Hour Detroit | April 2024

WISH YOU WERE HERE.

Saturday, April 20, 2024

Suburban Collection Showplace, Novi

6 p.m. Cocktail Reception

7 p.m. Dinner & Awards Presentation

9 p.m. FiftyAmpFuse

Emcee: Carolyn Clifford

Presenting Sponsor: HOUR Detroit

The Caduceus Society

Physicians of the Year:

Drs. Lakshmi & Vinaya Gavini and Dr. Michael Jacobs

Order of Charity Honorees:

Daughters of Charity and Michigan Spine and Brain Surgeons

Peter Bono, DO

Daniel Carr, DO

Clifford Houseman, DO

Prashant Kelkar, DO

Boyd Richards, DO

Teck M. Soo, MD

Doris Tong, MD

Beneficiary:

Women’s Heart Health at Ascension Providence Hospital

Heart disease is a leading cause of death among women in the United States, responsible for more deaths each year than all types of cancer combined. Proceeds from the event will help provide compassionate care tailored to meet the individual needs of women in our community.

About Ascension Providence Foundation

Ascension Providence Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization which manages the fundraising for Ascension Providence Hospital, Southfield and Novi campuses; Ascension Brighton Center for Recovery; and Ascension Eastwood Recovery Center. The Foundation is dedicated to the healing Mission of Ascension which is to provide spiritually centered, holistic care to all persons with special attention to the poor and vulnerable. Donations to Ascension Providence Foundation help provide expert care, purchase state-of-the-art technology, enhance programs and facilities, support community programs, and provide hope and healing to patients.

Thank

you for supporting the Ascension Providence Foundation

Notable philanthropic successes led by the Ascension Providence Foundation include:

•CK Potluri Cancer Center

•Simulation and Education Center

•DeRoy Medical Library & Qazi Patient Resource Center

•Ascension Brighton Center for Recovery Halfway House Campaign

•Van Elslander Neuroscience Center of Excellence

•The Michael & Rose Assarian Cancer Center

•Elliott Breast Care Center

•Believe in Miracles Fund for cancer care patients

•Shukri David MD Art Van Elslander Endowed Chair for Cardiovascular Services

•SM Gavini Center for Cancer Prevention

•The Joan & Sheldon Rose Walking Path

Current fundraising priorities include:

•Neonatal Intensive Care Unit renovation

•The Women’s Heart Clinic at the Heart Institute

•Digestive Health Specialty Center

•Nursing Support Fund

•Neurosurgery Residency Research Fund

•Medical Education and Research

For more information on the Ascension Providence Foundation’s efforts or to make a gift, please call 248-465-5000 or visit

AscensionProvidenceFoundationMI.org.

VOLUME TWENTY NINE ISSUE FOUR

PUBLISHER: Jason Hosko

EDITORIAL

EDITOR: Kate Walsh

DIGITAL EDITOR: Christina Clark

COPY EDITOR: Olivia Sedlacek

ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Jack Thomas

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT: Juliana Lumaj

CONTRIBUTORS: Megan Anderluh, Bill Dow, Ryan Patrick Hooper, Mickey Lyons, Jim McFarlin, Jenn McKee, Drew Saunders, Megan Swoyer, Paul Vachon, Lauren Wethington, Dana White

INTERNS: William Reaume, Taylor Truszkowski, Maya Zorn-Kasprzak

DESIGN

CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Lindsay Richards

SENIOR PRODUCTION ARTIST: Stephanie Daniel

JUNIOR ART DIRECTOR: Steven Prokuda

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS: Keagan Coop, Kathryn Dave

CONTRIBUTORS: Nick Hagen, Rachel Idzerda, Chuk Nowak, Ryan Olbrysh, Sal Rodriguez, Rebecca Simonov, Joe Tiano, Brad Ziegler

SALES

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Cynthia Barnhart, Karli Brown, Cathleen Francois, Donna Kassab, Carol Lawrence, Lisa LaBelle, Andrew Nolan, Mary Pantely & Associates

PRODUCTION

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR: Jenine Knox

SENIOR PRODUCTION COORDINATOR: Jill Berry

ADVERTISING COORDINATOR: Amanda Kozlowski

PRODUCTION ARTIST: Jonathan Boedecker

GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Jim Bibart

ACCOUNT MANAGER: Elizabeth Kowalik

IT IT DIRECTOR: Jeremy Leland

HOUR CITY STUDIOS

VIDEO PRODUCER: Nicole Toporowski

VIDEOGRAPHER: Heather Moody

DIGITAL

DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL STRATEGY: Travis Cleveland

DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT MANAGER: Matt Cappo

SR. DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST: Luanne Lim

DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT SPECIALISTS: Jim Bowser, Connor McDonald

DIGITAL MEDIA ASSISTANT: Robyn Banks

CIRCULATION

CIRCULATION MANAGER: Riley Meyers

CIRCULATION COORDINATORS: David Benvenuto, Susan Combs, Cathy Krajenke, Rachel Moulden, Michele Wold

MARKETING & EVENTS

MARKETING & EVENTS MANAGER: Jodie Svagr

MARKETING & EVENTS COORDINATOR: Jaime Presnail

COMMUNICATIONS & PR LEAD: Regan Wright

MARKETING & EVENTS ASSISTANT: Crystal Baker, CeCe Neinstedt, Danielle Young

MARKETING RESEARCH

MARKETING RESEARCH DIRECTOR: Sofia Shevin

MARKETING RESEARCH COORDINATORS: Alyssa Fueri, Kristin Mingo

MARKETING RESEARCH SALES COORDINATOR: Alexandra Thompson

MARKETING RESEARCH SALES ASSISTANT: Theresa Lowery

PRS GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Kendra Okamoto

MARKETING RESEARCH INTERNS: Natalie Brown, Caroline Johnson, Kelley Pham

BUSINESS

CEO: Stefan Wanczyk

PRESIDENT: John Balardo

DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS: Kathie Gorecki

ASSISTANT OFFICE MANAGER: Natasha Bajju

SENIOR ACCOUNTING ASSOCIATE: Andrew Kotzian

ACCOUNTING ASSOCIATES: Kate Manley, Austin Schmelzle

PUBLISHING AND SALES INTERN: Morgan West

DISTRIBUTION: Target Distribution, Troy

5750

KING DRIVE, TROY, MI 48098

FAX: 248-691-4531

TELEPHONE: 248-691-1800

EMAIL: EDITORIAL@HOURDETROIT.COM

ON THE WEB: HOURDETROIT.COM

To sell Hour Detroit magazine or for subscription inquiries: 248-588-1851

LET’S SHINE.

Find your perfect spot on a picture-perfect beach and raise a toast to the emerald Gulf coast in St. Pete/Clearwater. Soak up the sun and sand by day, then venture beyond the beach for lively nightlife when the sun goes down. Let’s shine—plan your escape at VisitStPeteClearwater.com

CONTENTS

38 City Guide

This year’s City Guide focuses on the NFL Draft and caters to the throngs of fans who will be visiting Detroit for the first time. Read about our favorite dining and drinking spots downtown, and things to do in the suburbs. Plus, what the NFL Draft means to Motown.

Making tomorrow safer.

Tomorrow is on.

The Great Lakes are a vital source of water, life and play for all of Michigan. That’s why we’re committed to their safety and environmental protection. With the Great Lakes Tunnel Project we're taking extra precautions in the Straits, making a safe pipeline even safer. Placing Line 5 within the Great Lakes Tunnel will eliminate any risk of an anchor strike.

While the tunnel is being built, we’ve added additional safety measures—including hi-def cameras and a marine monitoring/alert system—at our 24/7 Maritimes Operation Center. Safety in the Straits is our top priority. We’re committed to keeping the Great Lakes safe for generations to come.

Learn more at enbridge.com/line5tunnel.

Agenda

CULTURE CALENDAR

New reads, comedy shows, and how Ryan Patrick Hooper became Ryan Patrick Hooper.

ENVIRONMENT

Rouge River’s cleanup is many years in the making. Plus, learn how you can help.

A mom’s quest for inclusion for her son resulted in a space of respite for other families with autistic children.

Food&Drink

DRINKS

Learn why Detroit is secretly the capital of historic sports bars.

DINING NEWS

Recent restaurant openings and eateries in the making.

RETAIL

What’s in our bag?

Fresh-picked finds from Eastern Market.

RESTAURANT REVIEW

This Corktown restaurant inspired by the Alps is sure to elevate your senses.

Two Course Pre-Theater menu before all evening performances.

Menu specially designed to get you to the show on time.

Two course dinners from $39. Reservations recommended.

Pastries, Flaming Desserts

beverages. Available for evening performances. Dessert reservations recommended.

Behind the Scenes

IF EVER THERE WAS a better behind-the-scenes photo, we challenge you to show us. This picture of NBC Sports’ Mike Tirico with Hour Detroit Editor Kate Walsh was taken moments after Tirico exited the stage at Visit Detroit’s Pregame Huddle at Ford Field on Jan. 17. The Huddle was part of Visit Detroit’s annual meeting, where the tourism bureau’s CEO, Claude Molinari, announced that the Detroit region had surpassed $1 billion in lodging revenue for the first time in Visit Detroit’s 128year history. The highlight, however, was Tirico’s fireside chat with Molinari, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Metro Detroit Black Business Alliance Chief Operating Officer Kai Bowman, Detroit Lions President Rod Wood, and Moment Strategies founder Alexis Wiley. “Hearing all the details of the economic impact of having two playoff games plus the draft in Detroit was very exciting,” Walsh says. “But truly, you had me at ‘Ford Field three days after beating the Rams.’”

APRIL 22 IS EARTH DAY. WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE TO HELP THE ENVIRONMENT?

CONTRIBUTORS

Dana White

WROTE “MOTOR CITY MAGIC,” FOR THE CITY GUIDE, STARTING ON PAGE 38

“My husband and I recently converted our big old drafty house, formerly an oilguzzling beast, to electricity by installing heat pumps and solar panels using New York state tax incentives. It was the best way to reduce our carbon footprint and save money on fuel oil.” Dana White lives and writes in New York’s lower Hudson Valley. When not serving as a village trustee in Ossining, she is working on a novel set in the region.

Jim McFarlin

WROTE “NEW VOICE OF THE TIGERS,” PAGE 20

“I absolutely refuse to use plastic bags when shopping for groceries. I use selfcheckout, place the items back in my cart, and put them in reusable cloth bags once I get to my car.” Jim McFarlin, best known as a rock critic and radio-TV columnist for The Detroit News, has been an Hour Detroit contributor since the mid- 90s. He penned the Detroiters of the Year cover story on Dan Campbell for our January issue. In 2023, he was inducted into the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame.

Ryan Olbrysh

ILLUSTRATED THE CITY GUIDE, STARTING ON PAGE 38

“I always bring reusable bags to the grocery store, I never buy bottled water, and I don’t leave the water running when I brush my teeth.” Ryan Olbrysh is a Cleveland-born, Chicago-raised, Las Vegasbased photo illustration artist whose clients include Time, Newsweek The Wall Street Journal, BBC, and Men’s Health. He enjoys spending time with his wife and two rescue cats, hiking, reading, and watching movies.

