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Restaurant Guide Wayne Al Ameer $$ LEBANESE • This Lebanese restaurant is a recipient of the prestigious James Beard America’s Classics Award. The Al Ameer platter is perfect for sharing: two grape leaves, two fried kibbeh, chicken shawarma, tawook, kabob, kafta,and falafel. 12710 W. Warren Ave., Dearborn;313-582-8185. 27346 Ford Road, Dearborn Heights; 313-565-9600 L,D Mon.-Sun. Amore da Roma $$ ITALIAN • Guy Pelino, Roma Café’s chef, took over the ownership reins of this restaurant on the edge of the Eastern Market. He retained the menu, adding a charcuterie board and updating the wine list, and didn’t change the character of the old-school restaurant, known for its steaks and pastas. 3401 Riopelle St., Detroit; 313-831-5940. L,D Tue.-Sat. Antonio’s Cucina Italiana $$ ITALIAN • The Rugieros have impressed restaurant guests for decades with authentic cuisine. Signature dishes include Gnocchi Rita and Chicken Antonio. There’s a full bar and a very extensive wine list. 2220 N. Canton Center Road, Canton; 734-981-9800. 26356 Ford Road, Dearborn Heights; 313-278-6000. 37646 W. 12 Mile Road, Farmington Hills; 248-994-4000. L,D daily.
COVID-19 UPDATE Many establishments are still adjusting to the latest changes in safety protocols. Please call the numbers listed here to verify hours and space availability.
Apparatus Room $$$$ NEW AMERICAN • The Foundation Hotel’s restaurant, the Apparatus Room, once housed the Detroit Fire Department headquarters. The cooking of chef Thomas Lents, who earned two Michelin stars while at Chicago’s Sixteen, is refined and highly skilled. A separate Chef’s Table restaurant offers a pricey but delicious option. 250 W. Larned St., Detroit; 313-8005600. D Wed.-Sun. Atwater in the Park $ GERMAN • At this casual spot, traditional Germanstyle beer is the beverage of choice. Chef Chris Franz’ noteworthy menu is compatible with such additions as a platter of local bratwurst and other sausages teamed with housemade red cabbage and sauerkraut, plus amazing potato pancakes and daily soups. 1175 Lakepointe St., Grosse Pointe Park; 313-344-5104. L,D daily. Avalon Café and Bakery $$ ORGANIC BAKERY • The bakery’s mini-empire includes a café on Woodward Avenue in Detroit. Its bread is also the basis for dishes such as Avocado Toast with tahini, thinly curled cucumbers, lime, and chili flakes. Vegetarian fare includes a grilled veggie sandwich with portobello mushrooms, zucchini, and goat cheese. Meatier highlights include a turkey and gouda sandwich, and BLTA with cider house bacon. 1049 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-285-8006. B,L daily. Babo $ NEW AMERICAN • This café settled into the Midtown Park Shelton building in July 2019, serving elevated comfort food made from local, small-batch producers. The self-described gourmet diner offers espresso drinks and such dishes as Avocado Toast, Kimchi Pata-
Family-friendly
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tas Bravas, and the Babo Burger. 15 E. Kirby St., Ste. 115, Detroit; 313-974-6159. B,L,D daily.
chicken shawarma wrap sandwiches in town. We’re serious. See bucharestgrill.com for locations and hours.
Baker’s Keyboard Lounge $$ SOUL FOOD • This iconic lounge serves soul food: beef short ribs with gravy, creamy mac and cheese, collard greens, and sweet cornbread muffins. 20510 Livernois Ave., Detroit; 313-345-6300. L, D Tue.-Fri.
Cadieux Café $$ BELGIAN • This institution was like a slice of home for early Belgian immigrants. They serve up four varieties of mussels, and a wide range of hearty dishes such as Belgian Rabbit, but there also are classic sandwiches. 4300 Cadieux Road, Detroit; 313-882-8560. D daily.
Baobab Fare $$ AFRICAN • With his New Center restaurant, Mamba Hamissi urges diners to venture into culinary territories they’d otherwise evade, like the Mbuzi starring a goat shank that is slow-roasted until the meat is so tender that it slides off the bone with ease. 6568 Woodward Ave., Ste. 100, Detroit; 313-265-3093. L,D Tue.-Sun. Bash Original Izakaya $$ JAPANESE • From the proprietor of Canton’s popular Izakaya Sanpei, comes a Japanese pub located in Woodbridge. Occupying the former home of Katsu, Bash maintains much of that eatery’s Asian-inspired décor, such as hanging lanterns and bamboo shades. Bash’s drink menu focuses on Japanese craft beer, while the food menu of small plates and sashimi includes Gyoza, Tempura Udon, and fried octopus balls called Tako Yaki. 5069 Trumbull Ave., Detroit; 313-7887208; L Wed.-Sat. D Tue.-Sun.
