Thai food. Coconut milk curry is addictive, so I have to go anywhere that you can slurp this down. I feel like sushi is something I get far too often, unfortunately neglecting other tasty Asian culinary gifts to the world. Across the street corner that Noir Leather sits on, is a little Thai restaurant - Ahan Thai. I ignored it at first glance and proceeded down the street. But after looking at Lily’s Seafood & Pronto’s which I’ve been to about 4,000 times, I walked back. The entrance has a square countertop in the center of the place and stout booths around the walls.
I got the Pad Thai. I know, I know. But if the standard dish at an establishment isn’t any good, then why go? I was satisfied. It definitely had what I want in good Thai food – which is the perfect blends of polar opposite flavors. Lime and peanuts, coconut and tofu. I was too timid to get a spicier sauce grade. Gotta walk on the wild side next time. They have that on the front of the menu – mild/medium/spicy/very spicy – each with a corresponding chili pepper insignia.
The best thing about their food was that they have the best fried tofu I have ever had. Instead of getting chicken or beef, definitely opt for the tofu! It’s crispy delicious, but not overdone. And in the sauce. Yum. Tom Yum. That was the name of the soup I had…before the entrée.
Ahan Thai is tom yum, I’d say.
               After that I went to my personal tea leaf heaven. It was opened last February. Since then I’ve been hooked. This ain’t yo mama’s Townsend Tea Extravaganza. With the numerous stock of books (most of which are about tea), beautiful teapots resting on the shelves, and cozy corners, I can’t help but get my zen on. I ordered some Tie Guan Yin Oolong and my friend got some Lapsang Souchong. Probably the sweetest gesture was that after I got my tea, an employee there who knows I get aural woody for Van Morrison went to the back and put my jam on for me! How many places in public can I sip my Oolong and listen to Mr.Morrison? I was sitting between a priest and a kid w/ sweet dreads. Any place that draws these two demographics, I wanna be.

That’s right, if you don’t register to vote by October 6, then you will not have a vote in this year’s election.

Today, I attended a volunteer training session at Obama HQ* in Detroit (near the Fisher Building) to help canvass for voter registration.

I was shocked to hear from our Field Organizer that there are almost 180,000 eligible but unregistered voters in Detroit. That’s a lot of people!

But registering to vote is extremely easy. Here are a few ways:

1. Print out this form, and send it in to the Secretary of State. All the information you need is there, but please be sure to fill out the form completely or else your registration may be thrown out.

2. Contact your local Obama headquarters (see a list here) and ask for a voter registration form to be sent to you. They will be sure to get you a voter registration form and may deliver one personally.

3. Register to vote with one of the many volunteers out there with clipboards full of blank registration forms. You’ll find us (for I am one of them) at local festivals or knocking door to door, outside of grocery stores and churches and banks. Be nice to us. We’re just trying to do our part for America.

And if you’re already registered to vote, take 10 minutes of your time to email your friends or call your family to ask if they’re registered to vote. You may be surprised to learn that they aren’t registered.

Here are a few other facts about voter registration: Read more

What’s going on, Detroit? I thought I should pop in here briefly to introduce myself as I am giong to be one of the new contributors to the Detroit Metblogs scene. I’m hoping to bring a unique perspective to the blog and (hopefully) provide y’all with some interesting stuff to occupy your mind with while you’re reading this from your cubicle.

I’m a Michigan native who is returning from spending a year (give or take) in Los Angeles. I’ve graduated from Grand Valley State University, over by Grand Rapids, and decided that a life in the BIG city was in order for me. NYC didn’t win because, frankly, it still snows there and I thought I wanted a change from everything I knew. Sunny skies, plastic people, and an urban culture unlike anything I had experienced in college or growing up in my farming community were definitely what the doctor ordered. But, I found out that my family and friends were much more important to me than I was originally counting on… I couldn’t just pack up and leave everyone behind! Because fate has a funny way of working, I ended up moving to the Detroit area (Warren to be exact) with a roommate for a lot less rent than I was paying in LA.

Don’t get me wrong, I miss LA like crazy, but I’m hoping that the trade-off of being closer to friends and family will pay off in the end and I’ll always have the experience under my belt. As for now though - I’m unemployed and in a city that I’m not all that familiar with. So this is my time to make it count and get to know the area, I guess. I’ll be planning on bringing you a perspective of someone who’s new to the area and, to borrow a phrase from high school English teachers, a contrast and comparison between life in the D and what things were like out in LA.

