Mudgie's and Exploring

Yesterday and today I was able to do a bit of some great exploring in Detroit. Part of the exploration came on a company tour of Detroit and some surrounding neighborhoods. The other part came from me walking around downtown. Mostly I just wanted to include a few good photos which I have here and some captions.

(Above- St. Antoine's in Greektown- Greek Orthodox Church)

(At Left- Burwood Wall, the only physical wall in the United States to segregate populations based on race. Below- Presbyterian Church, Woodward Avenue)

(Above- Penabscot Building from Campus Martius Park)

(At Right- Mural in Mexicantown. Below-Harmonie Building in Harmonie Park.)

I also wanted to talk a bit about Mudgie's, an excellent sandwich shop in Corktown, Detroit oldest neighborhood. Corktown is most famous recently for being the old home of Tiger Stadium. It sits just west of downtown along Michigan Avenue and heading down to the river. Other highlights include the old Michigan Central Train Station and Slow's Bar-be-que.

I instead went to Mudgie's, located on Porter Street, two blocks south of Michigan Avenue. The place is small and looks like any other brick two story building covered in vines. The Holy Trinity Church is nearby and the area is full of some of the best homes in the neighborhood.

Mudgie's is a hipster's paradise (and it was full of hipsters when I went there at 5 p.m. on a Saturday.) The place was stifling hot and full of several nice tables and a counter to walk up and order a sandwich. I went with a Lockwood, full of turkey, ham, salami, and some cheeses on a kaiser bun. The sandwich came complete with au jus sauce which absolutely made the sandwich. I thought my sandwich was a little pricey and I decided not to eat in or at the tables around the shop. I think the atmosphere would have helped the enjoyment of the sandwich, but it was still quite good. I also think I could have done a bit better on my sandwich selection. In fact, next time, I may go with the Mudgie, as more often than not the signiature sandwich is pefected.

In all, I'm happy I made the trip there. Corktown is full of little secrets and is one of the nicest neighborhoods directly next to Detroit's downtown. It has great access to downtown activities, the riverfront, and parks. Mudgie's is an excellent shop with a great location. If you're ever in need of a sandwich with local Michigan made products, Mudgie's looks like the place to go.

Atlas Global Bistro

The Atlas Global Bistro is a small little gem sitting on Woodward Avenue in Midtown Detroit. While Detroit may be a bit more famous for coney dogs, potato chips, and the best pop (faygo) around there are quite a few places where you can dress up, sit down, and be treated to some delectable dishes. The Atlas Global Bistro is one such place.

Peeking in the windows off Woodward allow you to take a glimpse into a finer life while the urban decay swirls around outside. It is a nice break from boarded windows and chain link fences bordering vacant lots. Inside, the atmosphere couldn't be finer.

As you enter the restaurant, the first thing that is so striking is a map of the suburbs hanging over the entryway. If you could take a map of Detroit, put it onto a metal plating, and then explode the map over a corner high on a wall, you would see the map in Atlas Global Bistro. For a guy who loves all things to do with maps, this was certainly an amazing welcome. Noticably, the city of Detroit was not on the wall, but clearly outlined by the suburbs and nicely done.

Inside, the restaurant has many soft tones of green and cream and if I remember correctly a tin ceiling, which has been a bit of a fad lately, but is clearly original in this building. The art includes a ton of maps and decorations from worldly locations to help you, once again, escape from the outside world.

The tables are nicely situated with cloth knapkins and tablecloths and the finest waitstaff. I certainly don't always get to go to places like this, but a collared shirt could be a nice touch. I know for future date locations that this is one of those places you don't go on the first date, unless you're full of money and want to throw it around, then you could go. But, for a casual lunch or dinner it serves its purpose as well.

The menu was well-formed with many different kinds of choices, all fresh and seasonal, and with elements of local flair. The paprikash was a favorite among the people I was eating with and of course my best "When Harry Met Sally" lines came out. "Today, we will talk, like thees. Waiter, there is too much paeper on my paprikash." Well, you get the idea.

I decided to go with a Grilled Lamb Kelta because, well, I don't get to eat lamb all that often and I didn't want to go with a standard burger (which was also looked delicious and is pictured here.) My second choice, and also a popular selection, was the Pan Cubano sandwich (which I also got a a picture of.) I was able to try a little bite and enjoyed it immensely, though I was told that the spicy mustard was a deep sinus cleansing experience. Not for the faint of taste buds.

