Queen of shots — Dubbed the "Patron Saint of Whiskey," St. Cece's Pub has bestowed upon itself quite a name to live up to. Filling the space left by Corktown's Baile Corcaigh, the pub has already drawn attention from famous pie man Rodney Harris, who stopped in for two days to dish up some of his 'dangerously delicious' pies. Sibling owners Collette, Celeste and Jerry Belanger invite guests for the affordable drinks and entertainment to 'pay homage' to Detroit's whiskey queen. It's St. Cece's Pub, at 1426 Bagley St., Detroit; 313-962-2121; saintceces.com.
Aurora Baltimorus — Special mention is due for Detroit's Northern Lights Lounge, the stylish joint in New Center that has it all: free wireless, free table shuffleboard, great food, live entertainment, a full bar and the most stylish women's room in town. They're especially proud of their entertainment, which, on Wednesdays, includes the joint's straight (not, they stress, "smooth") jazz. Or, if you'd like an affordable sampler of Northern Lights' menu, which includes everything from calamari to club sandwiches, drop in 7 p.m.-midnight on Thursdays, when all their food is half-off, and you'll also enjoy eating along with their "Sofa King Fresh" soul DJs. Note: They mix their drinks strong. At 660 W. Baltimore Ave., Detroit; 313-873-1739.
Hooked on java — You may have seen mention of the Red Hook Coffee Shop in Ferndale in this week's restaurant review, as it was the recent setting of Komodo, metro Detroit's newest pop-up Indonesian restaurant. The coffee counter is brainchild of Andrew and Sandi Heaselgrave. Sandi is a graduate of the College for Creative Studies who moved to New York for 13 years. After two years back in Detroit, Sandi and her husband have opened Red Hook in the front of Pinwheel Bakery's space. Fret not, Pinwheel fans: You'll still find all of Ann St. Peter's creative baked goods on offer, fresh from the back of the house, but with the addition of Sandi's favorite joe, Stumptown Coffee. The mom-and-pop stop quietly opened its doors last week, but they'll have a grand opening at 2-5 p.m. this Saturday, Nov. 5, with an added bonus: Pinwheel, which previously only took orders for full cakes, will offer a "cake of the day" to go with the coffee. It's all at 220 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-398-8018; theredhookdetroit.com.
Go French — New Center's Cuisine restaurant has a new weekday cocktail hour starting this Friday. The deal will feature reasonably priced hors d'oeuvres and half off all drinks. Enjoy bits of the fine French fare produced by chef-owner Paul Grosz, including tuna tartare on risotto cakes, lobster crab croquette, cheddar and brie mac-'n'-cheese drizzled with truffle oil, among other delights. Happy hour is 4-6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Cuisine is at 670 Lothrop Rd., Detroit; 313-872-5110; cuisinedetroit.com.
food/thought
Mozza Cookbook: Recipes from Los Angeles' Favorite Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria
Nancy Silverton
($35, Knopf)
Nancy Silverton has been an influential chef for years, owning both Pizzeria Mozza and Osteria Mozza in Los Angeles. In her Mozza Cookbook: Recipes from Los Angeles' Favorite Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria, she shares the recipes that have made her tables the most sought after in town — including, surprisingly, her pizzeria, whose reputation may even transcend her restaurant. With Mozza, you can now try her legendary pizzas at home — perhaps topped with homemade garlicky fennel sausage. And it's not all just pizza: You'll also find recipes for sides (Nancy's chopped salad) and desserts (salty caramel gelato).
the works Oxo does it again with another high-quality product, an easy-to-use kitchen scale. Baking requires exacting measurement of ingredients, which is better achieved by weight than volume; and diets often require specific portion sizes. Both jobs are simplified with the Oxo scale, which has an 11-pound capacity that can be measured in eighths of an ounce and 1-gram increments for exacting accuracy. Press the "zero" button with the container on the platform, allowing you to weigh only the ingredients as they are added — and zeroed again before adding more ingredients. The device even displays the remaining capacity with an easy-to-read pull-out panel. And batteries included too? Wow.
