Fortieth Fave Five
Where'd You Go Bernadette, Detroit Food Crawl, Nanci Griffith, Joe Harris and Monte Morris, Downed Door
Welcome to my weekly newsletter, the 40th so far. This week’s issue features favorite dramatic movies and TV shows, a book written as a series of memos, 17 people making 17 stops for fabulous food, a late great singer/songwriter, two players obtained in trades by the Pistons, and a discarded door. I hope you enjoy the picks and pics.
Fave Five 40: Fortieth Fave Five. Antarctic Adventure (Where'd You Go, Bernadette), Memorable Motown Meals (Detroit Food Crawl), Texas Troubadour (Nanci Griffith), Pistons Pickups (Joe Harris and Monte Morris), and a Downed Door.
Fave Five Lists: Distinguished Dramas
Following up on last week’s comedies, this week I feature my favorite dramas on both the large and small screens. There are many more I could have included: here is a lengthier list of favorite films.
Five Favorite Dramatic Movies
Same Time, Next Year
Parenthood
Casablanca
The Big Chill
Inherit the Wind
Honorable Mention: Chariots of Fire
Five Favorite Dramatic Televison Shows
thirtysomething
Friday Night Lights
Better Call Saul
Hill Street Blues
St. Elsewhere
Honorable Mention: Breaking Bad
Book Best Bet
Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
After we watched the film version starting Cate Blanchett, I added the book to my Amazon Wishlist. When I noticed it was available for under ten dollars, I placed an order. I liked the structure, characters, humor, and emotional ending.
From Amazon: A misanthropic matriarch leaves her eccentric family in crisis when she mysteriously disappears in this "whip-smart and divinely funny" novel that inspired the movie starring Cate Blanchett (New York Times).
Bernadette Fox is notorious. To her Microsoft-guru husband, she's a fearlessly opinionated partner; to fellow private-school mothers in Seattle, she's a disgrace; to design mavens, she's a revolutionary architect; and to 15-year-old Bee, she is her best friend and, simply, Mom.
Then Bernadette vanishes. It all began when Bee aced her report card and claimed her promised reward: a family trip to Antarctica. But Bernadette's intensifying allergy to Seattle -- and people in general -- has made her so agoraphobic that a virtual assistant in India now runs her most basic errands. A trip to the end of the earth is problematic.
To find her mother, Bee compiles email messages, official documents, and secret correspondence -- creating a compulsively readable and surprisingly touching novel about misplaced genius and a mother and daughter's role in an absurd world.
From Wikipedia:
Where'd You Go, Bernadette is a 2012 epistolary comedy novel written by Maria Semple. The plot revolves around an agoraphobic architect and mother named Bernadette Fox, who goes missing prior to a family trip to Antarctica. It is narrated by her 15-year-old daughter Bee Branch, and is told in a series of documents (emails, memos, transcripts, etc.) with the occasional interlude by Bee.
From Wikipedia: Maria Keogh Semple (born May 21, 1964) is an American novelist and screenwriter. She is the author of This One Is Mine (2008), Where'd You Go, Bernadette (2012), and Today Will Be Different (2016). Her television credits include Beverly Hills 90210, Mad About You, Saturday Night Live, Arrested Development, Suddenly Susan, and Ellen. She is a 2013 recipient of the Alex Awards.
Semple is in a relationship with producer, writer and reclusive raconteur George Meyer and has one daughter with him, Poppy. They reside in Seattle. In 2007, a newly discovered species of moss frogs from Sri Lanka was named Philautus poppiae after their daughter, a tribute to Meyer's and Semple's dedication to the Global Amphibian Assessment.
Restaurant Recommendations
Detroit Food Crawl
I wrote about food crawls and Roadfood tours in Scenes from a Crawl. I was invited to join a group of Roadfooders who go on annual food crawls in different cities. I planned to go on the 2020 Cleveland crawl that was postponed due to COVID. I wanted to join last year’s St. Louis crawl but was unable to do so. This year I was asked by the organizer of the Detroit crawl, Jeff Sanders, to offer advice on restaurants to visit.
