20+ Restaurants • 1 Great Cause
AUGUST 3, 2022 | 5:30 – 9:30 p.m.
Returning (finally!) for its second year, EAT Detroit showcases our city’s diverse culinary scene with a one-of-a-kind experience benefitting our most underserved citizens, all in one night. Enjoy the chef’s featured dishes and craft drinks, as well as live musical entertainment, and help the initiatives of SAY Detroit that provide housing, food, medical care, education, and more to Detroiters in need at any age.
This is a limited event on a first-come, first-serve basis!
ATTENDEES: Plan your night with the official, free mobile app.
Wear your wristband, visit a restaurant, eat and drink and repeat at the next stop until you’re full or the event ends at 9:30 p.m.
Enjoy food and drink at participating restaurants, and stroll between locations or use our official shuttles for longer distances — and no bill ever arrives! Attendees are also welcome to enjoy a free water ice dessert — at any time during the event! — at the Detroit Water Ice Factory.
With a tasting menu of 3 specialty dishes and 1 signature drink at each restaurant, you won’t go hungry or thirsty. Strolling waitstaff and self-selected starting restaurants, along with recommended routes, will keep traffic flowing and eliminate long lines!
EAT Detroit is modeled (with permission!) after Washington, DC’s Dine-N-Dash with chef José Andrés.
use scrollbar or swipe left-right on mobile to view participating restaurants
Baobab Fare
VIP Exclusive
Baobab Fare is more than a restaurant – it’s an experience. In our journey from Burundi, we have come to cherish our home in Detroit, but we still experience so much joy in sharing where we came from. That’s why we want to share more than just dishes with our community – we want to share our culture.
BARDA
VIP Exclusive
BARDA Detroit is the first and only authentic Argentinian and Latin American-inspired Restaurant in Detroit. Using ancestral methods of Patagonian cooking, BARDA’s open fire is the very soul of the restaurant’s dining experience. BARDA specializes in simple yet bold dishes, combining techniques and ingredients that reach far across vast geographical terrains.
Calexico
At Calexico Detroit, live every day like it’s Taco Tuesday. Calexico is a small town on the border of California and Mexico. Take a step south, and you’re in Mexicali; a step north, Calexico. Everything is a hybrid: the people, the language, and especially the food.
Chili Mustard Onions
As a 100% Vegan Coney Island style restaurant, Chili Mustard Onions is one of the most original and best restaurant concepts to launch in metro Detroit in recent years. The menu offers meatless — and mostly organic and non-GMO — versions of many of the coney standards.
Cork & Gabel
Cork & Gabel, a restaurant fusion of Irish, Italian, and German cuisine, opened in 2018 in Detroit’s Corktown district in a light-filled, industrial space with a full bar. They are known for our use of modern techniques on old school classics.
ima
Award-winning noodles, rice bowls and shareable plates like jicama shell tacos top the menu at this modern Japanese noodle shop with locations in Corktown, Midtown and Madison Heights.
Jolly Pumpkin
Funky brewpub in mid-town with award-winning wild oak-aged beers and deliciously unique food.
la Feria Spanish Tapas
La Feria is Michigan’s only restaurant specializing in authentic, traditional Spanish cuisine. All dishes are recipes from head Chef Pilar’s mother and grandmother, heralding from Sevilla in Andalucia, southern Spain. We serve a variety of shareable small plates in the tradition of Tapas, where food and drink form the core of socializing among friends and family.
LaLanterna
Located on the first floor of the Albert building, the new LaLanterna offers a menu of Neapolitan-style brick oven pizzas, salads, paninis, pastas and other classic Italian entrees. A full marble bar, anchored by a selection of affordable wines from California and Italy, are also be available.
Leila
With a menu rooted in the savory yet simple flavors that define Lebanese cuisine, and an experience that evokes the simple pleasure of great food enjoyed in good company, Leila sits at the crossroads of sophisticated style and old-world hospitality.
Lumen Detroit
Lumen features new American cuisine with a beer focus and offers sweeping views of Downtown Detroit and Beacon Park from the rooftop deck and patio.
