The Freya Team’s New Corner Bar Is Now Slinging Dry-Cured Wings in Cass Corridor

The ivy-colored, red brick building that sat vacant for years at the corner of Forest and Second Avenue in Midtown is empty no more. As of Thursday, March 13 — 313 Day — the anticipated neighborhood bar Dirty Shake has flung open its doors in the Cass Corridor. Situated just down the street from the Wayne State University campus, Dirty Shake comes from the hospitality veterans Sandy Levine of stalwart Ferndale cocktail bar the Oakland Art Novelty Company, and business partner chef Doug Hewitt, who together with Levine operates the, Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails in Detroit’s Art Center, and Milwaukee Junction’s tasting menu Freya and sister bar Dragonfly. While each of those establishments skewed more into the fine dining realm, Dirty Shake promises more of an affordable, casual vibe. “We’re just happy to be here,” says Sandy Levine, co-owner of Dirty Shake, in a written statement issued on Friday, March 14. “This part of Midtown is one of the few neighborhoods where people who lived here 15 or 20 years ago are still around. We want to honor that history while also welcoming students and newcomers. This is a place where all kinds of people can gather, have a good time, and make it their own.” [Image: The bar welcomed its first visitors on 313 Day. https://platform.detroit.eater.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25912329/DirtyShake_06.jpg?quality=90&strip=all] According to city records, the one-and-a-half-story commercial building where Dirty Shake is now located was constructed in 1893, initially as a single-family dwelling with two and a half stories. The second floor was later removed in 1939 and converted into a clinic. Prior to the space being remodeled, the building had sat unused for years. After a months-long renovation, the bar has seating 40 inside and another 50 during warmer months on a large wraparound patio. The space also includes a roll-up garage door with counter seating on both sides and a lounge area with an inactive fireplace. The space also features a “Shitty Polaroid wall,” where visitors can take a Polaroid pic, either to keep or to pin up at the bar. Detroit sports games can also be viewed from the bar’s three TVs, which when there’s no game on, may be playing reruns of Twin Peaks or Detroiters. [Image: https://platform.detroit.eater.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25912334/DirtyShake_FoodSpread.jpg?quality=90&strip=all] [Image: https://platform.detroit.eater.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25912335/DirtyShake_Hummer2.jpg?quality=90&strip=all] Led by Hewitt and overseen by Brian Christie, chef de cuisine at Chartreuse, the menu at Dirty Shake includes bar staples. The burger here features two patties from a housemade blend of ground beef, sharp cheddar, and Martin’s potato rolls; wings are brined for 24 hours, then dry-cured for another 24 hours, then smoked for two hours, and fried to finish. Vegan options include a rice flour-battered cauliflower with pepper jam, cilantro, and scallion. “We’re not reinventing bar food, just paying attention to the details,” Hewitt says in the statement. “Take our wings — between the brine, the cure, the smoke, and the fry, it’s a three-day process. But at the end of the day, it’s still chicken wings. It’s something that just goes great with a beer or cocktail.” [Image: The renovated space features ample bar seating and a lounge area. https://platform.detroit.eater.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25912331/DirtyShake_12.jpg?quality=90&strip=all] [Image: The team behind Dirty Shake has maintained a casual vibe. https://platform.detroit.eater.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25912332/DirtyShake_19.jpg?quality=90&strip=all] Dirty Shake’s drink program is led by Kamalani Overall, who also runs the bar program at the Oakland. Customers can expect a large beer selection, along with nostalgic twists on dive bar classics like the Strong Island Ice Tea — made with OFTD Overproof Rum, Navy Strength Gin, Suntory Whisky, Barenjager Honey Liqueur, house sour, and a Vanilla Coke Float; or a Dole Pineapple Whip with pineapple rum, frozen pineapple, and pineapple oleo saccharum. Non-alcoholic beverages like Vernor’s Faygo, and Hi-C Pink Lemonade are also available. Dirty Shake, 4642 Second Avenue, open daily from 11:30 a.m. to midnight on weeknights and Sundays, and 11:30 a.m. until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.