arts & life
dining
around the d
Gold Cash Gold
I
like the humor of the farm-to-table res-
and less of the braised meats and citrus.”
taurant in Detroit that calls itself Gold
Farms in the local Corktown neighbor-
Cash Gold. Fashioned out of a genera-
hood and around Detroit are the primary
tions-old pawnshop on Michigan
source of produce and other food
Avenue at Wabash, its sign flashing
for the restaurant. Gold Cash Farm,
“Gold Cash Gold” once encouraged
a few blocks away, grows its own
visitors to trade golden valuables for
select plants and herbs. The dedica-
cold hard cash. Now GCG invites
tion to excellence extends to serving
everyone inside to try its innovative
house-made bread (look for hearty,
dining.
chewy rye), cheese and charcuterie,
Frequently named to local “best”
plus preserving and pickling.
restaurant lists, Gold Cash Gold
Oh, does GCG love pickles! Three
Esther
opened near year’s end in 2014. Of
shelves in the dining room hold jars
Allweiss
five managing partners, General
of pickled items.
Ingber
Contributing
Manager Eli Boyer and Chef Josh
“Instead of using lemon or lime
Stockton are on premises most days. Writer
juice, we will flavor with pickle —
The Culinary Institute of America-
something a little more organic,”
trained chef has a cooking style that
Boyer said. Gold Cash Gold’s signa-
reflects his experience working at Blackberry ture pickle-brined chicken is fried in canola
Farm, a luxury hotel-resort in Tennessee.
or another neutral oil, instead of butter,
The fine cuisine at Gold Cash Gold is
because the restaurant seeks “clean flavors,
American with Southern influences.
without a lot of added fat.” Each plate of
“Our chef likes to keep things as fresh as
three or six pieces of chicken is accompanied
possible,” Boyer said. He and Stockton design by a buttermilk biscuit and pepper gravy.
the restaurant’s changing bill of fare — “the
My judgment: crispy and juicy, but hold the
best of everything” by the seasons, Boyer
gravy.
said. For summer, “you’ll see lighter dishes
Pickle juice also turns up in other dishes,
CHAMPAGNE WISHES
AND GRAVLAX DREAMS
On Sunday, July 24, from 10-11:30 a.m. at the Isaac
Agree Downtown Synagogue, local Detroit chef Aaron
Egan of Eastern Market Community Kitchen will teach
you how to cure your own salmon at home.
After you learn the process and try your hand at it,
join a brunch including mimosas and leave with your
own gravlax, a Nordic
dish consisting of raw
salmon, cured in salt,
sugar and dill.
The event is free,
space is limited and
RSVP is required.
Registration begins July 7 at noon and is first-come,
first-served. Stay tuned for details about registration on
the IADS Facebook page. *
36 July 7 • 2016
dients from local businesses Stone
Coop Farms, Fairway Packing and
Del Bene Products, among others.
Rusted Crow Spirits will be serving
up cocktails along with appetizers. A
bonfire and live bluegrass music fol-
low the dinner.
The event takes place Saturday,
July 23, from 6 p.m. to midnight
at Farnsworth Orchard, corner
of Farnsworth and Mount Elliott
streets, Detroit. $130 per person.
There is only space for 150
attendees so get a ticket before
they’re all gone at https://app.
gopassage.com/events/dglp-
bootlegger-s-dinner-in-the-
orchard.
*
John Hardwick
News To Use
DETROIT GATSBY
LAWN PARTY
Looking for something a bit
unusual? The Detroit Gatsby
Lawn Party (DGLP) is having
its first (and hopefully) annual
DGLP Bootlegger Dinner
— a seated, outdoor supper
of locally sourced food, liba-
tions and music with a 1920s
theme.
The dinner benefits the
Farnsworth Street Orchard and
Cider Mill. Longtime resident Ron
Shelton, master mechanical machine
magician and carpenter, has been
cultivating an apple orchard at the
end of his block on land that once
held blighted houses. For two years
he studied and researched heritage
apple tree varieties and has single-
handedly purchased trees and
planted them on lots at the end of
his block. Now he’s building a cider
mill that will add a wonderful com-
munity asset to the neighborhood
that everyone can enjoy.
Chefs Brian Psenski and Matt
McGrail have sourced their ingre-
such as frites with pickle mayo.
With Laurie Ewesak, the resident pastry
chef, Boyer noted that “our buttermilk pie
is everyone’s favorite.” The pie has a vanilla
cookie crumble. I’m glad I saved room for
the nicely tart-and-sweet rhubarb cobbler
(now rotated off the menu) with breadcrumb
batter. Prepared and served in a cast-iron
pan, it came with brown sugar and whipped
cream. A current dessert is strawberry short-
cake, offering different toppings.
My meal began with a spring salad of
mixed greens and shaved vegetables, includ-
ing watermelon radish. A light champagne
vinegar dressing toned down the slightly
peppery taste of the arugula. My dining com-
panion adored her pici pasta, hand-rolled
large udon noodles paired with lemony
grilled asparagus and pecorino cheese.
Gold Cash Gold put the same thought
and craftsmanship into the bar selections.
For certain cocktails, “the kitchen preps our
fennel-ginger and thyme syrups and pear
puree,” Boyer said.
There’s a lot of repurposing in Gold Cash
Gold’s interior design. For example, at the
entrance is a terrazzo floor with part of its
CHEF CARI
AT CAMPUS
MARTIUS
Chef Cari Kosher
Catering will be in
Downtown Detroit
beginning Monday,
July 11, for two
weeks at the Spot
in Campus Martius
from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Chef Cari is known for some of the
best falafel ever as well as chicken shawarma, hand-cut
fries, quinoa, tabouli, fresh lemonade with mint and
more. Street parking $1; structure parking $10. Live
music starts at 11 a.m. *
eagle mascot intact. It was the gym floor in a
former elementary school. Ceiling tiles have
striking arrangements of thin wood strips,
made from panels salvaged from this very
building. According to Boyer, the panels were
removed carefully, piece by piece, and two
workers spent a month offsite building the
tiles. The same tiles front the bar.
A separate dining space has the Chef ’s
Table, available for eight-13 diners by reser-
vation only (email: inbox@gcgdetroit.com).
Seated outside the open kitchen, these guests
get a more intimate view of the crew’s food
preparation.
Gold Cash Gold offers a patio and secure
parking ($5) in the lot directly behind
the Mercury Burger Bar, nearby at 2163
Michigan Ave. Weekend brunch starts at 10
a.m. and dinner is offered at 4 p.m. daily,
except Mondays.
*
Gold Cash Gold
2100 Michigan Ave.
Detroit, MI 48216
(313) 242-0770
www.goldcashgolddetroit.com
$$$ out of $$$$$
LOCAL DISTILLERY
INTRODUCES NEW OFFERINGS
Our/Detroit (2545 Bagley St.), a
Southwest Detroit micro-distillery, is roll-
ing out a new cocktail menu, introducing
classic summer cocktails with a local twist,
mixing drinks ranging from Tumeric
Tonic and Serrano Strawberry to a vodka
Pina Colada and Pineapple Fennel Shrub.
Rotating the menu seasonally, Our/
Detroit partners with local farmers and
purveyors to bring an authentic Detroit
flavor to the cocktails. Every cocktail
ingredient is sourced from a local vendor.
Hamtramck local DJ Stef Chura jams
karaoke every Friday night while Jay
Rayford and Grace Montero create works
of sushi art with Social Sushi every
Saturday. For more information about
Our/Detroit and their schedule of events,
visit www.ourvodka.com/ourdetroit.
*