Create Cohort Blog

Tag: Life

  • Coriander Kitchen & Farm

    Coriander Kitchen & Farm

    Around a year ago, I was sitting alongside a beautiful canal in the sun at a picnic table, enjoying a lunch packed with giggles and a pretty amazing person. I had no idea that the person sitting across from me, one of my best friends at the time, would end up eloping with me, about twenty feet from where we were sitting.

    “Eloped? Eloped!” Was exactly how we announced it to our loved ones, and the rest of the world. We knew we had found each other, finally, and we wanted to just do something simple: Wear what we want, pick a spot we loved, just for us-and, a few lovely friends who thought they were just coming to brunch and a little bar-hop around Hamtramck.

    We were sneaky, and we had a few hiccups, however, we wouldn’t change any of it. Perfect day was perfect.

    Coriander Kitchen & Farm is one of the most unique restaurants in Detroit; being woman-owned, and in a former canal. The decor is a little vintage, a little hodge-podge, with a self-described “Drunk Grandma” vibe. Settled in a former marina, the establishment is nestled up to a beautiful canal, that is often full of kayakers, canoes, geese, swans, turtles, etc. Which makes waiting for your table at the outdoor mini-camper turned into a bar an endearing experience.

    The atmosphere alone is enough to charm your pants off, however, the food is always fresh, creative, and incredibly delicious. Being one of the only restaurants in Detroit that also has its own farm, the menu changes with each season, and there’s almost always specials for both lunch, brunch, and dinner. Not to mention Grilled Cheese Monday, with a different sandwich featured each week. Not me over here, drooling on my phone at their Insta posts.

    We were graced with a visit from some family from out of town over this past weekend, so we took them to our Place of Elopement for brunch. My parents had also never been, so, we got to pop five Coriander cherries on Sunday. Between sharing a few appetizers, the excitement of seeing an entire crew of kayaking kids, a variety of water fowl, and of course, reminiscing about previous dining experiences, we created another amazing memory here.

    Coriander is located in Jefferson Chalmers, Detroit’s far-east side.

    They are open on Wednesday-Friday, and Mondays, 11am to 3pm & 5pm to 9pm, with the kitchen open until 10pm. However, be sure to check their website and socials for special event closures, as they are a popular wedding venue location.

    As far as a location for elopements, I am not sure if anyone else has or not, but 10/10 recommend.

    Until next post, xo.

    📍Jefferson Chalmers, MI.

    Sara Bellum

  • Whistle Stop Diner

    Whistle Stop Diner

    I am very often a person who wears their Stubborn flag high; I routinely pack a metric ton into my schedule, ignoring the fact that I will never accomplish all of it. I am incapable of not attempting to bring in all of the groceries in one trip, accidental jars of pickles deaths be damned (RIP), and don’t even think about suggesting that I go to sleep earlier. I am convinced that not only do I have time to work 40 hours at my day-job, have some sort of gym/health routine, can 180 my career by myself, spend 5-8 hours per week editing photos/videos/reels/etc. that I obviously have time to learn both French and Spanish. I may only have about 30 minutes per day to dedicate myself to the school of Duolingo, and therefore am not actually retaining anything, I do have a 93 day learning streak so that unhinged green owl can go kick dirt.

    The thing with us Stubbornists, is we start to know when we have taken on too much, but instead of accepting defeat, we fight it. Kicking and screaming. Or, until we pass out from utter exhaustion. Which has lead to deciding to take care of my health and see my PCP on the regular. This last visit resulted in sending me in for a test to double-check that things were fine, and they were, until the only appointment I could get for said test was at 6:45 am on a weekday.

    “I hate early, must kill early” – Lorelei Gilmore

    Me, being me, I whined. A lot. I also have the love and support from my husband/partner, who never needs sleep and doesn’t mind getting up early. Ew, David.

    We arrived on time for my appointment, only to be told that I was early. By 24 hours. We decided this mishap could be corrected: with breakfast.

    As a former Ferndale-rat, I have frequented many of the breakfast/brunch establishments both during and after my residency in the area, and although this particular one is technically in Pleasant Ridge, The Whistle Stop is a favorite.

    Decked out in mid-century diner decor, the place is pretty damn charming. Each table, as well as the seats at the bar/counter include the cutest salt and pepper shakers that are changed out seasonally. Prints of Woodward from days of yonder hanging from the ceiling, a hand-drawn menu board, and a sticker wall give the place that slightly-cluttered environment that us neurodivergent kids thrive in, its cozy.

    Operating during the hours of 7:30am to 3pm, they serve both breakfast and lunch. One side of the menu has omelets, griddles, hot cakes, avocado toast, etc. and the other sandwiches, soups salads, quesadillas, and other lunch fare. They also have specials, and if you are not a sucker with work obligations, Spanish coffee and mimosas are available.

    I had a Kurtzy omelet, with a side salad, rye toast with house-made mixed berry jam, and loads of coffee (stupid early appointment and all). Dave also had an omelet, and although I can’t remember which one he ordered, everything was delicious and I ended up taking half of it with me for lunch later.

    Their menu is available via their website.

    After taking enough photos to make myself look like the worst influencer in the Detroit area, a lovely dog-walking individual offered to take a photo of us. Behold us looking like we are tourists on vacation next to the city I grew up in: C’est la vie/Así es la vid.

    Until next post, xo.

    📍Pleasant Ridge, MI

    Sara Bellum

  • Kerch Market

    Kerch Market

    Local vintage, food, music, jewelry, and drinks in Detroit on a beautiful, unseasonably warm spring day? Heard!

    Kerch Market is a pop-up event hosted by Two Birds, Huddle, and The Velvet Tower, featuring an abundance of local vendors offering a variety of goods and treats.

