Dear Readers,

Since it (re)opened in mid-June, I can finally say that I’ve been to Vinsetta Garage.

If you’re not in Detroit, let me be clear that I’m not referring to an actual garage. Rather, this is a former garage-turned-restaurant, dubbed a “custom Detroit eatery,” with a pretty awesome history.

The former Vinsetta Garage was built in 1919 on Woodward Ave. in the middle of Berkley, Michigan. The garage was owned by the Kurta family until 1989, who raised a family in the apartment upstairs. The garage lasted for 91 years, sold again in 2010 to K.C. Crain (of Crain Communications). Shortly after purchasing, Crain presented a new show on Velocity Network, titled “AutoWeek’s Vinsetta Garage,” focused on an array of classic car culture. While the show was being aired, restaurateur Curt Catallo (Clarkston’s Union Bar + Kitchen and Union Woodshop) was interested in the space. Hearing that K.C. had purchased the garage, he scheduled a meeting. They checked out the space together and the rest was history, saving the oldest gas station east of the Mississippi.

As I stepped in front of the building last night, I was already excited. Blazing hot outside, the patio was pretty empty (a rare sight, since the wait time for dinner is usually about two hours). A couple guys were drinking beers, watching Tigers replays below a vintage neon sign that hangs on the original gas station awning: VINSETTA GARAGE, Custom Detroit Eats. The sun had begun to set and cars were whizzing by a few feet away on Woodward.

Crossing the patio, I checked out the original vintage gas pumps and opened the door to the vestibule-cum-host stand. The “wallpaper” was pretty amazing: old tickets from the garage’s clientele over the decades. Archived black and white photos, pictures of cars, and vintage tools and machinery all peppered the décor in a manner that successfully stayed away from the kitsch. Already a good sign.

As I mentioned, the wait can be pretty intense. My friend and I went on a Monday night at 7pm and we were quoted an hour. It moves pretty fast, though, and we got in after about 40 minutes. When we walked in, the atmosphere hit me pretty hard. Exposed wooden beams juxtaposed the open garage doors with vintage chains. A wood-burning charcoal grill was firing burgers and pizzas. The bar was hiding behind gorgeous riveted leather stools and high-backed chairs.  If it could be any better, a couple of snazzy TVs were showing baseball on loop. Love at first sight.

So, finally, the good part: the food. Good food must be paired with good beer, and Vinsetta chose some good ones. (They also have a delightful wine and cocktail list.) The big three sections were categorized into Michigan, Craft, and Lawnmower denominations — really the only ones that mattered to me. Feeling the greasy-mechanic-spirit, I ordered a Schlitz tall boy (same as it was in 1960!) and checked out the menu. 

First of all, I would eat absolutely any dish on this menu, which is not short. Blindfold me, throw anything in front of me, hand me a fork. I don’t care. They’ve taken the idea of custom eats and ran with it throughout their entire menu, letting you detail the body of whatever dish you desire. Want a burger? They’ve got a dozen options from your basic Baseline Burger (an Angus patty organic blend of brisket, short rib, and chuck with maple bacon, American cheese, special sauce, and fresh cut produce) to an intense Maple Leaf Farms duck patty with cherry compote, gruyere, and caramelized onions. Like that couldn’t get any better, each burger can come on a house-made, freshly baked pretzel bun. Pretzel… bun…! The phrase “gastronomic heaven” has been mentioned. I can’t debunk that.

They also have incredible pizzas, pasta, meatballs, mouth-watering appetizers, and everything can be customized. Choose your pasta, sauce, meatballs, cheese, crust, veggies… whatever, and everything is fresh, organic, local, and sustainable.

So here I am, drinking my lawnmower beer, watching the Rangers pummel the Red Sox (ugh, Rangers) and admiring the classy and fabulous former garage. Completely relaxed and so excited for my burger (I ordered the Vinsetta Burger — the Baseline, but double. I know.), our waitress comes around the corner and sets a tin baking tray in front of me. Sitting next to a generous pile of onion rings is my dreams coming true: the world’s largest and most savory, organic pretzel burger, and it’s all mine. 

