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Made in Michigan

A2 Brewers keep us thirsty for more

    Chris P. Frey couldn’t help but laugh when he saw a 750 ml bottle of Belgian beer selling for $9.99 at a party store. Little did he know that he was holding one of the
finest beers in the world at the time.
   But once Frey tasted the fermented concoction, he was hooked.
   Now Frey has about 16 years of homebrewing under his belt and sometimes keeps upwards of 150 gallons of beers, meads and barley wine percolating in his basement.
   “There’s a lot about this hobby that I love, and getting a buzz is somewhere lik...

Something about Mia

   In an industry and an art form where the majority of directors are male and most stories are about their needs and dreams, it’s almost frightening to come across a character like Fish Tank’s Mia. Played by amateur Katie Jarvis, Mia is a bundle of contradictions, full of rage at her former friends but blind tenderness for an abused horse, constantly short-tempered with her younger sister but clearly envious of the girl’s simpler view of the world. The narrative of Fish Tank is fairly basic and familiar, but thanks to Jarvis’ unflinching rawness and director Andrea Arnold’s instinct...

February's folk lineup

   February may be the shortest month, but it has some of the most enjoyable folk shows to make up for it.
   Long-time local favorites Mustard’s Retreat give their traditional February concert on Saturday, February 27 at 8pm at the Ark.   If you’ve been following this column for any length of time, you’ll know how much I love this duo. For newer readers — David and Michael are a treasure. They’ve been playing and performing together so long that they can simply relax on the stage and concentrate on giving the audience the benefit of over thirty-five years of colla...

Great Lake Chinese Seafood: “Touching the heart,” filling the stomach

   “Dim sum” can be poetically translated as “touch the heart.” Or, you might say, “order to your heart’s content,” and with dim sum, most everyone should be able to find something that meets their heart’s (and stomach’s) desire. (Except maybe vegetarians.) 
Dim Sum is the Chinese analogue to Spanish tapas: a variety of small plates meant to be shared with family and friends. In fact, we recommend a group of at least four people so you can try a variety of dishes.
   Great Lake Chinese Seafood serves dim sum every day of the week at lunch, but it’s best on weekends becau...