First taste: Mudgie's

The search for a good sandwich has united Detroit’s lunchtime workforce ranging from TV personalities to auto mechanics and brought them to Mudgie's. Located on Porter Street in historic Corktown, since opening in early February of this year, Mudgie's has been a hit, serving sandwiches, soups and deserts made fresh and in-house using quality ingredients served by a friendly staff. 

These are real sandwiches. That means you can eat one, barely. And they taste good, too. Metromix tried the Madill, which consists of roast turkey, Nueske’s apple wood smoked bacon, sliced avocado, tomato, lettuce, garlic mayo and melted pepper-jack cheese served warm open faced on a sub bun. It was fantastic; the combination of the smoky bacon with avocado and pepper Jack created a nice contrast that totally worked.

We also tried the Balsamic Blue, a take on the classic Michigan salad that consists of a bed of fresh baby spinach topped with crumbled blue cheese, walnuts, tomato, dried cranberries and balsamic vinaigrette. 

For the young at heart, check out the peanut butter sandwiches that are made with fresh peanut butter from Eastern Market’s Rocky Peanut. 

Each day a different soup hits the menu: Monday is bean, Tuesday is cabbage, Wednesday is broccoli, Thursday is tomato and Friday is clam chowder.

While there is not a huge selection of desserts, the ones on the menu are made to perfection.  Pure and simple, like the Fudgie Mudgie, a Ghirardelli chocolate brownie waffle made to order and served warm, topped with a scoop of Calder’s vanilla ice cream and Sander’s hot fudge. 

Mudge explained why his signature dessert is unique: “We take the Ghirardelli brownie batter and pour it into a waffle iron so it’s hot when it comes.”

The mission at Mudgie's is to serve the best food possible which usually means buying locally.  Where products are not made here they are at least bought locally to support Michigan’s economy.

Owner Greg Mudge is behind the initiative to serve quality food with local ingredients. “We serve good quality product using as many local vendors as possible,” Mudge says.

Produce is bought at Eastern Market; quality corned beef, top cut roast beef and turkey breast used on the sandwiches comes from United Meat and Deli in Hubbard, Mich. Calder’s Dairy in Lincoln Park supplies all of the dairy products served, from the yogurt smoothies in the cooler to ice-cream for dessert.

The counter doubles as a cooler where customers can pick-up and place orders. It’s filled with glass bottled sodas like I.B.C. root beer and Orange Crush and even Vernors, which used to be made in Detroit. As well as some interesting mustards, some of which are made locally.