I spent two hours on the phone with Jeff reviewing his spreadsheet of 200 restaurants. After he and fellow Chicagoan Danny Nowak made two exploratory visits to Detroit to sample the possible choices, the list of 17 stops was finalized. I joined the group of 17 crawlers starting with the welcome dinner on May 31 and ending with the farewell brunch on June 4. Here are Jeff’s notes on all 17 places we visited along with photos for each one.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 31, 2023
#1: 7:30 p.m. Pegasus Taverna 558 Monroe St., Detroit
The perfect place to kick off the Detroit Crawl. Pegasus is a longtime institution of the Motor City’s famous Greektown. They’ve got a full menu of Greek classics. We auditioned them with an appetizer sampler and a gorgeous Lamb Shank that was moist, tender, and delicious.
THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 2023
#2: 11:30 a.m. Ivanhoe Café (The Polish Yacht Club) 5249 Joseph Campau Ave, Detroit
A place so nice, we checked them out twice! With a nickname like The Polish Yacht Club, you’d assume they’ve got great Polish food. And they do have some really good Polski grub. But we found out, after the fact, they’re actually best known for their fish and seafood. So, we went back the next day, tried the Pan Fried Walleye Fillet, and were blown away. We’ve arranged for a “best of” sampler plate featuring our favorite Polish items alongside that sweet, flaky Walleye we loved so much.
#3: 1:45 p.m. Mike's Famous Ham Place 3700 Michigan Ave., Detroit
A Roadfood classic. Mike’s does one thing, and they do it better than anybody around: HAM. Carved hot and juicy straight from the bone, and lovingly piled on a roll for your enjoyment. They do a pretty tasty Split Pea Soup, too.
#4: 2:45 p.m. Cloverleaf Pizza 24443 Gratiot Ave, Eastpointe
Cloverleaf Pizza hasn’t been around as long as the more famous Buddy’s (the original Detroit Style Pizza), but they’ve been just as foundational in establishing the square pan pie’s credentials. Kinda like Pizzeria Uno and Lou Malnati’s in Chicago. The pizza is great, and the pre-meal breadbasket is dangerously addictive, featuring Crunchy Bread—pizza crusts brushed with garlic butter, then dusted with sugar and Parmesan Cheese.
#5: 4:30 p.m. Miller’s Bar 23700 Michigan Ave, Dearborn
In addition to being known for their signature style of pizza, Detroit is a burger town. We’ll be hitting three places this weekend, each serving a different style. Miller’s is an old-school bar serving an outstanding thick pub burger.
#6: 6:15 p.m. Al-Ameer Restaurant 12710 W. Warren Ave., Dearborn
Al-Ameer is one of Detroit’s foremost Middle Eastern restaurants. It is a James Beard Award winner, known for their Stuffed Lamb and other signature dishes. The Baba Gahnouge we had on our first visit was some of the best I’ve had.
FRIDAY, JUNE 2, 2023
#7: 11:00 a.m. Polish Village Cafe 2990 Yemans Ave., Hamtramck
Remember that magical Roadfood experience last year in St. Louis when you walked down the stairs to Monte Bello Pizzeria? Get ready to feel that again. Half a flight down from street level you’ll enter an old world, dark wood, European café serving traditional Polish fare, personally approved by the Polski Eater (Danny) himself.
#8: 12:30 p.m. Sister Pie (15 minutes) 8066 Kercheval Ave., Detroit
This is the stop the sweets lovers have been anticipating. Sister Pie is one of Detroit’s most celebrated bakeries, best known for their signature Salted Maple Pie. The rest of the menu changes daily, but includes cookies, brownies, scones, and hand pies.
#9: 1:30 p.m. Motz’s Hamburgers 7208 W Fort St., Detroit
Motz’s is one of about a dozen or more unaffiliated Detroit burger stands that all stem from a common ancestor: The Telway Hamburger System. After starting up in 1944, the company saw rapid growth, followed by a downturn that forced them to sell off most of their buildings to independent operators. They carried on the Telway tradition of small burgers cooked on a griddle with lots of grilled onions. We’ve sampled about half of the remaining stands, and Motz’s ranks as one of the best.
Note: The owner of Motz’s baked homemade chocolate chip cookies for all of us, which were great. Also, Motz’s is not far from Mexicantown in Southwest Detroit, where we should have gone for tacos at a place like Taqueria Mi Pueblo.
