One-Tank Trip newspaper/web column
(c) By Jim Fox
Eat, shop, stay,
play – and start over again.
That sums up our recent
visit to the “Motor City,” otherwise known as Metro Detroit.
The downtown
renewal continues with many new restaurants and bars, “pop-up” shops, hotels,
three glitzy casinos and the streets decorated for the “festive” season.
Last weekend it was
all about shopping in the midst of the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday when Canadians
join in with their U.S. neighbours.
 |
| Great Lakes Crossing Outlets, a popular Detroit-area shopping spot for Ontarians, has a Venetian carousel in its food court. (Jim Fox photo) |
Stay, shop, save
There’s a special incentive
to visit this season, said Renee Monforton, public relations director at the Detroit
Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Ontario residents
can book a room at a Metro Detroit hotel before Dec. 31, register online and
get a $50 VISA gift card in return.
Other incentives
are that Detroit is nearby with border crossings at Sarnia and Windsor, there’s
a stronger Canadian dollar and lower sales tax at 6 per cent in Michigan (8.5
per cent in Buffalo, N.Y.).
“We believe that
once they experience the plentiful shopping options, variety of hotel
accommodations and world-class attractions and restaurants greater Detroit has
to offer, they’ll return again and again,” said Larry Alexander, bureau
president and CEO.
For the overnight
stay, Canadians can return with $200 in duty-free goods and $800 each for 48
hours and longer (but there’s no “official” exemption of duty or taxes on
same-day trips).
Shop ‘til you drop
Christmas shopping
has returned to downtown Detroit for the first time in years with “pop-up”
shops, while the metro area is a huge shopping mall mecca.
The temporary
stores on Woodward Avenue include 40 from the upscale Somerset Collection in Troy
and there are children’s activities and ice skating.
There is also outdoor
clothing retailer Moosejaw, the Detroit Shoppe, Detroit Art Shoppe, fitness
studio Spinergy and Papa Joe’s Snack Rack.
We dined at a new
eatery, Texas de Brazil Churrascaria on Woodward, where you should bring a
hearty appetite and credit card ($42.95 for dinner).
Flip over a card by
your plate and servers appear with spears of meat to carve and serve tableside and
there’s an extravagant seasonal salad bar.
 |
| The MGM Grand Detroit has its golden lion mascot standing guard outside its hotel. (Barbara Fox photo) |
A grand experience
We stayed and played at the MGM Grand Detroit
hotel with its golden lion mascot standing guard outside.
This opulent
$800-million casino resort has Michigan’s only Four Diamond hotel with 400
“chic and stylish guest rooms,” including nine rooftop VIP suites and 56 luxury
corner suites.
Its Immerse Spa is
the only resort-style one in southeast Michigan and includes the top-of-the-line
workout facilities, huge indoor pool and saunas.
The casino has more
than 4,000 slots and video poker, 90 table games, meeting and convention space,
and celebrity chef restaurants.
 |
| TAP’s bartender Brandy Wilyard pulls a pint of Roulette Red ale. (Jim Fox photo) |
Chef Wolfgang Puck has
returned with his Pizzeria and Cucina to be followed next month by a
steakhouse.
Dining at TAP, “Detroit’s
newest old sports pub” at MGM, we tried the flavourful house brew, Roulette Red
ale.
“TAP pays homage to Detroit
sports and architecture,” said Zac Gallo, our tour guide.
It has a curated collection of
more than 50 draught and bottled beers, including Michigan craft favourites.
The features are comfort food
and pub classics such as the Classic Burger, savoury wings, fish and chips and
fried mac-n-cheese. www.mgmgranddetroit.com;
1-888-646-3387
 |
| Hot out of the oven is the Detroit-style square deep dish pizza with Bill Kubit, assistant manager at Buddy’s in Warren. (Jim Fox photo) |
You’ve got to eat here!
It’s been here for 66 years but
we finally discovered a Detroit original – Buddy’s Restaurant Pizzeria with
nine busy locations.
“We are the originator of the
Detroit-style pizza, a Sicilian square deep dish pie,” said Larry Simone,
operations manager.
The family-run operation has
been named one of the “five best pizza places” in the U.S. by the Food Network.
 |
| Server Dawn Kiekbusch delivers the famous Detroit-style pizza, a Sicilian square deep dish pie, at Buddy’s. (Jim Fox photo) |
Mark Prakken, general manager in
Warren, said everything is made fresh daily including the soups, such as minestrone,
sauces, salad dressings and the signature antipasto, chicken tenders, wedge-cut
fries, home-style pastas and specialty pizzas.
Server Dawn Kiekbusch
said it’s a tough job “but somebody has to do it” as the staff members have to
taste-test the food before opening every day to ensure quality control.
For dessert, try the cream puff
with ice cream that’s covered with Sanders hot fudge, another Detroit original.
www.buddyspizza.com; (586)
574-9200
If you go
For details about
the $50 Visa card along with shopping and hotel information, go to www.shopgreaterdetroit.com
-30-
Jim Fox can be reached at onetanktrips@hotmail.com
For more One-Tank Trips: http://1tanktrips.blogspot.ca
No comments:
Post a Comment