Jonathan Peregrino never thought the reaction to his shop would be so warm.  That was until Filipinos and others from around southeast Michigan flocked to his bakery —  JP Makes and Bakes. 

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They were craving his ube cookies and other baked goods they remembered from their childhood. The Metro’s Producer Sam Corey sat down with Peregrino in his shop along Woodward in New Center. 

Peregrino is a first generation Filipino American and he went to the Philippines to learn the art of pastry . 

“I was just looking for somewhere to study pastry for a little bit of a shorter program, that was also financially feasible for me,” Peregrino said. “But with my parents and my grandparents all being from the Philippines, I’m first generation Filipino American, so I wanted to sort of go back as an adult and sort of see how it was.”

Use the media player above to hear the full interview with Peregrino.

More headlines from The Metro on Oct. 24, 2024: 

• A new innovation is helping Detroit tackle a public health problem. University of Michigan Professor and co-founder of BlueConduit Eric Schwarts joined the show to discuss how his company is using artificial intelligence to find lead service lines in the city.  
• Black Tech Saturdays, in partnership with Rocket Community Fund, recently passed out $120,000 in grants to help close the digital divide. The goal is to make sure everyone has access to the internet and other technologies. That money is also meant to bolster the growing tech field and help local residents create their own jobs. CEO of Ecosphere Organics Brittanie Dabney, one of the grant recipients, and Co-founder of Black Tech Saturdays Johnnie Turnage joined the show. 
• The election is two weeks out and today on the show, we bring you a conversation with 36th District Court candidate William Burton Jr. It’s the second of three conversations you’ll hear on the show this week with candidates running for the two open seats in the court.

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There are a lot of great eats around Detroit. But there’s one food that rises above the rest.  

Detroit is known for its iconic square pizzas. Whether it’s Supino’s, Buddy’s, Pie Sci or Amar, there are many great choices.  

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But one spot in the metro Detroit area got a lot of recognition recently. Loui’s Pizza in Hazel Park was recently named No. 1 on Yelp’s Top 100 Midwest Pizzas.

To discuss what makes Loui’s so great, we’re joined by owner Nyk Sulkiwskyj. 

Sulkiwskyj says his grandfather started Loui’s and has had his hands in shaping Detroit’s pizza history. He immigrated from France to West Virginia, worked as a mason and bricklayer, before getting a call from his grandmother’s uncle who was running Buddy’s Pizza at the time. 

“So my grandma, grandfather just came on over to Michigan and dropped everything to help out. So from there, my grandfather worked up to kitchen manager, lead pizza cook, stuff like that, and eventually moved on from Buddy’s Pizza, started Shield’s Pizzeria, and then from there started Loui’s Pizza.”

Loui’s puts great care into ingredients and how their pizzas are crafted, Sulkiwskyj said. 

“What makes the Loui’s pizza so great is our attention to detail. We don’t skimp around any technical processes,” Sulkiwskyj said. “Everything is done by hand. It’s an art form.”

Use the media player above to hear the full interview with Sulkiwskyj.

More headlines from The Metro on Sept. 9, 2024: 

• Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has helped Democrats through several legislative accomplishments over the last few years, but she hasn’t been able to get everything done that she said she would while campaigning for office. ProPublica reporter Anna Clark joined the show to discuss what Whitmer’s still got left on her agenda and how likely she is to pass certain policies.
• At the end of last month, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan created the city’s first Entrepreneurship and Economic Opportunity department. We spoke with the Director Justin Owenu about what kinds of plans he has in store to create more job opportunities for city residents. 
• For its third year, If the River Could Sing: A Celebration of Writing and River with InsideOut is happening at Robert C. Valade Park in Detroit on Sept. 12. The evening will culminate with a sunset showcase of music and poetry. The program’s MC and Executive Director of InsideOut Literary Arts Suma Rosen joined The Metro to discuss the event.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 11 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.