Now, this might sound crazy, but after eating that burger (which was devoured in under 10 minutes), I feel slightly skinnier. It was like the sheer happiness of ingesting such a culinary work of art made my stomach shun all other forms of sub-par food and demand more Vinsetta. Shake your heads if you want, my friend, but it will happen to you, too. New diet idea? I’m willing to be the guinea pig. 

So there you have it: I whole-heartedly recommend Vinsetta Garage to anyone and everyone (and they’re now open for lunch!) and plan to plant myself there as many times as possible during Dream Cruise week come mid-August. The perfect fusion of an industrial space, mouthwatering menu, and a century of history will be well worth the wait.

Anyone else been there yet? What did you order?

For the in-depth backstory of the garage and restaurant with video and photos of the new eatery’s construction, go here, here, here, or here.

Dear Readers,

I’ve lived in Detroit on and off for the last 25 years. I’ve been to the DIA countless times and the collection is never anything less than amazing. The staff is dedicated and innovative and they absolutely deserve this millage, which only costs the average household $15/year. I’m reaching out to all DETROIT voters in MACOMB, OAKLAND, and WAYNE counties to help save the Detroit Institute of Arts. Please vote YES on the Tuesday August 7th millage. 

The DIA is in danger of closing its doors. All it takes is for you to vote YES on this low-cost millage on Tuesday August 7th. For more info, visit www.artisforeveryone.org/faq and check out the highlights below. Thank you, everyone!

Why is the DIA so amazing?

The DIA has been a beacon of culture for the Detroit area for well over a century. Founded in 1885, the museum was originally located on Jefferson Avenue, but, due to its rapidly expanding collection, moved to a larger site on Woodward Avenue in 1927. The new Beaux-Arts building, designed by Paul Cret, was immediately referred to as the “temple of art.” Two wings were added in the 1960s and 1970s, and a major renovation and expansion that began in 1999 was completed in 2007.

The museum covers 658,000 square feet that includes more than 100 galleries, a 1,150-seat auditorium, a 380-seat lecture/recital hall, an art reference library, and a state-of-the-art conservation services laboratory.

The DIA’s collection is among the top six in the United States, comprising a multicultural and multinational survey of human creativity from prehistory through the 21st century. The foundation was laid by William Valentiner, a scholar and art historian from Berlin, who was director from 1924 to 1945 . His extensive contacts in Europe, along with support from generous patrons, enabled him to acquire many important works that established the framework of today’s collections. Among the notable acquisitions during his tenure are Mexican artist Diego Rivera’s Detroit Industry fresco cycle, which Rivera considered his most successful work, and Vincent Van Gogh’s Self Portrait, the first van Gogh painting to enter a U.S. museum collection.

A hallmark of the DIA is the diversity of the collection. In addition to outstanding American, European, Modern and Contemporary, and Graphic art, the museum holds significant works of African, Asian, Native American, Oceanic, Islamic, and Ancient art. Among these are the masterpiece sculpture Nail Figure from Zaire and a rare Korean Head of Buddha. In 2000, the DIA established the General Motors Center for African American Art as a curatorial department in order to broaden the museum’s collection of African American art.

The museum’s director is Graham W. J. Beal, who arrived in 1999 from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. During his tenure Beal has established the General Motors Center for African American Art (2000), instituted a reorganization of the development and curatorial departments, and oversaw a six-year building renovation and gallery reinstallation project.

“Fifth Avenue at Twilight,” Birge Harrison, c. 1910. 30 x 23 in. 76.2 x 58.4 cm. ©2012, Detroit Institute of Arts.

Why does the DIA need a millage?

The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) had been supported by public funds from 1893 to the early 1990s. For nearly 100 years the City General Fund and private philanthropy provided sole support for the museum as it grew to be one of the world’s major art museums. An appropriately sized operating endowment—an important component of the business model for most large cultural organizations—was never established.

