Cover Story
As Michigan restaurants extend outdoor dining amid the pandemic, beware a false sense of security
This fall’s coronavirus surge in Michigan is already dwarfing the one seen in the spring, when the state was one of the top hotspots in the country. On Saturday, officials reported 350,021 confirmed cases and 9,036 deaths, and the state has a 13% positive test rate. In response to the sharp rise in cases, Governor…
You can now play ‘Record Packer,’ an old-school video game designed by Detroit techno DJ Omar S
Detroit techno DJ Omar S released new music while also showing his love for old-school arcade games. You can listen to new tracks by the DJ in Record Packer, an 8-bit-style video game released Thursday as part Omar S: Conant Gardens Party Store, a multimedia exhibition now on display at Red Bull Arts Detroit. Based…
Detroit’s Autorama rescheduled for the spring
Autorama, Detroit’s long-running hot rod car show, hasn’t missed a date in its 69-year history. And by rescheduling this year’s show, organizers are hoping to keep that perfect streak. The show is typically held around early March at Detroit’s TCF Center. But on Tuesday, officials announced they’re moving it to a later date of April…
Local artists partner with Pepsi for ‘Full of Detroit Soul’ murals
In a year that has seen dual pandemics of coronavirus and racial injustice, which have both disproportionately affected Black Americans, several major brands made commitments to support Black art. Pepsi came to Detroit to keep their commitment. The 127-year-old company has more than 80 years of brand history in the Detroit area. The city is…
MOCAD’s Café 78 is selling bottled cocktails-to-go, wine
The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit is offering cocktails-to-go and bottles of wine for pick-up at its Café 78. The bottled cocktails can be ordered online and the customer can get a notification when the order is ready for pick-up. Cocktails include a Manhattan called the Nan-hattan, named after Detroit artist Nancy Mitchnick. It features…
Detroit’s Marble Bar releases dance comp to benefit out-of-work bar staff
The phrase “dance like no one’s watching” hits much differently when in fact, due to the pandemic, we have been forced to dance at home, alone, and in our “good” sweatpants since March. But Detroit’s Marble Bar is perhaps feeling the sting of an empty dancefloor the hardest, which is why they’ve come up with…
High Times to start selling cannabis products in Michigan
Long known as a marijuana magazine, High Times, one of the biggest names in cannabis culture, has entered the retail marijuana market — and it plans to bring its own line of products to Michigan in 2021. Under a deal with Red White & Bloom, High Times plans to open its own branded marijuana dispensaries,…
Army Corps hears arguments for, against Line 5 tunnel permit
A dozen organizations are calling on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to reject plans to construct an oil-pipeline tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac. An online hearing was held Monday on Enbridge’s permit application for the tunnel, which would replace the existing Line 5 pipelines. This comes as Enbridge challenges the legality of Gov.…
John James donates $100,000 from losing Senate campaign to help Detroit restaurant workers
Despite losing his bid to represent Michigan in the U.S. Senate as a Republican, John James is keeping a campaign promise. On Monday, the John James for Senate campaign announced it’s giving $100,000 to help restaurant workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In May, James vowed to give a nickel of every dollar he raised…
Michigan extends bans on indoor dining and gatherings for 12 days due to high COVID-19 cases
Michigan’s ban on indoor dining at restaurants has been extended by 12 days to help suppress a possible surge in COVID-19 cases following Thanksgiving. Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced the extension of the three-week ban on Monday, which means the order is now in place through Dec. 20. The epidemic orders also call for households to…
