Hey friends, Jer here. Hope you had a good weekend!
Just a couple hours after their official opening, I had the chance to try the newest Detroit-style pizza joint in town, Unc's.
It's in a beautifully redone building on the edge of Capitol Park at 1133 Griswold. The place looks like a big city joint, which befits the view out the window of the Stott Building and other tall towers.
As someone who remembers a world before everything turned greige, I so appreciate that this interior is not afraid of color. You're in a place that looks like a nice pizza joint, not an Apple store.
It felt like I was grabbing a quick dinner on vacation. On to the food.
First, the Brick Sticks. They're among the biggest cheese sticks I've ever seen. Sometimes this kind of "oversized" dish can go off the rails, but it wasn't greasy. It was a warm hug of fried goodness.
Unc's menu is creative, and has some dish names those of a certain generation will remember right away. As someone who grew up watching "Perfect Strangers," the "Cousin Balki" made me laugh. There's other movie and pop culture references scattered throughout I'll leave you to find.
On the recommendation of a friend of the podcast, I tried the Italian Beef. Shaved ribeye, giardiniera (pickled vegetables like bell peppers), shaved Parmesan, and beef au jus. Very good, and the crust is significantly lighter than some of the other Detroit-style options around town.
At six slices a pie, you're going to be full splitting it between two — especially if you get an appetizer. It makes this a pretty strong value for money choice, too.
So why the name "Unc's?"
Named after co-owner Larry Kahn's Uncle Paul, affectionately known simply as "Unc," the restaurant pays tribute to the kind of person who made everyone feel like family.
A decorated World War II veteran and longtime Detroit Edison employee, Uncle Paul embodied the warmth, generosity and neighborly spirit that inspired the concept.
Born from a partnership between Larry Kahn, Ann-Marie Murphy and Jeff Alexander, the ownership team behind Dime Store, and Tony Sacco of Mootz Pizzeria + Bar, Unc's Pizza celebrates the relatives, friends, neighbors and chosen family who always seemed to know everyone and pull up another chair.
I'll be back. Open Sundays - Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to midnight.
More coverage: [Detroit News] [WXYZ]
Greektown has been one of the most vibrant, "city-feeling" anchors of downtown Detroit for generations.
But if you’ve walked down Monroe Street lately, you know a massive shift is underway to make the district far more flexible, pedestrian-first, and ready for the future.
Norris Howard and I sat down with SmithGroup's Lori Singleton to get the story behind the new streetscape.
This quote from Lori really stuck with me:
I really think about public realm design as creating an environment where life can unfold.
We dive into why sacrificing a bit of on-street parking opened up huge possibilities for outdoor dining and curbless, flexible plazas.
Plus, we talk shop on the hidden urban design magic you can't see. One of my favorites are "Silva Cells," an underground column framework that lets tree roots thrive beneath pavement without destroying sidewalks or drowning in heavy rain.
It's a fascinating look at how smart, intentional public space changes are reshaping how we experience our city.
I personally love walking down the redone block, and getting a chance to learn about how it came together was a lot of fun. Listen wherever you get podcasts, including our website.
🍾 Congrats to Bar IX Detroit who hit their fundraising goal of $150,000 for their own brick and mortar bar and social space dedicated to women’s sports! They hope to announce their location soon, and pop-up events resume in the fall. [Bar IX]
⛹🏽♀️ Before a new WNBA franchise tips off in Detroit in 2029, we have to talk about the city's original basketball powerhouse: the three-time champion Detroit Shock.
Filmmaker Larry J. Sanders joined us to break down his upcoming documentary Shockwave and why their story deserves way more credit in WNBA history.
Catch the full conversation on our website, Apple Podcasts, or stream it on Spotify,
⛳️ It looks like it's the end of the line for the LIV Golf team championship in Metro Detroit, with local officials left in the dark. [WXYZ]
There have been signs pointing to a cancellation, including reportedly no setup work at The Resort at St. John's. [Crain's]
The league was mostly funded with more than $5 billion since 2022 from the Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). Earlier this year, they said it would stop financing the league because the scale of ongoing investment no longer fits their strategy and broader economic priorities.
🗓️ Spots are going fast for our Summer Studio Open House is this Saturday from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Free coffee, free donuts, free conversation. Getting together in our community is more important than ever, so we'd love to see you. [RSVP on Eventbrite]
That's all for tonight's edition of the newsmagazine. Thanks to our members on Patreon for keeping the lights on. We have a new $3.13 tier to support our work produced in the heart of the 313.
Until next time, remember that you are somebody — and I'll see you around Detroit.
-Jer
