TAQUERIA MI PUEBLO

For a satisfying taco, look no further than Mi Pueblo Taqueria in Southwest Detroit. While Mi Pubelo Taqueria is in Southwest Detroit, it isn't in "Mexican Village", which should be part of the allure if you usually don't venture past West Grand Boulevard on Bagley or Vernor.

Although Mi Pueblo might seem off of your usual path, the restaurant is anything but a hole in the wall. Instead, it's a large stand alone structure that looks more like a chain restaurant than a Mexican restaurant started by a brother and sister in a neighborhood home and bordered by a rail yard. Don't be fooled though, while additions have been made to the original structure over the years, the restaurant is still mighty tasty and in my completely non-Mexican Jewish American opinion, as authentic as any other Mexican restaurant around.

Meanwhile, the place is packed at peak times and while it seats up to 150, a line forms in the waiting area, especially during Sunday brunch. The restaurant opens with the waiting area to the right and a counter to the left where patrons can purchase Mi Pueblo t-shirts and other paraphernalia. One of the dining rooms is through the door to the left, while a gazebo style bar and another dining room are straight ahead. The clientele at lunch time consists of business men and women from downtown on their lunch breaks, while Spanish speaking locals consistently frequent the restaurant no matter the time of day.

Before the meal you are greeted with two different kinds of salsa, which are both great. I've heard that they taste like some bizarre spicy variation of spaghetti sauce, but if that's the case, I don't taste it. Even if they do, I'm not conceding the fact that the salsas are top notch.

Mi Pueblo Taqueria has any Mexican dish you can think of. Items include burritos, gringas, quesadiallas, torta, tosdadas, meats "a la parilla" aka on the grill, seafood, traditional Mexican soup, chiles rellenas, milanesa, tamales and Mexican breakfast including huevos (eggs) and chorizo, potatoes and ranchera sauce. Everything is cheap, except for the drinks. Even ordering Coca Cola can add up in price, as soda comes in individual cans ie no refills.

Although all of the food is very good, the main reason for choosing to eat at Mi Pueblo Taqueria over Mexican Village staples such as Los Galanes or Xochimilco are the tacos. Mi Pueblo calls itself a taqueria and it lives up to its name. Not every Mexican place on the Southwest side has cheap, good tacos, but there is no doubt that Mi Pueblo does. A place in Chicago called La Pasadita makes the best tacos that I've ever had. Although the tacos at Mi Pueblo can't live up to the legend that is Pasadita, the tacos at Mi Pueblo definitely hit the spot and are well worth the trip.

Taco choices include ham (jamon), beef steak (suadero), Mexican sausage (chorizo), chicken (pollo), deep fried pork (carnitas), shredded pork loin (lomo deshebrado), beef tongue (lengua), marinated pork (al pastor), pig stomach (buche), beef head (cabeza), spicy chicken breast (tinga de pollo), marinated chicken breast (pastor de pollo), and marinated beef (birria).

Not only are the taco filling choices inclusive, but you can get a three corn taco dinner which includes rice and beans for only $5.20, or $6.05 with cheese. You can get flour tacos for a more expensive price, but in general I would never recommend flour over corn, nor would I recommend getting anything else on the tacos besides onions and cilantro.

The meats are moist and tasty, although I'm not necessarily sure that I can tell the difference between the spicy chicken and the marinated. The chorizo is top notch, as is the al pastor. Interestingly enough though, Mi Pueblo Taqueria does not have carne asada as a choice for taco filling. Instead, they have marinated beef (Birria) and beef steak (Suadero), in addition to beef head (cabeza), which at this point, I'm not willing to try.

Mi Pueblo Taqueria is a very good restaurant, and it is worth leaving the confines of "Mexican Village" to indulge in a few tasty tacos. With gas prices so high, it's hard to recommend going out of your way to visit any restaurant, especially if you have a long trip. Yet, with very few Mexicans in the metro area in general, and a dearth of good Mexican restaurants, I'm going to go ahead and tell you to go anyway. The food is good, the tacos are satisfying, the clientele is real, and everything is cheap. It's hard to argue with a combination like that.

