If you’re looking for the Loomi Cart on (most) Thursdays at Bumbo’s Bar in Hamtramck, it’s not hard to miss. Just walk outside to the patio where chef Andrew Stevick is getting the coals hot inside of a shopping cart that he’s rigged into a grill.
It’s one of the most bizarre set-ups I’ve seen, but instantly makes Stevick’s pop-up a visually intriguing one.
The food follows suit.
Stevick’s cooking is colorful and rustic. His al pastor tostada offers big slabs of marinated meat and chunks of pineapple all splayed over a massive fried chip. It’s a meaty portion, essentially spilling over the plate and feels like something you’d get at a friend’s holiday barbecue (if your friend was as good a chef as Stevick).
Or how about a watermelon salad that’s served like a steak and just as satisfying to cut into? This is a surprising, beautifully bright dish with the fresh watermelon activated by lime juice and tajin, covered in a chipotle vinaigrette, jellied and pickled jalapeños on top, and a sprinkle of queso fresco. It’s a full-on sensory display: the satisfying feel of cutting into it, the flavor itself, and the humble presentation — a paper plate in the bar’s backyard, smoke from the shopping cart grill filling the air.
Open late
“We usually sell 80% of our food by 9 p.m. and then I like to stick around for the industry people. It picks up with all the late-nighters,” says Stevick. “That’s what people want in Detroit. There’s not enough good late-night food. I can only go to Grandy’s Coney Island so many times.”…