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November 24, 2011 - Image 44

Resource type:
Text
Publication:
The Detroit Jewish News, 2011-11-24

Disclaimer: Computer generated plain text may have errors. Read more about this.

COMM - UNITY

FIVE THINGS YOUR KIDS WILL LOVE

FOODIE

Seafood Fare for the Stomach and Soul

Detroit Seafood Market channels bygone era
of genteel social mobility in Downtown Detroit.

By Esther Aliweiss Ingber

elicious, made-from-scratch cuisine served at a res-
- )itaurant with a social conscience. I like that combina-
I
tion at the Detroit Seafood Market.
The restaurant and adjoining Ultra PV Lounge are
tucked away on Randolph Street in Downtown Detroit's
Paradise Valley, a nostalgic renaming of the vest-pocket
Harmonie Park.
Paradise Valley — the "PV" of the lounge's name —
recalls a prosperous era for black Detroiters in the district
bounded by Gratiot, Vernor, Brush and Hastings streets.
During the 1920s '50s, Paradise Valley offered unprec-
edented economic and cultural opportunities, including
a jazz-infused nightlife. Urban renewal sadly destroyed
the cohesive community.
Nigerian-born entrepreneur and CEO Kenny Akinwale
hopes to recreate some of the excitement of those hal-
cyon, Paradise Valley days with his Ultra PV Lounge. The
eclectic, club-like setting attracts the neighborhood's
professionals as well as urban dwellers.
Akinwale made major renovations to the lounge, such
as installing steps that lead to a cozy space upstairs.
Black-and-white photos of jazz greats adorn the walls,
while vivid artwork on the main floor depicts good times
in the old neighborhood. Guests sit in striped pillow-
back booths, or interact with each other at the hand-
some back-lit bar or make moves on the dance floor. Live
music is offered several nights a week, both here and in

,

a -

.

The herb-crusted rack of Iamb, above, is a customer favorite.

Detroit Seafood Market & Ultra PV Lounge
1435 Randolph
Detroit, MI 48226
(313) 962-4180

www.thedetroitseafoodmarket.com
$$$ out of $$$$

the restaurant. Beverages and appetizers in the lounge
are half-off from 4-7 p.m. weekdays.
When he opened Detroit Seafood Market at the site of
the former Detroit Fish Market last year, Akinwale wisely
retained executive chef Leonardo Vulagi, a graduate of
New York's prestigious Culinary Institute of America.
The decor is minimalist with bare tables and blue- and
green-striped upholstered chairs, or snazzy booths that
have high, butter-colored, curved backs.Tied-back blue
curtains separate five private dining areas along a brick
wall. The room's focal point is the mural of a blue-eyed
swordfish leaping out of a foamy sea.
Customer favorites, according to Akinwale and Vulagi,
include broiled Florida snapper, grilled salmon, herb-
crusted rack of Iamb, and broiled Chilean sea bass,
prepared pan-Asian style, and stacked on whipped
garlic-mashed potatoes.
I was delighted after trying stuffed Atlantic salmon
topped with lemon beurre blanc sauce ($24), and the
luscious-tasting "famous lobster mac and cheese" came
home with me. The paella, a Spanish rice dish, which
comes in two sizes at diriner, with choice of seafood,
chicken and sausage, or vegetarian treatment, looked
amazing.
Sunday brunch, by reservation only, is popular from
noon-4 p.m. The choices are plentiful, tending toward
Southern-style favorites. Cost is $25, adult; $14, ages
6-14.R

Kick Off the Season
with the Maccabeats

FLIP YOUR LATKES IN THE AIR
LIKE YOU JUST DON'T CARE!

The a cappella group that's brought millions of
families together around the light of YouTube is coming
to town. See The Maccabeats, a 14-member student
group from New York's Yeshiva University, that thrilled
kids (and their parents) — and rose to viral stardom with
"Candlelight," a Chanukah music video that parodies
Taio Cruz's "Dynamite" (and was one of the most-viewed
holiday videos last year), the"Purim Song," set to Pink's
"Raise Your Glass," and "Lecha Dodi," sung to the melody
of Leonard Cohen's"Hallelujah"— live in Detroit.
Bring the kids for an interactive Havdalah perfor-
mance and reception at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3
($18/advance tickets for members; $18/advance for non-
member under 30; $25/advance ages 30 and up), or at
11 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 4. (Free to members; $5/kids and
$10/adults, non-members.)
Congregation Shaarey Zedek, 27375 Bell Road, South-
field. (248) 357-5544; shaareyzedek.org .

LITTLE WOMEN

The beloved March sisters, based on author Louisa
May Alcott's own family growing up during the Ameri-
can Civil War — who dealt with issues as relevant today
as they were when her book was published in 1868 —
come to musical life in Forever After Productions' magi-
cal Little Women. Thursday-Monday, Dec. 1-5. $15.
The Village Theater at Cherry Hill, 50400 Cherry Hill
Road, Canton. (734) 453-0088; foreverafternow.com or
canton-mi.org/villagetheater.

NOEL NIGHT

BAR FLY

Mojitos Served Atop Warring Ivories

BAR FLY HIT PARADE

• On The Spot Impression:
"I love 526 Main and Tequila
Blue. It's a lot of fun to have
a dueling piano bar in town,"
says Kate Windemere of Royal
Oak.
• Drink Cost: Average drink
cost is between $3-$9
• Clientele: Early 30s and up.
No dress code. The night
we went, people dressed
between semi-casual to
dressed-up. (When Tequila
Blue turns into a nightclub
and the dueling piano players
are performing, people tend
to dress to impress.)
• Music: Wed.-Sat. begin-
ning at 8 p.m., 526 Main
fires up the dueling pianos,
playing a mix of classic hits
from the early '60s-present
day. Upstairs at Tequila Blue,
(Thurs.-Sat. at 10 p.m.) turns
into a nightclub playing
dance music du jour.
• Bar Appeal: Great for a date.
• Accessibility: Metered
parking on the street and in
parking lots.
• Queue Factor: $10 cover
Wed.-Sat., but if you eat in
the restaurant upstairs, $10 is
deducted from your bill.
• Location and Hours: 526 S.
Main St., Royal Oak (on the
corner of Main St. and 5th)
(248) 591-9000.526 Main:
Mon.-Sat. 11-1:30 a.m., Sun.
noon-1:30 a.m.Tequila Blue:
Mon.-Sun. 4 p.m.-1:30 a.m.
Kitchen for both restaurants
closes at 11 p.m.

6

December 2011 1

itm THEM

Dueling Pianos at 526 Main and Mexican fare upstairs
at neighbor Tequila Blue offer something for everyone

By Natalie Sugarman

oyal Oak is certainly known
for its great selection of res-
taurants and bars, and the
newest edition to its downtown
mix is the dual restaurant and
entertainment venue 526 Main
and Tequila Blue.
The American grill-style
bistro 526 Main plays host to
dueling pianos; head upstairs
and you'll stumble upon Tequila
Blue, which features an upscale
Mexican restaurant that turns
into a nightclub Thursday
through Saturday night at 10
p.m.
"I think that 526 Main and Te-
quila Blue bring a very unique
and fun element to Royal Oak," says 526 Main staffer Sean Cherry. "Downstairs you
have the piano bar; that's a lot of fun, and upstairs you have an upscale restaurant
that's great to take a date to:'
American grills are not uncommon, especially in Royal Oak. The novelty at 526,
of course, are its dueling pianos, which seem to be non-existent in Detroit; there
are less then 20 piano bars in the entire state.
526 Main is open seven days and features dueling pianos Wednesday through
Saturday from 8 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. It also features live music, such as Thornetta
Davis, Vinyl Underground and Paul Vomhagen, on Tuesdays and Sundays.
Its menu is pretty eclectic, with choices ranging from baby back ribs and garlic
lime chicken to brick oven pizza and a variety of sandwiches. Naturally, they have a
full bar and offer happy hour specials Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
For a taste of Mexico, be a contrarian and head north (in this case, upstairs) to
Tequila Blue and experience the upscale cantina's Mexican-inspired decor and
Latin cuisine. The menu features classics like tacos, burritos, enchiladas and tosta-
das. But, the kitchen also offers its own signature dishes. such as Chicken Milanese,
Steak Tampiquena and Alahambra Cabarones.
The main attraction, though, is its full bar with more than 50 different kinds of
tequila. RT

R

More than 40 Midtown Detroit cultural venues —
including the Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit Science
Center, Detroit Historical Museum and more — will
open their doors free of charge during the 39th Annual
Noel Night, a Cultural Center-wide"open house:' Also
on-hand: horse-drawn carriage rides; family craft activi-
ties; 120 music, theater and dance groups (check out the
Blind Boys of Alabama); plus plenty of food and shop-
ping. 5 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3.
Activities take place in and around Midtown Detroit's
Cultural Center institutions, primarily between Cass and
John R and Kirby and Willis. Free shuttle service is offered
between participating venues. For details and parking
info, call (313) 420-6000 or visit detroitmidtown.com .

CIRQUE DREAMS HOLIDAZE

The stage of the Fox Theatre is transformed into a
winter holiday wonderland for eight performances of
Cirque Dreams Holidaze, Tuesday, Dec. 13- Sunday,
Dec. 18. Ornaments come to life, gingerbread men
flip mid-air and toy soldiers march on thin wires in this
elaborate, fantastical circus created by Neil Goldberg,
creator of Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy. $20.50-$65.50.
Fox Theatre, Detroit. (313) 471-6611 or (800) 745-3000;
olympiaentertainment.com or ticketmaster.com .

HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS

In its world-famous tradition of ball-handling wizardry,
basketball artistry and some of the most original family-
friendly thrills to be found, the original Harlem Glo-
betrotters will celebrate its 86th
consecutive year in 2012.
We can help their newly
signed rookie class (including 1ff
the world's tallest pro
basketball player, the
shortest Globetrotter
ever and the team's first
female in 19 years) kick
off its 2012 World Tour
7 p.m. Monday, Dec.
26. $17-$125.
Palace of Auburn Hills,
6 Championship Drive,
Auburn Hills. (800) 745-
3000; ticketmaster.com
or palacenet.com .

— By Lynne Konstantin

www.redthreadmagazine.com

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