New breadless sandwich restaurant concept coming to Detroit riverfront
A new restaurant that features sandwiches without the bread is planned to come to Detroit in the spring of 2021. Founded by Marc Howland, Ryan Eli Salter, and LaTresha Staten, the restaurant raised $1.1 million in capital and has chosen its first physical location at 2761 E. Jefferson Ave. in Detroit on the new Joseph…
MOCAD’s new interim director says she wants to help make a ‘roadmap’ for her successor
Last week, the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit announced that board member Laura Hughes will serve as its interim executive director while it continues its search for a new leader following toxic workplace allegations that rocked the gallery this summer. Hughes, who has served on MOCAD’s board for two years, was also previously executive director…
The worst people imaginable are dining out, study finds
You would think that, during a pandemic that’s wiping out thousands of Americans each day, people would treat others with compassion and do everything in their power to ensure the safety of not only themselves, but also their neighbors, right? As it turns out, that’s total bullshit, at least when it comes to those choosing…
Shawarma spot Bucharest Grill finally opens in Royal Oak
After numerous delays, beloved local shawarma chain Bucharest Grill has finally opened its first location outside of Detroit. The new spot, which opened Monday for carry-out only, is located in the Woodward Corners development near the Beaumont Health campus in Royal Oak. Owner Bogdan Tarasov previously told Metro Times he originally planned to open the…
Biden selects Gov. Whitmer to serve as inaugural committee co-chair, will help plan safe festivities
When the fraught 2020 election revealed that America had chosen to unseat President Donald Trump in favor of former Vice President Joe Biden, people across the country filled the streets. Some danced, others hugged fellow masked strangers and passed around bottles of bubbly, but many celebrated Biden’s historic win despite the raging pandemic. Though the…
Armed Trump supporters swarmed Michigan Secretary of State’s house at night
Even as President Donald Trump’s various dubious legal efforts to overturn the results of the election flounder, that’s not stopping his supporters from taking to the streets. Dozen of armed Trump supporters reportedly gathered outside the home of Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson on Saturday, an act she called “intimidation” in a statement: “As…
GRiZ announces virtual GRiZMAS holiday events to raise funds for Detroit youth
Of course, this year’s GRiZMAS — the annual celebration thrown by Michigan-born saxophone-playing electronic music artist GRiZ that helps raise funds for Detroit youth — cannot return as usual due to the pandemic. However, the show must go on. On Sunday, GRiZ announced that the 7th annual “12 Days of GRiZMAS” will go digital this…
Arbor Brewing Co. launches monthly small batch brews
After seeing an increase in demand for carryout and curbside delivery, Arbor Brewing Co. introduced a “Small Batch” series in 16 oz. cans, something the company has never done before. “We are always looking for ways to not only bring new and exciting beers into the Arbor portfolio, but also ways to be nimble within…
Detroit jazz duo Anti-Philosophy make music for these tumultuous times
The concept of jazz duo Anti-Philosophy all started with a conversation about protest and art back in 2019. Saxophonist De’Sean Jones and guitarist Sasha Kashperko were on a midwest tour with Jones’s group Knomadik, and during one of their friendly “arguments” the question came up of how musicians incorporate protest into their art. If one…
Buddy’s will now deliver its Detroit-style pizza anywhere in the U.S.