    Located in West Village, Two Birds is family-run neighborhood bar, and seasonal custard shop (Huddle) nestled in an old house located in Detroit’s West Village. Dangerous as it is, I say that only because they are located within walking distance of Dave’s house in Islandview, and they are open seven days a week. Not only do they have fantastic house cocktails, and a decent selection of beer and wine, they also host local food vendors, DJs, and even art exhibits. You can see how vast the temptations are-and so close! Needless to say, we have walked here quite often and indulged ourselves once or thirty times.

    The Velvet Tower is a vintage clothing and retail shop, also located in an old house that shares the porch with Two Birds and Huddle. Also, dangerous because if anyone knows me (and for those who don’t) I am a whore for clothes, especially of the vintage variety. One of my current favorite items; a 90’s baby blue vest I picked up from the International Women’s Day Market pop-up at Batch Brewing back in March, was from The Velvet Tower and have been in the shop a few times since. I am not going to lie, the place is a T.A.R.D.I.S, the rooms just keep going. Much like their neighbors, The Velvet Tower often has local artists on deck. Hair stylists, and seamstresses are hosted weekly, but wait, there’s more! %10 percent off for Service Industry kids.

    I had popped in the Winter Kerch Market back in February, but had only taken a bit of video with my Sony ZV-1F, while also trying to carry a coffee, and a phone. As your neighborhood accident-prone twink, I wasn’t able to take many photos. For this event, Dave was kind enough to let me man-handle his Canon, a Mark II 7D, as well as taking a few pics of his own, so that I could write up the blog post you are (hopefully) currently reading.

    Not only are there a variety of really cool vendors, the market might as well be nicknamed Street Fashion on Parade. Everyone showed up looking incredible! We did get a few shots of some very kind kids who were sweet enough to allow us to photograph them, however, it was difficult to keep our A.D.H.D brains on task with all of the people-watching to be had.

    We ended up staying long after the event was over, chatting with the new friends we made and having a pretty decent time enjoying ourselves.

    Jealous you missed out? Fear not, there is another Kerch Market event this Sunday, and the vendor list is packed so you should absolutely go check it out.

    Kerch Market, 8131 Kercheval. Sunday, May 18th, 12 noon to 5pm.

    Until next post, xo

    📍West Village, MI

    Sara Bellum

  • Hits different

    Hits different

    What is this, 2010?

    Hi, my name is Sara Bellum. Welcome to the Create Cohort Blog!

    With TikTok, Instagram, (insert your favorite social media platform here), why attempt to bring back a complete relic of digital word vomit? I am gonna blame nostalgia. I am a geriatric Millennial, after all. 

    Although I do have accounts across many social media platforms that I utilize for sharing many of the things that I used to write about on my previous blog, Cat Ears and Coffee, I tend to “show” rather than “tell”. It took me a long time to get on the Reels bandwagon, but now not only do I enjoy creating them, I treat them as a vessel for showing the viewer the experience. For example: If I am going to create a Reel on an event such as Eastern Market After Dark (surprise, I did), I try my best to emulate what the environment is via a mix of detailed shots, visuals of the size of the event, a bit of candid footage, as well as capturing fun moments of smiles, waves, and general nonsense. I also include a bit of blurb of what the event is, and try my best to choose a song that fits the experience. I lean away from voiceovers for that reason, even my Day In The Life Reels. Why you ask? Because although I do enjoy other creators voice over videos, they just don’t fit me. 

    Blogging just hits different.  

    Cat Ears & Coffee; my OG blog was a lifestyle blog focusing on personal style, daily life, adventures, recipes, and bit of DIY. Why didn’t I just continue posting on that blog? Cat Ears & Coffee can’t come to the phone right now, why? Because she’s dead. Actually, she is not. I am in the works of painstakingly re-reading every post to check for any personal facts that I might not feel as open to having out there, checking to make sure links work/need to be updated/removed, etc. before re-publishing them. My want to use Blogger for that platform, however, has died. RIP.

    Blogging was the gateway drug to all of my creative endeavors: I wrote stream of conscious posts, I played around with an old junky digital camera until I got my hands on a DSLR. I started getting creative with my living spaces: painting, organizing, decorating-documenting all of it. I wrote poems, I freelanced myself out to take high school Senior portraits. Over the past year I have taken workshops in Eastern Market, and was taught by local entrepreneurs how to create a brand by telling the story, how to accomplish food photography, and to utilize my content for more than one post. Now, after completing a very involved Digital Marketing Science program at Grand Valley State, I am pushing myself to keep on this path of learning how to create digital content that I am proud of, with a back-to-basics blog in tow.  

    That being said, what will the Create Cohort Blog bring to the Ikea-hack table? Recaps of places and events, with a focus on things local to Detroit and its surrounding areas, some introspection on projects, and life updates, with the occasional throwback outfit pic included. I also have a few other ideas that I am noodling out, however, that is for a future post. 

    As a self-proclaimed Digital Creator and Community Advocate, Create Cohort was forged from my love for romanticizing the mundane, uplifting communities, supporting local and small businesses, and living life in general in the hamlet that is Detroit.  And run-on sentences, apparently. Currently hailing from Dreamtroit, and spending ample amounts of  time in Eastern Market, Island View, Midtown, and Hamtramck, I aim to capture, document, and provide insight in my own authentic voice. Creating for both my cohorts, and myself. 

    Welcome to my new little corner of the world. 

    📍Eastern Market, Detroit

    Sara Bellum

    Create Cohort Blog

    One response to “Hits different”

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      Let’s Get Weird – Create Cohort Blog

      […] stated in the very first Create Cohort blog post what my mission in this creative endeavor is, and it’s %99.9 still very […]

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