My lamb was outstanding. I enjoyed it a lot along with pieces of pita and a nice tossed salad. I also was treated to a vinegarette based cole slaw, which is not always traditional, but still delicious. In fact, I think I prefer it to the cream based slaw which is more common. But,I have to talk about the lamb. I don't know what was in it, but it had some incredible spices and was complemented incredibly well. I'm no food critic, but the balance on my plate was wonderful. I was satisfied and not overly stuffed.

If we had time and more money I would have ordered dessert. The selections were wide ranging and looked quite good. However, on this particular trip I didn't have the luxury of time. However, I can see myself returning for a trip to visit the bar and enjoy a nice cocktail and some dessert. I imagine that the bistro is a great night spot and had a wonderful warm atmosphere. When the sun goes down or the snow is falling, I imagine that the Atlas Global Bistro serves up some great places to warm up and enjoy a night cap.

I greatly enjoyed my time here and look forward to a return trip. With a changing menu and a great atmosphere, the Atlas Global Bistro is a great place to visit. I also see it as a great foundation for redeveloping the Woodward Cooridor as it sits just north of the stadiums and just south of the Detroit Medical Center. If you ever need a nice spot to sit and relax, check out the Atlas Global Bistro and allow yourself to be transported somewhere new.

Why I Care About Detroit. (And you should too)

I didn't used to care about Detroit. I watched the Pistons and the Red Wings, occasionally the Tigers and Lions, but otherwise, I knew that Detroit had nothing going for it. The city was dangerous, there were no cool things to do, and the glory days were long gone.

Then one day, a year ago last weekend, I ended up moving to Detroit. My entire life I've lived in Michigan and never once has my goal or dream been to move to Detroit. In fact, I had a few opportunities for employment, one in Chicago and one in Detroit. By far, the sexier position was Chicago.

But clearly, in writing this post something has changed for me. I now care about Detroit. I care about the city. While I may not live my entire life here, I will always have a place in my heart and mind for the city of Detroit.

We've all heard the stories. A quarter of a million people left the city over the past decade. The city boasts illiteracy rates of near 50 percent. Hundreds of thousands of people live in poverty. The pictures of blown out buildings and vacant lots are everywhere and a drive down any main drag will tell you that times are tough. And of course, we all know about Detroit's infamous homicide rate which is often one of the tops in the nation.

So why on earth should I care about this city? And better yet, why should you? I've read this countless times on comments of articles and spouted from people's mouths who know nothing about the city. Why should we do anything to support a city that couldn't save itself? Let the city rot. Raze it to the ground and start over. All kinds of hurtful things for a city that is still very proud.

The reason why I care about the city lies in two reasons. The first is very selfish, as any good reason should be: I am from Michigan and am sick and tired of traveling places and having people feel sorry for me. I am proud of my state and happy to be a Michigander. But, Detroit is an incredibly negative image for the state. Too many people associate Detroit with the entirety of Michigan. This generally leads to the argument of dumping Detroit and starting over so that we can save the rest of the state, but I've got news for everyone. Four million people still live in the metro region. FOUR MILLION! That's still a very viable city and still, by far, the largest concentration of people in the state. Which means, no matter how hard you try to tell people you're from Rochester or Clinton Township or Canton or Wyandotte, you will always be from Detroit. And no matter how hard you try to tell people you live far from Detroit and its problems, Detroit will always be a reference point to people who are not from Michigan.

So, as a Michigander, it is incredibly beneficial for me to care about Detroit. A healthy Detroit is a healthy Michigan and a healthy Michigan is a lot more fun to talk about when you're out and about in the United States.

The second reason why I care about Detroit is far more unselfish: it is simply the fact that people still live here. The area is still home to a ton of people, many of whom seem lost. In fact, my blog title comes from the fact that I do not feel attached to any central city. There are suburbs and suburbs and a few cool things downtown, but no pulse. There is no attachment to the center city. And without that, there is no great central feeling for people and in turn we are all mindlessly driving around the suburbs searching for the closest Meijer or Red Robin or Trader Joe's (of course, if you can afford a car.)

So, it is incredibly hurtful to read comments from others, including those living in the northern suburbs or other areas of Michigan who want to raze the city or let it die. Why spend my money on a place with no chance? Well, because if we don't start putting our heads together and finding some ways to help out, the state as a whole is going to suffer the same fate.