EDITOR’S LETTER

Welcome to Detroit — we’ve been waiting for you.

Seriously, besides this being my way of working Taylor Swift lyrics (or close enough) into my editor’s letter, that statement is 100% true. For more than two years, the city and its residents have been counting down the days to the NFL Draft, one of the most anticipated events in sports. And I mean literally counting down. Since April 2022, we’ve had a countdown clock at Campus Martius Park — the hub of the NFL Draft activities — which started at 742 days out.

In true Detroit style, that clock was created by a local creative agency (DG3D) in its studio at the site of the Packard Plant, which according to Historic Detroit was “a trailblazer that changed the way auto plants were built.” If you’re a newcomer to Detroit, you are probably familiar with our buzzword, “grit.” That word can conjure up many Detroit-related entities — from buildings that have seen better days, like the Packard, to teams and landmarks that have seen new life, like the Detroit Lions and the Book Tower.

In our 2024 City Guide, we hope to give you a feel for all of that. In this version of our annual feature, our content is geared toward the 300,000 people who are expected to fill our streets, restaurants, hotels, and shops during the draft and the related events later this month. In addition to directing you to some of our favorite food, drink, shopping, and activity venues, we also consider what the city looks like from a newcomer’s perspective. In “Motown Magic,” New York-based writer Dana White, who had never really visited Detroit before November, gives us an honest and fresh take on the city that we staff members know so well. It’s a fun and informative read that I think both visitors and residents will appreciate and find useful. The 20-page feature also includes an article by Bill Dow on how the three-day event came to Detroit and what it means to the city, and a skyscraper guide, for those of you who are looking up in awe and wonder.

The April issue wouldn’t be complete without some Tigers content. (How strange is it that we are talking about the Lions in April?) One of the biggest news stories of the baseball offseason was not the move of an MLB player from one team to another but the White Sox’s broadcaster, Jason Benetti, jumping ship to join our boys of summer. One of my favorite parts of writer Jim McFarlin’s interview with Benetti is when he asks him, “Why are you here?” Benetti’s answer: “I did it … because of the people here.” He was talking about the Tigers’ management, but I have a feeling once he moves here and starts talking to regular folks (as Dana White did for her story), he’ll be even happier about his decision.

So again, welcome to Detroit! Grab a Coney or a cocktail, support local businesses, talk to Detroiters, make new friends from all over the world, and have fun!

“A First Look at the 2024 Restaurant of the Year: Freya” (video) “When I read about the swordfish and the Bugles, I was like, “Whaaaat?” I will be coming for that funny creation.”

—@he_said_she_said_letseat, Instagram

“Their Roots Run Deep” (February) “When I was a child, my grandmother was friends with a neighbor [who lived] at the corner of Crooks and Vinsetta whose house was part of the Underground Railroad. One day, the woman took us on a small tour through the entry into her cellar and the false wall area in her basement. I was awestruck. Maybe this is a well-known part of Royal Oak history; I wish she was alive to ask.”

—@cndluluv, Instagram

“Farmington Hills Approves Demolition of Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum” (online) “This is what’s wrong with the world: take down the fun stuff for more corporate stuff.”

@evren.adman, Instagram

“Mother of Oxford Shooter Found Guilty of Involuntary Manslaughter” (online) “This is huge. Michigan is about to set the precedent. I can only hope this will make parents get more involved so we never have these tragedies again.”

@thecrazycreativeteacher, Instagram

Hourdetroit.com

Digital Extra

KATE WALSH, EDITOR KWALSH@HOUR-MEDIA.COM

The Detroit Tigers are kicking off their 2024 home season on April 5 at Comerica Park. Celebrate baseball in the D by looking back at some of the Tigers’ most memorable moments at hourdetroit.com/ tigersmoments. Plus, if you’re heading downtown for opening day, be sure to visit hourdetroit.com/tigersopeningday for details on tailgates and other things to do ahead of the first pitch.

Follow us online at hourdetroit.com or on social media: @hourdetroit @hour_detroit @hourdetroitmagazine

SPORTS TIGER TALK

Jason Benetti has called plays for the White Sox, ESPN, and the NFL. Now he’s ready to play for our team. p. 20

NEW VOICE OF THE TIGERS

Before the season started, Detroit was one up on Chicago, with Jason Benetti now calling games for our home team

BY JIM MCFARLIN

AT FIRST GLANCE, you might think: accountant. Perhaps an attorney — he does hold a law degree. Maybe even a physician, with a unique specialty.

But when Jason Benetti opens his mouth and speaks, almost every sports fan in America can make a positive ID. One of the most recognizable voices in contemporary sports broadcasting, Benetti has worked for ESPN; currently calls college football, basketball, MLB, and NFL games for Fox Sports; and for eight years was the TV play-by-play announcer for his beloved Chicago White Sox.

Until now. This spring, Benetti enters the booth as the TV voice for our beloved Detroit Tigers — yet another victory over our bitter division rivals — replacing hometown talent Matt Shepard. The Chicago Sun-Times ranked Benetti’s departure as Chicago’s No. 1 sports media story of 2023.

Take that, Second City.

“Jason is a world-class talent,” said a beaming Ryan Gustafson, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Ilitch Sports and Entertainment, upon announcing his hiring last November. “We are thrilled to welcome him to our family.”

But the burning question is, Why did he leave his family? A native of suburban Homewood, Illinois, Benetti was raised by die-hard White Sox parents and became a scion of the South Side. Landing the Sox TV gig, replacing a Chicago legend in Ken “Hawk” Harrelson, would seem to be the ultimate career achievement, an impossible dream come true.

So, Jason … why are you here?

“The reason I did it is because of the people here,” he says earnestly, seated in a boardroom at Little Caesars Arena, Comerica Park peering over his shoulder through the window behind him. “During the interview process, you learn a lot about people and what they value through the questions they ask. And what the Tigers value is humanity, the full scale of who I am.

“Empathy is important to them. How do I fit with the group, and how can we build something that is outstanding TV production? It sounded like they wanted me, someone who cares about baseball but also really likes to have a good time. So I’m here because of that, and also because of [Tigers manager] A.J. Hinch, who I revere, and [team president] Scott Harris, who is one of the most inquisitive people I’ve ever met.”

It was widely reported that a rift between Benetti and a White Sox executive caused by an incident in which Benetti felt disrespected may have hastened his departure. “A lot has been written about that,” Benetti acknowledges. “Much of the stuff people talked about happened after the 2022 season, and I stayed another year after that. And if the Tigers weren’t who they are, I wouldn’t have left. I was planning to be the voice of the White Sox for a long time. But then this came open.”

Benetti, an Illinois native, attended high school in a Chicago suburb. Born 10 weeks premature and hospitalized his first three months, he received a cerebral palsy diagnosis as a toddler and underwent years of physical therapy. To this day, his right eye tends to drift off on its own occasionally and he walks with a discernible hitch.

“I don’t really have physical limitations; it just doesn’t look great when I walk,” he says. “I’m fine. I have no chronic pain, which is a total



Jason Benetti poses in his new home turf — Comerica Park. Last November, the longtime Chicago White Sox TV play-by-play announcer announced his new role, calling games for the Detroit Tigers.

blessing, and I handle stairs. I’m not as fast as other people, but if I need to get across the street when that little orange hand gets to seven, I’m going! I’m stubborn as hell.”

No lie. It was stubbornness that led him to play tuba in his high school marching band, until the band director suggested he might be better suited to announcing their routines from the press box. It prompted him to attend Syracuse University, a school renowned for its broadcasting program, even though he had never visited the campus. And it motivated him to earn a Juris Doctor from the Wake Forest University School of Law.

“I signed up for the bar, then I got the White Sox job,” he recalls. “I never really wanted to be an attorney, mostly because I’m not that fond of paperwork. But I’m glad I took the courses because it’s helped me in reading rule books, asking questions, and learning that even if you say something as correctly as you intended, sometimes the audience is going to mishear.”

Benetti has become an informal spokesperson for cerebral palsy, collaborating with the Cerebral Palsy Foundation in New York to star in a series of animated shorts called Awkward Moments, taking a lighthearted look at the uncomfortable situations people with disabilities often face. “They’re all things that have actually happened,” he says.

“One of my favorite parts of what I do for a living is that some people hold me as a version of hope, sometimes for their kids. Since I didn’t have that as a kid, I appreciate that and cherish it. But I’m very cognizant that not everybody

 Benetti’s instantly recongizable voice can also be heard calling college football, basketball, and NFL games for Fox Sports.

here.”

with CP is as physically fortunate as I am, so I’m a little bit leery of being a capital-A advocate for everyone. I want people to be able to live their own lives, but if you do derive some hope from me, phenomenal.”

His advocacy work makes his relentless schedule of travel, game preparation, and play-byplay even more remarkable, and Benetti plans to maintain his national profile. He’s committed to

“... what the Tigers value is humanity, the full scale of who I am.”

—JASON BENETTI

call at least 127 Tigers games when not covering other sports; Dan Dickerson, Detroit’s longtime radio voice, will shift to TV when he’s away.

Beyond his White Sox coverage, Benetti may be best known nationally for the zany, trippy college basketball games he calls with Bill Walton as his color analyst. In Detroit, his rotating booth partners will include Kirk Gibson. “Gibby and I have had dinner and chatted on the phone,” he says. “The way he loves nature and looks at humanity gives me a Bill Walton vibe. I want them to be friends. They don’t know each other, but on a human level they need to. It’s my crusade to make that happen.”

The Illinois native says he joined the Tigers “because of the people

Pictured: Outfielder Riley Greene 

MADE IN MICHIGAN

WHEN DREAMS BECOME REALITY

Chelsea Von Mach shares her journey from Marian High School to styling celebrities to owning her own Santa Monica boutique

BY JULIANA LUMAJ | ILLUSTRATION BY RACHEL IDZERDA

STUDY BREAKS

Intriguing findings from researchers across Michigan

By Olivia Sedlacek

NEW GEL COULD REVOLUTIONIZE

MEDICINE:

Scientists at the University of Michigan have created a metal-free magnetic gel that may one day be used in a variety of lifesaving applications. A key use of this first-of-its-kind material is in soft robots, which can deal with moredelicate objects and travel more places than traditional robots. In the past, powering soft robots

has been a challenge, but a nonmetallic magnetic gel can be powered by magnetic fields without the drawbacks of typical magnets. The material could also be tweaked to degrade under certain conditions so that it could deliver medicine to specific locations inside a person’s body and then dissolve, eliminating the need to remove it surgically. “These materials could enable newer, cheaper medical operations someday,” says study co-author Abdon Pena-Francesch. Other uses may include medical devices, deep ocean exploration, and special MRI imaging.

PLANTS AND FUNGI TEAM

UP TO CONQUER LAND:

When moss made the tough transition from sea to land 450 million years ago, it had to adjust to a whole new environment. That was made possible by moss’s relationship with — what else? — fungi. Moss served as a carbon source for fungi, while fungi provided moss with important nutrients. Even today, over 80% of plants cooperate with fungi. A team of researchers from Michigan State University set out to uncover more about the relationship between the two life forms. They analyzed the ways moss and fungi interacted in different terrariums

and discovered that the interactions relied on endobacteria inside the fungi — a surprising finding, given that scientists had wondered why endobacteria existed. MSU professor Björn Hamberger says, “It turns out there’s this super exciting and very complex story that can teach us something about what happened during land plant evolution, what got us on this planet, and what might get us to a different planet.”

