The Dirty Dog jazz café By K. Michelle Moran GROSSE POINTE FARMS — The kitchen will produce top-notch cuisine, but the real star at The Dirty Dog will be the music. Located at 97 Kercheval on the Hill in Grosse Pointe Farms, The Dirty Dog — which opens Feb. 13 — will be a jazz supper club serving up hot entertainment, as well as tapas. Considering that the restaurant’s owner is Farms resident Gretchen Carhartt Valade, the musical focus makes perfect sense. In 1997, Valade founded her own jazz record label, Mack Avenue Records, and more famously, saved Detroit’s venerable International Jazz Festival by setting up an endowment for it. Her generosity extends beyond music — the woman who was named one of Detroit’s Most Influential Women last year by Crain’s Detroit Business received the 2007 Max M. Fisher Award for Outstanding Philanthropists, after sizable contributions to St. John Hospital and Medical Center and other worthy causes. “It was natural to have this after the jazz festival,” said Valade, a lifelong Grosse Pointer and the granddaughter of Carhartt work clothing company founder Hamilton Carhartt. “I just like it because it all runs together — the record company, the festival and the Dog,” explained Valade, who’s also a gifted songwriter. “It’s all about music, and that’s why it means so much to me.” Chef Andre Neimanis described the menu as a French-inspired American bistro tapas bar. It includes entrées like escargot potpie with forest mushrooms, smoked salmon Camembert, seared sea scallop with oxtail ragout and fried egg BLT. “He’s really original,” Valade said of Neimanis’ inventive culinary creations. Neimanis said “everything is fresh,” including ice creams and sorbets. “There won’t be a lot of cans here,” he vowed. Neimanis, who apprenticed under an award-winning chef and previously worked at The Woodward and The Hill, joins a team of restaurant veterans, including his own small but dedicated kitchen crew. Willie Jones, who’s managing the front of the house, was formerly the general manager of Detroit’s Coach Insignia. Jones promises “seamless, unsurpassed service — a true experience, not just dining.” Valade is a dog lover with three golden retrievers, and her passion for man’s — or, in this case, woman’s — best friend is evident throughout The Dirty Dog. A smattering of tasteful dog-themed décor includes an outdoor fountain where passersby can sate parched pooches. Upon entering, visitors will be greeted by a pair of cement dog statues poised inside at each end of the Kercheval frontage. Valade said one of them was the model for the restaurant logo. The centerpiece is a large oil portrait of a mother dog and her pups, positioned prominently behind the bar. The painting formerly hung at Valade’s Northern Michigan residence. The 65-seat restaurant has the look of a classic English pub, with warm colors, wood moldings and exposed oak beams. The Dirty Dog was originally scheduled to open last summer, but transforming the building into a restaurant with a high-tech sound system turned out to be more complicated than anticipated. As head of construction Tom Robinson explained, four companies — an architectural, kitchen, decorating and engineering firm — had to collaborate with four sets of blueprints. Since the building was formerly a florist shop, and before that, a children’s gift store, he said they needed a bigger water line, new electrical and gas for its new use. The building is now wired so that musicians don’t need to bring amplifiers with them — just their instruments. Valade said they can even record a show for a band. Oh, and a Steinway piano is on its way. Robinson, who runs his own construction company, is also the CEO of Mack Avenue Records. Unlike most restaurants, where the music is more background noise than focal point, Robinson said they hope to encourage patrons to listen to the entertainers and converse during breaks in each set. “We want people to come here for the music,” Robinson said. They anticipate having a couple of concerts and seatings each night, primarily featuring local talent. To mark the grand opening, Valade plans four days of special events and entertainment for The Dirty Dog’s first week. Restaurant staff started taking reservations Jan. 28, and since the small club is expected to draw big crowds, reservations are highly recommended, especially for opening festivities. Mack Avenue Records artist Rodney Whitaker — an acclaimed jazz bassist who grew up on Detroit’s east side — will perform during the opening week, Feb. 13-16, with his friend, drummer Carl Allen. Last year, the pair released “Get Ready,” a CD of originals and covers of Motown and gospel classics. Valade said vocalist Jennifer Sannon will join the duo. The Dirty Dog will be open for dinner starting at 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. When not open to the public, it’s available for rental for those who want to host a private event. To make a reservation or for more information, call (313) 882-JAZZ (5299) or visit www.dirtydogjazz.com. You can reach Staff Writer K. Michelle Moran at kmoran@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1047. |
