An indepth report on, umm, a statue on Temple Street

A thought struck me the other day. My career may have taken me out to the suburbs, but that's no reason that this fine publication or its audience should suffer.

So after quickly - and needlessly, I'm sure - apologizing for my absence these last few months, I'll resume my exercise of lowering journalistic standards more than I already have. How?

Check out the Times' newest feature, a picture of a statue that stands proudly on the northern edge of the courtyard outside Cass Tech High School. Some recent business took me to Temple Street, most recently made famous when that guy who long ago played Lt. Fancy showed up at the Temple Bar in "Detroit 1-8-7." (Damn, I miss that show!)

What do we know about this statue?

• It stands proudly on the northern edge of the courtyard outside Cass Tech.
• It faces Temple Street.
• And when you catch the sun behind it just right, it looks pretty cool.

How's that for journalism? Hey, if you're new to the Times, welcome. Like the masthead says, it's kinda like news, but not really.

I'll do my best to post updates on here more often than every six months. Wanna help? Feel free to shoot me a photo, or post one on our Facebook page. One way or another, it'll get to us. A little bit of info that describes what you're sending wouldn't hurt either.

Although obviously, it's not a requirement.

It's good to be back...

Dining in the D: Shepherd's Pie at the Grand Trunk Pub

The Grand Trunk Pub might be more known for its huge selection of brews, but there's one menu item you've got to try the next time you're down on Woodward at lunch time. We never pass up the chance to indulge in a bowl of the Trunk's Shepherd's Pie, a heaping helping of mashed potatoes, corn and seasoned beef topped with a thin layer of cheese. It's good eatin'.

Click on Detroit Food to see some of our favorites feasts downtown.

Tommy's Detroit Bar & Grill attracting attention in quiet corner of Detroit

Rule No. 1 in attracting customers: make sure they know you're there.

Tommy's Detroit Bar & Grill, tucked in a low-traffic corner of downtown Detroit that sees little action when the Red Wings aren't in-season, is turning to the basics as it tries to gain traction in the space long occupied by Mac's on Third.

Leading the changes are the additions of a black and orange awning and building signage, both visible to Fort Street travelers who happen to glance toward the Joe down Third Street.

So far, it's working.

It's fair to question whether those changes alone will be enough to give Tommy's a better fate than Mac's, which is why the current owner isn't relying solely on an external facelift to keep the place afloat. For example, in an attempt to warm up to the student crowd from neighboring WCCCU, Tommy's will soon tweak its backroom to feature lounge-style seating, coffee tables and WiFi service. They're good folks at Tommy's; here's hoping they survive the relative quiet of summer to enjoy the swarms of customers that come almost automatically with 40-plus Wings home games.

Detroit adds bike lanes on Michigan Ave in Corktown

Peddling through Corktown the other day, I was pleasantly surprised to see that one recently announced plan in Detroit was actually finding its way beyond the drawing board.

The addition of designated bike lanes to certain streets downtown – a plan announced sometime last year – is already becoming a reality, led by lanes on both sides of Michigan Avenue on the western edge of Corktown. (I was told that bike lanes have been added on West Fort Street too, but haven't made my way over there yet.)

As of last week, the Corktown stretch began near Slow's BBQ and went west, but I'm assuming the plan is to extend the lanes past the old Tiger Stadium site and Nemo's, over the Lodge, and eventually onto the currently-being-paved stretch of Michigan Avenue that leads to the heart of the downtown at Campus Martius. Time will tell.

As for the existing lanes, I only rode for a few blocks, but it was pretty cool having a designated lane on which to ride. Granted, Michigan Avenue in Corktown doesn't carry a particularly heavy load of automobile traffic, but the bike lane did provide a sense of safety.

I don't remember which roads downtown were included in the original plan, but we'll keep our eyes peeled for newly added lanes. In the meantime, we applaud the fact that another plan in Detroit panned out to become more than just a plan.