Saturday, July 08, 2006

IKEA Cafe lunch



On the 4th of July, like several thousand other patriotic Americans, Lauren and I went to check out the new Detroit IKEA. We didn't buy any furniture, although I did get 2 new spatulas and some large $3 planters for my lemon tree and rosemary bush. The highlight was really lunch.

For $14, we feasted on smoked salmon with a mixed greens salad, boiled potatoes, a marinated red pepper and fresh mozzarella sandwich, some mixed vegetables, and a large slice of apple cake. This was a fantastic meal, and there were several even less expensive options on the menu, like the Swedish meatball and fries combo. Menu choices were neccesarily limited to keep the prices down, but if you like $1.99 breakfasts, meatballs and fish this is your place.


Lauren with textiles, 2006

The cafe itself is light-filled, well decorated, and packed with people - in short, a genuine scene! There's even a doorman and wait to get in. If you are in Detroit and you want to see what's hot, it's not a nightclub or a bar, it's the IKEA cafe.


IKEA wall of fish, 2006

Downstairs, on the other hand, you will find not a scene but a well-stocked wall of fish products, which might or might not play in the D. We're open minded, but tubes of cod roe and pickled herring might be far out from mainstream tastes. On the other hand, IKEA is pretty savvy and it must be working in Emeryville and Conshohocken or it wouldn't be here. Time will tell, but I highly recommend the upstairs in the meantime.

6 comments:

Judy said...

IKEA is probably the only part of Houston I really truly miss (besides my grandmother). That store RAWKS. Seriously.

Kendra Lynn said...

Sigh...I missed seeing you guys...you were only five minutes from my house.
How sad.
And know what else? I haven't even made it to IKEA yet.

Kendra

Laura said...

This new IKEA store is in Canton technicially, right? I remember it being visible from the freeway??

Lauren said...

Hey Kendra. Sorry...that's right, you do live right there! Do you live really just five minutes away? Lucky you! Actually, Jon and I went on a "date" there. We were waiting for a time when we didn't have to take Noah. Noah and shopping don't mix at the moment.

You guys should go though! It's so much fun and they even have a drop off, playroom with places to climb and slide, draw and play!

Laura, yep, I think that's what you saw.

Kendra Lynn said...

Hey there.
Yes...I really live five minutes away.
But...getting there is difficult. And there is NO way I'm takin' the girls there! LOL.
I love ya.

Jeremy said...

I can't go back to IKEA for awhile. We went there a few weeks ago, walked in with my paycheck, walked out with an incredible amount of Swedish engineered furniture (oh, and 3 bags of swedish meatballs).

It's definitely great for those who want good looking furniture at reasonable prices.