The Freya Team Is Bringing a Casual Neighborhood Bar to One of Midtown’s Most Recognizable Corners #DetroitFood
Boozy Hummer milkshakes, burgers, wings, and a sprawling wraparound patio are coming soon to Second and Forest
For years, the ivy-covered, red brick building on the corner of Forest at Second Avenue sat empty, with few, if any signs that one day its sprawling wraparound patio would welcome visitors once again. Come November, that will change when Sandy Levine and Doug Hewitt — the pair behind the award-winning Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails and Freya — transform the space into the duo’s latest project: Dirty Shake.
Unlike the fine dining vibes found at Levine and Hewitt’s other establishments, Dirty Shake promises more of a neighborhood bar feel, with a garage door window with indoor and outdoor counter seating where visitors can overlook the block. The spot will have seats for 80 inside and another 30 outside. The interior features a long bar, two-top table seating, and a lounge area with upholstered seating surrounding a fireplace.
“Dirty Shake is just a fun place to be that has affordable drinks and affordable food,” said Levine in a statement in a news release issued on Monday, September 30. “We want to pay homage to that old-school Detroit bar where people could go three or more times a week — a place between work and home — where you get to know the people sitting at the bar with you.”
Managing Dirty Shake’s beverage program is Kamalani Overall from the Oakland Art Novelty Company (Levine’s Ferndale speakeasy that he opened in 2011), who’s designing a menu of nostalgic drinks, boozy slushies, and fun takes on classic Detroit cocktails like the Hummer milkshake. Non-alcoholic options will also be available. As for food, Hewitt’s menu will include affordable options like burgers and wings.
According to the media release, the name Dirty Shake is a reference to when the contents of a cocktail — ice and all — are poured into a glass (rather than straining the beverage without the ice). Levine and Hewitt operate the Milwaukee Junction tasting menu destination Freya and the adjoining cocktail bar Dragonfly, along with Chartreuse on the ground level of the Park Shelton. Levine also owns the Oakland in Ferndale.
Levine tells Eater that he heard about highly recognizable the property through word of mouth. He learned that Scott Kosiek, former owner of Third Street Bar just east of the space, at one point had plans to open a bar there — having renovated the building in the process. Instead, Levine says that Kosiek relocated to Costa Rica and sold Third Street to the Detroit Optimist Society, operator of Wright & Co., Time Will Tell, the Sugar House, and more. Prior to the space being remodeled, the building had sat unused for years. According to city records, the one-and-a-half-story commercial building was constructed in 1893, initially as a single-family dwelling with two and a half stories. The second floor was later removed in 1939 and converted into a clinic.
“Everybody I’ve talked to who has driven by this building a million times and wanted something cool to be here,” Levine tells Eater. “When we found out it was available, A) We were kind of surprised, and B) We were excited about it.”
Dirty Shake opens in November and is at 4642 Second Avenue.
from Eater Detroit - All
Post a Comment