DOWNTOWN — The semi-finalists for the 2013 Hatch Detroit contest include a delicious dose of food and drink related entries. Of the ten semi-finalists, six have food on the brain. The neighborhoods and business plans for the collected hatchlings vary from Corktown Cinema and Batch Brewing Company in Corktown, HenriettaHaus Coffee Roasters in Hamtramck and Voigt's Soda House in the North End or Midtown. Votes for the contest, which awards the final winner a grant of $50,000 for their business idea, continues through Aug. 28.
CORKTOWN — A helpful Eater tipster sent along the photo above, showing signs of life and brunch in the Brooklyn Street storefront that was once home to Ladel's Books. La Villa, a breakfast, brunch and lunch space that promises to "Tantalize and Awaken Your Palate" in official promotional webspeak. There's no clear opening date for the restaurant — and their website has been live since at least mid-2012, which doesn't bode well for their buildout speed — but the neighborhood they picked bodes well for street traffic — Mudgie's Deli is right next door.
SHERWOOD FOREST — The redevelopment of the Avenue of Fashion is full steam ahead, with the recently-announced winners of the latest Revolve Detroit contest. Besides a few creative art and retail spaces, the edible options headed up to Livernois Ave. include Regal Cafe, a coffee shop with an eye for collaborate creative development, and the combined Local Social Ice Cream and Good Cakes and Bakes. Temporary popup eateries will include the collective Fresh Food Co-op, bakery True Indulgence and non-profit bar Fill-Anthropy. Sept. 20th is the target opening date for all winners, both permanent and non, which means a quick build-out is the rather unfortunate side-effect of winning.