In the 1970s, the State of Michigan recognized the museum’s unique contribution to the entire state and incorporated financial support for the museum into the state budget. Beginning in the early 1990s state support for the museum was slowly but steadily reduced, a situation that was accelerated as a series of economic downturns hit the state. At the same time, the city’s ability to support the museum was sharply reduced until all city funding was eliminated.

Today the DIA does not receive any funds from the state, city or county. The elimination of all public funding for operations has required the museum to turn almost entirely to the private sector, an operating model that is not sustainable, particularly in the current economy.

The museum’s ultimate goal is to become financially self-sustaining. After considerable research and evaluation, a dedicated millage to temporarily restore public funding for the DIA, which would allow fundraising to focus on building an operating endowment, was identified as the most viable option to guarantee the DIA’s continuing viability and eventual non-reliance on public funding.

How large of a millage will the DIA need, and for how long?
The DIA is asking for 0.2 mil for 10 years.

How much would 0.2 mil cost each homeowner?
It would cost approximately $15 per year for every $150,000 of a home’s fair market value.

What counties are included in the millage?
Wayne, Oakland and Macomb Counties.

Thanks for reading, all. It really is an important issue and can do wonders for the city. I really hope you’ll support them.

All the best,

The Apple notification reads, “Effacer cette oeuvre? (Delete this work?)” and “La suppression de “le brun” efface aussi toutes ses données (The removal of “Le Brun” will also erase all data)” …according to Google Translation.

—

Dear Readers,

This morning I was casually catching-up on my contemporary art news over coffee and MuteMath and I came across Ooh la la lovely’s post on photographer Léo Caillard’s “Art Games.” In essence, Caillard explores the issue of fine art in a world of technological impermanence. What will we have in 500 years? How will we store or display the things we create today?

Imagine that Leonardo da Vinci had drawn his Mona Lisa on an iPad. Set aside the issues with medium, technique, and plausibility. Come back to the 21st century and contemplate, what if someone like Leonardo, with his talent, foresight, and innovation, had created something so incredible in such a temporary and ethereal medium?

“Art Games” explores this issue by boldly transforming some of the most famous objects at the Louvre into digital masterpieces. The Mona Lisa appears on an iPad. Large-scale history paintings become the backgrounds on computer desktops. Sculptures hold iPhones. Bas-reliefs become the Photoshop canvas attached to a tablet as a guest scrawls a layer of graffiti on top.

Caillard seems to question the impact of technology on the public’s taste when he displays the artbook frames. There, an artbook exhibit exclaims “upload your art here!” as two women upload photos of their dogs. (Read: notice the blue and white logo similarity to another such digital “book,” perhaps a “face” book?) Is this the new direction of art? Will the old media like paintings and marble sculptures fall into oblivion, replaced by new, digital media? With more access, more technology, and more people determining the fate of “art,” what will happen to its quality?

These are all heavy questions and a favorite issue of mine. Art is a reflection of contemporary culture, the period in which each artist lives. Categorizing art versus design versus graphic versus technology is getting murkier as we roll into the future. With endless possibilities of media, many of them technological, how are we to define what’s actually “art?” And furthermore, if it’s really art, what do we do with it? How should it be displayed? Who gets access?

As a technophile myself, I relish opportunities like these to demonstrate how our culture is evolving and adapting. I’m optimistic about what we’ll have in archives and museums of the future. Maybe with the exclusion of the artbook dog lovers, we’re a culture of many intelligent people, and I think our contemporary artists are doing some amazing things that push the boundaries of each medium.

Questions of the future. What do you think?

