Photo Courtesy of Street Beet.
One of the many great things about Metro Detroit is the wide variety of backgrounds we come from. These backgrounds allow for a bustling and unique community that is coming up with new ways to entertain, cook, and write. Whether it’s pop-up restaurant owners, an author with an unexpected journey, or a local filmmaker making waves in Hollywood, here are five interesting Detroiters you should know this week.
Pop-Up Restaurant Owners
Nina Paletta and Meghan Shaw, co-owners of the popular vegan pop-up Street Beet, love to think outside the box when it comes to vegan treats. The duo creates vegan packzi on Fat Tuesday, vegan tacos, and even Kentucky Fake Chicken. You can order their food online during the Coronavirus shutdown, and you can make a donation to staff and employees to help them get through this difficult time.
Podcaster
Host of the popular podcast “Dearborn Girl,” Rima Fadlallah focuses on important stories about Muslim women in Dearborn. She uses these stories to inspire courageous conversation in the community and recently started a new series of stories called #SabayaSeries. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get podcasts. Pioneer High School teacher Jeff Kass turned his experience of balancing three jobs into a collection of poems in his new book, “Teacher/Pizza Guy.” The book was selected by the Library of Michigan as one of the 20 Michigan Notable Books for 2020 and chronicles Kass’ experiences as a full-time English teacher, part-time teen literary arts director, and part-time pizza delivery driver in 2016. Kass’ award-winning collection of poems are described as funny, relatable, and poignant and can be bought on Wayne State University Press’ website. Power punk rocker Ryan Allen leads the melodic rock quartet, Extra Arms, who released a new album this past fall. The album, titled “Up From Here,” is a 22-minute, eight-track concept album that is personal for Allen and focuses on letting go and finding a positive, new way of life for yourself. You can find the album on the group’s Bandcamp site. Be sure to follow them on Facebook for updates on new projects. David Robert Mitchell, a Clawson born filmmaker, has quickly made a name for himself in Hollywood. From his coming-of-age drama “The Myth of the American Sleepover,” to his widely acclaimed and commercial horror hit “It Follows,” to the noir comedy “Under the Silver Lake” starring Andrew Garfield, Mitchell is one of the most unique filmmakers working today. “It Follows” was shot in Detroit and surrounding suburbs, with plenty of noticeable locations for Metro Detroit viewers. “The Myth of the American Sleepover” and “It Follows” are both available to rent on your favorite video-on-demand service, while “Under the Silver Lake” is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
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