Halal Inn — Britain’s first Islamic pub. Huh?

by Abha Malpani on

Britain’s first Islamic pub “Halal Inn” recently opened its doors in Oldham. It’s being marketed as a “pub” that offers everything any pub would, except alcohol. So…urrr…it’s a cafe, no? A cafe where you can play pool, listen to Islamic music, eat Asian food. So it’s a cafe targeted to the Muslim population in Oldham.

Fine. It’s great to have hangouts that adhere to certain cultural/religious rules, it offers diversity — I’m happy that people are building places catering to specific lifestyles.

Non-Muslims may not understand how significant this place may be for Muslims, but why can’t they market it like that then? I mean: it’s not a pub (so don’t call it one); it’s not for non-Muslim people — if it was an open establishment welcoming everyone who wants to go out and not drink, they would not call it “Halal Inn”; the article says that although everyone is welcome, the crowd is predominantly male.

So to rephrase: Britain has opened its first Islamic cafe for Muslim men. Good for them. But why is this place being glorified to deceive? It’s not a novel concept, in fact, it’s not even a clear concept.

Instead of trying to modernize and open a clearly Islamic idea by tagging it an “pub”, they would have been better off (and more successful) if they made it into a full-fledged cultural cafe, perhaps more “Arab” style than Muslim. Sheesha, Arabic music, ethnic decor, typical Islamic food, Arabic tea from a big mud pot, etc; then it would have a concept, serve the Muslim population, and be of cultural interest to a much wider audience.

Detroit’s new casinos: The MGM Grand

by Grant Martin on


Most people don’t think of Detroit when they think of a tourist destination. The city has suffered considerably in the last century – much of the population has moved into the outlying suburbs, crime has surged and empty buildings dot its cold, Michigan skyline.

The last several years have brought significant effort to revitalize the downtown area, however. Led by reconstruction of the Tigers’ and Lions’ stadiums, several pockets in the inner city are once again starting to flourish. Events like the Detroit Electronic Music Festival (DEMF) are perennial favorites among visitors while Hockeytown and The Old Shillelagh keep drinkers out late at night.

In addition to the new entertainment percolating in the city, several casinos have invested heavily in the downtown area, with two, the MGM Grand and the Motor City just finishing construction on two new huge, luxury casinos and hotels.

Beginning with the MGM, these articles will highlight the new properties, their features and impacts on downtown Detroit.

The MGM Grand Detroit – an introduction

A sister casino to the MGM in Las Vegas, Detroit’s new luxury casino was completed in the fourth quarter of 2007. It’s creators have designed the property with Las Vegas in mind – central to the entire experience is the 250,000 square foot gaming floor, around which are sprinkled several eating and drinking venues, from the posh Best-of-Detroit rated Saltwater restaurant to the sultry Ignite lounge just above the gaming floor.

Gadling will cover the main aspects of the casino in four categories: Gaming, Dining, Nightlife and Hotel.The MGM Grand Detroit — Gaming

Ninety table games and a lifetime of slots cover the circular gaming floor centered around a raised bar and lounge area. Standard blackjack and craps tables are laid out in pockets around the floor in a pleasant, warm atmosphere. Visiting on a Thursday evening, the minimum bet on most tables was about fifteen dollars.

A high stakes room is set off the main floor, where high-rollers can play the standard games at higher dollar increments. Local celebrities like Richard Hamilton are apparently often seen here, although none were around when Gadling visited.

Additionally a poker room with eight tables lies above the casino floor next to Ignite lounge.

The MGM Grand Detroit – Dining

Several dining options circumferentially ring the gaming floor hosting a variety of budgets and experiences.

Least expensive and most accessible is the Breeze (pictured) dining center, which is a dining-hall-esque combination of several stations serving up American, Asian and Italian cuisines. Visitors can quickly review, order and pay for selections then meet in the center of the section to dine together. This section is fairly small, perhaps because it is the least expensive (and therefore least profitable) dining location. A meal will cost approximately ten dollars.

