Developed by Corktown pioneer Phillip Cooley (and his two partners), Slows Bar BQ, located in two rehabbed storefronts at 2138 Michigan Avenue, will be serving its eclectic brand of BBQ by late summer. Slows is named after the traditional style of cooking "low and slow," which literally means preparing food over low temperatures for longer periods of time. "This style of urban barbeque is gaining popularity along with the rise of the Slow Food Movement which began in Italy in 1986," says Chef and partner Brian Perrone, who has spent time in prestigious kitchens in Chicago and Detroit (Coach Insignia, No. VI Chop House, for starters). Perrone says people can expect "'a wide variety of entrees including pulled pork and duck sausage, along with several inventive vegetarian dishes and desserts."
'I am excited about this location and about partnering with Perrone on this project," says Cooley. He and his construction partner Dean St. Souver have been working on the buildings for a year and a half, using recycled wood from the original site and giving it a decidedly modern interior. Almost every component of the restaurant has been custom-built by hand--from the wood-paneled walls to copper light fixtures to the huge wrap-around center bar (for the 20-plus beers on tap).
- Source: Based on interviews with Phillip Cooley and Brian Perrone, and from information provided by Ryan Cooley
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