Walking into Atlas we were promptly greeted and seated in their spacious dining area, where the surrounding windows offer natural lighting and great views of the surrounding midtown corridor. An ideal place for a casual business luncheon, or an intimate dinner with friends and loved ones.

Besides its charm, Atlas Global Bistro had a variety of unique dishes for their DRW menu. For those that may not be familiar with the Detroit Restaurant Week menu, you order three dishes (appetizer, entrée, and dessert) for $28 per person. Don’t flinch at the price, it’s actually a great deal considering you would probably spend about $50 – $60 per person at some of these dining establishments.

An unexpected twist on this prix fixe menu, as our waitress explained, was the fact that Atlas would allow you to choose any three dishes off the DRW menu for $28. So you could order 2 appetizers and an entrée, or 2 entrées and dessert, or three desserts for that matter. What a brilliant idea! I was tempted to order two apps and an entrée, but I decided to stick with the traditional format of appetizer, entrée, and dessert.

Now, moving onto the highlight of our meal – the food!

Decisions. Decisions. What to order? So many great selections. I decided to start with the House-cured Salmon Gravlax, then for my entrée I ordered the Pan-roasted Muscovy Duck Breast, and ended my meal with a slice of Sweet Potato Cake.

Let me start out by saying that each dish was beautifully presented, carefully crafted, and tasted wonderful!

Salmon Gravlax (Served with sweet corn cakes, red onion relish, apple-celery root-fennel salad and grainy mustard vinaigrette) – Great cured salmon, without being overly salty. The seasonal veggies (apple, celery, & fennel), onion relish, along with the delectable corn cakes paired nicely with the salmon. There was a great harmony of flavors in this dish!

Muscovy Duck Breast (Confit of leg ravioli, braised baby fennel and orange-red peppercorn sabayon) – A smaller portion size than I was expecting, but it ended up being the ideal serving size. I left the meal full without feeling stuffed. The duck was perfectly cooked, the flavors from the sabayon were fantastic, and the fennel and carrots were perfect compliments to the pan-roasted duck. Great balance of flavors!

Sweet Potato Cake – A perfect Fall dessert. Hints of cinnamon & nutmeg surrounded this lush sweet potato cake, and the pie crust had a nice contrasting texture.

I thoroughly enjoyed my Atlas Global Bistro DRW dining experience. The food was fab, the service was attentive without being overbearing or pretentious, and we were in and out within 45 minutes, awesome!

For more insight from Detroit Foodie, click here.

Saltwater offers Seared Sea Scallops that are prepared with sherried corn purée, bacon, and haricot vert; the Wolfgang Puck Grille offers a Sautéed Salmon served with fingerling potatoes, confit bacon, and whole-grain mustard sauce; and The Caucus Club offers a Classic Wedge Salad served with creamy blue cheese, bacon, and tomato.  You cannot go wrong!

I admit that I do not have the most sophisticated palate, and I am a tad obsessed with the powers of bacon (sorry to all of our readers that are vegetarians).  So I enlisted the help of Cliff Bells , which is a new stop for this year’s Restaurant Week, to help with our coverage of Restaurant Week.  I have also enlisted the help of Detroit’s resident foodie Maria of The Detroit Foodie blog.  I am sure that their insights will go beyond bacon.

So check back here often for reviews and suggestions for this year’s Restaurant Week, and email me with any suggestions or reviews that you have during this year’s Restaurant Week.

Detroit has been alight with discussions of and proposals for large-scale Urban Agriculture projects. In addition to land use, local economic and community engagement concerns, large-scale Agriculture in an urban setting provides us an opportunity to look into the environmental impact of farming. After the screenings we’ll discuss the films and share info on local groups working in Environmental Health.

On the third Wednesday of every month Eastern Market Corporation, Great Lakes Bioneers Detroit and Detroit Evolution partner to present DETROIT ABIDES – A FREE Movie Night in Eastern Market. Detroit Abides screens a movie on a sustainable topic, explores the topic at the local level through discussion and support from regional groups and businesses, and creates a space to meet like-minded people from all walks of life & grow an active, healthy community. For this casual event, please bring a comfortable seat. Shed 5 is located at the corner of Russell and Alfred St. Parking is available in the lots adjacent to the Shed.

