(bright music) - [Tom] On this episode of UTR, we collaborated with Cupid and came up with five great things that you could do on a date.

We'll explore your aura, go to a Candy Bar, and cook up a tasty romance.

Then we'll buy sweets for your sweetie, and make some Motown music.

Get ready to explore the cool people, places, and things that make Michigan a great place to fall in love.

(bright music) - [Announcer] We all have one, that perfect spot.

A special place we go to smooth out the ripples of the day.

Our perfect spot is calling.

Our perfect spot is Pure Michigan.

Your trip begins at michigan.org.

- [Narrator] A visit to the Stahls Auto Collection will take you back to a time when cars were more than just a way to get around.

A fantastic assortment of gas pumps, neon signs, and automated music machines dating back 150 years that must be seen and heard info@stahlsauto.com.

- I've been around the world, but there's one place I keep coming back to.

And the more I explore, the more I realize it's the place to be.

I'm Tom Daldin and this is Under the Radar, Michigan.

(dramatic music) Let me ask you something, are you a hopeless romantic like me?

I was just hopeless, but my therapist said I should specialize.

Anyway, don't go anywhere because this is our first ever UTR Date Night special.

For me?

Thanks.

(soft guitar music) You heard right, whether you're finding new or renewing your original love.

This UTR has five cool things you can do to stoke the flames of true love or at the very least have some fun together.

So comb your hair, check your breath, and grab your significant other, so to speak, because you don't want to be late for this UTR date.

(graphics whooshing) Now for our first romantic rendezvous, we're gonna go to a place where you and your date can explore your aura, both literally and metaphysically.

I'm of course talking about Eileen Lee, a place called Grey Area Gallery in Southwest Detroit, and a romantic mystical method that she materialized called Aura Aura.

I have to ask starting off what exactly is an aura?

- Yeah, so an aura essentially is electromagnetic field that surrounds every living being, so for as humans, you know, where those colors come from within that energy field is what's known as our chakra system, right?

So if you've ever taken a yoga class or maybe done some sort of guided meditation, or even just in passing, you might have heard of these subtle energy centers.

But what I love about this is really that by now understanding what the colors are within our aura, we can really figure out where our focus is at in life and also really how we're moving through our life, right.

- Okay, explain the process because I love the dome.

That's not a teleporter, is it?

'Cause that- - Oh my gosh, I mean, kind of.

It really teleports you into this different sort of space, right?

So, the dome for me, I really wanted to create something that is a little bit more consistent, no matter what environment I'm in.

Because I do tour with this project quite a bit throughout the year, and so, you know, sometimes I'm in more public spaces.

So that really creates privacy because you don't want to, when you're being photographed, feel like you're a zoo exhibit, right?

- Yeah that's true.

- So, within here, this dome is always present as that studio space so that I can also control lighting on my subjects when I'm photographing them.

- Well, when a couple come, when they come in, they have their aura photographed, explain the process.

They come in, what happens?

- Yeah, so they come in and for a two person sitting, I have two stools that I place in there.

When we go in, there are these two hand sensors and how they work.

It's basically, they're made of silver, there's little dots that are reading the subtle energy points, the Meridian points in your hands.

And so the camera basically takes that information that the hand sensors are picking up, sends it to the camera and the camera has an algorithm that translates each frequency to its corresponding color.

And so when a couple does it together, what's really fun is the camera literally is reading them together as if they're one person.

And so that tends to reveal to us number one, their relationship dynamic.

But number two, it often tells a story of what's going on within that chapter of their lives together.

So, you know, for someone like you and your wife, I'm sure that story could be quite different now than it was say like 20 years ago, right.

- But you can do it long.

Like I can have my aura done just me, right?

- Yes, yeah.

- I don't wanna go in with Jim.

- That's okay, that's okay.

We'll just have you go in there by yourself, okay.

(laughs) - [Tom] Well, after our official UTR demonstration couple tried it, thanks Rick and Gabriela, Eileen even let me and Jim try it.

First separately, smile for the camera.

And then even together, This aura will be interesting.

But the most fascinating part is when she analyzes your aura afterwards.

- So, you know, the only call that's really different is there's a lot of magenta and then also there is green.

And so this green does suggest when you're together, you help push one another to really grow in a vault.

You know, you're really more adaptable when you're together and when you're together always pushing through challenges, it's always like a learning experience.

- [Narrator] I have to say, this is unusual, a ton of fun and a great way for you and your main squeeze to make some metaphysical memories.

