Detroit canal-side restaurant Coriander Kitchen and Farm reopens April 1 with big changes.
Sitting on a canal in the Jefferson Chalmers neighborhood, Coriander serves fresh food made with ingredients from its own farm and other local producers. Menu items include smoked salmon dip, Michigan-grown white beans marinated with citrus and peppers, and a veggie board with green tomatoes, among other colorful dishes. The restaurant also sells a variety of cocktails featuring fresh herbs from the Coriander Farm.
After remodeling a vacant fish marina, restaurant co-owners Alison Heeres and Gwen Meyer opened in April 2021. The restaurant has a large patio and indoor dining room for food service, and an upstairs space with open windows that let in the breeze from the canal. Patrons can get food service on foot, or even by pulling up a boat or kayak to the eatery’s docks.
At the end of December, the seasonal eatery shut down for the winter. With the reopening next month, Heeres and Meyer are adding more lunch options, additional weekday hours, live music, and a mini retail market featuring locally made goods. Aunt Nee’s tortilla chips, Craig’s Coffee, and Share Crackers will be some of the retail items available for purchase.
“For those that know, running a food business is tough,” said Heeres in a press release. “Now, add on ethical-sustainable sourcing goals, an urban farm, fair wages, all with our brick-and-mortar being a bit off the beaten path — if it seems like we’re tinkering, it’s because we are. We are problem solving and ideating to continue to bring to life a place for the community that can also serve the needs of the human team behind it.”
With the additions, the restaurant is also getting rid of some things, like QR codes for ordering and the upstairs bar. The upstairs, which can accommodate up to 100 people, will now be used for private events.
The grab-and-go, hot food, and bar hours vary, check the Coriander website for complete details.
they’re closing the upstairs? bummer Liked being able to go there when the rest of the place was packed. Though the other new things like live music and lunch hours will be great.
Thank God they eliminated QR codes for ordering! What a pain in the . . .
Hooray for ditching the QR code for ordering. So impersonal. See you next month!!!
No QR thank you
They could really expand the menu to make it a truer farm to table restaurant with fresh meats and vegetables. Maybe check out the farm to table restaurant in Port Austin for ideas! This place has so much more potential!
very nice food
Love the QR code ordering. Going to miss it. Simple and didn’t have staff continually coming around and asking if I needed anything else. I just ordered it.
I am very happy for the success of Heeres and Meyers. I would like to see a historical piece about this Marina to include the Marine Hospital that serviced Veterans and to include all the other businesses that once thrived there.
Also, I am sure that there are plans in the works to develop the rest of the park behind the barricade. Can you speak on what the plans are? Thanks