Taqueria Mi Pueblo
7278 Dix Rd, Detroit, MI 48209
E-mail contact@mipueblorestaurant.com
Phone: (313) 841-3315
Taqueria Mi Pueblo

MI Pueblo Taqueria

Dining Room

Chillen

Tasty Tacos
Including
One chorizo, one marinated chicken, one spicy chicken

Bar Area and Second Dining Room

For the complete Flickr set click here Taqueria Mi Pueblo Flickr Set
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DETROIT SHIRT COMPANY

We received a comment recently reminding us that we haven't reviewed the Detroit Shirt Company, and it's a point well taken. Detroit Shirt Co. is about the art rather than about being clever, and it is extremely good about meeting its objective. Personnel at the Detroit Shirt Company consists of a group of artists with a keen interest in Detroit and a knack for creating original designs. The company aims at showing Detroit/Metro in a positive light, while also promoting local artistic talent in the process.

The more I browse through the shirts that they offer, the more I appreciate what they are doing. Detroit Shirt Co. offers a wide variety of t-shirts, hoodies, long sleeve shirts, tank tops, sweatpants and shorts for both men and women. Each item has a distinct and original print on it, designed by one of the 18 artists or so who make up the Detroit Shirt Co. team.

The designs available are way too many to mention, but I do have some favorites. I especially like the design by artist Dorion Compo, which just says "the D," in the upper right corner, with the "the" in red and the "D" in blue, and both words dripping as if someone used too much paint. I also like the design with an interstate sign in the middle and an olde english D on it with a flame pattern coming from both sides of the sign. Additionally, the design by Kevin VanHooser, with a boxer in the middle and the words, "Detroit Muscle" written in a small font to the right has always caught my eye. Possibly an homage to Detroit great, Joe, Louis, or just a cool design which I've over analyzed.

Detroit Shirt Co. also has apparel with multiple print variations of the word Detroit, as well as designs related to Boblo Island, Corktown, Detroit's rock roots and an entire category they call Detroit Speed Shop, among others. I'm not sure exactly what Detroit Speed Shop is, but it's obviously related to our rich automobile culture, which the shirts in this category proudly show off .

I approve of pretty much everything about Detroit Shirt Co. It promotes the positive side of Detroit, aims to increase awareness of local artists, and provides loyal Detroiters with unique, hip, apparel for us to show off our civic pride. It's hard to argue with any of Detroit Shirt Co.'s goals. I can only hope that they continue to come out with new products and attract local artists interested in creating those designs. Detroit Shirt Co. is a company to be excited about and one which shouldn't have a hard time finding continued support.

Detroit Shirt Company products are available on their website at:
www.DetroitShirt.com
and can be found at a variety of retailers which can be found here:
Detroit Shirt Retailers
Detroit Army

Pure Detroit

Pure Detroit is now somewhat of a veteran in the Detroit apparel world. While a relatively new brand, Pure Detroit's start seemed to coincide with the recent emergence of downtown. Pure Detroit was started by Kevin Borsay and Shawn Santo who opened the first store in 1998. Since the first store opened, it then moved to the corner of W. Congress and Shelby, and is presently located in the lobby of the Guardian Building at 500 Griswold. They have also expanded and now have stores in the Fisher Building lobby at 3011 W. Grand Boulevard and in the Wintergarden of the Renaissance Center. Products are additionally available at Pure Detroit Website: www.puredetroit.com

Pure Detroit carries t-shirts, long sleeve and short, hoodies, hats and belts. The prints on the clothing include phrases such as "Detroit Funk," "Detroit Soul," "Detroit Rock City," "Detroit is for Lovers," "Detroit City," "313" and of course prints that just say "Detroit" in various letter designs. Some of their newer prints include "Enjoy Detroit," and print which they call "Detroit Transit," which is drawing of a bus with Woodward scrawled upon the top.

