Mold Remediation in Wyandotte, MI

A new eatery with family ties to and inspired by the flavors of a long-familiar downriver restaurant is planning to open sometime this year in the former Bobcat Bonnie’s space in downtown Wyandotte.

Fotini Callis plans to open The Auburn Taverna, inspired by the flavors of Auburn Café, a family-owned restaurant in Ecorse for more than four decades.

Callis, 34, of Grosse Ile, is the wife of Kostas Callis, who for two decades has run the long-time family-owned Auburn Café started by his parents, Antigone and Sam Callis. (Auburn Café is currently closed after a January fire devastated the restaurant.)

“It is going to be inspired by the flavors and the experiences of the Auburn Café,” Callis said, “which has been a huge part of my life. “It is part of the Auburn family, but we’re putting our own twist on it.”

At The Auburn Taverna, Callis said there will be a lot of influences from Auburn Café classics and people can expect “comforting and familiar yet exciting” flavors.

“It's all about creating something that will feel like home but with new experiences to keep it fresh,” she said. "We want people to come in and enjoy the great food and just have a good time.”

Contractors will transform and remodel the former Bobcat Bonnie’s space on Sycamore Street.

“I wanted to bring the same welcoming family-oriented atmosphere to Wyandotte that my in-laws created in Ecorse.”

Auburn Café is known for some of the best Greek food downriver, including staples like flaming saganaki, grilled lamb chops, and crave-worthy lemon potatoes.

Callis said she grew up around amazing cooks, including her parents and grandmother, who had a huge influence on her in the kitchen and going to the Auburn Café.

“Now my mother-in-law is teaching me her unique ways with cooking, which has really inspired the dishes we will be offering, especially the ones that she used to start the restaurant in Ecorse with my father-in-law.”

Opening a restaurant, Callis said, has been a long-time dream but she hadn’t found the right location. That is, until now.

“Once the opportunity in Wyandotte came up, I knew it was the right time,” she said. “The community and the vibe, everything just fell into place, and I couldn't be more excited to finally bring this vision to life.”

A teacher by trade, Callis follows a gluten-free diet and said she’s had to find ways to adapt recipes to her dietary restrictions. She shares her gluten-free journey on an Instagram blog called the Gluten-Free Greek and expects The Auburn Taverna to have some of those influences.

“This has been a real passion of mine and it's been amazing to share those things with other people that have a gluten intolerance, so it's become a wonderful part of my journey, and it influences some of the things that will be offered at the restaurant.”

Auburn Café is a well-known downriver restaurant noted for its Greek specialties including its popular lamb chops and sides of lemon potatoes plus a selection of salads and gyros, grape leaves and desserts of custard pie and rice pudding.

Callis said her mother-in-law, Antigone Callis, is a huge inspiration and one she turns to with cooking questions.

“She opened the Auburn Café just cooking meals for her family upstairs and people would just enjoy her meals,” Callis said. “So even now if I have a question about something I’ll go over there and I'll just watch her roll the grape leaves or I'll watch her make the Christmas dessert. She's a huge part of our lives and a part of the Auburn Café history.

Her mother-in-law has also helped with her gluten intolerance trying to adapt traditional Greek recipes and experimenting with gluten-free options.

Callis called the family’s Auburn Café’s Jan. 11 fire a “tough journey.” While it will take some time, Callis said they are working on and committed to rebuilding the beloved café on Jefferson Avenue in Ecorse.

“We are working with our contractor to develop a new business model and design that will work with a smaller footprint since half of the restaurant was affected by the fire,” Callis said. “We're committed to bringing it back to the same community of Ecorse that has just been so supportive for the last 44 years so we're looking forward to reopening stronger than ever.”

Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on X. Subscribe to the Free Press.

State regulators evaluating the city of Wyandotte's water system found four "significant deficiencies," a slew of other problems and openly questioned whether the city has the capability to continue to safely provide water to residents.

"Significant deficiencies represent an immediate health risk to consumers of water and are violations of Act 399 (Michigan's Safe Drinking Water Act of 1976)," wrote Sally Castle, a water engineer in the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy's Community Drinking Water section, in an April 30, 2025 "Significant Deficiency Violation Notice" letter to Wyandotte Water/Filter Plant Supervisor Justin Ptak.

Among EGLE's findings was that the city historically provided fluoridated water, a treatment recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for strengthening tooth enamel, preventing tooth decay and promoting oral health. But the city stopped fluoridation in 2017 and never informed its residents in a comprehensive way.

A city doesn't have to provide fluoridated water, EGLE spokesman Scott Dean said. "EGLE's concern was not going through the proper procedure and not actively notifying the community," he said.

EGLE officials conducted an on-site visit to the Wyandotte water treatment system on Feb. 28. The agency's findings not only stem from discoveries in that inspection, but in problems identified years ago but not yet addressed by the city. Among the significant deficiencies cited by EGLE:

In addition to the significant deficiencies, EGLE identified a host of other problems with the city water system. A 2022 reservoir inspection report found "sediment accumulation on the bottom of the reservoirs, some concrete flaking off walls, concrete debris and heavily corroded ladder rungs." Heavy corrosion and a cracked impeller blade were also found in city water pumps.