Heck, even mine was suitable for framing, and I've got a great place in my closet for it.

So if you're looking for date night material, try the ethereal with Aura Aura at Grey Area Gallery in Southwest Detroit.

It's an out of body experience that you should, well, experience.

(graphics whooshing) Now, one of the most romantic things you can possibly do for your significant other is take them on a trip to Paris.

But since it's 11 billion miles away and they have a different word for everything over there, might I suggest the Paris of the Midwest, Detroit.

Well you heard correct.

For decades, Detroit was known as the Paris of the Midwest because of its French heritage, architecture, and incredible Jazz Club Scene of the 1930s and 40s.

And even today you can feel the Parisian love at places like the Siren Hotel right downtown.

Not only does this chic place look and feel like France, but tucked away inside, they've got an incredibly cozy place to cuddle with a cocktail called the Candy Bar.

To further research this romantic rendezvous, an actual French word by the way, I checked in with Nick Arone.

I have to be honest with you.

This is probably the most romantic bar I have ever been in, in my life.

- [Nick] That's amazing.

- And it's you and me, sorry.

- Yeah, that's how it goes sometimes.

No girls out tonight here, yeah.

- Well, when you walk in the room, first of all, like I said, the ambiance in the atmosphere in here will melt anybody's heart.

- [Nick] Exactly.

- This chandelier above you is, I've never seen anything like it anywhere.

- [Nick] It is huge and it is what the entire bar was designed around, roughly a thousand or so pieces of Italian Mazaga Murano Glass.

- [Tom] Absolutely amazing.

- [Nick] Handmade, hand-blown.

So little ribbons of candy.

- [Tom] Is that what it's supposed to be.

- Yeah, exactly.

Well, that's what we based it off of as far as the design of the room, but it actually was, you know, it's 50 years older than this room is itself.

So it's from the 1970s and it was bought specifically just for this bar.

- Now I've been to Paris a couple of times, and we always stay at little boutique hotels.

When you walk through that front door, that's totally the feeling you get in this place.

Do people tell you that?

- [Nick] All the time.

It's like you're just transporting to another world, you know, you're in downtown Detroit, it doesn't necessarily look like you're in the same area, as soon as you walk in here, you see these plush couches, it's so well decorated and so well curated in this room and the hotel itself, everything in this hotel is an extension of itself.

- I mean, what's the reaction that you get when you see people walk through that curtain and see this place.

- They're so excited when people walk in, they see the chandelier.

That's like usually what people are most awestruck right away by.

And then they see the disco ball, they see the pink couches, they see everything in here, and they're just so excited to be here.

Even if they're not coming in for a drink, they're like, we have to go by later.

What time do you guys open until tonight?

What time is this?

So people are very, very excited to be here.

- Another thing I like about this hotel in general is you're so close to great other restaurants and shops and places like that.

And the history of this building is pretty unique, right?

- It is, yeah, so this is the Oriental building.

So if you think Oriental, you think of those like electric organs or pianos, this was their main offices and also a showroom for wears or electric organs and pianos.

But what's really cool about the building is even though it was that, this building was empty for a very long time.

And when you walk in, you don't necessarily think about what this, you think about what this building might have looked like then, and think it maybe this is a continuation of that, but this building was completely gut and renovated.

So almost nothing in this building is original to the building aside from when you walk in that front door and look above you, that little space right above you there.

And I think it's nice because if someone didn't tell you that you would think a lot of this room and building is original and was part of the actual building itself.

- [Tom] So I think that's such a nice touch when you walk through the front door, you look, I didn't notice it last time I was here, but you look up and you see the original structure.

- [Nick] Exactly.

- [Tom] Yeah, that's very cool, very unique.

- Yeah, not many places hold onto those pieces.

I think most places are trying to cover up everything that was originally there.

Whereas I think this building does a great, or this hotel does a great job of showcasing that, but also building upon it in a respectful way.

- [Tom] So with some shaking, stirring, mixing, and genuine Candy Bar magic, Nick conjured up a libation, the likes of which I have never tasted before.

And I enjoyed every sip of it.

If you're looking to impress your new, or even your true love, don't buy them a Candy Bar, take them to one.

It's right inside the Siren Hotel in our own Paris, AKA Detroit.

It can be your own little romantic trip to Paris right here in Michigan, Oh la ri.

(graphics whooshing) Hey good looking, what you guy cooking?

How'd you like to cook up something with me?

Whoa, my mustache is still on?