Love to hear from you,

Filed under: Art, Curating, Museums, Painting, Photography, Technology ]]> http://ashleyfrick.com/2012/07/10/leo-caillard-art-games/feed/ 5 Leo Caillard's "Art Games" ashfrick © Léo Caillard 2012. ashley http://www.leocaillard.com/ http://www.leocaillard.com/ http://www.leocaillard.com/ http://ashleyfrick.com/2012/07/09/social-media-curation/ http://ashleyfrick.com/2012/07/09/social-media-curation/#comments Mon, 09 Jul 2012 18:11:56 +0000 Ashley http://ashleyfrick.com/?p=904 Read More →]]>

To curate… “to pull together, sift through, and select for presentation, as music or website content.” This definition, as opposed to the original verb relative to museum staff, is worth discussing.

More often than not, I’ll be at a museum with friends and they’ll ask me to define the word “curate.” Although it first entered the English language in 1909 (according to Merriam-Webster), surprisingly enough, the word isn’t commonplace to those outside the network of high brow or museum-quality fine art practice.

However, with the recent surge in popularity of sites like Pinterest and Wanelo paired with updates to Facebook, Twitter, and other major social media platforms, the idea of curation isn’t so elitist anymore. The notion of “personal curation” is trending, from the creation of uniquely defined Pinterest boards to tailored profiles and privatized circles of friends. Through various social media platforms, each online user has the ability to make choices that streamline his life, in its many facets, into a sort of digital archive. If the Library of Congress has our tweets on record, why shouldn’t we each have  personal digitized archives? (Note: I won’t even poke the topic of digital information security. We’ll save that for a rainy day.)

In a world based on sharing, and over-sharing, the new trend of personal curation has just hit the surface. Instagram, Hipstamatic, Facebook camera, and a plethora of mobile camera apps make it so easy to capture every moment of our lives, good and bad. The bad, however, is where the term “curation” becomes critical. The essence of curating is to make choices that streamline multiple facets and objects into one unified collection, representing something specific and coherent.

In the example of a museum curator, if she is putting together a show on Mark Rothko, she’s probably not going to choose paintings by Dutch artist Jan van Eyck. She’ll possibly group the show into chronological periods, choosing works that provide the most insight into his early versus later years, guiding the viewer as his style develops. Each choice reaches back to the underlying theme of the show, the unifying idea that educates and entertains the audience.

But going back to social media, choosing what and when to post is equally as important as the museum curator’s choices. I’m not talking about nixing those notorious solo cup photos; for the serious blogger, tweeter, pinner, or next-cool-thing-er, content is always number one. The idea of personally curating your profile — who you are, what you do, and how you want to be seen — is now part of every tech-savvy user’s agenda.

If you’re on Facebook, why do you post anything at all? You don’t have to. So why do you do it? What’s your motivation behind posting photos of you and your best friends looking gorgeous up at the lake house instead of, oh, you and your cat on the couch, watching TV? Or maybe you prefer posting the photos of you and your cat. Further, if you’re calling yourself an expert in craft beer or antique china boats, why aren’t you focusing many of your posts on these topics? We’re all guilty of that late-night post that probably complains about the heat or Congress or… what have you… But the majority of your posts should be relevant and interesting, and at bare minimum, identify with someone out there. That’s the point, after all. By making such choices, you define the image you’re presenting to the digital community. And while this doesn’t have to be so black and white with stark and heavy posting criteria, defining why you’re posting at all as you envision your ideal audience is what makes a profile worth reading. If you just want to complain, grab yourself a LiveJournal.

But too often, people lose sight of the perks of social media. The ability to share with so many people at once is taken for granted, replaced with spam and unwanted information. Having such a powerful network at your back is an incredible tool and, when used wisely, it can lead to educational, entertaining, and exciting new insights. Sharing recipes on Pinterest, new bands on Rdio, amazing novels on Goodreads… imagine having these capabilities back in the ’90s. I remember thinking how awesome Instant Messenger was and how amazing it was to even have a cordless phone in my room. #yikes

Maybe it’s our Millennial generation’s inherent, narcissistic tendencies that urge us to share. Not everyone feels this way, but then again, not everyone is on Facebook. Each of the social platforms speaks to the Creative in everyone, yielding the technology to establish yourself as someone interesting and unique in a world where every hipster has something revelational to say. Each profile screams, “Hey! I’m on Goodreads! Look at all the books I’ve read!” or “Check out my Spotify playlists. I started listening to the sickest new bands before everyone else.” Instagram-ers filter their photos, making friends tanner and cityscapes more dramatic. And while I’m giving away the trade secrets, I’m as guilty as anyone: “Check out my photos on Instagram… I’m such an artist.”

