When it comes to our Detroit Chefs, we all know the significance of why Chef Milos is referred to as the Godfather of our kitchens. But how about the wine community? We are so fortunate for the passionate wine distribution of so many fine vino suppliers. There is however one person who, because of his and his wife's passion for wine and food, became our most important ambassador of the restaurant community starting in the 70s. Eddie and Juliette Jonna, whose Chaldean family hailed from Iraq, after years working with Eddie’s father in the grocery business, decided to open a 15,000 square foot store called, Merchant of Vino. Their vision was to create a store where customers could buy wines you typically couldn’t find in Michigan. They were also the first to carry items like Petrossian caviar, foie gras, and even fresh truffles.
But it wasn't the store and its wide variety of potables that is the reason Eddie should be revered for his historical impact on our culinary story. It was Eddie and Juliette's relentless desire to bring winemakers from around the world to Detroit. Detroit, in those early years, was never a location where world famous winemakers would travel to. But that all changed once Eddie and Juliette started touring wineries in France, Italy, Napa, and many other locations. With an infectious smile and convincing pitch, Eddie would persuade great vino blenders to travel to Detroit and host a winemaker dinner at our leading restaurants of the 70s, 80s, and 90s.
When word got out about the who’s who of the wine world, people began traveling to Detroit to collaborate with the leading chef community. At this point, the nation started to take notice. If you got tapped by Eddie to prepare one of these sold out dinners, you were indeed a very lucky maistro of your kitchen. Of course, this level of expectation was stressful for any chef but it was also an opportunity to reach new levels of cooking. Now a spry 83-year-old with that same gregarious personality, Eddie reflects on those days with the fondest deep love for all the chefs he not only taught about wine, but in many cases, helped drive their careers.
A quick story he shared - around 1974, Eddie and Juliette had the distinct honor of having dinner with Angelo Gaja, one of the greatest winemakers of all time, in a small restaurant in the Piemonte region of Italy. They were served fresh truffles, a rare delicacy from that region, and Juliette was so enamored with these fresh truffles she said, I need to take some of these home. The next day, Angelo took them to the local market where Eddie dropped down $2000 cash. They left later that day on a flight, Juliette carefully traveling with them on the plane. When they reached customs, the agent was sure she smelled something but could not locate where the smell was coming from, as Julleitte had them carefully wrapped and tucked under her armpits. The agent back then asked how long they were in Italy. Two weeks, replied the Jonna’s. She looked at Juliette and said, I think you need a shower and let them pass. Once home, Eddie called his good friend, our dear Godfather Chef Milos, and told him that they traveled home with the truffles. As you can only imagine, the thought that Chef Milos could cook with a fresh truffle… well for chefs, even today, this gives us goosebumps.
Chef Milos, then at the Golden Mushroom, said let's do a dinner for charity. In the mid 70s, when a fresh truffle being anywhere in our state of Michigan seemed impossible, because of Eddie and Juliette, the palates of those very lucky diners had the pleasure of enjoying truffles even in the off season. This type of food and wine passion continued on through the 90s. Over those years, Eddie and Juliette hosted hundreds of chef wine dinners, charity galas, and other events for so many of Metro Detroit, solidifying Detroit as a city that deserves a stop by great winemakers, food writers, celebrities, and leaders of industry. We are just so honored and thrilled to be featuring Eddie and Juliette Jonna in this film's story for their immeasurable contribution.
Once we finished with our interview with Eddie, we were treated to a lunch feast of traditional Chaldean foods by Chef Joseph Nixon and his Sous Chef Yousif William in the dining room of Shenandoah Country Club.
We then headed over to talk with one of Metro Detroit's most well-respected acclaimed chefs, James Rigato, at his restaurant, Mabel Gray.
Chef James is the ideal ambassador of Detroit culinary heritage. Now at 40, he bridges the Chef Hugelier, Brian Polcyn, and Jeff Gabrial era having worked for the Matt Prentice Group when they were at their peak and now part of the trendsetting brigade who are gaining much deserved national acclaim for their unique style of cooking. In the heart of downtown Hazel Park, you will find the small boutique style restaurant. With an open kitchen, Chef James and his team can be seen creating their seasonal creations. Chef James talked eloquently about Detroit's culinary past, paying tribute to our rich diverse ethnic community. He shared with us his deep love and passion for everything Michigan, especially the bounty of produce and ingredients that find their way onto his ever changing seasonal menus.
During our talk, James was able to point out just how important the late Jack Aronson founder of Garden Fresh Salsa was to our chef community. Chef James is the perfect example of a hands on, passionate and intense, chef owner. We greatly appreciate his time and look forward to how his story will be woven into our film, Detroit: The City of Chefs.