All dressed up and no place to eat.

**Junjie** · February-11-15, 04:43 PM

Originally Posted by Mackinaw

Off the top of my head there were about 20 new restaurants in central neighborhoods alone in the last year. ... I believe 6 of the top 10 on the Free Press list last week were Detroit restaurants.

That's true - they listed Top of the Pontch, Johnny Noodle King, Antietam, Selden Standard, Wright & Co., and Gold Cash Gold.

Here's another one opening next week [[Republic). Can't wait to check out the GAR building next time I'm in Detroit, hope the food is good too:

http://www.freep.com/story/entertain...week/23241315/

Also mentions Parks & Rec diner which will be in the same building but no news on an opening date for that one.

**G-DDT** · February-12-15, 10:39 PM

Be nice now. Please.

**detroitbob** · February-13-15, 12:27 AM

RE: REPUBLIC at the GAR Building---the press info on the Free Press blurb says a kitchen crew of 25...with the initial seating capacity of 50 in the "Republic" part of the restaurant. Amazing. Doesn't sound like a sustainable cost, even when both rooms are open. They had better be at capacity every hour they are open. I've seen...well, time will tell.

**Tuere** · February-13-15, 07:19 AM

I thought I read that Republic and Parks & Rec, which will be the other restaurant in the GAR building, will share a kitchen. If they share a kitchen i'm guessing they will share much of the staff so that's probably why the numbers seem off. They aren't really accurate when talking about just one of the restaurants.

**Cliffy** · February-13-15, 12:54 PM

A kitchen crew of 25 is insane for 50 people. Something isn't right.

**eliboyer** · February-13-15, 01:02 PM

Originally Posted by MAcc

1.) "Host of new restaurants"...like 5 or 6? Serving a few million people within a 15 mile radius of downtown.
2.) Michigan is a flyover state. It's winter. Money that was earmarked for gas and tax returns are burning a hole in peoples pockets. Schmucks have nothing better to do to occupy their time, so they gladly drive 30 minutes from the suburbs to check out a new restaurant and happily wait an hour to fill up their evening, and feel trendy.
3.) FYI: the wait times are phony.
4.) The owners and staff are laughing at how gullible you are, the pictures of the Sysco food you're taking, and how you think the plate you're eating was worth 5 hours of your life and $25 from your wallet.
5.) The new places put the old places out of business. All of the old staples are struggling to stay open.

By late spring all of these "hot" places will be half empty.

As an owner/operator of one of the new places to which you're referring, and specifically from my perspective, you couldn't be more wrong with the exception of point #1.

**detroitbob** · February-13-15, 02:54 PM

as I indicated, even with both rooms open, it doesn't seem sustainable...I,ve seen this before, but the ratio is off. Chefs dream the ideal vs the pratical. Remember Rodin.

**masterblaster** · February-13-15, 03:31 PM

Originally Posted by MAcc

1.) "Host of new restaurants"...like 5 or 6? Serving a few million people within a 15 mile radius of downtown.
2.) Michigan is a flyover state. It's winter. Money that was earmarked for gas and tax returns are burning a hole in peoples pockets. Schmucks have nothing better to do to occupy their time, so they gladly drive 30 minutes from the suburbs to check out a new restaurant and happily wait an hour to fill up their evening, and feel trendy.
3.) FYI: the wait times are phony.
4.) The owners and staff are laughing at how gullible you are, the pictures of the Sysco food you're taking, and how you think the plate you're eating was worth 5 hours of your life and $25 from your wallet.
5.) The new places put the old places out of business. All of the old staples are struggling to stay open.

By late spring all of these "hot" places will be half empty.

Folks, if you don't know by now, MAcc is a troll. The very definition of a troll. Makes disparaging remarks about the city of Detroit to get a rise out of people. You can just ignore this person - he or she doesn't have anything better to do than to denigrate Detroit.

**old guy** · February-14-15, 01:58 AM

Originally Posted by Cliffy

A kitchen crew of 25 is insane for 50 people. Something isn't right.

Is that for a shift, or is that the entire kitchen staff?

**detroitbob** · February-14-15, 04:08 AM

Originally Posted by old guy

Is that for a shift, or is that the entire kitchen staff?

That was the quoted number of the entire kitchen crew, however, even allowing for kitchen prep before opening, pastry and sous chef functions, line cooks etc. plus garde manger position to order and manage inventory based on the size that staffing seems way out of line. I doubt ROAST has that number, and if they do, it is a much larger operation than this. It just doesn't seem correct. Opps, forgot dish and utility which may or may not be condisered kitchen. Even if total seating for both rooms with a shared kitchen enviroment tops out at 100-110 for both rooms, 20 to 25% ratio seems way too high.

**Zacha341** · February-14-15, 04:46 AM

Too many cooks in the kitchen! They'll soon need a visit from Gordon Ramsey ala Kitchen Disasters show....

....!

**sumas** · February-14-15, 06:30 PM

If people are out and about during the day Milano Bakery on Russel is great and I adore the On the Rise bakery a Caputian innitiative, on Gratiot. Super sandwiches from both and Milanos has great soups too, their cannolis to die for.

**sumas** · February-14-15, 06:35 PM

Sadly I've made myself hungry. Homemade individual pizzas and a greek salad sound really good right now. Staff of one.

