Food, Fun, and Fiction (2024)

16/12/2023

Nikki Glaser is such a champ. She brought her “Good Girl” tour to The Fillmore on Dec. 2, and I feel like she didn’t stop to breathe for one minute. It was like a comedic sprint, but she had everyone constantly laughing with her quick wit.

This was my first time seeing her live, and I’ll be honest, I was unsure about whether or not I would like her show. I feared it would be too raunchy for my taste. I almost ended up not going, but I’m so glad I did. I was enthralled with her the entire night.

Her show felt like having a conversation with her or how it would be listening to her tell stories in real life which I liked because it eliminates any kind of celebrity persona.

I would definitely see her live again.

15/12/2023

Taste of Marrakech was one of four featured food vendors at the First Taste: Africa event earlier this year, and they were serving up pitas with tender beef and lamb meat topped with a pickled salad. It was the perfect street food to walk the grounds with and so flavorful.

Follow them on Instagram to see where they might pop up next.

Taste of Marrakech
⭐ 3 out of 5

13/12/2023

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Easily, one of the best books I’ve read in a long time, and the story is so beautifully woven together. Hello Beautiful is one of Oprah’s Book Club picks for good reason. It is a story of hardship and hope that weaves you through complicated family dynamics and how those relationships change as parents pass away, children are born, and whether people choose to leave or stay.

The storyline primarily centers around two sisters who grew up attached at the hip, but everything changes when one goes to NYC to start a new life and break free from toxic family relationships to start anew. This book is full of surprises, so I won’t give away much more than that. Trust me, you’ll want to read this book for yourself.

09/12/2023

On Dec. 1, Chelsea Handler brought her “Little Big Bitch” tour to the Fisher Theatre in Detroit. This was my second time seeing her live stand-up show, and I loved it. Her physical comedy is gold, and I love the way she tells stories. Not to mention, I’ve always admired how confident she is in herself, how unafraid she is to tell it like it is and push back at people. I also liked that she attracts a wide audience from men, women, and non-binary of all ages from 20-70+.

Adorned in her denim jumper, she regaled us with stories from her childhood, relationship with her different family members, her visit to George Bush’s estate Kennebunkport, Covid tales and more.

She’s currently touring all over the country so I highly recommend going to see her show.

08/12/2023

Through one of our city’s sustainability initiatives, we signed up to receive a free rain barrel to put in our backyard. Throughout the summer, we used it occasionally to water our grass and garden, but we had so much rain, we didn’t use it as much as I would’ve liked. However, should we ever experience a drought, it’s nice to have one, and it's much more cost effective than using our sprinkler system.

Rain, rain, come our way. Keep our grass green all damn day!

06/12/2023

Happiness Falls by Angie Kim - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A phenomenal read that had me hooked until the very end. Tragedy befalls a family when the father suddenly goes missing while he’s out at the park with his autistic son. The son, not being able to communicate, leaves the family to retrace the steps of where they were that day and try and think like the father would to understand what could’ve happened.

Alongside trying to solve the case, the family uncovers some of the father’s secrets and endures struggles and triumphs in being able to communicate with the son to find out what happened. Very smartly written and a highly recommended read.

02/12/2023

Over the summer, Sucrée - mobile dessert parlor was a vendor on site at many of the Dodge Park Thursday nights in Sterling Heights, and a hot summer night calls for a milkshake.

And not just any milkshake. I ordered their Bumpy Cake shake, a sweet, decadent chocolate milkshake topped with bumpy cake and whipped cream. It not only kept me cool, it also helped satiate my sweet tooth.

Follow them on Instagram and head to their website to check out their menu and where they’ll be popping up next.

Sucree
⭐ 3 out of 5

01/12/2023

Truthfully, I’ve not eaten enough Ethiopian food to know what I’m talking about, but chicken tibs is my idea of what seems like classic comfort food. Earlier this year, at the First Taste: Africa event in Birmingham, Konjo Me was serving up chicken tibs and curried peas wrapped in a thin piece of injera. It was the perfect marriage of sour, creamy, herbs, and tender chicken.

