Obi Kenobi

Last weekend I visited the Berkley Front on 12 mile for the Saturday night game 6 between the Red Wings and the San Jose Sharks.  Although the wings lost I won.  The Front has an awesome beer selection with over 40 beers on tap.  That doesn't include their unique mixed beers.  We decided to try the Obi-Kenobi (yes after Obi-Wan Kenobi from Star Wars).  The Obi- is 1 half Bell's Oberon half Guinness Stout.  One word to describe it would be... RAD.  Get to the Front and try it... or make it at home.  The Guinness goes on top of the Oberon and stays there!

Get Home Safe!

The Designate is a chauffeur service that uses your own car.  They will drive you and your friends home from any establishment within Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties in your own car so you don't have to worry about picking it up the next day.  A really cool service for people that love to go out but don't want to worry about parking tickets or getting a ride to their car in the morning.  You can reach them 7 days a week at 888-929-8282.

The Last Drag and the smoking ban in Michigan

Folks that are familiar with the bar scene all over Michigan will be headed out tonight for the last night of legal smoking inside Michigan's fine beer and liquor serving establishments.  Starting tomorrow, all the juke joints, holes in the wall, watering holes, pubs, taverns, clubs, lounges, and neighborhood bars will be under the watchful eye of Michigan's finest.  Having a cigarette indoors at one of these places will now be punishable by fine.  In order to celebrate this final night of cancer accelerating behavior, bar crawlers will be visiting all their favorites across Detroit's bergs, and I assume across Michigan, to smoke enough cigarettes to last them the total amount of time they plan to spend in a bar for the rest of their lives.

If you are one of the many then you have options for tonight.  In Ferndale, the Ruth Ellis Center and D. Erickson PR bring you the Take the Last Drag pub crawl.  The crawl will be lead by fashionable drag queens and will take smokers and non-smokers to all the hot spots like the WAB, Dino's and Como's.

At the Belmont Bar in Hamtramck owner Darren Grown will be hosting The Last Great Michigan Smoke Down to celebrate those who choose to smoke and those who don't.  Entertainment will be provided all night will a variety of Detroit bands.  Grown says that the party is to lament the loss of yet another personal freedom.  

Not all the last chance smoke events are against the ban.  In the same article it mentions The Magic Stick in Detroit will be ushering in a new era by having fun and celebrating both sides of the ban.  Also mentioned is the New Place Lounge in Dearborn.   

Whether you are for or against the ban I suggest you go out and celebrate tonight to support your local main street and business owners!

Ferndale's Via Nove

Like all good husbands I took my wife out to dinner for her birthday last Wednesday to a local restaurant named Via Nove.  We had heard good things about this local Italian spot but had not yet experienced it so we decided to make it our destination for the evening.

When I looked at their website, http://vianoverestaurant.com/  it said that I should probably make reservations so I did.  When we arrived at 8pm there was one other couple eating dinner and we got to pick out table next to one of the two garage doors which are propped open during the summer evenings.  Outside on the patio there were some scattered tables and chairs that are set up for outdoor dining as soon as the weather turns.

When it came to ordering drinks we wanted to get a mojito but our waiter, Claude, explained that the mint they grow themselves in front of the restaurant was not yet blooming.  As Claude further explained, Via Nove grows a lot of their own herbs, spices, and vegetables right out front.  Walking by on 9 mile I don't know if I would have noticed on my own, but that added to the cool factor of our experience.  After drinks came the bread.  Soft, chewy, seasoned with herbs and served generously with a plate of olive oil with some spaghetti sauce on top.  I could have just had bread this bread and would have been happy.  We also had the Mozzarella Caprese which is basically mozzarella cheese slices and fresh tomato slices served with olive oil and basil leaf.

Our entrees did not take long to prepare and were excellent.  I had Filettino di Manzo and my wife had the Tagliatelli Gabriella.  The Filettino is a petit filet served with grilled prawns, peppers and rosemary potato flan ( which was like mashed potatoes formed into a crab cake like fried shape.  The Tagliatelli is actually from the pasta dish and is spaghetti with a lobster sauce with grilled prawns and scallops.  Both dishes were well prepared, tasty and VERY filling.  We took a lot of the spaghetti home in a doggy bag.

After dinner we enjoyed a few cups of coffee which Claude gladly served us while we chatted him up about working and living in Ferndale.  He rides his bike or walks to work and enjoys the Ferndale community.  Originally from Austin, TX. Claude moved to M"cichigan about 20 years ago and has been in Ferndale for 10.  He was very attentive and seemed like he enjoyed waiting on us and talking with us. It might have been him just trying to get a bigger tip, which he did, but he seemed genuine.  He even took us up to the bar/lounge area upstairs that Via Nove rents out for office parties, receptions and even weddings.  There is a dance floor area and an extremely tall bar that is lit up with a cool neon green light.  Although the food was great, I would say Claude was the highlight of our evening and we greatly appreciated his service.

I will definitely go back to Via Nove, probably during the summer to experience their new patio furniture and sample another one of their great entrees or pastas and to see Claude.  I would also like to check out some of the specials they are offering.  Friday nights are "Date Nights" when you get to choose an appetizer, salad, entree and dessert from a limited menu for only $50 per couple.  Saturday nights are "Celebration Nights" at Via Nove where you can get a choice of salad, a pasta course, a choice of entree, a choice of dessert and a choice of a bottle of wine, all for only $89 per couple.  Some great deals from a great establishment.  Thanks Via Nove!

