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10 | NOVEMBER 28 • 2024
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A LONG TIME IN THE MAKING
“I have talked about telling this story for the last
25 years,” Famie said. He finally got started in May
2023, with “the support of the hospitality commu-
nity.”
The film’s participating chefs were drawn from
Famie’s professional and personal contacts. “They
understand the significance of our culinary heritage
here in Detroit and seem to be thrilled the story is
being told,” he said.
Noting that restaurateur Joe Muer passed away
after the documentary was made, Famie said. “We
are so fortunate that Detroit: The City of Chefs includes
a conversation with Joe, who shared so much wis-
dom as one of the oldest restaurant families in our
city.”
For insiders like Famie, the restaurant communi-
ty “is like being a part of a secret society. Chefs and
restaurant staff work hard. The hours are long, and
the work is very demanding, both physically and
mentally. You spend so much time with those you
work with, focusing on the same goal of excellence,
and they really become as close to you as your own
family members … and in some ways closer.”
The documentary shows chefs and their assis-
tants cooking and assembling all manner of
delicious food. We hear the sizzle and watch the
smoke of searing steaks and chops. We delight
in the artistic plating of entrees and desserts.
Experiencing the behind-the-scenes magic might
bring to mind The Bear, the popular, Emmy Award-
winning restaurant series streaming on Hulu.
Still, at the heart of the film are the memories of
the Detroit-based chefs. They are celebrated prac-
titioners of continental cuisine, a fine-dining style
of cooking developed in France and other parts of
Europe.
CHEF’S INSPIRATIONS
Certified Executive Chef Paul Grosz, whose
Cuisine restaurant is in Midtown Detroit, said he
was just out of high school in the early 1980s when
he worked with Famie. “Chef Keith introduced me
to the world of French cooking, with the ingredi-
ents and the techniques he learned from chefs here
in Detroit.”
Wanting to further his knowledge about French
cuisine, Grosz studied at the famed Le Cordon
Bleu cooking school in Paris. Afterward, he
worked in several three-star French restaurants.
“I was excited to bring back what I learned
Late restaurateur Joe Muer
OUR COMMUNITY
ON THE COVER