Pete’s Place and Christine’s Cuisine to be Featured on New Show: Dining in the D

(Crystal A. Proxmire, 5/10/2011)

Pete’s Place Broadway Cafe and Christine’s Cuisine are just two of the many Ferndale restaurants that will be featured on a new television program called Dining in the D.

On May 11 at 7:30 pm WTVS/Detroit Public Television/Channel 56 will air the show’s second episode, which includes an intimate look at Pete’s Place Broadway Café at 1225 Woodward Heights.  Since 2008, the Ferndale gem has had an array of unique dishes, a bright relaxing atmosphere, and walls graced with nostalgic show tune placards.

In the four hours spent filming on location, Chef Tom Keshishian gained “a lot of respect” for the way the Pete’s Place staff looked out for the dietary needs of their customers.  “I don’t want to give too much away, but if you watch the show you’ll see the care they put into the vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free meals for their customers.”

The show is made by a volunteer group of about a dozen passionate foodies and media visionaries who are doing their part to pay homage to the entrepreneurial spirit of the Detroit area.  “Money is tight and people can’t go out as much as they’d like.  And when they do the first thing they think of is a big chain,” Keshishian said.  “We want people to know about restraunteers that are local and not big corporations.  You wonder why the economy is bad think about where your money goes.  If you stay here and dine at a locally owned establishment, 60% of your dollar stays right in your community.”

Keshishian says the restaurants are spaced throughout the greater Detroit Area, to encourage people to explore further than just their hometowns.  “If you’re in Ferndale, take a trip down to Wyandotte and enjoy their shops and restaurants if you want to try something different,” he said.

“And Ferndale is not forgotten.  It’s like Ferndale is morphing all the time with so many good new places.”

Since the 1980s Keshishian has been making and enjoying fine food.  But Dining in the D is his first television star experience.  “I like it,” he said. “I get to reconnect with people in the business I hadn’t seen in a long time.  And it’s growing.  It started out as kind of a lark and look what it turned out to be.  Michael Whitenack, our executive producer, is a genius.  And it promotes the restaurants and the people in our cities.”

Check out http://dininginthed.com/ for schedule and more information about the program.  The date is not yet known for the Christine’s Cuisine segment.

For more on Pete’s Place Broadway Café, see http://www.petesbroadwaycafe.com/.