And, if you'll allow me to speculate wildly here, I think this goes beyond just Detroit and Michigan. I think this is a soon-to-be or already-here epidemic of urban centers. Detroit is the epitome of industrial America. The factories gave tons of great jobs to poorly educated people. Race issues tore the city apart. Education failed. And then the bottom fell out of poorly run industries that cannot survive on the current economic policies of supporting tons of oil and energy consumption. To add insult to injury, Detroit is the iconic city of roads and superhighways that sliced through cultural neighborhoods and gave the clearest path for suburbanites to aggresively expand and gut the city.

When all of these great ideals of the early twentieth century are seen to fruition, you get Detroit. And so the city remains stuck in the past, clinging to old ideals and saddled by governments who never were able to get it right. People left as things didn't get adjusted, no new industries were coming in, and the schools were getting worse. The tax base left and still adjustments weren't made. In the end, all we could do was remember the good old days, as it were.

Now we are at a point where this no longer works. It doesn't work in Detroit or Cleveland or Pittsburgh or any other city where this model was put into place. And yet other cities have started their push forward. So what is holding Detroit back? I believe it started with poor government and a lack of trust, rightly deserved. But I also think it lies in the fact that there are so many who simply don't care.

We now have an incredible opportunity in Detroit. It is true that problems are everywhere, and they will not be fixed in the next year, five years, or probably even ten years. But with so much out of Detroit, we have a unique opportunity to reimagine the city for tomorrow. And I'm not talking about just Detroit here. We can use Detroit as a blueprint for every other American city. Detroit, the city that put America on wheels could be the first major city to start increasing density and promoting more mass transit. Detroit could be the first major city to start urban farming on a large scale and getting our food supply back to the source. Detroit could be the new example of what we want our future to look like, more sustainable with less waste and more community involvement.

I know there is no convincing everyone to pack up and move to Detroit. And honestly, even living here I often see the incredible problems and want to pick up and leave. I have no idea where to get started! But I do know that even if I do leave, I will still have a great interest in the city of Detroit. The city is at a huge crossroads with the chance to really make a change or to slip further into the oblivion. I believe, as many do, that Detroit will find its way. And I believe that when Detroit does, it will be leading the way for much of America to figure out how to be leaner, more efficient, more community based, and less dependent on shipping our goods and services to all corners of the country.

I care about Detroit because the people who live here are still fighting, every day, to make a living. I care about Detroit because its good for my state, its good for my health, and its good for me. And I hope that you care about Detroit because, well, you read my post and that means you probably have a lot of similar interests that I do. And those interests can be bettered by a better Detroit.

Flavors of St. Louis

Two weekends ago I had the opportunity to visit St. Louis. I ran the Half-Marathon with Mr. Smith and his brother and had a wonderful time enjoying the 90 degree weekend full of sun.

St. Louis doesn't always have the nicest reputation, and much like Detroit it has seen its better days. But St. Louis, like Detroit, still has its hidden gems, and on a spring weekend where the trees and flowers were blooming, the roadways were lined with green, and I could wear shorts with the windows rolled down I must say St. Louis really shined.

As always, my favorite part of a vacation is trying out some really good food, and this vacation did not disappoint. The moment we walked off the plane, Mr. Smith already had our evening plans in line, which I totally appreciated. We dropped our things off at his apartment, freshened up with some deodorant (planes just have stinky, sweaty air), and took off to the Central West End, a cultural mecca near downtown St. Louis.

The Central West End is full of restaurants, bars, and an overall urban vibe that seems to excel as the sun goes down. In the warmth of the April night, we enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Pi, a local pizza restaruant. Pi has some amazing pizzas, both deep dish and thin crust. The pizzas have been featured on numerous eating shows and the President himself wanted this pizza at the White House. And it was good.

We had a few tasty deep dishes and a thin crust to fill up our large party (more than just Mr. Smith and his brother) and it certainly did fill us up. My favorite part of the deep dishes, and arguably the most important part, is the tomato sauce that covered the toppings. The sauce had thick chunky tomatoes mixed in with delicious seasonings and a wonderful crust. The sauce truly makes the pizza and Pi did it right. What's more is the atmosphere in Pi is something I just haven't been used to in the barren restaurants of Detroit. The place was alive and full of ambiance and fun. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, and the street was teeming with people even as the night wore on.

Saturday gave way to my favorite meal of the weekend at a place called Winslow's Home. If you're ever taken the Art and Architecture History class at Western Michigan University, than you know that Winslow's Home is a play off of artist Winslow Homer, an American artist known for his landscapes. The restaurant was a combination general store and restaurant, but don't think Cracker Barrel, think awesome local establishment.

