Eater Detroit: All Posts by Sonia ChopraThe Detroit Restaurant, Bar, and Nightlife Bloghttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52682/favicon-32x32.png2018-07-10T07:30:01-04:00https://detroit.eater.com/authors/sonia-chopra/rss2018-07-10T07:30:01-04:002018-07-10T07:30:01-04:00The Detroit Episode of ‘No Passport Required’ Airs Tonight on PBS
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<figcaption>Beef shawarma from Hamido.</figcaption>
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<p>Host Marcus Samuelsson visits Detroit and Dearborn’s Middle Eastern community in episode one of Eater’s new show</p> <p id="XU6wb4"><a href="http://eater.com/no-passport-required"><em>No Passport Required</em></a><em>, </em>the new show produced by Eater, premieres tonight on PBS. In the first episode, host <a href="http://eater.com/marcus-samuelsson">Marcus Sameulsson</a> heads to Detroit and Dearborn — home to one of the largest and most diverse Middle Eastern communities in the country — to learn more about the culture, history, and food. He shares a meal with a family of Syrian refugees in Dearborn and talks about the importance of finding community over Yemeni tea at <a href="http://thebottomlinecoffeehouse.com/">The Bottom Line</a> in Detroit. Samuelsson also cooks with Lebanese-American pastry chef Lena Sareini of <a href="http://www.seldenstandard.com/">Selden Standard</a>, eats falafel with amba, learns how to make <em>samoon</em> at Naba Brick Oven Bakery, and shares a meal with <a href="https://www.phoeniciabirmingham.com/">Phoenica</a> restaurateur Sameer Eid, all before ending the trip at an amazing 700-person wedding. Here’s how to watch the episode.</p>
<h3 id="p3trfE">How to Watch No Passport Required, Episode One: “Detroit”</h3>
<p id="f68iIj"><strong>When</strong>: The show airs on PBS tonight, Tuesday, July 10, at 9/8c. <a href="https://www.pbs.org/tv_schedules/">Check local listings here</a>.</p>
<p id="cu7zNJ"><strong>Online streaming</strong>: Stream full episodes each week on <a href="https://www.pbs.org/show/no-passport-required/">PBS</a> and <a href="http://eater.com/no-passport-required">Eater</a>, and stream episode one here.</p>
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<p id="uzDTvg"><strong>Additional episodes</strong>: Each hour-long episode focuses on a different immigrant community in a new city: Middle Eastern in Detroit and Dearborn, followed by Vietnamese in New Orleans, Mexican in Chicago, Indo-Guyanese in Queens, NYC, Haitian in Miami, and Ethiopian in D.C. </p>
<p id="TspcF6"><strong>Online and on social</strong>: Tag <a href="http://twitter.com/eater">@eater</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/pbs">@pbs</a>, and #nopassrequiredpbs if you share clips, pictures, or quotes from the show. Visit <a href="https://www.eater.com/2018/3/1/17067046/eater-facebook-group-tv-movies-streaming-eat-drink-watch">Eater’s pop culture Facebook group</a> every Tuesday night to discuss the show with other fans, come back to Eater Detroit tomorrow to see a map of restaurants featured in the episode, and <a href="http://www.pbs.org/food/shows/no-passport-required/">head to PBS</a> to learn more about the show, find character bios, and get recipes to cook at home.</p>
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<p id="ZTfMqX"><em>No Passport Required</em> is produced for PBS by Eater and Vox Entertainment, part of <a href="http://voxmedia.com/">Vox Media</a>. Tune in or stream full episodes Tuesdays at 9/8c on PBS. (<a href="https://www.pbs.org/tv_schedules/">Check local listings</a>.) Get more information on the show at <a href="http://pbs.org/nopassrequired">pbs.org/nopassrequired</a>.</p>
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https://detroit.eater.com/2018/7/10/17540480/marcus-samuelsson-detroit-dearborn-no-passport-requiredSonia Chopra2014-11-05T06:00:02-05:002014-11-05T06:00:02-05:00Brenna Houck IN as Eater Detroit Editor
