A Plymouth-based juice
company is making a splash in Motor City. Last month, DROUGHT opened its second
retail location in Midtown Detroit. The five sisters who created, own and
produce these delectable drinks use a special cold-press method that packs some
serious nutritional punch into each bottle. If you’re in the area, and looking
for something good to guzzle, stop by their new location.
Source: Hour Detroit
Dine and Bike in Chicago
It’s practical. It’s fun. It’s got two wheels
and delicious food. We’re talking about Chicago’s Four-Star Bike & Chow
Sunday. Hop on your bike and pick one of
four routes (there are paths for everyone from the leisurely biker to the more
intense rider) through Chi town’s neighborhoods. Along the way, follow your
ride guide to spot historic architecture and of course, stop at three
restaurants for everything from pierogios to samosas.
Source: Four Star Bike & Chow
Discover a New Chicago
How well do you think you know Chicago? The
Lincoln Motor Company bets that there are still a few unturned cultural gems even
for native Chicagoans to discover. The company’s Hello, Again Chicago tours runs
through August 25. Starting at the heart of River North and moving through the
West Loop, get behind-the-scenes access to hidden creative spaces in the city
and the people who run them.
Source: The Lincoln Motor Company
Dig IN: Not Your Typical Fair Fodder
While thousands clamor for a taste of Giant
Amish Donuts or deep-fried anything at the Indiana State Fair, a quieter
epicurean festival is gaining traction in Indianapolis. Returning for its
fourth year on Aug. 25, Dig IN is a fair for foodies that pays homage to
locally-grown ingredients and top Indy chefs whose plates are canvases for
delicious eats. If you want a bite of what Indy’s got on tap, grab your ticket
early–Dig IN has a history of selling out fast.
Source: Indianapolis Monthly Magazine
Westwerk Design’s Concrete Box
Interactive design company, Westwerk Design, had
to get creative to jazz up its basement office in Northeast Minneapolis. Pool
tables, dartboards, beers and recycled building materials gave Westwerk’s
“concrete box” a punch of personality. How’d they do it? Think mid-century
vintage meets industrial warehouse.
Source: Mpls.St.Paul Magazine
Found Objects Reimagined as Home Furnishings
Who knew that dead tree branch in your yard
would make such a nice coffee table? Icon Modern did: roaming the
Chicago metro-area for discarded wood and other raw materials, these furniture
designers reinvent other men’s trash into iconically modern treasures.
Source: Icon Modern
Book Arts Prize Winner Meditates on Nature
The Minnesota Center for Book Arts announces Clifton
Meador as the winner of its 2013 Prize for his five-part series, “A Repeated Misunderstanding of Nature.”
In Meador’s volumes, an invented and confused professorial lecture unravels on
accordion-style pages. Autumnal landscapes take center-stage as the narrator
contends with his relationship to the natural world.
Source: Minnesota Center for Book Arts
Palatial Condo in the Sky
Moving to Chi-town anytime soon? Dennis Rodkin
of Chicago Magazine takes a tour of condo paradise — a multi-level penthouse
located atop one of the city’s historic buildings in downtown. The property is
listed by Dreamtown Realty and affords views of sparkling blue Lake Michigan,
the silver sculptures of Millenium Park, and, of course, the downtown skyline.
The space boasts a contemporary twist to its interior, blended with the
historic charm of limestone columns and archways, fine stone-carved details and
classic wood floors. So, when can we move in?
Source: Chicago Magazine
Fingers Crossed for Midwestern’s Best New Restaurants
Update: Chicago, you’re still on the list! Here are Andrew Knowlton’s top 10 picks from Bon Appetit’s list.
Last week, two new Minneapolis eateries, Borough
and World Street Kitchen, landed on Bon Appetit’s list of 50 nominees for the highly coveted
title of best new restaurant. Eight other Midwestern restaurants from Illinois,
Kansas, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin, joined them. Today the magazine will
whittle that list down to a final Top 10. Here’s hoping the Midwestern eateries
survive the chopping block!
Source: Eater Minneapolis
The Courthouse Gets Contemporary
Say goodbye to imperious Grecian columns and
stodgy brick facades. The Yazdani Studio of Cannon Design has a whole new
visual concept for the halls of justice. Commissioned to design Toledo’s new
federal courthouse, the Yazdani Studio envisions a sleek, sweeping building
with a dramatic roof that features three curved domes and a gravity-defying
overhang.
Source: Architizer
For Sale: The House from “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”
Remember when Ferris Bueller’s best friend, Cameron, kicked his dad’s red Ferrari through the glass walls of the garage in a moment of defiance? Now it’s your chance to own an iconic part of cinema history. That house, at 370 Beach St. in Highland Park, Ill., is for sale. The house was designed in 1953 by A. James Speyer, one of Mies Van der Rohe’s proteges. David Haid added the garage in the 1970s to house the homeowner’s exotic car collection.
Source: Today/ Zillow
The Ultimate Minneapolis Weekend
If you’re looking for the ultimate guide to a long weekend in Minneapolis, look no further. It’s hard to argue with Matthew Kronsberg’s picks for the Wall Street Journal.