A larger and more upscale version of the Breeze is the Palette Dining Studio, which is basically a Las Vegas style all you can eat high-end buffet. Selections cover a wider spectrum from the Breeze, with the addition of seafood and lighter fare. The Palette is laid out in a more comfortable, relaxing atmosphere, than its smaller cousin with sensible decoration and a sprawling floor-plan. Visitors here are more likely interested in enjoying and taking time through their buffet meal rather than immediately returning to the gaming floor. The Palette is also more expensive, with meals in the twenty five dollar range.

Wolfgang Puck Grille is the celebrity chef’s take on the typical “bar and grill”. Dark, wooden décor and furniture lit by warm ambient lighting makes the restaurant a cozy escape from the bustling casino floor not steps away. A large, mostly open kitchen lines the back of the section, where you can see the chef and his workers buzzing along at their jobs and apparently Mr. Puck himself stops in for a bite every now and then. Fare is standard bar and grill food, with an average entree costing between twenty and thirty dollars.

At the higher end of dining experiences, Bourbon Steak (pictured) is Michael Mina’s standard steakhouse with a twist. While one can order the classic prime rib or steak off the menu, small adventures like duck fat fries and truffle macaroni and cheese woo the diner with a little bit of off the beaten path adventure. Bourbon Steak is roughly divided from the bar in front to the main dining room in back. Between the two sections, large glass walls storing the restaurant’s extensive wine selection form a maze of corridors, in the center of which is an exclusive private dining room for VIPs. Entrees at Bourbon Steak start around twenty dollars a plate, with select cuts of meat costing significantly more, depending on the market value.

Similarly, Saltwater is Mina’s high-end seafood establishment at the MGM Detroit. The restaurant is designed in soft flowing waves of blue and glass, setting the diner at ease as she decides between entrees such as Lobster Pot Pie, Caviar Parfait, Tartare of Ahi Tuna and Mussel Soufflé. Arguably the most expensive restaurant on the premises, Saltwater plates range from twenty five dollars to well over fifty.

The MGM Grand Detroit – Nightlife

After a hard day of gaming and indulging at Bourbon Steak, many choose to unwind at one of the MGM’s five drinking stations.

Most accessible is U-Me-Drink at the center of the casino floor, where you can continue to gamble with digital games embedded into the bar surface. Surrounding the bar in tiers, several lounge areas sprawl outward from the core and into the casino floor. At the perimeter of the bar, large slabs of composite material silently slide around from the ceiling; combined with a low wall around the bar they are meant to partially enclose U-Me-Drink away from the gaming floor while still allowing one to watch over the gaming in earnest. This is a great place to get to get a martini, take a break from feeding the slot machines and relax on one of the plush couches circling the bar.

At the periphery of the casino floor is Agua (pictured), a Latin inspired bar featuring a shimmering, multi tiled, adaptable ceiling that moves with the volume of the crowd. Shotgun microphones run around the perimeter of the bar and as revelers shout in their direction, the ceiling flows to register the noise. This can quickly turn the entire bar into a shouting match as everyone stares at the cei
ling in delight. Waitresses in skimpy blue uniforms strut around the bar serving beer, cocktails or one of 20 different tequilas or 35 different rums.

At the other end of the casino, Int Ice hosts a piano-bar style atmosphere centered around a grand bar and floral arrangement. Live acts are scheduled daily starting at 8PM. When Gadling stopped by the MGM for a visit, one of the local owners was camped out at the end of the bar enjoying himself.

Across from the poker room was Gadling’s favorite bar on the entire property, Ignite (pictured). The interior is designed to symbolize the contrast between fire and ice and most adornments have something to do with either of the two categories. On entry, a bar covered with a sheet of ice greets every visitor, while against the back wall a bank of natural-gas lamps is routinely extinguished as icy water flows from the ceiling. Rows of linear natural-gas lamps are integrated into several of the walls, acting as much of the ambient lighting as well as atmosphere. At the edge of the bar facing the street are a series of large, circular, rotating couches that can easily fit two or three visitors as they stare out into the cold streets of Detroit.

