A Dreamy Sandwich Haven Is Coming Soon to Ferndale

One sandwich has been living rent-free in Eater Detroit’s imagination since contributor Courtney Burk waxed poetic about it this past spring: the spicy mortadella sandwich created by longtime hospitality worker, Mike Finsilver. Previously, the veteran bartender ran the seasonal Hell Yeah Dog food cart in the Belt Alley downtown, but over the past year or so, Finsilver has been quietly popping up with his sandwich creations at the Secret Bakery in Ferndale and elsewhere and making believers out of customers using thinly-sliced mortadella, his fiery house-made bomba calabrese spread, a generous helping of chopped iceberg lettuce salad doused in a creamy preserved lemon buttermilk dressing, and crunchy semolina batards topped with sesame seeds provided by Secret Bakery proprietor Maxwell Leonard. Basically, the sandwich of our dreams. At his most recent pop-up earlier this month, Finsilver sold his sandwiches at the High Dive bar in Hamtramck. Now, he’s moving on from popping up around metro Detroit to focus on opening a space of his own, Tall Trees Cafe at 817 Livernois, conveniently located next door to Leonard’s shop. A precise opening date hasn’t been established, but Finsilver tells Eater that he hopes to open the doors this fall. The sandwiches Finsilver has been crafting thus far are beautiful, piled high with picturesque slices of deli meats and layers that prominently showcase each fresh ingredient, giving them an ethereal vision of what a sandwich can be. According to Finsilver, that mix of culinary ambition and fantasy is kind of the point behind the name Tall Trees Cafe; as captured by the cafe’s Instagram account, the vibe feels like wandering into a hidden forest where instead of whimsical fairies appearing in the foliage there are sandwiches. A version of that spicy mortadella sandwich will be on the menu, in addition to a few other handhelds, seasonal soups, and salads using produce grown on local farms. While Finsilver plans to collaborate with his Secret Bakery neighbors occasionally, he says he’s getting his bread from Proof Bakery, which he describes as a freelance operation out of Birmingham that is able to fulfill wholesale orders. Deli meat is being supplied by locally-based cheese and specialty food distributor R. Hirt Jr., Co. To drink, Finsilver says Tall Trees will carry drip coffee and other non-alcoholic beverages, hopefully incorporating his bartending background into the mix. Helming the kitchen alongside him will be Malgorzata Bitel, who previously worked with Finsilver as the manager of Hell Yeah Dog, and also did stints at Selden Standard, San Morello, Tallulah Wine Bar & Bistro, among other metro Detroit establishments. Before his pop-up, Finsilver worked in Detroit’s food and drinks scene for nearly 15 years at establishments like the now closed the Keep speakeasy, Mudgie’s Deli & Wine Shop, and the formerly-named PJ’s Lager House. Additionally, he previously co-owned Satellite Food Truck, which is also in the process of opening its own space in Clawson. Tall Trees Cafe is located at 817 Livernois in Ferndale and will be open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday.