The Best Things I Ate Last Week
Meatball tartare, Italian-American tteokbokki, and a bolillo roll for the ages.
Heyo!
Mannnn I’ve been BUSY. Busy writing, busy eating, busy doing comedy again, busy living, and busy thinking. Your ol’ pal DP has been doing a lot of contemplating these days. What is it that I do again? And who is it for?
A friend the other day was surprised to learn that I think of myself as an idiot. That’s not me being humble or self-deprecating—it’s just true. I’m rarely, if ever, right about something of importance. I’m a fool, and as such, I prefer to keep the company of other fools. This is what makes me an efficient conduit for morons. I speak their language and know their customs. I don’t write for intellectuals. I write for that one, front-facing illiterate man who shouts things like “let’s gooooo” when they’re at an art museum. If he manages to read something I write and connects with it, well, that means I’ve done my job and done it well.
That’s not to say that I think you’re an idiot, reader. No no—I’m sure you’re well-educated and articulate and have an all-around versatile vocabulary. However, I also get DMs from former drug addicts who like what I do, and that means most.
Speaking of things I do, I am finally being paid to review restaurants! Hooray! A straightforward review is something that I never got to do in my 7 years living in Los Angeles, so needless to say I’m thrilled with how things are going in Detroit thus far. My editor made sure to remind me to bring a guest, not spend more than $200, and also to use an alias when making the reservation.
I once had a conversation with the great Stephanie Breijo on the front steps of my apartment in Thai Town about whether or not a food critic should remain anonymous. Personally, I don’t think awareness of my position or identity could ever meaningfully change a dining experience. Go ahead and shoot your shot, I say. Steph, however, was quick to point out that restaurants might beef up portions or prepare dishes a little differently. I’ve finally conceded to her position, and now acknowledge that it’s time for me to grow up. That’s why I made a reservation next week under the name Billy Crystal.
Anyway! *Burp*, here’s the best things I ate this week. It’s a fun one, and I think you’ll enjoy it! But first, subscribe will ya? Pay if you want—it really does help!
All hail the pepperoni and cheese stuffed bolillo roll at Mexicantown Bakery
‘Roni Rolls are both Italian-American and Appalachian—the genius scheme of a wise Sicilian immigrant who dared to ask, “Hey, what if we stuffed this here loaf of bread with this here stick of pepperoni???” I grew up gnawing on these hilljack kolaches in Western Pennsylvania, so imagine my delight when I saw this stumpy beaut at Mexicantown Bakery in Detroit. It’s French, it’s Mexican, it’s Italian, it costs $2.50, and it’s everything I love about food.
The roll is buttery, golden, littered with sesame seeds, and ceremoniously jammed with the proper amount of pepperoni and queso blanco. The bolillo roll itself packs a crunchy outer crust with a soft, pillowy interior. Take away the pepperoni and cheese, and this roll stands proudly on its own. I fucking love bolillo rolls, and used to purchase them regularly from the Ralph’s on Hollywood and Western. They’re all business; useful and thrifty in an everyman kind of way. I have never in all my years seen one stuffed with pepperoni and cheese, though. I sleuthed around and asked some Los Angeles friends if they’ve ever seen such a thing, and the answer was a resounding no.
I might write something more extensive about this roll in the future. Where did it come from? Was it influenced by Appalachia culture? Is this a Mexican-French-West Virginian mashup? What’s the history of stuffed bolillo rolls? These are all questions for a potential article, so I’ve got more “sandwich journalism” to do there. In the meantime, all you need to know is that it costs $2.50 and it motherfuckin’ rocks. Mexicantown Bakery is a treasure here, a wonderland of confections, savory pastries, and cakes. Go go go.
Mexicantown Bakery
4300 Vernor Highway
Detroit, MI 48209
The meatball-y beef tartare at Selden Standard
This tartare at Selden ($24) is refreshing, curious, and crunchy. It comes served with little gem lettuce instead of crostini, so the whole experience feels more leafy and light. That’s my preferred tartare experience. Not everything needs to mirror a sandwich, ya feel me?
The beef itself had fresh, mild flavor, and the quail egg added predictable richness, but what’s most unusual is how they included breadcrumbs in the beef itself. It made the tartare feel more substantial, but it also kind of felt like eating raw meatball mix. I’m not complaining; I love raw meatballs and also I’ve been to the hospital exactly 47 times. All of the components here worked nicely. This was one of the more eccentric, and yet practical, raw beef appetizers I’ve had. A sneaky intelligent take on a classic.
Selden Standard
3921 Second Ave.
Detroit, MI 48201
The specialty pizza at Supino Pizzeria
Yo, Supino’s pizza rocks. I’m confident that if you dropped this pizza in Los Angeles, people would lose their dang minds.