Now, if you've got a romance that's just simmering and you wanna turn up the heat and put some spice into it, try the cooking classes at Holiday Market in Royal Oak.

It's called the Mirepoix Cooking School.

I'll find out what that means in a second.

And it's a great way to learn some new dishes with your dish, or your dude.

Chef Daniela Abel is the head culinary instructor at Mirepoix, and she teaches amorous couples, and even lovable loaners, like me, how to prepare and share cuisines from around the world.

Now you'll have to bear with me because my French is a little rusty, but what is Mirepoix and am I saying it right?

- [Daniela] You did, good job.

- Oh, well merci.

(both laughing) - Merci beaucoup.

So Mirepoix is the French name for a combination of carrots, onions and celery.

- Oh, that's the trinity, right?

- That's it exactly.

That's one of the first things that you learn in culinary schools as prep because it is the base of soups, stocks, stews, you name it.

So you're prepping a ton of it for day.

It's the base of everything.

- I can't think of a more romantic thing to do, well I can think of a couple, but anyway, a more romantic thing you can do then 'cause cooking is so sensual.

- It is.

- And to come to a place like this and actually learn something and be with your significant other and cook something, create something together is pretty cool.

- It is, it is.

It's a beautiful experience that sometimes people come alone, which is perfectly fine to come alone.

Sometimes they come with or their kids, their friends, they make it a date nights.

And I've always thought that it is one of the most intimate things that we do, to cook and to eat because what is more intimate than nourishing our bodies and putting good food into them.

- And for you, I have to ask you on a personal level.

When you're a chef and you are ultra chef, I have dubbed you.

And when you're a chef and you're at a restaurant you're cooking for anonymous people that are out there that you don't really get to interact with or see.

- Correct.

- This must be cool because cooking for and with people who really wanna learn.

- Yes.

So I worked in the restaurant industry for, gosh, it's over 18 years now.

Or in food service I should say in general.

But before that, of course I started off in restaurants like most of us do.

And I worked in every different area of the restaurant that you could possibly imagine.

And it wasn't until I was really interacting with people and talking about food that I truly discovered, hey, I wanna do something more with this.

I want to go to school.

I don't want to be in the back of house.

There's anything wrong with that, that's fantastic.

But I wanna be out there face to face talking to people and teaching, that was my big thing.

- And tonight you're cooking Spanish, correct?

- Correct, yes.

So we have different themes and we like to do this because people like to kind of go around the world, which is the beautiful thing about food.

It can take you in different places around the world.

And I don't claim to be an expert, of course, on every single cuisine, but we like to dabble.

And so tonight is Spanish Tapas and Sangria.

So we're doing three very basic Spanish Tapas that we absolutely love.

We've developed the recipes for a couple months now and we've done this class I think this is the third time.

So we've done it.

Great recipes, we make the Sangria in advance.

I have a recipe that is not secret.

I share and put in the recipe booklet for everyone.

And they'll enjoy a glass of Sangria at the end of this class.

- Yeah, it's neat that you can come here.

Different classes, different cuisines, different parts, I always tell people the tastiest, most funnest, and most inexpensive way to explore the world is through cuisine.

- So true.

- Because I've got so many cookbooks.

I'm a terrible cook, but I've got the books, but it's you learn culture, you learn history, you learn cooking.

I mean, it's just a great, great hobby.

- It is, yeah.

And you know, people ask me all the time, they'll say, oh gosh, you must come home and not wanna cook.

Oh gosh, you must never cook at home.

Like I cook at home all the time because it's not only my career and my love.

It's also my hobby.

- Yeah, what's the most rewarding thing for you?

I mean, when people come and they go?

- The most rewarding thing for me is when they leave and say, oh my gosh, we had so much fun, and I learned something, because having fun kind of is a give me this is a great space, you're with friends, you're with other people, you're cooking, you're drinking, but when they take away something and they learn something, it makes my entire day.

- Well, before we knew it, this cool classroom kitchen was filled with folks hungry to learn, laugh, and share their love of food.

So with a few informational and encouraging words from Chef Daniela, it's amazing how much she knows, we were all chopping stirring, measuring, mixing, and making new friends along the way.

And the great selection of beer and wine they offer there, made us all feel like the best chefs ever.

And as far as we knew.

Let's face it, food is life.

And if you're passionate about it, and each other, what better way to say I love you than with a meal you made together.

It's also a great way to just make new friends over some really good food.

So check out the Mirepoix cooking classes at Holiday Market in Royal Oak.

If you don't fall in love all over again, at least you'll have a great meal to share, bonus.