#10: 3:15 p.m. Super Crisp 4830 Cass Ave Suite C, Detroit
Super Crisp’s Japanese Fried Chicken Sandwiches aren’t necessarily unique to Detroit, but they were one of our favorite stops on our scouting missions. The name says it all. The Chicken Sandwiches are twice fried to perfection, served on a brioche bun with Kewpie (Japanese mayo) slaw, pickles, and red onion. Get a side of Oki Fries to go along with your sandwich. I don’t usually recommend unnecessary sides, but these are pretty amazing. Fresh cut fries topped with Chili & Lime Sea Salt, Oki Sauce, Slivered Scallion & Ginger, Nori and Kewpie mayo. Absolutely addicting!
#11: 4:00 p.m. Chef Greg’s Soul N The Wall 10009 Curtis St., Detroit
This is it: the signature dish we’ve all (mostly me and Danny) been waiting for: The Boogaloo Wonderland Sandwich! More than just a glorified Sloppy Joe, it represents a neighborhood’s history and food culture. This regional sandwich recently got national attention when America’s Test Kitchen featured a segment on how to make one at home.
#12: 6:00 p.m. Buddy’s Pizza 17125 Conant St, Detroit
Detroit Style Pizza has been getting a lot of attention lately, across the country, and Buddy’s is where it all began. Since opening in 1946, they’ve expanded to many locations, but we’re going to the original spot.
SATURDAY, JUNE 3, 2023
#13: 11:00 a.m. Marcus Hamburgers 6349 E McNichols Rd., Detroit
My kinda place: A little rundown, but a classic example of an old-school, blue-collar diner serving good grub at reasonable prices. The hamburgers look a bit odd here: rectangular and served on a hot dog bun, but they’re adorable and darned tasty! The preparation is unique, too. Patties are premade and held in a steam tray until ordered. At that point, they’re placed in the bun and the whole thing gets a flash steam to get nice and hot. Condiments are on the counter so you can custom dress your burger.
Note: In addition to not visiting a taqueria, the other serious oversight on the crawl itinerary was the lack of a Detroit Coney Island. I ordered one here, but it was not up to the standard of Lafayette Coney Island.
#14: 12:00 p.m. AB's Amazing Ribs 27310 Ford Road Dearborn Heights
The ribs get top billing, but the brisket it the real star of the show. Moist, succulent, and over the top delicious. We’ll be doing a sampler boat.
Note: We missed the boat here by not pre-ordering the beef short rib. It’s expensive and there was a two-hour wait for one, but the short rib is the real star of this place. I ordered a beef back rib, which looked good, but there was not much meat on the bone, and it paled in comparison to the giant beef short rib.
#15: 1:15pm Scotty Simpsons Fish & Chips 22200 Fenkell St., Detroit
A crawl always needs a Fried Fish stop, and Scotty Simpson’s has been a favorite of Roadfooders for years. Nova Scotia Cod is flown in daily to make their beautiful golden filets. Perch and Shrimp are also available, and if you’re in a hopping good mood, you get an order of Frog Legs.
#16: 6:00 p.m. Michigan & Trumbull Pizza 1441 W Elizabeth St., Detroit
We saved the best Detroit Style Pizza for last. Buddy’s started it, Cloverleaf helped spread the gospel, and now a newcomer has brought it to a new level. The folks at M&T have created a beautiful pan pie with a golden brown, delicious, caramelized crust and the perfect balance of cheese, sauce and ingredients.
Note: Since we visited last month, this place has closed and will be moving to a new location in Detroit’s Elijah McCoy neighborhood, near Marble Bar.
The new Detroit location for Michigan & Trumbull, 1331 Holden in the new Dreamtroit development, could be ready as soon as early fall. In January, owners announced they would be looking for a new home, partially to avoid having to raise their menu prices.
SUNDAY, JUNE 4, 2023
#17: 11:00 a.m. Bell’s Diner 2167 W Stadium Blvd, Ann Arbor
A unique menu featuring American breakfast/brunch classics alongside an extensive list of Korean favorites. Bell’s is the pick of Detroit Roadfooder Stan Garfield who says it’s a winner.
The pancakes at Bell’s are the best around, and I always complement them with an order of bi-bim-bop. What, you’ve never enjoyed that combination before? Really?