Additionally, Ignite is host to specially blended Makers Mark Whiskey, exclusively made for the MGM Casino. On the way out, make sure to watch your feet as you get on the elevator as projected flames follow your footsteps around.

Finally, the nightclub V is on the main floor just off the casino. V caters to more of a drinking and dancing crowd with hired dancers stalking the floors and plenty of space to get it on. At the back of the bar is a private VIP room with bar, where celebrities like your favorite bloggers at Gadling can escape their fawning fans on the dance floor.

The MGM Grand Detroit – Hotel

One of the MGM’s main attractive points is the superior quality of its new hotel. The luxury property is host to four hundred guest rooms, including nine luxury suites and fifty six corner suites at the top of the building.

Each room is tastefully decorated with Wenge furniture, 42″ flat screen televisions and high-tech “concierge” telephones, where visitors can go as far as checking in for their flights with the advanced interface. Oversize bathrooms taking up almost 25% of each guest rooms feature walk in showers with double shower heads and 15″ plasma televisions integrated. Deluxe beds are outfitted with double-sided Serta pillow-top mattresses with more luxurious sheets, comforters and more pillows than you can shake a stick at.

The real jaw-dropping aspect section of the hotel, however, is the spa. Twenty thousand feet of the property are dedicated to the Immerse Spa, where visitors can retire do after a long day of gaming. In addition to the standard spa treatment with six bungalows, a salon, exercise facility and vanity areas, Immerse features a giant infinity pool on its bottom floor, tastefully surrounded with natural materials on the walls, giving the feeling of true integration with nature. Not something you would expect in the center of the casino.

Around the perimeter of the pool are small rotating couch-bungalows that are partially covered for privacy. Visitors can thus easily lounge around poolside and escape the hubub of the casino in complete tranquility, a truly admirable feat from a design perspective.

Rooms at the hotel run around 200$/night, while a small additional spa fee is required for guests.

Waiting to the last minute can pay off: It’s called rush tickets

by Jamie Rhein on

Although, it’s true that living the Girl Scout motto “Be Prepared” can pay off, flying through life by the seat of ones pants also has merit. Take yesterday, for example. Yesterday, I got the urge to see Avenue Q. The touring company is in town for a few days, and because I’ve been busy, getting tickets became shuffled to the background of my life. Then, about 3 p.m., I had to go. I must go, even if no one was going with me. I’d be nuts not to. At 4:45 p.m. I dashed into the CAPA ticket office to buy my ticket.

The guy behind the counter said, “Ya’ know. At 6:00, you can get a $25 ticket. There will be 20 rush tickets for sale.

At 5:30, after a trip to the library to pay off a fine for overdue books, there I was, first in line, at the Palace Theatre box office, By 6:10, I had two tickets. At that price, my husband agreed to go with me when I called to tell him about our good fortune. By 7:50 we were settled into our third- row orchestra seats on the right-hand side, much better and cheaper than the ones we would have had if I had planned ahead.

There are two morals of this story:

  1. If you get the urge to go to a performance, even if it’s last minute, don’t assume it’s too late–you might hit pay dirt.
  2. If you want to plan ahead, find out if there are rush tickets and how to get them.

Here is a link to tips on getting rush tickets for Broadway shows in New York City, and here’s a link to Talkin’ Broadway’s On the Boards that has ticket information including rush ticket policies and standing room only details. Standing room only is another last minute, cheaper ticket option. Here’s Avenue Q’s touring schedule. I highly recommend it, but it’s bawdy. Good natured, clever and terrific, but bawdy.

Catcher in the Rye inspired Holden Caufield tour of New York City

by Jamie Rhein on

The 10th most popular book in the United States is Catcher in the Rye. Way to go Holden! Although Holden roamed the streets of New York City at Christmas time in the early 1950s, you can take in what he did even in warmer weather. Holden Caufield’s version of NYC is certainly cheaper than the Sex in the City tour that Iva wrote about. That one costs $24,000.