Reservations
Café Nini $$$ ITALIAN • This intimate spot offers well-prepared food that includes eight appetizers, a dozen pasta dishes, and 11 main plates, notable among which are tournedos di vitello — medallions of veal filet in a fresh mushroom sauce. The wine list is impressive as well. 98 Kercheval Ave., Grosse Pointe Farms; 313-308-3120. D daily. Cantoro Italian Market and Trattoria $$ ITALIAN • A restaurant inside the market serves great traditional Italian food. Do not miss the tagliatelle alla Bolognese: wide pasta with a meat sauce made of ground veal, beef, sausage, and pancetta. A delicious Italian feast you can conveniently pick up on your way home. 15550 N. Haggerty Road, Plymouth; 734-4201100. L,D Tues.-Sat., L Sun.
Besa $$$ EUROPEAN-INSPIRED • This modern fine-dining eatery takes its name from Albania — where the owners trace their heritage — and means “pledge of honor.” Choose from starters such as roasted olives, fried calamari, and double-cut lamb chops. 600 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-315-3000. D Mon.-Sat.
Capers $$ STEAKHOUSE • This is the type of place longtime Detroit natives describe like an old friend. On Gratiot Avenue between Seven and Eight Mile roads, this place has been packing them in for nearly 40 years. There’s a massive a-la-carte menu items such as BBQ babyback ribs and potato skins, but the main draw is steak by the ounce, at market price. 14726 Gratiot Ave., Detroit; 313527-2100. L,D daily.
Bobcat Bonnie’s $ GASTROPUB • The menu is eclectic, with fried goat cheese, Buddha bowl, vegan tacos, and BBQ bacon meatloaf. The weekend brunch with a Bloody Mary bar and all the classics is a hit. See bobcatbonnies.com for locations and hours.
Caucus Club $$$ TRADITIONAL AMERICAN • The reborn spot emphasizes service and a traditional steak and seafood theme, with such tasty signature dishes as wood-grilled ribs, prime rib, and steaks.150 W. Congress, Detroit; 313-9654970. D daily.
Brome Modern Eatery $$ BURGERS • This healthy spin on a classic serves neverfrozen, grass-fed, antibiotic-free, organic burgers. There’s beef, chicken, haddock, and vegetarian dishes — but no pork, as the restaurant is halal. There’s also a cold-pressed juice bar. 22062 Michigan Ave., Dearborn; 313-996-5050. L,D Mon.-Sun.
Central Kitchen & Bar $$ CREATIVE COMFORT • The space facing Campus Martius is done up in gray and white under industrial light fixtures. Crowd-pleasers include buttermilk fried chicken, filet and frites, burgers, and salads. 660 Woodward Ave., Ste. 4A, Detroit; 313-963-9000. D Thu.-Sat., BR Sat.-Sun.
Brooklyn Street Local $$ BREAKFAST/BRUNCH • This Corktown spot serves breakfast, lunch, and brunch with fresh, locally grown, and organic ingredients. It lists its sources on a chalkboard and offers plenty of dishes that are vegan and vegetarian-friendly. Poutine — hand-cut fries, cheese curds, and mushroom or beef gravy — is the tip-off that the proprietors are from Canada. 1266 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-262-6547. B,L Thu.-Fri., BR Sat.-Sun.
Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails $$ NEW AMERICAN • While the menu rotates, there are generally five “cold” starters, five offerings from the “vegetables”category, and six “hot” items that could be considered main dishes, including duck confit and Lake Superior whitefish. The wine list is brief and esoteric. 15 E. Kirby St., Detroit; 313-818-3915. D Tue.-Sun.
Bucharest Grill $ MEDITERRANEAN-AMERICAN • This bustling casual sandwich shop, now with five locations, is a cult favorite with its fresh Mediterranean fare, notably the best
Valet
YO U R C O M P R E H E N S I V E RESOURCE FOR DINING OUT IN METRO DETROIT
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Chili Mustard Onions $ VEGAN • This is Detroit’s only Coney Island with a vegan menu. Choose from traditional favorites including the Coney Dog, Southwest Nachos, and chili fries, complete with owner Pete LaCombe’s secret vegan “cheeze” sauce. 3411 Brush St., Detroit; 313-462-4949. L Wed.-Sat.
$ Affordable (less than $12)
$$ Moderate ($13 to $20)
$$$ Expensive ($21 to $30)
$$$$ Very Expensive (more than $30)
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