Big River – A King Corn Companion
http://www.bigriverfilm.com
Following up on their Peabody winning documentary, the King Corn boys are back. For Big River, best friends Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis have returned to Iowa with a new mission: to investigate the environmental impact their acre of corn has sent to the people and places downstream. In a journey that spans from the heartland to the Gulf of Mexico, Ian and Curt trade their combine for a canoe––and set out to see the big world their little acre of corn has touched. On their trip, flashbacks to the pesticides they sprayed, the fertilizers they injected, and the soil they plowed now lead to new questions, explored by new experts in new places. Half of Iowa’s topsoil, they learn, has been washed out to sea. Fertilizer runoff has spawned a hypoxic “dead zone” in the Gulf. And back at their acre, the herbicides they used are blamed for a cancer cluster that reaches all too close to home. Run-time: 27 minutes

HealthyTown – Detroit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIYASqPAF6g
Bill Couzens, the film’s Director, will join us for this screening. HealthyTown – Detroit documents organizations working to bridge the numerous Environmental Health gaps in Detroit through prevention. The film features Earthworks at the Capuchin Soup Kitchen, Local Motion Green, Childrens Hospital of Michigan, the Kresge Foundation and Kids Kicking Cancer. Run-time: 25 minutes

NEXT MONTH: join us in Shed 5 on June 16th when we will feature the full-length documentary Fierce Light: When Spirit Meets Action. “Fierce Light is a journey around the world looking at a vast range of people protesting social issues and examines the notion that social action is most effective when it is deeply rooted in some form of spirituality.”

For more information or to get involved call Detroit Evolution at 313.316.1411

Detroit Restaurant Week menus for the 17 establishments that are participating in the 10-evening dinner promotion April 16-25 are now available for viewing at DetroitRestaurantWeek.com.

A new addition to every menu for spring will be a dinner option for vegetarians who crave fine dining paired with exceptional value.

“All of the restaurants have once again put together menu pairings that will make your mouth water,” said Jason Huvaere, Executive Director of Detroit Restaurant Week. “The addition of vegetarian dishes to each of the menus will bring new customers into these establishments who appreciate the fine dining experience and will enjoy tasting exciting new dishes prepared by our chefs. For the Spring Edition of Detroit Restaurant Week, participating chefs are planning their vegetarian menus to delight every diner while incorporating the season’s finest ingredients.”

An example of the tasty vegetarian dish that will be offered during Detroit Restaurant Week is the Himalayan Red Rice Cabbage Rolls on the menu at 24Grille.

“There is an entire world of fresh full flavored ingredients out there and when prepared the right way you can create diverse dishes that appeal to all varieties of people,” said Executive Chef Jason Gardner. “Our menu for restaurant week will offer vegetarian guests much more than the traditional stir fry dishes they are used to seeing on restaurant menus.”

The rice Gardner will use for the dish is actually harvested in the foot hills of the Himalayan Mountain Range which he says will offer a great balance of texture and earthiness to the Napa cabbage. Accompanying the cabbage rolls will be char-grilled tofu and a carrot puree, which will have a deliciously intense flavor.

The chef of each restaurant develops a special menu for Detroit Restaurant Week, however for this edition of the dinner promotion many chefs said they drew their inspiration from the spring season when creating their menus.

Chef Paul Grosz of Cuisine said, “When I think of spring I think of lamb. The first use of a grill outdoors was inspiration for our grilled pear salad. The chill in the air at night was my inspiration for a corn soup with crab salad. In spring I think of light flavors and hearty meals.”

Menus for each restaurant are available at www.DetroitRestaurantWeek.com.

Diners from across Southeast Michigan and Windsor will again be able to order a three-course dinner for an exceptional price of $27 per person (exclusive of beverage, tax and gratuity).

Reservations not required, but Highly Recommended

Huvaere said reservations are not required, but they are encouraged so that restaurants can provide an outstanding experience for each guest. Last fall more than 27,000 people filled the restaurant reservation ledgers.

To make a reservation, visit www.DetroitRestaurantWeek.com and select a restaurant to obtain contact information for each establishment. Reservations can be made by contacting restaurants directly or through the Open Table link, which can also be found on the web site.