Winslow's Home is a wonderful restaurant that also has its own farm. The restaurant uses the farm to raise crops, cattle, and other foods to be used in their cooking. Everything is fresh, real, and tastes phenominal. What's even cooler about the restaurant is that the tables are simply mixed in the general store so while you're waiting for your food you can browse the eccentric wares and mixture of cheeses, meats, and wines. I even found a book about how to make your own cheese!

If the restaurant experience was awesome, the food was divine. I had a wonderful omlette, potatoes, and orange juice, which seems very simple, but was so much more than simple. The eggs were the freshest I've ever had, the flavors were so incredibly delicious, and the potatoes were cooked to absolute perfection with the finest of seasonings. It was the kind of food that you didn't want to scarf down. It was the kind of food that you couldn't help but enjoy every savory bite. And the orange juice was equally outstanding. Behind the check-out counter was a large orange squeezer with a small hole at the top to put oranges in. At the bottom of this machine was a small spigot. If you follow the logic, this orange juice was freshly squeezed and tasted like you were literally drinking an orange. Before I even tasted it I knew we wanted a carafe.

The portions didn't look big, but it didn't matter. After eating food that good, you were full and completely satisfied. The only problem was that we wanted more. The other meals that day were still quite good, but they were masked by the amazing meal we had in the morning. So I'll skip to the Sunday meal after our race.

All three of us had a great race. In 90 degree heat and beating sun, we all finished within minutes of one another near the 2 hour mark. Despite a crowded course and blazing heat, we all did well. But all that running and heat makes a man hungry, so we ventured to a small restaurant near Busch Stadium. The Broadway Oyster Bar was one of the few places open, but full of life. The restaurant is in a generally open setting which was so wonderful in the heat of the day. It transported us into the Louisiana Bayou (or what I picture the bayou to be like) and gave us a menu full of wonderful cajun flavors. I ordered a grinder and was pleased to see the best grinder I've seen. I'm used to grinders with two halves of bread filled with some warm meat in between. Apparently, I've never eaten a real grinder. A grinder is half a baguette hollowed out and filled with amazing treats. Mine was full of andoullie sausage, cajun spices, and wonderful cheeses that made an amazing complement to cajun fries and wonderful water.

Every meal we ate in St. Louis was wonderful. I firmly believe that one of the best parts of travel and maybe even life is finding some great meals to write about. Nothing beats eating something so delicious that you can't stop thinking about it and savor every bite you take. Having a meal you can share with another and have some great times and funny stories told is what family and community is all about. We are so consumed with our busy lives that we allow ourselves to be satisfied with fast food and microwave meals. But if you think about it, your favorite memories with food probably involve good, real meals that took longer than 5 minutes to prepare and eat. If you'll excuse me, I'm a little hungry now.

When the Unexpected is Okay

I honestly have so many things to write about today that I'm not sure where to start. Thankfully, I still have pen and paper to jot some thoughts down to save topics for later.

For today, I'll tell you a bit about what I did today. The sun was shining, the temperature was nice, and I took a trip to a high school to talk with students. Now this is nothing out of the ordinary as I regularly visit high schools in my job. A major part of my job, in fact, is to visit high schools and talk about the great qualities that my school has. I very purposefully tell the facts to hopefully find the right students who fit the school's personality.

But today, I was in for a bit of a surprise. Normally when I visit a high school, I pass out some colorful pamphlets, talk about the stats and programs, and hopefully jump into the feeling of the student life. There is some time for a few questions, bada bing, bada boom, students are out and I just got some more people to call.

Not today. I brought my handy crate full of materials and introduced myself to the greeter at the front door. I signed my visitor pass and got directions to the classroom I was looking for. When I arrived, I was greeted by a woman in a red t-shirt and red pants. This was Ms. C (the name shortened for anonymity.) She was older, but clearly full of tons of energy. She reminded me of my sixth grade teacher. I quickly discovered that I would not be there to share information with students.

Instead, what Ms. C wanted me to do, was speak to her Life Management classes about college. I would be speaking on my career, interviewing, how I found my career, what types of things college has, and some general review of requirements and application procedures. Little did I know that this would turn into one of my favorite visits I've ever been in. The classes clearly favored Ms. C. Ms. C, with her short haircut and incredibly eccentric room, filled with student projects, lots of papers, quotes plastered on any area of free space, and a gigantic portion of the chalkboard, doorway, and surround wall filled with students' senior pictures. She said hello to every single student who walked in the door and still managed to have a conversation with me, and several students stopped by to get a hug for the day and carry on to their next class. In a world where teachers are regularly demonized by education reformers, this woman clearly had so much to give to her students. It was clear to me that she was a great teacher, and I did not need to see her students' standardized test scores to see that.

