Turning Over the Reigns

To my devoted blog readers- wherever and whomever you are:

Even though I have had a wonderful time telling all of you about my beautiful restaurant and the fabulous events that we've had here, I have decided to retire from my blogging career and turn the reigns over to a young and bright-eyed blogger waiting in the wings. The changing seasons give way to new and exciting endeavors here at The Whitney and our new blogger is very eager to tell you all about what's happening around the mansion - holiday events, Flora's Tea Room, and so much more! Thank you all for reading and please stop by The Whitney to say hello.

INTRODUCING FLORA'S TEA ROOM

We are, yet again, putting the "class" back into "classic" at The Whitney by introducing Flora's Tea Room. David Whitney's wife, Flora, was the epitome of class and always enjoyed a cup of tea in the afternoon. To honor her, and the historic surroundings of The Whitney, we will offer tea Tuesday-Friday from 12-3pm and on Saturday afternoon for private parties. Flora's Tea room is located on the 2nd floor in Mrs. Whitney's cozy Bedroom and Sitting Room. Once seated, guests will be offered an array of The Whitney's Signature blend in one of a kind hand-painted china. Our afternoon tea also includes a delicious four-course meal individually plated for each special guest and prepared by our renowned chefs.

In honor of the launch of Flora's Tea Room, The Whitney hosted our first Afternoon Tea event- 'A Day of Fashion' featuring a hat fashion show by Mr. Song Millinery, creator of the famous "Aretha" hat, which was seen at President Obama's Inauguration. The event was a great success and made headlines at The Detroit Free Press!! Check out our pictures at:
http://detroit.metromix.com/events/photogallery/a-day-of-fashion/1463005/content

Be a part of all the fun and class by making your reservations today!!
Please contact Kim Piskos, Director of Tea Services, at 313.384.0880.

INTRODUCING RESTAURANT.COM AT THE WHITNEY

There are many things that bring our community together such as parks, schools, businesses and the most important...food! There being so many local restaurants, including The Whitney, it's sometimes hard to decide where you want to wet your whistle and satisfy that hunger.
Our beautiful historic home and delicious cuisine creates a destination that can not be missed and so we have teamed up with Restaurant.com as a solution!
By visiting Restaurant.com guests can get our location, prices, menus, dress attire and lots of other information that you may need to know. The best part is that you can purchase gift cards to our restaurant at a reduced price!! We are really excited to have started this program and hope that you will join in on all the fun! Search for us at Restaurant.com and purchase your Whitney gift certificates today! Our garden oasis is still open and what a better time to bask in the remaining summer weather than at a reduced rate.

The Cool Breeze Bids 89X Thursdays a Farewell

The cool weather has already made its way into Michigan and we are starting to wrap up our summer garden parties, but don’t worry, we have plenty planned for Fall. We've had a great season hosting the 89x Thursday night garden parties, but tonight we will be bidding them farewell (well at least for this summer). Join us tonight for some great LIVE music - three bands (we could tell you who, but we would rather you come hear for yourself), happy hour drink specials and delicious food! The party starts at 5pm so don't be late!!!

The Whitney's Green Thumb

As I drove up to The Whitney this morning, I couldn’t help but notice the lush greenery that has sprouted up in our vegetable and herb garden.
Although the organic garden is small, we have taken every opportunity to add a touch of the garden to many of our dishes. We are growing a variety of herbs, such as cilantro, parsley, chives, basil, thyme and Israeli mint. We’ve also grown jalapeño, yellow peppers, bean, tomatoes and lettuce. The peppers will be used on our new calamari dish which we expect to add to the menu this week!

Unforgettable…In Every Way

I wanted to take a moment and tell you of a fabulous experience I had dining in The Whitney Garden this week (as you know, I am a completely unbiased and highly critical Whitney diner). The day was hot; hot enough to make you think twice about eating outside. Fortunately, our 150 year old America Beech Tree provides incredible shade and keeps our back dining area more than comfortable. The gardens looked phenomenal with the roses and hydrangeas in particular showing beautiful color. Spanish guitar music from our hidden speakers gently floated down throughout the space. Under foot is our large bluestone flooring and a quiet babble emanates from the central fountain.

On this particular day, our kitchen was offering gazpacho - not something I typically order, but I wanted to give it a try. Let me tell you, it was outstanding! Beautifully presented and bursting with flavors. For my entree, I enjoyed a wonderful salmon Caesar salad. Alas, I was working in the afternoon and opted out of a nice wine in favor of an iced tea.