Detroit Restaurant Week Spring Edition will offer specially-priced dining at these fine restaurants:

24Grille – Westin Book Cadillac Detroit Andiamo Detroit Riverfront – GM Ren Cen
Atlas Global Bistro – Midtown Coach Insignia – GM Ren Cen
Cuisine – New Center Da Edoardo Foxtown Grille – Foxtown
Detroit Fish Market – Paradise Valley Forty-Two Degrees North – GM Ren Cen
Iridescence – MotorCity Casino-Hotel Mosaic Restaurant – Greektown
Opus One – Downtown Rattlesnake Club – Stroh River Place
Roast – Westin Book Cadillac Detroit Roma Café – Eastern Market
Saltwater – MGM Grand Detroit Wolfgang Puck Grille – MGM Grand Detroit
The Whitney – Midtown

This community-wide event will be held at the Royal Oak Farmers Market on Saturday, April 17th from 5pm-12am.
Admission is $5 (children under 5 years old are free.)

Live entertainment, food, beer, wine, kid’s activities and raffles!

Scheduled to perform:
The Candy Band
http://www.candyband.com/
The Royal Oak Children’s Choir
http://www.royaloakchildrenschoir.org/
Bob Mervak
The Polish Muslims
http://www.thepolishmuslims.com/master.html
Jennifer Westwood
http://www.myspace.com/jenniferwestwood
The Satin Peaches
http://www.myspace.com/thesatinpeaches
The Wednesdees
http://www.myspace.com/thewednesdees

Food Vendors
Inn Season Cafe- Vegetarian
http://theinnseasoncafe.com/
Mezza Mediterranean Grille
http://www.mezzagrille.com/
Lazy Bones Smokehouse- BBQ
http://lazybonessmokehouse.net/
Royal Oak Women’s Club- Hot Dogs
http://royaloakwomansclub.org/
Royal Oak Elementary Schools- Popcorn, drinks, fruit, bake sale items
http://www.royaloakschools.com/portal/
Tasi Juice Bar- Power smoothies and coffee
http://tasifresh.com/
Cloverleaf Fine Wine
http://cloverleafwine.com/
Millking It Productions- Beer (Just moved from Pontiac to Royal Oak!)

We have more vendors!
Nth Degree Fitness
http://www.nthdegreefitness.com/index.php
Gilded Lotus Henna- Henna body art
http://gildedlotushenna.com/index.htm
Four Seasons Garden Center & Custom Landscape Services
http://www.fourseasonsgardencenter.com/
Two Women and a Ho
http://www.twowomenandahoe.com/
Yoga Shelter
http://www.yogashelter.com/
With My Own Two Hands- Massage Therapy- chair massages
http://www.withmyowntwohandsmt.com/

Kids Activities:
A Step Outside of the Box
http://www.outsideofthebox.biz/
Mar-E-Lynn The Clown- face painting
http://www.aclown.com/
Scavenger Hunt
Tons of crafts

Visit http://www.royaloakcommunityfarm.com for more information.

Royal Oak Farmers Market
316 East 11 Mile Road
Royal Oak, MI

For the launch Discover Detroit Dining/3D Tours outing, it’s a “Brew-Ha-Ha!”  Michigan is home to some of the most top-rated craft breweries in the world, raking in medals from top competitions such as the World Beer Cup and the Great American Beer Festival.  There are currently over 70 craft breweries in the state of Michigan, with many producing some truly astounding brews.

For 3D’s first-ever culinary tour event, we will be heading to three of our favorite local breweries to sample selections of their current brews, as well as tasting some of their signature foods.

On Sunday, February 21, 2010 beginning at 4:00PM, our first stop will be Bastone Brewery & Restaurant in Royal Oak, where guests will receive a flight of four current brews of their choice.  Bastone was awarded a Bronze in the Great American Beer Festival for their Saison du Bastone in 2009 and a Silver for their Bastone Müncher Dunkel in 2008.  In between chatting with head brewer Rockne about his award-winning creations, we’ll also sample some of their warm soft pretzels with cheese fondue dip.  Nothing goes better with beer than cheese and pretzels!

