Seven years ago… the last time I was in the Detroit area, Tommy Nugent took me to this place. I loved it so much I insisted we go there again this time out. It really is from a different era. One of those places that has a specialty menu where you sit at the counter and chat with fellow customers as well as those behind the counter.
In fact, on our visit this time out sitting at the counter were some regulars from the neighborhood as well a man in a suit (a lawyer, I suspect) who has been coming here since he was 12. The conversation is easy here and the food is great.
In fact, the owner, Mike (in the picture above) and Mr Lawyer were chatting about the suited man’s daughter’s prom that night.
LAWYER: I’ll only see her dress this evening before she leaves for prom.
WAITRESS: Bet it cost a lot.
LAWYER: I paid for it… but wasn’t allowed to see what I paid for.
MIKE: She’ll be beautiful. I haven’t seen her in a long time… but she’ll be beautiful.
LAWYER: I’m taking pictures. I just hope there is more dress than her.
It is this easy kind of familiar banter that goes on here.
As you can see from the menu above… the menu items are limited… or should I say… specialty. Nothing much in the decorative sense except some piggies here and there.
The big selling point (at least for me) is that the ham is not imported but made here. In fact you can buy an entire ham for $95. And I can attest that the ham is delicious. Both Tommy and I had the split pea soup and ham sandwich combo… and a coke. And as you can see the ham is also freshly cut when an order is put in.
Mike and I had a short exchange:
ME: The last time I was here was seven years ago…
MIKE: Seven years?! I have bills to pay every month.
ME: I came all the way from California… and I insisted on coming here.
MIKE: I still have bills to pay.
ME: I’ll try to make you famous.
MIKE: If California comes here… I think I can pay my bills.
So, as a promise to Mike… if you are ever in the Detroit area… go to the corner of Michigan and Roosevelt for a delicious ham sandwich. It will totally be worth the trip. And when you do… tell Mike I sent you. You’re not going to get a discount but a delicious and a warm friendly experience… which is actually worth more.
After stuffing our faces it was time for work. Work? And you thought this was a vacation, eh?
Tommy and I headed to drive around the city shooting “B Roll” footage. There were times I wondered if fellow drivers thought if we were doing a “drive-by” since there was a camera sticking out of the passenger side of the car. It is for a TV pilot project I’ve been involved in for the past couple of months. Among our discoveries was this alleyway that had some fantastic murals… totally unseen from the main road. BTW… Detroit has some pretty stunning murals… that also happen to be in public view.
Detroit has changed since I was last here. There seems to be more happening… sort of a gentle revitalization. This is especially so in the downtown areas. In a couple of them… some of the abandoned hollowed out buildings I saw in my previous visit are slowly being re-purposed. That’s a good thing.
As for the footage that was shot… Tommy and I joked that we have Detroit in three different seasons today. A storm had come in so at times the sky looked brooding and times sunny. It’s all good.
After a full day’s shooting I suggested we catch a drink.
TOMMY: As the most self indulgent person you know… I’m taking you here.
It shares an ally with is beautiful church. (Sort of fits with the juxtaposition that is Tommy Nugent.) Our drinks done… as we were headed out… we were made aware that the steeple of the church was nearly blown over by a recent heavy wind. If you look up you can see where attempts were made so it doesn’t happen. Glad it didn”t come down while we were there.
I’ll end this post with some other random shots I took yesterday.
If I have time I’ll post the last part of the FIRST LEG tonight.
Cheers!