Brain food
Now through June 18, Mitchell's Fish Market — the upscale chain that tries not to seem like a chain — will feature a special seasonal "Shrimp Sensations" menu, with prices starting at $19.95. The specials highlight regional flavors and include an entrée, selection of soup or salad, and dessert. Dishes featuring the so-called "fruit of the sea" include garlic broiled shrimp skewers (pictured), Cajun shrimp pasta, shrimp and lobster linguine, and crab-stuffed shrimp. Of Mitchell's 18 nationwide locations, three of them reside here in the Detroit area, in Birmingham (117 Willits St.; 248-646-3663) Livonia (17600 Haggerty Rd.; 734-464-3663) and Rochester Hills (370 N. Adams Rd.; 248-340-5900). All three restaurants are open seven days a week for lunch and dinner.
Marketing Detroit The newest addition to an increasingly bustling Eastern Market is a new store, Detroit Mercantile. It's the latest project from Made in Detroit founder Robert Stanzler, occupying a 1,300-square-foot space near Sala Thai, and it sort of trades in the same nostalgia that R. Hirt used to. Expect Detroit-area-made products, from clothes to music to bikes. So why mention it in our food section? That's because every Saturday customers will find Detroit-themed breakfast and lunch specials. Belly up and enjoy on market Saturdays, at 3434 Russell St., Detroit; 313-831-9000.
Chew and view Starting this week, diners at Foran's in downtown Detroit can enjoy artwork from Michelle Crimi celebrating electronic music. "Crimi recycles Detroit music into art, using instruments and music media donated to her by local musicians." Expect accompanying food and drink specials. Anyway, Foran's should be alive all weekend thanks to the energy downtown. Drop in at Foran's Grand Trunk Pub, 612 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-961-3043.
Know of any upcoming events related to food, wine, beer or gardening? Let us know! Call the column at 313-202-8043 or e-mail [email protected].
food/thought
Healthy in a Hurry: Simple, Wholesome Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
by Karen Ansel
Weldon Owen, $29.95
For those who are put off by the unending warnings about the perils of our diets, Healthy in a Hurry by Karen Ansel, MS, RD, and Charity Ferreira, begins with a guide to buying, storing and using superfoods. The recipes, not necessarily vegetarian, combine healthfulness with flavor, emphasizing the nutritional values of the ingredients. Start the day with scrambled egg chilaquiles or smoked salmon and cucumber wraps. The recipe for the alluring photo of fresh multicolored heirloom tomato and basil pasta can be put together in under 10 minutes while the pasta boils.
the works If you use a gas grill to avoid the bother of lighting charcoal and cleaning up the ashes, it's time to invest — about 150 bones — in a real grill, a Weber One Touch Gold 22.5-inch wonder that you can use to sear burgers and steaks or to smoke — low and slow — pork butts or ribs that'll give you bragging rights. A $15 chimney starter gets the charcoal going fast. The self-contained ash-catcher system makes clean-up a cinch with blades that scrape the ashes from the bowl into a removable pan. Once you taste the meat, you'll wonder what took you so long to switch.
