CRUSH

The CRUSH MIchigan signature series of events will celebrate its fifth year with the CRUSH Birmingham 2012 Wine and Food Classic held on Saturday, September 22 at the Townsend Hotel in Birmingham. Wine personalities and Master Sommeliers will describe, advise and recommend some of the year's most exquisite wine choices with culinary pairings from some of Michigan's top executive chefs. The event's honorary chef is Brian Polcyn, chef and proprietor at Cinco Lagos and Forest Grill, and the honorary wine personality is Bartholomew Broadbent from Broadbent Selections in San Francisco, CA. Executive chefs from the Westin Book Cadillac, Bacco Ristorante, Zazios and others will join Chef Polcyn. The party continues after the main event with the Rémy Cointreau After Hours event. A special ticket price is available for young adults between the ages of 21 and 30, and separate tickets are available for just the After Hours event. Purchase tickets on the website.

Fantastic Indian Food in Madison Heights

Phulkari Punjabi Kitchen had their grand opening on September 7. The former Indo-Pak restaurant is unique because the owners have chosen to stay true to their Punjabi roots. Indian restaurants tend to serve cuisine from all over India. Phulkari will focus on one type of Indian cuisine. We attended their VIP preview party last week and were pleasantly surprised at the bold flavors and incredibly fresh food. Their focus is street food driven with extraordinary dishes like samosa chaat and chana dhal. Chana dhal is a particularly delicious dish of fried spiced lentils that could easily take the place of any salty, crunchy snack food in your pantry.

MGM/Wolfgang Puck

We mourned the loss of a fantastic restaurant when Wolfgang Puck at MGM Grand Detroit closed shop recently – although we secretly celebrated the opening of TAP. Good news arrived at our doorstep recently when it was announced that MGM will once again partner with Wolfgang Puck to open two new restaurants – Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria & Cucina and Wolfgang Puck Steak.

Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria & Cucina will offer guests a warm and inviting atmosphere in a comfortable setting with an approachable menu. The restaurant will pay tribute to Italy through house-made pastas and specialty dishes and is complete with Italian favorites including antipasti, salads and enticing entrees featuring meats and fish. The menu will feature nearly one dozen of Puck's signature oven-baked pizzas. The beverage list will complement the menu's Italian flavors and will include a comprehensive selection of Italian wines, domestic and international beers and specialty cocktails.

Wolfgang Puck Steak is a new concept, developed specifically for MGM Grand Detroit, and will become the place to see and be seen in Detroit. A contemporary steak restaurant, Wolfgang Puck Steak will offer guests steakhouse favorites with Wolfgang's signature style. The menu will provide broad appeal with a large assortment of grilled steaks and meats, shellfish and roasted whole fresh fish, plus a selection of sauces and side dishes to accompany the entrees. The dynamic beverage program will feature an international wine list with robust red wines and vibrant white wines plus artisan, custom-crafted cocktails.

"Both of our restaurants will be led in the kitchen by Chef Marc Djozlija," said Puck. "Working with a Chef like Marc is great. He's a talented chef and a great businessman. And, he's born and raised in Detroit, so he knows the people and the city very well."

Big Rock/Big Honor

Congratulations to our friend, Executive Chef Brian Henson from Big Rock Chophouse in Birmingham for winning the MCCA (Michigan Chefs de Cuisine Association) Chef of the Year award. | RDW