So, while this generation has brought about incredible opportunities to digitally archive and record our everyday lives, it’s become so easy to over-share. Personally curating the web properties you own is not only an insightful way to reflect upon your own life, but it’s practically a public service to those you call friends online. By choosing wisely, the user develops his own personal tag-line, in 140 characters or less, defining himself in an age of digital over-sharing.

When in doubt, turn to the memes.

UPDATE 7/11/2012: I’ve just stumbled across another great perspective on sharing versus over-sharing and the psychological effects of social media. Check out Truth and Cake’s new post, “Selective Truth and Social Media: TMI or Not Enough.”

What do you think?

Filed under: Curating, Social Media, Technology ]]> http://ashleyfrick.com/2012/07/09/social-media-curation/feed/ 0 Really, nobody cares. ashfrick to curate Really, nobody cares. ashley http://ashleyfrick.com/2012/07/08/caramelized-onion-gruyere-quiche/ http://ashleyfrick.com/2012/07/08/caramelized-onion-gruyere-quiche/#comments Sun, 08 Jul 2012 21:57:41 +0000 Ashley http://ashleyfrick.com/?p=692 Read More →]]> Hungry? You should be.

This quiche fuses some of my favorite foods into a creamy, golden, deliciously flaky combination. Caramelized onions are already amazing and when you layer them inside 6 ounces of Gruyère and top with nutmeg… holy crap.

When grating the Gruyère, I advise using a carrot peeler. The pieces come out thin and delicious without being too shredded. Also, the recipe calls for 35 minutes in the oven, but for me it was more like 45. Take it out whenever it looks really golden brown.

Recipe courtesy of Simply Recipes.

Have any amazing recipes for quiches — or something else? Love to read them!

What’s your favorite city? Do you make the time to travel?

UPDATE, 7/19/2012: It’s Edgar Degas’ 178th birthday today and the National Gallery of Art just posted this great photo on Facebook:

Happy Birthday to Edgar Degas—a rare artist who was equally talented at both painting and sculpture. The Gallery claims one of the finest and most diverse collections of works by Degas in the world, thanks in part to the generosity of Paul Mellon, shown here in 1983 with Degas’ famed wax sculpture, “Little Dancer Aged Fourteen.”

– The National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

Christmas in Michigan is beautiful. Everything feels like you’re sitting by the fire in a black and white movie, and let’s be serious, baby, it’s cold outside.

Yes, I did jump into my rain boots and run outdoors in a parka like a five-year-old girl the second I realized it had snowed more than an inch. Okay, barely more than an inch.

How do you feel about the snow? Do you love it or hate it?

I didn’t notice him at first until my friend, let’s call her Not-Laura*, showed up at my house to drop off a book. She stopped in the middle of the walkway and goes, “What. Is. That.”

Apparently, there was a hawk – a very large hawk – eating something in the leaves behind a bench in my front yard. We watched it for a good five minutes then ran inside. After we came back out, the hawk had left its tasty entrails behind the bench and was trotting around the driveway, literally walking around and staring at us. I think it’s mental.

So I grabbed my camera after Not-Laura left and started getting as close as possible (ahem… with the telephoto lens only) to capture its soul. I think it knew what I was doing because it kept inching away, hopping from branch to branch. I did catch a nice shot with it looking all noble in front of a really beautiful glimpse of the moon during the day.