As everyone filed in to take their seats, I could feel my heart pace quicken and suddenly felt very that my arms and hands were very awkward, a sensation I normally get when speaking to a crew of people. However, I have been in the position so many times the feeling passed quickly. Ms. C took attendence, quieted the class, and introduced me. The floor was mine. I had prepared to talk solely about the university and very little about the topics she offered so I was momentarily stunned. 'Good Morning' only goes so far when you're looking to pull some energy and find your stride. But, I quickly introduced myself and began to speak about what it is I did.

Ms. C was quick to interject with questions, but not in the way where you're annoyed with the person, just a very conversational question about the things I was talking about. We had a great flow going as I became comfortable and sensed that it would be important to include far more about my personal story in this presentation than ever before. You see, I represent a school that is not my Alma Mater, a great challenge I assure you. But, in this case, I was encouraged to talk in great length about my experiences and how they differed from the school I now represent.

Suddenly, I was involved in a very reflective moment, something I'm not sure we all get the opportunity to do very often, and was able to speak greatly about my experiences and why I am where I am today. While many students laid their heads down to rest and some looked out the window at the day they could be having, it was clear to me that Ms. C not only allowed kids to be kids, but she respected the fact that they were. Therefore I could only follow her lead and realize that even though the students were putting their heads down, they were still absorbing a lot of what I was saying. I had another class come in with a repeat performance and afterward there was a 30 minute lunch break.

Ms. C spoke with me during this time about my presentation and asked me more about myself. She was shocked that I was in the position I was in at my age and with how great my presentation was. She loved the things I had to share and then told me something that no one has ever told me before. She asked what I wanted to do in the future and I told her some of my ideas, but that I wasn't sure. She said, "You seem like a person who doesn't always do things the conventional way. I see how you landed at admissions, but I can tell that you're already going to be moving on sometime soon. You have such an unconventional way of getting places that I bet you'll be doing something great soon."

I was speechless.

Naturally, I cracked a smile and thanked her for her comments and simply brushed it aside by saying that most people don't find their path by their first choices as a senior in high school. Most students are changing their minds, finding things to get involved in, and discovering their passion that way. We had one more class and then I was excused to leave for the office. I handed out less than 10 pieces on the university, but had one of my favorite visits. So many students clearly saw my excitement and I realized that I must be a good presenter. I realized that I had just winged a presentation and delivered it in a way that made others excited.

My post today is not to dote on how awesome I am. (Hehe) My post today is to talk about how sometimes it takes the unexpected to transform your day. This could have easily been just another high school visit. I would have driven home and submitted some cards to the office, typed up a report, and gone about my business.

But today, I was able to speak with someone about my personality, my growth. I was able to share more about my experiences with others, high school students who need some knowledge. I was able to meet a woman who was so incredibly positive, who was so optimistic about her students, who was clearly invested and happy to take time and energy to get students excited about their school. It is so refreshing to have something unexpected to change your mood. I have many friends, family, and overall important people in my life who are teachers. For about 2 seconds today I thought about what that must be like, and then drove the thought out of my head in sheer terror. You all do some amazing work and I appreciate it.

I recently saw a book by a woman who supposedly is a great researcher. Her book, the title of which I can't remember right now, was about positive thinking. To be precise, her book was about how positive thinking was ruining the future generation of America.

Based on the back cover, her research indicated that because America is generally a positive country (hard to believe, right?) our future generations are continually less and less worried about realistic challenges and thus less willing to help solve the problem. Now I didn't read the book and have yet to track it down again, but to me, what she was implying is that we need to tone down our positive thinking, lest it ruin the country by letting us fester in problems.

This seems completely crazy to me. I have always been optimistic and overall positive and will continue to be so. I feel I'm grounded and realistic and I certainly pay attention to important issues and think about problems we face. But to think that we should stop thinking so optimistically seems absolutely nuts to me! Are we going to slowly wither into an unhappy, yet realistically grounded populous that has no hope for the future? I certainly hope not.

And if Ms. C and the other teachers out there who are giving it all they've got for their students continue to give kids even 40 minutes of happy, positive classtime, then I think we're all going to be okay. Thanks Ms. C for a great day.