Detroit Finds

Co-owners of Union Joints, the couple are behind restaurants like the Berkley hot spot Vinsetta Garage (located in a former auto garage), Clarkston Union (in a former church), Fenton Fire Hall (housed in an old station) and Honcho (built on a former gas station site). For their next projects, they plan to renovate an art deco radio station built in 1936 in Oak Park and convert Ann Arbor’s Fingerle Lumber site into a restaurant and brewery.

For them, it’s important to respect the original purpose of the buildings they purchase. Stevenson, who does the design work, says she loves the nostalgia that patrons experience with a rehabilitated site like Vinsetta Garage—a location that closed only a few years before being renovated.

“People have these really vivid and sentimental memories of taking their cars there,” she says.

That sense of propriety from patrons adds an atmosphere to rehabilitated buildings, especially restaurants, that isn’t achievable in other locations, the couple explains. “These are places that mean something to the neighborhood,” Catallo says.

The logistics of carrying on a building’s narrative, albeit in a different way, and keeping the stories of the site going, isn’t always easy. Stevenson warns that developers have to be incredibly flexible to allow for inevitable surprises.

But Catallo says the work is part of what drives them. “Part of our passion for rehabilitation is that we are making these places safe for the long term,” he says.

Tom and Peggy Brennan, the couple who created Detroit’s Green Garage, agree. They admit historic renovation can take longer in the building process, but believe it’s worth it.

“This history is what brings and keeps people in Detroit,” Tom Brennan says. “It's what they love about our great city.”

Thanks to the wider development trend that celebrates rehabilitation, Detroit’s neighborhoods are dotted with unique repurposed buildings, so Metromode took a closer look at 10 interesting turnarounds.

Honcho
3 E Church St., Village of Clarkston

“We never take the easy route,” says Catallo.

Repurposing locations like gas stations involve serious remediation work, but the Union Joints couple felt confident that—with their previous experience—it was something they could take on. Now the roll-up garage doors serve to let in plenty of natural light in the eclectic retro-style dining space, while the car lot has taken on a new life as a trendy patio area.

Tom and Peggy Brennan renovated a former Model T showroom using eco-friendly designs.

Green Garage
4444 2nd Ave., Detroit

The building was re-designed with eco-friendly goals, with solar thermal heating and the extensive repurposing of materials in the construction. As a result, the Brennans estimate they currently use about a tenth of the energy of a traditional office building, a tenth of the water and a tenth of the waste. It’s not the only upside to rehabilitating a building, says Peggy Brennan.

“Saving a building has all sorts of advantages,” she says. “Usually there is value in keeping the original architecture, as was the case with this building and its lovely front windows. In addition, we loved the bow trusses that spanned the interior ceiling of our building, they would have been difficult to replicate.”

Alexandra Clark didn't know just how trendy her obscured store in a former Coney Island would become.

BonBonBon
11360 Joseph Campau Ave., Hamtramck

Despite the drawbacks, the secretive spot turned out to be part of the appeal for her dedicated customer base. The confection extraordinaire took an old Coney Island and transformed it into a (somewhat accidental) exclusive boutique kitchen, initially only open one day a week. Clark and her team were so inundated by neighborhood fans that they had to hang a sign reading "Knock Again if You Have Champagne," and even then they soon amassed quite a bubbly collection.

Now, the quirky confections are also available at a second location in downtown Detroit, but Clark still loves her rehab base in Hamtramck, especially since they’ve opened the upstairs area—a former 1970s gambling hall, no less.

Vinsetta Garage
27799 Woodward Ave., Berkley

Previous owners, the Kurta family, still frequent the site and there’s even a mechanics’ 100-year reunion event planned for the dining hot spot soon.

Adachi (aka the Ford-Peabody Mansion)
325 S. Old Woodward Ave, Birmingham

Local real estate developers Kenny Koza and Clint Mansour say they fell in love with the mansion from the moment they saw it, and wanted to bring out the building’s rich style. Now, carved wooden doors at the entrance, a geisha mural, and images of pink cherry blossom trees on the ceiling blend Japanese decor with the Victorian-style construction.