Isn’t this thing endangered? Maybe I shouldn’t be throwing things at it. I’ll have someone update this for me later if I get eaten.

Maybe not NG standards, but there – you’ve been informed.

* This name has obviously been changed to protect the anonymity of my friend – just poorly.

- – -

UPDATE, 12/2/2011: I recently received a “LOST CAT” flyer – indoor cat responding only to “Crabby” or “Crabapples”. Never been outside before, wildly roaming the streets of suburban Michigan with little to no survival skills. Now I’m definitely not looking behind that bench.

UPDATE: 12/3/2011: The cat is nowhere to be found but I would like to provide a theory as to where all the birds have gone. Note: this may be the most insane Fox2 News broadcast I have ever seen.

As some of you might know, I used to live in the city. I called Washington, D.C. my home for a pretty short time, only a year and a half, but it left a big impact on me. I recently moved back to Michigan, and I’ve found myself, once again, in suburbia. It’s not a bad place to be, but I yearn for city life almost every day.

Nevertheless, it is pretty beautiful.

Anyone else miss the city, stuck in suburbia? Or is it just me?

Yes, it’s true… I went to Michigan. By nature, I’m require to hate Ohio State – and I’m more than happy to do so. I love Michigan Football and I highly dislike mullets, speed traps, and ugly highways. I’m just being honest.

I haven’t lived in Ann Arbor for almost three years now and I’ve been feeling kind of nostalgic. I recently moved back to Michigan and Ann Arbor is just a short drive away… which means that tailgating, football season, and my original favorite bar ever (with my namesake and a beer list that would make anyone happy – seriously) is right around the corner.

Naturally, I called one of my favorite Michigan girls and suggested we get tickets to the upcoming Notre Dame game. This ticket is highly coveted this season – incredibly hard to come by, insanely expensive, and dangerously close to Michigan’s rainy season. However, this year was the very first game in the HISTORY of Michigan football that we would hold a night game. Games are always at noon or three-thirty. This one starts at eight.  …!

I don’t even need to articulate how amazing this experience was about to be, standing in the Big House (Michigan Stadium) amidst 114,000 other fans, bright lights, brand new megatrons that cost something like half a million each. It’s fine. Don’t hyperventilate. WAIT…

I knew it would be exciting before I even made plans to drive to Ann Arbor, but game day arrives, my friend and I throw on our rain gear, literally open up the bagel shop at 5:30am to confiscate their rosemary olive oil bagels (so completely worth the $4), pick up the other boys and girls, and head down southwest.

Our first stop was perpetual fave, Zingerman’s (James Beard does know what he’s talking about), and the Kerrytown Farmers Market. So delicious. We try to experience as much of Ann Arbor as possible… and let’s just say we had to take a nap. We managed to check out ESPN GameDay, break into North Quad, eat and drink at Zingerman’s, the Brown Jug, Charley’s/BTB Cantina, Rick’s, Cottage Inn, and hydrate at the Stadium… in a matter of a few hours before the game. My life may or may not have flashed before my eyes that afternoon.

This was all in preparation for what would be the greatest game, by far, I’d ever seen. I almost had a heart attack (and one man did! Thank goodness Michigan fans are also humanitarians) but luckily suffered only from minor panic attacks and serious anxiety. I blame Denard Robinson.

For highlights, please check ESPN. I can’t even begin to do them justice. Let’s just say that with Denard Robinson having the most up-and-down game thus far in his college career and the last 1:12 containing three TD’s… I basically died. Not only were these touchdowns so close together, so many reviews… so many refs saying plays wouldn’t stand. I had absolutely no voice after the game and continued shaking until I finally passed out around 4am.

It was the most amazing experience – being part of the largest crowd ever to watch an NCAA football game. Totally incredible.

Was anyone else there? Share your stories!

Stolen from MGoBlog

The Big House

Heaven.

Under the Lights

ESPN Game Day from North Quad’s “Lounge”

ESPN Game Day

Rick’s… during daylight hours.