’m not talking about cock.” Not all gay men are passionate about musical theater, of course, just as not all straight men are passionate about football. But a man with a passion for musical theater is likelier to be gay; at the very least that man will be comfortable around gay people and respect gay people for their deep knowledge of the art form. I’ve heard gay guys who avidly follow the NFL describe themselves as straight for football. Likewise, a man with a passion for football is likelier to be straight. Your saying, “I’m gay for musical theater,” or a gay guy saying, “I’m straight for football,” amounts to a humorous acknowledgment that the majority of people interested in musicals or football are gay or straight, respectively. In neither case is it an insult or a put-down. But while I think you can continue to say that you’re gay for musicals, TCJ, some gay men (or some of our more annoying “allies”) may take offense. You don’t have to pay attention to those people — they’re just super gay for taking offense.
Q: I’m a vegetarian married to a meat
eater. I thought the compromise you suggested to a vegetarian wondering how to make it work with a meat eater —”the meat eater agrees to keep a meat-free home; the vegetarian agrees to keep a Morrissey-free home”— wasn’t helpful. But you were probably kidding, right? Here’s the correct answer: The meat eater agrees to allow the vegetarian to be vegetarian (no pressure to eat meat, using vegetable stock when cooking); the vegetarian agrees to allow the meat eater to eat meat (no bitching about meat in the fridge or on their plate). Thanks for the otherwise great column! —Very Enthusiastically GGG
A: Thanks for sharing, VEGGG. Got problems? Yes, you do. Send your question to mailbox@savage.love! Podcasts, columns, and more at Savage. Love.
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CULTURE Free Will Astrology Goddess,” I tell my Taurus friend Audrey. “If your mind doesn’t provide you with useful solutions, make an appeal to your heart instead,” my Taurus mentor advises me. This counsel should be useful for you in the coming weeks, Taurus. It’s time to be diligent, relentless, ingenious, and indefatigable in going after what you want. Keep asking until you find a source that will provide it.
VIRGO: August 23 – Sept. 22 My poet friend Jafna likes to say that only two types of love are available to us: too little and too much. We are either deprived of the precise amount and quality of the love we want, or else we have to deal with an excess of love that doesn’t match the kind we want. But I predict that this will at most be a mild problem for you in the coming weeks — and perhaps not a problem at all. You will have a knack for giving and receiving just the right amount of love, neither too little nor too much. And the love flowing toward you and from you will be gracefully appropriate.
GEMINI: May 21 – June 20 Gemini philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson offered advice that’s perfect for you right now. He said, “Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us, or we find it not.” Here’s what I will add. First, you very much need to commune with extra doses of beauty in the coming weeks. Doing so will expedite your healing and further your education — two activities that are especially important. Second, one way to accomplish your assignment is to put yourself in the presence of all the beautiful people, places, and things you can find. Third, be imaginative as you cultivate beauty within yourself. How? That’s your homework.
LIBRA: Sept. 23 – Oct. 22 If the devil card comes up for me in a divinatory Tarot reading, I don’t get worried or scared that something bad might happen. On the contrary, I interpret it favorably. It means that an interesting problem or riddle has arrived or will soon arrive in my life — and that this twist can potentially make me wiser, kinder, and wilder. The appearance of the devil card suggests that I need to be challenged so as to grow a new capacity or understanding. It’s a good omen, telling me that life is conspiring to give me what I need to outgrow my limitations and ignorance. Now apply these principles, Libra, as you respond to the devil card I just drew for you.
CANCER: June 21 – July 22 I bet that sometime soon, you will dream of flying through the sky on a magic carpet. In fact, this may be a recurring dream for you in the coming months. By June, you may have soared along on a floating rug over 10 times. Why? What’s this all about? I suspect it’s one aspect of a project that life is encouraging you to undertake. It’s an invitation to indulge in more flights of the imagination; to open your soul to mysterious potencies; to give your fantasy life permission to be wilder and freer. You know that old platitude “shit happens?” You’re ready to experiment with a variation on that: “Magic happens.”