NO ROE MIGHT MEAN FEWER CHILDREN:

The number of Michiganders who don’t want children increased after Roe v. Wade was

ALTHOUGH BIRMINGHAM-RAISED

Chelsea Von Mach grew up watching her father sell upholstery fabric of all colors and patterns globally and out of his store in Grand Blanc, this isn’t what inspired her to pursue a career in fashion styling. Instead, it was the reality TV shows she watched while she was a student at Marian High School, like The Rachel Zoe Project, which followed a stylist’s journey as she built her fashion empire.

“I hate saying that it was reality shows, but it’s true,” Von Mach says. “I just never knew I could really make it a career until I saw it visually on screen.”

She attended Michigan State University for a year and left before choosing a major, wanting to learn and live somewhere with a larger fashion industry.

After taking a one-year hiatus to research different fashion schools, she enrolled in the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles, where in 2009 she obtained an associate degree in product development and learned “a little bit of everything” about fashion’s design and business aspects.

In 2011, she went from watching Rachel Zoe on TV to working for her as a stylist assistant in LA. “I will never forget living in New York and seeing her walk out of this fancy restaurant, The Waverly Inn, and thinking to myself, ‘I’m going to work for her one day,’” Von Mach says. “It was probably a year later I did!”

Her first TV styling gig was on set for the 2009 Melrose Place reboot. Since then, she has worked on shows such as Brooklyn Nine-Nine, MTV’s Faking It, and FX’s The Bridge, and in 2020, she won a Daytime Emmy for outstanding costume design/styling for styling co-host Jeannie Mai from The Real

IT TURNS OUT THERE’S THIS SUPER EXCITING AND VERY COMPLEX STORY THAT CAN TEACH US SOMETHING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED DURING LAND PLANT EVOLUTION.

overturned, according to a new study from MSU researchers. The study authors surveyed 2,500 adults in the months leading up to the leak of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson decision, which overturned Roe, and then surveyed 2,000 adults soon after the decision was announced. Before Dobbs, 21% of Michigan adults did not want to have children; after, that number grew to 26%. Adjusted for demographic factors like sex, age, and race, the likelihood that a Michigan adult would not want children increased by nearly one-third.

“It was nice because I had been working so hard in this industry, and getting the award was very validating,” she says.

Now, Von Mach has moved on to the entrepreneurial side of the fashion world, opening The Store in 2021 — a Santa Monicabased boutique (where her Emmy statuette proudly sits) that offers vintage fashion items from around the world, including Italy and France. And she still occasionally takes on styling projects. Here, Von Mach shares her favorite styling experiences, her celebrity encounters, and other projects she’s working on now

“I like having something of my own. It’s like my own creative expression.”

—CHELSEA VON MACH

What has been your favorite styling experience?

Being an assistant on Rachel Zoe’s team during awards season. She was dressing Anne Hathaway when Anne was hosting the Oscars! I got to be backstage during the dress rehearsals, which was unreal. And the day of the Oscars, I was helping another one of Rachel’s clients, Liv Tyler, get ready for the Vanity Fair party. It was a very exciting time!

My other favorite moment was styling TV host Jeannie Mai for the 2018 Golden Globes. She wore an Uel Camilo gown, and the next morning she made Vogue ’s best dressed list. It was my first time getting a client on the list. This was during the #MeToo movement. All the women attending the awards agreed to wear black as a statement of banding together. It was a special and powerful moment in time. I don’t think there has ever been an award show where everyone was unified wearing the same color.

Why open a vintage boutique and step away from styling?

I wanted a lifestyle change. I was the shopper for an HBO Max show called Generation for three months, and I left that and opened my store. I needed a break from TV and film, and I had done vintage as a side hustle for so long, and I was like, “Why don’t I try to do it full time?” And then the space came up and the

store came about. I like having something of my own. It’s like my own creative expression.

How do you choose which vintage items to sell? I’ve been collecting for a while. I have a contact in Italy that shops markets there, and I’ve been going to Paris. When I’m home in Detroit, I find stuff. I’ve been collecting vintage since I was in high school.

My store is sort of like what’s going on in fashion right now, what’s going on in the runways. So, people who normally don’t shop vintage [might think], “Oh, I’ve seen this in Zara or Bloomingdale’s or Nordstrom.” And there are definitely one-of-a-kind pieces; I feel like that’s the heart of vintage. But you can find classics and normal things in vintage as well.

Have any interesting people visited your store?

I’ve had celebrity clients I’ve never styled before come here and shop, which has been really cool. I had Zooey Deschanel come shop from here. I’ve sold some things to Law Roach, who is a big stylist. He’s sort of retired now, but he styled Zendaya — one of the biggest celebrities there is.

What was the inspiration for your fall 2023 Coquette Vampire Collection? I love the 1970s custom lace gown with feathers. I created this character that I called “coquette vampire,” which brings me back to the art of TV and cinema. I made her this vampire that’s very buttoned up during the day and has a normal day job. And then at night, she turns into this sexy coquette vampire, a vixen type. I was very inspired by ’70s skirt suit silhouettes and ’30s-inspired gowns.

You’ve taken on styling, entrepreneurship, and now … writing?

I recently started an online magazine through Substack called STORE at chelseavonmach. substack.com , which goes hand in hand with my vintage store. I usually break down current trends with the vintage clothes I have but also vintage in general.

I am actually collaborating with a fellow Detroiter, Tim Farah. He was a designer in New York for a long time working at Club Monaco, Perry Ellis (when Tom Ford and Marc Jacobs were there), Nike, Jack Spade, and Thom Browne. He is a Detroit treasure and so talented — I feel lucky I connected with him a few years back.

DETROIT DIGITS

3

Detroit’s ranking among the emerging tech ecosystems of the world, according to Startup Genome’s 2023 Global Startup Ecosystem Report. The international organization predicts Detroit’s job growth will largely be in advanced manufacturing, technology access, and digital solutions. It calculates the Detroit ecosystem’s value at $103 billion, noting the presence of major tech companies while also giving credit to the 1,500 active startups.

The Detroit Metropolitan Airport’s ranking on the list of the 200 busiest airports in the country, compiled by Stratos Jet Charters. The airport saw 13.7 million enplaned passengers in 2022. The Atlanta International Airport holds the No. 1 spot, at 45.4 million passengers.

982

The acreage of Belle Isle Park, the largest city-owned island park in the U.S., according to the Detroit Historical Society. The beloved Detroit park is even larger than Central Park in New York City. It is home to several historic sites, including the Detroit Boat Club, the oldest rowing club in North America; the Belle Isle Aquarium, the oldest public aquarium in the U.S.; and the William Livingstone Memorial Light, the only marble lighthouse you’ll find nationwide.

COMMUNITY

DETROIT UNDERWATER

Climate change is causing heavier rainfall, overwhelming metro Detroit’s antiquated sewage system. How far will communities go to protect their basements?

BY DREW SAUNDERS | PHOTOGRAPHS BY NICK HAGEN

IT IS STILL COMMON for people to deny climate change, or its causes, or that anything can be done about it, claiming that a particularly bad storm is a “once-in-a-century” fluke. But as the “once-ina-century” storms keep coming every summer, that reasoning just doesn’t hold water. And while the effects are felt in every flood-prone area, as the flooding gets worse, historically underserved communities are getting swept under.

Take, for instance, the Immanuel Grace AME Church of Jefferson Chalmers, a low-lying eastside neighborhood on the Detroit River, where flooding has become a fact of life.

The Rev. Al E. Baylor III recounts the night of June 25, 2021, when a storm of historic proportions deluged Detroit. “One of our parishioners called us and said, ‘I see the door open,’” to the church’s basement, he says. When asked if she could close it, the congregant said, “No, because the road is a river.”

Floodwater mixed with raw sewage emanating from the nearby Conner Creek CSO (combined sewer overflow) facility, which had been overwhelmed by rainwater. Baylor and his wife and co-pastor, Michelle, said that the floodwater in the church was so high that it got to the second step of the staircase leading from the nave to the basement, 10 feet deep in total.

“It looks like the Hulk hit it,” Al says while sharing a photo of the church basement door. “It’s an actual steel door. The flooding pushed the hinges off.”

With its unusual canal system, Jefferson Chalmers has long been prone to flooding, but climate change is making it worse. Low-lying areas are more vulnerable due to geography, policy, and funding. But ultimately, as with everything related to climate change, nobody is unaffected.

Going to Extremes

According to the city of Detroit, precipitation across the Great Lakes region has increased 14% since 1951, with 35% more rain coming down during severe storms than before. If our emissions stay on the current trajectory, extreme rainstorms could occur 50% more often in Wayne County by the end of the century.

“The climate’s changing,” says Suzanne Coffey, CEO of the Great Lakes Water Authority, adding that weather events “are exceeding the capacity of systems” that have been designed to last 75- to 100-years.

The Great Lakes Water Authority is a regional body set up after Detroit’s bankruptcy. The city’s Department of Water and Sewerage originally built and ran the nearly 100-year-old system. The GLWA leases DWSD facilities and infrastructure

Jefferson Chalmers is a low-lying east side neighborhood on the Detroit River.

such as water treatment plants, water transmission mains, and sewage interceptors, serving about 3 million people across Detroit and 77 additional communities. Detroit has a combined sewer, meaning that unlike in many more-modern systems, rainwater and sewage are sent through the same pipes. If the region experiences an unusually heavy or long snow melt, or a particularly strong thunderstorm, it is much more susceptible to sewers backing up, usually into basements or onto streets.

“The system just wasn’t designed for extreme storm events.”

—JOAN IVERSON NASSAUER

Put simply, the system was built for another time. According to the GLWA, when the storms of 2021 caused the major failure, the system was “designed to handle 1.7 inches of rain in one hour, with no rain before or after, or 3.31 inches in 24 hours. On June 25, more than 6 inches was experienced in only half that time, which is double

the maximum design standard for 24 hours.”

“The system just wasn’t designed for extreme storm events,” says Joan Iverson Nassauer, a professor of ecological design at the University of Michigan. “This country, and even this state, is just beginning to catch up with understanding that we cannot use the past of storm events to adequately plan for the future. We have to take into account new situations, more extreme storms — hundred-year storms coming at least annually.”

Domino Effect

To make matters worse, metro Detroit is remarkably flat. And since most of the riverbank along Jefferson Avenue is built on former swampland, it makes sense that the area would be most prone to flooding, especially since it was laid out well before planners had a modern understanding of ecological science.

Jefferson Chalmers and the Grosse Pointes are in a low-lying area of the east side and adjacent to Conner Creek CSO. This is where much of the water from the east side and suburbs is retained and processed before heading through pipes under downtown to the centralized treatment plant by Zug Island. In the Conner Creek area, GLWA operates an electric-powered pumping plant and a retainment treatment basin.