Here’s my suggestion for a Holden Caufield inspired itinerary with costs included. I’m providing the adult rates. The itinerary is based on the places Holden went. Each are mentioned in the novel. I’ve thrown in the cost of a day MetroCard along with the subway and bus stops to make your gadabout easier. If you start early in the morning and don’t dawdle, you should be able to hit all stops–although this is if you only see highlights at the two museums. Each of them could take several hours. Take a copy of the novel with you so you can see what Holden saw and compare notes. There will be an essay afterwards.

Start here– Grand Central Station –free. Subways: # 4, 5, 6, 7, and S. From here walk to Rockefeller Center by heading to 5th Avenue and turning right. It’s a piece of cake.

Rockefeller Center –free, unless you go ice-skating. Ice-skating goes on through April 13th. For adults, $10–weekdays or $14–weekends. Skate rental, $8. Subways: F-D-B-Q. There are others that will get you close, but you’ll have to walk a little. Nearby is Radio City Music Hall where Holden saw the Rockettes. You’ll have to wait until their Christmas Spectacular Show to see them. Presale tickets are available.

To take the #1, which will get you to the American Museum of Natural History, the next tour stop, walk a few blocks to 50th and Broadway.

American Museum of Natural History –It can be free, however, there is a suggested admission of $15 for adults. You have to go through the line to pay what you want in order to get a ticket. Subway directions: Take B (weekdays only) or C to 81 Street or #1 to Broadway and West 79th Street.

Central Park Carousel -$2.00. The carousel and the Central Park Zoo trip fits between the two museum visits. The carousel reopens after the winter months in April. Although, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is directly across the park from the American Museum of Natural History, I’d go to the carousel and zoo for a change of pace and to enjoy some spring flowers. Here’s a link to a teeny tiny map so you can see what I’m talking about. You can take a bus M7 to Central Park South and enter the park at 6th Avenue. Grab a soft pretzel with a dollop of mustard. If you’re lucky you can find a knish. Oh, I love those things.

Central Park Zoo – $8.00 (for adults) To get to the zoo from the carousel, keep walking across the park towards Fifth Avenue. You’ll pass by the Dairy Barn along the way.

Metropolitan Museum of Art—free, except there is a suggested donation of $20 for adults. You can walk here from the zoo, if you like to walk several blocks, or walk to Madison Ave. and take the M1, M2, M3, or M4 up to 83rd Street. On Fridays and Saturdays, the museum is open until 9 PM so you’ll have time to not hurry so much–plus there’s music.

Here’s an article that can work as a cheat sheet to show you what Holden saw at these places. You won’t be able to take in the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall. For that, come back during the winter holidays.

Admission costs if you pay the full amount at the museums—55 + MetroCard for unlimited day use–$7 = Total $ $62.

On sale now: “Sex and the City” tour for $24,000

by Iva Skoch on

Sex in the City might have ended a while ago, but its shoe-loving spirit is clearly still well and alive. Even more so with the upcoming movie.

Those wishing to become Carrie Bradshaw for a day (4 days actually) are in luck. For just $24,000 a New York travel company is offering “Sex and the City” fans the chance to live the life of characters in the television series, splurging on luxury shoes and handbags, being pampered at luxury spas and sipping cocktails at nightspots featured in the show, Reuters reports.

Guests can expect to be chauffeured to upscale department store Saks Inc and Barneys New York and boutique clothes stores including the New York store of Patricia Field, the designer and stylist whose clothes feature on the TV series. They will dine at famed restaurants including Balthazar and Pastis are also on the agenda, as is clubbing at Bungalow 8 and other exclusive nightclubs. Guests will also be able to choose their Saturday afternoon based on their favorite character.

The first client to book the tour was a woman from Singapore, where the show is banned. Great marketing.

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