I don’t think it will be easy adjusting to my new old way of life… but it’s something that I’m willing to do and share in the process with you. So stick around and see what happens as I attempt to wrangle my way around Detroit and adjust to the way things operate out here. On the flip, I’ll also dig my nose into some of the cultural happenings around and see what I can post for everyone’s enjoyment about cool events, news happenings, and stuff like that to make Detroit Metblogs one of your go-to sources for Detroit related info.

Thanks to everyone for taking your time out to read this, and thanks to the existing team at Metblogs for allowing me on here to share my voice/experiences with everyone. Keep your eyes peeled for my posts, and I’ll be seeing you around.

The Detroit summer festival season was kicked off this weekend with the Downtown Hoedown.  I am not a connoisseur of country music but I do like a little country now and then; I also have a fascination for cowboy hats and the people that sport them.  This year was my first at the largest free country music festival in the nation.  Overflow from the Wings and Tigers games on Saturday contributed to the sea of attendees and packed People Mover.  One could only navigate the festival grounds with the ebb and flow of the crowd.  Local retailers were packed with out-of-towners eating and purchasing supplies to make it through the weekend.  It is going to be a grand summer in the city.  The thing most disturbing to me at the festival was the presence of the Marines’ tent.  Young men were stepping up to the challenge and parade of completing as many chin ups as possible for the city to see.  While men and women in uniform are much appreciated, the reminder of active recruiting for this war is frightening.  My fear is that it will not stop any time soon.     

Griswold and Grand River has been adorned with orange, coffee, and techno courtesy of the Urban Bean Company (UBC).  The two story space is retro comforting with its brown on brown carpet and stylish with its loft set up, copper bar, and orange and glass exterior framing and showcasing its offerings.  Last night a techno DJ was spinning, which was perfect as I had walked into purchase Movement (Detroit’s Electronic Music Festival) tickets.  The Urban Bean Company is the only outlet in the city selling tickets; weekend passes are for sale: $40, cash only.  Advanced tickets online are $45.20 once you pay out the mandatory processing fee.  I would suggest supporting Detroit Techno and Detroit Coffee by heading to the Urban Bean Company dropping $40 on the ticket and $5.20 saved on coffee.    

This Sunday Dutch DJ Fedde le Grand will be spinning, with local DJs local DJs Mike Anthony and Tom T, at club V at the MGM Grand, Detroit. As posted on this site, “Put Your Hands Up 4 Detroit” was a worldwide smash on the club scene and daring in video. There is nothing like experiencing the reaction to this song played in Detroit clubs. I cannot imagine what it will be like when le Grand takes stage. I just purchased my tickets via Ticketmaster. I can’t wait to check out the man who put Detroit on the lips of so many and the club that made Nightclub & Bar magazine’s top 100 in 2008.

McDonald’s and the Detroit Dept. of Health and Wellness Promotion are hosting free lead testing for children 6 and under on Saturday, February 23 from 1-4 pm.
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In follow up to the discussion for “Open City: Square Feet” I agree with the need for landlords to divide their cavernous spaces in order to attract retail clients. Small, well used spaces are perfect logistically for shopkeepers (in terms of theft control, customer service, clean up, etc.), practical and affordable for owners, and delightful for patrons. My favourite small space in the city is currently the Jazzy Espresso Café at Grand River and Broadway. It cannot be more than 600 square feet, but it has a private loft sitting area, the romance of a staircase, and a great view of street traffic. We need more spaces like this one. Tenants need to be fostered for long term success. Small spaces allow one to get a foothold in the city, with increased success, larger spaces will be in demand. Right now we need small to foster the need for large in the future.

I had no idea when I walked to the back entrance and up the three flights of stairs that I would be walking into the last rock show at Scrummage University’s Eastern Market loft. As some of you know, we like Scrummage at Metroblogging a lot. And while it’s a shame that Scrummage will be leaving its convenient and easy-to-reach location on Winder street, the boys are moving to an abandoned toy factory across from a cemetery on the East side (sounds like something right out of a movie, doesn’t it?) where they won’t have to worry about waking up neighbors with their pesky dance parties and their obnoxious rocking-and-rolling music. Besides, the new place will have more than twice the space, more room for more roommates, and there will be a closed-in lot for pilgrims to park.
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well it’s that time of year again when i pull the suit out of mothballs, lace up the wingtips, clip on my bow tie and hit the town with the hottest date money can buy…of course i’m talking about Valentines Day. years past have found me at all the usual romantic hot spots (the Whitney, Coach Insignia, White Castle) but this year i’m looking to change things up a bit so i come to you not in my usual tour guide role but as the tourist. if any of you have something extra special planned for you and your little love newton i’d like to hear (and possibly steal) it. it used to be pulling up for a date in a cool car was enough but the Vega has seen better days and it really isn’t the action magnet it used to be.