Detroit Restaurant Bringing New Concept To Midtown Neighborhood

DETROIT — A new restaurant concept with the aim to help its staff battle addictions is opening this week in Detroit's Midtown neighborhood.

Vigilante Kitchen + Bar will open Friday at 644 Selden Street in the former Smith & Co. space. The one-of-a-kind restaurant describes itself as "a little bit punk rock, a little bit Zen, and a lot delicious."

The restaurant's chef, Aaron Cozadd, came up with the concept while sitting in a jail cell in Oakland County after he was arrested for a second DUI, according to a news release.

"For as long as I can recall, the restaurant industry has carried a dark negative stigma," Cozadd said. "At Vigilante Kitchen + Bar, we’re going to illuminate this issue by offering a supportive program for those struggling with addiction."

The restaurant will feature beloved Midwestern classics with a twist, such as Pho-ken Noodle Soup, as well as providing practical resources and guidance to workers struggling with addiction, according to the news release.

"I’ve found that the best way to change my addictive mindset is through structured and consistent daily actions, the strongest recovery is when these pursuits become your lifestyle, and I want to help others on the same path," Cozadd said.

Vigilante Kitchen + Bar will also offer other signature dishes, such as Szechuan hot chicken bao, Szechuan spareribs, open-faced crab Rangoon, ahi Wellington, koji braised short rib, yuzu thyme chicken, XO lobster tail and an A5 Miyazakigyu.

The Nain Rouge Brewery, which will sit across from the Vigilante Kitchen + Bar, will craft a selection of beers that will be exclusively served at the restaurant. They will also develop non-alcoholic brews that mirror the flavor profiles of their alcoholic counterparts.

"While it may seem counterintuitive, it was important to me that Vigilante Kitchen + Bar serves alcohol," Cozadd said. "A person in recovery who decides to stay in the industry will inevitably need to work around alcohol. At Vigilante Kitchen + Bar we focus on building a strong internal environment to which the external environment becomes inconsequential. You can only avoid the wine aisle for so long."

Vigilante Kitchen + Bar will be open Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Friday-Saturday from 5 p.m, to 1 a.m.