Dueling Lobster Feasts Hit Metro Detroit This Summer

It’s going to be a great summer for seafood fans. Dueling lobster events are heading to metro Detroit in July and August. Mudgie’s Deli and Hazel, Ravines and Downtown will each host their own limited-time crustacean celebrations beginning this month.

Mudgie’s most talked about event of the year, Lobster Week returns at the end of the month with lovely, plump lobster rolls served from Monday, July 22 through Saturday, July 27 in Corktown. The menu takeover at the neighborhood restaurant and wine bar is known for drawing huge lines. Last year, the restaurant made an estimated 8,000 rolls for eager customers. The Mudgie’s sandwiches feature Golden Wheat bakery rolls filled with lettuce, dill, celery, chives, and a big helping of knuckle and claw meat tossed in mayonnaise. Mudgie’s gets lobster shipments arrive daily during the week from Maine. Get there early and follow the restaurant’s social media accounts throughout the week to keep track of the lobster supply.

Stephanie Casola/Prologue

Up in Birmingham, Hazel, Ravines and Downtown is also embracing seaside New England vibes. Starting on Tuesday, July 16 and running through Sunday, August 11, owners Beth Hussey and chef Emmele Herrold will transform the restaurant into a Maine-style lobster shack called Hazel’s Lobster Pound. Herrold’s menu takeover will feature options like hot or cold lobster rolls, fried clams, and fish and chips as well as clam chowder and whole lobster dinners with all the sides. The restaurant, which regularly features a raw bar, is working with a Maine lobsterman to ship the seafood in fresh daily from the coast. Customers can also count on a handful of Hazel’s favorites to continue on the menu including the Token burger and Georgian cheese bread throughout the duration of the event. The restaurant is accepting reservations now.

In short: When there are two lobster feasts to try in one season, everybody wins — except, of course, the lobsters.

• All Pop-Ups Coverage [ED]
• Scenes From the Lobster Roll Mayhem at Mudgie’s Deli [ED]