Yesterday I had the pleasure of spending the morning in downtown Detroit with someone I am very thankful for, my mom.
What started as a Thanksgiving dinner Eastern Market shop quickly turned into a lovely morning expedition exploring some of the cool spots that the city has to offer.
I recently accepted a job offer in Detroit so this is not the first time you will be hearing about this awesome city! I love the hip vibe and gritty charm of the city and I am excited to be a part of the movement and revitalization. I also have high hopes of helping Detroit blossom into more of a health and wellness hotspot.
After spending some time in Brooklyn this past fall, I’ve noticed that Detroit gives me a similar feel. The cities share a strong emphasis on local and artisan products along with a unique smattering of individuals, industrial roots, and underdog attitude. I got the chance to soak up a bunch of these vibes yesterday morning.
Eastern Market
We started off at Eastern Market, one of the best farmer’s markets in the country and a signature Detroit destination. While this market is normally hopping and plentiful during the summer months and on Saturdays, we were let down on this special Holiday Market Tuesday. The local vendors were extremely scarce due to the off-season time of year, and the market was focused more on handmade items and imported produce. We did purchase some local cranberries, shallots, onions and some imported sweet potatoes, but decided to buy the rest of our holiday haul at Trader Joe’s.
Avalon Bakery
After being let down by Eastern Market, I wanted to continue my Detroit adventure. I had my heart set on making my vegan stuffing out of Avalon Motown Multigrain bread so we headed over to the bakery. I hadn’t been to Avalon in a while and I was impressed and excited by the freshness and variety of baked goods at the flagship store. We got two of the multigrain loaves, a pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving and my mom got a cherry walnut scone to snack on.
Shinola
After Avalon, we headed over to Canfield Avenue, home of Shinola and some other hip hot spots. My mom had never seen the Shinola store before and had been feigning to check it out. I love the watches, handmade leather goods and design of the store, the new Commonwealth coffee bar doesn’t hurt either. I find that Commonwealth has some of the best coffee in town.
Willy’s Detroit
After admiring leather goods at Shinola, we headed a couple doors down to Willy’s Detroit. This was my first time checking out Willy’s, I had heard great things about this place and I was not let down. They are also home to Drought juice, a new favorite of mine, so I couldn’t help but purchase one of their 4oz. immunity potions. I also got an awesome gift for a friend. All the clothes and cool accessories stressed the fact that they were made in the USA. So cool.
I love whenever I have the opportunity to explore downtown and I am absolutely thrilled that I now have the opportunity to work down there and are going to get to enjoy it everyday.
Now back to my Thanksgiving preparations. Have a cozy day-before-Thanksgiving Wednesday!
Gray Eats Green 