Follow them on Instagram to see where they’ll be poppin’ up next.

👉 Konjo Me
⭐ 4 out of 5

29/11/2023

Evergreen by Naomi Hirahara - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Evergreen centers around Aki and her family as they resettle in California after living in the Japanese American internment camps. Aki works as a nurse's aide in a hospital, and she unexpectedly finds herself in the middle of a murder case when Babe Watanabe’s (her husband’s best friend) father is found lifeless in a hotel room. She takes it upon herself and puts her life at risk to get to the bottom of the case and find out if Babe was the murderer. In doing so, she gets a look into communities caught up in drugs and abuse. I thought this was a very well written story, and it had me engrossed from the first chapter.

25/11/2023

Happy 35th Birthday to me! 🥳🎂

24/11/2023

Papelon Arepa Bar is the first arepa food truck serving the Metro Detroit area. The owners hail from Venezuela and have been serving the community since 2019. Since they’ve gone mobile, they tend to frequent breweries around Ferndale, Oak Park, St. Clair Shores and occasionally Ann Arbor.

As my foodie adventures continue, I tracked them down on one of their brewery stops and tried the Pabellon arepa with shredded chicken, black beans, sweet fried plantains, and cheese. Not a whole lot of flavor but tons of texture between meats, veg, and cheese.

Catch up with Papelon on Instagram and see where they’re stopping next.

Papelon Arepa Bar
⭐ 3.5 out of 5

22/11/2023

Tomb Sweeping by Alexandra Chang - ⭐⭐⭐

Tomb Sweeping is a collection of short stories covering an array of different perspectives including immigrant families, grocery store employees, expecting parents, and guileless lab assistants.

We meet a woman known only to her neighbors as “the Asian recycling lady” who collects bottles from the streets, a young college grad pondering the void left from a broken friendship, an unfulfilled housewife in Shanghai who finds a secret outlet for her ambitions in an undercover gambling den and two strangers who become something more through the bond of mistaken identity.

Strange as it sounds, all of the stories were engaging when I was reading them but not memorable.

18/11/2023

Hasan Minhaj brought his “Off with His Head” tour to the Fox Theatre on Nov. 3, and he put on a great show! He touched on an array of topics like the Hunter Biden scandal, his recent “beef” with the New Yorker, growing up in an Indian family, how many of the country's issues don’t need rebranding, they need fixing, and so much more. His physical comedy is gold, and I really appreciated his interaction with the audience.

Paul Elia, who was born and raised in Detroit, opened the show, and he was such a great storyteller. He has a new special coming out soon called “Detroit Player,” so be sure to watch it when it drops mid-December.

17/11/2023

We had a wall in our basement that was due for a facelift. It was originally painted a navy blue by the previous owners, but we decided it was time for a fresh look. As a couples summer project, we decided to do a geometric patterned accent wall featuring a combo of our favorite colors (pink and orange) and a “neutral” color. It definitely brightened up the space downstairs. It turned out so good that I decided to paint one of the walls in my office too.

For my office, we did shades of green, and it came out even better. Now my office reflects the colors of a cherry blossom tree, and I couldn’t be happier.

There’s something very cathartic and relaxing about painting. I am by no means good at it (haven’t put in 10,000 hours after all), but it’s definitely enjoyable.

If anyone is looking to do something similar in their home, I’m available for hire. 😂

15/11/2023

The Day the World Stops Shopping by J.B. Mackinnon - ⭐⭐⭐

This book was hard to read because the material was very dry. It had some very valid points to how our overconsumption of material goods expedites the Earth’s decay, but the book lost its way about halfway through.

That said, I do think this is an Important, eye-opening read about how, especially in America, we’ve prioritized the wrong things and are constantly chasing things that don’t make us happy despite what the media would have us believe otherwise and are killing the planet faster than we can keep up.