In a city full of thick and porous square cuts, Supino serves an East-coast style pie that feels light, technical, and local. It’s energizing. I ordered their speciality slice for $4.50, and it included oleaginous cloves of roasted garlic, dark green kale, funky Chèvre, and red pepper flakes. The crust was thin, crispy, foldable, and packed a loud crunch. That crunch actually reminded me of Angelo’s in South Philly, which is a now legendary pizza spot. This is a phenomenal East-coast pie, and the use fresh vegetables and goat cheese made me reverent for the pizza boom currently happening in Los Angeles.
Side note: I’ve noticed a lot of restaurants around Detroit suddenly invoking “California” as a style of cooking and also as a marketing tool, but there’s simply no need to. What does that even mean…California cooking? Fresh produce and sustainability? Buddy, Michigan has that in spades. It’s a state with a wonderful bounty of produce and meat. There’s no need to constantly name drop Cali. Much love to Supino for supporting local food purveyors, too. Per their website,
We use local and organic products whenever possible, some of our purveyors include: Coriander Farm, Fisheye Farm, Keep Growing Detroit, Rising Pheasant, and Garden Fort. The meat for our meatballs, house sausage, and pork are from Cherry Capital Foods who source solely from Michigan based farms using pasture raised methods.
I highly recommend this place. It’s one of my favorite pizza joints in the country right now. Locals know it, but out-of-towners need to, too.
Supino Pizzeria
2457 Russell St.
Detroit, MI 48207
The Gamjatang and Rose Tteokbokki at Miss Kim in Ann Arbor
When I have friends in town, I’m going to bring them to Miss Kim.
Chef Ji Hye Kim is as lovely as she is talented, and man she is talented. Kim has multiple James Beard nominations for good reason—she cooks with excitement, love, and respect. Pertinent to you, though, is that Miss Kim’s website advertises “really great Korean food” and that’s all you need to know. The menu seems to vary, but currently it looks like there’s a marinated chicken sandwich on challah for $15, fried kimchi rice balls ($13), and a few different styles of tteokbokki, too.
I went to Miss Kim for a book party celebrating the newest installments from Matt Rodbard and Eric Kim, respectively titled Koreaworld and Korean American. I met some new friends, too. Mark Kurlyandchik, Carlos Parisi, Lisa K, and Sewa Wong were just the best company. I’m really enjoying the food crew here in Detroit. Great, insightful people.
Accompanying this author discussion was a quick yet hearty dinner featuring recipes from both books, and, in addition, some flare from Miss Kim herself.
Gamjatang is one of my favorite Korean stews—the combination of pork neck, tomatoes, and perilla seeds was my go-to rainy-day-in-L.A. meal for years. It’s a hearty and meaty soup that’s still somehow quite light. Doesn’t feel like slugging down a gloppy roux—just pure meat broth, potatoes, and veg.
Instead of pork neck or pork back, this gamjatang featured pulled pork with a perilla leaf pesto made by chef Ji Hye Kim, and a tangy, spicy, pineapple kimchi for dressing. I love it when soup gets star treatment—when it goes above and beyond your humble, porridge-influenced expectations. The dollop of perilla pesto added some herbiness and fat, and reminded me of the French soupe au pistou. Pesto really livens up a stew, and here perilla leaf makes all the sense in the world.
The pineapple kimchi was just incredible. My goodness. Everybody at our table commented about how it would be great in a taco, and now I can’t stop thinking about an al pastor that features a crunchy, spicy, sweet pineapple kimchi.
Part baked ziti, part shakshuka, this baked rose tteokbokki was one of the best things I’ve eaten all year. It featured rice cake batons with soft eggs, gochujang tomato sauce, and stretchy, melty mozzarella. The baked pasta dish came garnished with sesame seeds and chili threads, but the vibe here is decidedly Italian-American. The square baking dish reminded me of Sunday dinners at Grandma’s house, and similarly the mozzarella cheese pull took me back to my days working buffet lunch service at the best red sauce joints, where heaping hotel pans filled with penne and cheese melted in chafing dishes held warm by lit sternos.
Delicious, crunchy edges formed by baking the tteokbokki, resulting in an otherworldly fatty yet crispy chew that just doesn’t exist in Italian cooking. The sauce was downright alchemical—deviously designed to be sweet, spicy, and tangy. Meals like this remind me just how far we’ve come with regard to accepting Korean food here in the States. I’m so glad there’s chefs like Kim & Kim, and journalists like Matt, to push the culture forward. We all benefit from it.
Anyway, my favorite pasta dish of the year. What a week. Eating like this makes me feel alive.
Miss Kim
415 N. 5th Ave.
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Thanks for reading The Move!! I appreciate every last one of ya.
Is there something you want me to write about? Want me to travel? Cover a trend? Write about a particular topic? Let me know! I’m down for ideas here.
I need to take a nap. Something about having two negronis now just keeps me up all night. I’ll see ya around.
Danny