54 August 22 • 2019 jn COURTESY OF THE WHITNEY The Whitney’s 2nd Annual Cityfest Ten days of events celebrate ‘ spirited dining’ in the D. T he Whitney, Midtown Detroit’ s 19th-century man- sion-turned-restaurant, hosts its second annual “Cityfest,” a 10-day “Celebration of Spirited Dining,” from Sept. 13-23. The celebration includes 12 individual events ranging from an opening night “Brewer’ s Feast” and an already sold-out “Senior Prom,” to a closing night black-tie-option- al “Legacy Dinner” honoring 100-year-old Detroit Jewish News food and restaurant writer Danny Raskin. Last year’ s Cityfest event attracted more than 1,000 diners and contribut- ed more than $5,000 to local charities. “Cityfest is a one-of-a-kind celebra- tion in Detroit,” said the Whitney’ s owner Bud Liebler. “It gives us an opportunity to showcase all we do at the Whitney from the great food and service we provide to the unique ambiance that only the Whitney can offer. The variety of events we pro- duce offers something to appeal to every taste and interest and brings people into the city who might not otherwise come.” ■ For more information, go to thewhitney.com or call the Whitney at (313) 832-5700. Sept. 13 – “Brewer’ s Feast,” an intro- duction to “Flora’ s Kiss” lavender lager and a trip to Atwater Brewery for a tour and first tasting of Flora’ s Kiss and of Atwater’ s new “Ghost of David Whitney” pale ale. Sept. 14 – New England Lobster Feast, a family-style lobster bake with live music and dancing. Sept. 15 – “Art, Bubbles & Brunch” celebrating Detroit’ s lively arts scene with a docent-led tour of Eastern Market’ s second annual “Murals in the Market” outdoor art exhibition followed by Bloody Marys, Mimosas and a hearty Whitney brunch. Sept. 15 – “Dining with the Spirits,” a special-edition paranormal dinner featuring a “Witching Hour” welcoming reception and dining throughout the Whitney mansion. Paranormal tours led by Haunt Investigations of Michigan. Sept. 16 – “Honey Bee” dinner with honeycomb appetizers and a four- course dinner and live music hosted by St. Ambrose Winery and Schram’ s Meadery. Sept. 17 – “Dinner with The Whitneys,” an elegant Downton Abbey-themed dinner party with three courses in the restaurant’ s main dining rooms fol- lowed by two courses “with the staff.” After-dinner brandy for the gentlemen, tea and pastries for the ladies, and live string accompaniment for all. Sept. 18 – “B-4. Bourbon, Beer, Bar-b- cue and Brawlers” with live entertain- ment (and dancing) with the Brunswick Brawlers and a “Smokin & Jokin” cigar afterglow for those who so choose in the garden. Sept. 19 – “Broadway on Woodward,” a VIP garden party benefitting Michigan Opera Theatre with MOT singers performing the greatest hits from Broadway and the opera. Complimentary champagne bar. Sept. 20 – Ladies’ Night – The Whitney’ s executive chef Natasha Vitti will create a special Ladies’ Night dinner, “creative cuisine with a femi- nine touch,” in celebration of some of Michigan’ s best-known female trend setters. Wine, craft cocktails and spe- cialty pastries will be featured. Sept. 21 – “Autumn, Apples and Tea” – the Whitney tea hostess Mary Jones offers a salute to the season with a variety of apple-based teas, ciders and warm cocktails. Guests will receive seasonal recipes and a special gift. Sept. 21 – “Senior Prom!” – Celebrating the “over-50 crowd” and already sold out, Senior Prom offers champagne, hors d’ ouvres, a dessert buffet and dancing to live music by Jelly & The Jams. A 2019 prom king and queen will be crowned. Sept. 22 – Cityfest Legacy Dinner – This special salute to 100-year-old, longtime Detroit Jewish News food and restaurant critic Danny Raskin will include a champagne reception, stroll- ing dinner, open bar and live entertain- ment throughout the Whitney mansion. CITYFEST SCHEDULE Inside the beautiful Whitney. eats | drinks | sweets nosh Danny Raskin New Restaurant Opening in Detroit C elebrating the history of Detroit and the people who have given so much to its culinary landscape, Smith & Co. will open in September at 664 Selden St. in Detroit’ s Midtown neighborhood with an inventive take on Detroit cuisine. The new restaurant will feature a menu focused on the cultural blend that makes the city unique, with locally sourced ingredients and a Detroit vibe. Smith & Co. will offer casual dining and be open every day for dinner, plus lunch on Saturdays and Sundays with brunch specials on those days. Craft beer will be a prominent part of the new establishment featuring Nain Rouge Brewery and a hidden draft list that will feature hard-to-find selections from other local, small Michigan brew- ers. Nain Rouge Brewery will open in the coming months adjacent to the restaurant with a shared patio and will be sold exclu- sively at Smith & Co. In the interim, beer will be provided by local breweries. The 7,000-square-foot facility is a combination of wood, metals, brick and concrete. With seating for up to approx- imately 160 in the dining area, it can easily accommodate very large parties. A unique concrete bar seats 19 for drinks and full-service dining with a surround- ing lounge serving bar snacks and the beverage menu. Full-service dining will be available on the patio, which will share a courtyard with the brewery and another business, Barcade. Smith & Co is being developed by own- ers Jon Carlson, Greg Lobdell and Chet Czaplicka. The restaurant’ s daily opera- tions will be handled by general manager Dave Mammal and executive chef Greg Antioho. Chef Greg Antioho will head the kitch- en coming over from Blue Tractor BBQ & Brewery. Previously, he came from SavCo Hospitality. He received his Culinary Arts degree from Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island. ■ COURTESY OF SOCIAL T MEDIA