After reading about all 17 crawl stops, is anyone hungry?
Marvelous Musician
Today would have been Nanci's 70th birthday. I discovered her in 1989 when Storms was featured on a listening station at Sound Warehouse in Dearborn, Michigan. I bought the CD and then a cassette of One Fair Summer Evening, which led me to get all of her earlier albums on CD and cassette. I saw her at The Ark in Ann Arbor on July 13, 2005 with John Gorka, Maura O’Connell, and The Chenille Sisters, and on August 13, 2011 and March 16, 2013 with Pete Kennedy and Maura Kennedy. I love her originals such as "Trouble in the Fields," "I Wish it Would Rain," and "Listen to the Radio," and her covers such as "Once in a Very Blue Moon," "Roseville Fair," and "From a Distance."
In a chat with a group of music-loving friends, we each chose a Mount Rushmore of favorite female singer-songwriters. My choices were Nanci, Patty Griffin, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and Kim Richey.
Nanci Griffith to be Honored with Reissue Collection and Tribute Album
Nanci was revered for her compelling storytelling, her distinctive vocals, and her special brand of Americana. Her trailblazing legacy will be honored through two special releases arriving this September. The first, Working in Corners, reissues Griffith’s earliest—and long out-of-print—albums, including her 1978 debut, There’s a Light Beyond These Woods, 1982’s Poet in My Window, 1984’s Once in a Very Blue Moon, and 1986’s Grammy-nominated The Last of the True Believers (featuring “Love at the Five and Dime” and “Goin’ Gone”).
Rounding out the collection are rare photos and ephemera, plus liner notes by Holly Gleason and producer Jim Rooney, who worked closely with Griffith during this period. Rooney, who co-produced the box set, also weaves in memories from a myriad of Griffith’s friends, peers, and collaborators. Set for release on September 8 via Craft Recordings, Working in Corners will be available as 4-CD and 4-LP vinyl box sets, while There’s a Light Beyond These Woods, Poet in My Window, and Once in a Very Blue Moon will make their long-awaited return to digital platforms.
Griffith’s music will also be celebrated through the all-star tribute, More Than a Whisper: Celebrating The Music of Nanci Griffith. Arriving September 22 via Rounder Records on vinyl, CD, and digital, the album features Griffith’s friends, collaborators, and fans interpreting her most beloved songs, including Emmylou Harris, Lyle Lovett and Kathy Mattea, Shawn Colvin, John Prine and Kelsey Waldon, Sarah Jarosz, Steve Earle, and Mary Gauthier, who also shares her admiration for Griffith in heartfelt liner notes.
Recorded over several years in studios across America, More Than a Whisper also includes stirring contributions from Brandy Clark, Billy Strings and Molly Tuttle, Iris DeMent, Todd Snider, and Aaron Lee Tasjan, while Ida Mae and The War and Treaty both appear exclusively on the expanded CD, digital, and HD versions of the album.
All proceeds from More Than a Whisper will benefit Nashville’s Cumberland Heights, a non-profit treatment facility offering hope and healing to those affected by drug and alcohol addiction.
From Wikipedia: Nanci Caroline Griffith (July 6, 1953 – August 13, 2021) was born in Seguin, Texas. Her career spanned a variety of musical genres, predominantly country, folk, and what she termed "folkabilly." She appeared many times on the PBS music program Austin City Limits starting in 1985 (season 10). In 1994 she won a Grammy Award for the album Other Voices, Other Rooms.
Griffith's high school boyfriend, John, died in a motorcycle accident after taking her to the senior prom, and subsequently inspired many of her songs. She was married to singer-songwriter Eric Taylor from 1976 to 1982. In the early 1990s, she was engaged to singer-songwriter Tom Kimmel (who performed at Garfield House Concerts on October 4, 2019).
Obituaries
Nanci Griffith, Folk and Country Songwriter, Dead at 68 – Rolling Stone
Nanci Griffith, Singer Who Blended Folk and Country, Dies at 68 - The New York Times
Audio Recording
Once In a Very Blue Moon (with Lyle Lovett on backing vocals)
I Wish It Would Rain
Trouble in the Fields
My Playlist
Sports Stars
Pistons Pickups
Last week’s issue featured the Detroit Pistons’ two first-round draft picks. This week I highlight two veteran players obtained in trades at start of the NBA free agency period. Joe Harris is an outstanding three-point shooter and Monte Morris is also a great shooter, but he is also one of the top backup point guards in the league. Both players should be able to help the Pistons exceed last season's win total of 17.
