The grand opening of Brew Detroit’s new kitchen is on August 13, 2022, and their secret ingredient is Chef Tara Abdusshakur. She is beautiful, funny, talented and she’s got green sharpies! More about the green sharpies in a minute.
Brew Detroit’s New Kitchen
First, why a kitchen? Why now? Why here? Xena Shaban-Schelter, Brew Detroit’s general manager, was the right person to ask.
“The Brew Detroit’s owner had been interested for years in adding a kitchen. Certain foods go nicely with beer. The Idea was always brewing. Days and years passed, and finally, the right heads merged together.”
The Menu
In an interview posted on Brew Detroit’s Facebook page, Chef Tara talks about it. “When I was building the menu, I wanted it to be extremely Detroit area, city focused. You know, I wanted to pull in as many people as I could out of the Metro Detroit Area. Utilizing urban farmers and small batch companies. That is my whole mind of how I went into this.” There is no doubt after watching the interview that Chef Tara is excited to pair beer with food in Brew Detroit.
Reuben Fritters
“The menu was very carefully picked for you. Every item on the menu is unique and has its own taste. And that’s why the Reuben Fritters are exceptional. Especially when you take that first bite, they’re crispy on the outside and warm on the inside. They melt in your mouth like when you eat a taco or a nacho or like a Reuben sandwich,” said Shaban-Schelter.
I wanted to lick the plate when I finished eating my Reuben Fritta. It was that good.
Chronic Fries
I thought this could be bad news when they sat those lovelies on our table. I was right. The SarVecchio Parmesan cheese is an interesting pairing with the balsamic, bacon rosemary. As the name suggests, it is hard to stop eating them.
Detroit Hot Honey Bites
I’m not too fond of chicken, so I tried to say no thanks. Chuck snagged one and bit into it. The look on his face suggested I better get a bite – the crunch, OMG. Do not say, “No, thank you to the Detroit Hot Honey Bites.” The honey is from T.M. Kline & Sons in Saint Charles, Michigan.
Pietrzyk Pierogi Duo
Ours were potatoes pierogies, but they were not the star of this dish. Sorry, the caramelized onions with Cerveza Delray Oscura beer stole the show.
The Smokey Haystack
The description reminded me of a jingle, “Smoked BBQ beef brisket, coleslaw, and BD Signature BBQ sauce on a brioche bun.” I wanted to break out into song. “What is in the BD Signature BBQ sauce? It is delicious,” I asked. Chef Tara had no problems sharing, “It’s the 313 Polish Lager.”
Pizza
Even the pizza dough is made with the Cerveza Delray beer, which won the 2018 Bronze International Style Pilsener at the American Beer Festival. Cerveza Delray is described as “Clean. Crisp. & Easy Drinking. Pilsner, Vienna, & Munich malt were used in the brewing process. Munich malt adds a touch of sweetness and complexity while complimenting the cascade hops.” The pizza crust was thin and had just a touch of sweetness. Chuck’s favorite was The Joe. Hot. Hot. Hot. I wrote in my notes. The arrabbiata sauce paired with pepperoni and hot italian sausage make for one spicy dish. My favorite was the Red Wing. It has crispy fried chicken, garlic cream sauce, cheese, and tangy buffalo sauce. The garlic cream sauce is magical.
We didn’t sample the Dearborn pizza. Shaban-Schelter said, “all the ingredients are from Dearborn, and they’re like Mediterranean different. Put them all together. You have this explosion of flavor in your mouth.”
The Bear
I promised I’d return to the green sharpies. (More about Episode 7 of the Bear – Sharpie is never just a Sharpie.) We asked Chef if she’d watched The Bear, the new series on Hulu. The question nearly brought her to her knees. “OMG! Yes!” she said between sweet bubbles of laughter. She assured us Brew Detroit’s kitchen was nothing like that kitchen, but they do address each other as “Chef” out of respect. She has nicknames for everyone on her team. Their pizza chef, Lenny, has been nicknamed Chef Kravitz.
More Pictures
Clearly with food this delicious in a warm and welcoming space, we can’t wait to head back to Brew Detroit and bring all our friends. We’ve got a few more shots of tantalizing food and beers in our gallery. Please take a peek and let us know what you think. Leave a comment and show some love by sharing this post. Oh, and let us know when you are heading out to Brew Detroit yourself so we can tag along!
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