Buddy’s original Detroit-style pizza is now available… everywhere. The creators of the beloved Detroit pie have launched a new partnership with online marketplace Goldbelly that will ship anywhere in the U.S. You can order Buddy’s frozen classic eight-square pizzas in three- or six-packs. “At Buddy’s Pizza, we’re always striving to help families and friends create…
Michigan illuminated forest updates for trippy winter strolls
Glenlore Trails — an interactive, family friendly hiking trail in Commerce Township outfitted with trippy lights — is now open with a new winter edition. “Glenlore Trails: Aurora” opened to the public on Friday, Dec. 4. The new edition takes place along a half-mile of wooded trail at Multi Lakes Conservation Association, with more than…
U.S. House makes historic vote to decriminalize marijuana
We are now one step closer to the federal decriminalization of cannabis. Members of the House of Representatives voted on Friday to approve the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act, HR 3884 — the first legalization bill to ever make it to the floor of Congress. The 228-164 vote fell largely along party lines,…
Holland pastor tells his followers to get COVID-19 (while coughing)
A Holland pastor is in hot water after a clip surfaced showing him urging his church’s congregants to just “get it over with” and get COVID-19. In a clip that could be a Saturday Night Live skit, pastor Bart Spencer of Lighthouse Baptist Church tells his followers — while coughing — “COVID, it’s all good.”…
White Stripes release psychedelic video for first-ever single, more than 20 years later
At this point, former Detroit duo the White Stripes are officially a classic rock band — complete with a greatest hits comp and everything. The group, which formed in 1997 and officially called it quits in 2011, released The White Stripes Greatest Hits on Friday on Third Man Records. To promote the new album, which…
Greta Van Fleet move to Nashville, announce new record, get even more philosophical
The return of Greta Van Fleet, the Frankenmuth-bred, Led Zeppelin-indebted rock band, is nigh. The band — brothers Josh, Jake, and Sam Kiszka, along with drummer Danny Wagner — announced the details on its first record since their chart-topping (and polarizing) 2018 debut Anthem of the Peaceful Army. As described in the press release, the…
Oakland County announces restaurant financial support program
As the U.S. sees unprecedented numbers of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, health experts maintain that indoor dining is a high-risk opportunity for transmission. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adults who tested positive for the coronavirus are “twice as likely” to have dined at a restaurant two weeks before reporting symptoms. Therefore,…
Walled Lake marijuana dispensary temporarily closes because of COVID-19 infections
Lume Cannabis Co. in Walled Lake temporarily shut down this week after two dispensary employees were infected with the coronavirus. The dispensary at 861 N. Pontiac Trail will reopen Friday for curbside service and will be fully operational by Saturday, Lume spokesman Ryan Bridges tells Metro Times. “We recently learned two of our team members…
Andiamo owners reverse course on calling for restaurants to defy Michigan COVID-19 restrictions
After writing a letter last week calling on fellow Michigan restaurateurs to band together to defy Michigan’s restrictions on indoor dining, the owners of the Andiamo and Joe Muer Seafood restaurant chains have changed course. Owners Joe and Rosalie Vicari held a live-streamed meeting of restaurant owners that topped 100 viewers within moments of its…
Michigan officials tout COVID-19 racial disparity task force as virus resurges
Michigan officials celebrated the success of a task force charged with reducing racial disparities of the impact of COVID-19 even as the virus continues to surge in the state. The task force, chaired by Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II, released an interim report on Thursday outlining the success the state has made. “Since the beginning…
Grosse Pointe Shores tickets man for Black Lives Matter sign, claiming it’s too big
A Black Grosse Pointe Shores attorney was hit with a ticket from the city for failing to comply with a local ordinance regarding a Black Lives Matter sign he posted on a tree outside of his home. According to the city, the sign exceeds the maximum size allowed for signage. However, Todd Russell Perkins claims…
Nessel slams Michigan Republicans over baseless election claims: ‘Put up or shut up’
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel lashed out at Michigan Republicans on Thursday for continuing to give voice to conspiracy theorists who are undermining the state’s democratic system by spewing baseless allegations of election fraud. “At long last, put up or shut up,” Nessel tweeted. Nessel’s string of scalding tweets comes a day after the Republican-controlled…
15,000 absentee ballots rejected in Michigan’s general election. Here’s why.
