At the heart of the Motor City stands Cliff Bell’s. It is an iconic building with a rich history that shows the resilience and clout that this city carries. No words could probably describe the story of Cliff Bell’s so I will simply recap their history as told by their website. It will give you the perfect summary of their journey, hopefully inspiring you to pay them a visit on your next trip to Detroit. If you don’t pay them a visit to experience the historic building, do it for the exceptional show you will witness. And if you don’t do it for the show, at least visit them for the Brussel sprouts and Salmon Croquettes. More about that here. Whatever the reason, just be sure to check them out.

• 1922: Bell opened up multiple “speakeasy” establishments during the 14 years of Prohibition.
• 1928: Unlike other operators in town, Bell made little effort to keep a low profile and his Prohibition era exploits soon attracted the attention of the authorities leading to his arrest after a four month long manhunt.
• 1930: Bell was back in the game opening the Erskine Bridge Club. From what people can conclude, the Erskine Bridge Club was the first saloon to have stools at the bar. Let’s give Bell credit for the invention of the bar stool!
• 1958: For almost thirty years, Bell opened up a series of groundbreaking establishments continuing his streak has one of the main entertainer entrepreneurs in Detroit. Bell retired in 1958 and for the next two decades enjoyed life with his wife until his passing on December 12, 1977. He was 91.
• 1970: During the 70′s and 80′s the Club that Bell ran for so many years operated under a series of different names: The Winery, La Cave, or AJ’s on the Park.
• 1985: The business closed down and the building and famous old club remained vacant for twenty years.

• 2006: The famous Detroit club that carried so much of the city’s history reopened as “Cliff Bell’s” in February of that year.
• Current: Cliff Bell’s is among the world’s premier Jazz Clubs, featuring regional, national and international acts alongside Detroit’s own local roster of top level musicians.

I have visited this establishment three times during three separate visits to Detroit. It is an absolute must-see during your next visit to the Motor City. Reservations are highly recommended.

_{A special thanks to the Cliff Bell’s website for recapping such a pivotal timeline for my readers to enjoy. To read the history of Cliff Bell’s in full detail, visit their website, here. All photos above (with the exception of the feature photo) are courtesy of the Cliff Bell’s website.}