Mootz Pizzeria + Bar
Mootz Pizzeria + Bar is the only authentic New York pizzeria in the heart of Detroit. Mootz offers a relaxed atmosphere with just under 100 seats, a full bar with 20 beers on tap with full cocktail and wine menus, a patio, and a “by-the-slice” counter which is open late and located next to the main restaurant with its own entrance.
Oak & Reel
HOUR Detroit’s “2022 Restaurant of the Year” owned and helmed by Michelin-starred chef Jared Gadbaw. The contemporary Italian menu features fresh seafood and housemade pastas in a beautiful, warm setting. Complimentary on-site parking.
Prime + Proper
VIP Exclusive
Second Best
Second Best is a neighborhood hangout for the everyman and woman, engrained with a steadfast devotion to producing a high caliber product that’s derived from reminiscence and delivered with swift, impassioned service in a casual, approachable environment…Blue Ribbon quality with a Red Ribbon tag.
The name is an embraced declaration to the notion that you don’t need to be lauded as ‘the best’, to provide the best time. If you’re looking for fun, come get some.
San Morello
*VIP Reception*, Serving in Shinola Hotel's Birdy Room
Inspired by the spirit and piazzas of Southern Italy and Sicily, San Morello is Chef Andrew Carmellini’s urban Italian neighborhood restaurant in downtown Detroit serving authentic, wood-fired dishes, pizzas and house-made pastas using local, seasonal ingredients.
Slows Bar BQ
Detroit’s award-winning barbecue destination since 2005.
Supergeil
Supergeil is inspired by the energy and food of Berlin’s Kreuzberg district. Not unlike Corktown, it is a neighborhood on the edge of center, a multicultural place where artists, students, and Germany’s largest Turkish population live together. A cocktail menu features vibrant colors, spices and punchy flavors, while a light and dark beer selection are a reference to the “branded” corner bars scattered throughout the neighborhood. The food is diverse, direct and craveable.
Takoi
VIP Exclusive
Takoi, located in Corktown, offers unique Thai fusion plates, as will as delicious craft cocktails. Nominated for the James Beard “Best New Restaurant of 2017.”
Townhouse Detroit
VIP Exclusive
Vicente's Cuban Cuisine
Vicente’s Cuban Cuisine was created in 2005 to give Detroit’s palette an authentic taste of Cuba! Our recipes have been handed down through generations of the Vazquez family. The romantic milieu of Havana effortlessly transports you with extraordinary scents of exotic dishes and the rhythmic sounds of salsa music.
The Whitney
VIP Dessert / GA Dining
Completed in 1894, the world famous Motor City landmark retains the exquisite charm of Detroit’s early upper echelon as a venue for all to enjoy. The Whitney now provides several unique features within the historical property: the fine dining restaurant, The Katherine McGregor Dessert Parlor, The Ghostbar and Gardens.
VIP Benefits
- In an exclusive dining experience presented by San Morello, VIP patrons will join Mitch Albom and other special guests at a pre-event reception at 5 p.m. at Shinola Hotel’s Birdy Room. The bright and airy Birdy Room conservatory features vaulted glass ceilings and lush greenery, offering a refreshing respite from the energy of downtown Detroit. Fully glass enclosed with a private bar, the Birdy Room also has a small outdoor garden attached with views of the city’s iconic Opera House, sports stadiums and People Mover.
- An additional 5 exclusive VIP-only restaurants. VIP-only restaurants allow diners to avoid any potential crowds and spend more time in these restaurants.
- Your VIP experience ends with dessert: After 9PM, enjoy a final course of flaming desserts and miniature pastries in the iconic Ghostbar at The Whitney. Relax in the hauntingly beautiful and classy space featuring an ornate wood bar and antique decor.
- VIP shuttles from Shinola Hotel to begin your evening with one of the five exclusives you select at ticket purchase.
- Check in and get your wristband at the VIP reception, or at One Campus Martius after 6:30 p.m. if you can’t make it to the pre-event reception.