The shirts are classic and a nice addition to anyone's Detroit collection, but personally I'd like to see newer styles come out more often. Many of the current styles have been around since almost the beginning and an infusion of new designs would add some spice to the ones available. That being said, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. The prints that are currently available seem to be popular and apparel is one aspect of just one business venture that the entrepreneurs who started this store are behind.

If you want products made in Detroit, Pure Detroit is the place to look. They not only have clothing, but they also carry a multitude of Detroit made products including Pewabic Pottery, historic and contemporary photographs, music, books on Detroit, functional art created from remnant automotive parts and local specialty food products such as Red Pelican Mustard, Detroit Spices Co. products, Faygo glass bottle Rock & Rye, Germack pistachios of Sanders hot fudge.

Pure Detroit is definitely a place to check out if you have not done so. The stores have classic products that all Detroit aficionados should have, in addition to apparel which should be found in all Detroiters' closets. Pure Detroit stores seem to have the right mix of new Detroit culture, in addition to old Detroit flavor. With continued success, Pure Detroit is on its way to turning into a Detroit institution.

Pure Detroit Website: www.puredetroit.com
Pure Detroit Stores are located at:

Guardian Building Lobby
500 Griswold Suite 250
Detroit 48226
313-963-1440

Fisher Building Lobby
3011 W. Grand Blvd Suite 101
Detroit 48202
313-873-PURE

Renaissance Center Wintergarden
Detroit 48226
313-259-5100
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downwithdetroit.com

I find very few T shirts with slogans or catchy phrases on them funny, but I have recently found the site www.downwithdetroit.com. I have no idea who runs this site or creates the prints, but a good portion of the T shirts on this site are worth looking at. The prints include connections to Kwame, the state of Michigan, Boblo Island, Belle Isle, Jim Leyland, the "fist" statue, the people mover, tiger stadium and the olde English D, among others. Of course, as all witty t shirt stores have, some prints have themes or slogans that are just plain stupid and uncreative, but those are in the minority.

Many of the prints are available on other items such as sweatshirts, hoodies, and long sleeve t shirts. You can even get an olde English D on a thong if that's your cup of tea. Moreover, with whatever item of clothing you choose, the site provides a plethora of colors for you to pick from.

Whether you are nostalgic about old Detroit institutions, want to show off your Detroit pride, or are just trying to rep your city, www.downwithdetroit.com probably has something you will be interested in.

www.downwithdetroit.com
Detroit Army

Dutch Girl Donuts

My father has told me many times, "Forget Krispy Kreme, Forget Dunkin, the best donuts you'll ever have are at 7 mile and Woodward." Dutch Girl Donuts. Before just recently, I had never been fortunate enough to taste the legend. Luckily, last month I was able to stop at Dutch Girl Donuts. The place looks seedy, and for that matter it is seedy, but in a good way. If you want to watch the girls who work there mix batter to make the donuts you can do so early in the morning, but you'll have to watch through the bulletproof glass. You want to get a donut after dusk?, well you might be asked if you're looking for a good time by the lovely girls who don't work there but who are hanging out on the corner. Like I said, seedy in a good way.

The place looks like there's nothing to it and that it hasn't changed in fifty years. It probably hasn't changed since it opened in 1942, but once you take the first bite of one of their warm, creme filled donuts, you will understand how the legend of this place arose. While I'd like to, its not like I'm stuffing my face with donuts everyday, so its somewhat hard to do a legitimate taste test between the Dutch Girl Donuts and national chains. Even so, I can't imagine that any donut is better than the donut I had from Dutch Girl. You'll have to try these donuts yourself. Take a trip to Dutch Girl Donut and you too will understand why everyone says that these donuts are the best.



Dutch Girl Donuts
19000 Woodward Ave. (Just south of 7 mile.)
Detroit, MI
48203
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