11/11/2023

Trevor Noah recently stopped in Detroit for his “Off the Record” tour, and it was a fantastic show. It was my third time seeing his standup live, and without a doubt, he gets better every time. I’m endlessly in awe of his talent and knack for storytelling, accents, and physical comedy. His specials always flow so smoothly and regardless of what anyone from the audience might shout out, he never misses a beat. He’s bright, sharp, witty, he does his research and is just a very well-rounded comedian.

For his sold out show at the Fox Theatre, no cameras or phones were allowed inside the venue. Everyone received a Yondr pouch to put their phone in that could only be unlocked with a special device. Reason being is because Trevor chose to film his next Netflix show here in Detroit which is a huge honor.

Overall, it was a great night of laughs and stories, and I’m already looking forward to the day he comes back again.

10/11/2023

Hummus where the heart is. Tim and I LOVE Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food. Thankfully, we have an abundant Arab and Chaldean community here in Michigan which means no shortage of delicious places to eat.

Check out a few of my favorites from around Metro Detroit.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Fattoush
Sheeba Restaurant
Green Cedar
La Fresh Mediterranean Grill

⭐⭐⭐
Hungry Habibi
Bucharest Grill

08/11/2023

At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities by Heather Webber - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ava upheaves her life from a small town in the Midwest to move down to Alabama to become a caretaker for an older gentleman. She ends up also working at his daughter’s coffee shop part-time. She lives with the father only to discover that he doesn’t really need care and that he’s been having a secret affair.

Coffee Shop of Curiosities is a heart-tugging story about finding friendship in unexpected places, grief, and taking chances that can actually change our lives for the better.

04/11/2023

Boys Like Girls brought their Speaking Our Language tour to The Fillmore Detroit on Oct. 22 with a stacked lineup. The night kicked off with Every Avenue, a band local to Michigan and whose music was in the mix of emo pop rock that I grew up on. Their set was only the beginning of my walk down memory lane full of nostalgia.

Lolo surprised me. Her music gives me Avril Lavigne vibes with a mix of Jax and even Olivia Rodrigo. She’s such a badass, and her songs were heavy on the subject of mental illness and intrusive thoughts we all deal with but so easy to rock out to. She’s very blunt and unafraid, and I think she’s got a great career ahead of her.

The Summer Set was great as always. Another one of those bands that I’d jam out to on long drives between college and home or out-of-state trips. Their drummer, Jess Bowen, is such a badass bitch. She sliced open her finger on one of their first numbers, bleeding all over her overalls, but continued to play anyway. 🤘

Boys Like Girls played nearly a 2-hour set featuring every song you’d want to hear. It was great to hear the hits that defined my high school and college years. They put on a great show as always, but it can’t compare to the first show I ever saw at St. Andrews in 2006 or even in Boston in 2016 surrounded by friends. It’s wild to think that my relationship with this band started in AOL chat rooms and Myspace, and now we all have families, significant others, and some have children.

Glad that they’re back. I don’t know if I’ll attend any other shows in the future, but I'm looking forward to seeing where this new music cycle takes them.

02/11/2023

Dear Bakehouse 46, what’s your secret to consistently fluffy, moist cupcakes? Inquiring minds want to know. I’ve had a fair number of cupcakes in my day, and now when the craving hits, it’s always Bakehouse that I think of first. If I had any authority to be dishing out awards, they would definitely win most delicious cupcake chain.

Like I said, their cupcakes are soft, the buttercream is so smooth and always complements the cupcakes, and I appreciate their rotating menu of unique flavors every month.

Though they have multiple locations around the Metro Detroit area, I am patiently waiting for the day they open a Sterling Heights location so I don’t have drive 30+ minutes to satiate my sweet tooth.

👉 Bakehouse 46
📍 301 W Nine Mile Rd, Ferndale, MI (multiple locations)
⭐ 4 out of 5

31/10/2023

Not only am I a sucker for delicious sweets but desserts that are beautifully made and presented. Gâteaux Patisserie hit all the marks on this. In fact, they hit it out of the ball park.

