Twingo’s, 4710 Cass in Detroit, mid-1990s—2007
Those who were bopping around the Cass Corridor 20 to 30 years ago may remember the French cafe Twingo’s fondly for its cozy, eclectic atmosphere, big wine pours and rich cuisine.
Located where Shangri-La restaurant is today at Cass near W. Forest, Twingo’s attracted college students, artists, musicians, members of the LGBTQ+ community and nearby residents.
The Midtown destination, once a bookstore, was described as a coffeehouse that was urban and a bit offbeat. Twingo’s expanded around Y2K, stretching into the adjacent storefront, obtaining a liquor license and evolving the cuisine.
It was around then that owner Jeffre Kalich’s menu went from sandwiches with house-made bread, salads, a signature French onion soup and pastries with coffee drinks to more of a European-influenced bill of fare.
Seated at the bar, in the dining room or up the staircase to the two-part mezzanine that was connected by a catwalk, diners enjoyed on-trend items like crepes, butternut squash ravioli and pan-seared pork loin with a fruity glaze.
In a dining review that ran in the spring of 2000, Detroit News restaurant critic Jane Rayburn praised many things about the recently expanded Twingo’s, including generous pours of wine and the music, but noted that she heard Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots are Made for Walking” three times during one dinner.
Rayburn gushed about the chevre and bacon salad, calling it “huge, huge and ever so rich with several full rashers of bacon smeared with that creamy-tart chevre, laying on designer greens dotted with dried cherries.” Our former critic didn’t appreciate all the rules spelled out on the menu, however, including the reservation policy and 18% auto-gratuity — yes, that was happening at restaurants even a quarter-century ago.
Twingo’s closed in 2004 — maybe it was too heavy-handed with the wine and bacon — and reopened at the end of 2005 with new management: chef Shawn Mac and Cass Corridor restaurant fixture John Lopez. They renovated it and gave it a more cosmopolitan flair with a new name: Twingo’s Euro Cafe.
Our critic approved of the new menu that was more streamlined and offered other European cuisine beyond French. The Detroit News’ Molly Abraham gave it a 3-star rating (meaning “superior” at that time) in a 2006 review.
According to a 2008 Detroit News article, Twingo’s was one of a handful of area restaurants that had recently closed due to the economy. Other closures around that time were Cafe Bon Homme in Plymouth, Alban’s in Birmingham and Mackinnon’s in Northville.
mbaetens@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: People still talk about this Cass Corridor hotspot with Euro flair
Reporting by Melody Baetens, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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By Melody Baetens, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