“While the exterior and paint colors and stains were off-limits, we wanted to make sure that the inside spoke to our concept while remaining true to the original architecture of the building itself,” says co-owner Mansour.

Urbanrest Brewing Company
2615 Wolcott St., Ferndale

The Flagstar Strand Theatre
12 N. Saginaw St., Pontiac

The theater’s owners, brothers Kyle and Brent Westberg, had to wade through hard-won financing (think Flagstar Bank and both state and federal financial aid) and strict safety standards to bring the 1921 venue back to its former grandeur.

James Scott Mansion
81 Peterboro St., Detroit

But, after initial trouble getting funding for the rehab, renovations started in 2016 and this year Landy proudly showed off the finished product. Now home to 26 apartments, the historic building (originally constructed in 1897) has a new lease on life. And Landy gets to say “I told you so.”

Book Tower
1265 Washington Blvd., Detroit

However, the benefits of projects like this one aren’t just in the end result. Bedrock will be following the City of Detroit’s requirement for 51 percent of the work hours to be performed by Detroit residents, and the project is estimated to generate 820 construction-related jobs and 650 new permanent jobs in the city.

One to watch: Michigan Central Station
2001 15th St., Detroit

Bill Ford, the company’s executive chairman, says the investment isn’t just about making a bet on Detroit, but about backing the future of transportation in the city too.

“Michigan Central Station is a powerful symbol of Detroit’s struggles and now its resurgence,” says Bill Ford, the company’s executive chairman. “It’s exciting to imagine what’s possible as we build tomorrow, together.”
 

1. Detroit City Football Club - City 'til I die! Watch Detroit's minor league soccer team take on Lansing United at Cass Tech. May 23rd.

2. The Detroit-Berlin Connection - This free panel discussion at MOCAD is a collaborative effort to bring together creative individuals and communities in the two cities with the goal of driving cultural and economic growth in Detroit. May 23rd.

3. St. Mary's Polish Country Fair - The annual fair features a carnival, entertainment, a Vegas tent and—of course—Polish food! Be sure to check out the grotto and grounds while you're there. May 23—26.

4. Movement Electronic Music Festival - If it's Memorial Day weekend it's time for the music festival that Detroit is known for—Movement. Enjoy hundreds of artists on 5 stages plus pre and after parties all over town. May 24—26.

5. Greater Rochester Heritage Festival - The 37th annual fest features lumberjack shows, Civil War encampment, craft and cars shows, food and more. May 24—25.

Do you know of a great event going on in Metro Detroit this weekend? Add it to the comments and share it with us!

After eight games in as many days, the Detroit Tigers are finally headed into their first off day of the season. While the team is almost certainly happy for the rest, we have plenty to talk about following their surprising 5-3 start to the season. The Tigers offense has yet to heat up, but their pitching has kept them afloat, keying a series win over the New York Yankees earlier this week.

With such a weird stat profile to their name so far, there are a lot of surprising things about the 2019 Tigers at the moment. Let’s see who has stood out the most in the early going.

This week’s question: Which Tigers player has surprised you the most so far this season?

Rob: Please don’t all say Matthew Boyd.

Adam: Jordy Mercer. My expectations were pretty low on him coming into the season, with some concerns about his aging glove. He has made some very Iglesias-esque plays in the field and has simply looked like a very solid shortstop out there. Sure, his bat is slow to warm up, but expectations aren’t really high in the hitting department to begin with.

Jeff: I’m going with Miguel Cabrera. The only stat that looks familiar is the 15 percent walk rate. He is only batting .148 with one RBI and zero extra base hits. Just last year we saw the old Cabrera production (.299/.395/.448) before his injury. Now, it looks like he’s on the downward trend who will probably struggle to hit 20 home runs even if he stays healthy all year.

