Chili, not chilly — Mount Clemens is going to heat up this week with an event that's part-chili competition, part-pub crawl, and part-art raffle.
It's called the 10th Annual Fire & Ice Chili Cook-Off Pub Crawl Fundraiser. It pits the Clem's chefs, cooks, and chili mavens in a battle to see who's best, and it includes contestants from such establishments as Abibbo, Bath City Bistro, Chantel's Jailhouse Deli, Little Lorraine's, Madison's Pub, Orleans Sports Café, the Rec Bowl, Three Blind Mice, Seeburger's Cheeseburgers, and Your Mother's Food & Spirits. The chili tasting and voting runs from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Jan. 29. Attendees will score each chili, selecting the winner by popular vote. Once the winners are crowned, a pub crawl continues later into the night.
Also, Mount Clemens' Anton Art Center will raffle off unique pieces of artwork; raffle tickets are $1 each. Fire & Ice Chili Cook-Off Pub Crawl Fundraiser tickets are a $15 donation for one, or a $25 donation for two, good for a wristband, chili tastings, and, for the first 350 registrants, free souvenir chili pepper party beads. The event also kicks off for the Downtown Mount Clemens annual Ice Carving Show festivities, which run Friday-Sunday, Jan. 30-Feb. 1. For more information, call 586-469-4168 or see
Keeping it real — Talented local drink-slinger Evan Dawber was recently behind the bar at the stylish Eastern Market haunt Detroit City Distillery. But it was his dream to work at a stylish bar that was somehow more inclusive, that attracted people passionate about Detroit. That's resulted in his bartending project, a 30-seat spot in Harmonie Park called "the Keep." So far, he's been creating what he calls "fucking chaos, offering dirty martinis next to vieux carré, sazeracs, and a list of originals that are nuts." By the same token, Dawber says his goal is also to "not piss on someone when they want vodka cran, and to always have a rotating $5 beer and a shot." Where is this place? The Keep is under the Tokyo Club, in the space formerly occupied by the Rhino. There, Dawber can concentrate on serving classic and contemporary cocktails with a rotating beer and wine selection, and spinning rock 'n' roll records. The special drinking environment will be open between 6 p.m. and 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. Tokyo Club and the Keep are located at 1407 Randolph St., Detroit.
Crisp mornings — By the time this issue hits the streets, everything should be in place for the opening of the stylish-looking Kuzzo's Chicken & Waffles on Livernois Avenue in Detroit. We hear it's a soft opening (what opening isn't these days?), with proposed hours of 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. Drop in at 19345 Livernois Ave., Detroit; 313-861-0229.
Attention, football agnostics — The Super Bowl isn't just a game, it's a full-blown cultural event. Even people who aren't fans tune in, just to see the commercials. But if you really aren't interested in the big match, there's a bonus for you: Super Bowl night is typically one of the easiest nights to get a seat at restaurants that normally have a two-hour wait. So, you know that restaurant you've been waiting forever for it to cool down so you can try it? This could be your night.
Know of any upcoming food or drink events? Let us know! Email us at [email protected].
