[HOT LIST] FOOD! DETROIT! THE BEST YEAR EVER! [2011 edition]

Brooklyn Corktown (photo by Nicole Rupersburg)#1 DETROIT IS THE NEW BROOKLYN.The natives got their feather hair extensions ruffled over that one, then continued to make it true. The Tashmoo Biergarten was probably the most-lauded example of this, and then there were all the DIY artisan food producers like Detroit Institute of Bagels, Suddenly Sauer, Pete's Chocolate Co., so on and so forth. Also pop-up uhhhhhhhh...restaurants? I guess? Well, anyway,...

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The 12 Days of Christmas by Eat It Detroit

You know how this goes. Sing it with me: "On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me..."12 Picklers Pickling11 Hunters Hunting10 Cheeses Aging9 Hipsters Cooking8 Fools-a-Yelping7 Beers-a-Brewing6 Pumpkins JollyChaaar-cuuuu-ter-iiiie4 Farmers' Markets3 Urban Farms2 Pop-Up BarsAnd a Pimm's Cup with WhiskeyHappy holidays to our friends, Romans and countrym...

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[Real Detroit Weekly] Christmas Ales

All photos by Nicole Rupersburg.Christmas ales: a time-honored tradition for brewers for centuries. The following is the result of two solid weeks of Christmas ale binging. Do not try this at home. Jolly Pumpkin Noel de CalabazaThis. THIS beer. This is the beer. There is no other beer. Just this one. Figgy and delicious, this Belgian strong dark ale is one of JP’s signature sours with lots of raisin and rum-soaked plum, maybe even a bit of molasses....

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[HOT LIST] Chinese restaurants

Lucky Dragon. Photo by VATO. It's almost Christmas. That means it's almost time to come up with a clever excuse to leave your in-laws' house early and go take refuge in your favorite local Chinese restaurant. (Those of you who don't understand this must actually like your families. Freaks.) Many people this weekend will be seeking solace in the company of our Chinese-American friends, with their tinkling mandolin music, folding screens with pastel...

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[EID Feature] Suddenly Sauer: Life's Pickles

All photos courtesy of Suddenly Sauer.Blair Nosan grew up in West Bloomfield, where she admits she did not do a whole lot Jewishly. In college she became interested in food and agriculture, so when she began looking online for an internship opportunity on a farm, she was surprised when her Google search suggested a Jewish farm."I thought, 'That's the weirdest thing I've ever heard - a Jewish farm?'," Blair remembers. She applied and was accepted...

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[HOT LIST] Holiday foods

From Avalon Bread's email newsletter: the Stollen fit for a king...or a Bing.The holidays are a time for celebration in cultures all around the world. While we here in America have certain holiday food traditions we hold dear (fruit cake, anyone?), so too does the rest of the world. This holiday season, make your dinner table a smörgåsbord of metro Detroit's multi-culturalism with traditional holiday global cuisine from some of our favorite area...

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[EID Feature] 8 Degrees Plato Beer Company: No More Funny Business

All photos by Nicole Rupersburg.You might recognize 8 Degrees Plato Beer Company owner Tim Costello. He has been on the national stand-up comedy circuit for the past 25 years, touring the country as well as being a home-town staple on the scene. "Twenty-five years was a long run," Tim says. "Stand-up is a lot of travel. It’s a long time on the road and away from my wife and daughter." Basically, it's a young man's game, and Tim had reached the point...

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[Real Detroit Weekly] Bazaar Foods

Pete's Chocolate Co. All photos by Nicole Rupersburg.The second-annual Detroit Holiday Food Bazaar will be held this Friday, 12/9 from 5 to 11 p.m. in Eastern Market above Cost Plus Wine. Launched in 2010 by Noelle Lothamer, co-owner of Beau Bien Fine Foods, the Detroit Holiday Food Bazaar is an event that celebrates Michigan's independent artisan food producers. While you might recognize names like McClure's Pickles, some of these vendors are only...

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[HOT LIST] Made in Michigan gift baskets

Toasted Oak Grill's Michigan cheese platter. Photo by Nicole Rupersburg.Putting together a good gift basket is like putting together a good mixed tape. There must be a rhythm, a theme. You must really think about what it is you're trying to communicate with this offering. Not only are your selections a reflection on you and your tastes, but they also reflect the relationship you have with the recipient: what do you really know about them and their...

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[Fox News] Will Macarons Be the New Cupcake?

Macarons from Cup.Cake in Royal Oak. Photo by Nicole Rupersburg.Everyone is looking for the new cupcake. Ever since the cupcake craze seems to have calmed down (after populating nearly every corner of the country with dedicated cupcakeries), food experts, trend analysts and next-it-thing-seeking foodies have been anxiously anticipating what will be the heir apparent to the throne of exalted confections. It may still be a little too early to tell,...

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[EID Feature] Pete's Chocolate Company: Detroit's First Chocolatier

The Adventures of Pete and Pete's Chocolates. All photos by Nicole Rupersburg at Rust Belt Market.Pete Steffy of Pete's Chocolate Company says he has always been "really into food and cooking," but it was when he was living in the small city of San Cristóbal de las Casas teaching English in Mexico that he got into chocolate. "There was this really cool chocolate shop there run by this guy who studied chocolate-making in Mexico City," Pete says. "I...

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