(graphics whooshing) Well, now that we've prepared a proper meal, it's time to get some sweets for your sweetie.

And on Livernois, Detroit's Avenue of Fashion, we found the perfect place.

You know, going to the bakery isn't usually an adventure, but at Good Cakes and Bakes, it most certainty is.

You'll find some of the tastiest and most creative creations you'll ever cut into.

And April Anderson is the master baker mind behind this colorful cake-filled counter.

What made you decide to make Good Cakes and Bakes your career?

- So I've always loved to bake.

Been baking since I was 9.

I mean then in 2010, I really started thinking I wanna just have a food blog.

And I was like, I wanna have a food blog.

And so I feel like I need to go back to school so I can learn everything I need to know about it.

So that when I do a food blog, I'm able to like create recipes.

And while I was in classes, we were doing the menu planning class and I was like, oh, maybe I should open up a bakery.

And I went, I was thinking that, oh, I'll get to bake what I want every day.

It'll be so much fun or there's so many other things too besides just baking what you wanna bake every day.

- Well, baking is it's part art, part science, but you put love into baking.

It's like that doesn't seem to happen when you're cooking but when you're baking, it seems like love is next to butter.

- [April] Yes, exactly.

- [Tom] Love is one of the main ingredients.

- [April] And if comes to butter that is love because every butter makes everything taste so much better.

But it is, it is definitely something that requires you to science.

It's not like cooking where I put a pinch of this in there.

I'm add a little bit of more of this.

It definitely you have to follow science.

You have to know why you're adding ingredients.

Like why you're adding bacon powder opposed to baking soda.

- And speaking of love, this place is a family affair.

I mean your mom last time we were here.

Yeah, that's right.

We were here before because this place is really good.

Your mom is back there working your brother, your sister.

I mean, it's a family affair.

- It is, and my wife has now come over here four times.

She's left her jobs and come here four time now.

So it's like totally a family thing now.

- Oh awesome, awesome yes.

I promised my wife 'cause your stuff is so amazing that I would bring her something today.

So don't let me forget.

- I won't.

- I'm bringing it home honey, I promise.

But your stuff is actually on a generally healthier than a lot of other bakeries, right?

- Yes.

And mainly because we use everything here, we use as no GMOs, everything, we making sure that we're sourcing great ingredients.

There's no preservatives added.

There's no shortcuts in anything that we do.

So you know, that everything that you're getting is made with real food, real ingredients.

- Just off the top of your head, what's some of the more romantic things that you're baking.

- Cinnamon rolls are very romantic.

People might not think, but it is because it's totally a labor of love because there's so many steps and you have to the yeast rice and all that.

Those are wonderful things to do.

Cookie decorating is a great couple thing to do when you're making cookies and decorating.

Especially if you do little hearts and kissy faces.

So those are definitely great group things that you could do.

Cookies are wonderful, like chocolate chip cookies.

Just anything, anything to me, except for layer cakes.

'Cause those take a lot of skills to make sure that it doesn't topple over and it is lined out right.

So simpler stuff that you can do and have fun with.

And those are cookies, cupcakes are great to do, but cinnamon rolls aren't the best thing to do as a couple.

- Well, I love my wife a lot, so I'm gonna take her some sweet stuff and I'll let you pick some stuff out for me, okay.

- Definitely.

- Points for Tom.

- Yes, definitely.

No pun intended, but you're gonna definitely get some great phoning points for this.

- [Tom] If you're looking for a sweet place to put a smile on your date space, check out the Good Cakes and Bakes at well, Good Cakes and Bakes.

And who knows?

If things go really well, you can stick around and even pick out your wedding cake, bonus I think.

(graphics whooshing) Now let's face it.

What's a Michigan romance without a little bit of Motown music?

Well, here's a way for you and your honey to harmonize on some local music both past and present.

It's a really cool music bus tour with Detroit sound Conservancy.

And it's just one of many fun and interesting tours put on by a nonprofit called the City Institute.

And not only is Jeanette Pierce, one of our talented tour guides for the day.

She also personifies the passion and progress that's happening all over this part of our great state.

And Jeanette, you know what I love about you, you love Detroit even more than I do.

I mean, you're a storyteller, you're a historian, you're a philosopher.

And you're part of the coolest organization it's called the City Institute 'cause you're wearing it.

Well, tell me about what you guys do.

- City Institute is all about providing a deeper understanding of Detroit, but also sharing lessons learned with other cities, which is a really exciting thing 'cause I get to learn about Detroit, but also about other places.

