French meets Detroit

Joe Vicari, of the Joe Vicari Restaurant Group, who operates the Andiamo Italian restaurants, including in Bloomfield Township, and Joe Muer Seafood in Detroit and Bloomfield Hills, wants his upcoming Detroit restaurant, The Statler, to make everyone feel welcome, even if they’re not strictly French food aficionados. “I think that it’s obviously underserved, French food, and then I said, not everybody enjoys French food,” Vicari said. “So we said, well, let’s come up with an American French bistro.” The Statler – so named because it is located on the site of the famed former Statler Hotel –will feature traditional French brasserie fare, such as duck, steak frites, and foie gras, but also a selection of pasta dishes, as well. The interior will have a French flair and they’ll be able to hold about 170 guests inside and outside when they open in January 2021. The restaurant – located on the ground floor of City Club Apartments, 1539 Washington Boulevard, Detroit – came to be after Vicari was approached by long-time customer, Jonathan Holtzman, who owns the apartment building, and asked Vicari to help with a restaurant in the space. A market operated by Vicari will open at the same time as the restaurant on the ground floor.