Enjoy summer elegance at Whitney By Linda Shepard Century-old trees have combined with new plantings to create a dining oasis in Midtown Detroit. Detroit’s Woodward Avenue mansion — the Whitney — is offering garden dining for the first time this summer. “There is a demand in Michigan to dine outside,” said owner Pat Liebler. “In Detroit, there are some sidewalk cafés and some rooftops, but not too many gardens.” Three outdoor options are available at the Whitney for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. A casual high-top table area is open to those seeking a cocktail after work, a deck has tables and a dance floor, and a formal garden area offers “the traditional Whitney experience, with tablecloths and crystal,” Liebler said. Chef Michael Lutes said outdoor dining options include a “garden menu” along with the regular indoor fare. “Our menus are always evolving,” he said. “It’s pretty exciting.” Diners can enjoy sophisticated entrees like wild morels and scrambled eggs on toasted brioche, mobpack oysters with lemon and Parmesan cheese, seared gulf shrimp with baked polenta — or more casual offering like the Whitney sliders of organic ground beef and a fried-egg sandwich with truffle aioli. The restored Whitney mansion plays an important role in the city’s history. Detroit architect Gordon Lloyd built the mansion for lumber baron David Whitney in 1894. The house was constructed of pink jasper, a rare variety of granite. Thomas Edison oversaw the Whitney’s electrical wiring, and J.L. Hudson Sr. carried Whitney out of the home after he died. Whitney’s children established Detroit institutions including Grace Hospital, the McGregor Foundation and the David Whitney Building, Liebler said. The 21,000-foot-home has 10 bathrooms, 20 fireplaces, an elevator and a secret vault in the dining room. During the 1920s, the home served as headquarters for the Wayne County Medical Society, and in 1957 it was sold to the Visiting Nurse Association. In the 1980s, John McCarthy and Ronald Fox transformed the home into one of Detroit’s finest dining spots. Liebler, in partnership with his father Bud, purchased the Whitney last year after first considering the home’s carriage house as a new site for their Rochester Hills-based Liebler!MacDonald Communication Strategists firm. The Whitney’s popular Thursday evening concerts will continue, said Liebler, with a slightly different format. Acoustic music will begin at 9:30 p.m. starting June 12. Sunday brunches will feature gospel and classical music on a rotating basis. This summer, the Whitney is also offering shuttle service to cultural and sporting events, including Tiger games. For reservations and directions to the Whitney, call (313) 832-5700. You can reach Staff Writer Linda Shepard at lshepard@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1065. |