“Coming down Jefferson Avenue, imagine all the flows coming in from Morningside, Cornerstone Village, Warren, Oakland and Macomb counties,” says Bill Shuster, a former Environmental Protection Agency employee and chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Wayne State University. If the

The Conner Creek CSO (combined sewer overflow) facility was overwhelmed by heavy rainfalls.

 Pastors Al and Michelle Baylor’s Immanuel Grace AME Church of Jefferson Chalmers flooded on June 25.

Conner Creek pumping facility fails, “the retention treatment basin is supposed to kick in and give primary treatment to that excess flow that couldn’t otherwise be treated downriver. … Unfortunately, the retention treatment gate didn’t work in 2021, so you could just see the dominoes falling.”

“Well, why are we building something illegal? It’s designed to be used, not not used.”

—JAY JUERGENSEN

Detroit was already a fairly low-density city before becoming one of the metro areas that took to suburbanization more than most in the U.S. The larger the system is geographically, the more pipe is needed, the harder the system needs to work, and the more running and maintaining the system costs everyone. In Detroit, having to maintain infrastructure originally designed for some 2 million people but only being able to rely on the tax base of about a quarter of that complicates things further.

Flooding tips over a trail of money dominoes, too. Economic inequities mean that businesses and families often have wildly different degrees of financial latitude to fix problems. Properties repeatedly damaged by flooding or other

environmental factors produce mold and rot, compounding to reduce the overall salvageability of distressed neighborhood buildings. And the Federal Emergency Management Agency has designated Jefferson Chalmers a floodplain, which requires residents to assume the additional cost of flood insurance.

Sky-high out-of-pocket expenses mean things don’t get fixed. When the Baylors wanted to replace the lost heating and air conditioning equipment in the church basement, their congregation questioned the investment, since the flooding would only happen again. The church received some insurance money, but Michelle Baylor had to ask, “Do we do heat, or do we do air?”

Without enough money to restore their building fully, the Baylors went with a new heater but are still without central air conditioning. They are the lucky ones. According to Michelle Baylor, some congregants in their neighborhood still have no heat due to boilers ruined by flooding.

Releasing the Pressure

Next door in Grosse Pointe Park, residents sued the GLWA after the June 2021 storms, claiming the agency ignored long-standing infrastructure problems that damaged properties. (The lawsuit was dismissed.)

Then, last year the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, or EGLE, approved Grosse Pointe Park’s plan to construct an “extreme emergency release valve” in Patterson Park to protect businesses and homes from getting sewage in their basements



during heavy rainfalls. The valve would discharge the combined rainwater and untreated sewage directly into Lake St. Clair; from there, the overage would flow downriver past Jefferson Chalmers, the Marina District, the main water intake plant at Waterworks Park (that most of metro Detroit relies on for drinking water), past downtown Detroit and Downriver communities, and then out into Lake Erie.

The valve was made possible by a $900,000

Nearly three years after the flood, a number of residents say they still haven’t been able to replace their heating.

 The Eastside Community Network’s resilience hub project aims to provide Detroiters assistance during extreme weather.

 ECN researcher Marie Garcia (left) and Bill Shuster are studying winter precipitation.

FEMA has designated Jefferson Chalmers a floodplain, which requires residents to assume the additional cost of flood insurance.

donation from the Cotton family, who made their fortune from Meridian, a health insurance provider, and have invested substantially in Grosse Pointe Park and Grosse Pointe.

Problem is, discharging untreated sewage into a waterway is illegal under Michigan state law, according to EGLE spokesperson Hugh McDiarmid, Jr. “However, systems still can be overwhelmed with intense rainstorms, and in such extreme cases, discharging diluted sewage to a waterway is preferable, though not desirable, to the public health hazards that would be created if that sewage backed up into basements, as happened in [Grosse Pointe Park] in 2021.” A spokesperson for Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office says the attorney general “has not been consulted regarding this proposed project.”

The release valve project is highly controversial. “It’s what’s called a ‘prohibitive outfall,’ which means it is against the law to use it,” says Jay C. Juergensen, a water infrastructure control expert and the lead organizer at the Jefferson Chalmers WATER Project, which advocates for infrastructure improvements and environmental justice on Detroit’s east side. “Well, why are we building something illegal? It’s designed to be used, not not used.”

When asked about the plan to discharge water downriver, Nick Sizeland, city manager of Grosse Pointe Park, gave Hour Detroit the following statement: “Nobody, including the city of Grosse Pointe Park, wants to discharge into our water; however, with the rising tide of recent storm events such as the one that devastated Wayne County and specifically Grosse Pointe Park with 8 inches of rain in less than 24 hours, until a regional separation has been undertaken, we have

to move forward with protecting our residents. Unlike other communities who do have the ability to discharge, Grosse Pointe Park had no ability.”

Plugging the Leaks

Improving the system takes money. If federal and state funding isn’t found, Coffey predicts that individual communities will begin fending for themselves, building infrastructure projects like the one in Grosse Pointe Park and increasing residents’ ability to weather the storms. The Eastside Community Network is working on a resilience hub, a project to create centralized locations where Detroiters can get help and to assist in locating resources to manage stormwater during extreme weather.

Some improvements have been made since 2021, of course. The GLWA spends hundreds of millions of dollars every year to maintain and expand the system — including $450 million in bonds created in just 2022. (The GLWA’s Capital Improvement Viewer allows you to see what is being fixed and expanded where.) The GLWA has also upgraded its electrical capacity and equipment, updated its response strategies to large storms, and improved communications with communities before storms hit.

Meanwhile, Detroit is spending $15 million from the American Rescue Plan Act to reduce basement backups in low-lying neighborhoods like Jefferson Chalmers.

And Jefferson Chalmers got some much-needed relief in 2023 when it received $11.28 million in FEMA grant money to replace almost 19,000 feet of old sewer mains.

The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments is a regional intergovernmental

planning organization that serves the counties of Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Livingston, Washtenaw, St. Clair, and Monroe. It’s working to coordinate efforts across the seven counties. This includes the recycling of gray water (household wastewater without serious contaminants), infrastructure modernization, and expansion of capacity and green infrastructure to control water flow. Utilizing native plants, retention ponds, and trees to absorb and slow down water can reduce pressure on the overall system, as well as improve air quality. But this could take decades to achieve.

“The honest conversation that we have to have with our public is that everybody expects the federal government to solve their problems,” says Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel. “The reality is that everybody is seeing the same problem. … making the same appeal for the same money, from the same source. At some point in time, we’ve got to come to the realization that if you want to fix this, there has to be some kind of cost associated with our own municipalities and how we want to address this. We have to be honest with the public with what it is going to take to fix the problem that we are seeing.”

Until then, the rain will keep coming down.

In 2023,

Jefferson Chalmers received a FEMA grant to replace almost 19,000 feet of old sewer mains.

‘Come and Get It’

Acclaimed novelist and U-M assistant professor Kiley Reid writes of what she knows: college life

BY JENN MCKEE

FOLLOWING THE seismic success of her 2019 debut novel, Such a Fun Age, bestselling author Kiley Reid — who moved to Ann Arbor in 2022 to teach creative writing at the University of Michigan — is back with an aptly titled, muchanticipated second book called Come and Get It.

Set in the college town of Fayetteville, Arkansas, Come and Get It focuses on an eclectic group of characters, including a romantically adrift, 37-year-old visiting professor named Agatha; a cash-strapped, 24-year-old dorm RA, Millie, who fends off racial microaggressions while dreaming of buying a home of her own; and three suitemates with backgrounds, styles, and priorities that clash.

The down-at-the-heels dormitory that plays host to most of the novel’s action houses transfer and scholarship students, so it’s a place where students “end up” rather than choose to live.

“I’m really compelled by this tricky phase when human beings are learning how to live without their parents,” Reid says. “It’s where you are trying on different personalities and learning if you’re a grown-up or not, or what your tendencies are, or how you like to keep your things, and what you do when no one else is watching.”

While the book is in no way autobiographical, a few parts of Reid’s life experiences are woven into Come and Get It’s details.

For instance, like Agatha, Reid got the opportunity to live for one year in Fayetteville, when her husband accepted a position at a university there. During this time, she worked as a barista, wrote the beginnings of Such a Fun Age, and applied to (and earned a spot in) the University of Iowa’s prestigious graduate-level Writers’ Workshop.

“Fayetteville is really beautiful,” Reid says. “It’s relatively walkable for an American city, and I think that that has a direct effect on the quality of a place.”

During her later stint at Iowa, Reid also, like Agatha, interviewed undergraduate students to hear their thoughts about money, and not only had Reid been a transfer college student herself, switching from the University of Arizona to Marymount Manhattan College midstream, but she also worked as a resident adviser at the latter institution.

So to say Reid has been exposed to a lot of

different college campus cultures would be an understatement. What have been her impressions since arriving at U-M?

“This is the third university that I’ve taught at, and I would absolutely say the students here are ambitious in a way that I haven’t encountered before,” she says. “Football is king here in a way that it wasn’t at the other universities I taught at. And the students are really bright.”

One of the brightest students in Come and Get It is an Alabamian coed named Casey. Reid highlights Casey’s Southern accent by using vernacular, which can be tricky. “I wanted to differentiate her speech in a way that was accurate to how she would talk in the real world, but it also became a great literary device in terms of who is speaking when,” Reid says. “Since there are so many students, you definitely know when Casey is speaking.”

More broadly, dialogue is one of Reid’s specialties, and this may be partly a result of her early college focus on theater.

“I read a lot of Shakespeare and different contemporary plays in college and definitely learned a lot about rhythms and word choice and gesture,” she says. “When I was doing interviews for this novel, the parts that typically stood out were not an interviewee’s answer, but rather the in-between parts, or when

they start and stop themselves, or when they resay something, or little verbal habits they have. I tried to put a lot of those into the novel.”

Come and Get It’s fictional interviewer, Agatha — spinning out after a rift with her longtime girlfriend in Chicago — crosses ethical boundaries by not only eavesdropping on the suitemates from the vantage point of Millie’s room (they all share a thin wall) but also compiling the young women’s quotes for splashy, cringey Teen Vogue stories.

“I was interested in using … Fayetteville as a bit of a palate cleanser and a get-out-of-jailfree card for Agatha,” Reid says. “She’s in a place where she doesn’t know anyone, she’s not in a major city, and she finds herself behaving like she can do whatever she wants because it doesn’t really count in this place. … She’s on a bit of a strange rumspringa.”

As with any engaging novel, chaos ensues. “Millie says to Agatha in the first chapter, ‘People hear what they want to hear,’” Reid says. “If the novel did have a thesis, it might be floating around in that sphere.”

Author Kiley Reid teaches creative writing at the University of Michigan. Her latest novel, set in Arkansas, explores campus life.

A curb-picking Detroit couple make furniture and more from reclaimed materials

RETAIL

One Man’s Trash

A Detroit couple have made it their business to recycle materials, often found on the curbside, into beautiful new furniture and home goods

BY MEGAN ANDERLUH | PHOTOS BY BRAD ZIEGLER

IT ALL STARTED WITH trash. Around 10 years ago, Detroit residents and life partners Bo Shepherd and Kyle Dubay were in their 20s and came across it constantly while biking around the city — the lumber, metal, tile, and other objects left behind when someone moves away or a house is being gutted or demolished. But Shepherd and Dubay didn’t see it as trash. They saw stuff that has what they call “honest wear,” or, in Dubay’s words, has “had a life — its own texture and scars and marks that you would never get with something new.”