**Tramhamck** · February-15-15, 10:56 AM

Originally Posted by Tuere

I thought I read that Republic and Parks & Rec, which will be the other restaurant in the GAR building, will share a kitchen. If they share a kitchen i'm guessing they will share much of the staff so that's probably why the numbers seem off. They aren't really accurate when talking about just one of the restaurants.

I believe it was indicated that not only with they share a kitchen and staff, but also that her three sous-chefs will oversee Parks and Rec when it opens. So yeah, I think there's going to be a lot of overlap. In this old Eater write up it mentions the the diner will hold 15-20 people.

http://detroit.eater.com/2014/6/16/6...-to-gar-castle

Interesting note, in that article it also says that Republic would seat 85. I wonder if the Freep number is wrong or if something changed during the build-out to cause them to have to cut back capacity.

**Zacha341** · February-15-15, 11:46 AM

^^^ Welcome to Detyes catalogofoddities. I love your screen name!

**Tramhamck** · February-15-15, 04:36 PM

Originally Posted by Zacha341

^^^ Welcome to Detyes catalogofoddities. I love your screen name!

Thank you! I've been lurking for some time now and finally decided to get in on all the wonderful conversations.

**Mackinaw** · February-16-15, 10:59 AM

http://modeldmedia.com/features/Detr...efs021015.aspx

Anyone else notice this line: "Justin Vaiciunas, Top of the Pontch...Vaiciunas isn't resting on his laurels. This Sunday he flies out to Los Angeles to compete on a popular cooking competition show for national TV [[which can't be named for confidentiality reasons), where he hopes to…well, win, obviously, but also gain some national recognition for himself and Top of the Pontch."

Would be amazing if he was on 'Best New Restaurant.' Or perhaps he did Iron Chef?

In a related vein, we need to draft this year's Top Chef, a Dearborn native, to come back home and open something stellar in Detroit!

**313WX** · February-16-15, 11:35 AM

Originally Posted by sumas

If people are out and about during the day Milano Bakery on Russel is great and I adore the On the Rise bakery a Caputian innitiative, on Gratiot. Super sandwiches from both and Milanos has great soups too, their cannolis to die for.

I love getting Milano's Italian Bread from Kroger.

It makes for the best deli sandwiches IMO.

And considering how much you get, it's very reasonably priced

**sumas** · February-17-15, 06:12 AM

Originally Posted by 313WX

I love getting Milano's Italian Bread from Kroger.

It makes for the best deli sandwiches IMO.

And considering how much you get, it's very reasonably priced

No clue what kroger charges but it is $1.75 @ the bakery. I don't always get there but will buy at our local grocery for $3. All of Milanos products are great.

OK, now I am hungry again, will make fresh coffee, Milano toast with Detroit honey.

**313WX** · February-17-15, 08:01 AM

Originally Posted by sumas

No clue what kroger charges but it is $1.75 @ the bakery. I don't always get there but will buy at our local grocery for $3. All of Milanos products are great.

OK, now I am hungry again, will make fresh coffee, Milano toast with Detroit honey.

I belive it's just a little over $3 at Kroger.

I expect to pay more for the convenience of not having to go all of the way down to the Eastern Market. I work in Macomb Xounty and live in NE Detroit, so regular trips to the bakery would be out of the way.

**Zacha341** · February-17-15, 09:17 AM

Cool. The treads about food and restaurants are my favorites. I've learned so much from following and posting on them.

Originally Posted by catalogofoddities

Thank you! I've been lurking for some time now and finally decided to get in on all the wonderful conversations.

**gnome** · February-17-15, 06:18 PM

The bride and I had a lovely evening at the Wright or Wright and Company. Pretty swanky crowd although we were dressed for bowling. It was Friday evening about 8ish, had a couple of drinks at the bar and maybe after :30 - 40 minutes we had our table.

Great service. Tasty food. Pricey but worth it.

However, they really need a coat check. This time of year with everyone bundled up, the atmosphere of swank suffers with heavy coats hanging off the backs of chairs.

parked at the Opera House garage for 2 bucks plus a tip.

**Zacha341** · February-17-15, 10:20 PM

Great tip Gnome. I'd been wanting to try them out eventually. Sounds like you did great for parking too. Awesome!

**gnome** · February-17-15, 11:11 PM

Zacha, while waiting for our table I asked the bartender if he knew how to make aBlue Blazer. He said he did and proceeded to make this drink for me. In short it involves a bunch of different liquors set aflame and tossed from one metal cup to another. In a darkened bar it looks like a blue tube of flame flying through the air.

it was invented by Jerry Thomas back before the Civil War and gained fame by being a large part of a book he wrote about being a professional maker of cocktails. I have a 2nd printing from 1893 I think. A very interesting read because of the language patterns and sentence construction. Also intresting because of his apparent rock-star status all across America.

anywa a Blue Blazer will set you back $14 bucks. Yikes!

**aj3647** · February-18-15, 02:07 AM

Originally Posted by sumas

Now I am amused. Give me "lower tier places" anyday which understands service counts.

Which one of you all remember TIPS means "To insure prompt service".

Accept shoddy, get shoddy.

Stand in line, just means trendy, not excellence.

We get it. You've made your opinion known...by reposting it over half a dozen times almost verbatim. You want good food and you want it cheap and you don't want to wait for it. You don't like "trendy." Message received, loud and clear.