We could say a suds showdown is on tap and about to reach a head in the Canfield-Woodward area . . .
. . . but that'd be a mug-half-empty view of competition worth clink-clinking.
Jolly Pumpkin open its fourth site this week just four blocks west of another recent arrival -- HopCat, serving thirsty throngs since mid-December.
In a surprise announcement, discount lunches will be served Wednesday and Thursday during "practice days." A Facebook post says:
Come join us from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. . . . All food and beverage in house is half-off for these 2 days only.
The tavern, located next to the Willys store opened by Shinola, is the latest business adding energy to one of Detroit's liveliest, fastest-growing commercial districts. The pioneering Traffic Jam & Snug is half a block east of the newcomer. In 1993, TJ became Michigan's first brewpub.
Jolly Pumpkin Pizzeria and Brewery, an artisinal ale-maker with cult loyalists, is less than half the size of HopCat and offers about 100 fewer draft brew choices.
Its look, similar to Jolly Pumpkins in Dexter, Ann Arbor and Traverse City, is like a Wayne State student union annex. "Large picnic tables set the scene for communal dining," a news release says. Guests order at a counter or the bar.
"The airy space features . . . walls covered floor-to-ceiling in reclaimed pallet wood," Sylvia Rector writes in the Freep.
Here's what else we'll see:
- A menu with seven sandwiches (including a burger) for $10-$14, 10 pizzas ($11-$19.50) and five salads ($7.50-$12).
- 98 seats, plus 24 at picnic tables outside on mild days and evenings.