Patrick: Jordan Zimmermann is the biggest and most pleasant surprise to me thus far. All of the starting pitchers have been great, really, but Zimmermann has been better than anyone could have hoped for. A 0.66 ERA, 1.69 FIP, just one walk between two starts, and no home runs allowed. He is mainly doing it without big strikeout numbers, and he is locating the ball wherever he wants it.

Kenon: Shane Greene is a perfect five-for-five in save chances with just two hits allowed and no walks. The entire bullpen has been really stellar, but Greene leading the league in saves after eight games was very unexpected.

Ashley: Jordan Zimmermann. I suspected he might be slightly improved after a decent spring training showing, but man I could not have expected this for the world. I know it’s only two starts and the small sample size beast looms large, but I have been so impressed with him. He looks sharp, confident, and exactly like the Zimmermann we hoped we were getting when we signed him originally.

Ron: Jeimer Candelario has surprised me in a negative way so far this season. Last year, Candelario had a 25.8 percent strikeout rate and a 10.7 walk rate. Those are good numbers — just a few percentage points above leave average in strikeout rate and in the top 25 in the league in walk rate. This year, he is striking out one-third of the time and only has one walk in over 30 plate appearances. Obviously it’s early, but Candelario usually sees the ball well and doesn’t struggle with walks or strikeouts, so it’s definitely something I’d like to keep an eye on.

Zane: We could not possibly run this article without mentioning Matthew Boyd. His 13 strikeouts were the most by a Tigers left-handed pitcher since Mickey Lolich in 1972. He is the first Tigers lefty to ever post back-to-back double-digit strikeout games. He has a negative FIP and the second-best fWAR in baseball. He smashed his personal-best record of 19 swing-and-misses from his first start with 26 in his second. Between his philanthropic work in the off-season and his brilliant start to the year, I hope Boyd is taking this all in; he has been absolutely sensational on and off the field all year long. Here’s hoping he wins both the Cy Young award and the Heart and Hustle award. If he wins either, he will join Justin Verlander and Don Kelly on my list of all-time personal favorite Tigers.

Brandon: It has only been one start but the player who surprised me the most was Matt Moore. We didn’t get a lot of chances to see him this spring, and the last time I saw him pitch in the majors was with the Giants in 2017. He was sitting around 91-92 mph with a solid curveball and not much else at that point. So while the Blue Jays offense is getting dominated so far, it was impressive to see Moore come out pumping 93-95 mph at the top of the zone with a better cutter than I remember. I’m very curious to see his next few starts and whether or not he can keep it up. He may not have a ton of value in trade as a starter alone, but a lefty who can do a Justin Wilson impression out of the pen with a rising mid-90s heater and solid secondaries could draw some real interest if he keeps it going.

Rob: I can’t publish this article without mentioning Niko Goodrum. He was a solid hitter last season who became a fan favorite in part because he came out of nowhere — he also seems like a wonderful human, which helps — but he only managed 1.1 fWAR in nearly a full season’s worth of at-bats. Most thought he would regress a bit heading into the season, but he has gone full throttle in the other direction. Through the team’s first eight games, Goodrum is batting .318/.483/.591 with six doubles, tied for second in all of baseball. He has more walks than strikeouts at the moment, and is hitting the ball on the screws nearly every time up.

Sign me up for a full season of this.

DETROIT - Dr. Roberta Hughes Wright, the widow of Museum of African American History founder Charles H. Wright, died Tuesday at the age of 96, according to a news release.

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of the widow of our founder, Dr. Roberta Hughes Wright. She was a fierce, stalwart supporter who deeply believed in the mission of our institution," Neil A. Barclay, CEO of the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History said. "Her generous spirit left a mark— whether she was arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court or speaking with students at the museum. This is a great loss, and our thoughts and prayers are with the family of this magnificent woman.”

