Crain's Detroit has flipped out over the design of the new Joe Muer Seafood restaurant that just opened in the Ren Cen.
"Everything from the black-and-white marble floor, to the signature warp-around bar with its deep red-velvet seats and dark leather booths, to the soon-to-be-painted-lobster-red baby grand piano oozes opulence."This restaurant redo took over the space that used to be Seldom Blues; the old Joe Muer Seafood was on Gratiot Ave. and closed in 1998. Muer sold the name and logo to the Andiamo Restaurant Group to reboot JMS 2.0 and operate the restaurant.
JMS's website claims that "the décor of the new Joe Muer Seafood is inspired by the classic 1960s retro era, complimented by exquisite contemporary designs." Inspired by? Maybe. What it LOOKS like is another story. It's not terrible but "opulence" is overstating it. It's fine. It makes sense for the "cluster of tall glass tubes looming over largely empty city streets, " which is the Ren Cen. Overall? Underwhelming.
· A first look at Joe Muer Seafood, and a chat with Joe Vicari [Crain's]
· Joe Muer Seafood: New restaurant gets off to a good start [Metromix]