MBAD Bead Museum

MBAD Bead Museum

6559 Grand River

     Thanks for sticking with me wonderful readers! I apologize for the lag between posts but with finals mode kickin' into high gear, my schedule has been slightly, or not so slightly, tipped to 98% studying and 2% exploring. To make up for my absence, I provide you with one of my best Detroit finds, Dabl's African Bead Gallery and Museum. 

     I discovered Dabl's about three years ago shortly after I moved to Detroit. My friend and I were doing a bit of exploring when we spotted Dabls. The place is hard to miss. It looks like a miniature version of a house from the Heidelberg Project. The outside is covered in mirrors, African art and of course... beads. Dabl's is a mix between a bead shop and bead gallery. Definitely an eclectic mix. Bead imports from all over Africa line the walls. Beads that are for sale, beads that are not for sale, beads that are for sale but no one could ever afford, Dabl's has all of these. Dabl's however, doesn't stop with just beads. If you venture out the door and behind the building, you discover the 3 outdoor art installations. The art installations are no small side note though. 

 

     The art installations, take up an area about the size of a large parking lot.  My favorite installation is easily "Iron Teaching Rocks how to Rust".  Scraps of iron have been turned into a number of awesome sculptures and left in the rain to rust. The rust incorporates in with the rocks that are also part of the installation and creates an awesome effect. The other installations include the N'Ksi Iron House and the African Language Wall. 

    Dabl's is definitely one of the most eclectic yet interesting places I have discovered thus far in Detroit. The museum holds workshops and tours once a month, but the whole place is open to the public Monday to Saturday 12pm-7pm. Check it out! 

PEACE.LOVE.DETROIT.

-Amy 

   

    

Centaur

Centaur

2233 Park Ave. 

 

     One of main reasons I love Detroit, is because it is so eclectic. While the city offers it's far share of dive bars that at night are so alive and welcoming and in the day leave me thinking "we went THERE?!", there are also a good number of places I like to go when I have on a pair of high heels and my hair has seen a brush that day. Rare occasions like this must not be wasted. On these occasions, I like to stop by Centaur. 

    The first time I went to Centaur was on a whim. I had never been there before, but I was always attracted to it from the outside at least and decided to give it a try. Centaur incorporates a great art deco flair prompting the whole place to remind me of an Ayn Rand novel or a Fritz Lang film. My favorite part of the building design is the nearly floor to ceiling windows that line the front. When the weather is nice, the windows are opened to the street drawing in the frequent passerby. 

    While the design and futuristic art deco feel of Centaur are definitely cool, I have to admit, I was more impressed by their martini menu. While the place markets itself as a martini bar, I was expecting a list of 5-10 different choices, while all with their own twist, pretty similar. Surprisingly, I was met with a list of 30 different choices ranging everything from gingerbread to wasabi. I love Vernor's so I decided to go with "the Detroiter", a combination of Vernor's, vanilla vodka and spiced rum. Perfect. I also tried the plum, Blue Dragon (blueberry, raspberry and Red Bull), and cider per my fellow martini connoisseurs. All delicious.

     Check out Centaur next time you head to the Fox theater, a Tigers game (the dress code is a little more low-key on these days), or if you're like me, the next time you decide to actually brush your hair.

PEACE.LOVE.DETROIT

-Amy 

Seva

Seva

66 E. Forest

     I had been meaning to check out Seva since it opened in late January. Last weekend the opportunity arose to meet an old friend and I decided I was feeling adventurous and recommended we try Seva. After stumbling around block for a bit longer than anticipated I found the entrance to Seva. Good thing there was sign or else I would have completely missed the place. The entrance to the restaurant is on the side of the building instead of in front and shares a space with a few other small places. I had the issue of, "I can see inside the restaurant but I don't know how to get in!"... Maybe that's just my blonde side showing. 

  Upon entering Seva I realized, similarly to a majority of the other places I have visited in Detroit recently, it was not what I expected at all. The only thing I knew about Seva before I got there was that they had vegan paczki on Paczki day and that I MUST try the General Tso's cauliflower. Based on this information, I was expecting earthy, low light and vegetables upon vegetables. Well, I was right about the vegetables, in the wrong way, but the interior of the place was very industrial. Lots of stainless steel, floor to ceiling windows, modern art and a huge bar. Not the earthy, hippie-haven I was some what expecting.

   After spending probably a bit too much time conversing with my dining partner about how this place was definitely not what we expected (3 times our waitress came and asked "are you ready YET?" only to be met with our "Oh my gosh! Sorry! We haven't even looked at the menu!" Thankfully she was a good sport about it.) we ordered off the entirely vegetarian and mostly vegan menu. When our food arrived a few minutes later, I again was completely surprised. I ordered the General Tso's cauliflower per the previous recommendation and was expecting cauliflower with some spices... Not this... 

Not only was this way healthier than your run of the mill Chinese take-out General Tso's chicken, but infinitely better tasting. While I'm no food critic, although I may pretend to be, everything tasted extremely fresh. The cauliflower tasted as if it had been fried that day, not weeks ago then reheated. I was also completely blown away by my friend's "green smoothie" which he was kind enough to let me try and same thing... light, fresh, none of that powdered nonsense. 

 Only downside to Seva, I guess besides the hidden entrance, is that the menu is a bit limited, so if you're picky you might want to check out the online menu before heading over. Other than those two minor details... Seva! Keep up the FANTASTIC work. 

PEACE.LOVE.DETROIT

-Amy

Cadieux Cafe

Cadieux Cafe

4300 Cadieux 

      It's a Wednesday night, trivia ends and local bar starts to die down. It's midnight but you aren't ready to call it a night. Look no further than Cadieux Cafe! This past week, I was lucky enough to head back to Cadiuex Cafe after a 10 year(?) hiatus. I was pleasantly surprised that even on a Wednesday night the place was still significantly full, there was a list still forming for karaoke and groups were still starting new games of feather bowling.

