Experience the magic of Chef Max Sussman at Frame.
Longtime fans, and fans he’s about to make, will have a chance to experience the
delectable pizza magic of Chef Max Sussman Nov. 11-13 at “PizzeriaVino: A
Wood-Fired Pop-Up” at Cari and Joe Vaughn’s Frame. The self-described
“culinary space” in Hazel Park brings guests together for a variety of culinary
delights from its changing lineup of chefs.
“Max Sussman is one of Metro Detroit’s brightest culinary stars, having made a name for himself working for the likes of April Bloomfield (founder of The Breslin in Manhattan’s Ace Hotel) and the renowned Brooklyn pizza joint, Roberta’s,” said former Detroit Free Press restaurant critic Mark Kurlyandchik, editorial director
at Frame.
Sussman was also executive chef at The Cleveland in Manhattan, experimenting with Middle Eastern spices, before he and his younger brother, Eli, introduced their Middle Eastern restaurant, Samesa, in Brooklyn. They opened in 2015, five years after moving to New York City.
The Sussman brothers say their flavorful restaurant — relocated in March 2021 to
30 Rockefeller Plaza in Midtown Manhattan — was inspired by the shawarma and
other tastes of Middle Eastern cuisine they experienced at eateries in Dearborn and
Metro Detroit. Eli has remained at the helm of Samesa since co-owner Max moved
with his family to Dexter, Mich. During the pandemic, Max launched Pizza
Replicator (www.pizzareplicator.com), a creative and popular Star Trek: The
Next Generation-themed roving pizzeria. He makes pies at Roos Roast Café in
Ann Arbor while seeking a permanent area location. Sussman also is culinary
director at Bog & Thunder, his wife Kate McCabe’s Irish foodways and travel
company.
white New York-style blistered pies made with organic flour, and assembled with
local topping ingredients. They will include such items as “hot honey, white truffle,
hazelnut pesto, hot Italian sausage and caramelized onions.” Frame also promises
diners will see Sussman “beauties, like roasted cabbage with salsa macha and a
shared porchetta for two.”
“My pizzas are very seasonal, so the toppings change a lot. This time of year, I love
to use autumn ingredients,” said Sussman, an early adopter of using organic and
local food. He’s particularly excited about making his “butternut squash and sage
pizza with Taleggio (a soft and Italian cheese, comparable to brie).”
A University of Michigan and Berkley High School graduate from Huntington
Woods, Sussman said his cooking career started “by accident” at Habonim-Dror
Camp Tavor in Three Rivers, Mich. Tavor is the Labor Zionist-oriented summer
camp where he and Eli spent their formative years.
As the story goes, Max at around age 19 was preparing to become a counselor
when the camp asked if he could help out for a few weeks in the kitchen. It was a
perfect match. “I loved getting to work on all the ingredients, and I loved how it
was physical and working with your hands. You can immediately see the results of
it,” Sussman said. In Ann Arbor, he worked his way up the ranks at Zingerman’s
Deli and Chef Eve Aronoff’s former Eve the Restaurant.
Among his accomplishments, Sussman was named to the 2011 Forbes magazine
list of chefs age “30 under 30.” He was a semifinalist for a James Beard Rising
Star Chef Award in 2012 and selected the same year with Eli as two of Zagat
NYC’s “30 under 30” culinary superstars. The Sussman brothers have produced
four cookbooks together and have been several times on the Today show. Their
writing and recipes have appeared in Food & Wine and Bon Appetit magazines,
among others.
“It’s no secret that Detroit is a real pizza town, and Max Sussman is one of its
finest makers,” said Kurlyandchik. “Max is a cookbook author, deep culinary
thinker and community advocate, always striving to improve the industry, himself
and his wonderful, pillow-y pizza dough — so it is our absolute honor to have him
working Frame’s own brick oven for a very special weekend.”
PizzeriaVino:
A Wood-Fired Pop-Up by Chef Max Sussman’s Pizza Replicator
5:30-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Nov. 11 and 12
Wood-Fired Brunch and Cocktails
11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 13
Frame is offering an a la carte, order-as-you-please menu on each date. The
offerings on Friday and Saturday will include a variety of snacks, salads and pizza
pies. Sunday will feature Sussman’s wood-fired pizza brunch. Reservations are recommended, but a number of tables will be held back for walk-ins if none are
available online. Place-holding reservations are taken with a credit card at
www.framehazelpark.com for $25 plus a $3 deposit, per person. For questions,
contact hello@framehazelpark.com.
23839 John R
Hazel Park, Mich. 48030
No public phone
www.framehazelpark. com