Full Details
» BEFORE AUGUST 3rd
Read the FAQs!
» GETTING YOUR TICKETS
Buy your tickets here. You can purchase up to 6 tickets. You will choose your starting restaurant based on the ticket you buy!
VIPs will begin their night at the VIP Reception at Shinola Hotel, catered by San Morello, but will purchase a ticket for the first restaurant they want to visit after the reception.
» WHEN YOU ARRIVE
Have your tickets ready to check in!
Present your print-at-home or mobile ticket. The ticket buyer must distribute a ticket to all members of their party.
General Admission – Go to the restaurant on your ticket by 5:30 p.m.
Check in at your starting restaurant (you choose it when you buy your ticket). Individual attendees will get their ticket scanned, receive a wristband, and a guide map. Follow the instructions provided by your restaurant hosts and the process will run quickly and smoothly.
Doors open at 5:30 PM at your starting restaurant.
VIP – Go to Shinola Hotel’s Birdy Room
Pick up your VIP wristband(s) any time after at 4:30 p.m. at the VIP pre-event reception, which will host an exclusive dining experience brought to you by San Morello from 5 – 6 p.m. (Doors open at 5 p.m.). Please use the hotel’s Farmer Street entrance at 1435 Farmer Street next to MadCap coffee.
By 6:15 p.m., take a provided shuttle outside of Shinola Hotel or walk to the starting restaurant selected at the time of ticket purchase.
» DINING & DASHING
After your starting restaurant, you choose your next dining option: Stroll within the neighborhood, hop on a shuttle to a neighborhood farther away – OR – stroll to the next nearest neighborhood. We’ll have updated recommendations for how to plan your night depending on where you start soon.
Eat…drink…repeat at the next restaurant until 9:30 p.m. or until you just can’t take one more bite!
Keep your wristband on at all times, it’s your access to participating restaurants and the bill never arrives. Attendees must have a VIP wristband in order to access VIP-only restaurants. It is recommended that VIPs enjoy all VIP-only restaurants before trying other restaurants.
» GETTING AROUND
Shuttles run nonstop and make all stops on assigned routes from 5:30 – 10 p.m.
Shuttle lines and shuttle stops can be reviewed here.
You’ll receive a printed map with all restaurant addresses and shuttle stops, but you can star and save this this digital version to Google My Maps on your smart phone (you must have Google Maps installed or log-in to your Google account on your browser).
» RESTAURANTS
- *Baobab Fare
- *BARDA
- Calexico
- Chili Mustard Onions
- Cork & Gabel
- Ima
- Jolly Pumpkin
- La Feria Spanish Tapas
- La Lanterna
- Leila
- Lumen Detroit
- Mootz Pizzeria + Bar
- Oak & Reel
- *Prime + Proper
- *San Morello (catering VIP reception at Shinola Birdy Room)
- Slows Bar BQ
- Supergeil
- *Takoi
- *Townhouse Detroit
- Vicente’s Cuban Cuisine
- The Whitney (+ the Ghostbar at The Whitney**)
- Second Best
*VIP ticket only.
**VIP Dessert after 9PM in the Ghostbar, GA dining 5:30 – 9:00PM
Thank You Sponsors!
Presented by:
Transportation Sponsor
Volunteer Apron Sponsor
Media Partner
Media Partner
Foodie Sponsor
Foodie Sponsor
Foodie Sponsor
Foodie Sponsor
Foodie Sponsor
In memory of Jack Aronson, 1953-2021
Jack, food entrepreneur and philanthropist extraordinaire, championed many causes focusing primarily on literacy and children. Metro Detroit Youth Clubs, The Salvation Army, Beyond Basics, and SAY Detroit are amongst the beneficiaries of his family’s generosity.
It was Jack’s guidance that helped EAT Detroit’s inaugural event in 2019 be. a success. He was an instrumental mentor to and champion of SAY Detroit’s success in other food-related endeavors namely, Detroit Water Ice Factory and Brown Bag Popcorn
His life-changing impact on the community will forever be felt, and it is this spirit of “doing good”, his heart, and his unwavering friendship we honor him with EAT Detroit.