More than 15,000 absentee ballots were rejected in the general election in Michigan because they weren’t submitted properly. While that may seem like a lot of disqualified votes, the rejection rate was lower than in the past and demonstrates the integrity of Michigan’s election, the work of local clerks, and the success of voter education…
Rudy Giuliani humiliated himself in Michigan (for $20,000 a day, allegedly)
We as a nation need to move on from Rudy Giuliani, the disgraced attorney who was once known as “America’s Mayor” but who will now forever be known as a deranged toady who debased and humiliated himself in vain for 1980s tabloid supervillain Donald Trump. And Giuliani’s shameful appearance as President Trump’s attorney at a…
New ‘Grill Box’ from The Whitney comes with a gift for frontline heroes
One of Detroit’s most elite steakhouses is releasing a winter version of its popular Grill Box. The Whitney’s do-it-yourself dinner for two kit is available with a twist for the Christmas and New Year holidays. The kit comes with two 14-oz. aged USDA prime New York Strip steaks, complete with grilling instructions, a jar of…
Michigan doctors respond to Andiamo restaurateurs’ ‘reckless’ pandemic-defying letter
A group of local doctors are responding to a letter that was circulated by the owners of Andiamo and Joe Muer Seafood calling on fellow restaurateurs to defy Michigan epidemic orders that ban indoor dining. Metro Times previously reported the letter. “Our industry cannot survive another extended closure,” the letter by owners Joe and Rosalie Vicari says.…
Socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19 hit low-income Black households the hardest, study finds
Low-income Black households were hit disproportionately hard by the coronavirus, experiencing more job losses, debt, and food and housing insecurities during the first few months of the pandemic, according to a new study by Princeton University. While numerous studies of COVID-19 have focused on the racial disparities in the U.S. health care system, the Princeton…
Judge rejects Michigan restaurant association’s attempt to overturn indoor dining ban
A three-week ban on indoor dining at restaurants meant to curb the spread of COVID-19 is still in effect after a judge rejected a lawsuit from Michigan’s restaurant association attempting to overturn it. U.S. District Judge Paul Maloney denied a request from the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association on Wednesday, according to the Detroit Free…
Michigan funeral home to pay $250k settlement for transgender discrimination case
Though Aimee Stephens didn’t live to see her landmark Supreme Court case on transgender rights decided, her story shows that it doesn’t pay to discriminate. On Monday, a federal judge signed off on a $250,000 settlement from metro Detroit-based R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes, which fired Stephens in 2013 after she came out as…
Newly fired Detroit Lions coach Matt Patricia might have a burner Twitter account where he defends himself, calls Kaley Cuoco ‘hot’
Christmas came early for Detroit Lions fans (yes, they still exist) over the weekend when the franchise gave general manager Bob Quinn and head coach Matt Patricia the boot after leading the team through two years of losses. Hey, at least he was consistent in that regard. Too harsh? Well, Patricia has at least one…
COVID-19 sweeps through Macomb County Jail, infecting more than a quarter of inmates
The coronavirus has infected more than a quarter of Macomb County Jail’s 550 inmates, prompting the Sheriff’s Office to administer rapid tests to every new inmate entering lockup. At least 30 jail employees have also tested positive for COVID-19. The outbreak occurred on two floors of the jail in Mount Clemens. Of the 250 inmates…
Groups condemn Michigan hearings on voting irregularities
Some advocacy groups in Michigan are condemning hearings being held by state lawmakers into claims of voter fraud in the Detroit area. The Senate Oversight Committee spent most of Tuesday listening to Republican poll watchers and others who said they witnessed irregularities in the ballot-counting process on Election Day in Detroit. But Lonnie Scott, executive…
Savage Love: Losing out
I’m a lesbian and my girlfriend is bi. I’ve read your column and listened to your podcast for a long time, Dan, and I always thought I’d be fine with having a partner ask me about being monogamish. Then my girlfriend of about a year and a half told me she wants to see what other…
Free Will Astrology (Dec. 2-8)
ARIES: March 21 – April 19: An anonymous blogger on Tumblr writes the following: “What I’d really like is for someone to objectively watch me for a week and then sit down with me for a few hours and explain to me what I am like and how I look to others and what my…
The story of Detroit hardcore gets the documentary treatment
It’s perfectly fitting that the definitive documentary on Detroit’s legendary early ’80s punk hardcore scene is done by a Windsor filmmaker. Otto Buj’s Dope, Hookers and Pavement: The Real and Imagined History of Detroit Hardcore finally makes its world premiere as part of the virtual Freep Film Festival Dec. 2-6. The film was slated to…