Anyway, these are challenging times for restaurants across the city. Different venues meet the challenges in different ways - cutting costs, mailing coupons, shortening shifts, etc. What I hope we are doing here at The Whitney is offering meals that are truly memorable in a setting that is unmatched. This is The Whitney distinction and the promise that I believe we are delivering to each and every guest.

There is nothing like The Whitney Gardens (period). If customers are watching their restaurant dollars closer or eating out less frequently, we'd like to invite them into a setting and a culinary experience that is truly unique and intertwined with our city's history and its current culture. Although our prices are very competitive with less inspired venues, we deliver an entirely different experience which speaks not only to all five senses but also to the soul. Simply put, given our heartbreakingly short Michigan summers, it’s great to dine outdoors among the flowers and trees. One can do this in an award winning restaurant while sitting less than 100 feet from Woodward Avenue in the heart of Midtown and adjacent to a recognized landmark.

We believe that our challenge is not in delivering the exceptional dining experiences described above, but rather in making sure that Detroiters think about The Whitney Gardens for their lunch and dinner events. I'm hoping to entice you to experience it for yourself in the near future, and then tell your readers to visit us often. (As I conclude this note, I just heard our Friday lunch (indoor) live piano player getting started!)

The Whitney makes the top 10 outdoor havens in the Metro Detroit area

Molly Abraham of the Detroit News recently gave The Whitney a nod as she posted it as one of the Top 10 outdoor havens in the Metro Detroit area.

Excerpt from the Detroit News: July 23, 2009

It's the height of summer, the perfect time for savoring the season at restaurants that offer al fresco seating. We're not talking about sidewalk cafés. Although sitting at a table on a busy sidewalk has its own appeal, the best outdoor dining involves gardens, waterfront terraces and secluded courtyards away from the exhaust fumes.

It's about places that offer something a little extra in addition to the fresh air and sunshine of Metro Detroit in summer.

The Whitney

Tables are set in the shadow of a 125-year-old American beech tree; there's a bubbling fountain and a winding path around the grounds of the vintage mansion. And a bistro menu of very aff0ordable fare is a plus. Typical bistro dishes: Chicken and ricotta crêpe with spinach/orange salad, roasted turkey club on toasted sourdough. An extra: If it starts to rain, you can duck into the house, and, in fact, even if it doesn't, garden diners are invited to tour the interior. 4421 Woodward Ave., Detroit; (313) 832-5700.

To read the whole article, please visit: http://www.detnews.com/article/20090723/OPINION03/907230333/1032/ENT/10+appealing+outdoor+dining+spots

MetroMix Boasts Alumni Reunion Block Party

Do your colors run green and white; maize and blue; black and gold? Whatever they run, The Whitney is welcoming alums from area colleges and will turn the restaurant and its gardens into a picnic block party Saturday, TODAY!

Graduates from Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University, Wayne State University, Oakland, Central and more, are expected to participate. Tents, loungers and an outdoor grill will be provided at the Whitney along with live music and sounds by DJ Polo.

8 p.m. Saturday, the Whitney, 4421 Woodward, Detroit. 313-932-5700. $10.

Blog posted on DetroitMoxie.com

Party Like A Rock Star at The Whitney
DateTuesday, July 7, 2009 at 10:52AM | AuthorBecks Davis

In 1894, when the David Whitney House was completed, the Detroit Free Press described it as, "an American palace enjoying the distinction of being one of the most pretentious modern homes in the state and one of the most elaborate houses in the west."

It’s an amazing structure built in the Romanesque Revival style with Tiffany windows throughout. Unfortunately, David Whitney only lived in the house for 6 years before he died. The house has had few owners since then and today we know it as the fashionable and upscale restaurant, The Whitney.

The historic Whitney Mansion.But the Whitney isn’t just for fancy schmancy dinners. It also has a cool vibe side; they have been doing their 89x Garden Parties for a while now on Thursdays. Earlier this summer they started Twilight Tuesdays and it has caught my attention.

Twilight Tuesdays, like the 89x parties, are also in the garden. It launched on June 2nd and will continue throughout the summer, rain or shine. If it rains the party just moves from the garden to the Ghost Bar. Why did Twilight Tuesdays catch my eye? The party is from 8pm-1am and there is a $20 cover. But, and this is why it got my attention, that cover gives you an open bar from 8pm-11pm. I know a lot of people who could make that $20 worth their while. Oh, and there is music with DJ Captn20. All this on beautiful summer evening at one of the most pretentious homes in the Midwest. Yep, sounds like a good time to me.

Oh, and they have a happy hour. The Whitney offers “rain or shine” happy hour Tuesdays through Fridays from 5pm-7pm. The happy hour specials are $3 domestic beers and $5 cocktails.