     It's hard for me to pick one, or even two things to me that stand out as great and unique about Cadieux Cafe simply because everything is. Immediately upon walking in you can sense this place is not your usual run of the mill bar, restaurant, cafe... whatever you want to call it. The place is divided into two halves, the restaurant/bar area and the feather bowling lanes. The first half is dark, but homey with an Old Eastern European feel, which unfortunately, I did not get a picture of. Walk through a door in the wall and emerge on the other side squinting to the brightly lit feather bowling lanes. Take advantage of playing feather bowling! Cadieux Cafe is the only place in the US you can play. Go with people who know how to play or make up your own rules! I ended my night at Cadieux by splitting a pitcher of Belgian beer (pitchers are $8 after 10pm... who can say no to that?!) and karaoke to what else besides "Don't Stop Believin'". 

   Although I didn't get a chance to try them, Cadieux is also known for their mussels. ...I guess I'll just have to go back again. 

     So, if you're looking for a place to go "after hours" on a weeknight, play a game you can't play anywhere else in the US or meet some great people, check out Cadieux Cafe. 

 PEACE.LOVE.DETROIT.

-Amy

P.S. Check out the video below. Anthony Bourdain from "No Reservations" on the Travel Channel came to visit Cadieux Cafe.  

Astro Coffee

Astro Coffee

2124 Michigan Ave.

    I checked out Astro Coffee last Friday armed with a backpack full of Biochem notes and a head heavy from a late night study session the previous evening. I was bored with my recent rotation of Bigby and the school's libraries as well as in need of a definite caffeine fix. Astro seemed like the kind of place that would break up the monotony. 

   Astro is pretty much what I expected, which is a good thing. Lots of wood and brick as well as a huge wall covered in chalkboard paint behind the counter listing drinks of the day and what was baked that day. Per usual, I asked the guy working behind the counter for his opinion on what his favorites on the menu were. He suggested the Somalian blend. He explained to me that it was a dark roast with hints of red wine. Sign me up! I paid and stood waiting at the counter for a few minutes before he assured me he would bring my coffee out to me once it was done brewing. It was then I noticed he had a single white, ceramic cup with a filter in it brewing my coffee. I had a quick moment in my head where I said "Aw, I feel so special! Coffee brewed just for me!"

    I found a seat in the front window facing the old Michigan Central Station and took in the atmosphere of the place before diving into an afternoon of protein structures. Everything in Astro seems unique. Everything from the tables to the flower pots has it's own unique "one-of-a-kind" charm. My favorite piece was definitely the gigantic American flag hanging on the wall across from the cash register. Against the brick wall it looked like a piece of art.

   A few minutes later, the the unknown barista (haha) brought out my coffee (insanely strong, but so good) and studying commenced. Despite how badly I needed to study, it was no easy task at Astro. Everyone seemed to know each other and it was pretty noisy. While I didn't get too much studying done, it was great to see such a sense of community in a place that is only 6 or 7 months old. So overall, not the best place to study, but a great place to meet someone new or bring an old friend and mull life over with.

  Next time you're in Corktown, whether it be Mudgie's (see previous post!), Slow's BBQ (Astro is 2 storefronts down) or the newly opened Sugarhouse bar, take a few minutes and check out Astro.  Ask the barista what they suggest. You might just discover a new favorite. Discover Astro.

PEACE.LOVE.DETROIT.

-Amy 

P.S. Check out Astro's blogspot here!

Mudgie's

1300 Porter St  Detroit, MI 

 

 

      According the Mudgie's website, the deli has "the best sandwiches in Detroit". Usually I would disagree with such lofty statements, but this one, I have to agree with. Mudgie's gave this Detroiter one of the best sandwiches I have ever eaten, by far the best I've ever had within the city. Mudgie's for me ranks up with New York's famous Carnegie deli. No... I'm not exaggerating.

      I visited Mudgie's for the first time this weekend after one of my best friends and fellow Detroit enthusiast recommended it. After a great day on Belle Isle (visiting North America's oldest aquarium! amongst other things) Mudgie's struck our small group as a good place where we could sit down and catch up while not standing out in our, what turned out to be unnecessary, winter layers. 

      The inside of the deli is cute for lack of a more appropriate word. There are about 20 small 2-6 person tables and you get the feeling you are sitting in someone's kitchen. No uniformed-employees, no flat-screen TVs playing football games with out of state teams and no one ever really pays attention to, just laid back, casual employees jumping to tell you their favorite thing on the menu. I ended up going with the Madill sandwich. Turkey, bacon, avocado, lettuce, tomato, home-made garlic mayo (!) and melted pepper jack cheese. Highly recommended is all that I can say. I mean, the sandwich made the Detroit Free Press' list of "Detroit's Top 21 Sandwiches". As I said, the best sandwiches in Detroit is no exaggeration. 

      The only downside to Mudgie's is they are a bit on the pricey side. For the 4 of us, it ended up being about $50 and that was just for sandwiches. The price in my opinion however, is worth it. I will gladly pay $10 for a sandwich that takes me over a half hour to eat solely because I want to savor every bite.

      For your next date, head to Corktown and skip the common choice of Slow's. Trust me, it's a lot more appealing to see your date eating a sandwich from Mudgies after a brief wait as opposed to waiting multiple hours to see them lick Slow's North Carolina BBQ sauce off their forearm from elbow to wrist.  ...unless you're into that.

PEACE.LOVE.DETROIT.

-Amy

Detroit Impressions

Extremely interesting article on the "Detroit Brand". Makes me even more proud to say "I live in in Detroit"!

The Detroit Brand