Mercedes and I are having dinner with Autopian contributor and NVH engineer Steve B right now at Metro Detroit’s legendary “Vinsetta Garage.” I feel weird typing on my laptop at the dinner table, so I’ll make this brief: We’re having a breakfast meetup tomorrow, and Jason Torchinsky is joining us! Oh, yeah, Jason: He’s currently got the weirdest “press car” in history.
There’s Mercedes and me right now, hanging out with Steve [points up]. And here’s Jason right now. He’s borrowing my friend Jamie’s 330,000 mile Mazda MPV and not a press car from a manufacturer. Why? Because why not? This thing rules!:
He’s heading towards Detroit from Ann Arbor after Ubering there from the airport. We’re going to a cool car designer sketch battle tonight (probably; Jason hasn’t agreed to it yet, but I plan to go. And you should, too!).
Due to timing constraints (I have to run a bachelor party tomorrow), our only time for a reader meetup is tomorrow at 8:30 AM. So be at Monty’s Grill (28300 Woodward Ave, Royal Oak, MI 48067) on Woodward avenue at 8:30!
UPDATE: Jason cannot come. He has an early obligation! Mercedes and I will attend, though!
Update 2: we are now at a Jersey bagel place just south of Birmingham.
Update 3: ok now we’re at the original pancake house.
I mean I would have hit up Maple leaf or Recipes in troy. Ill try Monty’s next time i’m in town.
I’m full just thinking about Vinsetta (so good tho)!
MONTYS!!!
Montys is spectacular
I’m here. Place is closed until the 23rd!
Restaurant open 23 hours a day.
If I saw this yesterday I would call sick today, instead I am here sitting on a empty office where nobody decided to show up, only management of course…
I will always accept more MVP content if that’s what’s going on here.
Bate and switch!
/S
Aw damn, me and places without bathrooms don’t get along well… What’re chances of dinner at somewhere like Lockhart’s or National on 12 Mile?
David, I’m so sad I got starstruck and didn’t say hi at Concourse d’Lemons. I saw you, looking very German in your hat and backpack and on a mission, and didn’t want to interrupt. I hope you come up to central Cal again sometime soon.
I’m heading up that way later this month. Shoot me an email? david@theautopian.com
Nice spot. That onion dip and chips is great!
David running a bachelor party? Will there be a party game about stroking your crankshaft?
There will definitely be discussions about “stiff members.”
Of course David will be talking about the new F-150 tailgate.
No Bloody Mary on the menu?!
You call that a breakfast joint?
Hard pass.
I remember when that garage was an actual garage, servicing vehicles. Yes, I am old.
I have too many meetings around that time tomorrow, so I can’t roll into work late tomorrow. Good choice on dinner restaurant though.
Steve? Steve who?
We only know Not Actually Jason.
Steve Balistreri duh.
(Me laying down the knowledge for RootWyrm)
Okay, that was in fact pretty damn well played.
Shhh, they might hear us.
*the sound of a twig snapping in a dark forest*
What was that?
*cowers in some damp shrubbery*
As long as that doesn’t become my new nickname
The Journalist Formerly Known As Steve Balistreri?
Sorry. This is now your lot in life Not Actually Jason.
Once a nickname sticks it’s extremely difficult to shake off.
Just ask my friend Booger.
Fine I wonder what everyone ordered. Chicken Fried Steak needs more fans.
I’ve gone pescetarian.
I hope you’re eating something local! Pescatarian on the coast is one thing, but fish in the Midwest on a Thursday might be dicey!
“I hope you’re eating something local! Pescatarian on the coast is one thing, but fish in the Midwest on a Thursday might be dicey!”
You can get all kinds of fresh seafood around here if you go to the right place. It’s pricey, but never-frozen Alaskan king salmon and Mediterranean swordfish are on the menu. David’s a local boy so he knows it’s all about freshwater fish in most of our restaurants. I’ll take fresh lake perch or walleye over frozen farmed Atlantic salmon any day of the week.
I was about to say—hot damn, the Great Lakes produce some excellent fish.
Walleye is the best!!
Didn’t their movie for Pixar get an Oscar?
Shower Sushi doesn’t have the same ring to it, but I bet it can make you even more violently ill than shower spaghetti.
Pescetarian eh?
Just can’t help yourself around a shrimp barrow I guess.
Sadly, the Mach-E Rally wasn’t loaded up with shrimp cocktail during the GTD event. I guess there’s always next time. In all seriousness (well, as serious as one can be about silly food) I don’t think the frunk shrimp is just a myth. I’m wonder if it happened during the Mach-E tech unveiling?
I got some sort of burger with locally grown tomatoes!
There’s a song about how there’s just two things that money can’t buy, and that’s true love and home grown tomatoes!
Damn right!
CFS FTW.
(I’m stuck at the opposite end of the country, but dammit if I don’t want a chicken fried steak now. Good thing that’s a widespread thing here.)