Janis Tsai

Jess McClaryMcClary Bros.Michigan made

Michigan-Based McClary Bros. Drinking Vinegars Find Mainstream Success, Expanding Production

You’ve probably seen Jess McClary’s set up at Eastern Market, but if you’re a fan of the hit NBC TV show, Shark Tank, than you definitely saw her pitching her made in Detroit McClary Bros drinking vinegars to the panel of potential investors. Now, if all goes well, it’s highly likely you’ll see the unique drinking vinegars at every Michigan Meijer; and if McClary has it her way, that’ll happen before the holidays. Most of this has happened somewhat quickly for the company. As McClary told us...

Beard BalmDetroit EntrepreneurshipJon Koller

How Detroit's Beard Balm Makes Entrepreneurship Look Good

It’s safe to assume we know at least one person who is really into their beard. We all know that beards are cool and it takes more than gravity to make them look good. Enter Beard Balm, the Corktown-based company that is gaining momentum now that chain stores are wising up to what we have known all along. “There’s a big change this year because someone at a grocery store finally put a beard product on their shelf,” said Jon Koller, Beard Balm’s self-proclaimed Big Brother. “It was instant...

Historic First Congregational Church of DetroitInn At St.JohnKirk In The Hills

Five Stunning Detroit-Area Churches Fit For Your Dream Wedding

Believe it or not, one of the best wedding ideas I’ve ever heard actually came from a man, who said his ideal wedding would simply have an open-bar and pinball machines. Sadly, he’s taken. Personally, the only thing I know about my special day is the song I’m walking down the aisle to, and the song that will play during the first dance as husband and wife. I haven’t thought much about where it’s going to be, but these five Detroit-Area chapels sure have got me thinking that it might just hav...

Brooks BrewingKen BrooksShelby Township

First Look: New Microbrewery Brooks Brewing Opens In Shelby Township

Driving down Van Dyke Rd. on the way to Brooks Brewing, you pass a lot of suburbia. As you pull up to the Brooks Brewing parking lot and pass through the expansive double doors, you leave what is familiar and enter the Brooks family world of beer. The family-run microbrewery just opened its roughly 5,000 sq. ft. establishment this month, with 10 beers on tap, a small staff of servers, a bottling machine, and a seven-barrel brewing system that can produce 14 kegs at a time. The brewery can ho...

Beard BalmDetroit Beard CollectiveDetroit Grooming Co.

Hey Gents, Here Are 3 Local Beard Grooming Products (And Where To Buy Them)

Beards are a lot of fun. They are fun to look at, fun to make fun of, and fun to touch. But are they fun to grow? To maintain? Sure, some guys grow their beards because they hate to shave, but given the explosion of the lumbersexual beard subculture (and the rise of the beard in general), it’s clear there is a bond between a man and his beard. Here are some Detroit-based beard grooming companies that make having a beard fun and oh so stylish. Plus, I’ve listed our favorite place to buy each br...

Abir MehannaEast DearbornHaitham Mehanna

QUICK TIP: Stop By East Dearborn Yogurtopia's Grand Opening Celebration On 9/23

Fro-yo and family fun is ahead as Yogurtopia invites the entire community to come out from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 23 to celebrate the grand opening of the new East Dearborn location, which is located at 6901 Schaefer Road. The event will include music, face painting, special discounts and photo opportunities with Miley the Yogurtopia mascot. Dearborn Mayor O’Reilly will welcome guests with a special ribbon cutting ceremony scheduled at 4 p.m. In addition, Yogurtopia is off...

Anita's Lebanese Kitchen CafeFalafelFalafill Detroit

5 Falafel Places In The Detroit Area You Really Should Try

Detroit has some of the best Middle Eastern restaurants in America, and there is nothing quite like the warm ball of deep-fried wonder known as the falafel. Made of ground chickpeas or fava beans, and (gasp!) sometimes a mixture of both, a tasty falafel should be deliciously spiced and seasoned before it is deep-fried. In my mind, it has to stand alone even if it is eaten plain. It shouldn’t coast on the strength of its garlic sauce. Start salivating over the best falafels Detroit has to off...

College of Creative StudiesDeRoy AuditoriumDetroit

The Surprising Link Between Detroit's One Woodward Avenue and the Original World Trade Center

So we know that Detroit’s One Woodward is the big, white, boxy looking skyscraper everybody passes on their way to Hart Plaza to enjoy Detroit’s riverfront. It’s really obvious, as it is opposite The Spirit Of Detroit sculpture. And our children, and our children’s children will have it seared into their memory what happened on 9/11 when the original World Trade Center was destroyed in Osama Bin Laden’s terrorist attack. So what does one have to do with the other? Two words. Minoru Yamasaki. T...

Atwater in the parkBatch Brewing CompanyOktoberfest

4 Detroit Area Oktoberfests To Check Out This Season

Oktoberfest season has snuck up on us and we’re not about to let you miss out on any of the fun. Now craft beer in Detroit is like ambrosia to the Greek Gods, so you best believe when it is time to celebrate beer, we are going all the way. Every Detroit area brewery has its own unique traditions, so attend all of them. Prost! 1. Atwater In The Park Atwater In The Park’s Oktoberfest is a must-go if you love football. Crack open a cold one and cheer for Michigan (9/12), MSU (9/12) and th...