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<p>Eater is thrilled to have Brenna Houck on the team as Eater Detroit's editor. She's been running the show for about a month, and she comes over as a freelance writer with plenty of print and online journalism experience.</p>
<p>Please give a big welcome to Brenna down below. Or, if you favor more intimate means of connection, reach her on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/brennahouck" target="_blank">@brennahouck</a> or via email at <a href="mailto:brenna@eater.com">brenna@eater.com</a>. As always, your tips are appreciated.</p>
https://detroit.eater.com/2014/11/5/7157699/brenna-houck-eater-detroit-editorSonia Chopra2014-10-20T10:30:03-04:002014-10-20T10:30:03-04:00Eater Detroit's Second Annual Cocktail Week Starts Right Now
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<p>Every hour is happy hour this week.</p> <p>Ladies and gentlemen, Eater readers of all ages, please inch a little closer to the computer screen for a special announcement. Starting right now and ending, oh, around 5 p.m. Friday, Eater will be your headquarters for all things cocktails for this, the city's second annual Eater Cocktail Week. We've got all kinds of beverage intel for you, so check back often. Want to help out? Drop us a line at <a href="mailto:detroit@eater.com">detroit@eater.com</a> and let us know your absolute favorite place in town to go for drinks, or weigh in on the <a href="http://www.eater.com/forums/detroit/2014/10/17/6996025/what-is-detroits-best-dive-bar" target="_blank">metro area's best dive bars here</a>. Cheers.</p>
https://detroit.eater.com/2014/10/20/7011441/cocktail-week-eater-detroitSonia Chopra2014-10-02T15:51:18-04:002014-10-02T15:51:18-04:00Every Shuttered Fast Food Restaurant in Michigan, Listed
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<figcaption>Tim Hortons, Manhattan. | Spencer Platt</figcaption>
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<p>An obsessively catalogued guide to the chains that once were.</p> <p>A <a href="http://www.detroityes.com/mb/showthread.php?17128-Every-closed-up-fast-food-place-in-Detroit">discussion thread on DetroitYes</a>! points locals to a catalogue of every shuttered fast food restaurant in Michigan. The list, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.angelfire.com/mi4/forgottenmi/former/former.html">hosted on Angelfire.com</a>, runs down locations of chains from Golden Corral to Peet's Coffee & Tea with a lot of Dairy Queen [78], Wendy's [65], and McDonald's [131] in between. Planned but cancelled outposts are also taken into account, and information about what replaced each spot is also included when known.</p>
https://detroit.eater.com/2014/10/2/6895251/every-shuttered-fast-food-restaurant-in-michigan-listedSonia Chopra2014-09-29T14:50:03-04:002014-09-29T14:50:03-04:00UFO Factory Now Open in Corktown for Booze, Music, Art, and Hot Dogs
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<figcaption>UFO Factory.</figcaption>
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<p>This multi-purpose venue replaces Hoot Robinson's.</p> <p>Grand opening celebrations are underway at UFO Factory, the <a style="line-height: 1.24;" href="http://www.metrotimes.com/detroit/the-ufo-factory-lands-in-corktown/Content?oid=2249264" target="_blank">bar/music venue/gallery/hot dog joint</a> in Corktown. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/LAIKA-DOG/746138888749976">Laika Dog</a>'s hot dog kitchen is currently being renovated, and the all-silver space will offer live music, host art shows, and serve as a "good old-fashioned corner bar with cheap beer, good-timers, and good music on the jukebox."<br><i style="line-height: 1.5; font-size: 16px;">2110 Trumbull Street, Detroit.</i></p>
https://detroit.eater.com/2014/9/29/6867979/ufo-factory-now-open-in-corktown-for-booze-music-art-and-hot-dogsSonia Chopra2014-09-29T12:37:51-04:002014-09-29T12:37:51-04:00Top Floor Views Abound at Downtown Restaurant Top of the Pontch
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<p>On the 25th floor of the Crowne Plaza Hotel, <a href="http://detroit.eater.com/tags/top-of-the-pontch">Top of the Pontch</a> is now open for business. Look for a regular seasonal menu and a rotating chef's tasting menu— currently Japanese-focused— from executive chef Justin Vaiciunas in the contemporary dining room. Here, now, take a look at the space.</p>
<p class="caption">[All photos: <a href="http://michelleandchrisgerard.com">Chris and Michelle Gerard</a>]</p>
https://detroit.eater.com/2014/9/29/6864043/look-inside-top-floor-restaurant-top-of-the-pontch-now-openSonia Chopra2014-09-26T10:19:08-04:002014-09-26T10:19:08-04:00Look Inside The Red Hook, West Village's Newest Coffee Shop
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<figcaption>The Red Hook. | Chris and Michelle Gerard</figcaption>
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<p>It opens today for coffee and baked goods.</p> <p>West Village's outpost of The Red Hook opens today. The coffee shop and bakery's new location will be open today and tomorrow from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a grand opening planned for early October. Here, now, take a look around the brand new space.</p>
<p><span class="credit">[All photos: <a href="http://michelleandchrisgerard.com">Chris and Michelle Gerard</a>]</span></p>
https://detroit.eater.com/2014/9/26/6849467/look-inside-the-red-hook-west-villages-newest-coffee-shopSonia Chopra2014-09-21T18:22:55-04:002014-09-21T18:22:55-04:00How Would You Change the World Through Food?
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<p>How would you change the world through food?</p> <p>To mark the relaunch of <a href="http://eater.com">Eater</a> today, the Features team compiled a collection of seventy-two of the best ideas for how people around the world are or how they plan to or how they want to change the world through food. A lot of the ideas are incredibly earnest. Some are ambitious beyond reason. But what they all have in common is a belief that, with hard work and good food, the world is headed in the right direction.</p>
<p>As a local component to this feature, we're asking the Detroit community to chime in. So check out the <a href="http://www.eater.com/a/72-ways-food-can-change-the-world/home">national responses over here</a> and add your own thoughts about how to change the world through food to the comments below— or send them through to <a href="mailto:detroit@eater.com">detroit@eater.com</a>.</p>
https://detroit.eater.com/2014/9/21/6797469/detroit-change-foodSonia Chopra2014-09-19T05:49:10-04:002014-09-19T05:49:10-04:00All About Sourdough; The Best Fall Coffee Beverage
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<img alt="<a href="http://austin.eater.com/archives/2014/09/16/take-a-tour-of-midcentury-modern-stunner-sawyer-co.php">Sawyer &amp; Co., Austin</a> " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/KY4buR-NZs4o5BUF4QKruEwRDws=/66x0:1133x800/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/39104062/IMG_1427.0.jpg" />
<figcaption><a href="http://austin.eater.com/archives/2014/09/16/take-a-tour-of-midcentury-modern-stunner-sawyer-co.php">Sawyer & Co., Austin</a> | Photo: <a href="http://www.jeffamador.com/">Jeff Amador</a>/Eater ATX</figcaption>
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<p></p> <p>· <a href="http://online.wsj.com/articles/sourdoughs-not-loafing-around-1411078764?tesla=y&mg=reno64-wsj&url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203622804580121750377108126.html">Sourdough's Not Loafing Around</a> [WSJ]<br>· <a href="http://sprudge.com/best-fall-coffee-drink-pumpkin-spice-latte.html">This Is the Best Fall Coffee Drink</a> [Sprudge]<br>· <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516589&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nationalgeographic.com%2Ffoodfeatures%2Fseafood-decision-guide%2F&referrer=eater.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fdetroit.eater.com%2F2014%2F9%2F19%2F6573885%2Fall-about-sourdough-the-best-fall-coffee-beverage" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Is Your Fish Dinner Bad for the Planet?