Seldom Blues Detroit Free Press Restaurant of Year

[Alex]

I couldn't agree more about the Lark. What a joke that place is. I'll never go back.

I innocently forgot to sign my CC receipt and the owner (some old codger) confronts me in the middle of the dining room and shouts "you didn't sign your credit card receipt!" It's called discretion you old b@stard and you could have at least waited to confront me in the lobby. The food wasn't that great anyway......average at best.

Last weeks dinner plans got moved to this Saturday so I'll report then.

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Perhaps this sentence from Jim Lark's bio on The Lark's web site explains a few things: "Jim, being part Prussian, is a perfectionist and prowls the restaurant searching for something to correct, have done, or to field questions about food, wine or travel."

You're also not alone in your complaints. Here's an excerpt from a post on Fodor's web site about two years ago (with writing errors left intact): "We were sitting at the table right by thermostat, and witnessed Jim Lark repeatedly turning the temp down after his wife repeatedly turning the temp up when we, and other diners kept complaining about the fridgedness. Finally eliciting the tongue-in-cheek comment from his wife alluding to the hard-headedness of her husband!"

That's really too bad about The Lark. Perhaps he's just getting old and cranky. (Just a speculation, u.e. ) I participated in a chili cook-off he sponsored in about 1980, before he opened The Lark, held on the tennis courts of an apartment complex he developed. I remember him as a bit formal and stand-offish (admittedly I looked rather hippie-like back then), but certainly not rude.

[Jamie Valvo]

I do not have any actual knowledge of the ownership interest in this years’ choice playing any direct role in the selection. I certainly did not mean that comment in a derogatory or diminishing way.

I was however making the comment through the lens of watching the way the entire Detroit area geared itself up for the Super Bowl weekend. Every restaurant, club, hotel, news outlet, politician, decision maker excreta turned their attention to making sure that this event was both well executed and well received. Seldom Blues is located inside the Renaissance Center, where a lot of the media was located, Radio Row, ESPN and print media. The award was given leading right up to the event and it seemed fortuitous timing. Their owners’ prior NFL experience did not hurt them in that light. (I would guess) Would they have won if the Super Bowl wasn’t in town? We will never know.

That being said, I think it was a good decision to boost their profile given the importance of event; which by the way went off with flying colors. It was great to be a part of helping Detroit overcome its nay sayers and throw a great week long party.

James Valvo

Chef de Cuisine

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[ulterior epicure]

I do not have any actual knowledge of the ownership interest in this years’ choice playing any direct role in the selection.  I certainly did not mean that comment in a derogatory or diminishing way. 

I was however making the comment through the lens of watching the way the entire Detroit area geared itself up for the Super Bowl weekend.  Every restaurant, club, hotel, news outlet, politician, decision maker excreta turned their attention to making sure that this event was both well executed and well received.  Seldom Blues is located inside the Renaissance Center, where a lot of the media was located, Radio Row, ESPN and print media.  The award was given leading right up to the event and it seemed fortuitous timing.  Their owners’ prior NFL experience did not hurt them in that light. (I would guess)  Would they have won if the Super Bowl wasn’t in town?  We will never know. 

That being said, I think it was a good decision to boost their profile given the importance of event; which by the way went off with flying colors.  It was great to be a part of helping Detroit overcome its nay sayers and throw a great week long party. 

James Valvo

Chef de Cuisine

Tribute

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thanks much for your clarification chef valvo.

depsite what one may think of detroit - i think it is a fine city. thanks for help making it better (ie. more delicious... ).

ulterior epicure