ECONOMY

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JEWFRO

Late-Summer Faves

Our favorite shopping picks. This month, vintage-style
pottery, beat-the-heat beauty and more.

By Lynne Konstantin

lar in the 1930s
i and '40s in the
, same rich hues.
$13-$88. Garnet

RING AROUND THE ROSY

Slip on a trio of metal and pretty-in-pink
sweet for everyday
rhinestone rings
or evening
cocktails. The
best part: Each
stackable ring
is elasticized,
so one size
fits all. The
second-best
part? The set of three will only set you
back $10. Lolly Ella, West Bloomfield (248-

—

851-3325; lollyella.com).

Cinema Very Verite

By Ben Falik

n the summer, we scatter, we soak,
we sizzle, we shvitz. And sometimes,
we just need to sit still in the dark.
One minute, you're sweating into your
Doritos' Locos Tacos Supreme and
then next you're alone watching the
animated sequel to a sequel you didn't
see just because the film has the word
"ice" in the title.
Far be it for me to begrudge anyone
a chance to disappear into the crisp
anonymity of an August matinee, but
— don't choke on a Junior Mint — you
are missing out on a magical movie ex-
perience: outdoor summer screening.
I was dubious, too. Did I really want
to wait until dusk — whenever it finally
rolls around — to sit, subjected to the
elements, and watch a movie with
traffic and without popcorn? Well, I did.
And I loved it. And I'll do it again. And I
hope you'll join me.
It was a dark and muggy night.
The Sunday sun had yet to set over
the vacant-lot-turned-garden-park
across from the Woodbridge Pub on
Trumbull. We wandered around the
neighborhood, free from sticky floors
and extortionist concessions, enjoying
the public art and post-bellum archi-
tecture. Before the movie, we were
besieged by a roving band of brass
musicians who treated us to some-
thing sousaphonic.
And then, Rushmore. Max Fisher (not
to be confused with late philanthropist
Max Fisher), with the Fisher Building in
my peripheral vision. Making his mark
on venerable Rushmore Academy, just
like so many Wayne State Warriors and,
before them, Tartars, across the street. I

I

listen to the wind, to the wind of my soul

— you and me both, Cat Stevens.
These free Sunday showings come
courtesy of a local group called Bikes
and Murder (bikesandmurder.com ).
Don't let the name worry you — they
wear bicycle helmets and defend
against fictitious zombies. In fact, as far
as I can tell, their gatherings are bereft
of even on-screen nemeses. Instead,
when the cyclists aren't cycling, they're
enjoying fine films with kind buds.

44 August 2012 I

ID TD

Up the street in lush New Center
Park (newcenterpark.com ), upcoming
Wednesdays on Grand Boulevard offer
E.T. (no phones, homey), The Princess
Bride (as you wished) and Caddyshack
(so you've got that going for you).
Apparently, not everyone shares my
zeal for cinema under the stars. Juliet
Lapidos argued in a Slate magazine
polemic that"sincere movie-watching
cannot, in fact, take place at outdoor
screenings." She observed the hidden
costs of free outdoor screenings: "At
nearly every Bryant Park film I've at-
tended, either Camembert or Prosecco
has been in evidence — sometimes
both."
Well, Ms. Fancy-Pants-New-Yorker-
with-a-Shakespearean-name, in Detroit,
we like our cheese to be American
and our wine to be beer. And the best
thing about seeing movies outside isn't
that it's free of cost but free from the
walls that close us off from the outside
world. On screen and off, it's the simple
joy of meeting friends in the park.
But why constrain ourselves to the
view from the grassy knoll? Once we've
freed movies from the climate-con-
trolled black boxes that traditionally
entomb them, unconventional places
and spaces hold even greater poten-
tial for creating a 3-D experience that
doesn't require wearing glasses on top
of your glasses. Some Detroit screen-
ings I'd like to see:
8 Mile. Not on 8 Mile (fast drivers
and bright strip-club lights) but in the
Michigan Building, where they shot the
epic "rhyme fight" (or whatever the kids
call it these days).
The first 10 minutes of all three
Beverly Hills Cop movies. At Mumford.
Dream Girls. On the lawn of Hitsville,
USA.
Gran Torino. Eastside!
The Warriors. Admittedly New York,
but irresistibly Dequindre Cut.
No Robocop. Too predictable, espe-
cially for those of us whose nonfictional
directives are to serve the public trust,
protect the innocent, uphold the law.
Fin. .7

RETRO RAINBOW BRIGHT

A staple in American homes for
decades, brilliantly colored stoneware
from California's Bauer Pottery Com-
pany was manufactured from the late
1880s to the early 1960s, and original
pieces have become highly collect-
ible — and rare. But we can still set our
tables and display summer's bouquets
in replicas of the simple designs —
from sherbet cups to carafes — popu-

,

Hill (800-870-
3515; garnethill.
Fr), corn).

nikis

GLOW AND GO

The heat's still on: Refresh with Yes To
Inc.'s all-natural and budget-friendly

Yes To Blueberries Brightening
Facial Towelettes ($7.99). Anti-

oxidant-rich blueberries and coconut
gently cleanses, removes makeup and
moisturizes skin all in
one, while lemon peel
and apple brighten
skin. Plus, a portion of
all proceeds benefit
the Yes to Seed Fund,
which helps teach kids
to lead healthier lives.

Area Walgreens, Target,
Ulta, Whole Foods and
yestocarrots.com . RT

BAR FLY

Imperial

Tasty tacos and tempting tequila.

By Natalie Sugarman

abulous Ferndale has been host to a
number of new bars and restaurants
popping up in the last year. The new
kid on the block, Imperial, has been
serving up tequila and some seriously
delicious California-style street fare.
They are open seven days a week from
11 a.m. – 2 a.m., with food service end-
ing at midnight.
Imperial is the brainchild of owners
Perry and Sharon LaVoisne, and old
cocktails and one vodka drink called
friends and music industry aficionados
"the Louisa"that tastes like fresh-
Jeff and Susanne King and Amir Daiza.
squeezed lemonade. Specialty
They opened their doors in May at the
cocktails on the menu are $8. A few of
location of the old Post Bar on the east
the favorites are the "Anejo Mint," made
side of Woodward just north of 9 Mile.
with anejo tequila, Grand Marnier,
Parking is metered on the street and in
agave, mint and lemon, and also the
parking lots behind the business.
"Holy Bull," with blanco tequila, crème
The menu is simple, featuring seven
de cassis, lime and ginger ale. Have no
different types of tacos at $2.50 each in-
fear, if tequila and bourbon are not your
cluding a vegetarian option made with
style, you can always have an ice cold
spiced seitan, roasted potatoes, green
beer to enjoy with your tacos.
mole, queso fresco and pumpkin seeds
The crowd at Imperial is all across the
— hands down the best veggie taco
board with hipsters, businessmen, art-
I've ever tasted. Other star tacos on the
ists, musicians and families enjoying the
menu are the Adobada De Polio with sa-
fare and libations. This is a great place
vory chile lime grilled chicken and salsa
for tasty eats, a creative cocktail, a fun
verde. The Carnitas feature slow-roasted
atmosphere and good times. RT
pork and salsa verde, and the Al Pastor
has fragrant marinated pork,
grilled pineapple and a
jalapeno onion pickle.
Imperial offers a number
22828 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, MI
of specialty cocktails, most
(248) 850-8060
of which are tequila-based.
There are a few bourbon

F

I

IMPERIAL

facebook.com/imperialonwoodward

www.redthreadmagazine.com