Wright earned a Ph.D. in behavioral sciences in education from the University of Michigan. She also earned a Bachelor of Science, Master of Education and Juris Doctor degrees from Wayne State University.

She was a member of the State Bar of Michigan and the Bar of the District of Columbia. She was a partner with the law firm of Waterman, Hooe, Curry and Hughes. Her practice focused on probate law in her later years. She also was appointed as an Oakland County public administrator for the Oakland County Probate Court.

She also spent time working as a social worker and counselor and was the vice president of academic affairs at Shaw College and a lecturer at Lawrence Technological University. She also published 16 books.

She was the widow of Charles H. Wright. She was also the widow of Wilbur B. Hughes. The couple had two children, Barbara K. Hughes Smith and Wilbur B. Hughes III. She had seven grandchildren.

Visitation

Visitation will be held Monday at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, 315 E. Warren Avenue in Detroit from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.

A second visititation will also be held Monday from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the James H. Cole Home for Funerals, Northwest Chapel, 16100 Schaefer Highway. in Detroit. That service will feature ceremonies by the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and The Links Inc. from 6 p.m. until 7 p.m., followed by visitation with the family between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m.

A family hour will begin at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Brightmoor Christian Church, 40800 W. 13 Mile Road in Novi. Funeral services will follow at 11 a.m. Interment will take place at Detroit Memorial Park East.

The news release noted the following: "Donations in Dr. Wright’s memory can be made to the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. Please note 'Roberta Hughes Wright Memorial Gift' on the check memo line."

Copyright 2019 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved.

By Judy Greenwald

Photos courtesy of Kurtis Kitchen and Bath

Kurtis Kitchen and Bath, a Michigan company celebrating 50 years of providing products for kitchen and bath remodeling and new home construction, is uniting with family-owned Reborn Cabinets of Anaheim, Calif., to form a new cabinet refacing division, Home Solutions by Kurtis.

“Home Solutions by Kurtis will transform a homeowner’s existing cabinetry to look like just-installed, brand-new cabinets,” said Wayne Weintraub, co-owner of Kurtis Kitchen and Bath. “We partnered with Reborn Cabinets to provide this quick and affordable way to update cabinets with their Signature Refacing products and services.”

Family Spirit

Both Reborn and Kurtis Kitchen and Bath are family-owned, and the close-knit spirit begun in 1968 by Kurtis K&B founder Louis Kuretzky is still very evident, with his son Howard and grandson Aaron running the business along with friends and partners (and father and son) Wayne and David Weintraub.

“My father started the business and I worked with him from day one, helping as needed by driving trucks, working in the shop and learning all phases of the business,” Howard said. “When Louis and another partner retired, I took over leadership of the company.

“My wife and Wayne’s wife renewed a childhood friendship when they found themselves on the same jury, and Wayne joined the firm a short time later. We both run the business along with our sons, Aaron and David.”

Howard grew up attending first Congregation B’nai David and then B’nai Israel. He and his family now affiliate with Temple Israel, along with the Weintraubs, and the two families celebrate not only the Jewish holidays together, but birthdays and anniversaries, too.

“The best part of working in a family business is we all get to see one another almost every day,” Wayne said. “Whether it’s vacationing, a round of golf or an evening out together, the families enjoy a special bond. Although sometimes the moms think the dads are working the kids too hard!”

Aaron Kuretzky, David Weintraub, Wayne Weintraub and Howard Kuretzky

Always Moving Forward

“We recently decided technology had developed to the point that refacing could provide a quality solution to the remodeling process,” Wayne said. “After months of research, we entered into a joint venture with the largest refacing company in the U.S., offering products and installation services to residential clients. This unique service can be accomplished in about three days, and homeowners can choose to keep their existing cabinets. All the newest features can be included — such as soft-close door mechanisms and roll-out trays — and the result is a quick, easy modernization of the kitchen that will make the home look beautiful again.”

Even through Detroit’s economic recession in 2007-08, Kurtis K&B’s commitment to providing quality people and products kept the company strong.

