Bloomfield Township, MI — I visited a lovely coffee shop last week in Bloomfield Township that not only brews stellar coffee but also serves remarkable pizza and gelato. Hudson’s Place’s sensational food, gelato, and drinks are curated through meticulous research and development by husband-and-wife owners Tom and Amanda Quni.
Hudson’s Place opened earlier this year in June and truly is a unique but absolute gem establishment for folks in the area of Telegraph and Long Lake Road. Hudson’s Place is unlike any café I’ve ever been to; the roasted coffee and matcha are some of the highest quality I’ve stumbled upon, but there are also fresh grab-and-go offerings, artisan pizzas rolled along the lines of a Neapolitan meets New York-style, and possibly the best gelato I’ve had in Michigan. I love a local/small business café and am not afraid to color outside the lines of traditional coffee and pastry offerings!
My buddy Jim Miller at Near Perfect Media told me about the grand opening back in June through my job. I was intrigued after seeing some of the featured specialty pizzas, seasonal coffee, teas, and house specialties on the menu. So you can imagine my joy when, several months later, Jim reached out to see if I’d like to adventure out and experience Hudson’s Place!
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Coffee, pizza, and gelato—oh my! I was exuberantly down to check out a new local coffee bar, especially to learn more about the owners and their drive to deliver only the highest-quality ingredients in everything they make. I coordinated a noon adventure to Hudson’s Place to check out the brews, slices, and vibes.
I pulled into a spot right out front of the quaint corner café just a few minutes past noon. Even though it was already sunny outside, something about this coffee bar had an extra glow or bright aura. The business was rocking and rolling as I walked in, with nearly a dozen people either waiting for their orders or waiting to place one. The staff worked like clockwork in their respective roles, from crafting the brews near the register to the pizza professionals slinging dough near the back. I took a few seconds to appreciate the ambiance and the interior tonality, which was welcoming and lively.
I spotted Jim sitting in the corner of the high-top table along the front window and set up shop next to him. As I took out and assembled some of my gear, co-owner Tom came by and introduced himself. It’s always a pleasure meeting a fellow coffee enthusiast because it’s like when two golden retrievers meet for the first time; it’s lots of high energy! On top of that, Tom is also a pizza connoisseur and foodie. Tom told me a bit about his and Amanda’s backstory and what led to the establishment of Hudson’s Place.
It turns out Tom and his team have been in the Bloomfield Township area for some time. Tom’s family owned a restaurant, so he grew up in and around kitchens. Tom would go on to learn from various chefs over the years, eventually launching his own prepared foods and catering service for ten years before he and his wife opened Hudson’s Place.
“For the last ten years, I owned Palate Pleaser, which was gourmet, specialty prepared foods and catering. So we’d do seven to five-course meals, specialty meals all the time. And that is really what we are. We’re a team of gourmet chefs that decided to make pizza,” explained Tom.
Before we get to the pizza and food, I have to break down the exceptional coffee fueled by another tremendous local roastery. The specialty drinks are just as noteworthy, including the best matcha I’ve ever had.
Whenever I check out a new coffee establishment, my first order is usually a plain house coffee or Americano. I put coffee joints to the test and go right for the star of the show because to determine if a coffee shop is good, they have to have great coffee for starters! Because of this, I greatly respect restauranteurs and owners who go out of their way to meticulously research and test countless products to provide top-tier quality for their guests. Tom is one such owner whose dedication and attention to detail locked in a coffee bean supplier out of Clawson.
“I went on a year-long journey trying all of the coffee roasters in Michigan. We landed on Sabbath Coffee Roasters, and there’s quite a few great roasters; it’s not just the one. But that one consistently stood out to me and was my favorite,” Tom said. “So going with their beans, using higher quality milk, things that don’t upset your stomach, minimal refined sugars in our syrups, all of that is real flavor without too much extract. And that was the main thing to making a great, specialty coffee.”
I took a few sips of the house coffee and enjoyed the bitter rush at first, with an interesting and brief sour aftertaste that dissipated entirely after a few seconds. I had to take a few more immediate sips because it’s been some time since a roast has really wowed me like that. I’ve heard nothing but wonderful things about Sabbath Coffee Roasters from my foodie adventures to Clawson, so it’s great to see a local coffee roast supplying others with its beans, beloved by many. This coffee had a very full taste and was very fresh. Each sip felt like I was replenishing my energy tanks with rocket fuel. Within minutes, I was already feeling pretty awake and dialed in for this adventure!
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Piggybacking on the previous brew, I took a few sips of the latte next, which had some maple vanilla extract and honey mixed in. The robust and piquant profile of the espresso blended beautifully with the steamed milk and froth, allowing the drink to taste sweeter. The delicious froth acted as a nice, sweet barrier to the warm liquid underneath. The froth had collected some of the maple and vanilla sweetness, while the honey lent some viscosity to the overall drink. This was one darn good latte!
