Latin Jazz Echoes Through The Whitney

Lola Morales, the Nicarguan American chanteuse delivers a sultry mix of Jazz classics and Latin Jazz at The Whitney this Saturday, Jan 24. Back in Detroit after a 2 month tour in China, Lola is eager to share the music from life on the road. Her smooth yet lively musical style has won her fans across the globe. Enjoy Lola Morales here in Detroit as she sets the mood for your Saturday night.

The Whitney Restaurant Now Features an Exclusive Chef's Table

Kick the winter blues at The Whitney’s Exclusive Chef’s Table for a night of gourmet food and wine tasting. The table, a beautiful "massive carved piece," was discovered in 2008 in the Whitney carriage house, and is now in David Whitney's study, seating up to ten people. The private room allows you and your guests complete privacy for the entire evening.

The “Chef’s Tasting Menu” is only available at the Chef’s Table and includes seven courses, each specially paired with a taste of The Whitney’s own wine collection. Chef Michael Lutes will personally describe each course and the wine that goes with it to you and your guests while your private wait staff accommodates your every need.

To see the Chef’s Tasting Menu, please visit www.thewhitney.com or call Emily Driscoll at (313) 832-5700. Reservations must be made at least 24 hours in advance.

The Whitney Announces Special Obama Menu

It’s Obama Time in Washington, D.C. and throughout the United States and the world. And at The Whitney restaurant in Detroit.

Starting on Inauguration Day, January 20, The Whitney will add a special menu of Obama favorite foods to celebrate the inauguration of Barack Obama, the first African American to be elected President. The exclusive lunch menu, with items ranging from $4 to $12, will be offered January 20 – 31 with 20 percent of every Obama menu meal contributed to the Capuchin Soup Kitchen in Detroit. Select items also will be available on The Whitney’s dinner menu.

The Obama menu has been selected from a series of accredited articles and websites listing the President-elect’s favorite foods. It will be anchored by the Obama family chili recipe that he serves to his own family, served over white rice with grated cheddar cheese, onions and sour cream. Other items on the special Obama menu include Southern Fried Chicken and macaroni with broccoli, shrimp and grits, Obama’s favorite burger, and Oreo Cookie Cheesecake, reportedly the President-elect’s favorite dessert. The beverage of choice will be another reported Obama favorite, Black Forest Berry Honest tea. Reservations are suggested for Inauguration Day lunch.

Auld Lang Syne!

Happy New Year! The Whitney celebrated the New Year with over 1,000 guests New Year’s Eve - two weekend weddings and another 400 diners over the weekend toasting the New Year and hoping beyond hope that it will be better for Detroit than the old one left behind! Watch this site for future special events and special offers geared to luring you back to the restaurant, the Ghost Bar and, later this year, to our gardens. (Yes, Virginia, the snow will stop falling and the gardens will bloom!) We know the economy’s tough in Detroit and the challenges many. We want to make The Whitney a place where guests can come to relax and get away from it all with food, drink and entertainment you’ll enjoy and at prices you can afford. We look forward to making The Whitney your home away from home and helping to make 2009 a better year for all.

Ho Ho Ho!

Santa is making a special stop at The Whitney!

Join Santa at The Whitney's acclaimed piano brunch on the following Saturday and Sunday dates: December 13, 14, 20 and 21.

The Whitney is a Detroit Christmas tradition - bring the kids and make this holiday season one to be remembered!

We look forward to seeing you!

"An Absolutely Marvelous Time!"

My staff was so delighted and overwhelmed by the wonders of The Whitney, the beauty and graciousness of the restaurant, the staff and the chef. We had a great time and it makes it difficult for me to come up with something next Christmas to top this one.

Diedre and Kim did a spectacular job of taking care of us. The gentlemen bussing the tables were right on top of everything. The food was divine and the presentation....,what can I say but beyond expectations. The chef made a sampler of the appetizers and had 10 or 11 chef’s walk out each with a platter. They stood behind each of us and placed the platter down all at the same time. We all felt like royalty. Then the head chef explained what everything was and so our meal began!

Between the entrée and dessert, Jim took everyone on a tour of the Whitney. Then the chef made a sampler of the desserts for each of us. We could not have had a better time if we tried.

The menus were a huge hit. The staff were all exclaiming about having our name across the top and no prices listed. They were like kids in a candy shop.

By Roslyn Bashawaty

Rosa sat…so Martin could walk…so Barack could run…so our children can fly!

It’s a new day in America and a new dawn for the vision of what America stands for, proof that as a nation we can come together and work for a better, brighter future. There are huge hurdles to jump, huge boulders to dodge and huge chasms to leap but the election is behind us and the new leadership can get start their own Olympian challenges.