After dinner with friends, I made my way over and ordered a chocolate éclair, chocolate tart, and chocolate cake (I really like chocolate, can you tell?). From the crack of the chocolate frosting on top of the éclair and the creamy chocolate mousse inside to the sheen over the chocolate tart, rich mousse inside, and cracker crust, everything was so friggin’ delicious!

Get there ASAP! Try one of everything.

👉 Gateaux Patisserie
📍 1006 S Military St, Dearborn, MI
⭐ 4 out of 5

30/10/2023

Jada Pinkett Smith brought her book tour to Detroit to celebrate the release of her first memoir, Worthy. The evening was hosted by The Cube in downtown Detroit featuring MC Lyte as the host/moderator. By the time the event rolled around, I was 75% done with the book so everything that Jada talked about didn’t come as a surprise, but I was thankful that she shared parts of her journey and story with us here in Detroit.

The event was very quick. It was slated to go for 90 minutes, but she was only there for an hour. My only complaints are that I felt like MC Lyte’s questions were long-winded and she often went on tangents which consumed most of the conversation. I wish that Jada had more of the floor. And prior to the event, guests were emailed to submit questions to ask Jada, but they never did that portion.

Otherwise, as someone who admires the work Jada has done in terms of activism, Red Table Talk, and her art, I was thrilled to be in the audience and share space for an hour.

28/10/2023

Why do regular yoga when you can take it up a notch by having some furry friends roaming around? 🐐 Youngblood Vineyard hosts “Tiny Goat Yoga” sessions throughout the warmer months into the fall which is really a session to play with and feed some goats with some easy yoga interspersed throughout.

The day I went had decent temperatures outside but the wind made it difficult to focus and somewhat unbearable to be outside for long (this coming from someone with an aversion to the cold).

There were 36 people in attendance along with the goats, 2 chickens, 2 pigs, and 3 big, fluffy Bernese Mountain dogs. The goats were bigger than I thought. If they stood up on their two hind legs, they could reach my shoulders.

The goats didn’t sit on our backs at all, but we were handed animal crackers that we could feed them. As soon as the cookies were in hand, the goats came right up to you in swarms which was a HOOT. They’re very food-driven animals. I would totally do this again, but on a much warmer day.

26/10/2023

It doesn’t bode well when you pull up a list of top dim sum restaurants around Detroit and at least 2 of them are across the river in Windsor, Canada. I’ve had a hard time finding good dim sum here. The popular places that make the list every year like Shangri La and Golden Harvest don’t make the cut for me.

Golden Harvest has a huge dining room and apparently is packed full come Sunday mornings. All that said, I wasn’t overly impressed. Many of these places, while it may not be true, taste like most of the food was just pulled out of the freezer and not made fresh. That may very well be the case, but that’s not what I’m looking for.

Perhaps the bar is set too high from my previous trips to Hong Kong and China where the dim sum comes at a premium. Golden Harvest is decent, and it seems to come in the shadows of Shangri La, but the food is decent and plentiful.

👉 Golden Harvest
📍 6880 Twelve Mile Rd, Warren, MI
⭐ 3 out of 5

24/10/2023

Lighter by Yung Pueblo - ⭐⭐

This book was difficult to get through. I appreciated the story of his journey to healing, but otherwise it was a little too new age-y for me and hard to grasp in terms of what you can do to better your life.

22/10/2023

The mystery continues with part 2 of my favorite spooky, thrilling reads. Have you read any of these? If not, what are some of your favorite mystery reads? 👻

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Measure
The House Across the Lake

⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Paris Apartment
Acts of Violet

⭐⭐⭐
Wrong Place Wrong Time

21/10/2023

Without a doubt, Ginza-Ramen is the closest thing to ramen in Japan that I’ve found here in Metro Detroit. It’s a bit out of the way from where I live so it’s always a real treat to go here.

