Taste of Detroit at 2024 NFL Draft Experience: Food trucks, vendors to try
As hundreds of thousands of people pack downtown for the 2024 NFL draft and all its excitement, they'll also get a fine taste of Detroit — literally.
Inside the draft experience (a free event for spectators) at Hart Plaza is the "Taste of Detroit." The event coincides with other happenings at the Corner Ballpark in Corktown. Both locations feature an eclectic mix of the many flavors from Detroit and beyond served by restaurants and food trucks.
Selections include many Detroit mainstays such as the staple Boogaloo sandwich from Chef Greg's Soul-N-The-Wall and highly regarded vegetarian fare from the Kitchen by Cooking With Que. There are halal options and global cuisine from Waka by Baobab Fare, a food truck offering East African street food and confections from Good Cakes and Bakes.
Known not only for its social media presence and two food truck locations, Detroit 75 Kitchen will be at Hart Plaza with its shawarma sandwiches, smoked chicken wings, and garlic cilantro fries out of their impressive 24-foot food truck.
In selecting food trucks and restaurants for Taste of Detroit, Nicki Ewell, the NFL’s senior director of events said they wanted to pay homage to the city’s culture.
“We know we're in a city that is 80% Black and we wanted to pay homage to that culture, Ewell said during a Wednesday Media event.
Ewell said food selections focused on the culture of Detroit and metro Detroit.
“We know that the food experience here in Detroit is such a melting pot and we really tried to capture that with the food experience that we have here," Ewell said. "The barbecue food, the halal food, we have soul food and we have some amazing sweets. These are all local diverse restaurants that are local to Detroit and the metro Detroit region and they keep 100% of their revenue.”
Good Cakes and Bakes owner April Anderson said being a part of Taste of Detroit was a wonderful opportunity. And all the vendors get to keep 100% of the profits. The city and Visit Detroit covered the permit costs, she said.
One item that Anderson will be offering at the Hart Plaza event is Good Cakes and Bakes 313 cookies. The cookies are chocolate chip cookies made with Sanders caramel and Better Made potato chips.
More: A guide to breakfast, lunch and dinner near downtown Detroit during the NFL draft
More: 4 Black-owned culinary pop-ups gear up for NFL draft in a former food hall space
Some restaurants participating, such as Genevieve Vang's Bangkok 96 Street Food and its Thai specialties, are also working to help others. A portion of Vang's proceeds will go to local nonprofits, Detroit FlatOut Tennis Academy and the Michigan Hmong Women's Association.
From Yemeni coffee to tacos to desserts and even helpings from Eminem's Mom's Spaghetti eatery, choices are plentiful.
Below is a roundup of vendors planned.
Hart Plaza food vendors during NFL draft
Bangkok 96 Street Food
Brome Modern Eatery
Chef Greg's Soul-N-The-Wall
Chita's Nefertiti Bar & Grill
Detroit 75 Kitchen
Detroit Water Ice
El Parian Taco
For the Love of Cheesecake
Fried Chicken and Caviar
Fusion Flare Kitchen and Cocktails
Good Cakes and Bakes
Golden Fleece
Good Vibes Lounge
Haraz Coffee House
Juicy Oistre
Kuzzo's Chicken and Waffle
La Marsa Cuisine
Lockerroom Sports Bar
Louisiana Creole Gumbo
Lush Yummies Pie Co.
M Cantina
Mom's Spaghetti
Shibam Coffee
Smokey G's Smokehouse
The Kitchen by Cooking With Que
Waka by Baobab Fare
Food trucks at the Corner Ballpark
Curt Got Crabs
Da Bomb Taco Truck
Wing Snob
Sista Roles Street Eats
The Twisted Mitten from Saffron De Twah
Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter. Subscribe to the Free Press.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Taste of Detroit: Food trucks, vendors at 2024 NFL draft