Two guests have now alerted us to a small comment in the “acknowledgements” at the close of author Erik Larson’s latest book, “The Demon of Unrest.”

In the closing section, Mr. Larson writes that a conference attendee he was with treated him to “one of the best meals I’ve had anywhere, at Selden Standard in Detroit.”

There was obviously no need to mention us by name, so that was most kind. Our gratitude to him for recognizing us as one of the best meals in Detroit – and to our guests for letting us know. Operating a restaurant and having kids haven’t left us as much leisure time as we’d like, but we’ll have to check out the book.

In the wake of the recent announcement of inclusion on the James Beard semi-finalist list for Outstanding Restaurant, the Metro Times was kind enough to chat with us as we enter our tenth year. They did a nice job encapsulating the many developments in our area of Detroit since Selden Standard opened in 2014.

It’s been quite the media month for us. First, we had the unexpected pleasure to appear on the James Beard Foundation semi-finalist list for Outstanding Restaurant. Then today, we were named on a USA Today list of best restaurants in the US.

As we said in this piece, happy guests are our best reward, but it’s hard not to enjoy some national love for our restaurant. Much of our team has been together several years, and it’s a great testament to their continued professionalism and their quality as people that we garner this kind of attention as we approach a decade of service.

What an unexpected delight, in our 9th year, to be named a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation’s Outstanding Restaurant in the United States.

While Chef Andy has been nominated under the Best Chef: Great Lakes category and he has always considered those team awards, this is the first time the Foundation has honored our restaurant in this way. We certainly try to keep our focus on each service, each day, but it’s hard not to take a moment to reflect on some serious national recognition.

We were excited to see that the James Beard Foundation chose to recognize more than a dozen chefs and restaurants in Southeast Michigan.

So congrats to our entire team on the honor — and congratulations, too, to those many other Detroit area chefs and restaurants who garnered JBF nods.

As we head into the end of 2023, we’ve recently celebrated both our nine year anniversary as well as Thanksgiving. With a spirit of gratitude filling the restaurant, it seemed like a good time to offer a little thank you recipe to our guests. If you’re looking for an easy meal that’s still appropriately celebratory, this just might be it. Indeed, we offered these during the pandemic as holiday takeout meals, and the response from guests was great.

Red Wine Braised Brisket w/ Salsa Verde

Braised Brisket

• 6 lbs (or so) of brisket, preferably from the flat
• 2 cups dry red wine
• 2 celery ribs, coarsely chopped
• 1 carrot, coarsely chopped
• 1 large onion, coarse chopped
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 5 sprigs, fresh thyme
• 5 sprigs, fresh rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 10 cloves garlic, peeled
• 3 quarts chicken stock
• Salt and pepper

Marinate the brisket in a large ziplock or Tupperware. Combine meat with wine, onion, carrot, celery. Seal and marinate in the fridge overnight, 8-12 hours,

The next day, preheat the oven to 300F. Remove the meat and place a on rack to drain. Separate the wine and veggies and reserve for later use. Pat the brisket dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat a Dutch oven or heavy duty casserole to medium-high heat. Add oil and brown the meat all over. Once browned, remove to a plate and add the reserved vegetables. Cook until beginning to brown, then add the reserved wine and reduce to half. Add the stock and simmer. Return the meat to the pot with the fresh herbs. Simmer, cover, then move to the oven.

After 4 hours, check for doneness: it should be quite tender but not falling apart. If necessary, continue to cook and check in a half hour or so.

When done, remove the brisket and cover/wrap with foil to rest. Strain the liquid into a pot to simmer, skimming the fat that floats to the top. Reduce to your liking, but we’re looking for a light sauce, not gravy. If needed, add more salt and pepper to season.

Do ahead: At this point, you can store the brisket in the sauce and gently re-heat it the next day in the oven. Slice thinly and serve with the sauce spooned over the top or in a bowl to the side. Top with a little salsa verde (below).

Salsa Verde

• 1 cups flat parsley, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup mint, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup oregano, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup rinsed capers, finely chopped
• 2-3 pickled fresno chiles (or other chile, adjusted for heat level), seeded and finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp minced shallot
• Zest of 2-3 lemons
• Extra virgin olive oil

Combine all dry ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Add oil to cover. Mix and incorporate. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if necessary. Add a small squeeze of lemon juice right before serving.

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