The Emory and Sneakers in Ferndale

On Saturday night I was priviledged enough to visit two local establishments in Ferndale for a first time and was not surprised that both impressed me with their atmosphere and service.

Let me first say it was a birthday party group, but we did not have reservations at either establishment, nor do I think they take reservations.  Both are located on Woodward in Ferndale but have distinctly different characteristics.

First stop The Emory.  Named after a Toledo, OH. farmer, Emory Johnson, it features hardwood decorations harvested from the farm it was named after.  It also incorporates many of the old materials gutted from the building during it's construction.  The recycling program is also a proud point for the purveyors of this find establishment.  It is funded by the restaurant and provides funds for the city of Ferndale.  Their pick-up/delivery vehicle runs on alternative fuel too!  Seems as though The Emory is doing their part for a greener Earth and I am proud to support a Michigan business like that.

I did not get to sample the food but checked the menu online and it looks like regular bar food... burgers, pizza, salads, sandwiches, appetizers and sides.  They also offer breakfast Saturday and Sunday mornings 9-2pm.  Right now they are running a Tuesday special, burger and fries for $5.  For those of you night owls The Emory is open till 2am on the weekends and offers a full service bar with pool tables and a wicked juke box (Springsteen, The Killers and Hall and Oates).




Second stop Sneakers Pub.  Although Sneakers does not have a website detailing their history or menu I will take a shot at this one.  Deep, dark and old school.  Call it a dive, a hole in the wall, a locals spot, a beer joint, it's great.

Greeted up front with a looong bar and plenty of beers on tap including Pabst.  As you move back toward the stage... yes a stage, there are a few tables and chairs set up so that you can watch karaoke... yes karaoke.  And it was in full swing Saturday night.  Everyone and their sister was doing karaoke and loving it.  Songs I heard included "I like Big Butts", "Afternoon Delight"(performed that one), and "Don't look Back in Anger" (actually performed by a british guy that was raising awareness of karate kicks).



Great night supporting local Ferndale establishments that I will for sure go back to.  Plus a late night pizza from Como's in Ferndale.  They are open till 4am!

Go Comedy in Ferndale

Last weekend was a laugh riot. A group of friends went to Go Comedy in Ferndale on Saturday night with some free passes we scored from our neighbor whose son is partial owner of the club. What I expected was a lineup of stand-up comedy acts but what I got was much better. Go Comedy is actually an improv venue that not only offers performances but an improv theater school where budding comedians go to cut their teeth and beef up their chops on their way to super-SNL stardom (ok maybe Second City stardom).

We witnessed the comedy group "Internet Sensations" take on some frat guys (seriously they chugged beer on stage in letterman jackets). The "Sensations" were no match as they worked their way through short improv games and competitions like Inuendo where every line has to start with "I like my men like I like my..." The points don't matter but in the end I think the dudes took the competition. The crowd even got involved a bit as the MC of the show uses bits from the suggestion cards you fill out before the show. All in all it was a great time with lots of laughs. Plus there was even a free improv show called "Dark Matter" after the 10pm show. Not as good but a nice extra. Thanks Go Comedy we will be back!

A night out at the Royal Oak Brewery

This Sunday night we treated ourselves to a night out at the Royal Oak Brewery in downtown Royal Oak.  Participants included myself, my fiance and my youngest brother who attends Kettering University in Flint, MI. but spends his work term in Novi, MI.

Being a Sunday I knew we were not going to get crazy but I also knew that I had a hankerin' for some of their tasty craft brews.  Apart from the beer we also went for some food, which again I was pleasantly surprised with.  The night went down as follows...

My brother arrives at my apartment around 8pm and we head out to the brewery located at 215 E. Fourth St.  We brave a late winter blizzard to get there and shuffle in to the place.

We are immediately seated, it's not very busy but there are a few brave souls.  I went with the Northern Light as my first beer.  A light and crisp taste temptation.  This is the rich man's light beer and I am loving in, very refreshing.  My brother, now of legal age, went with the same.  My fiance went with the root beer.

Now on to the food.  My fiance loves the personal pizzas there and I will say I am a huge fan as well.  But on this night I was feeling burger.  The brewery attacks burger lovers from a few angles.  You can go with the old stand-by Royal Oak Burger, no thrills, just a great burger with all the trimmings.  Then they have the Dagwood.  I half pound burger smothered in BBQ sauce and topped with an onion ring (my brother's burger of choice).  I had a very tough decision before me.  I had to choose between two burgers tied to a night out.  The first, Hair of the Dog, throws the kitchen sink at you with bacon and a perfectly fried egg.  Tempting, but a little too much for me that day. I went with the Hangover.  Even though I was not currently suffering from the ailment, the combination of two 6 ounce patties and a special sauce was irresistable.  I will say that the Hangover burger tastes as good as it sounds and I was more than pleased.  In fact I will go to say that I have never had a bad meal at this establishment.

The night was capped off with a couple different brews.  My brother opted for Pappy's Porch Sippin' Porter, a stellar choice as snow was still falling outside.  I went for the Brewhouse ESB and was not dissappointed.  I only wish I had the means and the time to sample all of their offerings... over and over.

On top of the great beer and food, service was top notch, which was reflected in the tip amount I left on the check.

It seems as though I am not the only one who holds the Royal Oak Brewery in such high regard.  Take a look at this article by Ron Arnold on examiner.com.

Thanks Royal Oak Brewery for a great night out!