Windsor soon will have a new restaurant whose name is a playful twist on local geography -- South Detroit.
Owen Wolter of Windsorite reports the owners of Chanosos and Oishii in Downtown Windsor is opening open South Detroit on Ouellette Street, Windsor's Woodward.
South Detroit is a tongue-in-cheek name for Windsor, Wolter writes. It's also part of the lyrics of the famous "Don't Stop Believin'," in which Journey sings of "a city boy, born and raised in south Detroit," although the lyricist did not have Windsor in mind when he wrote that song.
And, as all local school kids learn, the Windsor-Detroit border is the only place where Canada is located south of the United States.
Windsor has long lived almost literally in the shadow of Detroit, and a frequently heard observation in the rest of Canada is that the Canadian side of the Detroit River, home to about 350,000 people, is overwhelmed culturally by the American side, which is home to nearly 5 million.
Says Wolter:
"Co-owner Mat Mathias says South Detroit’s name came from Windsor’s history. “The name actually came to be from an article talking about how Windsor was once voted to be names 3 names — South Detroit, Windsor or Rochester. It’s a part of the history of this area and we realized how much Windsor and Detroit have in common and the history we share. The name itself has been well received from the people we have reached out to. You will see a lot of the history from the two cities in the decor.”
One of the owners is quoted as saying, “We feel it will be a truly unique experience, people that want to experience Detroit will have no need to cross the border!”
Wolter writes: South Detroit will feature “the best of Detroit’s classic dishes with a twist.”
He is not specific, but one wonders if that means Detroit fare with a touch of Canada? Coney dogs with poutine? Paczki sprinkled with vinegar?
What suggestions do you have for classic Detroit dishes to serve at South Detroit?
