Cover Story
The 2023 Food Issue: Digging into the Detroit dining scene
For this week’s “Food Issue,” we decided to highlight some of our coverage of the city’s culinary offerings originally featured on metrotimes.com. In the pages that follow you’ll find information on the city’s food trucks that are inspired by global flavors, local farmers markets, our updated guide on late-night dining, some of the best places…
Sheefy McFly is giving away a pair of Cartier glasses Willy Wonka-style
When you find a golden ticket in Detroit, you ain’t going to no chocolate factory. You’re getting a pair of Cartier glasses. In a move rivaling Willy Wonka, Detroit artist, DJ, and weed purveyor Sheefy McFly is hosting a golden sticker contest through his cannabis brand CRUD. Sheefy dropped CRUD through DogHouse Farms on 313…
NOVI TACO FEST Returns to 12 Mile Crossing at Fountain Walk on August 25-27
Fri 5pm to 10p Sat 11am to 10pm Sun Noon to 7pm This year’s Taco Fest will be even bigger than last year. 40 incredible Taco Trucks Festival Food Unique small batch foods 3 stages Live music featuring Latin Jazz, Brazilian, Argentinian, much more Cultural Dance Troupes Lucha Libre Wrestling Great shopping Even a Children’s…
How Michigan helped bald eagle populations rise from the brink of extinction
If you’ve done any hiking around Belle Isle in the past few years, you’ve likely seen the pair of bald eagles nesting on the island. This used to be a rare sight as these majestic birds were once on the brink of extinction, but they’ve since seen a comeback across the U.S. thanks, in part,…
Alex Goss & Detroit Soul Rhythm Band to perform at Southfield’s Summer Wine Down
You can come wind down at the Summer Wine Down in Southfield. The 21-and-over event features live music, food trucks, local vendors, and a cash bar on the front lawn of the Southfield Municipal Campus. The Alex Goss & Detroit Soul Rhythm Band, which consists of band director Alex Goss and vocalist Artema Byrd and…
Annual community music festival SW Fest returns for third year
Now in its third year, Detroit’s SW Fest returns with its annual community music and art festival. The event has continued to grow since it debuted in 2021, featuring 48 performances across three stages and more than 100 vendors. This year’s lineup demonstrates the diversity of Detroit artists with varying genres and styles. Headlining the…
Chutney Festival brings Indian street food to the Royal Oak Farmers Market
This tribute to the beloved condiment will see local vendors serve up the flavors of South Asian and West Indian street food, with vendors including Royal Oak Masala Indian Cuisine, Chutney Cat, Ziti’s Indian Fusion Food, Kathmandu Mono, Cups n’ Chai, F.A.V. Foods, Fresh Roots, Magic Spice, The Enterprising, Ritespice Kitchen, and Nu Deli. Aside…
Cranbrook Art Museum’s Poolside Performances series features set by Na Bonsai
This Thursday night concert combines three of our favorite things: live music, art museums, and being outside in the summer. Cranbrook Art Museum’s Poolside Performance series is hosting a set by mixed-media artist and multi-instrumentalist Na Bonsai called “The Alkhemy of Awakened Sound.” The Detroit-based singer and producer will perform a solo set that features…
Elderly vet sues Madison Heights police for brutal attack after he offered children ice cream
A 74-year-old veteran filed a federal lawsuit against the Madison Heights Police Department on Tuesday, alleging that cops “brutally tackled” him inside his house, tasered him, and pointed his own gun at the back of his head “execution style” in July 2022. According to the lawsuit, Larry White was seriously injured in the attack and…
Michigan cited in new Georgia indictment against Trump over 2020 election interference
Efforts to deny the legitimacy of the votes of the people of Michigan were noted in a new indictment against former President Donald Trump’s “criminal organization” that a grand jury in Georgia said Monday used lies and intimidation to attempt to usurp the 2020 presidential election. Related This indictment comes as the result of a…
Lapointe: Like Donald Trump, Jim Harbaugh just might beat the rap
In some ways, the circumstances of Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh resemble those of former President Donald Trump. Both leaders are dancing one step ahead of the law in their current professions. Both hope to defy their respective authorities long enough to attain the greatest achievements of their checkered careers. For Trump, that would mean…
Forget 910AM Superstation: Detroit-based Impact Network to launch satellite radio for Black audience
The abrupt end of Black talk radio on 910AM Superstation deprived African Americans of a prominent platform in metro Detroit. Bishop Wayne T. Jackson plans to change that. The cofounder of Detroit-based Impact Network, hailed as the only television network that is both Black-owned and independently run, Jackson tells Metro Times that he’s planning on…
Madonna reschedules Detroit concert following illness
Madonna has rescheduled the U.S. leg of her upcoming 40th anniversary “Celebration Tour,” including a hometown concert of sorts at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena. The new date is now Monday, January 15, 2024, rescheduled from Tuesday, Aug. 8. All previously purchased tickets will be honored for the new date, but fans no longer able to…
You can enjoy an 8-ft. pizza with your favorite sports game at Rochester Hills Social
The former Naked Burger restaurant in Rochester Hills is now Rochester Hills Social, a reimagined sports bar experience located at 6870 N. Rochester Rd. It’s the latest venture by owners Chef Goran Dimic and Brandon Gorgies of G&B Hospitality, who also operate Naked Burger Clinton Township and Berkley Commons. “We’ve had this elevated sports bar…
