30 August 8 • 2019
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continued from page 28

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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