Mink Slides Into Corktown in November With Sake and Shrimp Rolls #DetroitFood

A shrimp roll with brioche and chili jam from a recent Mink pop-up. | Michelle Gerard

The seafood restaurant and wine bar is aiming to open the night before Thanksgiving

After a brisk four-month redesign, Corktown’s hotly anticipated wine and seafood bar Mink is gearing up for a late-November opening. Co-owner and chef Sarah Welch confirms to Eater that the restaurant is aiming to host previews in mid-November, followed by an open on the night before Thanksgiving with seafood rolls, oysters on the half shell, and lots of sake.

Mink is the first establishment to open under the newly formed Nest Egg hospitality group. The group is managed by Welch and partners Ping Ho, Kiki Louya, and Rohani Foulkes, who collectively operate Folk, Marrow, and the Royce Detroit. Mink is taking shape inside the space formerly home to Louya and Folkes’ original project the Farmer’s Hand. The neighborhood market went on hiatus over the summer, though Nest Egg plans to eventually bring it back in a larger space.

Marrow sous chef Cameron Rolka is taking point at the new restaurant where he plans to focus on snacks that pair well with drinks. Welch says she sees Mink as the “waiting room” for other neighborhood restaurants, filling a niche for people looking to grab a quick drink or a bite before or after dinner. The menu will be composed of 12 to 15 items mostly served at room temperature and rounded out by desserts and two “hot bites,” such as shrimp-stuffed brioche rolls, steamed clams, or chowder. Mink’s bar will feature primarily wines while also encouraging customers to pair their meals with sake.

Fresh oysters will play a big role at the restaurant. This month, Rolka, Welch, and Ho took a trip out to the Pacific Northwest. “We wanted to keep up the same tenants we had at Marrow with local sourcing and [being located in the Midwest] we can’t do that with shellfish,” Welch says. By visiting the coast, the partners hoped to develop a better knowledge about oysters and connect with local oyster farmers who could directly supply Mink. Before the trip, the team had planned to feature a selection of oysters from the west, east, and south. But they returned to Detroit wanting to serve only the oysters that are “best in that exact moment.” Welch is particularly excited to open in the fall and winter when oysters are at the height of their season.

Michelle Gerard

Oysters will play a central role on the menu at Mink.

The molluscs even influenced a bit of the layout for Mink: The 24-seat restaurant will feature a standing bar area, similar to one at Eventide Oyster Co. in Portland, Maine. “We’re doing that in the hopes that people will stand and eat oysters and just like hang out and want to be a part of the space,” Welch says. Mink will also have 12 physical seats at the bar, five high-top tables with two seats a piece, and seating near the window looking onto Trumbull.

Nest Egg plans to use current employees at Marrow and Folk to staff the new restaurant. Any new workers, will train at Marrow first in effort to carryover the restaurant’s culture into the new business. Mink’s partners also intend to host oyster shucking and wine classes in the space.

For those who don’t want to wait four more long weeks for a taste of Mink, the seafood bar is popping up on Saturday, November 2 as part of sister restaurant Folk’s new Folk by Night series. The menu will feature options like rolls, steamed clams and the mandatory oysters with a beverage pairing by Ping Ho and bar manager Lisa Balagna. Tickets are $60.

• New Restaurant and Wine Bar Will Fill the Farmer’s Hand Space in Corktown [ED]
• All Mink Coverage [ED]
• Mink Menu Preview [Eventbrite]
• Detroit’s Most Anticipated Restaurant and Bar Openings, Fall 2019 [ED]

from Eater Detroit - All