The election was good for America and potentially good for Detroit and its economy. Congratulations President Elect Barack! Congratulations America! Good luck to us all.

Midtown is Getting a Makeover

The street-scaping in Midtown is in full effect: new signage; antique-looking lamp posts; a “greener” walk way with trees, new curbs and a bike path are being added, updated and renovated along Woodward. We expect that the current phase of construction will be complete before Thanksgiving. During the construction, Whitney patrons are asked to use our temporary gravel driveway. There may be some construction, but our doors are always open! We look forward to the finished product and appreciate your patience during the process.

Historic Detroit Gem Appeals to All Walks

Click on the link below for the MetroMix First Taste Review of The Whitney. And, note the FIVE STAR rating!!!

http://detroit.metromix.com/restaurants/restaurant_review/first-taste-the-whitney/690216/content

The Whitney Sees Pick Up in Pharmaceutical Meals

The Whitney has hosted numerous pharmaceutical groups recently. In fact, one recent pharmaceutical event held at The Whitney drew more than twice the expected number of participants. Event organizers suggested that The Whitney venue itself was a big reason behind the strong attendance. Importantly, The Whitney has numerous private dining rooms that can comfortably accommodate groups of varying sizes from 10 – 500 guests. Unlike most Detroit area restaurants, The Whitney does NOT charge extra for private rooms. The Whitney offers pharmaceutical packages that can accommodate various budgets.

Contact Nicole DeSalvio at 313-832-5709 for questions or to schedule your meeting.

History, Mystery and Haunting: The Whitney Restaurant

For decades there have been stories associated with The Whitney Restaurant’s haunting. Are the stories true? Guests will finally have an opportunity to find out. On Saturday, October 25 at 7:00 p.m. a first-ever dinner event is being offered at The Whitney. Kathleen Tedsen and Beverlee Rydel, authors of the newly released book: Haunted Travels of Michigan, will host the evening and the Highland Ghost Hunters. Tedsen and Rydel will recount the lives and experiences of the Whitney family during a paranormal investigation of the restaurant with the Highland Ghost Hunters (HGH).

“History, Mystery and Haunting: The Whitney Restaurant” will include a seated three-course dinner, a raffle featuring a private ghost hunt with Highland Ghost Hunters (to be scheduled at a later date) and will conclude with a group ghost hunt/tour throughout the mansion with HGH. The cost for this event is $45 per person.

Reservations can be made by calling The Whitney at 313-832-5700 or online at www.TheWhitney.com. Please note the “haunted” event when making your reservation.

What are your News Years Eve Plans?

It's only the beginning of October, but The Whitney has already received 300 reservations for its New Years Eve at The Whitney event. The Whitney will be THE place to be this New Years.

Call for details!

FOOD BUZZ.com Reviews: The Whitney Restaurant

The Whitney Experience 

"The Whitney offers award-winning cuisine that is elegantly American. The restaurant specializes in beef, fish, seafood, lamb and veal. The Whitney's award-winning wine cellar can provide the ideal libation to compliment any choice from their awe-inspiring selection of tantalizing entries."

Lights…Camera…Action!

The Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau’s film crew recently spent an afternoon at The Whitney. The crew, led by Veronica Vance from Cavalier Films, toured the mansion, strolled through the gardens and sampled a variety of items from our award-winning menu. It was a pleasure to have them. You can view the video on The Whitney's website homepage at www.thewhitney.com. We hope it will inspire you to come down and visit us soon!

The "Newer" Whitney Restaurant

As we enter the very busy holiday season, I wanted to remind you that The Whitney has a new look and feel and we hope you’ll consider us for your holiday events.

Specifically, in the past year we’ve recarpeted and repainted virtually the entire restaurant, updated the third floor Wintergarden bar to a more contemporary but still elegant lounge look, installed all new equipment in the main kitchen, relit the fireplaces in the first and second floor “Great Halls,” added new outside walks andgardens, updated our HVAC system, added new music, and generally polished and shined the whole place up! In addition, we have a new General Manager, a new Executive Chef, a new Sales and Banquet Manager and an essentially new and very well trained wait staff.

But, wait, there’s more! By Thanksgiving we’ll have new sidewalks and exterior lighting on Woodward and elegant new holiday decorations that will make the mansion even more spectacular. Our food has only gotten better, our prices are competitive, and our desire to please our guests is paramount to everyone on our staff.

As an iconic Detroit restaurant and landmark, we want to help show off our city to its best advantage and give our local and out-of-town guests a truly pleasurable andmemorable experience. We think that’s a good thing for the city, for our guests and for The Whitney.

We hope you’ll consider The Whitney for your entertaining needs. You won’t be disappointed!