DATE NIGHT

The Ann Arbor Art Center is offering a wide variety of art classes this winter.

When you feel like doing it up for a nice night out, you want to go somewhere with an intimate atmosphere, fancy drinks, and of course, some delicious, sophisticated food. That’s what Ryan and Alicia Racine tried to create at Toria, a new restaurant in Northville.

This wine bar offers vino you've probably never had before.

The food and drinks aren't the only things you'll want to post to your 'gram!

Use your other four senses by dining in the dark.

Create a new piece of art using this interesting painting method

Looking for a place to go this weekend where you can feast on some tasty food and drinks?

East Village Detroit – Ever walk into a place and think “man, this is chic!” It’s a combination of the food, the atmosphere, and the cocktails. That’s how you feel when you walk into Ivy Kitchen + Cocktails, owner Nya Marshall’s first restaurant. It works to represent the old Detroit, blending and coming together with the new Detroit. The restaurant opened up just about 90 days before COVID-19 hit Michigan and shut down the restaurant industry. Ivy Kitchen + Cocktails is located at 9215 E Jefferson Ave, Detroit.

If you are missing the excitement of going out to a concert and hearing live music somewhere that is not in your home, there is now a way to experience it. Classical By Candlelight is a small concert, with masked performers, where music ranging from Bach to Miles Davis fills the room. The concerts were brought here by the company, Fever Up, and the concept began in historic churches in Spain. Now you can enjoy the wonder of live music, in a romantic setting, during a night out after hours. Watch the video above to learn more about the Classical By Candlelight concerts.

When you visit their website you can choose to do a live virtual event, or pick a pre-recorded tutorial so you can work on your own time. This is a great date whether you both live in the same home, or are sheltering separately, and afterward, you’re left with a beautiful memento. Luckily, you can actually do lots of tours of places online! The Vatican has a virtual tour! So there you have it, 3 great dates you don’t need to leave your house for!

ANN ARBOR – The Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra will be performing a seasonal “Halloween Hauntcert” on Friday, Oct. 30. The virtual event comes with a four-course curbside pick up meal from The Ravens Club. The event will also feature themed poetry readings by Thomas Blaske, including Edgar Allan Poe’s famed “The Raven.”✉ Like what you’re reading? To see the menu for the evening and to purchase tickets, click here. Happy Halloween!

Halloween is around the corner and what better way to get into spooky season than to take a trip into the forest at Glenlore Trails: The Haunted Forest. Even though many events are cancelled or not happening this year, this popular sensory experience recently changed over from a family fun trail, to a a Halloween inspired forest that is great for any age group. Kila Peeples went through the the 1/2 mile trail and showed some of the fun and (slightly) frightening visual effects you will pass as you stroll the path. Watch the video to see what to expect in the Glenlore Trails Haunted Forest.

Well, you can get a taste of everything on the menu at Marrow. This unique restaurant is actually a hybrid, operating as a butcher’s shop by day, and serving up delicious meals by night. The team at Marrow are longtime professionals in the food industry and wanted to create their dream spot to work. They wanted to create a restaurant that paired well with the butcher shop’s mission, and what they created was a very seasonally-inspired, chef-driven menu. Since COVID-19 hit, they have switched up their menu and are just doing a tasting menu, which they change every week.

By now you may be itching to get off of your couch and actually go to the movies. Even though our movie theaters are not open yet, there is a way to enjoy a flick outside of your home. The Film Lab in Hamtramck is hosting movies on their patio, where people can sit outside and watch a classic movie under the stars. Not only do they show movies on their patio, but they also offer craft cocktails and snacks for purchase. Watch the video above to see everything The Film Lab has to offer.

If you’ve walked around downtown Royal Oak recently, you will have noticed Mr. B’s, a long time sports bar, has closed, and in its spot is the all-new Alchemi. The chic new restaurant is still headed by former Mr. B’s owner, John Prepolec, more commonly known as Johnny Prep. This new restaurant is much more in line with his style of cooking and he is excited about the change. They spent the pandemic completely remodeling the very large restaurant dividing it into two, Alchemi, and Prep’s Gaming Room and Nightclub. If you would like to try out Alchemi, it is located at 215 S Main Street in Royal Oak.

Then take a trip to Europe and Asia through your taste buds. White Wolf Patisserie takes you on a sweet trip by offering delectable desserts that are heavily influenced by Japanese and French pastries. From cheesecakes to Earl Grey tea infused creme brulee, there is definitely something at this Clawson bakery that will satisfy your sweet tooth. White Wolf Patisserie recently started offering craft cocktails that are also Asian influenced. White Wolf Patisserie is perfect for a date night, after dinner treat, or just chill with friends.

Beacon Park Its summer, the weather has been gorgeous, and with people social distancing, many are opting to dine outdoors. When DTE was creating Beacon Park, they built a restaurant to be a part of it, but they needed someone to run it. Thats where Norm and Bonnie LePage, owners of Birmingham based Griffin Claw Beer, came in. They also have Griffin Claw Beer on draft, a wine list, and a host of signature cocktails. They offer all of their drinks to-go and you can sip them anywhere in Beacon Park.

After Hours is near and dear to me because I love getting dressed up and going out to a nice night on the town. Its like Im in my own version of Destinys Childs song Jumpin Jumpin (if you dont know the song, look it up). The views from the 3 patios is nothing short of spectacular, in the day or night time. I love going to the Monarch, its a must in the summertime to see the city I love from such great heights. I will continue to highlight them because as they say, the night time is the right time.

Lows in the mid-to-upper 50s (13 to 15 degrees Celsius) means that itll be great sleeping weather -- open up those windows! Highs will warm into the upper 70s to near 80 degrees (26 to 27 degrees Celsius), with a southwest wind at 10 to 15 mph. Lows in the mid 60s (18 degrees Celsius). Highs through the week will be not too far from 80 degrees (27 degrees Celsius), with overnight lows in the 60 to 65 degree range (15 to 18 degrees Celsius). By next Friday and Saturday, highs may reach the low to mid 80s (29 to 30 degrees Celsius)!