Funviralpark Is there one restaurant that you felt was really committed to the local community? How did they do that?
Melody Betensrestaurant critic/reporter, detroit news: There were a lot! But to name a few off the top of my head… Whenever there’s been tragedy, whether it’s the closure of Batch Brewing Company Roast, the El Rey fire, or the death of Tim Wyjinkowski, there’s Steven Loginson and Batch and they’re doing something. helped or provided.
Courtney BurkeContributor, Eater Detroit: Coriander Kitchen and Farm, Pizzaplex, Avalon, Mallow. We deliberately source local ingredients, support farmers in our communities, and strive to reduce food waste for the environment. It’s sad that what they are doing is not easy and should not be the industry standard.
selina maria danielsCity of Detroit Editor, Eater: The baristas at the now-defunct Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Company deserve credit for organizing one of the biggest local labor strikes this year. Unionization of service industry workers was a national topic of 2022, as employees at Starbucks, Amazon and other domestic brands demand safe working conditions and fair wages. Barista, a regional coffee shop chain, has been at the forefront of this movement in Detroit, forcing another major Michigan chain, Meijer, to rethink its relationship with coffee companies. The cafe’s flagship Midtown location is now Red Hook, and its two Her Meijer spots have been replaced by Avalon.
lindsey greenRestaurant and Dining Critic, Detroit free press: Ladder 4 has really improved the community dining experience. For the work Jon Jelinek has done to curate a menu of quality food and the effort the team has put into bringing in exceptional culinary talent from big cities like New York for the guest chef’s dinner. In between, this place has consistently produced some excellent meals.
Mark Kurlyanczykeditor-in-chief, frame: I didn’t go that far this year, but I was a big fan of Batch Brewing Co. in Corktown and its owner Stephen Roginson’s community-oriented initiatives. Anyone familiar with Batch will know all about how Stephen and his crew show up for the people of Detroit, but the most obvious proof of this is Taqueria El Rey’s devastating Batch opened its doors and welcomed the El Rey team for its weekly residency. This allowed the Southwestern Detroit institution to retain some staff and maintain revenue during the rebuilding. If it’s not a good neighbor, I don’t know what it is.
Mickey LionsContributor, Eater Detroit: Rosa Coffee Shop in Grandmont Rosedale only opened this year, but the business is the result of generations of commitment to the neighborhood. Owner Charity Dean’s great-grandparents were one of the area’s first black residents, and she hosts events for community members and nonprofits such as the Black Business Alliance and Accounting Aid Society. Continuing their legacy by hosting
Carlos Parisifounder, host, Aunt KneeSandwich Talk Podcast: You’d have to give it up for Marrow, where countless people have come and gone and learned and moved to create their own vision of dining. Just highlighting that they have pop-ups around town shows how much Marrow cares about bringing out the best in their passionate food creators.