An obituary may be read here.
FAQs
How do I get tickets?
Tickets may only be purchased online through Freshtix.com. You can purchase up to 6 tickets.
PLEASE BE AWARE OF DISCOUNT TICKET SCAMMERS! We do not allow resale, and if any special ticket discounts are made available, they will be listed as official on this website.
Do I have to bring my ticket to the event?
YES!
Each GA attendee must bring their print-at-home ticket or show their mobile ticket in order to check in, pick up their wristbands, and enter the previously selected restaurant on your ticket to begin your dining experience.
VIP attendees must bring their print-at-home tickets or show their mobile tickets at the VIP pre-reception and receive their wristband for entry into their starting restaurant and other VIP-only restaurants.
NOTE: Ticket buyers must distribute tickets to their guests. If you purchased more than one ticket in your order, please distribute a print-at-home or mobile ticket to the guests who will be joining you before the event so each attendee can check in and pick up their wristband individually. EVERY ATTENDEE NEEDS A TICKET AND EACH TICKET MAY ONLY BE SCANNED ONCE. More here and here.
I can’t find my tickets – what do I do?
Ticket buyers: your tickets were generated and emailed automatically at purchase at Freshtix.com. Please check your email – including your SPAM/junk folder – for an email from greenlight[at]freshtix.com. You can also log in to the Freshtix account you created at the time of purchase to have your tickets sent to you again. Instructions are here.
If you need help with your Freshtix.com account, please contact Freshtix directly:
Phone: 678-701-6114
Text: 678-737-4093
Email: greenlight[at]freshtix.com
https://www.freshtix.com/help
Guests: your tickets were generated by SAY Detroit and emailed to you directly from the Freshtix.com platform. Please check your email – including your SPAM/junk folder – for an email from greenlight[at]freshtix.com. If you cannot locate them, please email eat@saydetroit.org to request your tickets be sent again.
What if I arrive late?
If you’re GA, your wristband will be waiting for you at the starting restaurant you selected until 6:30 p.m. After 6:30, please check in at the help desk at One Campus Martius.
If you’re VIP, your wristband will be waiting for you at the VIP reception at the Shinola Hotel until 6:30 p.m. If you arrive after 6:30, please check in at the help desk at One Campus Martius.
Where do I park?
We’ve outlined several options below. We suggest parking near your starting restaurant or near where you’d like to be to get home – do plan carefully with what you’re most comfortable. Please contact garages directly to confirm availability and pricing (subject to change).
Flat-rate parking for $10 for the evening (beginning after 4 p.m.) is available at the following list of parking garages. Please note these garages are self-serve and accept debit/credit card payment only.Cash will not be accepted.
The Z
1234 Library St, 48226
(888) 300-9833
One Campus Martius Deck
1188 Farmer St, 48226
(313) 227-4866
Greektown Garage
1001 Brush St.
(313) 961-8322
1001 Woodward Garage
35 State St.
(313) 965-8059
Bricktown Garage
419 E. Fort St.
One Detroit Center Garage
200 Larned St.
(855) 487-6727
Two Detroit Garage
160 E. Congress St.
(313) 963-2599
Opera House Parking Center
1426 Broadway
(855) 487-6727
Cass Garage
6540 Cass Ave
Buhl Parking Garage
525 Griswold St
Additional parking options include:
Ford Employee Lot in Corktown – FREE
1941 Fisher Fwy (entrance will be off of Michigan to Vermont)
Oak & Reel: private lot
The Whitney: $5 parking in lot across the street (corner of Canfield and Woodward)
Cork and Gabel: private lot
Lot across from Second Best: will be open and staffed. EAT Detroit patrons should identify themselves and can park for a discounted price of $8 (cash, venmo, online)
2055 Cass Lot
2055 Cass Ave
(313) 725-3848
$8, credit card only
Parking Lot 71 (Wayne State University)
410 W. Canfield
Open courtesy of a contract agreement with Midtown Detroit Inc. from 5pm until 1am. First come, first-served
Parking Lot 72 (Wayne State University)
4510 Cass Avenue
$8.50 pay station, credit card only, Enter off of Cass
Midtown KinderCare Parking Lot
320 Mack Ave
Parking is in the lot in the back of the building across from the playgrounds – 21 spots and 2 handicap spots.
