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A new bar that serves up food is officially opening at 23839 John R in Hazel Park on Wednesday.
Mark Kurlyandchik of the Detroit Free Press writes:
Mabel Gray customers will finally have a comfortable waiting room when Joebar officially opens Wednesday in Hazel Park a few doors down from the Detroit Free Press Restaurant of the Year to which it largely owes its existence.
"It wouldn't have happened if Mabel wasn't here and if he hadn't taken a chance on this town," said Joebar proprietor Joe Vaughn of Mabel Gray chef-owner James Rigato. "Joebar is the brother of Mabel. We want it to be complementary to Mabel. This whole thing is about community."
Former Mabel Gray line cook Courtney Witter is heading up the Joebar kitchen and current Mabel Gray bar manager Paul Fradeneck designed the neighbor's beverage program. Fashioned as a comfortable neighborhood bar that pays tribute to the blue-collar community it's situated in, Joebar's food offerings will center on creative dip sandwiches (think: grilled cheese dipped in bloody Mary tomato soup, Vietnamese banh mi dipped in pho) and "communal drinking" – glass bottles of boozy cocktails and beer in small, medium and large sizes meant for splitting among groups.