Detroit indie rocker Zilched celebrates ‘Earthly Delights’ at hometown record release show
Got a Detroit music tip? Send it to music@metrotimes.com. Zilched record release show: Detroit-based “doompop” musician Zilched is celebrating the release of her sophomore LP, Earthly Delights, this Saturday. The record, released earlier this month via Young Heavy Souls, is described as “a love letter to life and all its innermost complexities,” and was created…
Redford’s Dairy Whip releases Faygo Red Pop flavor following popular Rock & Rye
Last week, Dairy Whip gained many metro Detroit fans after making a Faygo Rock & Rye ice cream for its flavor of the week. The Redford ice cream shop is continuing to ride the Faygo wave, this time with a Red Pop-flavored ice cream. Like the Rock & Rye ice cream, which was really a…
New Latin coffee shop and cantina ‘Encarnacion’ planned for Detroit’s West Village
Born and raised in the Dominican Republic, Robert Encarnacion now calls Detroit’s West Village home and wants to bring a taste of Latin American coffee, food, and culture into the neighborhood. The owner plans to open a coffee shop called “Encarnacion” in the next few weeks and then launch a Latin street food cantina in…
Michigan Science Center takes us to Mars in new exhibit
If you’re anything like us (people who are still watching X-Files reruns and fantasizing about leaving this planet), a new edition to the Michigan Science Center will excite you. The museum has added a new component to its Sun, Earth, Universe exhibit that takes visitors to Mars. Build a Human Habitat on Mars is a…
Hundreds of Detroiters at risk of water shutoffs after 3-year moratorium ends
The city of Detroit is resuming water shutoffs after a three-year moratorium and will first target customers who owe more than $5,000 and live in middle- to high-income neighborhoods. Beginning next week, the Detroit Water & Sewerage Department (DWSD) will begin shutting off water to as many as 750 households that have not responded to…
Motown Museum receives $10,000 grant on ‘Good Morning America’
Good Morning America started the day off right, featuring a live broadcast of young Detroit vocalists performing from Motown Museum’s Hitsville NEXT program, highlighting a long-time volunteer of the museum, and presenting the museum with a $10,000 grant. The segment on Monday morning continued Good Morning America’s “Rise and Shine” series, which spotlighted Detroit’s cuisine,…
White millionaire abruptly pulls plug on predominantly Black talk radio station 910AM
Disclosure: Steve Neavling was a 910AM Superstation host and social media manager from 2017 to 2018. The wealthy white owner of 910AM Superstation, a predominantly Black talk radio station in metro Detroit, shocked his unpaid hosts and dwindling audience by abruptly changing the format to sports. Without notice, the station sent an email to the…
Rare first-edition Eminem debut LP up for auction
Before he became the biggest rapper of all time, Eminem, aka Marshall Mathers, aka Slim Shady, was just a 24-year-old white guy trying to break into Detroit’s hip-hop scene, hawking copies of his 1996 debut album Infinite out of the trunk of his car. Only 500 were made, and the record initially flopped. One of…
Where to view the Perseid meteor shower in Michigan
One of the biggest astronomical events of the year globally, the Perseid meteor shower is expected to peak Saturday night until around 4 a.m. Sunday. Metro Detroit astronomy lovers can take a trip up north or find a spot anywhere with minimal light and pollution in hopes of viewing the meteors. Michigan is home to…
Free Sixto Rodriguez tribute event planned for Detroit’s Majestic Theatre
Fans are mourning the death of Detroit singer-songwriter Sixto Rodriguez, who died Tuesday at the age of 81. But they can celebrate the life and music of the artist on Saturday at a free tribute event organized by friends and family. The “super celebration in honor of the LEGEND” is planned from noon to 11…
Detroit artist Oshun Williams’s ‘Window Pain’ is a love letter to his estranged daughters
It’s been three years since Oshun Williams last saw his daughters Isabelle and Brayilynn. The Pontiac-born artist’s Detroit studio is crowded with homages to them, an expression of his sadness and longing. In a series of his paintings, they drink juice boxes while holding baskets of flowers, cling to their father as he carries them,…
Michigan’s police secrecy raises concerns about ‘wandering cops’
The state of Michigan is keeping the identities of police officers a secret, making it impossible for the public to monitor “wandering cops” who leave one agency after alleged misconduct and move to another law enforcement job. Michigan State Police declined a Freedom of Information Act request from Metro Times and the Invisible Institute seeking…
Jonathan Harris launches college scholarship for Detroit students
Detroit’s Jonathan Harris is known for his controversial paintings tackling racism, like his viral “Critical Race Theory” piece. Recently, however, the prolific young artist has turned to fundraising for a scholarship to help Detroit students attend college in the fall. When Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) asked to use his “Critical Race Theory” and…
Detroit Metro Times has a new owner
Metro Times has a new owner — but that owner may look a bit like the old one. Chris Keating, previously the chief operating officer of Euclid Media Group, announced today that he has completed his purchase of four of the eight alt-weekly newspapers previously owned by the publishing company. Keating will now own and…