“Kurtis had to downsize after the recession, but this allowed us to re-invest in our best people, most of whom are still with us today,” Aaron said. “This experience and knowledge pay tremendous benefits to our customers.

“We operate on the principle of mutual trust and respect,” he continued. This is the basis of our relationship among ourselves, our staff and our clients. We won’t provide a service or represent a product we wouldn’t have in our own homes. We also take pride in our communities and give back whenever we can by selecting a charitable project to assist with each year — from upgrading a Hazel Park fire station’s kitchen to updating the bathrooms at a local shelter. We live here, and supporting our local community is just the right thing to do.”

Both families agree the business’ five-decade staying power can best be attributed to the kindred feeling they’ve created over the years.

“We treat our customers and employees as if they are part of our family,” David said. “We feel we’ve been around for 50 years because we’re honest, hardworking and strive to deliver a beautiful product for our customers. We take pride in what we do and have adopted technologies that allow clients to be involved in the whole process.”

Kurtis Kitchen and Bath locations include Clarkston, Livonia, Royal Oak and Utica.
For information on Home Solutions by Kurtis, visit HomeSolutionsByKurtis.com or KurtisKitchen.com.

Related

Source:

So, you want to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, but you’re not a big fan of corn beef and cabbage? Here is an alternative (California style) to a green St. Patty’s Day meal!

Perfect Margarita

1 1/2 ounces tequila (blanco, 100 percent agave)
1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 ounce Cointreau (not Triple Sec)
Salt for rimming glass (optional)

1. Combine tequila, lime juice, and Cointreau, and stir together.
2. Rim a rocks glass with salt (optional) by pressing the glass into a wet paper towel, then dipping it into a plate of salt.
3. Serve on the rocks.

Photo and recipe by Chow.

Classic Guacamole

4 ripe Fresh California avocados, seeded and peeled
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tomato, finely chopped
¼ Cup finely chopped onion
¼ tsp ground cumin
3 drops hot pepper sauce
Tortilla chips

1. Using a fork, coarsely mash avocado with lemon juice and garlic.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients to blend.
3. Garnish as desired and serve with tortilla chips.

Photo and recipe by Avocado.org.

Super Simple Stunning Quesadillas

2 Chicken Breasts ( Boneless – sliced )
4 Flour Tortillas
1 Medium Red Onion
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Clove Garlic
1 Tbsp Taco Seasoning
1/4 cup Water
1 Cup Sliced Mushrooms
2 Cups Baby Spinach
Sprinkle Red Pepper Flakes
Shredded Cheese ( Cheddar, Mozzarella, Monterey Jack)

1. Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees Oven
2. Preheat Frying Pan and add the olive oil
3. Once ready, add red onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes
4. Stirring often, cook mixture until onions become translucent – then add the mushrooms
5. Continue cooking until mushrooms release their liquid and begin to brown – then add the chicken
6. Once the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink – add taco seasoning and water and allow the sauce to thicken. Once thickened, then add the spinach and toss through
7. Ready to prepare the quesadilla, Lay parchment paper on cookie sheet and place one tortilla on top, Then spoon the mixture on top of the tortilla evenly
8. Now Sprinkle cheese over evenly ensuring that you have cheese on the edges to allow the tortillas to stick together.
9. Place other tortillas on top and bake in the oven for about 10 minutes or so or until cheese is melted and the tortilla is golden brown. Take out of the oven and serve.

Photo and recipe from Zesty Cook.

Written by Courtney Rix Velasquez Lawless

*Please drink responsibly and do not drink and drive. 

Posted Apr. 2, 2019& filed under Food.

Tags: Buddy's Pizza, cheap pizza, Deep dish pizza, Detroit style pizza, New York style pizza, Pizza

The company that owns and operates Detroit’s massive trash incinerator abruptly announced Wednesday that it’s closing down the facility.