Really, though—it’s true!  Next on our journey to discover Detroit’s breweries, we’ll head over to Kuhnhenn Brewing Co. in Warren, where the brothers Kuhnhenn will be setting out eight different samples of their highly-regarded brews, including their Fourth Dementia Old Ale which took home a Bronze in this year’s Great American Beer Festival.  Notes of toffee and caramel mask the 9.5% ABV content.  Consider yourself warned!  They’ll also be serving a selection of seven different artisanal cheeses, including Danish Bleu Cheese and Tillamook White Cheddar.  Beer + cheese= win.

Last on our brew tour is the happiest place on earth: Sherwood Brewing Co.  In addition to brewing great beers (like the ultra-hoppy Green River Wheat IPA), owners Ray and Lisa Sherwood are incredibly welcoming and make every guest feel like a family member.  They’ve also made the commitment to the Slow Food ethos, incorporating fresh, seasonal, and locally-sourced products in their kitchen, and even hosting regular dinners for Slow Food Detroit.  All of their menu items are made from scratch in-house, including their sauces and dressings which they make with their own beer and wine.  As both a brewery and a restaurant, Sherwood is top-notch—which is probably why they’ve been voted WDIV’s “Best Brewpub in metro Detroit” for three years in a row.  They take great pride in their kitchen, and are eager to share with us some of their specialties, listed below:

~Fresh Fried Chips with housemade hummus and feta spinach dips
~BBQ Chicken Pizza with bold and spicy beer sauce
~Hand-Battered Mozzarella Triangles with garlic wine sauce
~Homemade Beer Ice Cream

The tour starts promptly at 4:00PM.  We will meet inside Bastone, located at 419 S. Main St.  From there the Night Move shuttle will take us to Kuhnhenn then Sherwood, and will drop us back off in Royal Oak at the parking garage located on the northwest corner of 6^th & Lafayette, which is where we suggest all guests park for the event.  Parking in Royal Oak is free on Sundays.  The tour will last approximately four (4) hours.

All-inclusive tickets for this event are $50.00 which includes beer flights, food, tax, gratuity, and transportation during the tour.  Tickets are available on the Discover Detroit Dining website at www.DiscoverDetroitDining.com and are subject to availability.  Tickets must be paid for in advance in order to participate.  Seating is VERY limited—once we have reached capacity no exceptions can be made.  This event is open to guests 21 & older only.  For more information about this or other events, please contact Nicole Rupersburg at Nicole@DiscoverDetroitDining.com.

Detroit Waldorf School (DWS) will host a film screening of The Future of Food on Friday, January 29, 2009, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The Future of Food, a groundbreaking documentary released in 2004, distills the complex technology and key regulatory, legal, ethical, environmental and consumer issues surrounding the troubling changes happening in the food system today—genetically engineered foods, patenting, and the corporatization of food—into terms the average person can easily understand. It empowers consumers to understand the consequences of their food choices on our future.

The evening will conclude with a panel of experts to speak on sustainable food, with an opportunity for questions and answers with the panelists. The panelists include…

Malik Kenyatta Yakini is an educator, business owner and activist who is committed to freedom and justice for humanity in general, and African people in particular. He serves as Executive Director of Nsoroma Institute Public School Academy, one of the Detroit’s leading African-centered schools. He is C.E.O. of Black Star Educational Management which owns and operates Black Star Community Bookstore and Black Star Press. In 2006 he was honored as “Administrator of the Year” by the Michigan Association of Public School Academies. He is the Chairman of the Organization of African Centered Educators and Schools. Yakini is a founder and Chairman of the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network, which operates a two acre farm in Detroit and spearheaded efforts to establish the Detroit Food Policy Council. He is a member of the Detroit Food Policy Council and the Michigan Food Policy Council. He has presented at numerous conferences and community meetings on food justice and implementing community food security practices. He was recently featured in the book “Blacks Living Green.” He is a vegan and an avid organic gardener/farmer. He views the food justice/food security movement as part of the larger struggle for freedom, justice and equality.

