He went to how many bars? Author pens Detroit watering hole guide

Mike Kline bellied up to 157 Detroit bars, all in the name of research.

He made the rounds from dingy dive bars to craft cocktail clubs as he raised a glass to Detroit and its "amazing" comeback.

With his liver still intact, the 48-year-old Canton author has penned a new book, "Watering Holes: Your Guide To Detroit's Bars, Pubs and Taverns." It's a labor of love, with a few burps thrown in, to help readers maneuver Detroit's bustling bar scene.

"It was a blast doing it," he said during an interview at Green Dot Stables on West Lafayette.

Kline's 170-page guide breaks down Detroit's bars by neighborhoods, such as Corktown, Midtown, Eastern Market and downtown, among others. It's a perfect resource for Detroit bar lovers like Will Albers of Belleville, who belongs to a small Detroit bar-hopping group dubbed The League.

"We get together, go to dive bars and learn about the neighborhoods and history," Albers said. "Now, with this book, we have a checklist that gives us a little bit of insight about where we're going."

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The League hopes to visit all 157 bars listed in the guide. Kline makes it easy to keep track with a "been there" box they can check for each bar.

"It's almost like a scavenger hunt," Albers said.

"Watering Holes" has a one-page entry for each bar Kline visited and provides a succinct synopsis, including what kind of food is served. It has maps, parking advice and details about which establishments provide shuttles to sports games and other downtown events.

Kline, a professional, independent photographer, took pictures of every bar. It's a guide, not a book of reviews, but he revealed some of his favorite spots during the interview.

Old Miami and PJ's Lager House are high on his list. He spoke favorably of The Keep, a subterranean bar with a brick interior and no windows in the Bricktown neighborhood.

"You're in a basement and you know you're in a basement," Kline said.

On the food front, Cutter's in Eastern Market has one of his favorite burgers, stuffed with feta cheese and red onions, while Sweetwater Tavern in Bricktown and PizzaPapalis Taverna in Greektown make some of the best chicken wings. Motor City Brewing Works in Midtown gets high marks for pizza.

Go to Bricktown for onion rings: "Checker's Bar has the best onion rings I've ever had," Kline said.

Kline's bar travels took him to old neighborhood bars like Nancy Whiskey, which dates back to 1902 in the Corktown neighborhood and claims to be Detroit's oldest bar. Bonus: The jukebox is free to operate each Wednesday.

He also drank at newer bars like the Apparatus Room in the Foundation Hotel, formerly the Detroit Fire Department headquarters. Kline described it as "hipster and elegant" with craft cocktails.

Kline started his research early this year, talking to bartenders, managers and owners and getting history lessons as he drank. Jumbo's Bar in the Midtown/Cass Corridor area has been owned by three generations of the same family since 1940, while PJ's Lager House is among the bars where the Prohibition-era Purple Gang used to hang out as members dealt in illegal alcohol sales.

The bars where Kline raised a toast to Detroit are bounded geographically by Warren, the Detroit River, Interstate 96 and Joseph Campau Avenue. He got the idea for his book because friends knew he worked in photography in Detroit and often asked him where to go.

"My friends wanted to know where the best dive bars are," he said. "They're not looking to spend a lot of money. They're looking for a place where they can spend the least and still have fun."

Kline's book comes as Detroit's bar scene, like the city itself, is witnessing a resurgence.

"This book is my way of raising a glass to toast this awesome city," he said.

What makes a good bar?

"Cold beer, decent food and friendliness," Kline said. "I want to feel welcome. They don't have to yell 'Norm' (like on the TV show "Cheers") when I walk in the door, but I want it to be friendly."

For more about the book or to buy it, go to http://www.wateringholesbook.com.

dclem@hometownlife.com

Twitter: @CantonObserver

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