The controversial incinerator is near the I-75/I-94 interchange on the city’s near east side, adjacent to the Midtown area. It’s been operating for three decades, though never without controversy.

Residents have complained about the odor for years, while nearby neighborhoods suffered from high incidences of asthma. The incinerator was under two state consent agreements with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality—one for odor violations, the other for reported emissions standards violations.

In January, environmental groups threatened to sue the facility if it didn’t clean up its act. A letter of intent to sue listed hundreds of occasions in which the incinerator was alleged to have violated its state permit that sets limits on carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide emissions.

Detroit Renewable Energy CEO Todd Grzech told the Detroit Free Press that the shutdown would happen this week, and be permanent; however, it could take 60-90 days to fully power down. Grzech said the decision to shut down was driven by both financial and community concerns.

Detroit Renewable Energy has owned and operated the incinerator since 2017.

Sandra Turner-Handy is with the Michigan Environmental Council and the group Zero Waste Detroit. She professed to be “ecstatic” about the shutdown, which community and environmental justice advocates have pushed for years.

“I danced today, but we need to get to work tomorrow, because now what do we do with the trash? We do not have a solid waste management policy in place,” Turner-Handy said.

In a statement, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said the city’s “trash contract with Detroit Renewable Energy will be transferred to another company and our rates are locked in through the remainder of the contract, therefore, we expect there will be no added costs to taxpayers.” That contract had been set to expire in 2021.

The city built the incinerator in the 1980s, and still owns the land where it sits. Duggan said that means it “will soon have the ability to influence the future use of this property.”

“As far as future use of this site, it is my strong preference that this site never again be used as a waste incinerator,” he said. “We will be pursuing our legal options to make sure this remains the case."

The incinerator also burned waste from a number of suburban communities, including Warren.

Warren Mayor James Fouts says the city became aware last week that a shutdown was imminent, though it wasn’t sure if the closure would be temporary or permanent.

“I believe there were about $140 million in needed repairs, and apparently the parent company said it wasn’t worth the financial expenditure to do that,” Fouts said.

Fouts said Warren moved quickly to find a solution, and has found a new waste management company that will landfill the city’s trash under the terms of its contract with Detroit Renewable Energy.

“This should be a wake-up all for all cities that you cannot assume that any type of incineration or whatever deal you have is permanent, because all of these deals are basically short notice,” Fouts said.

The incinerator was a “waste-to-energy facility” that provided power to much of Detroit’s downtown and Midtown areas through a steam loop. Detroit Renewable Energy says it will continue to provide that power from its subsidiary Detroit Thermal through natural gas.

A mural of Stevie Wonder outside the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts downtown is finally done.

Artist Richard Wilson, based in London, put the finishing touches on the mural the morning of Wednesday, July 10. He began the approximately 100-foot-tall painting in May, on Stevie Wonder’s birthday. It’s based on the iconic photograph by Douglas Kirkland of Wonder, with his unmistakable smile, at a keyboard.

[Correction: According to Rick Manore, PR director for the Music Hall, the Wonder mural is not quite done. Because the weather hasn’t cooperated, it’s like to be finished July 20.]

“For me, he’s the greatest living singer, songwriter, and musician,” Wilson told the Detroit Free Press. “In 300 years, I’m sure he’ll be looked (at) as a Beethoven, Mozart, Bach—that kind of epic influence on humanity.”

What’s most impressive is that Wilson made the mural at his own expense. He didn’t get a commission, paid for his own flight to Detroit, and bought all the supplies himself. He estimates that the mural cost him at least $10,000.

Wilson has also painted a mural in Eastern Market of a woman browsing classic Detroit vinyl records, and already started another on the Music Hall’s west wall. That mural, which will depict an African-American boy looking up at the Music Hall’s stage, is being sponsored by the London-based nonprofit Education Is Not a Crime.

Wonder, who turned 69 years old in May, recently announced at a concert in London that he’s undergoing a kidney transplant in September. He’s unlikely to perform again until 2020.