Preventive maintenance in the distribution system should include a routine valve exercising program, EGLE officials noted. "Plant staff indicated that due to inadequate staffing, a routine valve exercising program is not being implemented," Castle stated. Routine flushing of hydrants in the city, which should occur at a frequency of "no less than annually" are completed on a four- to five-year cycle, she stated.

At the city's Reservoir #3, located beneath an abandoned tennis court with solar roof top installations, EGLE inspectors found "the tennis court has multiple cracks which may allow contaminated water to penetrate the reservoir."

All told, 40% of the Wyandotte water system has significant deterioration, with adequate investment in capital improvement projects, completion of maintenance activities and adequate investment in staffing all found lacking by EGLE.

"As a result, the City is not demonstrating the technical, managerial and financial capacity necessary to own and operate a water system," Castle stated.

City water manager: 'Absolute confidence' water meets standards

In its April 30 letter to city officials, EGLE required an approved corrective action plan from Wyandotte for all significant deficiencies within 120 days, and contact with EGLE within 30 days "to discuss appropriate corrective action."

Dean said city officials responded to EGLE in late May, and a June 10 meeting was held with city and agency officials to discuss an administrative consent agreement on how Wyandotte will move forward on its needed water system corrections. "The (agreement) conditions have been drafted and are currently under EGLE review," Dean said.

Free Press inquiries to the city of Wyandotte regarding EGLE's findings were responded to with an emailed statement by Ptak.

"We're uniquely fortunate to operate our own reliable municipal services department, so we can say with absolute confidence that drinking water provided by the City of Wyandotte exceeds state and federal quality standards," he stated.

Ptak noted that EGLE's survey of its water system noted nine facility improvements the city has made since the regulator's last report.

He characterized the significant deficiencies as "four areas of improvement" identified by EGLE, with an established timetable to address them.

"This process is very similar to a home or restaurant inspection," Ptak stated. "Just as it is EGLE's job to inspect our water system and point out reliability and safety improvements for the future, it is now our job to plan for and execute them."

Wyandotte's water system attracted public concern earlier this year over the issue of mercury, PFAS and other toxins persistently leaching into the Detroit River from groundwater coming from the property of the longstanding BASF chemical factory in the city. Wyandotte's drinking water intake pipe in the river is within 1,000 feet of the area of venting contamination from BASF, within what falls under state regulations as a "Critical Assessment Zone" for potential contamination. But city officials maintain the water source is, and historically has been, safe.

Resident: City has 'not been very transparent at all'

City residents and water customers expressed alarm at EGLE's findings.

"It's pretty upsetting," resident Jake Webb said. "Especially being in Michigan, it harkens back to the Flint crisis ... not that the issues are the same, but that you may have health effects due to your drinking water."

Webb noted that what he's learned about the city's water system problems has come from reporters and concerned politicians, not Wyandotte water or other city officials.

"They have not been very transparent at all," he said.

The stoppage of water fluoridation in 2017, "I guess it was technically in a water report that may have been publicly available, but certainly there was no effort made to inform people of it in a blatant way," Webb said.

Resident Jody Kovich said she drinks bottled spring water at home, "but I use (municipal water) for my dishwasher, everything else," she said. "The vulnerability of some of the people around here ... it's not a good situation."

Whether the city can make the necessary capital improvements, staffing and maintenance upgrades while still keeping water affordable for residents is an open question. It could potentially consider joining a regionalization effort such as the Great Lakes Water Authority, which provides water and wastewater services to 127 municipalities across eight southeastern Michigan counties — though there is no indication that is seen as a desirable alternative by city officials.

"EGLE's top priority is to ensure the city has a sustainable water supply that meets the community's water quality and reliability goals," Dean said. "It would be prudent for the city to evaluate all water supply options, including service from GLWA, to determine the best option for their residents."

Contact Keith Matheny: kmatheny@freepress.com.

FLORHAM PARK, NJ and WYANDOTTE, MI, May 28, 2025 – BASF’s Site Director in Wyandotte, Michigan, Michele Barney, has been honored with a 2025 Women MAKE Award. Barney is one of 130 women recognized by the Manufacturing Institute (MI), the workforce development and education partner of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM). The national Women MAKE Awards honor manufacturing leaders who have made significant contributions to their companies and communities, and who support efforts to encourage the next generation of female talent to pursue modern manufacturing careers.

“We congratulate Michele on earning this prestigious award, which recognizes her exceptional leadership and meaningful contributions to both manufacturing and the community,” said Heather Remley, BASF Corporation President and CEO. “In her two decades with BASF, Michele has led operations as Site Director in three states and overseen procurement and safety across dozens of global sites. Michele’s dedication to promoting efficiency plus her unwavering focus on safety make her an outstanding leader and a true asset for team BASF.”

With more than 30 years of manufacturing experience, Barney is Site Director of one of BASF’s largest manufacturing facilities in North America. Skilled at bringing teams together to improve business results through cost optimization, process improvements, planning, project management, employee engagement and team building, she has created a lasting legacy at BASF and the broader manufacturing community. Her efforts have improved operational excellence, fostered strong relationships with local communities and developed future leaders for the organization.

BASF sponsored the annual awards ceremony, which was held in Washington, D.C. on April 24.

About BASF

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has approximately 16,000 employees in North America and had sales of $19.7 billion in 2024. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.com/us.

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Around 112,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio comprises six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €68.9 billion in 2023. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the United States. Further information at www.basf.com.