Detroit, MI — Due to my busy (and sometimes hectic) schedule, I rarely get to revisit some of the previous establishments I’ve featured. Fortunately, the last time I was at Mootz Pizzeria in downtown Detroit a few months ago, I was given a sneak peek of their expansion project: Side Hustle Lounge.
I glanced around and walked through the space as the interior was still being assembled. The Mootz team was working in overdrive to establish the cocktail lounge for the NFL Draft, which was weeks away from taking place at the time—and by golly, they did it! I told the Mootz team and my peeps at Near Perfect Media that I’d love to check it out sometime during the summer. Hence, here we are today!
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I adventured out to Side Hustle Lounge on August 18th to meet up with my buddy Alex from NPM to check out the finished product of what I had seen earlier this year. I was excited because I had noticed in social media posts throughout the summer that Chef Angela had crafted a small plate-based menu for the lounge with some new and unique items.
The cocktail bar is attached to the hip of Mootz Pizzeria (quite literally via a side door) right off Library Street between Gratiot and Grand River avenues. One of the things I love about Mootz Pizzeria, and now Side Hustle Lounge, is their connection and immediate access to The Belt, one of the trendy cocktail alleys of downtown Detroit. I parked in the Z Garage, the primary parking deck structure connected to The Belt, and headed into Side Hustle Lounge via the back alley entrance right as the bar opened at 4 p.m.
The bright and dark tones of the interior set the ambiance vibe high. The mood was classy, with very OG Detroit lounge vibes and an immaculate bar arrangement. The higher glass windows above the patio door provided an abundance of sunshine, illuminating the interior with natural light as patrons slowly started making their way in group by group. I could only snap off a few quick photos before the lounge became filled with guests, Alex, and some of the Mootz Pizzeria/Side Hustle Lounge management, whom I would soon be interviewing!
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I first sat down with Tyler Westfall, the Director of Operations at Mootz Pizzeria and Side Hustle Lounge. I asked what initially sparked the idea for Side Hustle Lounge and the decision to expand.
“This property used to be a T-shirt store. We found out they were moving out. So, one of our owners, Tony and also Lisa, acquired the space. They always had this concept for a bar. So we decided, hey, let’s purchase the property,” Tyler explained. “We didn’t know the name at first; we kind of went back and forth. So, at Mootz, we have the regular dining room, then we have our slice window, which used to be [called] our side hustle. We said, hey, why don’t we make this lounge our Side Hustle Lounge, and then we’ll rename that to our Slice House. So it works out, that’s kind of the theme.”
As mentioned, the interior theme immediately caught my eye when I first walked in and absorbed the space. The classic Detroit vibe I was picking up on was intentional, a curated theme researched by Mootz leadership when developing the look and feel for Side Hustle Lounge.
“We started going around on themes and started doing some research downtown. Really, we landed on 50s, 60s-style Detroit. There’s really nothing like that downtown. So, we really landed on that concept. A lot of the artwork is custom to kind of fit that era too, so that’s what we landed on for Side Hustle Lounge,” Tyler said.
On the food front, Chef Angela designed a small menu featuring some small plate bites, including some of the popular appetizers from Mootz. Being the creative chef that she is, Angela also whipped up some new items to feature at Side Hustle Lounge!
“She came up with some great stuff. The Candy Bacon Steak is amazing. The steak tips are amazing; they started over here, and now they’re on the Mootz menu. The flatbread’s amazing, and we’re kind of ever-evolving the menu. We kind of wanted to be a little different, keep some of the Mootz highlights, and then have some new food and drinks over here as well,” said Tyler.
After chatting with Tyler and getting the rundown on Side Hustle Lounge’s inception, I sat down with Lisa Walters, Operating Partner of Side Hustle Lounge and Mootz Pizzeria. Lisa elaborated on the initial desire for the expansion, which was meant to provide more space for private and special events. I asked Lisa what it was like to open the doors to Side Hustle Lounge just days ahead of the NFL Draft, which consumed the streets of downtown Detroit for several days.
