Rubbed European-style sandwich shop to open in Corktown later this year

Corktown will soon have a new sandwich shop, but don't expect it to be anything like Mudgie's Deli.
 
Partners Jason Frenkel and Abbey Markell have worked in the restaurant industry together for the past 10 years and have been planning their own concept for the past four. Frenkel spent a few years traveling for work, then decided to move back from San Francisco this past February to work on Rubbed restaurant and deli with Markell.
 
The name "Rubbed" refers to cured meats, specifically how meats are cured with a dry salt rub. They will focus on more European styles of "deli" meats – less the corned beef Detroiters are accustomed to associating with delis, and more long-cured Italian meats like capicola and mortadella. They have a vintage prosciutto slicer and will put a large emphasis on charcuterie, also serving charcuterie platters to go.
 
Though the focus will be on cured meats, they will also feature vegetarian items and weekly specials based on what is in season and available at local farmers markets. "We want to have something for everyone," Frenkel says, which will also include over a dozen house-made pickled products (based on what's in season) at any given time, as well as items from other Detroit producers. Frenkel and Markell are also in the beginning stages of applying for a license to serve alcohol, though they are not sure yet if it will be a full liquor license or a limited tavern license that would only allow them to serve beer and wine (like Mudgie's).
 
They will be open for both lunch and dinner, serving sandwiches and salads for the more grab-and-go lunch crowd then transitioning more into shareable small plates and fresh entrée features for the evening crowd. They will be able to seat about 25 inside, but they also have a large outdoor patio which they are hoping to expand. Once open, they plan to host events like movie screenings and group bike rides.
 
Build-out of the 1,000-square-foot building at 2015 Michigan Avenue, located next to the new MotorCity Wine, will start this month. In keeping with its theme, the design will have the feel of a European cafe. Frenkel and Markell are launching a Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign to help them offset some of the build-out costs (follow them on Facebook to see when the campaign is announced). They hope to be open as early as mid-October.
 
Source: Jason Frenkel and Abbey Markell, owners of Rubbed
Writer: Nicole Rupersburg

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