Talk of a comeback for Kercheval Avenue in Grosse Pointe Park never really goes away, but with the anticipated opening of three new restaurants - and possibly more - in coming months locals are saying the comeback is here and now.
Perhaps the restaurant opening creating the most excitement is Red Crown, a southern-influenced American comfort food joint that will open inside the garage bays and office of the Standard Oil service station, long closed but beloved for its art deco architecture.
Renovations are in progress and Red Crows is expected to open in December.
Mindy Lopus, the owner of still hot, French-inspired Tallulah Wine Bar and Bistro and her rustic Italian eatery Bellapiatti, both in Birmingham, is behind all three restaurants coming to the Park.
Besides Red Crown, which will have a garage opening onto a fireplace, patio with ping-pong tables and a kitchen run by top metro Detroit chefs, Lopus is behind a the Bona Fide Baking Company, which will move into the close Mulier's Market. Pastry chef and James Beard finalist Tanya Fallon will manage the bakery's output of artisan breads that will be sold in and out of the store and be used at Red Crown. Bona Fide, which is expected to open before the end of the year, will have a coffee bar and serve breakfast lunch.
Next to Bona Fide,where there is now parking lot, will be a Tallulah's wine bar and cafe like the Birmingham original.
The three restaurants are part of a larger redevelopment plan for the business district that hangs on to its quaint 40s-era architecture and a mix of earthy, artistic and longtime businesses are attracting young, newcomers and maintaining their old faithful clientele.
Writer: Kim North Shine
Source: Mindy Lopus, restaurateur
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.