So, we have Twilight Tuesdays, 89x Garden Parties on Thursdays, and “rain or shine” happy hour. As a special bonus there are people who say the old Whitney mansion is haunted. Oh yeah, I’m so there.

The Whitney is located at 4421 Woodward Avenue, Detroit. Phone: (313) 832-5700. Please remember to drink responsibly and use a designated driver.

Sunset at The Gardens: WA3’s Quarterly Mixer

The Woodward Avenue Action Association will kick off their new year with quarterly in our fabulous Restaurant and Gardens today from 5pm-8pm. Guests will enjoy a strolling feast complimented by the best summer drinks in town. Get to know what’s new with the organization and Woodward Avenue and have a chance to win one of many great door prizes!

Entertainment for the evening is provided courtesy of Six Degrees Magazine's and the Whitney's Twilight Tuesday's legendary DJ Captn 20.

The evening's proceeds will go to support the on-going work of the WA3. Attire is business & summer chic. Cost: $20 for members & $25 for non-members in advance, $30 at the door and includes food and open bar.

To purchase tickets please visit www.woodwardavenue.org. For more information please contact Outreach & Promotions Coordinator, Nicole Brown at nicole@woodwardavenue.org or call 248-288-2004

The Whitney’s Neighborhood Gathering is a Success!

Last Wednesday The Whitney hosted its first Neighborhood Gathering with all of its favorite friends in Midtown. Strolling hors’deurves- crispy crab cakes, chicken skewers with our special sauce, grilled brie cheese sandwiches- were gobbled up as guests also enjoyed The Whitney’s Signature Summer Mojitos. Representatives from all of the major cultural institutions, universities and the DMC were in attendance. It was a great opportunity for this key Midtown Detroit group to be together and The Whitney felt privileged to be at the center of it all.

2009 Sumer VIP Jet Set Event

The Whitney is excited announce the Exclusive 2009 Summer V.I.P. Jet Set event set for Saturday, July 11, 2009. The event honors NFL hometown hero T.J. Lang of the Green Bay Packers and welcomes special guest NFL hometown hero, Jason Jones of the Tennessee Titans.

Entertainment includes: a live performance by R&B artist Princeton; house, techno and R&B music spun by DJ BDUBZ Walker, as well as DJ Alexander and Detroit Pistons House DJ Earl Mixxin McKinney. In between sets, national stand up comedian RubenRuben will give a live comedy performance.

WBC welterweight titleholder Andre Berto, who will soon face-off with boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr., is flying in from Miami to join in the star-studded event. Other special guests include Music Mogul Tony Sutton of VVS Records from Miami and R Phophet formally of Nappy Roots. But wait there’s more, a silent auction will be offered throughout the evening will have jewelry from Metals in Time, sports memorabilia, and artwork from local artists.

$10 gets you in the door! Rush Communiqué and event planner Laura Deljanin of Laurette Designs of Birmingham is hosting this event.

The Whitney Restaurant has officially opened their gardens for lunch, dinner and happy hour!

Warm weather means al fresco dining and garden cocktails. In addition to a new lighter fare menu for lunch visit the Whitney throughout the week for a rotating schedule of special events including:

"Twilight Tuesday's" featuring DJ Captain 20

The 89X Garden Parties from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. every Thursday's

"Feel Good Friday's" from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. every Friday

Also don’t miss the “Motown Sunday Brunch", every Sunday. This buffet style meal features the best in Motown musical hits.

Visit www.thewhitney.com for more information and menu options.

Woodward Avenue Action (WA3) Features The Whitney in its WoodWORD Newsletter:

"Another big winner in the Hour Detroit Best of Issue on newsstands now was the historic Whitney Restaurant, owned by Bud Liebler was voted best restaurant for Dinner before the Theater among their three honors. The Whitney was also voted the best pre-theater dinner spot by the readers of Metro Times in their annual best of issue. Visit www.thewhitney.com for more information on special events, their "Motown Brunch" and more."

A Garden Family Hootenanny

Invite your family (and friends) to enjoy an afternoon in The Whitney’s beautiful garden oasis in Midtown Detroit on Sunday, July 12th from 3pm- 5pm for the first ever Garden Family Hootenanny! Families can enjoy music from The Mydols and Cello-Bella as well as kids activities and crafts. The Whitney's delicious garden bistro menu and full beverage service will also be offered. Adult admission is $10 and kids are FREE!

Please make reservations by Wednesday July 8, 2009 by contacting Emily Driscoll at 313.832.5700 or edriscoll@thewhitney.com.