Proof

SO SAD TO SEE YOU GO! Great martinis and most of all, great owners! Greg & Dave are the BEST! Went there Friday night NOT knowing it was the last night… One of my FAVORITE places in the D. Wishing Greg and Dave well & missing PROOF already!!!

Oh it makes me sad to write this. I thought about editing the details above so that I could report Proof as officially closed… but I couldn’t bring myself to do that quite yet.
Friday ¹²⁄₁₈ was Proof’s last night — so of course I had to head down there both Thursday and Friday to take in as much as I could before it was too late. The bar was insanely crowded on Friday night, with the cast of regulars — whether they were daily or monthly regulars — who were just as sad as I to see them close the doors. One patron commented that maybe if we had all come to the bar twice as often, we wouldn’t be at their farewell party. I spent some time thinking about it, and realized that Proof has always suffered from a personality disorder. It’s a martini bar, it’s a sports bar, it’s a dance club, it’s the neighborhood watering hole — it’s so so many things. On the surface one might think that’s bad– and might even be the reason they weren’t more successful. Perhaps people just walked right past thinking it was a hoity toity martini bar, and didn’t give it a chance. Regardless of the name, Proof was a place where anyone could be comfortable, everyone was welcome– and you always left a little happier than you came. Why? Dave and Greg– the two owners who spent the past four years of their lives tending bar. They are two of the nicest guys I have ever met and they put their sweat and blood (maybe blood, hopefully not. but maybe) into making this place as wonderful as it was. I think years down the road I will forget what the name of my favorite martini there was… but I think I will still fondly remember the good times that I had. Dave was the reason that I started to make this a must-​stop-​in-​for-​at-​least-​one-​drink go to bar for myself. He was always smiling, always willing to engage in conversation, he remembered me and the types of drinks I like –AND he let me get away with some ridiculous shenanigans, all while serving me tasty beverages. When we made our last visits this week, I felt like I was losing a friend… I wish both of those guys the best of luck in their future endeavors. They deserve it.
So you might be wondering — why write a review on a place that we cant’ go to anymore? What’s the point of that? I guess it is to make a statement — Times are rough right now. Many businesses are struggling to keep their doors open. If there is a place that makes you feel as good as Proof made me feel… or a local business owner who you think is a fantastic person — Do what you can to help them stay afloat. Stop in when you can– tell your friends to do the same– Write them a fantastic review on Unilocal!History tells us that the economy will get better eventually… but we should do what we can until that happens.
Goodbye Proof — I will miss you.

My favorite bar not just in Detroit, but in my experience. All the trappings of a chic coastal with none of the pretentiousness, (PROOF) is an example of what can be done in the city of Detroit with care, creativity, and chutzpah. ½ price martini Mondays draw a female-​heavy crowd; a target-​rich environment for the single professional male Detroiter. Dave and Greg are masters of their craft and their ingenuity shined through both in the martini menu and in the extensive scotch selection, the likes of which I have yet to see in my travels. Food rose far above standard bar fare, including everything from grilled panini to Michigan salads, all created on site and served with real silverware and linen napkins.
Unfortunately after four years of operation, (PROOF) is closing its doors Friday, December 18^th. It will be missed to say the least, not just by myself an admitted regular, but by the people of Detroit who really «get it.» Those of you who escaped to Royal Oak and Novi to have a good time wasted gas and money. (PROOF) was my polestar, and the place where the bartenders not just knew my name, but cared about more than tips: they cared about Detroit.
R.I.P.

Sweet singer. Chain Blinger. Holla at the next chick soon as you’re blinkin

So, I’m definitely not a glitz and glam bar kinda girl, I’m completely content having a beer in a greasy, smelly dive bar, but there’s something about Detroit’s Proof, that makes me love a fancy joint.
Located on Woodward Ave, across from Comerica Park, this a fantastic place to go to drink martinis and do a little or a lot of dancing. The martini list includes such wonders as the Pink Lady, pomegranate juice, champagne, and some other yumminess, the Almond Joy martini, which tastes like… the candy bar that lends it;s name to the martini. In addition, to the wide selection of martinis Proof has a full bar.
The handful of times that I have ventured to this slick and chic bar, there have been local d. j’s spinning techno and house music, so there’s been a lot of booty shaking. Bu ton Monday’s, half off martini day, the crowd is a little more chill.
As much as I love going to my local dive bar, Proof has definitely made me a convert when it comes to the swanky, modern, chic bars.

