The Blind Pig of the summer of '88

Brunch with Becks is an ongoing weekend series where I wax poetic on tales from my life starting with the 9 Truths. Yes, I too can’t comprehend that all these odd occurrences have happened to me.

It was the summer after my freshman year of college and only a few weeks since I was discharged from the hospital after spinal surgery. My high school friends and I were all reunited from our time away at college and started to hang out in the garage of one of the gang.

We didn’t call it a garage, though. It was The Barn. We cleared it out and added a couch, that’s really all college kids need.

The Barn was a few hundred feet from my friends house, far enough that his parents didn’t really know what was going on inside the unassuming building. I’m sure they thought it was just our clubhouse.

I don’t remember whose idea it was but a bar was built. Then the keg was procured. That was the tricky part; we were all still underage.

At some point we decided to have a party and then the entrepreneurial spirit kicked in, “Why not charge people to come to the party?” Not everyone has a Barn, right?

This was over 20 years ago so my memory isn’t spot on. We charged either $3 or $5 for admission to the party with the added bonus of beer.

The girls who brought their Bartles & Jaymes Wine Coolers had to pay too. It wasn’t just the beer; we were supplying atmosphere and a place to drink. Everyone had to pay.

Usually 3 or 4 of us chipped in to buy the keg and those that did split the profits. On a good night I’d make around $80. Yes, I made that money for throwing a party.

I only lived about a mile down the road but I’d sleep on the couch at The Barn on party nights. The next morning I’d pick up all the red plastic cups and whatever returnable’s people brought with them. The empties were just bonus money.

Sometimes I’d walk down to Gilbert Lake and take a swim in lieu of a shower. I’d head home around midday. Then we would start to plan the next party.

This went on for a good portion of the summer. One night was crazier than the rest; a neighbor’s fence was broken by one of the revelers. The cops came and the end was near.  

Our antics had stayed under the radar for long enough. The broken fence was our demise.

There wasn’t a police bust or raid—no fanfare or fireworks—just a simple “no” from someone else’s mom and dad.

And like all great blind pigs, we were shut down.

Photo Credit: Dottie Mae

My first food love: Buddy's Pizza announces new pies

As many of you know, I lived either out of state or country for most of my adult life. It became a tradition that whenever I would roll back into Detroit my first meal at home would be Buddy’s Pizza. There was no need for discussion—a call was made—a Buddy’s Pizza with pepperoni and an antipasto salad with extra cheese.

So I was pretty damn excited when I was invited to their press conference yesterday to celebrate the very official proclamation of Buddy’s Pizza Day in Detroit. June 23, 2011 marked 65 years in business at the original location for Buddy’s Pizza.

Robert Jacobs, owner, let us in on a little secret, though. Buddy’s has actually been at the location at Six Mile and Conant for 75 years. The first 10 years don’t really count; it was a blind pig at that time. I knew that I loved this company for more than its pizza!

“Today is a celebration of our history, our city and our longstanding support of Detroit’s arts and culture,” said Jacobs. The iconic Detroit pizza place then announced the Motor City Pizza Collection honoring four of our cultural institutions.

I love each of these cultural cornerstones of our community. And $1 of each pizza purchase will be donated to the individual non-profits through the end of the year.

The new pizzas have the same awesome crust with a new Motor City Cheese Blend of Fontinella, Asiago and brick cheeses.

The Motor City Pizza Collection:

• The Parade Company – Topped with fresh carrots, sliced grape tomatoes, tomato basil sauce and parmesan

• The Detroit Zoo – Topped with fresh basil, pine nuts and tomato basil sauce.

• The Detroit Institute of Arts – Topped with spinach and artichoke blend, capers, roasted tomatoes, parmesan and served with a fresh lemon wedge.

• The Henry Ford – Topped with red onion, seasoned ground beef, smoked bacon, bleu cheese, tomato basil sauce and parmesan.

Top Left - The Parade Company, Top Right - The Detroit Zoo, Bottom Left - The DIA, Bottom Right- The Henry Ford.

They also debuted Kid Rock’s Badass Detroiter pizza, which is a pepperoni pizza with dough made with the rock stars’ beer. And unlike the normal Buddy’s pizza the pepperoni are on top of the pie. The Detroiter will only be available at the original location on Friday and Saturday nights.

Yes, I got to taste all 5 pizzas! My favorites were the DIA and The Henry Ford. There will be many of these in my future.

Buddy’s aim was to add toppings that were more current and they went through hundreds of recipes before settling on the final product, according to Wes Pikula, Vice President of Operations.

Sometime after I moved back to Detroit my family stopped showering me with the Buddy’s love. This made me sad. It seemed that their feelings towards my favorite pizza had waned. And a large pizza and antipasto salad came in at over 20 bucks.

To give back to its loyal patrons, the restaurant is also offering customer cards, which entitle the holder to an 8-square cheese pizza for $6.50 once a month. Add an extra topping for 65 cents. So affordable!

With the new pies, I’m positive my families’ taste buds will be reawakened to my first pizza love. Welcome back into my life and my family dinner celebrations, Buddy's!

Detroit Moxie's Weekend Roundup: BustUp edition

For the past two summers, I’ve joined Motor City Connect in their combined effort with Motor City Blight Busters to demolish blighted homes and clean up an area neighborhood.