What is the dress code?
While this isn’t a black tie affair, we encourage you to choose at least smart casual attire. Be tasteful, be neat, and most importantly, be comfortable on your feet. You’ll be standing, strolling, and wherever possible – dancing! – so you’ll want to make sure you’re able to do so without being hindered by footwear.
How do I get around?
Restaurants are primarily located in “clusters” or neighborhoods that are walkable – enjoy the summer stroll! Special shuttles will help get you between the clusters. Review shuttle lines and stops before you arrive below.
What if I need help during the event?
Greeting you at each restaurant – and on the shuttles and route stops – will be our EAT Detroit volunteers, who’ll be eager to answer your questions. You’ll recognize them because they’ll all be wearing our official 2022 EAT Detroit apron. Volunteers hail from our A Time to Help group, generous fellow citizens, and our local charity partners with whom SAY Detroit works to provide services and support to Detroiters in need throughout the year. Ask them about their work.
Do I really have to dine at my “starting” restaurant I chose when buying tickets?
PLEASE HELP US HELP YOU: To help the night run more smoothly, we ask that you honor your first restaurant assignment and meet up with other parties afterwards. Our distribution is intended to ensure that your first dining experience is not overcrowded, and help guide the rest of your traveling path accordingly.
Can I order from the restaurant’s menu?
Not as part of EAT Detroit. Chefs are preparing a special menu that is a minimum of 3 specialty small plates and 1 signature craft cocktail.
Is it OK to go back to the same restaurant several times?
During the event? No. Anytime after EAT Detroit? YES, please do!
EAT Detroit is a great opportunity to try many different hot spots and cuisines. Please help us make sure that your fellow attendees also have a chance to try everything by following the recommended routes (generally clockwise or counterclockwise paths of the shuttle lines) and adhering to recommended capacity limits as instructed by our EAT Detroit volunteers.
We encourage you to visit these restaurants again for a full night of dining after your EAT Detroit experience, keeping in mind that they are adding this special dining service during our event to help support SAY Detroit’s mission to better the lives of Detroiters in need.
Is there a group sale price?
We do not have a group rate.
Is there alcohol on this tour?
Yes, each restaurant is offering a minimum of 1 specialty craft cocktail to EAT Detroit attendees. Please make sure you have your proof of age with you. Note: Chili Mustard Onions is substituting a mocktail, and Baobab Fare will have a non-alcoholic drink.
What’s the refund policy?
There are no refunds. This is a rain or shine event.
How can I volunteer?
Sign up to volunteer here, or email susan@saydetroit.org with interest.
Is my ticket tax-deductible?
SAY Detroit is a fully-formed 501(c)(3) charity (EIN 20-4786626). Your ticket purchase is tax-deductible, and your confirmation email is your donation receipt. Your federal income tax deduction for your contribution through the purchase of a ticket is the amount of your contribution minus the value of the premiums your receive. We estimate the deduction value for each General Admission ticket is $115 and for each VIP ticket it is $225. Please contact us at eat@saydetroit.org if you have any questions or concerns.
I have food allergies / special diets — will I be accommodated?
A final menu from each restaurant is not yet available, and diet/allergy considerations are addressed individually by each restaurant in accordance with their policies and regular menu considerations. While we encourage restaurants to consider variety and inclusion for all patrons when creating their EAT Detroit tasting menu and signature cocktail (and non-alcoholic beverages), we cannot guarantee accommodation and substitutions cannot be requested on the day-of.
Are your shuttles ADA-accessible? Are the restaurants?