“That one’s hard to put into words because that’s something I’ve never experienced. The amount of people that came through here and the amount of exposure we had was phenomenal. I couldn’t ask for a better showing of people,” Lisa explained. “It taught us a lot because we had the space rented out for the first time, so we were able to see how an event would flow, what we would do differently, what we liked, those types of things. So, great experience.”
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Entertaining the various crowds that frequently amass in downtown Detroit for major events, sports games, and weekend festivities has been a lot of work for the Side Hustle Lounge and Mootz Pizzeria team, but the energized scene motivates them. The patrons who stop into Mootz Pizzeria and now Side Hustle Lounge often leave positive feedback and make return visits, which Lisa says means everything to her and the staff.
“The support we’ve gotten from the community is unbelievable. Again, hard to put into words. It’s amazing. As people come to find us, they’re so impressed by the space, which is ever-evolving. I mean, we’re kind of tweaking things here and there when we find, like, oh, we have these small tables, maybe they don’t work so well, maybe we need to have a little bit bigger table for the food, those types of things,” Lisa said. “But the community support has been phenomenal. And I can’t believe how many people from out of town have come to visit us and say, we’ll be back the next time we’re in town. So it’s very rewarding, I love it.”
After the interviews, it was time to dine on some of Chef Angela’s latest creations. I obviously had to check out the Candied Bacon Steak, one of the unique features on the Side Hustle Lounge menu, and the Tuscan Flatbread, which is also a Side Hustle Lounge exclusive. I tacked on an order of Nonna’s Meatballs (featured on both menus) because I recalled them just being phenomenal from my first visit to Mootz Pizzeria nearly a year ago.
After all the plates arrived, Alex and I took the food outside on the patio to enjoy since it was a lovely Sunday evening. I forked a nice hearty piece of the Candied Bacon Steak, taking a moment to appreciate how incredibly tender and well-cooked this piece of pork was. The quickly seared sauce was illustrious as it was delicious. It was thick, sweet, and had a nice smokey finish, perfectly encapsulating the bacon.
I give props to Chef Angela for this dish. The sauce is exceptional, and the glaze made the bacon steak glisten. If you’re in the mood for something salty/smokey with a sweet kick, this is a great little snack to share or tackle solo alongside a drink!
I’m not going to lie; I’m really proud of that photo above because it captured every marvelous ingredient that contributed to this noteworthy flatbread. The Tuscan Flatbread comes topped with several slices of provolone cheese, romesco sauce, arugula, sundried tomatoes, sweet peppers, ricotta, lemon juice olive oil, salt/pepper, red pepper flakes, and grated parm. I mean… WOW!
You best believe every bite was absolutely loaded. There was a light, peppery profile, but the acidity from the tomatoes and lemon juice-based olive oil contained it. The cheese blend paired very well with the other toppings, particularly the use of a lighter cheese like whipped ricotta. Overall, a very refreshing and light (but still very much filling) awesome flatbread!
The meatballs were on point, just like my previous encounter! They are a blend of beef and pork, placed atop a couple of scoops of marinara and topped with ricotta and shaved grana cheese. As anyone who knows me would say, the cheese attracts me to this dish like a moth to a flame!
The cheese combo here is just money, cashing in on creamy and robust flavor to match the savory and finely seasoned meatballs. The flavor packed into these meatballs is wonderful, and you can identify profile-wise where and how it enhances the meat. Make sure to scoop some of the marinara with your bite, and you’ve got yourself a one-way ticket to Taste Township!
Alex and I finished up our meal and parted ways. I thanked Lisa and Tyler again for speaking with me and continuing to share the story of Mootz Pizzeria and now Side Hustle Lounge! Keep an eye out on their social channels for updates on the ever-evolving space and future menu creations crafted by Chef Angela. The food, vibes, and experience established at Mootz transfers over to Side Hustle Lounge, which has a more intimate and relaxed setting. If you’re out grabbing drinks around downtown Detroit, consider checking out this pristine lounge with some riveting small plate offerings!
For more information about Side Hustle Lounge, click here.
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