Toast of the Town

When it comes to good food and great times, Hamtramck has plenty to offer. In this column, we’ll talk about what’s happening at our bars, restaurants and other events that can be found throughout the city.

By Charles Sercombe

Here are some random notes from around town …

First of all, a great big thanks goes out to Suzy Briskey, the owner of Suzy’s Bar on Evaline. We recently wrote about her place, and Suzy, being the gracious and generous person that she is, sent us a bag of goodies, but with a twist.

We didn’t know Suzy was such a punster. We’ll back up for a second. The writer of the story was this writer, Charles Sercombe. Most folks in town know me by my nickname, “Chip.”

Well, in her card of thanks, Suzy goes on to say: “Of all the chips in the world, you’re my favorite.”

Inside the bag of food items were — you guessed it – several different types of potato chips and even a can of “Chip’s Ahoy.” Get it, “of all the chips in the world”?

Thanks again, Suze. The office has been gorging (and getting fat) on all the treats.

And speaking of stuffing yourself, Maria’s Comida Mex-Asian Fusion on Jos. Campau recently hosted a taco eating contest for the University of Detroit lacrosse team.

This was no “Animal House” affair. The guys were well-behaved and had plenty of good humor.

They mawed down 568 tacos in all, with the winner eating a grand total of 25 in one hour. Oh man, that hurts just thinking about it.

Maria’s, by the way, has a line of salsa now available in select stores that you need to discover. Very tasty.

‘Tis the season for parties. Besides all the holiday festivities happening in the upcoming weeks, be sure to stop by Whiskey in the Jar on Dec. 16. That’s when bartender “Augie” will be celebrating his birthday. To top things off – with tongue firmly planted in cheek – there will be a live Hall and Oats cover tribute, or something like that.

Toast will stop by, but please line up those whiskey shots if we gotta endure a Hall and Oats night – even if it’s just for laughs. Oh, yeah, it’s also a fundraiser for “Cancer Rockstar” – which is a legit organization doing really great things.

Augie, as they say around here, Sto Lat!

Jos. Campau property owners and businesses are invited to stop by the Belmont this Saturday evening (Dec. 11) for a holiday party. It’s part of the Hamtramck Downtown Development Authority celebration. Belmont owner Darren Grow’s day job is being the DDA manager.

The Christmas spirit – or spirits – can be felt at Skipper’s bar on Conant. Our buddy Skipper has a Toys for Tots drive going. To sweeten the deal, if you buy one drink at the regular price, you get the next free. All night long.

And with PBRs at one buck each until 9 p.m., you could really get into the holiday spirit mighty fast. To help absorb some of that alcohol, there is also an appetizer bar.

Having said all that, we want to remind our readers to drink responsibly and remember, the state’s drunk driving law is about as draconian as it gets. Fortunately, for those who live in Hamtramck, forget the car and walk to the bar.

Do you know of a cool bar, a great restaurant or just a nice place to hang out? If you have tips on special events or just want to shine some light on your favorite spot send a message to news@thethehamtramckreview.com or call us at (313) 874-2100.