Gregg Newsom is a Yoga Teacher, Bodyworker, and Reiki Master who walked away from a Corporate career to share his talents and raise awareness and inspire action on the issues of Food Security, Health, and Social and Environmental Justice. Informed & inspired by Permaculture, the Transition Movement & Eastern, Western, & Indigenous explorations of Consciousness, Gregg is in active pursuit of resilient and relocalized neighborhoods where diverse, sustainable and soulful communities will thrive. In 2007, Gregg and his wife Angela co-created Detroit Evolution (http://detroitevolution.com) and are pleased to offer community-based yoga classes, bodywork, vegan and raw food preparation classes, catering, and community building events in and around Detroit.

Dr. Heather Annatoyn Dickson is a physician at The Center for Healthy Living and Longevity in Grosse Pointe. She practices functional and health promoting medicine for people of all ages. At The Center for Healthy Living and Longevity, Dr. Dickson’s areas of interest include bio-identical hormone replacement therapy, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, obesity, osteoporosis, high cholesterol, individualized counseling in healthy aging and issues related to core wellness. She graduated in 1979 from The University in Michigan. She completed her residency in Family Medicine in 1982 at Providence Hospital in Southfield, Michigan and remained there as a faculty physician in their Family Medicine Residency Program until 2000. Dr. Dickson is Board Certified in Family Medicine and has completed a fellowship in Anti-Aging and Functional Medicine. She is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine and the Institute for Functional Medicine. Dr. Dickson is excited to offer her patients different ways to evaluate and treat common and uncommon medical conditions as well as counseling for nutritional and lifestyle changes to maintain health and function.

Nicole Zahn is the Farmer’s Market coordinator for The Greening of Detroit and she works with the Garden Resource Program in the maintenance and development of community gardens, literature, educational workshops and outreach. She participates in the harvesting of local produce and selling at farmers’ markets. She also conducts policy research regarding agriculture in urban areas.

The film screening is a free event, open to the public, for ages 18 and over. Light refreshments will be served before the film, the panelists will speak after the film. Prospective attendees may contact Detroit Waldorf School Outreach Director Melanie Reiser at 313-822-0300 to RSVP.

Celebrating its 43rd year, the Detroit Waldorf School is part of the international Waldorf School movement, which comprises over 900 schools in 83 countries. Located in Historic Indian Village, just three miles east of downtown Detroit, DWS is housed in a stately historic structure designed by Albert Kahn. Situated on four acres of beautifully landscaped grounds, the school provides a warm and inviting environment that nurtures growth, learning, and creativity by focusing on each student’s developmental needs. DWS offers enrollment in nursery school through eighth grade. Its interdisciplinary curriculum emphasizes analytical, creative, and critical thinking, as well as self-discipline, initiative, and reverence for the natural world.
The Detroit Waldorf School is located in Historic Indian Village at 2555 Burns Ave., Detroit, MI 48214. For more information, call 313-822-0300 or visit www.detroitwaldorf.org.

Trumbullplex is hosting an Edible Art Show on December 27th. We’re currently accepting submission proposals. We’re looking for folks who use food creatively and make art out of it.

Some examples of stuff that people already participating in the show are doing:

-Pictures with pancakes
-Vegetable creatures
-M&M portraits
-Melon bowls

If this sounds like something you could participate in, please get in touch through email, “trumbullplex@YAHOO.com”.

Please forward and pass on to anyone you know who may be interested.

It’s a one night show, Sunday, December 27th, 8pm-Midnight at Trumbullplex.

Detroit Restaurant Week organizers announced today that more than 27,000 people came to Downtown Detroit restaurants during the 10-evening dinner promotion and 64% of the people who dined at the 17 participating restaurants purchased the specially-priced Detroit Restaurant Week multicourse dinner menu option.

“Detroit Restaurant Week was an overwhelming success,” said event producer Jason Huvaere of Paxahau Promotions Group. “We were confident that this type of promotion would be embraced by the community, but the response it received surpassed our expectations for a first year event.”

He went on to say that because the demand was so great organizers “have decided to host Detroit Restaurant Week twice next year.” Once in the Spring, and then again in the Fall.

“I fully support moving forward with two promotions a year,” said Opus One owner James Kokas when asked about the idea. “Our staff was at capacity…we had to stop taking reservations.”

