Hey Detroit! It’s been a while, but The Hungry Black Man is back, and we will be going on our annual Detroit Black Foodie Tour next week, so look out for us! Because I’m a Miami Boy, we’re going before the cold sets in to avoid encountering a mini blizzard like we did last year.
On a quick daytrip, a couple weeks ago, we paid a second visit to Demi’s Restaurant and Bar and was so impressed with the service, food, live music and its super sophisticated owner, Mr. Donald McCoy, that I had to write about them. The restaurant is located at 24201 W Seven Mile Rd., in Northwest Detroit (phone – 313-766-7802.)
Unassuming and inconspicuous, the multi-floor dining room provides an upscale sports bar experience with multiple televisions showing almost every game while simultaneously affording folk a chance to be discreetly tucked in an intimate corner with their boo thang.
The food is eclectic and balanced with options for almost any palate and diet. There was a Tenderoni at the bar I was trying to impress, so I didn’t do what I usually do and order half of the damn menu. Instead, I went for the classier entrees, even though it meant I’d be taking Detroit Transit because I was spending my Uber money.
We started with the Chef’s Lamb Chops ($27), which were chargrilled to perfection, served with a house made chimichurri and a Cabernet based dipping sauce. For those folks who don’t know, chargrilled vs grilled simply means that the chargrilled lamb was grilled with the use of charcoals, which makes a decisive difference in the taste and tenderness. The char interacting with the chimichurri was delicious and the dipping sauce had a toe-curling quality. I was gnawing these babies to the bone, which apparently frightened the Tenderoni, because she left the bar for a safer space with friends who’d just arrived.
Next, I ordered the half rack of the Don’s Smokehouse Ribs ($16) with the incomparable Demi’s Barbecue Glaze! Ribs are good in Detroit, so you know my bar was already high as hell. Well, Demi’s didn’t disappoint one bit. Each rib had the complex seasoning that complemented the standout sauce, all underpinned and held together by the distinct flavor of pork. Each was juicy and tender, tugging cleanly without falling off the bone; a significant distinction because when ribs fall completely off the bone, they could have been boiled. And we all know the people who boil ribs have no soul and eat kittens.
Back to Demi’s visit. I was now feeling myself. Because I’d decided to use Detroit’s Public Transportation, I could spend my dollars more freely. It was time for the Nubian Tendoroni to meet The Hungry Black Man! I sent over a couple cocktails in my move I coined “The Rick Ross.”
My fraternity brother shot a quick photo of the drinks before I had them sent over to the ladies! They looked so good, I had to sample them through pipetting (Don’t judge me! Bartenders do this a lot and it’s common). Moving through each cocktail, I messed around and took a sip of the Cinnamon Toast Crunch cocktail, which was so damn good I selfishly omitted it from my costly offering.
When the waitress pointed us out for sending over the drinks, I did my signature “Denzel” wink and Tenderoni laughed. What type of laugh was that, I wondered. To play it off, I signaled the waitress back over to order more food.
I selected the two items I loved at my last visit, The Lobster Burger ($16) and the Salmon ($19), and both were still amazing. If you’re worried about what to order, then get the salmon. It’s good and the perfect fallback dish. The lobster burger, however, is on another level. Cooks at Demi’s go through the trouble of assembling the lobster burger from actual chunks of fresh lobster meat and you can honestly taste the difference from a quality pre-shaped patty. The brioche bun was super soft and warmed to an acceptable level so that the cold lettuce, onion and tomato interacted so beautifully with the warmness of the patty and the lobster meat.
When we visited the last time, my fraternity brother and I had the same incredible food experience, but this time, Nubian Tenderoni was making things a little more exciting for me. After the food had been ordered and consumed, the ladies were jamming to the live music (Yes, this place even had a live band performing). Feeling inspired, I two stepped my way over, approaching with my signature pelvic thrusting move I call the Chris Brown. They laughed. The music stopped, and I made my verbal moves. I explained that I was visiting from Miami, doing food tours and, after I went on and on about how much I LOVED Detroit, Tenderoni’s friends demanded I prove my love for their city.
Nubian Tenderoni had given nonverbal ques that made me feel like if I passed her friends’ impromptu exam, she might deem me worthy of her time. I wasn’t sure whether this was just a quiz or a character test. What I did feel sure of was that I could not fail. The moment I was about to be quizzed, however, my phone rang. Instead of my usual ring tone, we heard Slat Season by Drego and Beno, a song by local Detroit artists my nephew programmed when he used my phone. I couldn’t have chosen a better song because Tenderoni’s friends began to dance wildly while laughing uncontrollably. “What you know about that, Miami Boy?”
That was my cue, so I slid into a seat amongst them, ready to put in the real work. I’ll let you know the rest in my next article.
In the meantime, be sure to visit Demi’s when you’re in Detroit.