Detroit Artists Market promotes local artists at upcoming second annual Summer Block Party
The Detroit Artists Market (DAM) is a nonprofit art gallery in Midtown that was founded in 1932 with the mission to provide opportunities for local artists to show and sell their work and encourage the public to experience and learn about local contemporary art. Its upcoming Summer Block Party, happening from noon-5 p.m. on Saturday,…
Missing the magical Sixto Rodriguez
When I heard that Rodriguez, celebrated in the documentary Searching for Sugar Man, was dead at 81, the news was less stunning to me than when I first heard he was a rock star in South Africa. It was a surprise that this was the same Sixto Rodriguez who used to spend time with me…
Clean energy legislation in Michigan promises new jobs, saved lives, and billions in federal investments
Legislation aimed at addressing climate change in Michigan would create tens of thousands of new jobs, prevent approximately 1,000 premature deaths, reduce energy costs for families, and generate billions of dollars in new federal funding, environmental activists and Democrats said Thursday. Democratic state lawmakers plan to push an aggressive package of bills this fall that…
This Redford ice cream shop is serving Faygo Rock & Rye soft serve for a limited time
Anything Faygo-related will be a hit in metro Detroit and Redford’s Dairy Whip obviously knows this. The ice cream stand releases a new limited flavor every week, and this week it’s a Faygo Rock & Rye soft serve that’s taking us back to our childhood of overly carbonated pop. The Faygo Rock & Rye soft…
Macomb County Pride welcomes all to ‘Summer Sashay’ with third annual festival
Macomb County held its first-ever Pride festival in 2021, and the organization has just announced its 2023 return, dubbed “Summer Sashay.” The event is scheduled for Aug. 25-26 in downtown Mount Clemens. A press release promises an “inclusive and festive weekend filled with good vibes and lots of fun,” offering a weekend of festivities and…
Michigan budget commits $49.5M to tackle racial disparities in health care
Less than a month after the first COVID-19 cases were first reported in Michigan, health officials detected an unsettling pattern: A disproportionate number of the people getting infected and dying were Black. It was early April 2020, and about 40% of the first 500 people who died from the coronavirus in the state were Black…
Detroit’s Empacho and the joy of baked empanadas
My introduction to empanadas, the Spanish and Latin American worlds’ hand pie, came over 20 years ago while living in Buenos Aires. I vividly recall those first bites — a piquant beef and olive filling wrapped in a soft, warm, lightly flaky and chewy crust. At that point, “baked meat pie” was my understanding of…
Michigan doubles down on free community college
Building on the success of a $140 million investment, Michigan is making community college free to hundreds of thousands more students by expanding the Michigan Reconnect program. The state is trying to address a shortage of qualified workers, by providing classes to people who otherwise cannot afford them. Michigan Reconnect offers tuition-free community college to…
Michigan named top state to live and work in the U.S.
The Great Lakes State has long held space in the national imagination as perhaps the ultimate symbol of Rust Belt industrial decline. Though Michigan’s reputation is changing, it’s still often written off and overlooked. Maybe it’s high time that changes. According to a new study of the top 10 states to live and work in…
Detroit Dance City Festival returns for its 11th year
Following its successful 2022 return that drew over 1,000 attendees, local dance nonprofit ArtLab J is gearing up for its 11th annual Detroit Dance City Festival. It will take place this year from September 8-10. The three-day community festival will showcase the talents of more than 58 artists, including local, national, and international performers. The festival will…
Eastpointe, Warren primaries yield fresh faces for mayoral contest
The Macomb County communities of Warren and Eastpointe will have new leaders next year after voters cast ballots in the mayoral primary elections Tuesday. In Eastpointe, embattled Mayor Monique Owens didn’t collect enough votes to advance to the November general election. Owens was charged with misuse of COVID-19 funds and was sued by residents after…
Chris Tucker is coming to Detroit for first major tour in over a decade
Chris Tucker is saving the best for last, as Detroit will be the final stop on the star’s upcoming “The Legend Tour.” The stand-up comedy run will be Tucker’s first major tour in over a decade, and he’ll be hitting 30 cities in North America, beginning on Sept. 8 in North Charleston, South Carolina and…
R.I.P. Detroit singer-songwriter Sixto Rodriguez
Sixto Rodriguez, the cult folk rock hero from Detroit who found success beyond the Motor City long unknown even to himself, died Tuesday, according to his friends and family. He was 81. “It is with great sadness that we at Sugarman.org announce that Sixto Diaz Rodriguez has passed away earlier today,” a post on his…
Free Will Astrology (Aug. 9-15)
ARIES (March 21-April 19): In Stephen King’s novel It, a character named Beverly is in love with a man who projects a sense of authority but also listens well. He is strong-minded but receptive; confident but willing to be changed; self-possessed but open to influence. That’s an apt description of the allies I wish for…
