is all's fare
Mae-Day
This brand-new eatery offers sophisticated
comfort food and an old-school vibe.
WRITTEN BY JEFFREY HERMANN I PHOTOGRAPHY BY JERRY ZOLYNSKY
pre-school & kindergarten art camp
June 21-25 & June 26-30
grades 1-8 youth art camp
July 12-23 & August 2-13
grades 1-5 animal art camp
August 23-27
grades 6-8 clay camp
August 23-27
high school:
drawing fundamentals, mixed media & sculpture
June 21-25
painting techniques, jewelry & metaismithing
June 26-30
portfolio preparation workshops
June 21-25 &June 26-30
ART FOR ALL @ THE BBAC!
BIRMINGHAM BLOOMFIELD
Arran' ria BBArtCenter.org
248.644.0866
P6 • JUNE 2010 • IN
platinum
Story has it that when Jessica
McCarthy hatched the idea to open a
neighborhood eatery down the street
from her home in Pleasant Ridge one
cold winter morning, she roused her
still-sleeping husband, Sean, with the
question, "Do you want to open a res-
taurant?" His response? A groggy, but
upbeat, approval.
Judging by Jessica's flair for food,
one can imagine Sean probably pic-
tured the endeavor to be merely an act
of extending her sophisticated culi-
nary comforts beyond their kitchen
and to the plates of their neighbors.
True, sitting at one of Mae's tables
— just opened to the public in April
— or at the counter, is to feel like
you've just been lulled out of bed by
the aroma of biscuits, pancakes and
sandwiches as well as by the inviting
sound of easy conversation. But call-
ing the dishes comfort food does not
do them justice — they're familiar
and cozy, but they don't let you get
too comfortable.
For instance, I loved my father's
pancakes, but he never rolled them
up with Nutella and garnished them
with fresh strawberries; nor did he
ever make us Aebelskievers, sphere-
shaped pancakes served mile-high
with whipped cream. And my mother
made us chicken sandwiches, but
she didn't fry the chicken in Cap' N'
Crunch batter, slather on hot sauce
and serve with Pepper Jack cheese on
Farmhouse White with a side of bleu
cheese dressing (the Portland Special).
Mae's is named for Jessica's mater-
nal grandmother, and the menu is
likewise rooted in familial history,
though not bound by it. Huevos
rancheros, latkes and eggs Benedict
(both classic and build-it-yourself
options) all find a way to co-exist over
breakfast, and lunch runs the gamut
from big, sloppy-looking sliders to
the Toasted Hippie, which combines
hummus, cucumber, red onion, toma-
to and spinach on toasted Motown
Multigrain bread.
Establishing local cred, many menu
items weave Michigan-made-or-
grown products into the mix, like the
Traverse City cherries in the Michigan
salad, the Avalon Bakery breads and
muffins and the accompanying Faygo
and Better Made products. The ambi-
ence also is a nod to history — spe-
cifically the former longtime occupant
of the location, Anna's Coffee Shoppe.
Mae's feels like a modern version of
the classic diner.
Whether you're a local from down
the street or visiting from some other
nearby or far-flung Metro Detroit
environ, Jessica and the rest of the staff
at Mae's will see that your breakfast,
brunch or lunch is served with equal
amounts home-cooking character and
culinary school credentials, and ensure
that you feel very much at home.
■
Mae'
24060 Woodw
Pleasant Ridge
(248) 548-5355; maesdetroit.c
HOURS.:
6:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday _
8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday
(Closed Monday)
Breakfasts: 54.95-58.7
Sandwiches: S4-$7.75
Salads S5-58
Kids menu avaita