Currently, all participating restaurants have wheelchair-accessible entrances. We are committed to making this event as inclusive as possible, and are currently working to confirm the rental of ADA-accessible shuttles to provide a VIP / GA experience. We will confirm and list those tickets for sale as soon as possible, with a guided experience prioritizing the most accessible locations. Due to a high volume of rentals for various events, we have found a limited availability of private shuttles overall. We invite you to email eat@saydetroit.org by Wednesday, July 13th if you need such accomodation, allowing us sufficient time to confirm availability. Thank you for your patience.
UPDATE: 2 ADA-accessible vans have been secured. General admission tickets reserving seating for mobility aids and van seats on ADA-accessible shuttles are now available for sale here. Patrons will check in at One Campus Martius to pick up their wristbands, then begin their dining at Lumen, the top-rated accessible restaurant on EAT Detroit’s list, continuing in a guided experience prioritizing other spaces with wheelchair-accessible restrooms: Cork & Gabel, Slows Bar BQ, Supergeil, Oak & Reel, Jolly Pumpkin, Second Best, Townhouse (VIP bonus!), Mootz Pizzeria + Bar, and LaLanterna in a predetermined route.
I’ve got questions, who has answers?
Please email us at eat@saydetroit.org with comments, questions, and tips.
GETTING AROUND
The EAT Detroit Shuttle System
Volunteers will be on shuttle buses and at shuttle stops to help guide you. Review the Google Map above before arriving to familiarize yourself with the event’s general footprint. A printed guidemap will also be provided when you check in and pick up your wristband.
SHUTTLE STOPS
🚏Downtown Hub
- Monroe Street between Woodward Ave. and Randolph St.
- Access to Blue, Yellow, Pink and Green shuttle lines
- Downtown restaurants: Calexico, La Lanterna, Leila, Mootz, Prime + Proper, Vicente’s, Townhouse, Detroit Water Ice Factory
🚏Corktown Hub
- 16th St. between Michigan Ave. and Vernor Highway
- Access to Blue, Yellow, Green, and Pink lines
- Restaurants: Takoi, Slows Bar BQ, ima, Supergeil, Cork & Gabel
🚏Midtown Hub
- W. Canfield St. between Cass Ave. and Woodward Ave.
- Access to Blue, Yellow, Pink, Green, and Red lines
- Midtown restaurants: The Whitney, Jolly Pumpkin, la Feria
🚏STOP A: BARDA
- W. Grand River Ave. between W. Warren Ave. and 15 St.
- Access to Blue and Yellow lines
🚏STOP B: Baobab Fare
- E. Grand Blvd. between Woodward Ave. and John R St.
- Access to Blue and Yellow lines
🚏STOP C: Oak & Reel
- Beaubien Blvd. between E. Grand Blvd. and E. Milwaukee Ave.
- Access to Blue, Yellow, and Red lines
🚏STOP D: Lumen
- Plaza Dr. between 1st St. and Cass Ave.
- Access to Pink and Green lines
🚏STOP E: Chili Mustard Onions
- Brush St. between Eliot St. and Erskine St.
- Access to Red line
🚏STOP F: Second Best
- Watson St. between Woodward Ave. and John R St.
- Access to Red line
SHUTTLE LINES
All shuttle line routes loop either clockwise or counterclockwise. Some lines are for VIP patrons (prioritizing VIP-only restaurants), while others are for General Admission patrons.
BLUE Line – VIP
- Downtown Hub
- Corktown Hub
- STOP A: BARDA
- STOP B: Baobab Fare
- STOP C: Oak & Reel
- Midtown Hub
YELLOW Line – VIP
- Downtown Hub
- Midtown Hub
- STOP B: Baobab Fare
- STOP C: Oak & Reel
- STOP A: BARDA
- Corktown Hub
PINK Line – GA
- Downtown Hub
- STOP D: Lumen
- Corktown Hub
- Midtown Hub
Green Line – GA
- Downtown Hub
- Midtown Hub
- Corktown Hub
- STOP D: Lumen
Red Line – VIP & GA
- Midtown Hub
- STOP C: Oak & Reel
- STOP E: Chili Mustard Onions
- STOP F: Second Best