Joe Harris
The trade was announced today:
The Detroit Pistons announced today that the team has acquired guard/forward Joe Harris, along with future draft considerations, from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for cash considerations.
Harris, 6-6, 220, averaged 7.6 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 20.6 minutes per game while shooting 45.7% from the field and 42.6% from 3-point range with the Nets last season. He’s averaged 11.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists over his last seven seasons in Brooklyn and helped the Nets to the NBA Playoffs in each of the last five seasons. Harris led the NBA in 3-point field goal percentage in 2019 (.474) and 2021 (.475) and is the Nets’ all-time leader in 3-point field goals made.
Drafted 33rd overall by Cleveland in the 2014 NBA Draft, Harris played two seasons for the Cavaliers and averaged 2.5 points in 9.1 minutes per game. The Chelan, Wash., native played four seasons at the University of Virginia and averaged 12.6 points and 3.8 rebounds while shooting 44.5% from the field in 135 career games (128 starts). Harris led Virginia to the NCAA Tournament during his sophomore and senior seasons.
From Wikipedia: Joseph Malcolm Harris (born September 6, 1991) is an American professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Virginia Cavaliers, before being selected with the 33rd overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers, He spent one-and-a-half seasons with the team before being traded and waived due to injury. He was signed by the Brooklyn Nets in 2016, and is one of three players to make 200 three-pointers in one season in the history of the Nets franchise. Harris led the NBA in three-point shooting accuracy in 2018–19 and repeated the feat in 2020–21. Also in 2021, Harris surpassed Drazen Petrovic as the Nets' all-time leader in three-point field goal percentage, and surpassed Jason Kidd as the Nets' all-time leader in three-point field goals made. Harris also currently ranks fourth in NBA history in career three-point field goal percentage.
Harris wears a fluorescent green band around his left wrist in memory of his late cousin, Tricia Haerling. Since 2015, Harris has held the Joe Harris Basketball Camp for kindergartners to eighth graders every summer at Chelan High School. Harris is a member of the "Starting Five", along with Malcolm Brogdon, Justin Anderson, Anthony Tolliver, and Garrett Temple. Their goal was to raise $225,000 through Hoops2O, founded by Brogdon, to fund five wells in East Africa by the end of the 2018–19 season. Harris traveled with Brogdon and Anderson to Tanzania to witness the opening of the first well they funded in July 2019, and by November, Hoops2O had raised nearly $400,000. By February 2020, the charity had funded the construction of ten wells in Tanzania and Kenya, bringing water to over 52,000 citizens.
Monte Morris
Pistons trade for Wizards guard Monte Morris
Veteran point guard Monte Morris is being dealt to the Detroit Pistons, per multiple reports. In the trade, the Pistons are getting Morris from the Washington Wizards in exchange for a future second-round pick. Morris, a six-year NBA veteran from Michigan, seemed excited about the trade and took to Twitter after the deal was reported, posting: “I’m coming home!! Let’s get it Detroit Pistons!”
From Wikipedia: Monté Robert Morris (born June 27, 1995) is an American professional basketball player for the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Iowa State Cyclones.
Morris was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan and his mother is Lationa Morris. His mother nicknamed him "Man-Man" when he was born. He grew up in Flint, Michigan attending Flint Beecher High School. Morris was childhood friends with future NBA player and later NBA teammate, Kyle Kuzma, as both attended Dailey Elementary School. He was a four-year starter for the Beecher Buccaneers. Morris was a three-time winner of Michigan's Associated Press Class C Player of the Year Award and a three-time all-state selection. He led the Buccaneers in scoring, assists, and steals in all four seasons. He led Flint Beecher to back-to-back Class C Michigan state titles in 2012 and 2013. One of the nation's best point guards, Morris won Michigan's Mr. Basketball award in 2013.
The Pistons Pulse: Discussing Free Agency
Picture Pun
Someone was looking for a neighbor’s house and I told them it was one door down.
Especially enjoyed this issue. I love Nanci Griffith's music. Thank you Stan!