This year WXYZ-TV and anchorman Stephen Clark are also uniting in the cause and taking part. The BustUp, as they're calling it, features a street party with food and music.

Volunteers are still needed!

I’ve met incredible people, had a great time and did some good in the community during this event. So, what are you doing this Saturday, June 25th? We’d love for you to join us.

Check out the Facebook events page for more information.

Weekend Roundup

1. Detroit River Days - Celebrate the RiverWalk with live music from local and national acts, carnival rides, tall ships, sand sculptures, family-friendly activities and more. The festival is free on Thursday from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. and on Friday from 11 a.m to 5 p.m. June 23—26.

2. Critical Mass - The monthly bike ride attracts tons of people and the ride usually lasts about 2 hours while travelling 13 to 20 miles. This is a great chance to see the city on two wheels with a lot of people. June 24th.

3. 4th Fridays in the Park - Catch a full day of fun in Campus Martius! Trivia, live music, a fashion show, happy hour, a movie and Sean Blackman performs. June 24th.

4. Jazz Fest in the Woods - Enjoy a summer concert in the historic Palmer Woods neighborhood complete with a house tour, food and beverages. June 24—26.

5. Opa! Fest - The largest Greek festival in the area features traditional music and dances, authentic Greek food, tours of St. Nicholas Church and more. June 24—26.

Bonus: Michigan Challenge Balloon Festival

Do you know of a great event going on in Metro Detroit this weekend? Add it to the comments and share it with us!

Thousands queue up to witness history

This is a guest post by Jennifer Richmond.

Civil war and other history buffs lined up in droves at The Henry Ford for a glimpse of the Emancipation Proclamation, the historic document implemented January 1, 1863 by President Abraham Lincoln, which formally declared the freedom of all slaves.  The Proclamation has not been displayed in Michigan since 1948.

The Proclamation created a frenzy of interest during a historic stop at The Henry Ford in Dearborn for a brief showing June 20-22 for a mere 36 hours. Fans of the document were willing to wait in line for up to 4 hours for the opportunity to see the priceless piece of Americana.  

The Proclamation is on loan from the National Archives in Washington, DC, as a part of the Discovering the Civil War exhibition. The priceless document was flown into Detroit in the dark of night with the assistance of an archivist. Following the exhibit the Proclamation will return to Washington.  The last time the museum remained open around the clock followed the death of Henry Ford in 1947, during which time thousands of people came to pay their respects.

The document is considered to be one of the most important tangible pieces of American history.  In the Proclamation, President Abraham Lincoln took a bold move in declaring “all persons held as slaves within any State... shall be then, thenceforward and forever free,” a controversial position during the bloodiest war on American soil.

The document itself is five pages in length and is hand written by Lincoln himself. Oddly, despite the length and magnitude of the document, it applied only to states that had seceded from the Union and the freedom it promised relied upon Union military victory, creating a challenge to measure the victory and narrowing the scope of its powers.

However, the document changed the face of the Civil War. After its release, each advancement of Union troops resulted in a greater geographic region of freedom for African Americans. In addition, the proclamation encouraged acceptance of men of color into the Union military. By the end of the war, almost 200,000 black soldiers and sailors had fought for the Union and the freedom of their families.

Despite the controversy and limited scope of the Proclamation, the document remains one of the most important in American history in support of equal rights.

The Discovering the Civil War exhibit at The Henry Ford celebrates the 150^th anniversary of the momentous event and includes a vast array of artifacts from the National Archives. The exhibit includes treasures rarely presented to the public and runs until September 5, 2011. The current exhibit also includes a civil war encampment on the front lawn of the Henry Ford.  For more information, visit thehenryford.org.

Jennifer Richmond resides in SE Michigan and does volunteer work for the American Red Cross. You can find her at JRichmondDC@hotmail.com or on Twitter at DCisnotDetroit.

Free cookies in Campus Martius on Thursday: The Cookie CAREavan rolls into Detroit

This Thursday, June 23, the Cookie CAREavan motors into Detroit with a stop at Campus Martius and will give out free cookies from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Last month DoubleTree by Hilton Hotels kicked off a nationwide tour to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its iconic chocolate chip cookie. The DoubleTree by Hilton Cookie CAREavan embarked on a 10-week, 10,000-mile, 50-city tour to bring its warm chocolaty goodness to tired travelers, weary workers and local charities nationwide.

"In today’s busy world the little things can mean everything, and we feel that the simple act of kindness of a chocolate chip cookie can put a smile on a person’s face anywhere and everywhere across America, " said John Greenleaf, vice president – brand marketing, DoubleTree by Hilton.

The Cookie CAREavan is also connecting with local charities in each city it visits for a cookie drop. In Detroit they will stop by the Cass Community Center and The Ronald McDonald House to bring a smile to those that need it most.

Cookie facts:

• The company started giving away its signature cookies in 1986.

• Every guest who checks into a DoubleTree by Hilton hotel receives a warm chocolate chip cookie.

• The hotel chain gives out approximately 60,000 cookies a day and 21 million a year.

• The cookies have an average of 20 chocolate chips per cookie.

• Only a few bakeries know the cookie’s secret recipe.

If you work in downtown Detroit or have some free time on Thursday be sure to stop by Campus Martius for your free chocolate chip cookie. It's sure to put a smile on your face!

Photo Credit: AP Images