I appreciate the attention to detail from the curtains hanging from the ceiling and fake food display in the window to show you what’s on the menu to the umami flavor of the broth and texture of the noodles. Not to mention the perfectly cooked hard-boiled egg with a runny yolk.

Get here ASAP if you’re looking for an authentic (mostly) taste of Japan.

👉 Ginza Ramen
📍 6866 N Rochester Rd, Rochester Hills, MI
⭐ 4.5 out of 5

19/10/2023

Let me give you something to TACO ‘bout. Paradise Street Eats & Biryani was on site at the Night Market at Eastern Market, and because many of the local Detroit inFOODencers raved about this food truck, they were on my shortlist of vendors to try. And let me tell you, Paradise Street Eats CAME THROUGH!

I ordered their butter chicken tacos (mild), and they came topped with crispy butter chicken, chaat vegetables, chutney, and cilantro. They were juicy, tangy, and mouth wateringly delicious. So much so that I still think about those tacos at least once a week.

Do yourself a favor and either follow them on Instagram to see where they’re popping up next or visit one of their brick and mortar shops in Dearborn and Detroit. Thank me later.

👉 Paradise Street Eats
⭐ 4 out of 5

17/10/2023

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The thing I love about books by Japanese authors that have been translated into English is that they don’t always have extensive storylines, plot twists, or drama. Instead, they excel at dropping you into a place, a scene, an environment or someone’s life and all the things we would consider mundane tasks and somehow make them extraordinary and fairytale-like. The main character, Takako, goes to live with her uncle and the book covers her story about working in her uncle’s bookshop, a developing love interest, and how she stands back on her own 2 feet.

15/10/2023

We’re getting in the Halloween spirit with a handful of my favorite thriller and mystery books. 🎃

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Girl on the Train - Paula Hawkins
Blue Light Yokohama - Nicolas Obregon

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Saving Sophie - Ronald H. Balson
The Woman in Cabin 10 - Ruth Ware

⭐⭐⭐
Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern

14/10/2023

🚨 We’ve got another 5-star winner on our hands. Hands down, So Gong D**g Tofu & BBQ has become my new favorite Korean restaurant in town.

I ordered the pork bento meal, and the amount of food I got for the money I paid was phenomenal. The set came complete with spicy pork bulgogi the way I like it, rice, dumplings, salad, and japchae. Plenty of food to serve 2 people or keep for leftovers.

Get there ASAP and enjoy yourself a warm, DELICIOUS dinner!

👉 So Gong D**g Tofu & BBQ
📍 1446 W Maple Rd, Troy, MI
⭐ 5 out of 5

12/10/2023

Been waiting for Cotton Cake Japanese Cheesecake to open for months. Anticipation was high, but I’ve been duped. I was underwhelmed by their cheesecake.

Yes, it was light and airy, like a custard sweet bread masked as a cheesecake, but it needs a sauce and toppings to go with it to really bring it home. In general, I think the recipe could use some refining.

👉 Cotton Cake Japanese Cheesecake
📍 4956 John R Rd, Troy, MI
⭐ 3 out of 5

10/10/2023

The Dark by Emma Haughton - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was a murder mystery that had me on edge of my seat until the very end. The Dark is a thriller story of a team of researchers on assignment in Antarctica for 8 months. Kate has been selected as the emergency replacement doctor after the previous on-site doctor died in a tragic accident, but she quickly suspects his death wasn’t an accident at all. It gives an inside look as to what life can be like down there when you’re stuck without any way out due to dangerous weather conditions with so many twists and turns intertwined.

07/10/2023

Greening of Detroit is a non-profit focused on enhancing the quality of life for Detroiters by planting trees, providing job training and involving our youth in the education of the natural environment.

A group of friends and I volunteered on Saturday, Sept. 30. Sun was shining and nearly 100 volunteers gathered to plant 95 trees along two residential streets in a Mexicantown neighborhood. Since there were so many volunteers, most people only got to plant 1-2 trees, and let me tell you it was a lot of work just to plant one tree but worth the effort.

