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He enjoyed his second meal with his uncle, T.R. “Sully” Sullivan; his grandmother, Vina “Gran” Sullivan; his mother, Julie Jones; and waitstaff server Brittany Richard.
Photo provided
EASTPOINTE — For his 12th birthday, Charlie Jones’ grandmother, Vina “Gran” Sullivan, promised him a trip anywhere in North America.
An Alaskan cruise or a few days in Seattle were among the suggestions, but Charlie had other ideas. The Spicewood, Texas, resident opted to travel to Michigan so he could dine on his favorite craving: Detroit-style pizza.
Charlie was introduced to pepperoni Detroit-style pizza in Texas, because his older sister works at a pizzeria called Via 313 in Austin. The family has dined there for years, and Charlie wanted to branch out and discover other such eateries. After conducting research with his mom, Julie Jones, he found the perfect spot for his birthday dinner at Cloverleaf Bar and Restaurant on Gratiot Avenue in Eastpointe.
Charlie’s birthday was Aug. 25. On Sept. 10, Charlie and Julie flew from Texas to Detroit for a four-day trip to celebrate. The first stop was Cloverleaf, which lived up to Charlie’s expectations.
“The sauce on the pizza was really good,” he said. “I think it was the best pizza I ever had in my life.”
Julie agreed.
“I have traveled all over the world and it was the best pizza I have ever had in my life,” she said. “We loved it. We were very happy.”
Charlie took it all in.
“The place itself had some cool stuff. There was a light shaped like a cloverleaf. Also, it smelled good,” Charlie said. “The staff treated me so good. I got a glass from the owner who told me the history about Cloverleaf.”
The pair enjoyed the restaurant so much, they went back a second day. This time, his grandmother and his uncle, T.R. “Sully” Sullivan, flew in from Cocoa Beach, Florida, to join them. Staff recognized Charlie and Julie from the day before, which gave them a chance to meet Marie Guerra Easterby, whose father, Gus Guerra, started his Detroit-style pizza. Marie Guerra Easterby co-owns the restaurant with her brother, Jack Guerra.
“When I heard from the server, Brittany Richard, that they came from Texas to come to Michigan to try Detroit-style pizza, I had to come out to meet the family,” Marie Guerra Easterby said via email. “This was their second visit with us in a couple days. I took photos and presented the birthday boy with a Cloverleaf glass. The family was so nice and complimentary.
“We are thrilled that this young man chose to spend his birthday visiting Michigan,” Marie Guerra Easterby said. “I spoke to them about the history of Detroit-style pizza, and how my Dad, Gus Guerra, took his first square pizza out of the oven in Detroit at Buddy’s Rendezvous in 1946. My folks owned Buddy’s from 1943 to 1953 when they sold it to their friends with their recipe to Big Jimmy Bonacorsi and Little Jimmy Valenti and purchased Cloverleaf Bar in East Detroit (now Eastpointe) in 1953.”
Because Charlie is such a pizza connoisseur, he and his mom just had to go to Buddy’s Pizza in Detroit.
“It was really good,” the sixth grader said.
They also checked out Sgt. Pepperoni’s Pizzeria & Deli in Detroit.
“It was super cool,” Julie said. “There was a bowling alley. It was really fun.”
The duo made sure to get a carryout from Cloverleaf, including pizza, pasta, ravioli and soup. They brought it with them when they visited family who have a lake house on Lake Huron.
“We got to kayak in Lake Huron,” Charlie said. “It was pretty cool. The weather was really great, too.”
There was time for a short international trip to Canada through the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. The Joneses also made their way to the Henry Ford in Dearborn.
“It was amazing,” Charlie said. “It was the biggest museum I have ever been to. The planes are what I really liked.”
Charlie’s siblings also enjoyed trips from their grandmother when they turned 12. Sister Kendall went to New York City, and brother Jack visited Philadelphia.
According to Julie, one of country music’s living legends lives in their hometown of Spicewood: Willie Nelson. They spot his tour bus every once in a while. And while they’ve never met the singer, the Jones family used to attend Easter egg hunts on Nelson’s ranch. The event was held annually before the COVID-19 pandemic.
