Detroit


DETROIT - June 1

The rainy day made us lazy and we relaxed during the morning hours reading and working on the computer.  At noon we headed towards Detroit city center and had lunch at Traffic Jam and Snug.  The brick structure has been a restaurant for 25 years, and sits on the same spot as the original saloon that was considered Michigan's first microbrewery.  But here's something you don't find every day - a brewmaster who is also a cheese maker. The Snug is licensed as the smallest dairy in Michigan.  Besides the great food and beer, you can buy their cheese to take home with you.  We also found freshly baked breads and cookies for sale in the lobby. The restaurant makes all their own pastry and bakery goods!  Kate had the cheese plate - a creamy cheddar and a snappy pepper cheese, served with little side dishes of hot mustard and a fig compote that I could not stop stealing!  I had a beer batter French fries with a sample of an excellent double chocolate stout that has to rank as one of the best stouts I have ever had. I rated their IPA (no name) a 9.9 - the highest score I ever give.  It tasted like a cross between Surley Furious and ControverisALE.



On our way to the restaurant we drove through one of the many neighborhoods Detroit is trying to rehab. The pictures show the Victorian era houses in the Canfield neighborhood.





 While our clothes were being washed at a laundromat we continued our explorations. As a baseball fan, each ball park is like a cathedral for me and Tiger Stadium did not disappoint. 


The stadium is near the theater district and the classic old Fox Theater and the Fillmore.  


The last discovery of the day was Pewabic Pottery, a place where artists sell and create beautiful art in tiles and other functional pieces.  This particular style originated in the early 1900s and was part of the Arts and Crafts movement. There is a Museum component and a place to teach others to work with clay. If you are redoing the tile in a bathroom or kitchen, or have a fireplace you would like to tile, we would highly recommend you look at Pewabic for the delightful designs, beautiful colors and high quality craftsmanship.  Not cheap, but exceptionally beautiful.





This evening we will meet our friend Menka and her family for an Italian dinner.

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