The 17 participating fine dining establishments offered three-course dinners for the fixed price of $27 (exclusive of beverage, tax and gratuity) during the promotion. They were:

24Grille – Westin Book Cadillac Detroit Andiamo Detroit Riverfront – GM Ren Cen
Atlas Global Bistro – Midtown Coach Insignia – GM Ren Cen
Cuisine – New Center Da Edoardo Foxtown Grille – Foxtown
Detroit Fish Market – Paradise Valley Forty-Two Degrees North – GM Ren Cen
Iridescence – MotorCity Casino-Hotel Mosaic Restaurant – Greektown
Opus One – Downtown Rattlesnake Club – Stroh River Place
Roast – Westin Book Cadillac Detroit Saltwater – MGM Grand Detroit
Seldom Blues – GM Ren Cen The Whitney – Midtown
Wolfgang Puck Grille – MGM Grand Detroit

The spike in sales and reservations between Friday, September 18 and Sunday, September 27 brought many positive reactions from restaurant representatives about the promotion.

Saturday, October 24, 2009, 1-6pm
Presented by the Michigan Brewers Guild & Metrotimes
at Detroit’s Eastern Markett

Based on the success of past events and a steadily growing interest in locally-crafted beer, officials at the Michigan Brewers Guild and Metrotimes say they are planning on a sell out crowd of 2500 for their inaugural Michigan Harvest Beer Festival on Saturday, October 24 at Eastern Market in Detroit.

The event, which runs from 1-6pm* (rain or shine) will actively promote local Detroit food, Detroit brewing history, and of course, Michigan craft beer. The festival is the culmination of the inaugural “Detroit Beer Week,” which runs October 16-24.

“We expect our combined efforts to result in one of the best local beer events in the region,” said Scott Graham, Executive Director of the Michigan Brewers Guild. “We anticipate more than 40 Michigan microbreweries and brewpubs to participate, with nearly 200 different beers available to sample.”

In addition to the vast selection of beers, a variety of harvest foods will be prepared and sold by local restaurants including Detroit Beer Co., Foran’s Grand Trunk Pub and Russell Street Deli, with Traffic Jam & Snug deli / brewery serving up their popular house-made cheese. Live entertainment will also be provided throughout the afternoon by two well-known local bands, the Grand Nationals and Orbitsuns.

The festival will be set up in the Eastern Market parking area, north of shed #5, with ample parking in the surrounding market area. The cost to enter the festival is $35 in advance and $40 at the gate, if tickets are still available (attendance is limited to 2500). Admission includes 15 drink tokens, each valid for one 3-ounce beer sample. Additional tokens may be purchased during the festival for 50 cents each. Admission tickets are now available for purchase online at www.michiganbrewersguild.org.

Select retail outlets are also selling tickets; that list is available on the MASH page of the Guild’s website (www.mbgmash.org), along with the list of participating breweries and beers to be served. Festival attendees must be 21 years of age or older and have ID to enter. Designated Drivers are encouraged and DD tickets will be available on line and at the gate for $5 each.

Eastern Market is one of the nation’s oldest farm markets and the area is rife with brewing history. In its heyday, there were more than 40 breweries in the Market area and malt silos still stand as a testament to the rich brewing history.

Preservation Wayne, Detroit’s oldest and largest historic preservation organization, has coordinated one of its popular two-hour Eastern Market Brewery Tours which will run the morning of the festival. The group will meet at the Eastern Market Welcome Center (1445 Adelaide) at 10am to begin the tour. The cost of the tour is $20 per person and advanced reservations are required by contacting the organization directly at 313-577-7674. Space is limited to 30 individuals.

Michigan’s thriving brewing industry contributes over $24 million in wages with a total economic contribution of more than $133 million. In terms of overall number breweries, microbreweries and brewpubs, Michigan ranks #6 in the nation – thus supporting its claim as “The Great Beer State.”

The Michigan Brewers Guild exists to unify the Michigan brewing community; to increase sales of Michigan-brewed beer through promotions, marketing, public awareness and consumer education; and to monitor and assure a healthy beer industry within the state. For more information, including a list of Michigan microbreweries, log on to www.michiganbrewersguild.org.