Detroit Moxie's Weekend Roundup

Baseball begins today! That means it really is spring, right? Good luck to our 2011 Detroit Tigers! We’ll be cheering you on from a distance today but we’ll join you at Comerica Park real soon.

Weekend Roundup

1. The Bat Zone (Facebook link) - The Organization for Bat Conservation is throwing a birthday party for their sloth, Molasses. He's 10! Visit with Mo and his bat friends. April 1st.

2. Idiots And Angels - Head to the Detroit Film Theatre to catch this animated feature without dialogue. It promises to be funny, twisted, and possibly gross. April 1-3, 8-10.

3. Detroit covers Detroit - See your favorite local bands in a completely different way! They'll be covering other Detroit bands. Listen to Betty Cooper as The Detroit Cobras, The Hand Grenades as Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., Illy Mack as Eminem, and more. April 2nd.

4. Russell Industrial Center open house - This is a great opportunity to explore the former manufacturing plant designed by Albert Kahn and the many artists and creative professsionals that work and exhibit there, including  photographers, painters, metal sculptors, woodworkers, glassblowers, and sculptors. April 2-3.

5. Spring into Spring - The Arab American National Museum celebrates spring with games, craft activities, food, karaoke, and live butterflies at this family-focused event. April 2nd.

Don't forget! Royal Oak Restaurant Week continues through Saturday and Detroit Restaurant Week starts Friday.

Do you know of a great event going on in Metro Detroit this weekend? Add it to the comments and share it with us!

9 Truths & a Lie

I had a lot of fun with the Who the Heck is this Becks Davis Chick? post a while back and I thought I’d do something a little different this time. I’ve listed 10 things about me, 9 of them are the truth and one is a lie. A blatant lie! Or maybe it’s just a take on the truth.

Which is which?

1. I once ran a blind pig. I was underage at the time.
2. I rode a bicycle from the Twin Cities to Chicago. It took 6 days.
3. My college sweetheart's name was Chip. People would ask me if I was Dale.
4. For many years I thought I would die on April 2^nd. Yeah, it’s coming up.
5. I lived 3 blocks away from Jeffrey Dahmer. People I knew warned others about him.
6. I named my previous cat Slash so that my Guns & Roses loving friends would accept her. (And not get her drunk.)
7. I lived in a building that also housed a one-armed prostitute.
8. While I was on a first date I was asked to go to Paris a few hours later. I didn't go.
9. The thing that brought my husband and me together was a fight about brat pack films.
10. I’ve kissed Billy Joel. It was OK.

I can't believe that 9 of those statements are true either. I've had a shocking life.

So, which is the lie? Let me know 2 things in the comments: which one is the lie and which one you’d like me to write about. I can’t guarantee where this is going but I’ll do what I can. I mean, I can’t really write about the lie. Or can I?

Oh, and if you happen to know which ones are true, don't share it with the peanut gallery! I'm really curious to see which one people think is the lie.

Find out which one is the lie.

Locally made libations flowed at Drink Michigan event

The fabulous women over at Drink Michigan threw one helluva party this past Saturday night with their “Sip of Michigan” tasting event. Over 200 tickets were sold to their party at Nicky’s Willow Grill in Livonia and people who didn’t buy tickets in advance had to be turned away at the door.

Audrey Walker, co-founder of Drink Michigan said, “We were shocked and overwhelmed by the event turnout, and are very sorry that we couldn't get everyone in that wanted to attend.”

Walker, and co-founder Trisha Verma, started Drink Michigan in July of 2010 to promote and celebrate Michigan beer, wine, and spirits. It's been growing ever since.

Walker said of the successful turnout, “It just goes to prove that Michigan wine, beer and spirits are gaining steam in popularity, and the great people of Michigan are willing to drink local. The next time we do an event of that caliber, we intend to get a larger space to fit more people in a more comfortable way.”

“The coolest thing about this event for me was all the new people that we had show up.  It wasn't just our circle of friends, but really creating awareness of Michigan-made beer, wine and spirits for a group of people that don't necessarily hang out on Facebook & Twitter all day,” added Verma.

Trisha Verma, co-founder of Drink Michigan.

Henry Balanon, West Bloomfield resident and one of the founders of the Detroit food website The Hungry Dudes, said of the evening, “The event was totally sweet. A bit crowded but Trisha and Audrey plan such great events that it doesn't surprise me that it sold out. It was like a mini world expo of beer, world expo of liquor, and world expo of wine."

