Up In Smoke

I was in Detroit for one day on a business trip. Downtown Detroit does have some beautiful old buildings. Unfortunately, it is also packed with brutal 30 story towers and giant parking garages, as well as 8-lane streets and 4-lane one ways (so essentially the same). This landscape wasn't pedestrian-friendly. I walked down deserted streets looking for a place to have dinner. I finally made my way to Greektown, where there were a few restaurants huddling together.

The interior of Redsmoke was welcoming with a rustic feel. They specialized in dry-rub BBQ, though there was a variety of sauces for you to try. I opted for the Classic Combo ($18.99) and chose Texas brisket, pulled pork, and collard greens. The dish that came out had huge portions that would easily cost 50% more in Toronto. The pulled pork was soft and tender, it went best with the roasted poblano sauce. The brisket was a bit dry and not as tasty. I favoured the honey mustard for its sauce. The other sauces: Mississippi Mud and cherry molasses were too sweet for me. The collard greens were too runny to highlight its distinctive flavour. This was a filling and cheap dinner.

The only negative for the evening was unwrapping the utensils to find the fork encrusted with yellow dry food-bits. I've never encountered such a gaffe before. The waitstaff replaced it, but did not acknowledge the mistake with an apology. I found that unprofessional since it was their job to lay out table settings.