A new cocktail bar and live music venue is readying to open its doors in Detroit’s North Rosedale Park.
Located at 19566 Grand River Ave., Miss Eva’s Detroit has a Harlem Renaissance, “speakeasy”-style vibe complete with a low-key entrance in the back of the building.
The project is led by Jay Williams, who grew up down the street.
“With the resurgence happening in our city, there is a lot of incredible activity happening in Detroit’s downtown — which is great,” Williams said in a press release. “We also want to bring some of that love back into the neighborhoods.”
The club is celebrating its opening with a star-studded series of concerts, including Charity featuring the Klouds Band on Friday, Nov. 29; Isis Damil on Friday, Dec. 6 and Saturday, Dec. 7, Angela Davis on Friday, Dec. 13, Thornetta Davis on Saturday, Dec. 14; Mahogany Jones on Friday, Dec. 20; jessica Care moore on Saturday, Dec. 21; and Brandon Williams on Saturday, Dec. 28.
“Traditionally, in Detroit, you’d have a bar within walking distance of your home,” Mike Monford, Miss Eva’s Detroit music director, said in a statement. “You could go to the corner and check out jazz musicians like Donald Byrd or another big Detroit name on any given night. Jay is bringing this back.”
Additional performances will be announced throughout the winter, with a formal grand opening planned for later this spring.
The bar is named after Williams’s grandmother, Eva Marie Franklin, who was a music lover, pillar of the community, and entrepreneur who opened a restaurant in Idlewild, Michigan’s popular African American vacation destination.
Williams wants Miss Eva’s to be a celebration of African American culture, including the bar program, which highlights Black-owned and Detroit-based brands. Its craft cocktails menu features drinks like the Parliament, (Two James Grass Widow bourbon, muscovado sugar, tobacco bitters, Ethiopian liqueur, and smoke) and the Spruce (IslandJon Vodka, toasted pecan, and cream, shaken and served in a coupe glass with a dark chocolate garnish).
“I might be biased, but my grandmother was one of the greatest women ever,” Williams said. “She was not only beautiful and always dressed to the nines, but she was also strong and intelligent.”
More information is available at missevasdetroit.com.
