When Local Kitchen in Ferndale closed in the beginning of October, the owners Geoff Kretchmer and Brian Siegel hinted that there was going to be big changes to the space.
And boy, were there.
Last night we got a chance to check out The Corner Grill, Bar + Game Room and Detroit Axe.
There are now two concepts in this one space.
The Corner has a friendly vibe and offers a casual menu, full bar and a game lounge.
There are some pretty noticeable changes to the space itself.
They have enclosed the porch and taken out the wall to make the dining room and bar flow better.
If you were a fan of that amazing fireplace, don’t worry they have kept it.
There is also a pretty nice lounge area around the fire place, so it was really cozy last night when it was freezing outside.
The dining room has seating for 50 people, and the bar can seat 27 people.
Eventually, the game lounge will have over one thousand board games for couples and groups to play. Personally, the giant Scrabble is a nice touch.
There are dedicated game tables where you can set up a game of Risk or giant Scrabble.
You can even play a little Rock’em Sock’em Robots!
Let’s talk about the food.
The menu is pretty casual. There are salads, soups, sandwiches, a few main entrees, dishes to share and desserts like mini donuts.
We were able to try a a few of the menu items during the party, and over all everything was pretty tasty.
That said, this was a preview event. This isn’t about this particular restaurant, but a good rule of thumb, for previews that the menu is stripped down and the service is very different than when a restaurant is open, and your mileage may vary upon opening. It’s a first taste, but don’t think of this as a review.
That said, I was a big fan of the Planavon Salad, which had lettuce, garbanzo beans, corn, goat cheese, cilantro, mint and cornbread croutons.
I also really enjoyed the Detroit Ribeye and French Dip Sandwiches.
Now that I have talked about The Corner, let’s move upstairs to Detroit Axe.
Literally.
Detroit Axe is located on the second floor of The Corner Grill, Bar + Game Room. There is also a second bar and classic arcade games on the second floor.
On paper the idea of an axe throwing club sounded weird. I mean throwing hatchets at a target sounds like a recipe for disaster.
But, after checking it out in person I can see the appeal. Everyone was having a lot of fun throwing the 1.5 pound hatchet.
If you are worried about safety, there are Axe Masters at each arena that give every participant one on one safety training and coaching.
You might be wondering how this whole thing works.
There are axe throwing twelve lanes and groups can make a reservation for 2 1/2 hours. The group event can accommodate between six to 36 people and it consists of training with an Axe Master, a round robin tournament, and then a final knockout round where an axe throwing champion will be crowned.
Be prepared to drop some dough though, because it is $40 per person for that experience.
If you have less than six people, there will be some opportunities for walk-ins. However it is first come, first served if a lane is open. The walk-in price is $20 per hour.
Hours for The Corner are limited to dinner service are Monday 4:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m., closed on Tuesdays, then Wednesday and Thursday 4:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday 4:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m., and Sunday 4:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
The Corner and Detroit Axe are located at 344 West 9 Mile Road Ferndale, Michigan 48220
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