The End of an Era
We're always sad when one of our favorite places shuts its doors. As of Sunday, 10/7 MGM Grand Detroit's Bourbon Steak has closed its doors. We have also received word that Saltwater will be closing its doors following service this Saturday, 10/13. Although there are bigger plans for each, the restaurant outlets will not be vacant for long. Boarded up while they undergo construction renovations, the former site of Bourbon Steak will be one of the two new Wolfgang Puck restaurants. We cannot confirm an open date for the new Wolfgang restaurants, but rest assured we will be there when dinner is finally served. (And based on the magnificent job that MGM did with their newest sports bar/craft beer endeavor, TAP, we are beyond excited for the coming of Wolfgang's newest establishtment.)

Vegan MOFO
Did you know that October is the Vegan MOFO (month of food)? Yeah, we didn't either. However, since we're not diametrically opposed to any particular lifestyle or diet choice, we thought it be a cool thing to mention. While the website (veganmofo.com) focuses more on vegan recipes, we'd like to offer a couple restaurants that serve some fantastic vegan cuisine.

In Royal Oak, Cacao Tree Café is not only vegan, but also raw. From their fresh juices to their mind blowing burritos filled with walnut "meat," cashew "sour cream," and more stuffed into a collard green leaf, Cacao Tree's food leaves you feeling satisfied and energized.

Seva in Detroit, near Wayne State, is known for their vegan cuisine as well. While Cacao Tree is totally vegan/raw, Seva offers some dairy and has cooked dishes. Most, if not all, of the dishes can be made vegan. The "tlt," a.k.a "tempeh, lettuce, tomato," is probably the only version of a baconless BLT where bacon is not missed at all. It might be hard to believe, but the smoky tempeh is a perfect substitute for bacon.

If nothing else, focusing a month on vegan food is a great way to get in touch with your veggie side. Head down to Eastern Market or wherever your local farmers' market may be and buy a bunch of produce. Sauté some kale, roast some squash or maybe stuff some peppers. The sky's the limit. Vegan food can be fun. Trust us.

Tashmoo is BACK
Starting on October 13, the Detroit pop up biergarten known as Tashmoo will open for business yet again. For three consecutive weekends in October, folks will be able to congregate outdoors, drink beer, eat food and enjoy each other's company. During the opening weekend, Tashmoo will be supported by People's Pierogi Collective, Treat Dreams, Porktown Sausage, Avalon Bakery and Corridor Sausage Co. Vegetarian options will be available and beer is vegan, so if you're following Vegan MOFO, have no fear you can drink beer!

Nothin' Like a Beer Stroll
Royal Oak's Craft Beer Stroll took place last Saturday, and as all of you dearly devoted readers know, there's little we love more than beer. So, having made our way out and about for the entirety of the 2nd annual event's noon through 5 p.m. timeslot, we were able to pace ourselves and hit up every single stop. Although we weren't able to indulge in food at every stop (we can put back the suds, but our food intake does have its limit), we were able to stop at all of the participating establishments for a drink – Bastone, BD's Mongolian Grill, BlackFinn, Fifth Avenue, Gemmayze, Gusoline Alley, Lockhart's, D'Amato's, Mr. B's, Oak City, Tom's, Town Tavern, Woody's, O'Toole's, Pronto!, Red Fox, Rock on 3rd, Oxford Inn, the Star Lanes Sports Bar, Royal Oak Brewery and Ye Olde Saloon. (We can't exactly promise that we remember everything that transpired, but we do know we had one hell of a time.)

Detroit Beer City
Next up is Detroit Beer Week, which begins on 10/18 and lasts – we're not too good at math, but we can say it's a little longer than a standard week – through 10/28. While you're probably most interested in soaking up our city's best suds, there'll be quite a bit of knowledge about Detroit's beer hertiage to absorb too. | RDW