Detroit Chinese foodDetroit Chinese restaurantsHong Hua

5 Metro Detroit Chinese Restaurants You Really Should Try

I don’t know if readers have figured this out yet, but with my last name being Tsai, I’m Chinese. So this post feels close to home. Take my word for it – comparing Chinese restaurants can be like comparing apples and oranges. There are good (authentic) Chinese restaurants and there are bad (Americanized) Chinese restaurants. If you can follow me here, there are horrible good Chinese restaurants and there are awesome bad Chinese restaurants. Here’s a solid list of great good Chinese restauran...

La Dulceroyal oak

First Look: La Dulce Serves Amazing Tapas In Royal Oak

La Dulce is the newest restaurant in Royal Oak. It serves authentic Spanish tapas in an ornate dining room that looks like Andy Warhol took over an aristocratic French château. Located on Royal Oak’s main shopping drag, it is obvious you are walking into something special the moment you pass Toyology, La Dulce’s next door neighbor. La Dulce’s storefront is thickly outlined in little white circles that are actually hundreds of meticulously aligned teacups. You see the same thing as you ent...

ConeyDIA

FYI: Putting The DIA And Coneys Together Makes The Best Art Ever

In 2006, a (then) twelve-year-old boy made headlines when he stuck a gooey glob of Wrigley’s Extra Polar Ice on Helen Frankenthaler’s The Bay, which the Detroit Institute of Arts valued at $1.5 million. The gum left a stain. The Bay, ironically, looks like a polar blue stain, too. I like to imagine the boy still holds the record of “Coolest Kid Ever,” much to the chagrin of his embarrassed square-as-hell parents. He is most likely about 21-years-old now, so to all the bartenders reading t...

Chartreuse Kitchen and CocktailsCliff Bell'sDetroit Restaurant Week

6 Places To Eat During Detroit Restaurant Week

Get ready for Detroit’s biggest Fall restaurant week yet, held September 18-27. We’re here to tell you how to rock it like a champ. This year is going to be a little different with most restaurants offering a three-course meal for $35 and select restaurants offering their own set-up for $25. The $25 deals are unique for each restaurant, so call them individually for more details. The DRW Facebook has already posted their menus for Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria & Cucina, The Whitney, Prism, Mario’s, G...

Detroit Cocktail ClassicJoe RobinsonTravis Fourmont

Quick Tip: Early Bird Special For Detroit Cocktail Classic Tickets

Who likes drinking? Great! Then you want to attend the Detroit Cocktail Classic, which is pretty much the cocktail party of the year. This is the place where Detroit’s most celebrated drinking establishments set up shop under one roof and show what they’ve got to bring glory to their home bars. Last year’s lineup included representatives from Craft Work, Republic, and Two James. Take advantage now of the event’s $25 Early Bird Special, because tickets go up to $40 after this weekend. On...

Amina DanielsHatch DetroitLive Cycle Delight

Winner Of 2015 Hatch Detroit Contest Live Cycle Delight Shares Prize-Money Plans

Amina Daniels straps on her helmet and pushes off on her bike. Seven bikers follow suit as they follow Amina from Capitol Park in Detroit (across from Detroit Bikes) on a bike loop that includes Harmonie Park, the Dequindre Cut, the United Auto Workers building, Mt. Elliot, and Lafayette before returning to Capitol Park. The route changes weekly, but it typically spans 8-10 miles, starting around 6:45 p.m. until 8:20 p.m.de The group, Live Cycle Delight, is diverse. The youngest is in elementa...

Detroitdetroit business

Voice On The Street: What Kinds Of Businesses Does Detroit Need?

It seems as if there’s always another article about a possible development downtown. One week it’s an Apple Store rumor. The next week, Nike. Me and colleague Mehul Tolia hit the streets surrounding Campus Martius and asked a diverse group of people what kind of business they wanted to see open in Detroit. The group included security guards, cooks on their cigarette break, corporate employees, Detroiters who live downtown, and visitors from the suburbs. Each interview was as unique as the indi...

Astoria BakeryGolden FleeceGreektown

Greektown's New Sidewalk Decks Reinvigorate One Of Detroit's Classic Attractions

Ah, Greektown, where the street artists, the pedestrians, the waiters on their cigarette breaks, all jockey for sidewalk space without stepping on anybody’s toes or walking into the streets where the cars have braked to a slow crawl. Not anymore. Greektown has (finally!) widened its sidewalks, making room for spacious dining decks outside its most popular restaurants that include Santorini Estiatorio, Pappy’s Grill, Golden Fleece, Krema, Plaka, Astoria Bakery, Pizza Papalis and Red Smoke Barbe...

BarbecueCaribbeanDetroit

Is Detroit Style BBQ Fact Or Fiction?

At this point in history, it might finally be safe to say that there is something more American than apple pie. Barbecue. BBQ has become such an integral part of American culture that it seems to have developed its own subculture. The result of our BBQ obsession is the countless hordes of spirited chefs who dedicate their lives to building the right combination of tender, slow-cooked meat, spiced and smothered with tangy sauce as they relentlessly strive to create the perfect bite of barbecu...