Inside Gather, a Wood-Fired Tribute to Eastern Market Ingredients

Brenna Houck is a Cities Manager for the Eater network. She previously edited Eater Detroit and reported for Eater. You can follow her on the internet at @brennahouck.

Eastern Market’s latest restaurant recruit, Gather, is opening imminently along Gratiot Avenue. Although a specific date hasn’t been set (the restaurant is awaiting that pesky business license), the eatery is poised to debut this week.

Developed by partners Kyle and Leah Hunt with chef Nate Vogeli, Gather will feature a American menu that focuses on products offered at Eastern Market. The restaurant’s cornerstone will be dishes prepared on a wood-fired grill. Kyle Hunt tells Eater that menus will cycle regularly with changes in seasonal produce and the various offerings from local farm stands. During its launch, diners can expect burgers, grilled artichoke and lemon butter cream pasta, whole fish with sticky rice and veggies, charred wings, market salads, and more.

The partners have created a similarly curated menu for the bar. “We really take pride in quality over the quantity,” Kyle says. Look out for a boozy house slushie — the opening menu features frozen rosé — and roughly five cocktails prepared exclusively with Detroit City Distillery’s spirits. Gather will also offer six varieties of wine and six different styles of beer from around the world.

Renovations of the brick building near Trinosophes and Antietam have been underway since last summer and were partially funded by a $20,000 Kickstarter campaign. Now in its completed form, the restaurant seats 34 patrons including four seats at the bar. Three communal tables fill the dining room, each seating 10 customers. An open grill and kitchen area is located at the back of the restaurant. Photographers Michelle and Chris Gerard got a first-look at Gather ahead of the anticipated debut. Take a peek around Eastern Market’s new gathering spot in the gallery below.

The glass door at the entrance to Gather looks in on a dining room with communal seating and schoolhouse chairs.

Tables in rows with school house-style wood chairs at Gather in Eastern Market.

The brick building that houses Bunny Bunny and Collect is shown from the street on a cloudy day in Detroit.

Gather is expected to open any day now at 1454 Gratiot Avenue; the restaurant will open from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday; and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. for brunch service and dinner service on Saturday. Website.

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