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Hamtramck Mayor, League President Karen Majewski on Travel Channel's Bizarre Foods

February 21, 2012 16:31 by author

Matt Bach

League President and Hamtramck Mayor Karen Majewski and Bizarre Foods America Host Andrew Zimmern.

DETROIT, Michigan - If you want to be inspired by the many great things taking place in Michigan you need look no further than the Feb. 20, 2012, episode of "Bizarre Foods America: Detroit" on the Travel Channel that included Michigan Municipal League President and Hamtramck Mayor Karen Majewski.

Yes, the show was about host Andrew Zimmern tasting all the unique foods found in the Detroit area - from smoked pig's head in Detroit to a pljeskavica burger in Hamtramck to a break-the-fast Ramadan family feast in Dearborn. But it also shined a bright light on the Detroit area discussing the diversity and rich cultural heritage in southeast Michigan. It even included a great segment on the Detroit Mower Gang, a group of people making a difference in Detroit by mowing and maintaining parks that the city can no longer afford to maintain. The group cooks up raccoon among other things for Zimmern.

Prominently featured in the episode was Majewski. Majewski and Zimmern visit several restaurants in Hamtramck trying out a variety of foods in the highly cultural diverse Hamtramck. Majewski said she spent five hours with Zimmern and took him to Srodek's Quality Sausage, Sheeba's (Yemeni), Amar Pizza (Bangladeshi), and Palma Restaurant (Bosnian). The Palma segment is viewable only online.

"We really appreciated being included in this show that featured Detroit-area restaurants, markets, and other food venues," Majewski said. "Clearly, a whole series could be focused on the Detroit area alone. Hamtramck is well known for its variety of great food options, and the city shone in all its diversity and vibrancy. Andrew Zimmern couldn't have been more gracious, and his crew more fun to work with, during the five hours it took to shoot what ended up being a 15-minute segment. We hope he'll come back for more great food, and we hope other visitors will take the cue and eat their way around the world right here in Hamtramck."

The full show does a great job highlighting some of the "placemaking" assets the Michigan Municipal League believes make up great 21st Century Communities, including multiculturalism and diversity; cultural economic development and civic engagement.

In case you missed the show, there are several video clips of it on the Travel Channel's website. Here are some video and other links related to the show: