ACTIVITIES = hmm, maybe Detroit’s not so bad after all

Architecture

When Joshua Ray was new to Cranbrook he was taken on an architectural tour by Dylan “Mr. Sweetpants” Nelson and it left an indelible mark. He has since felt a responsibility to pass on the knowledge. There are many great places to visit in the area, but most of you will be here for a short time, so we will limit the list to the highlights and the hidden gems. We wish we could take you to all of them ourselves, but we will be too busy getting gussied up for the wedding.

1. Cranbrook’s campus is where you will start and it is rife with architectural wonder. The original campus itself was designed by the inimitable Eliel Saarinen. Steven Holl designed an addition to the Cranbrook Institute of Science. The Williams Natatorium was designed by Todd Williams and Billie Tsien. And the New Studios building was designed by Rafael Moneo.

2. There are two Frank Lloyd Wright houses very near Cranbrook’s campus. The Affleck House is located here. And the Smith House is located here.

3. Another real gem is the Michigan Theater. In quintessential Detroit style an old theater house was gutted and turned into a parking deck. Rather than bulldoze it and build over the rubble, or restore and preserve it, the decorative interior was just left intact where it didn’t need to be destroyed. It is located here.

4. One more great piece of Detroit dereliction is the abandoned Michigan Central Depot, once Detroit’s bustling train station. It is located here.

Food

The Detroit area may not be known for its cuisine, but for the scrupulous foodie there is most definitely gastronomic pleasure to be had. 

1. The Moose Preserve is without a doubt a must chew. The best bar food around without question. They have a great selection of game meats and draught beers. Joshua Ray recommends the salmon club and Mary unabashedly hawks the big juicy bison burger. Don’t forget the seasoned fries, and you must save room for the big gooey fresh baked chocolate chip cookies. After stowing our luggage, this is the first place we visit when we arrive in Bloomfield Hills.

2. Aunt Olive’s Good-Food-to-Go is very close by and offers a more than satisfactory array of pre-prepared foods. This is one of the places we make sure to frequent every voyage we make to Michigan. If you are with us in time for the rehearsal dinner you can save a trip as it will be brought to you!

3. The Redcoat Tavern is another great place to go. It would also be a must visit, but it is a little farther away than the Moose and of a similar demeanor. It is designed in the style of a woodsy English/Scottish tavern. Low lighting, dark wood and cozy booths make for a very pleasing ambience. They also have very good draught beer. If you can handle the extra cholesterol order the Scotch egg. You will be sorry you did it later, but then glad again after later. 

4. Amici’s Pizza is a bit farther away, but if you are craving gourmet pizza this is the place. They have a delicious variety of toppings and can be very pleasing to the vegetarians among us.

5. Another very good vegetarian/vegan spot is the Inn Season in Royal Oak. There is a great art and indie-film movie house nearby so you could easily make a night of it if you are in the mood for a flick. It is a nice place where you wouldn’t want to be dressed in rags, but you wouldn’t feel uncomfortable in a t-shirt and slacks. A perfect spot for dinner and a movie. 

6. The Pita Cafe is one of the best bangs for your buck going. The food never fails to satisfy a persnickety palate and it is mega cheap. For those of us feeling the pinch of our stagnating economy or just after some tasty middle-eastern fare this is the locale. Don’t forget that the Detroit area has the largest concentration middle-easterners outside the middle-east so they know how to serve it up. 

7. For all you fans of the local dive spots the Hunter House is a veritable institution. A burger hut with only bar seating they serve up small burgers quickly and greasily. If you have a good appetite you should be able to knock out three with fries or onion rings. 

8. And the remedy for that after party hangover is most certainly the Whistle Stop. A definitively locally colored breakfast and lunch joint. Try the bumpy cake. It’s named the bumpy cake. Any questions?

Art

While it is true that Detroit is no New York when it comes to an art scene, it is also true that it has much more to offer than it is often given credit for. Here are just a few places you should check out if you are in the mood for some culture.

1. Of course the number one spot to hit must be the Cranbrook Art Museum. You are next door to it.

2. The Detroit Institute of Arts is the fifth largest art museum in the United States and the employer of the talented and beautiful Madelaine Winslow one of our very own bride’s maids.

3. MoCAD is also a good one to check out for contemporary and often provocative work.

4. Let’s face it if you have gotten down to here and are also attending our wedding events you are pretty much done.

POST-RECEPTION RECEPTION = a few of my favorite (St. Louis) things

Summer isn't complete without a gloriously muggy trip to Mary's hometown of Belleville, Illinois, and we normally try to time it so we can bookend the trip with the Schlau family reunion and the annual softball party on back-to-back weekends. Given this year's out-of-town wedding festivities, we thought to extend the party for the St. Louis crowd by co-hosting with ma and pa Santanello both the reunion and the softball in one fabulous post-reception reception.

The marathon celebration will begin at the traditional summertime field of battle, heartbreak and glory, the softball diamond at Wolf Branch school, located off of Huntwood Drive in Swansea, just across from the tennis courts. The first pitch will be thrown out at 2 or so, but guests are welcome to join up throughout the afternoon, even if just to pinch hit for an inning. After we are all sufficiently stinky and sore and Joe has pulled a leg muscle from running to first on a rope down the right field line, we will hobble into the church hall at Holy Trinity, just a few minutes down the highway from the softball fields, sometime around 6 for a delicious bit of Catholic heaven—a traditional fish fry (with roast beef for our meat-eaters), accompanied by plenty of vegetarian sides and barrels of Budweiser. Landmarks abound for those in need of detailed directions to either venue, please just let us know if you would like more information.

Some of you may have noticed that there is no date on the paper invitation we sent out for this extravaganza/fiasco and thought, oh my, they really are losing their heads with all this wedding planning. What you didn't realize is that such an awesome combination of fish, sweat and smiles deserved a special marketing approach to build the right amount of buzz in the greater St. Louis area, hence the teaser in the mail. After much anticipation, we are ready to reveal the date of the post-reception reception to end all receptions ... Labor Day weekend ... Saturday, AUGUST 30. Start your preparations now, and do let us know of your attendance, s'il vous plaît.

Important note: all of our friends and family outside of the St. Louis metropolitan area are certainly invited to the festivities as well—just let us know your plans and we will save a paper plate for you.