- There's no cooler place you can start a music tour than at Third Man Records.

- Well, we are so excited to be partnering Detroit Sound Conservancy on this ultimate Detroit music tour.

And so glad that the Third Man Records is hosting us because there's so much music history here and so many stories to be told.

- And we've done a couple of tours with you guys on the show before and had a blast, but what else does the City Institute offer?

What other kinds of tours and things?

- So we go beyond the tour, like we love tours.

It's music tour, it's great three hours, but it's really about talking to people along the way and stopping.

It's not this double decker bus, wah wah wah wah wah.

We do learning journeys where it's like all day and we go to the east side to the west side entrepreneurs and community organizations, Detroit residents.

And as a lifelong resident, I've never not lived in Detroit.

You know, we get in silos, east side stays on the east side, west side and Southwest is amazing as well but a lot of people don't know.

So we take people, whatever level of knowledge they're at and we take it to the next level.

- If you're a foodie, I mean, you guys do food tours too, right?

- We have a checklist of over 800 restaurants, bars and coffee shops in the city of Detroit.

And that doesn't even count Jimmy Johns and McDonald's, they're locally owned and operated.

And that's the passion, the story behind those small businesses where the owner like Baba fair is one of our favorites.

They came from Burundi to open this restaurant and they help other refugees in doing so.

It's absolutely amazing.

- Now, what can we expect on the tour today?

How's it gonna go?

- Yeah, so this is kind of the encyclopedia of Detroit Music Tour.

And we have Michelle McKinney is our other guide who is a musician.

We're gonna go to the Bluebird Inn, which a lot of people actually don't know much about, but the Detroit Sound Conservancy save from demolition and they're working on restoring it.

And Miles Davis had a residency there in 1953.

We're gonna go and talk about, of course, a little Motown.

You can't not talk about Motown, but how that's connected to all the other pieces, the Detroit Techno museum, the Spotlight Detroit, which is right now wears amazing music happens almost every day of the week.

So it's basically past, present, future of Detroit music, all woven together.

- The whole theme of this show is the cool things you can do with your significant other, not Jim.

(both laughing) Although we are together a lot, but you guys offer so much from food, entertainment, education, fun.

I encourage anybody to get ahold of the City Institute because there's so many, I mean, I can't believe all the stuff you guys covered.

- There's so much to learn about Detroit even if you've lived here forever.

- I was born here.

Well, after a quick fun and fascinating tour of Jack White's own Third Man Records, we were on the bus and on our way to explore, discover and uncover a ton of the motor sitting music we all know and love, from United Sound Studios and Motown records to the historic Bluebird Inn in the Grande Ballroom, we learned so much about Detroit's musical history and its influence around the world.

And this is where I really have to say that our tag team tour guides of Jeanette Pierce and Michelle McKinney from Detroit Sound Conservancy were absolutely amazing.

We learned, laughed, cried, and came together as one people who loved the power of music.

Oh, and was it fun?

- So is this like a date?

You guys are- - Yeah, yeah, sure, we have been married 41 years.

That's a date.

- That's love.

- It is a date.

- That's right.

Dance are you loving the tour?

- Yes.

- Oh yeah, I mean, we've been to certain things.

We've been under Motown museum, but just to hear all the stories and to get the background and put it all together, you know who we saw last night, we saw the four tops at a fundraiser.

- Now that's Motown.

- Yeah, that's Motown.

♪ I can't help myself ♪ I love you and nobody else There we go.

Yes, I knew we'd get to sing, that's awesome.

♪ That's my life If you're looking for a fun and informative way to spend some time together, you're sure to find a love song on the Detroit music bus tour.

And if you contact the City Institute, they'll tell you about all the other really cool tours that they offer.

So next time you want to create a special occasion, think outside the box of chocolates and do something different occasionally.

I mean we do stuff different all the time on UTR.

That's why you love the show so much, right?

You do love the show, don't you?

Don't you?

Oh boy, I hope they love the show.

I thought they liked the show.

I like the show.

- [Announcer] We all have one that perfect spot, a special place we go to smooth out the ripples of the day.

Our perfect spot is calling.

Our perfect spot is Pure Michigan.

Your trip begins at michigan.org.

- [Narrator] A visit to the Stahls Auto Collection will take you back to a time when cars were more than just a way to get around, a fantastic assortment of gas pumps, neon signs and automated music machines dating back 150 years that must be seen and heard, info@stahlsauto.com.

(upbeat music) (bright music)