Firebird Rises, Softly; Senator Supports Locavores

GREEKTOWN — Word out of Greektown's newest eatery, the Firebird Tavern, is that they're going all in with a soft opening this week. The small, initial opening for the historic storefront on Monroe Street is this Tuesday, with no official grand opening celebration planned at this time. The decidedly "modern" bar has plans to serve more than 40 beers and a variety of "small plates, salads, sandwiches and burgers" when the menu is finalized later in the season. [DetNews]

OLD REDFORD — There's nothing new in this ClickOnDetroit feature on the historic Redford Theatre in the city's Old Redford neighborhood, but that doesn't mean it isn't worth watching. The restored 1920s-era movie palace, owned by the Motor City Theatre Organ Society, shows old-run movies with big-time projection and pre-show organ recitals. The next movie on their late-summer calendar is the 1975 Steven Spielberg classic, 'Jaws,' showing Aug. 23 and 24 at the Lahser Road theater. The kicker quote in this feature is a real winner: "If the movie wasn't good, there was a show just looking at the theater." Seeing a movie at the Redford is definitely a show worth attending. [ClickOnDetroit]

CORKTOWN — We somehow missed this post last week over on ThrillistDetroit, but Ryan Patrick Hooper has planned out the perfect date in Corktown's newest wine bar, Motor City Wine. Some of you recently noted that the exterior of the relocated wine shop doesn't exactly inspire romantic confidence, but the stills from this fun and funny gallery guide to ordering wine like a pro at the Michigan Ave. bar and wine merchant show a lovely and rather casually elegant interior bar and exterior patio. Worth a second — or first — look, it would seem. [ThrillistDetroit]

LANSING — On August recess from her day job in Washington, D.C., U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow used part of her month at home here in Michigan to praise local food producers as a way to spread healthy food to a wider range of consumers in the state. "Buying local is a win for our economy, a win for Michigan agriculture and win for consumers who will have increasing access to healthy food choices," Sen. Stabenow told a community group at Lansing's Hunter Park GardenHouse. Sure, she's using the 'Buy Local' call as a way to draw attention to the stalled Farm Bill she helped shepherd through the Senate in June, but the local love is something everybody could get behind. Remember, we're a big Locavore city, after all. [MLive]