Still revolving — Tunde Wey may have moved on from Hamtramck's Revolver, but the weekly pop-up is still hosting some high-toned names in its kitchen. Their Dec. 21 dinner featuring former Cliff Bell's chef Matt Baldridge sold out in six hours. Next up is Michael Barrera, formerly of Birmingham's Streetside Seafood, doing a New Year's Eve dinner, and then a "wild game dinner" with James Rigato of the Root on Jan. 16. For more information, see revolverhamtramck.com.
King of Clubs — Bummed that Baldridge's dinner is sold out? No worries. You can still have a meal prepared by Baldridge at the Dinner Club, a Ferndale-based pop-up that can even accommodate large parties when contacted far enough in advance. Curious? Email [email protected].
Midday Mediterranean — Ann Arbor's lunch crowd can rejoice with the announcement of expanded hours at Mezzevino. The small plates restaurant would seem a perfect fit for a business lunchers who don't want to doze at their desks. What's more, Mediterranean cuisine is unusually light and fresh to begin with. But if you want something a bit decadent, you could always try the loukoumades, a house-made freshly fried pastry bathed in honey and topped with cinnamon and white sesame. Mezzevino is at 120 E. Liberty St., Ann Arbor; 888-456-3463; mezzevino.com.
Local heroics — We always love hearing that a restaurant is committed to sourcing its food locally, though we don't often expect to hear about it in the exurbs. Yet, that's the promise made by Twisted Rooster, out in Chesterfield, just off M-59 and I-94. The Twisted Rooster crew calls it "Commit to the Mitt," and it means identifying and developing relationships with local vendors and suppliers to keep the money their customers spend in the Great Lakes State. They're at 45225 Marketplace Blvd., Chesterfield; 586-949-1470; see twisted-rooster.com for their Belleville location.
Dearborn on Woodward — Crave Sushi Bar and Restaurant opened more than 10 years ago in Dearborn. But by the time this rag hits the streets, Crave Ferndale should have opened its doors. We hear it won't be open for lunch on a daily basis right away, but there will be brunch 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Dinner hours will be 4-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 4-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 4-9 p.m. Sunday, at 22726 Woodward Ave., Ferndale.
Easy axis — Looking to sit back and enjoy life in style? Look no further than Axis Lounge at MGM Grand Detroit. It's more than 7,000 square feet of posh retro Motown-inspired decorating job that ran $3 million. It has live music, drinks, and a state-of-the-art sound system. Take a seat on that long, plush purple couch and enjoy high energy, Motown and top 40 Friday-Saturday, acoustic and cover bands Sunday-Wednesday, and jazz Thursday. It's at 1777 Third St., Detroit; 877-888-2121; mgmgranddetroit.com.
Loose lips — This year, we saw more hot spots open in the city than ever before, and it seems like a trend that is going to continue for the foreseeable future with the opening of such venues as Punch Bowl Social and HopCat, where we look forward to joining the throngs standing in line to get in. In the last week, we've heard of no fewer than two chefs, one bar owner, and one pop-up operator who are either scouting locations in the city or are awaiting licenses or active construction. Hold onto your menus, Detroiters. 2015 is going to be a busy year.
