DETROIT: Corned beef and the cars of the future
We’re convalescing this morning with oatmeal and coffee after finally getting some sleep last night. Yesterday was a big day.
We started at United Meat and Deli, a small, high-end corned beef processor and wholesaler that is incidentally owned and operated by my dad. There we saw another side of Detroit industry and prepared Noah for the best Reuben of his life. The videos from our factory tour are amazing, so stay tuned for those:
My mom gave us the tour. Here she is next to a vat of cured beef brisket
That’s my dad! And the man in charge.
Kegs of corned beef brisket ready to ship out. Noah needs to ditch the dock shoes in the winter.
Cans of Dr. Brown’s Cream Soda ready to ship out
Hygrade Deli on Michigan Avenue, right around the corner from the plant
The last perfect bite
After Noah got teary eyed over his sandwich, we set a course for the main event: the North American International Auto Show at Cobo Hall, where there were hundreds of journalists reporting on hundreds of cars. We heard a lot about how subdued the show was this year, but with no basis for comparison, we thought it was pretty lavish and overwhelming. And almost every major manufacturer came prepared with several hybrid models, touting fuel cell technology, plug-in adaptability or hydrogen engineering, with abundant shades of green and feel-good statements of commitment to the good of the world. We even drove a 2010 Ford Fusion on an indoor track in a basement show room. The lead on the front page of the Detroit News this morning: the battery race is on. Pretty exciting.
The Ford show floor
Not an optical illusion
Hot Lamborghini models
All-electric Tesla Roadster
Noah in a fly BMW convertible
Chevy Volt drivetrain
Flashy Jaguar show floor
Noah, the Detroit River, and Windsor Ontario
We have to hit the road and get our asses back to Milwaukee before we get completely whited out in Indiana and Illinois. But we’ll have more video for you before we go to sleep and that hot photo album we promised you by mid-day tomorrow.
We’ve had a wonderful time. The Motor City, as it always does, even in its backward and difficult way, completely delivered.
