Food truck offering lobster expands to meet demand
Rabih Zahr, Muhammed Zahr and Hussein Kdouh, the metro Detroit franchisees of Cousins Maine Lobster food truck, are expanding and adding a second truck.
The grand opening of the second truck is taking place 4-10 p.m. Friday at Boardwalk Marketplace, 21400 Michigan Ave. in Dearborn at a former Andiamo location. The franchisees launched their first lobster food truck in June. They're adding the second truck because of "robust demand for Maine's iconic lobster," according to a news release.
The menu includes Maine or Connecticut-style lobster rolls, lobster tots and lobster bisque. The food truck is also available for catering events.
Cousins Maine Lobster food truck is known for its 2012 "Shark Tank" appearance, where cousins Sabin Lomac and Jim Tselikis struck a deal with shark Barbara Corcoran to launch the business. It since has grown from a single food truck to more than 50 trucks and restaurants in dozens of cities throughout the country.
To see the menu and a list of dates, times and locations of where the lobster trucks will be in metro Detroit, go to cousinsmainlobster.com.
Southwest Detroit market adds special bakery offerings
Prince Valley Market on Michigan Avenue in southwest Detroit has two new bakery items for fall. Available through October are fresh-made pumpkin empanadas and pumpkin muffins.
Empanadas are a traditional pastry with a variety of sweet and savory fillings. They're priced at are $4.80 for four and the muffins are $4.48 for four.
This is the first time the neighborhood market has offered the muffins. Prince Valley Market is known for its selection of grab-and-go items and house-made tamales. Inside, there's a spot for the market's annual ofrenda for the upcoming Day of the Dead (Nov. 1-2). The ofrenda is an altar honoring loved ones who have passed.
"We want our customers to feel welcome to take part in the altar," market owner Joe Gappy said. "Customers are invited to contribute to the altar to leave pictures, notes and other remembrances and offerings to help make the altar a community reflection. Our customers are like family, and this is how you remember and celebrate family."
Andiamo Bloomfield revamps menu
Andiamo in Bloomfield Township, part of the Joe Vicari Restaurant Group, is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a revamped menu. Daniel Scannell, Andiamo's recently arrived certified master chef, collaborated with Marc Casadei, executive chef at the restaurant, on the menu.
Several of the new dishes are modern twists on authentic and classic Italian cuisine and are reflective of the season. For example, there's a braised white veal Bolognese, instead of a red meat sauce, served over mafaldine pasta. Also new is a seasonal dish featuring cheese ravioli in spinach pasta topped with shaved prosciutto.
A few quick bites
◼ PizzaPlex recently extended its hours opening for morning coffee service. From 8 a.m. to noon Friday through Sunday, PizzaPlex will offer specialty coffee drinks and house-made pastries like Italian croissants called cornetti and tiramisu. PizzaPlex also launched a wine-tasting series called Italian Women in Wine. The first event is 6-8 p.m. Nov. 3. It's $30 per person and includes wine samples, small plates and live music. PizzaPlex is at 4458 W. Vernor Highway in southwest Detroit.
◼ Pietrzyk Pierogi has announced the return of its popular holiday pierogi. The pierogi are Thanksgiving-inspired and filled with turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and greens beans. Sold by the dozen for $24, they come with sides of gravy and cranberry sour cream. Orders are being taken now with pickup beginning Tuesday. You can also have them shipped. Shipping days will be on Nov. 8 or Nov. 15. Pietrzyk Pierogi is in Eastern Market at 1429 Gratiot in Detroit. For information, go to pietrzykpierogi.com.
◼ Detroit Institute of Bagels is planning to reopen in Detroit's Core City neighborhood with a menu that includes boiled and baked bagels with cream cheese and coffee. The establishment also plans to offer Jewish deli classics like challah and rye bread, pastrami and matzoh ball soup, owner Ben Newman wrote in an email to the Free Press.
"We will offer food to go through our Nosh n’ Shop on Grand River, a dine-in experience at our Noshery on Core City Park, as well as delivery to other businesses through our DiB for Biz and DiBstributor programs," Newman wrote.
The beloved bagel shop's original location was on Michigan Avenue in Corktown. It closed two years ago. Newman confirmed in a Detroit Metro Times report that the new spot in Core City is in the former Ochre Bakery and Astro Coffee, which closed in May.
Contact Detroit Free Press food writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Cousins Maine Lobster food truck expands to meet demand