I can’t believe I had fun here. I am not a fan of «clubs» or whatever, but I definitely partied hard and the martinis were unmemorable only because I got so wasted on them.
I think it’s worth it to make sure you figure out who the owner is because that dude is so nice and accomodating. He apparently fixes a mean, slick drink — I didn’t even know what hit me.
I would come here again to drink. I know I sound like a lush.

Well, I survived 1 year in Detroit and DID have my party here. I’m still mystified how my bill came under $ 150… after I had sooooooooooooooooo many martinis. The bar staff really takes care of you, and after 11pm the place really gets kicking with some fantastically awesome music.
I narrowed down a few martini winners:
For the men:
Vesper — class Bond martini
Gin martini with blue cheese olives (a dear friend of mine was in a happy happy place)
For the ladies:
Key lime martini (I drank 3 of these in a row, my god are they tasty with only a little alcohol in them, hence why I was still standing after 3+ martinis…)
Mocha Blanca — I don’t remember what is in this one, but it tastes like Bailey’s — only better
Classics done right:
Cosmo
Lemon drop
I love love LOVE this place and I’ll be back.

I’ll say first off, that I’m not too big of a fan of dance clubs downtown; I’ve found that they’re often stuffy, sometimes snooty, and usually have people working the door with sub-​par IQs and who overcompensate in the area of… muscles.
That being said, I really like Proof in lieu of the above; I’ve never paid cover, or had some brutish bouncer pat me down, or had a bad time for that matter.
Proof is equal parts lounge and dance club; there is ample seating, and a respectable dance floor. I’m also happy to report that actual bar is nearly the entire length of the club! So if you like bar seats, you might want to check out this place; the giant plasma screens will keep you company if you already don’t.
The prices are what you’d expect in a downtown club; $ 4 for imports, anywhere from $ 5 – 10 on mixed drinks, depending on what you get. What I would say is, they have an excellent selection of beer and liquors. I’ve tried quite a few different drinks in Proof for the first time, and it doesn’t seem like other places I might go to would have the same stock — so they wouldn’t be able to make them after all.
I’d recommend Proof as a place to go to with friends; the crowd is so varied that it’d be hard to guess what kind of crowd you’d be walking into. Sometimes the crowd from Comerica will come to Proof, and the place is a little more rowdy; sometimes business-​types come dressed classy and very little dancing happens; once in a while they have artists painting while DJs spin house… it’s really a mixed crowd, but a fun one.
If you happen to go there on Saturday night, you’re in for a treat: Adam Francesconi and J. Ramsey spin House — and they both rock! Say hello and tell J to do that Sanford and Son mix.

Sometimes the crowd and the atmosphere is a hit and miss. But on a good night there’s good music and a fun crowd.
Just across the street from Comerica Park and a block from Fox Theatre. It is a great place to have a drink before/​after a game or performance.

I visited Detroit for the first time this past weekend, and would never have thought I’d come across one of the coolest martini bars I’d ever been to. A list of more than a hundred (I think) types of martinis, CHOICE of olives, and great ambience… I was desperately wishing they had one of these in lame (sorry, but true) Boston. A place like this would have been packed on a Saturday night if it had been in Vegas, DC, NYC, or Boston, but for whatever reason, there weren’t that many people there, so we had plenty of space to chill out. I had the dirty martini with garlic-​stuffed olives (yum) and the cajun martini with red pepper stuffed olives (HOT), and I took a sip of a friend’s pickle juice martini (double yum). If I ever find myself in Motor City again… I know where I’ll be heading!