๐๐ง๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ง๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ๐๐จ - ๐๐ก๐๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ข๐จ & ๐๐๐ซ
SheWolf Pastificio & Bar is one of Detroitโs premier restaurants with Executive Chef and Owner, Anthony Lombardo, leading his restaurant pack.
As Lombardo explained to us, the meaning of Shewolf comes from Roman mythology โ โAs itโs told, twins Romulus and Remus were ordered to death by a jealous king. Abandoned on the banks of the Tiber River, they were found by a Shewolf who they suckled from and saved them. Many years later, the boys returned as great men to build a city on those banks โ the city of Rome.โ
Lombardo illustrated the parallels between Rome and Detroit through their persistent cycles of decline and resurgence, highlighting the shared sense of pride exhibited by both Romans and Detroiters.
In his interactions with guests, Lombardo noticed that numerous guests visit Detroit specifically for its culinary offerings, and upholding the expectation of his dishes for guests is something Lombardo does not fall short on.
As part of an Italian immigrant family, Lombardo takes immense pride in his culinary creations, prioritizing the integrity and respect for each dish. Growing up in a traditional Italian household, Lombardo would learn how to cook from his Nonna (Grandma), eating dinner with his family every Sunday. He explained that part of a chef's training and what it means to be a good chef means not cutting corners and always respecting food. Whether you work for the finest dining establishment or make burgers and fries, a chef must always uphold the integrity of the food and the customer.
As one of the Motor Cityโs most important current working chefs, we are certain Chef Anthony will add a wonderful dimension to our film's story.
๐๐ข๐๐ค ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ฌ - ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ค๐๐ฌ ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ฌ
โWine is essential to dinner,โ says Rick Lopus, V.P. Sales Development at Great Lakes Wine and Spirits. Before his career with GLWAS, Lopus was hired by Eddie Jonna, owner of Merchant of Vino, and has been given a front row seat to all the great restaurants of Detroit since the early 80s. As Lopus explained, when Merchant of Vino was named one of the top ten best wine shops in America, people would come to visit Detroit from all over, which, in turn, was also great for the restaurant business.
Lopus has worked closely with many great restaurateurs and chefs throughout his career, including the first women sommelier in America, Madeline Triffon, who most notably worked for the London Chop House.
Today, Lopusโ career with Great Lakes Wine and Spirits has been a fruitful one. While fighting back tears, Lopus reflected on the complexities of the Covid shutdown and expounded on the close-knit connections within the restaurant business. As we all remember, the pandemic brought uncertainty to the restaurant scene, leaving many people without jobs. Lopus and the owners of GLWAS, Lew Cooper III and Syd Rosee, took matters into their own hands, resulting in Great Lakes Wine and Spirits purchasing thousands worth of restaurant gift cards to keep our favorite dining spots afloat. The company then gave these gift cards to their staff, also struggling during the downturn.
Thank you to Anthony Lombard and Rick Lopus for your time, and for keeping Detroit fed well and making sure meals are paired with only the best wines. We are honored and grateful to have Great Lakes Wine and Spirits as a supporter of this film.
๐๐๐ง ๐๐จ๐ฐ๐ซ๐ฒ - ๐๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ
Dan Lowry, Asmus Seasonings Owner, CIA Graduate, Culinary Educator, and Spice Guru, welcomed us into the โSpice House,โ the Asmus Seasonings warehouse, where all the proprietary magic happens. Asmus Seasonings specializes in creating custom seasoning blends for food distributors, private label companies, and meat, sausage, and general food manufacturers.
Lowry started his culinary career at Tweenyโs with Yvonne Gill after graduating from the Culinary Institute of America. Lowry reflected on his time with Yvonne, having to keep a special book of sauces in his pocket to translate Yvonneโs menu specials. Yvonne Gill was an immigrant from New Zealand who brought many of the dishes from her homeland to Detroit. One headlining appetizer was sweetbread. Sweetbread, as Lowry explained, is not a bakery item... but a culinary name for the thymus or pancreas, typically from calf or lamb. Lowryโs time with Yvonne was tough, as it was for most of the chefs that worked for the European chefs of that time.
From there, Lowry became the Corporate Chef and Director of Operations at Fishbones in Detroit, spending nine years with the restaurant. As one of the top 50 grossing restaurants in the country, Fishbones spent a fair amount of time just prepping their dishes. Lowry noticed a need and came up with his own proprietary blends the restaurant could use to cut down on time in preparation each morning. From there, Lowry opened his own successful restaurant, Lowryโs in West Bloomfield.
Asmus Seasonings, which was founded in 1901, then asked Lowry if he would purchase the company. Today, Asmus Seasonings provides proprietary blends to many of our favorite pizza spots, chain restaurants, and top local chefs with Lowryโs own spice company, Red Goose Spice Company.
Lowry was also part of the faculty at Macomb Community College, for 29 years where he mentored aspiring professionals with a passion for cooking and for careers in the food service industry. His classes included Menu Planning, Culinary Skill Development, and Catering.
Lowry is an icon in the Detroit restaurant world and passionately cares about the flavors of food, stating, โWhatโs food without seasoning? Boring.โ We couldnโt agree more.
Thank you to Lowry for the mini lesson on the many spices and herbs used at Asmus and for the hospitality in making sure our crew didn't leave empty handed.