The room might have been small for the crowd but the selection was enormous. Six different beverage distributors were pouring Michigan-made libations throughout the room. From the wineries of Black Star Farms and L. Mawby, to craft beer from Jolly Pumpkin, Short’s, and Detroit’s own Atwater Brewery, the attendees weren't going to go thirsty.

And that's just the beer!

The spirit table was just as popular, if not more so, than the beer and wine. Personally, I fell in love with Adult Chocolate Milk. It lives up to its name and I could sip on that quite easily, for far too long. Balanon agrees, "The fan favorite was definitely the Adult Chocolate Milk. If you like White Russians, you'll love it."

One of the other spirits people were buzzing about was NutLiquor, a peanut butter flavored vodka from Pandora Spirits in Temprance, Michigan. Yep, peanut butter! They say it’s like “drinking a peanut butter cup,” and I have to agree. Yum!

The event sponsor was Brass Mug Liquor in Livonia. Verma said of owner Louie Yeldo, “He's a huge Drink Michigan supporter, and we couldn't have done it without him.” 

The event raised over $1000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Keep an eye on their website at www.drinkmichigan.org or follow them on Twitter or Facebook for more information. Walker tells me that they are planning some events on the East Side in April, which happens to be Michigan Wine Month.

Detroit Moxie's Weekend Roundup

No time for small talk and dribble drabble today. Today is about serious business. The people of Japan have gone through a horrific few weeks that I can’t even imagine. Have you done anything to help?

My friends over at Mighty Detroit have. They have a new t-shirt design out with 100% of the proceeds going towards the rebuilding and relief efforts in Japan.

Since 1805 Detroit's city motto has been "Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus" which translates to "We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes."  With every test and every obstacle, Detroit has bounced back and lifted itself up.  As much as Detroit was, is and will continue to be a "come-back" story, we, here at Mighty Detroit, cannot ignore a Japanese culture and society that has faced immeasurable obstacles and has always made a come-back.  Today, Mighty Detroit offers its help to Japan.  For an unlimited time, Mighty Detroit will donate 100% of the proceeds from every sale of the Mighty Japan t-shirt to rebuilding efforts in Japan.  Be Mighty.

 Be mighty, people, be mighty.

Weekend Roundup

1. Progress Report record release party - Hip hop duo D. Allie and Eddie Logix release their debut album at The Magic Bag. March 25th.

2. Romancing the Rustbelt - The free exhibit at Pewabic Pottery focuses on "ceramics inspired by our historic industrial past" and will showcase 10 artists. Through May 8th.

3. Lettuce Rock! - This fundraiser for the Royal Oak Community Farm features music, including The Polish Muslims, food from local establishments, and kids activities. March 26th.

4. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - Catch this classic on the big screen at The Redford Theatre and watch the zany professor invent a revolutionary car. Wackiness ensues! [Editor note: I love Dick Van Dyke, his character of Rob Petrie is my vision of the perfect man. "Oh, Rob!"] March 25-26.

5. A Sip of Michigan - Join Drink Michigan for a beer, wine, and spirit tasting. Featuring wine from Black Star Farms and L. Mawby, beer from Jolly Pumpkin and Short's, spirits from Valentine Vodka and Hard Luck Candy Flavored Vodka and many, many more. March 26th.

Do you know of a great event going on in Metro Detroit this weekend? Add it to the comments and share it with us!

Winners & Losers in Restaurant Week Marathon

Are you ready for 22 days of discounted dinners in metro Detroit? Troy, Royal Oak, and Detroit Restaurant Weeks are all overlapping this spring.

And I’m wondering if it’s too much all at the same time?

The Details:

• Troy Restaurant Week – March 20 through March 25. Lunch is $15 and dinner is $25 or $35 depending on the establishment.

• Royal Oak Restaurant Week – March 25 through April 2. Three-course meal is either $15 or $25 depending on the establishment.

• Detroit Restaurant Week – April 1 through April 10. Three-course meal for $28.

So, which cities are going to be the winners and losers in the restaurant week spring schedule?

The always-popular Detroit Restaurant Week will still shine and is going to capture the most buzz. People have been talking about it for months and have already made reservations.

Royal Oak, the new kid on the restaurant week block, will also do well. The residents of Royal Oak and surrounding communities will come out to support and to try a new eatery or two. They may stumble a bit because it’s their first time out but they’ll work it out.

Troy Restaurant Week, which has already started, is going to be the loser in this food marathon. There hasn’t been much chatter about it and it has the potentially highest price point.

Restaurant week devotees, yes they exist, are going to hold out and spend their food dollars in either Royal Oak or Detroit.

That’s my take, anyway. What’s yours?