New Melbourne restaurant 9Mile specialises in Detroit-style square pizza. Obviously, they could not find a better way to connect their concept to Detroit than to echo Eminem’s hits in their menu.
Australian flavour
9Mile existed as a concept on the grounds of Silo No.9, but now it has its own kitchen and its own life. Clearly, it shows that it was popular enough as a side act to earn the venture an independent living. Their Detroit-style selection is not very big but rather extensive, and every single line is a nod to Marshall’s catalogue.
What’s on the menu
There are “9Mile Signature” with pepperoni, rich marinara and chilli honey; “Lose Yourself” with provolone, blue cheese and chives; “Not Afraid” with prawn, fermented chilli sauce, garlic oil and lemon; “Square Dance” with broccoli, sausage, pecorino, and sriracha; and finally “The Real Thick Shady” topped with pancetta, pepperoni, sausage, smoked ham, red onion, black olives, and pickled jalapeño. The “Ass Like That” option offers a quarter of different pizzas on a single pie.
That’s not all, the combos’ names are just as ridiculous. “Lighters” combines pizza with a snack, “Forgot About Dre” adds a snack and 2 beers to a pizza, and “My Band” hoes with a 6-pack of beer. Lunch specials include “Love You More” and “Berzerk” Bundle.
The form of flattery
The distance between Detroit 8 Mile and Melbourne 9 Mile is 16,000 km. However, the cultural proximity is glaring. Regardless of the angle, whether we see it as paying respect or greedily hijacking the narrative, the fact is that Eminem is the first figure that comes to mind when people from the other side of the planet think of Detroit. Recently, the Michigan governor called Marshall the ambassador for Detroit. And stories like this show that the title fits him well.
Also, we know that Melbourne loves Eminem. The crowd that came to his show in 2019 set the record for the highest attendance at a music act at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with 81,000 visitors. Ed Sheeran broke this record in 2023, but that doesn’t mean Australians aren’t into Eminem anymore. They just don’t have a chance. And while Eminem avoids going on tour, his fans may grab a “Forgot About Dre” bundle to share with friends and watch the video from that epic show in Melbourne.