Not only am I a coffee connoisseur, but I’m quite an avid tea drinker. Most folks who’ve either worked or lived with me can attest after 5 to 6 p.m. I’m usually swapping my afternoon coffee out for tea to start winding down for the day. I’ve had matcha randomly in my travels, often mixed into an even grander drink at some juice or nutrition shop. For those who’ve yet to cross paths with the green health machine of teas, matcha is finely ground green tea leaves into a powder that’s whisked into water or steamed milk to create a vibrant green tea served hot or iced.
I’ve only had matcha a couple of times, so my basis for determining quality is admittedly limited on this one. Still, I’ll confess that despite only a few encounters in the past, it didn’t take long for me to become an instant fan of this refreshing beverage. This tea contains antioxidants and has far more health benefits than I’m willing to type. The matcha powder often consists of the entire tea leaf, which contains caffeine, vitamins, and anti-inflammatory benefits.
I took a few swigs from a straw and quickly embraced the earthy and umami flavors reminiscent of seaweed or wheatgrass from a nutrition bar. This matcha was very balanced and had the underlying sweet factor from the honey that appeared in the aftertaste. It was like a milky, seaweed, and cucumber-esque sweet green tea, and I loved it! If every matcha tastes this good, I’ll start drinking a lot more of them. I learned from Tom that because of the current matcha craze on social media, folks from across the country have apparently made the trek to Hudson’s Place to try Quni’s matcha; it’s THAT good. Hudson’s Place also serves a Frozen Matcha Latte that gets fire reviews, so I’m definitely checking that out during my next adventure. Get over to Hudson’s Place to have the matcha veil lifted by a place serving quite possibly the best around Michigan!
Much like the impending war in House of Dragons (come on Season 3, we’re counting on you), the pizzas are coming! Also, yes, a South Park reference because why not? But first, take another look at the sandwich above. That lightly-baked fold-over is the Classico Di Parm sandwich, consisting of 600-day dry-aged prosciutto di parm, fresh mozzarella, arugula, extra virgin olive oil, and a pesto spread.
The exterior crust captured a nice near-crisp, while the interior dough was soft, slightly chewy, and nicely baked. Specific, higher-quality ingredients yield exceptional results, like the dough for the pizzas and sandwiches, baked goods, or even the house-made syrups at Hudson’s Place. Tom and his team researched and sourced ingredients from around the world and different regions of Italy, such as importing Caputo flour to ferment their dough. The science behind these extra measures result in the beverages and foods at Hudson’s Place having a more positive impact on your body.
“I felt like there was a big lack in this area, of clean pizza. And the more I would eat myself, my wife and I figured out that everything would make us bloat or we felt uncomfortable. So we would talk to people, and we realized that when you go to Europe, you can eat pasta and pizza all day long, every day. So that’s when we started learning about flour and extra virgin olive oil and how important it was to use European-imported flour and, really, just no seed oils at all,” explained Tom.
The dedication to using more authentic ingredients, including all of the delicious interior components of that sandwich, is appreciated. The pesto and slightly melted mozzarella with nice plops of olive oil were an instant delight when biting into this sandwich. There was a surprisingly copious amount of half-inch thick mozzarella slices hidden within the fold, all slightly softened by the warmth of the oven-baked bread and enhanced in flavor by the fresh and perfect olive oil. The prosciutto was on point, capping off this sandwich with another packed portion to ensure that rich salted meat would be included in every bite.
The extra mile Hudson’s Place goes to procure the ingredients for its creations makes a noticeable difference almost immediately, and it certainly rang true for that sandwich! Fortunately, the fun was just beginning. After I had taken a few bites of the Classico Di Parm, the pizzas started to arrive! Tom, Jim, and I would be enjoying slices of The New Yorker, The Fig, and the Chicken Mango Habanero. My goal was to try at least one slice from each pizza for a more encompassing adventure!
The delectable pie above features basil, parm, mozzarella cheese, and beef (halal) pepperoni and gets splashed with extra virgin olive oil at the end of its assembled journey. Tom said this is one of their most popular pizzas with patrons, which makes sense because it’s a wonderfully well-topped pizza featuring the beloved topping: pepperoni.
The cheese was thick and sharp in taste, with the olive oil adding a nice buttery finish to the overall profile. I didn’t taste the sauce as much, but that was primarily because the hearty pepperoni essentially stole the show in every bite. While I’ve always been a high-praise fan of all things cheese, the pepperoni was probably my favorite part of this pizza. The flavor was somewhat more robust and tasted more beefier with halal-based pepperoni. Each slice carried at least 4 to 5 pepperoni, so every slice pulled was a guaranteed winner in terms of portioning. I can see why this is a fan favorite; it’s a solid and delicious rendition of an enhanced pizza classic!
Not to be upstaged, I opened the second pizza box to reveal Tom’s favorite pizza: The Fig. This pizza contains mozzarella and gorgonzola (blue) cheese, fig, charred radicchio, sun-dried tomato, and spicy honey. We ended up adding bacon as well. I was immediately drawn to the sheer visual masterpiece of this pizza. The topping display was very well arranged and executed.
Even the blue hue from the gorgonzola cheese contributed a unique visual note in contrast to the charred radicchio and bright sun-dried tomatoes. The thick globs of spicy honey, which leaned more sweet than heat, greatly complemented the savory and pungent profiles of the blue cheese and bacon. This pizza was sweet and tangy to the max and my favorite of the three! While sampling this pizza, I asked Tom between bites the science behind assembling these specialty pizzas.