</a> [Nat Geo]<br>· <a href="http://nypost.com/2014/09/18/do-vegetarian-tasting-menus-offer-enough-bang-for-their-buck/">Vegetarian Menus Don't Offer Enough Bang for Their Buck</a> [NYP]<br>· <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/mcdonalds-investing-in-chipotle-2014-9">How McDonald's Inadvertently Created its Own Competitor</a> [BI]<br>· <a href="http://munchies.vice.com/articles/the-beef-industry-is-terrified-of-meatless-monday/?utm_source=munchiestwitterus">The Beef Industry Is Terrified of Meatless Monday</a> [Munchies]<br>· <a href="http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/best-places-celebrate-oktoberfest-outside-munich-180952714/">Best Places to Celebrate Oktoberfest Outside Munich</a> [Smithsonian]<br>· <a href="http://www.wired.com/2014/09/ex-googler-using-big-data-model-creation-new-foods/">Better Data Is the Key to Reinventing Food</a> [Wired]<br>· <a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-olive-oil-20140918-story.html">California's New Olive Oil Standards</a> [LAT]<br>· <a href="http://la.eater.com/archives/2014/09/18/acabars_kevin_luzande_staying_relevant_on_sunset.php">One Year In: Acabar in Los Angeles</a> [Eater LA]<br>· <a href="http://ny.eater.com/archives/2014/09/cherche_midi_prime_rib_shane_mcbride_daniel_parilla.php">The Making of a Prime Rib</a> [Eater NY]<br>· <a href="http://denver.eater.com/archives/2014/09/18/sugar-files-zach-rampulla.php">The Sugar Files: Pastry Chef Zach Rampulla of Salt</a> [Eater Denver]</p>
https://detroit.eater.com/2014/9/19/6573885/all-about-sourdough-the-best-fall-coffee-beverageSonia Chopra2014-09-18T06:03:06-04:002014-09-18T06:03:06-04:00The Original Artisan Toast; Why We're Addicted to Bitter
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<img alt="<a href="http://chicago.eater.com/archives/2014/09/17/umami-burger-wicker-park-eater-inside.php">Umami Burger, Chicago</a> " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/tJMRekexRk4X5xlDQvmQMYWbB4I=/56x0:893x628/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/39104934/Screen_20Shot_202014-09-18_20at_208.50.04_20AM.0.png" />
<figcaption><a href="http://chicago.eater.com/archives/2014/09/17/umami-burger-wicker-park-eater-inside.php">Umami Burger, Chicago</a> | Photo: Nick Fochtman/Eater Chicago</figcaption>
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<p></p> <p>· <a href="http://online.wsj.com/articles/street-food-the-original-artisan-toast-1410973489">The Original Artisan Toast</a> [WSJ]<br>· <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/09/18/349277608/from-coffee-to-chicory-to-beer-bitter-flavor-can-be-addictive?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=food">Why We're Addicted to Bitter</a> [NPR]<br>· <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/3035810/the-recommender/the-surprisingly-interesting-history-of-the-fork">The History of the Fork</a> [Fast Co.]<br>· <a href="http://www.esquire.com/blogs/food-for-men/5-ways-that-science-is-improving-your-coffee-esqsyn??src=rss#slide-1">Five Ways Science Is Improving Your Coffee</a> [Esquire]<br>· <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/hitlers-food-taster-reveals-the-horrors-of-the-wolfs-lair-9738880.html">Talking to Hitler's Former Food Taster</a> [Independent]<br>· <a href="http://scroll.in/article/679294/What-the-price-of-Delhi's-club-sandwiches-says-about-global-tourist-trends?_ga=1.42228514.669113558.1410866589">The Hidden Costs of a Club Sandwich in Delhi</a> [Scroll]<br>· <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/16/french-chefs-songbird-ortolan-menu">French Chefs Want Songbird Back on the Menu</a> [Guardian]<br>· <a href="http://www.grubstreet.com/2014/09/bloody-mary-cocktails-garnishes.html">How Did Bloody Marys Turn Into a Joke?</a> [GS]<br>· <a href="http://miami.eater.com/archives/2014/09/17/an-iron-chef-finally-comes-to-south-beach.php">An Iron Chef Lands in South Beach</a> [Eater Miami]<br>· <a href="http://seattle.eater.com/archives/2014/09/17/goodness-gracious-sweet-week-is-almost-here.php">All About Seattle's Sweet Week</a> [Eater Seattle]</p>
https://detroit.eater.com/2014/9/18/6574595/the-original-artisan-toast-why-were-addicted-to-bitterSonia Chopra