Source: Wall Street Journal/ Ackerman + Gruber
Art on the Island
Rabbit Island is three miles off the coast of Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula in Lake Superior. The 91-acre island has never been developed, and the majority of the land is held under a conservation easement to protect its unique ecosystem. Rabbit Island is meant to serve as a platform for science, art, preservation and recreation. Already this summer, artists have come and gone, and more are set to arrive. See the 2013 list of Artists in Residence, and follow the island’s Instagram page to keep tabs on what happens off Michigan’s coast.
Source: Rabbit Island
Popsicles With a Kick
Who
says popsicles are only for kids? Kick your icy treats up a notch with a shot
of your favorite liqueur. The Star Tribune talks with London-based
food stylist Laura Fyfe for her tips
and tricks on freezing alcohol. Then break out the
bottles to make your own poptails with these five
recipes.
Source: Star Tribune
See a Show at the Minnesota Fringe
This performing arts festival got its start in 1994 on the West Bank of Minneapolis with only six venues. Twenty years later, the Minnesota Fringe boasts 16 venues, with nearly 900 performances over the course of 11 days. Last year they sold over 46,000 tickets. Overwhelmed with the number of shows and not sure what to see? Let long-time Fringe veterans show you around with some of their top picks. Don’t forget to unwind at the Crooked Pint Ale House after a long day at the festival. We hear that’s where festival goers and Fringe artists congregate to swap stories and take a load off.
Source: Minnesota Fringe via Facebook
An Elegant Affair: Minneapolis Pop-Up Dinner
Tomorrow night dress in white, pack your most ambitious three-course picnic (complete with decorations) and wait for the word. Tomorrow night at 7 p.m. an elegant, pop-up flash dinner picnic will happen. Dinner goers will receive word of the secret dining location at 3 p.m. by email. Follow the nightly itinerary and buy tickets to the feast here.
Source: Handmade Events
Tour the Best Modern Homes in Chicago
Love
modern architecture? Live in or near Chicago? Then make a note on your calendar
that you’ll be busy Oct. 5. The Modern Home Tour in Chicago features
cutting-edge contemporary design that embraces new possibilities in living and
lifestyle. So far, two homes have been confirmed for the tour. See what two
made the list, and check back as more homes are added before the tour date.
Source: Chicago Modern Home Tours
Tiki Time for Chicago?
Rumor has it that Three Dots and a Dash, the new Tiki bar from mixologist Paul McGee, may be opening tonight. The Chicagoist first wrote a story about McGee’s plans in February 2012. We’re not promising anything, but it seems the Chicagoist has now gotten wind the bar will open tonight.
UPDATE: Chicago Eater confirms that Three Dots and a Dash will open tonight at 5 p.m.
Source: Chicagoist/Jared Zimmerman/Chicago Eater
A Modern Home in Chicago’s Bucktown Neighborhood
This house in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood, designed by Ranquist Development, features natural lighting, glass walls, a contemporary squared concrete and steel exterior and a rooftop patio (complete with a wrinkly bulldog). Read more about the house and see the beautiful photos from Tréndir.
Source: Tréndir
Middlewest: A Modern Magazine for Food Lovers
There’s a new food magazine in Chicago, and it’s doing thing a little bit differently. The premiere issue of Middlewest features 10 full-color, double-sided recipe cards for spring such as a strawberry-basil icebox cake or carrot-cumin soup with parsley oil. The cards are even coated with a special substance to resist kitchen spills from two of paper’s worse enemies: olive oil and tomato sauce. Read what Gapers Block thinks of the Chicago’s newest food magazine, here. Iif you’re ready to start cooking, snag your own copy.
Source: Middlewest
Don’t Let This Show Slip By You
Hundreds of black specks hang suspended by wires. The group looks like a swarm of black flies that jerk and move as the wires slowly rotate. “Swarm” is just one piece in Lisa Walcott’s show “Less Still,” at Michigan State University’s Elie and Edythe Broad Art Museum. Walcott is a Michigan-based installation artist and kinetic sculptor interested in things that slip through your fingers, flash before your eyes or hover in the spaces in between. The show runs through October 20, 2013.
Source: The Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum/Lisa Walcott
J.W. Hulme Sample Sale in St. Paul
It’s that time of year. The sample sale only happens twice a year at J.W. Hulme’s St. Paul showroom, and the line usually snakes past the door and down the sidewalk as fashion-savvy shoppers wait for their chance to snag one of the Minnesota company’s handmade bags. Our best advice? Get there early. The sale starts at 10 a.m. and lasts until 4 p.m., but people start lining up before the doors open. For a sneak peak the discounted bags, head to J.W. Hulme’s Facebook page.
Source: J.W. Hulme
Art in the Park and On the Street
The Detroit Institute of Arts is taking it to the streets. Well, the art, that is. Through September, the DIA will install outdoor replicas of popular paintings throughout metro Detroit. They’ve brought nearly 80 reproductions to the streets and parks of Detroit through their Inside|Out program. This summer will be their fourth year. An interactive map on their website shows where each masterpiece will take up residence.
Source: Inside Out via Facebook
Twin Cities MidModMixer
In celebration of the warm weather, MidModMen will host an open house this Friday featuring a mix of their Mid-Century and modern furniture finds, along with work from an emerging designer inspired by MCM greats This chair is just one of the several pieces crafted by St. Paul-based furniture designer and craftsman, Nathan Hamlin, that MidModMen will feature at their mixer. The emerging designer will be on hand to talk about his work and showcase his current collection. See the Facebook event page for more details.