“No pizza is too strong in any one flavor. We can mix blue cheese with fig, and this way, it equals out. Keeping everything in a nice flow of food. Sometimes, I make it sound easy, but I guess it is very complex. But it’s really all about just making everything flow together, and also, that vibe is what I try to bring into the store,” said Tom. “When you come here, everything from what you drink and what you eat, to the way you feel, I hope, should feel like a good vibe when you enter the store. And I hope you feel happier when you leave the store.”
The good pizza vibes carried on to the third and final pizza, the Chicken Mango Habanero (Amanda’s favorite pizza). The pizza is topped with mozzarella and fontina cheese, some kickin chicken sourced from Chestnut Farms, freshly sliced jalapeño, red onion, roasted corn, and zesty mango habanero salsa.
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The cheese blend took a notable turn, more creamy and mild from the fontina cheese melted in with the mozzarella. The chicken pieces were large, flat, and somewhat hidden under the cheese. The chicken was delicious and tasted far more natural, like chicken you’d cook at home, versus the typical canned chunks many franchise establishments use. Tom pointed out that he specifically chose a place to source chicken from because he wanted to avoid chicken chunks. Tom explained that chunked chicken can sometimes cook unevenly compared to the rest of the pizza in the oven since the chicken chunk is often thicker than the dough stretched out for pizza. So essentially, the top half of the chicken isn’t getting exposed to the same level of heat as the bottom and not cooking in sync with the rest of the pizza or toppings! It’s the same for any pizza that gets overly topped or has more than at least six toppings, not including the cheese or sauce.
I thought the portioning was done well, with a good spread of heat across every slice from the different heat ranges of jalapeño and mango habanero salsa. The roasted corn and onion were a nice touch, adding some sweet balance and giving that Southwestern vibe and colorful pop. While this pizza was initially only slated to be a summer feature, Tom confessed that he and Amanda are considering making it a permanent fixture on the menu since it’s become very popular with guests!
Don’t think I forgot about the gelato! Which is one of those few desserts I will sometimes go out of my way to try or order when out and about adventuring. For new readers (the OGs are probably sick of hearing it, but oh well), I’m not big on dessert life, but I will dabble on special occasions or after long periods of (both intentional and non-intentional) zero sweets. This gelato is worth adventuring for because of its superior taste and out of respect for what Tom went through to ensure he had the best gelato maker around town. After a gelato encounter in New York City, Tom was determined to hunt down a particular machine that churned out an unforgettable experience — one he wanted to share with patrons at Hudson’s Place.
“Going to New York and tasting some of the best gelato I’ve ever had in my life, I took a picture of that machine and thought to make sure I get the same machine here at the store because the richness and denseness of the gelato stood out. All of our gelatos have extra virgin olive oil and sea salt mixed in as well to help make the flavor pop,” Tom said.
I knew immediately what Tom meant in terms of the gelato’s denseness. While gelato is similar to ice cream, it tends to be lighter and healthier since it uses far less fat than ice cream. It was shocking how light the previous meals had been, so even having room for a spoon or two of gelato was a rare cause worth celebrating. Despite the density, the gelatos were soft, creamy, and very light to consume, unlike when one feels bloated after eating traditional ice cream. I was able to spoon a few bites of each sample, and it hardly felt like I had consumed anything. It makes you start to wish ALL meals could end like this!
The pistachio gelato tasted like cramming 5 or 6 cracked pistachio nuts into your mouth; the flavor was spot on. The sea salt worked perfectly for this gelato and the espresso, which had an almost salted caramel taste with the slightest of coffee after-tones. I thought both were sensational and was impressed by the coffee gelato. Tom mentioned that he and Amanda were exploring bringing back the strawberry gelato (which was a fan favorite when blended with the pistachio) and introducing new flavors down the road. So keep an eye on the Hudson’s Place social media pages!
After finishing up the gelato and our interview, I asked Tom my final question, inquiring about the highlights of his days now that he and Amanda have established Hudson’s Place.
“It really is helping people and making their day better. So I love that I get to come to work every day and see the smile on their face when they come in here. It’s always been my dream; I guess hospitality has always been number one. So, seeing people leaving happy is always a big thing of mine. We named the store after my son, so that’s a huge inspiration. So every day we come here, we have to do a great job for Hudson, and there’s no question about it,” Tom said.
Whether it’s the great vibes, great food, or engaging hospitality of the Hudson’s Place staff, it’s simply a winning trifecta of an experience. At times during our meal, Tom would get up and rush to help his staff behind the counter during the lunch rush or to open the door for customers who were carrying out multiple pizzas (Tom even carried a few himself for folks) or things at a time. It’s inspiring and reassuring to see an owner who is committed to his customers, working to maintain a positive environment and experience at all times of the day. If you are cruising along the northern stretch of Telegraph Road anytime soon, consider stopping into Hudson’s Place for a quick bite or beverage; you’ll be glad you did!
For more information about Hudson’s Place, click here.
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