SCORPIO: Oct. 23 – Nov. 21: A taproot is a thick, central, and primary root from which a plant’s many roots branch out laterally. Typically, a taproot grows downward and is pretty straight. It may extend to a depth greater than the height of the plant sprouting above ground. Now let’s imagine that we humans have metaphorical taproots. They connect us with our sources of inner nourishment. They are lifelines to secret or hidden treasures we may be only partly conscious of. Let’s further imagine that in the coming months, Scorpio, your taproot will flourish, burgeon, and spread deeper to draw in new nutrients. Got all that? Now I invite you to infuse this beautiful vision with an outpouring of love for yourself and for the wondrous vitality you will be absorbing.
By Rob Brezsny ARIES: March 21 – April 19 Aries filmmaker Akira Kurosawa was one of the greats. In his 30 films, he crafted a reputation as a masterful storyteller. A key moment in his development as an emotionally intelligent artist came when he was 13 years old. His older brother Heigo took him to view the aftermath of the Great Kantō earthquake. Akira wanted to avert his gaze from the devastation, but Heigo compelled him to look. Why? He wished for Akira to learn to deal with fear by facing it directly. I think you Aries people are more skilled at this challenging exercise than all the other signs. I hope you will call on it with aplomb in the coming weeks. You may be amazed at the courage it arouses in you. TAURUS: April 20 – May 20 “When a mountain doesn’t listen, say a prayer to the sea,” said Taurus painter Cy Twombly. “If God doesn’t respond, direct your entreaties to
To paraphrase our friend Agent Dale Cooper, “every day, once a day, give yourself a present.” It could be anything, but we recommend an ice cold beer and a shot.
RIP
LAURA PALMER JULY 22, 1972-
FEBRUARY 24, 1989
LEO: July 23 – August 22 On February 22, ancient Romans celebrated the holiday of Caristia. It was a time for reconciliation. People strove to heal estrangements and settle long-standing disagreements. Apologies were offered, and truces were negotiated. In alignment with current astrological omens, Leo, I recommend you revive this tradition. Now is an excellent time to embark on a crusade to unify, harmonize, restore, mend, and assuage. I dare you to put a higher priority on love than on ego!
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SAGITTARIUS: Nov. 22 – Dec. 21 Behavioral ecologist Professor Dan Charbonneau has observed the habits of ants, bees, and other social insects. He says that a lot of the time, many of them just lounge around doing nothing. In fact, most animals do the same. The creatures of the natural world are just not very busy. Psychologist Dr. Sandi Mann urges us to learn from their lassitude. “We’ve created a
society where we fear boredom, and we’re afraid of doing nothing,” she says. But that addiction to frenzy may limit our inclination to daydream, which in turn inhibits our creativity. I bring these facts to your attention, Sagittarius, because I suspect you’re in a phase when lolling around doing nothing much will be extra healthy for you. Liberate and nurture your daydreams, please! CAPRICORN: Dec. 22 – Jan. 19 “Education is an admirable thing,” wrote Oscar Wilde, “but it is well to remember that nothing worth knowing can be taught.” As I ponder your future in the coming weeks, I vociferously disagree with him. I am sure you can learn many things worth knowing from teachers of all kinds. It’s true that some of the lessons may be accidental or unofficial — and not delivered by traditional teachers. But that won’t diminish their value. I invite you to act as if you will in effect be enrolled in school 24/7 until the equinox. AQUARIUS: Jan. 20 – Feb. 18 The planets Mars and Venus are both cruising through Aquarius. Do they signify that synchronicities will weave magic into your destiny? Yes! Here are a few possibilities I foresee: 1. smoldering flirtations that finally ignite; 2. arguments assuaged by lovemaking; 3. mix-ups about the interplay between love and lust or else wonderful synergies between love and lust; 4. lots of labyrinthine love talk, romantic sparring, and intricate exchange about the nature of desire; 5. adventures in the sexual frontiers; 6. opportunities to cultivate interesting new varieties of intimacy. PISCES: Feb.19 – March 20 Unlike the Pope’s decrees, my proclamations are not infallible. As opposed to Nostradamus and many modern soothsayers, I never imagine I have the power to definitely decipher what’s ahead. One of my main mottoes is “The future is undecided. Our destinies are always mutable.” Please keep these caveats in mind whenever you commune with my horoscopes. Furthermore, consider adopting my approach as you navigate through the world — especially in the coming weeks, when your course will be extra responsive to your creative acts of willpower. Decide right now what you want the next chapter of your life story to be about. You can make it what you want. Homework: What helpful tip would you like to deliver to the person you will be a year from now?
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48 February 21-27, 2024 | metrotimes.com