Metro Detroit's Growing Appetite

As Metromode hits its 350th issue, we thought we'd take a pause and look back at the stories we've covered over the last couple of years. While we're proud to be reporting on and advocating for progressive thinking when it comes to entrepreneurship, urban design, transportation, sustainability and placemaking, we have noticed a trend... a rather delicious trend... in our story coverage. Metro Detroit's embrace of food and food culture has entered a new phase, evolved its palate if you will. Whether its ambitious new restaurateurs, innovative startups or food destinations, our region has embraced new ideas and flavors in food and we couldn't be happier.

After all, wasn't it Julia Child who once said: "People who love to eat are always the best people?"

MEAT

"If God did not intend for us to eat animals, then why did he make them out of meat?"
-John Cleese

Metro Detroit's Jerky Boys
Head into northern Michigan and homemade jerky is a way of life. Here in metro Detroit, not so much. That hasn't stopped Don and Steve Francis from elevating dried cured meat and sausage to an art form. From bison to rattlesnake, the brothers have built a pair of businesses that have attracted fans from all over the country.

Where's the Beef in Metro Detroit? (& Lamb, Pork, & Duck)
Man does not live by gluten-free vegan cuisine alone. Some might argue that's not living at all. For all the love that's given to the how-green-is-my-garden folks, Metromode's Nicole Rupersburg feels it's time to give a big bloody hug to locals who want to put their incisors to good use.

VEGGIES

"Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet."
-Albert Einstein 

Going Veggie in Metro Detroit
Metro Detroiters do not live by meat alone. For an increasing many, there must also be veggies, and nothing but. Metromode's Nicole Rupersburg offers up a guide to local restaurants devoted to vegetarian cuisine as well as places that include great meatless options.

Juice Juice Revolution
Caitlin James went from Peace Corps worker to successful entrepreneur in less than three years. And she's yet to cross her thirtieth birthday. Partnered with her four sisters and mentored by Garden Fresh's George Vutetakis, James has turned DROUGHT Juice into the local food business to watch.

ALCOHOL

"Alcohol may be man's worst enemy, but the bible says love your enemy."
-Frank Sinatra

The Rise of Metro Detroit's Mixologists
Five years ago metro Detroit was barely a blip on the craft cocktail radar. Today it's considered one of the hottest regions for mixology, boasting bartenders and a scene that rival any in the U.S.  Metromode's Nicole Rupersburg charts our cocktail culture's recent evolution. 

Bustin' Up the Boy's Club: Metro Detroit's Female Mixologists
The story of metro Detroit's rising craft cocktail culture is not just about men and their mixers. Despite a long history of exclusion (that even included laws prohibiting their place behind the bar), more than a few women bartenders have been bucking stereotypes and making their mark as celebrated mixologists.

Distilling the Greatness of Michigan-Made Spirits
With all the enthusiasm for locally sourced products, micro-brew culture, and craft cocktails, it seemed inevitable that micro distilleries would be the next big thing. And with recent changes to Michigan's liquor laws it has. Nicole Rupersburg drinks in metro Detroit's growing (and award-winning) spirits industry.

THE RESTAURATEURS

"It's easier to be faithful to a restaurant than it is to a woman."
-Federico Fellini

A New Breed of Restaurateurs Pt. 1 and Pt. 2
There's been a paradigm shift in Metro Detroit. In the past, restaurant chains were king, spawning scores of copy-cat eateries. Today, the focus is on unique experiences in unique spaces that understand and want to be a part of the community they're in. In a two-part series Metromode's Nicole Rupersburg looks at the region's new generation of restaurateurs.
Metromode continues Nicole Rupersburg's two-part series on the region's new generation of restaurateurs and how they're changing Metro Detroit's dining landscape.

THE CHEFS

"Every chef I know, their cholesterol is through the roof. And mine's not so great."
-Anthony Bourdain

Almost Famous: Metro Detroit's Up And Coming Chefs
Metro Detroit's chefs may not be dominating episodes of Chopped and Top Chef but that doesn't mean they don't shine where it counts. So what about our next generation of kitchen masters? Metromode's Nicole Rupersburg introduces you to a quartet of local culinary up-and-comers.

DESSERT

"Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first."
-Ernestine Ulmer

How Cheesecake Saved a Family's Future
Patrick Peteet knows a bit about reinvention. Just as his father left the line at Ford to start the family's real estate business, Patrick, after a series of tragic setbacks, convinced the family to leave real estate behind to become cheesecake entrepreneurs. The result is Peteet's Cheesecakes in Oak Park, where they sell 60-80 cakes a day... and have an eye on franchising.

Metro Detroit's Cyber Candy Man
Like many people, Walter Blake Knoblock has a sweet tooth. But instead of simply acquiring cavities, this entrepreneurial 25-year-old decided to turn his passion for snacks into a business. Each month BoCandy sends subscribers sweets from around the globe, providing old faves, international confections and exotic discoveries.

A Brittle Game Plan
When you've been to the Super Bowl six times what else is there to do? For defensive tackle and Birmingham native Mike Lodish the answer was peanut brittle.

Michigan-made Ambassador: Achatz Pie Co.
In 19 years the Achatz Pie Co. has gone from family kitchen to farmer's market to over 100 grocery stores, including Whole Foods. But co-founder and co-owner Wendy Achatz is more than just an all-natural sweet treat peddler, she's an enthusiastic cheerleader for Michigan-made products.

WHERE IT ALL COMES TOGETHER

An Italian Piazza in Metro Detroit
Spawling 30,000 square feet and stocked with foods from around the world, Cantoro Italian Market has been referred to as a culinary Disneyland. Instead, it might be the closest thing to an official Italian piazza this side of New York City. Buon appetito!