A lot more goes into planting trees than I realized from making sure the hole you dig is twice the width of the base of the tree, making sure the tree is standing up straight when you roll it into the hole, building a wall of mulch, and giving the tree about 2 buckets full of water.

While we were planting our tree, we even had one little girl from one of the houses on the street who wanted to help us shovel dirt back around the tree. She was a rockstar.

They do weekly plantings from spring through fall so if you want to donate your time, get your hands dirty, and help beautify a neighborhood or park, check out their website at greeningofdetroit.com

05/10/2023

🚨 Hold the phone. We’ve got another 5-star review! This one goes to Khana, perhaps the most deserving of a 5-star review so far.

I want you to understand the commitment I put in to getting their phenomenal chicken sandoori (tandoori sandwich). This was back at the Hospitality Included Fest on Aug. 6. Let me give you some context.

Khana was named runner up on this past season of Great Food Truck Race on the Food Network so there was already a lot of hype surrounding them and my expectations were high. They had the longest line at the festival of any food vendor that stretched nearly the entire length of the courtyard. I waited in line for roughly 45 minutes to order and another 30-45 to get my food. While I waited for my order, it started pouring rain, and I had to huddle under their tent with others who were waiting for their food! Food secured, I ran to my car after getting soaked and devoured the sandwich in 5 minutes.

It was worth every minute I waited and every inch of clothing that got soaked so you KNOW they’re that good.

Follow them on Instagram NOW and find out where they’re poppin’ up next!

👉 Khana Detroit
⭐ 5 out of 5

03/10/2023

The It Girl by Ruth Ware - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book surprised me. Loved this book a lot more than I thought it would, and it had an ending that I didn’t see coming. In awe of the level of thought and detail that went into this book as we follow Hannah’s journey into her university days and the details that unfold of her roommate turned best friend, April.

30/09/2023

Vicente's Cuban Cuisine is consistently rated as one of the best restaurants in Detroit. Personally, I ordered the Arroz Con Pollo which is a dish of chicken with saffron rice and plantains, and I thought the food was just OK. Truth be told though, I don’t know that Cuban food is known for being all that flavorful.

The dining room is huge which makes it great for large parties, and I liked their stage towards the back of the restaurants. I’m sure it’s a much more exciting atmosphere when they have live music. I don’t think I would go back, but don’t take my word for it. Go try Vicente’s for yourselves.

👉 Vicente’s Cuban Cuisine
📍 1250 Library St, Detroit, MI
⭐ 3 out of 5

28/09/2023

When we’re craving tacos, Taco Tienda Mexicana is always our first pick. Tienda is half market, half taco restaurant and always busy, buzzing with Spanish speakers (usually a good indication of the quality of the food), and always delicious and filling.

The chicken tinga tacos are, by far, my favorite, topped with guacamole of course.

Get here ASAP and support a local business.

👉 Tienda Mexicana
📍 31642 John R Rd, Madison Heights, MI
⭐ 4.5 out of 5

26/09/2023

Chef Amado Lopez of Casa Amado was named a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation in January 2023. As someone who is always on the lookout for delicious tacos, naturally, I had to go give them a try.

Their pork and chicken tacos were indeed phenomenal, but I didn’t care too much for the Seema taco. It was too sour for my taste, but otherwise absolutely deserving of all the praise and recognition they’ve received thus far.

👉 Casa Amado
📍 2705 Coolidge Hwy, Berkley, MI
⭐ 4 out of 5

23/09/2023

You really AUTUMN know that I’m a summer girl through and through, BUT I am looking forward to fires in the fireplace, leaves changing color, bonfires outside, S’MORES, apple picking, sweater weather, cuddling up in cozy blankets, and hot chocolate and lattes and tea.

Happy Fall, Y’all! 🍂🍁🍎