Anthony Bourdain is a bad ass.  He knows it.  Everyone knows it.  But, one thing I appreciate after meeting him is his humility.  He didn’t seem like an arrogant prick.  Instead, he was humble and quiet.  During the show, there was a slight hint of uneasiness while he was up on the stage.  He was fidgety and a little restless, unlike the bold and confident guy on TV.  And during the meet and greet, he didn’t say much except, ‘Hello’ and ‘Thank you.’  Now, one could translate this into someone who doesn’t give a shit about meeting fans, but I am going to take it as someone who is talented and wants to make others think, speak, eat, and drink.  He doesn’t have to be flashy and ‘in your face’…that would be Guy Fieri.  Instead, he can be who he is, a pretty cool guy who took days to build up the courage to introduce himself to one of his icons, Iggy Pop.     

Eric Ripert is a delight.  This is a man who cares.  He cares about people, the Earth, and food.  During the show, he shared his feelings about the show Hell’s Kitchen and the importance of being a mentor rather than a tyrant in the kitchen.  As cheesy as it sounds, I loved his smile and sense of being.  And as I walked up to meet him and Tony, I was greeted by the warmth of his smile.  How awesome it that!  To have a smile that people can and will remember.  As I was walking away, I had the need to thank him for always smiling and his reaction was an even bigger smile.  Now, that is pretty bad ass.

Well, say what you will after reading this.  I might be a clueless, naive Mid-Western girl, but I was impressed.  I really don’t care to meet anyone else  at a ‘celebrity’ status in my life, but the two guys who I did meet and have adored for years are two great guys.  I can’t really say it is good vs. evil.  It is just good.  And they are good people. 

The Book Cadillac Hotel is simply beautiful-modern, elegant, and nostalgic.  You feel an uplifting spirit in the air as you walk through the corridors and lobby.  There really isn’t much to say except,  it is simply breathtaking…   

So, how was the food?  The most important part of the night, right?  Well, it is unbelievable!  I rolled my eyes to the back of my head about a dozen times with every bite.  It all started with a perfect Bloody Mary, followed by some delicious roasted bone marrow.  Then, the main dish came- an insanely amazing ribeye steak topped with bleu cheese and onions.  Yum.  Yum.  Yum.  Yum.  Yum.  Yum.  Did I say, yum?   The soft polenta side dish topped it all off.  A bowl full of goodness that gave me an ‘Oh’ face for about 20 seconds.  I think Bataille referred to it as le petit morte.  And last, but not least, my birthday dessert-apple pear crisp served with honey lemon yogurt and pecans.  Yes, Happy Birthday to ME! 

A big thank you to the Book Cadillac and Roast for making my thirty-third birthday a-m-a-z-i-n-g!  You not only made me feel like a swankster for the night, but you gave me some hope for a city I dearly love (At least, for now).

This great American city was once referred to as the Paris of the West when romance and prosperity filled the smokestack air.   Now, like an aging starlet, Detroit is welcoming voygeurs to capture an internal glimpse of its industrial ruins. Time Magazine’s recent photos of Detroit’s Beautiful, Horrible Decline features the the city’s architecture from the early 1900′s to today’s current state- A state of demise.    

Trust me, it is hard to give up on the city where I spent most of my twenties as hip chic from the ‘burbs tryin’ to keep it real.  For Henry Ford’s sake, I am a Wayne State Tartar who stood up a couple times with Bill Bonds to tell ‘em I’m  from Detroit!  But now, Detroit’s urban decay has gotten the best of me. 

Hopefully, these feelings are the winter blues.  Maybe when baseball season begins and the smell of hot dogs fill the air again, I will change my views.  But for now, I’m sad to say, my love affair with Detroit has lost its spark and we gotta do something to get our groove back. 

Thank you, Dre!  Thank you, Jay-Z!  Thank you, Shady!    

Click here to view the embedded video.

Honestly, who are you? 

Are you 1/2 gothic 1/2 preppy? 

Are you 100% Pure Alterna-Fuck? 

 Are you even clean? 

When I see a hipster, I want to vomit!  Yes, projectile vomit onto their ‘vintage’ concert t-shirt and skintight jeans!  They are lost dirty little fuckheads trying so hard to be different!  They spend more time on looking dirty than actually cleansing themselves!  And they spend more time criticizing others who are ‘too square’ than actually becoming experts on what they are criticizing us about! 

Really, you know that much about Eastern European history?  Really? 

And really, you know that much about cinematography and 1960′s Czech film noir?

Sure.

Just STFU! 

You hipsters kill me!

(I googled ‘stupid hipster’ and found the perfect illustration…Enjoy!)