30 August 8 • 2019
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arts&life
Lunch was at La Lanterna, founded
in 1956. It left Detroit decades ago but
returned in 2017 to the Albert Building.
We shared delightful antipasto plates of
cured meats, olives, tomatoes, arugu-
la, sundried tomatoes, Parmesan and
Provolone cheeses with toasted French
bread. Then came tasty thin-crust
Margarita pizza from their brick oven.
Passing by two eateries on Grand
River, we learned that Iggy’
s Eggies
serves hot breakfasts weekdays at a
walk-up window; lunchtime is next door
at Lovers Only, a hamburger restaurant.
Crossing Woodward, Yellin spoke
about the construction taking place on
the site of the former Hudson’
s depart-
ment store. Bedrock is getting a five-sto-
ry glass atrium with public access and
a tower, standing taller than the Detroit
Renaissance Center, for residences and
businesses.
“The plan is to build a tower so icon-
ic, people will say: ‘
This is Detroit,
’
”
Yellin said.
We entered Shinola, a boutique hotel
on Woodward that includes Italian
restaurant San Morello and Evening
Bar. The comfortable lobby, called “The
Living Room,
” is open to the public for
food, drinks and relaxing. Artist Nick
Cave’
s dramatic wall hanging is the
room’
s focal point.
A fun stop was The Belt, an art-filled
alley by the Z parking deck on Library
Street.
On Shinola’
s Farmer Street side,
we took note of the Brakeman beer
hall, and a fried chicken carryout,
Penny Red’
s Buckets and Biscuits.
Intersecting Farmer on John R,
the Element by Westin is a “green,
”
environmentally friendly hotel
that opened in January. It required
a $30-million renovation of the
Metropolitan Building, a former
jewelry emporium. At 40 years, the
Metropolitan was the longest-vacant
building in Detroit.
The hotel’
s Monarch Club, a
chill craft cocktail lounge with a
small plates menu, opened recently.
Strong, Prohibition-style cocktails
are a signature. Executive Chef Jared
Bobkin was a finalist on Hell’
s Kitchen,
while Mike Eisenberg, food and bever-
age director, came from Gray Ghost in
Detroit.
The Monarch Club includes indoor
and outdoor space, including three ter-
races, on the 13th floor. Only 150 may
enter at a time to preserve intimacy.
Dining in Capitol Park, our moderate-
ly spicy chicken satay came from Go! Sy
Thai on Griswold. We then watched an
outdoor yoga class.
A spectacular finish to the day was
sampling chocolate eclairs and soft-cen-
tered, almond croissants at Cannelle
Coffee & Pastries on West Grand
River. The French patisserie opened in
February, and owner Matt Knio operates
another in Birmingham. ■
RIGHT: The Belt. BOTTOM LEFT: This
statue notes the site of Michigan’
s
first state capitol.
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