Say aloha!

It might officially be winter in Michigan but Longboard – 21931 Michigan Avenue, Suite 100, Dearborn — wants you to forget the snow and focus on the beach. Open since late November, the interior of the 8,000-square-foot space features surfboards, bright colors, and a bar that looks like a tiki hut to offer that West Coast feel. “When you walk in, you feel like you’re somewhere tropical – you feel like you’re on vacation,” said General Manager John Elwell. Since Longboard is from the team behind Jolly Pumpkin – which was what the space was originally supposed to become – expect some Jolly Pumpkin staples on the menu, like their fried chicken sandwich and pizzas. But the rest of the menu leans in to that beach feel, with dishes like poke bowls and a poke wrap, a variety of tacos, and their six signature cocktails, including two which are frozen – and there are plans to add more frozen drinks once spring arrives. Each cocktail is named after something associated with Hawaiian culture or surfing, such as their in-house mai tai and Beach Bum Punch. For those won’t don’t drink alcohol, they also have a list of non-alcoholic drinks, including a blackberry cooler. A back patio with fire pits and a bar – based on the idea of a Ford truck with a surfboard on top – will open next spring/summer. ­Metro Intelligencer is a monthly column devoted to news stories, tidbits and gossip items about what's happening on the restaurant scene in the metro Detroit area. Metro Intelligencer is reported/created each month by Dana Casadei who can be reached at DanaCasadei@DowntownPublications.com with news items or tips, on or off the record.