So much of this history, and the history of Detroit, was being thrown away. Shepherd and Dubay wanted to make something new from the remnants and debris. They started making home goods like decorative screen-printed signs and wall-mounted bottle openers with wood they’d reclaimed from the city streets, selling them at artisan fairs and Eastern Market. They weren’t armed with much more than Shepherd’s creative background — a former designer at General Motors Co., she trained at the College for Creative Studies — and what Dubay learned in high school woodshop. But they both had resourcefulness and drive. They named their company Woodward Throwbacks, a tribute to Detroit’s Main Street and to the retro origin of the materials they work with.

Today, Woodward Throwbacks is known nationwide for its handmade furniture and interior design centered on salvage. On Instagram, over 150,000 followers watch Shepherd, Dubay, and their small team build one-of-a-kind creations such as cabinets with old signs for doors or coffee tables made with wood salvaged from Michigan Central Station. Renovation projects include

adding texture and Detroit history to commercial spaces throughout the city and converting an Islandview warehouse into their future home. They’ve expanded the business’s footprint from a garage to a building near Corktown, then a former Hamtramck auto dealership to, in 2022, a downtown flagship, Throwbacks Home, where visitors can find Woodward Throwbacks furniture alongside new seating made by sustainable design company Gus and home goods like luxury candles and vintage glassware.

For Shepherd and Dubay, the move downtown signals the growing appeal of reclaimed and reused over brand-new and mass-produced. “Thrifting furniture is becoming more mainstream,” Dubay says. “You go on Instagram now, and [interior design] is all about selfexpression. What do you like? It’s not about going to Google and buying the same couch your neighbor has; it’s about buying the cool thing that you found in Ohio or at an estate sale.”

In addition to the uniqueness and individuality an antique brings to a room, older items have already stood the test of time and often retain their value over a long period. There are also environmental benefits in seeing the beauty in what’s already there and recycling it.

“Normally, when people think about sustainability, they think about using fair trade or using sustainable materials like mango wood,” Shepherd says. “We’re actually taking materials that are in our own neighborhood, so it’s more about being locally sourced.”

“Instead of taking new materials out of the environment, we’re recycling materials,” Dubay adds. “The most sustainable house you can build is one that’s already built.”

Throwbacks Home is located at 34 W. Grand River Ave., Detroit. Go to throwbackshome.com to learn more and to order their new book, Throwbacks Home Interiors.

 Life partners Bo Shepherd and Kyle Dubay have been creating furniture and other goods from reclaimed materials in Detroit for over a decade. Their business, Woodward Throwbacks, has expanded to residential and commercial design.

Woodcrafting duo Shepherd (left) and Dubay pose with their work. 

SUSTAINABILITY

THE NAME GRETCHEN Carhartt Valade is well known to Detroiters. The philanthropist, musician, and Carhartt heiress — who passed away in 2022 at the age of 97 — was nicknamed the “Angel of Jazz” after saving the struggling Detroit Jazz Festival in 2006 and ensuring it remained free so that everyone had access to the music and the culture.

Her granddaughter Gretchen R. Valade is also passionate about preservation. In her case, it’s about the Earth itself. As director of sustainability for Carhartt — the 135-year-old Detroit workwear company that grew to be a worldwide fashion brand — Valade is helping to reduce textile waste and greenhouse gas emissions by giving consumers an opportunity to keep their Carhartt apparel in their closets and out of landfills.

As the daughter of CEO and Chairman Mark Valade, she has had plenty of exposure to the apparel industry, starting as a 15-year-old intern in Carhartt’s product department, fascinated with fashion.

Since then, the DePaul University grad has held several positions within the company, including research and development coordinator and Detroit development manager. Later, when community and environmental impact intertwined with the company’s values, Valade helped open the Carhartt Workshop, which has a free tool library and meeting spaces, in 2020 above the Detroit flagship store and took on a new role as director of sustainability, setting forth goals with her team to reduce Carhartt’s greenhouse gas emissions.

“We are really focused on circularity — so, looking to keep product in use longer and divert from the landfill,” Valade says. “We launched our Carhartt repair in 2021, and it’s a service for our consumers to be able to send in their product to us and we will repair them for free and send them back to them.”

Currently, the United States produces about 34 billion pounds of postconsumer textile waste annually, with 66% going to landfills and only 15% being recycled. More waste creates more

THE NEXT GENERATION

The Carhartt founder’s great-great-granddaughter is using her apparel industry experience to establish eco-friendly initiatives within the company and her own sustainability-focused boutique

BY JULIANA LUMAJ

landfills, resulting in the continuous destruction of natural habitats and an increase in chemicals like methane and carbon dioxide permeating the air as clothes decompose, contributing to the ongoing effects of climate change.

In 2023, Valade helped launch a resale program called Carhartt Reworked, which collects, cleans, and repairs previously worn clothing for resale to keep it in use and out of landfills. Valade says Carhartt is also working with the Blue Jeans Go Green program to recycle clothing at the end of its life.

 Named for Valade’s

Behind the scenes, Valade also spent much of 2020 preparing for the opening of Eugenie — a boutique that offers a variety of products, such as clothing, jewelry, candles, and throw blankets, from sustainable brands she finds from Detroit and all over the world, including Australia, Spain, and France.

Named after her grandmother’s sister Eugenie Davis — a fashionable woman who moved to an island in Maine and was interested in plants and wildlife — the boutique opened in Midtown in November 2020 before moving to its current location in West Village in 2022.

Valade’s namesake also owned a clothing boutique, called Capricious. It was at that Grosse Pointe Farms shop that her granddaughter learned about the process of buying products to sell in a store. “My mom and I would go with her buyer to New York and go through all the appointments, so I learned from observing during my time doing that in college,” Valade says. “I would say [my grandmother and I] were more like friends. … We had a pretty special relationship.”

And like her grandmother, Valade is intent on accessibility. When searching for brands to sell in Eugenie, she makes it a point to gather products at various price points. “People assume that to be sustainable, products have to be expensive. And so, a lot of time is spent making sure that there are accessible options in our store.”

Co-founded with her husband, Kevin Steen, the store is designed with secondhand furniture they took from their home and purchased from stores that had closed, homing in on their sustainability theme with bright white walls and earth-toned décor. And so far, many locals have been pleased with the new addition to the neighborhood.

“I think especially within the West Village, we get a lot of neighbors that come in and are grateful that we’re here,” Valade says. “It feels really good to be wanted and in a place where people can come and find what they’re looking for and have just a really nice experience.”

 Gretchen R. Valade (right) is Carhartt’s director of sustainability and owns Detroit’s Eugenie with her husband, Kevin Steen (left).

greataunt, Eugenie moved to West Village in 2022.

If walls could talk: One of the walls was “creamyvanilla white. We wanted to pack a punch — my husband had the idea of a green-space mural.” They decided on a landscape from BelarteStudio. “It’s put up in strips, like wallpaper.”

Favorite home design collaborators: West Elm, Voluspa candles, Interior Define, and Yardbird outdoor furniture.

Sofa, so good: The couple’s sofa was custom-created by Interior Define. “You choose the fabric, depth, fill, height, arm style, and more.” They went with a vintage velvet in Ivy and chose English-style arms. In her book, green is a neutral color. “The sofa style feels vintage.”

What lies beneath: A Loloi rug (part of a collaboration with Chris Loves Julia, chrislovesjulia.com) feels “modern. I like the mix of having a checkered plaid — kind of a modern piece — among the vintage.”

LET THE SUNSHINE IN

BY MEGAN SWOYER | PHOTOS BY JOE TIANO

ENJOYING A GLASS of wine together in their Plano, Texas, home, Vanessa ChaverriGratz and her husband, Josh Gratz, were scrolling through real estate listings when they stumbled upon a historic Tudor-style home in Grosse Ile. Shortly after, they were in Michigan for a wedding and on a whim decided to go look at the nearly 100-year-old home. “We fell in love with it and put an offer in the next day,” Chaverri-Gratz says.

The two had lived all over the United States for their jobs but recently found themselves in remote-work positions. “We could live anywhere, and Josh is from Michigan’s Downriver area, so we thought, ‘Why not?’ We couldn’t believe the price point and how immaculately cared for the home was,” adds Chaverri-Gratz, who was pining to live in a four-season state. She finds the Detroit River’s Grosse Ile, which is about 10 miles long and 1 mile wide, to be a friendly community that’s quiet and feels rural. “People here are neighborly, and they look out for each other.”

One of the selling points of the circa-1926 home was a gorgeous sunroom that had been

added on in the 1940s. It’s a temperaturecontrolled space and has 2 feet of in-ground flower beds. “We uprooted a good number of plants and did some replanting,” Chaverri-Gratz says. The couple and their 13-year-old Shiba Inu, Kona, enjoy the light-filled space immensely. “We use it as a TV room and breakfast spot. When friends come over, this is the space for watching sports or playing games.”

Chaverri-Gratz is an optometrist recruiter by day for Warby Parker; at night and on weekends, she works with clients online to help them decorate their home spaces. She also creates design-themed content for her social media avenues, collaborating with several home décor companies and featuring their products on her Instagram page. (Join her 177,000 followers and counting at @thegratzlife.) “Our home, which is timeless and vintage, is my canvas for my decorating skills. It’s a passion and a fun outlet,” she says.

Here, we get a glimpse of the homeowner’s favorite elements in her sunroom — a great spot for welcoming spring!

Vanessa Chaverri-Gratz and her husband, Josh Gratz, enjoy breakfast in their sunroom with Kona, their 13-yearold Shiba Inu. The temperature-controlled space was added to their home in the 1940s and features in-ground flowerbeds. 

Looking up: The ceiling beadboard was here when we bought it, and it was raw. You could see the stains from the sap.” Chaverri-Gratz wanted more green in the space, so she had it painted in Daily Greens (by Clare, a paint company). Rustic beams were left as is to echo the wood window casements.

Dig this: The L-shaped, 21-foot-long indoor gardening area brims with monsteras, corn plants, ferns, a small lemon and fig tree, and more. The couple use a dripline to water it. “I think the bottom is concrete, and it’s layered with rocks,” Chavarri-Gratz explains.

Game for games: A sturdy wooden game table, from Poly & Bark, is perfect for playing cards or chess. “I’m slowly but surely learning how to play chess and euchre.” The chairs are from the Detroit Club via Facebook Marketplace.

Drink up: An old chest that was the previous homeowners’ television cabinet is now home to bourbons, whiskeys, and tequilas.

Thrilled with throws: “I buy a new throw every year — that’s how much I love them.” The current one is by Minky Couture and is the “crème de la crème of throws.” Kona (their dog) is obsessed with it.

Tray bien: A handy tray from West Elm is typically on the ottoman — a perfect caddy for drinks and candles.

Benched: A West Elm mango-wood bench, behind the sofa, is a good spot for putting on or taking off shoes and for storing books and special mementos, like a vintage eagle sculpture that was once Josh’s grandfather’s.

Lighten up: Chaverri-Gratz doesn’t mind blending new with old and designer with affordable. The floor lamp, for example, is from Target. A Tiffany-style lamp over the game table was discovered on Facebook Marketplace.

A Grosse Ile newcomer takes us on a tour of her favorite space in her 1926 home

Art House

Photographs by Christine M.J.

RPT Clinic Salute to Vets

Photographs by David Kasenow

GAV & Associates 25 Year Anniversary Party

Photographs by Sinead Cronin

Evening with COTS

Photographs by Lindsay Schweickert

Barbara Porter, Joanne McNary, and Judith Pickering

Mike Rosenbergh with a client

Al Valentine, Ghassan Abdelnour, and Joseph Malkoun

Brianna Witherspoon and Alfreda Gaines

India Gragg

Arin Rentz and Ben Blankenship

Angela Cousmano, Kirk Dahring, and Kim Dahring

Cheryl P. Johnson

Melissa Petrillo, Chris Kemp, and Kaitlyn Pangrazzi

Mike Rosenbergh with clients

Jiana Abdelnour, Bahn Abdelnour, Cynthia Saadeh, Donna Saadeh, Rae Monchnik, and Scott Monchnik

Carolyn Clifford, Cheryl P. Johnson, Linda Koos, Alex Holoros, and Aisha Morrell-Ferguson

Tony Roko and Megan Swoyer

Ben Blankenship

Paul Abdelnour, Jiana Abdelnour, Ghassan Abdelnour, Bahn Abdelnour, and David Abdelnour

Denise Jacob and Bobbie Tweddle

Hathaway

In town for the NFL Draft ?

Here’s our guide to what to do Downtown and in the suburbs. Plus,how the Motor City came to host this three-day event.

Detroit: You’ve Been Drafted!

By Bill Dow

he largest and most impactful event in Detroit since the city hosted Super Bowl XL in 2006 is taking place this month, when the National Football League draft is held downtown April 25-27.

With free admission, hundreds of thousands are expected to gather where numerous activities and extensive live entertainment will take up 2 million square feet of space from Campus Martius Park (the location of the main draft stage) to Hart Plaza — including Cadillac Square and the Monroe Street Midway area.

Over the three days, another estimated 60 million-plus from around the world will be tuned in to ABC, ESPN, and the NFL Network to watch the nation’s top collegiate football players be selected while Detroit is also showcased with plenty of drone shots and features.

Hosting one of the league’s most prestigious and popular events, second only to the Super Bowl, is a defining moment to cap off the resurgence of the Detroit Lions and the

How the NFL’s second biggest event came to Motown and what to expect during the festivities

Schedule of Events:

Thursday, April 25

2024 NFL Draft Experience

Noon-10 p.m., Campus

2024 NFL Draft Day 1 (Round 1) 8-11 p.m., Draft Theater, Randolph and Monroe Sts.

Friday, April 26

2024 NFL Draft Experience Noon-10 p.m., Campus

ongoing renaissance in the heart of the city.

Since 2015, when the NFL decided to take the draft out of New York and on the road to Chicago (twice); Philadelphia; Dallas; Nashville, Tennessee; Cleveland; Las Vegas; and Kansas City, Missouri, it has gained even greater popularity.

After two previous unsuccessful bids, it took a persistent and impressive team effort by numerous leaders within a public-private partnership to bring the draft to the Motor City. Officials predict it will likely bring more than 300,000 visitors to the region, resulting in an economic impact of at least $150 million.

According to organizers, those figures may likely be greater given that rabid football fans are expected to come from Canada and six relatively close NFL cities — Cleveland, Chicago, Cincinnati, Buffalo, Indianapolis; and Pittsburgh — all within a 4.5-hour drive or less.

“The Detroit Lions, Visit Detroit, the Detroit Sports Commission, the city of Detroit, the Downtown Detroit Partnership, and numerous other civic organizations and corporations put forth a tremendous team effort to make it happen,” says Claude Molinari, the CEO and president of Visit Detroit (the convention and visitor bureau for Detroit, Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne Counties) which led the successful bid to host the NFL Draft. He reminded the NFL that from 2004 to 2010, “Detroit had successfully hosted the Super Bowl, the Final Four, the Frozen Four, and the Ryder Cup — and that since that time, the area has added hundreds of more hotel rooms and new developments. Dan Gilbert and Rocket Mortgage also used their influence as a major sponsor of the NFL.”

At Visit Detroit’s annual partnership meeting in January, which highlighted the upcoming draft, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was asked by NBC’s Sunday Night Football play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico what Detroit should do to make it a success.

“The No. 1 thing is to do it your way, Detroitstyle,” Goodell said. “Our draft reaches 60 to 70 million people over three days, and everyone is going to see the places and people that make this community special. I’m sure it will be a great success.”

Saturday, April 27

2024 NFL Draft Experience

9 a.m.-6 p.m., Campus Martius Park/Hart Plaza

2024 NFL Draft Day 3 (Rounds 4-7)

12-7 p.m.,

page 57 for a map of the draft events)

To

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan sees the NFL draft as a unique opportunity to show off the city.

“It’s going to be Detroit’s chance to reintroduce itself to the world, and I think people are going to be very pleasantly surprised,” he says. “Many from outside the city have the media images from during the bankruptcy a decade ago cemented in their minds. They don’t know about our incredible riverfront, the nearly 200 parks we’ve renovated, the amount of blight that has been removed, or the amount of construction and new buildings being added to our skyline.”

The benefits attributed to hosting the draft present special prospects beyond the windfall that is expected for the regional hotel and restaurant industries.

Kai Bowman, the chief operating officer of the Metro Detroit Black Business Alliance, which boasts 1,300-plus members, also spoke at the Visit Detroit meeting.

“For the small-business community, the NFL draft is a tremendous opportunity, and we are working with the organizing committee, the Lions, and the city to make sure that our members are certified and prepared,” Bowman said.

The Detroit Sports Commission and Visit Detroit, with the support of local donors and the NFL, announced that Beyond Basics and Project Play: Southeast Michigan, two metro-Detroitbased nonprofits, will equally split a $1 million grant to support youth literacy and active play.

Dennis Merlo, 71, of Northville, a Lions fan of 64 years, is looking forward to attending the NFL draft festivities.

“Considering the season the Lions just had with all the national exposure that went with it, I think the fans will show up en masse and will be on fire,” Merlo says. “A lot of the country was behind the Lions during the season, and I think there will be a carry-over effect. It will be very exciting and likely one of the liveliest drafts the NFL has ever had.”

motor city magic

By Dana White

Art deco goodness, world-class art everywhere, a special pair of shoes: A newcomer to “the D” finds the city’s comeback hits all the right notes

y life, like those of most Americans of a certain age, marched along to a strong Detroit backbeat: Henry Ford, Lee Iacocca, Motown, Eminem. The Motor City, where all cars came from. I believe I visited as a child, during a family motorhome trip across Canada; we made a detour to Detroit for repairs, and I remember crossing a bridge over a river into a smoky charcoal sketch of a city. It was a long time ago, and Detroit has come a long way since then, or so I’d heard. I knew it was the city that had changed the world, and now it was changing, too; it had no choice. As a longtime New York resident, I’ve always imagined Manhattan to be the city against which all others are judged. But I

didn’t want to judge Detroit — I wanted to see it for myself.

So I must have manifested an unexpected editing job at a magazine all about, yes, Detroit. I read articles about architecture, history, and food, about clever boutique hotels and craft cocktail culture and legendary works of art. An underdog story. Pretty much all the things I love.

Detroit has a lot of moving parts, and I would only experience a few of them. It was beautiful and nostalgic and inspiring, all at once.

PART 1: THE HENRY FORD MUSEUM

My first stop was the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in Dearborn, only 20 minutes east of the airport on the way to the city. This is Ford country. In 1929, after a newspaper called the creator of the assembly line and the five-day workweek ignorant of history (he sued), Henry remember a smoky charcoal sketch of a city. It was a long knew

It was a sign. fall, to leave room for the unexpected. What I discovered was that like one of Ford’s early mechanical contraptions, the full story of

During a business trip to Detroit last fall, I took a whirlwind tour of as many iconic sights as I could squeeze in between meetings. I had a rental car and a punch list but little planned, since I like

He collected Americana from around the country and displayed the items in a museum designed to

resemble Independence Hall in Philadelphia. After he died in 1947, the collecting continued.

The huge, open exhibition hall holds an astonishing assemblage of machines, from tiny to massive, that once flew, chuffed, whirred, and harvested, all demonstrating what Ford called “the genius of the American people.” Car buffs and vintage design lovers (ahem) will be in heaven. One of my earliest memories is watching President John F. Kennedy’s funeral on TV, and I made a beeline for the Lincoln convertible he was riding in when he was shot. Nearby were two neon signs, vintage McDonald’s and Holiday Inn signs, and two gorgeous 1950s Fords, plus

displays on road trips and vintage motels and camping. It was all channeling my childhood.

In the middle of it all is a 1940s diner called Lamy’s, which Ford plucked out of Massachusetts. Lunch items include chicken salad sandwiches, frappes, and Faygo red pop, Detroit’s official soda. It was liquid candy, and the sugar buzz propelled me through the displays on American history. The chair Lincoln was sitting in when he was shot at Ford’s Theatre. The actual bus where Rosa Parks refused to move seats and sparked a racial reckoning, found abandoned in an Alabama field and restored. I sat in the same

spot while a young docent told Parks’s story and I thought about the small acts of courage that can change the world.

Ford collected buildings, too. Starting with his own childhood home and barn, he began relocating structures to a nearby 200-acre outdoor area now called Greenfield Village. So far, 100 historically significant structures — including the bicycle shop where the Wright brothers built the first flying machine — have been moved here or reconstructed and arranged into seven historic districts. Combined with rides in a train or Model T, this canny example

evokes Main Street at its most idealistic — and influenced the creation of Disneyland. I did not have time to explore, but I’ll be back — it must be especially beautiful in the springtime.

PART 2: HOTELS WITH HISTORY

There’s no better place to stay after a day spent among 19th-century machinery than the Detroit Foundation Hotel on West Larned Street in downtown Detroit. Located an easy walk from all the downtown sites, the former headquarters of the Detroit Fire Department

is a fine example of the boutique hotel surge of the past 10 years or so, wherein old, often abandoned buildings are repurposed into luxury hotels while retaining their historic architectural bones. The Foundation finds beauty in exposed brick, salvaged wood, and Edison bulbs. Firehouse artifacts unearthed during the project are kept behind glass. Left of the small lobby, a soaring ground-floor space that once housed fire trucks is now a glittering restaurant and bar called The Apparatus Room.

There, after a long walk, I enjoyed a late dinner of a Little Gem lettuce salad with sheep’s milk cheese and a coriander vinaigrette; sea scallops in a cantaloupe curry; roasted potatoes; and sourdough bread made from 13-year-old starter. That buzz I felt wasn’t just the two craft cocktails I consumed; it was the endorphin rush of being somewhere new, chic, and metropolitan, surrounded by strangers in a city that already felt familiar.

Just a few blocks from the Foundation is the Cambria Hotel Detroit Downtown, a brand-new hotel housed in a “broadcasting palace,” the former home of radio station WWJ. Designed by Albert Kahn, Detroit’s favorite architect, the dramatic modernist limestone facade greeted large audiences who gathered for radio plays in its theater. The radio station left in the 1980s, and today it’s a sexy boutique hotel with original black-marble interiors, atmospheric black-andwhite photographs, huge guest rooms, and an indoor golf spot in the basement.

The folks working there were the best. We compared Detroit to New York City and agreed the latter has far more rats. Indeed, not only did I never see a rat in downtown Detroit, but I hardly saw a candy wrapper or a soda can either. These are the cleanest streets I’ve ever seen in a major city, and I never felt anything but welcomed. That Midwestern friendliness I’d heard about is real, and it’s here. This surprised me a little, because the city can assume such a gritty, defensive posture. But don’t let that fool you — Detroiters are sweethearts.

PART 3: Campus Martius and Woodward Avenue

Detroit’s downtown district is only 1.4 square miles, and you can cover a lot of territory if you know where you’re going, which I most certainly did not. On my first day, I took a left on Woodward Avenue and stumbled across Campus Martius, a former military drill ground turned public park — and the nucleus for the NFL Draft events. In the summer, they dump 40,000 tons of sand and add lawn chairs and it becomes an urban beach in the shadow of the huge Civil War monument. Many of the

downtown’s six parks have old-school statues of founding figures, their stories on bronze plaques. I learned that long before Cadillac was a car, it was the name of a French fur trader and explorer, Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, who planted his flag here in 1701 and claimed the territory for King Louis XIV. A century later, in 1805, Detroit burned to the ground. Judge Augustus Woodward, inspired by the layout of Washington, D.C., redesigned the street plan to have five grand boulevards spoking out from a point of origin in Campus Martius.

One of those five boulevards, and the central one, is Woodward Avenue. This historic road starts at Campus Martius Park and keeps right on going to the suburbs, 27 miles in all. (Come back in August and check out the Woodward Dream Cruise.) Woodward Avenue is the spine of the city, a grounding force. If you get turned around, locate Woodward and follow it toward the Detroit River, and you’ll find yourself again.

PART 4: DETROIT PEOPLE MOVER

It makes sense that a city dedicated to the automobile would not have a subway, but Detroit has two aboveground mass transit options, aside from the bus system, that take you to very different places.

The People Mover (yes, Disney World has one, too) travels in an irregular loop around the downtown perimeter, making 13 stops in only 12 minutes (and it’s free in 2024). The whirring two-car monorail hits the major stadiums, convention centers, and corporate headquarters. It follows the river, giving a nice view of the Windsor, Ontario, the skyline in Canada and the Ambassador Bridge. The People Mover stops at the futuristic cluster of glass towers of the Renaissance Center, or GM Ren Cen, General Motors’ world headquarters and home to Michigan’s tallest building. The giant atrium has a car-show vibe, with new GM models and a rotating selection of rare Chevys, Cadillacs, and Buicks. From there, the People Mover travels to Grand Circus Park close to Ford Field, Comerica Park, and the Fox Theatre. This “entertainment zone” has lots of bars and restaurants for the crowds that descend during big games and concerts. The second option, the QLine light-rail system, travels a straight line along Woodward Avenue for 3.3 miles, from the waterfront to Midtown and beyond. I’m not sure what the Q is for, but it’s not “quick”: Waits can be long, but at least it’s free this year, too. Like downtown, Midtown has had a major civic glow-up over the past decade; the museums are up here, including the Detroit Institute of Arts, our next stop. (I later learned the Q stands for Dan Gilbert’s Quicken Loans; he bought the naming rights.)

PART 5: THE DIEGO RIVERA

MURALS and Street Art

Owned by the city, the Detroit Institute of Arts, a neoclassical 1927 museum with a soaring entry hall, is more compact than The Met in New York and thus less exhausting, but its collection is comprehensive and culturally diverse. I spent two happy hours roaming the second floor of American and European art — the impressionist gallery was exceptional, the big names accounted for: Van Gogh, Cézanne, Monet. It is shocking to think that in 2013, the year Detroit declared bankruptcy, the city considered auctioning off its most valuable artworks to raise money. But private donors stepped into the breach, and the collections, and the museum itself, were saved. The counties of Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne voted to contribute tax money to the museum’s maintenance, and that is why their residents get in free.

The main attraction at the DIA is the Detroit Industry Murals. They are extraordinarily famous, for good reason. In 1931, as the Great Depression smacked the city and violent protests rocked Ford Motor Co., its president, Edsel Ford, Henry Ford’s only child, funded the Mexican muralist Diego Rivera to paint an homage to Detroit’s industrial might. Inspired by scenes he saw at Ford’s River Rouge plant, the communist painter created monumental frescoes celebrating the heroism of industrial workers. You enter Rivera Court through a corridor (don’t miss the fountain of local Pewabic tiles to the right). It takes a few turns of the body to take it in: 27 panels in a soaring 3,000-square-foot courtyard, densely packed with extraordinary modernistic scenes of 20th-century industry, both hopeful and sinister, executed with the same fresco technique that Michelangelo used on the Sistine Chapel.

The scale of Rivera’s genius is mind-boggling; the more you look, the more you see. He considered it his best work, but the murals were controversial; the wealthy elite wanted them whitewashed.

Edsel Ford stood his ground, responding: “He was trying to express his idea of the spirit of Detroit.”

The populist spirit of Rivera’s murals continues to inspire contemporary muralists. Every corner you turn in Detroit yields a building with a painting, an outdoor art gallery with a purpose. The City Walls program began as a form of “blight remediation,” incentivizing property owners to allow artists to paint murals on their buildings, and they have answered the call. Whales cavort on the side of a skyscraper. Stevie Wonder welcomes you to Detroit from the side of a performing arts center. Three young women stare boldly from the side of a parking garage. There are 200 (official) murals and more on the way, expressions of intensely creative and resilient communities.

When we entered the studio, with instruments and the piano on which Marvin Gaye recorded “What’s Going On,” it felt like a holy site: This is where the music world, and our lives, changed.

PART 6: CORKTOWN

Meetings brought me to Corktown, the city’s oldest neighborhood, about 2 miles due west of Campus Martius Park on Michigan Avenue, one of the big five boulevards. This area was settled in the 1830s by Irish immigrants from County Cork, followed by generations of other newcomers to this country looking for factory work. An enclave of tidy Victorian cottages sprung up, and the surviving houses have been brightly painted and preserved and their neighborhood designated a Historic District. Corktown’s bohemian and ever-busier business district runs along Michigan Avenue, where old favorites like Sugar House rub elbows with new favorites like Supergeil. The new and very hip Godfrey Hotel has great skyline views from a 7thfloor lounge. Next door is a place where people throw axes for fun. Corktown is called “Detroit’s coolest neighborhood” for a reason.

This day started with breakfast at a corner café and store called Folk Detroit (look for the mural of the winking Irishman). I had the Biscuit Brekky — an herb and cheese frittata with greens, a butter biscuit, and rhubarb preserve — and a perfect latte. From there, I visited the Michigan Central innovation hub. Ford Motor Co. has invested $1 billion rehabbing an old abandoned train terminal to its Beaux-Arts glory, along with the Newlab companion building, an old book depository transformed into a Silicon Valley-style think tank and invention lab (think Edison and Ford, but in sneakers). While the station’s majestic ground level isn’t yet open to the public, the station became Instagram-official in January as people flocked for selfies when its blue-lit windows spelled out “Lions” during the team’s playoff run.

PART 7: MOTOWN MUSEUM

Business behind me, I shifted into tourist mode, starting with the Motown Museum. I belong to the generation that grew up to Motown’s music — The Jackson 5, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder — and I thought Diana Ross was the most beautiful woman in the world. The museum consists of two of the five houses that Berry Gordy bought on West Grand Boulevard. I entered through the iconic blue and white house and joined a group of people about my age at the end of a long gallery wall of Motown talent. Our guide was a lovely young college student who taught me many things. No spoilers.

We crossed over into the second half of Hitsville USA, where Gordy lived with his family and recorded his music. It was a 1950s time capsule, with covetable midcentury furnishings and a vintage candy machine Stevie Wonder knew by touch. This led to the control room for Studio A, where the sound engineers sat; the

floor by the mixing board was worn out from decades of shoes stomping to the beat. When we entered the studio, with instruments and the piano on which Marvin Gaye recorded “What’s Going On,” it felt like a holy site: This is where the music world, and our lives, changed. Our guide turned off the lights and played the song, in the dark, a pained anthem about racism and war. A chill ran up my spine. Then she taught us a doowop two-step and led us in a rousing chorus of “My Girl.” We all knew the words, and I loved how 20 strangers clicked into throwback mode, united by a common bond of music. By the end, half of us were teary. I bought a Motown hoodie and proudly wore it the rest of the day. (Tip: You have to buy advance tickets to Motown Museum; this keeps groups small — it’s a tight space.)

PART 8: THIRD MAN RECORDS

This was the second stop of my music appreciation tour. In 2015, Jack White opened his first Third Man Records (there’s also one in Nashville, Tennessee) in an up-and-coming area called the Cass Corridor. I’ve loved Jack White since The White Stripes, but I did not know until recently that he was a son of Detroit — he grew up in Mexicantown — and that he had saved the Masonic Temple by paying the building’s back taxes. The industrial-chic shop reflects White’s eclectic, counterculture vibe. It has a yellow and black color scheme, and there’s a vinyl-pressing factory in the back. Upon seeing my Motown sweatshirt, the young saleswoman smiled and said, “You want to see something cool?” She came out holding a pair of pink velvet pumps. “Look,” she said, pointing to the name “Diana” written inside. “They belonged to Diana Ross.” I hadn’t expected to enter a record store and find shoes worn by the most beautiful woman in the world. Turns out that Jack White is a collector, too.

PART 9: THE FISHER AND GUARDIAN BUILDINGS

Detroit has two restored art deco skyscrapers that must be seen to be believed, soaring testaments to the “Who can build it tallest?” contest of the roaring ’20s, when the auto industry had made Detroit the richest city in the nation. The Guardian Building sits downtown on the corner of Griswold and Larned, its orange-brick exterior easy to spot among the taller, newer buildings. I popped in for a look and was floored. Architect Wirt C. Rowland’s “Cathedral of Finance” is bold and masculine, with exotic marbles, intricate mosaics, a Tiffany clock, and colorful pottery tiles on the arched ceilings, arranged in Native American and Aztec motifs. A soaring mural at the far end celebrates Michigan’s largest industries. It’s the perfect

place to buy a cup of James Oliver coffee and sit a spell.

Four miles to the north lies the Fisher Building. There were seven Fisher brothers, all involved in the family business of shaping and making car bodies, pioneering the enclosed car (i.e., they put a roof on it). After selling Fisher Body Co. to GM for today’s equivalent of $2.5 billion, the brothers decided to splurge on their own art deco skyscraper, dubbed “Detroit’s largest art object.” They couldn’t find enough land downtown for their headquarters and a theater, so they bought in New Center, the outskirts at the time. They commissioned architect Albert Kahn to build a three-tower complex; the Great Depression pared the plan back to one tower, but what a marvel it is. The marble-clad Fisher Building seems taller than its 28 stories and possesses the most beautiful art deco interior I’ve ever seen, more delicate and feminine than the Guardian, with various-colored marbles; elaborate and exotic frescoes; a vaulted, three-story shopping arcade; and bronze and gold leaf everywhere — it’s like stepping into an enormous jewelry box. While there, I browsed The Peacock Room’s vintage-inspired clothing while admiring its original plasterwork and Tiffany blue walls and had lunch at Promenade Artisan Foods. Sadly, I didn’t make it back during my trip to see a Broadway national tour show in the building’s magnificent Fisher Theatre.

PART 10: LOCAL FARE

You have to try the local food specialties when in a new city, and I did. I drank a Faygo red pop, the effect of which I’ve already described. I had a Witching Hour martini at the Ghostbar in the historic Whitney mansion, said to be haunted. At Buddy’s near Ford Field, home of “the original Detroit-style pizza since 1946,” I enjoyed The Henry Ford: blended cheeses, onions, seasoned ground beef, blue cheese, and tomato basil sauce. It was a thick slab of savory deliciousness. And I had a Coney Island dog, mostly because I assumed it would taste like a hot dog you’d buy on Coney Island. I’m sorry, but mustard does not belong on a chili dog. If you want to try this Michigan delicacy, there are two competing Coney Island spots on Lafayette Street, literally attached to each other.

PART 11: BOOK TOWER

To get an idea of what Detroit looked like 100 years ago, or if you just want to have a drink in a spectacular space, head to the Book Tower on Washington Boulevard. The Book brothers were wealthy real estate heirs who bought up and built most of Washington Boulevard from Michigan Avenue to Grand Circus Park. They hired architect Louis Kamper to design

a string of skyscrapers in an effort to re-create a Midtown Manhattan feel. The tallest, at 36 floors, was the Book Tower, completed in 1926. Like many old stately buildings, it was remodeled and scavenged and finally left vacant. In 2015, billionaire developer Dan Gilbert, who invested in great chunks of downtown Detroit, bought the Book Tower and spent $400 million on a historic restoration of a quality rarely seen anymore, from the neoclassical motifs to the etched bronze elevator doors to the gold cherub clock in the lobby. The highlight is a crystal rotunda unseen for decades and painstakingly re-created from old photographs. The new Book Tower has private residences, a Roost Apartment Hotel with apartment-style rooms complete with washer/ dryers and full kitchens (I never wanted to leave), two Japanese restaurants, and Le Suprême, a sublime re-creation of a Parisian brasserie, down to the amorous couple at the bar. There is so much to love, and so much left to see, but it would have to wait until next time. Detroit, you had me at bonjour.

the skyscraper guide

We Detroiters like to think of our skyline as the most beautiful in the world. It’s always nice when we hear that others agree. “In our travels across America, I can’t think of too many cities that can compete with Detroit for its collection of really terrific, especially art deco, historic skyscrapers,” says Mark Houser, author of Highrises Art Deco: 100 Spectacular Skyscrapers from the Roaring ’20s to the Great Depression. Below is a guide to some of those art deco gems, plus other soaring scrapers.

Ally Detroit Center

Opened: 1993

GM Renaissance Center

Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center

Opened: 1977

Height: 727 feet high, 73 floors

Of note: It was the tallest hotel in the world when it opened, and it’s still the tallest building in Detroit.

Address: 400 Renaissance Drive W. Renaissance Towers

Opened: 1977

Height: 509 feet high, 39 floors (each tower)

Of note: In 1996, General Motors Co. acquired the buildings for its headquarters.

Address: 400 Renaissance Center

Fisher Building

Opened: 1928

Height: 441 feet high, 28 floors

Claim to fame: It’s known as “Detroit’s largest art

Address: 3011 W. Grand Blvd.

David Stott Building

Opened: 1929

Height: 436 feet high, 38 floors

Of note: It opened four months before the Great Depression began.

Address: 1150 Griswold St.

Address: 500 Woodward Ave.

Penobscot Building

Opened: 1928

Height: 565 feet high, 47 floors

Of note: When it opened, it was the eighth tallest building in the world.

Address: 645 Griswold St.

Patrick V. McNamara

Federal Building:

Opened: 1976

Height: 393 feet high; 27 floors

Of note: It was named for a U.S Senator

Address: 477 Michigan Ave.

One Woodward Avenue

Opened: 1963

Height: 430 feet high, 32 floors

Cadillac Tower

Opened: 1927

Height: 437 feet high, 40 floors

Address: 65 Cadillac Square

Address: 1 Woodward Ave.

DTE Energy Headquarters

Opened: 1971

Height: 374 feet high; 25 floors

Of note: It’s comprised of three buildings. The WalkerCisler Building is the tallest

Address: One Energy Plaza

Guardian Building

Opened: 1929

Height: 496 feet high, 40 floors

Of note: It’s often thought of as one of the most beautiful art deco buildings in the country.

Address: 500 Griswold St.

Book Tower

Opened: 1926

Height: 475 feet high, 38 floors

Of note: It was the tallest building in Detroit for two years before the Penobscot opened.

Address: 1265 Washington Blvd.

150 West Jefferson

Opened: 1989

Height: 455 feet high, 28 floors

Of note: It’s across the avenue from Hart Plaza where draft events will take place

Address: 150 W. Jefferson Ave.

Higher Love

Mark Houser and Chris Hytha, the writer and artist behind a beautiful book about Art Deco skyscrapers in the U.S., tell us what they love about Detroit’s high-rises

Penobscot Building: This skyscraper exemplifies the art deco “ziggurat” form, with its heavy monolithic base tapering to a light metal spire. While the building’s ornamentation is minimal, its form and setbacks become the star of the show. It is an unmistakable landmark towering above Detroit’s skyline. —Chris Hytha

Buhl Building: Detroiters have the easiest architectural walking tour in America on Griswold Street, where three great 1920s skyscrapers by the brilliant local architect Wirt Rowland stand just a block apart. Rowland’s Buhl, Penobscot, and Guardian buildings exude the energy and experimentation that characterized the best of art deco.

—Mark Houser

Guardian Building: I am captivated by the use of color and materiality on this unique skyscraper. The architect, Wirt Rowland, was inspired by a trip to Barcelona when he conceived of this skyscraper, and I can certainly see the influence. The colorful geometric patterns on the facade are unlike any skyscraper I have seen across the country. —CH

David Stott Building: An English immigrant of humble farming origins, David Stott surely could not have imagined he would have his own skyscraper one day. And though he died before it was built, what a legacy his children created for him with this glowing orange namesake tower flecked with sparkling polychrome panels. —MH

211 West Fort Street

Opened: 1963

Height: 368 feet high; 27 floors

Of note: Visit Detroit, the NFL

Draft host, calls it home

Address: Umm, see above.

Westin Book

Cadillac Detroit

Opened: 1924

Height: 29 floors

Of note: It was the tallest hotel in the world when it opened.

Address: 1114 Washington Blvd.

Fisher Building: Most skyscraper facades are made of stone, tile, or brick, so wrapping one in marble makes a statement. The Fisher boys’ gleaming tower showed off how rich they got with their Motor City chassis-making business, not only on the outside but with its lobby, among the most spectacular in any city. —MH

Book Tower: When a one-of-a-kind building like this reemerges from limbo, it reinforces the hope that a hard-hit community can bounce back revitalized with a new purpose. Having seen it at its worst, I look at Book Tower now as a metaphor for cities like Detroit and my hometown of Pittsburgh. —MH

Highrises Art Deco: 100 Spectacular Skyscrapers from the Roaring ’20s to the Great Depression is now available to order at hythacg.com

Broderick Tower

Opened: 1927

Height: 369 feet high, 34 floors

Of note: It became the third tallest abandoned building in the United States when it closed in 1985.

Address: 10 Witherell St.

Buhl Building

Opened: 1925

Height: 366 feet high, 27 floors

Of note: It was designed so that every office has an outside window.

Address: 535 Griswold St.

By Mickey Lyons

the cocktail lounge & bar guide

The city’s cocktail renaissance has by now blossomed into an internationally recognized scene. Detroit’s trademark ingenuity and drive shine through in its bars, from elegant and intimate lounges to laid-back neighborhood spots.

Cocktail Bars

Experience Zuzu

Perfectly situated just a football toss from Campus Martius Park (near the Guardian Building) is this relative newcomer to downtown Detroit’s nightlife. Zuzu’s swanky red and black space overlooks Woodward and is primed to be the place to see and be seen during the 2024 NFL draft. Zuzu is impossibly chic, with customdesigned elements from international design firm ICRAVE, better known for its restaurant and lounge designs in New York and Miami. Zuzu’s deep-red velvet booths, heavy curtains, and silver-chained chandeliers invite indulgence. The bar is happy to cater to that decadence, with full bottle service of Don Julio 1942 tequila, Dom Pérignon, or house specialty Ace of Spades Champagne. Large-format cocktails for the whole table like the Sei Less, a sweet-and-spicy concoction of tequila, sherbet, and hot pepper syrup, help to make any gathering a party. From Friday to Sunday, keep the night going after dinner by heading to the Upstairs Bar on the second level, where the DJ spins tunes starting at 9 p.m. At the bars downstairs and upstairs, custom-designed high-top tables evoke art deco backgammon tables. The dining at Zuzu is meant to be a shared experience; diners can choose from an abundance of small plates with a focus

on ultra-fresh seafood and Wagyu beef. Zuzu is built to celebrate most special occasions, whether you’re on an intimate date or require enough space for a private party of 10 or more, with plush booths for small or large groups. 511 Woodward Ave., Ste. 100, Detroit; 313-464-7777; experiencezuzu.com

The Godfrey Hotel Detroit Bars

One of the newest entries in the blooming Detroit hotel scene, the Godfrey brings understated elegance and class to Corktown. The hotel’s IO Rooftop Lounge offers stunning panoramic views of downtown. Hamilton’s, the Godfrey’s restaurant, and the lobby bar also serve up plenty of chic drinks to complement the hotel’s posh vibes. 1401 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-385-0000; godfreyhoteldetroit.com

The Lexington

The Lex is one of those “if you know, you know” spots, catering to a dedicated group of regulars who stop in for expertly made drinks that don’t take themselves too seriously. Helmed by two Detroit bar industry veterans, the Woodbridge neighborhood bar serves up what might be the best old-fashioned in town, alongside a full wine and cocktail list and a hefty bourbon, rye, and whiskey list. 5063 Trumbull Ave., Detroit; 313-8889415; thelexbar.com

Bad Luck

Bad Luck makes no bones about being a prestige cocktail bar. Bad Luck’s vibe is all about mystique, and its cocktails each embody a specific energy; the Persephone, for example, is about reincarnation and growth and features Norden aquavit served with botanical liqueur and strawberry. The unabashedly elegant bar can only be accessed by knocking on a door tucked down an alley. 1218 Griswold St., Detroit; 313-6579177; badluckbar.com

Le Suprême

Tableside. Martini. Service. Need we say more? OK. How about a cocktail list that leans heavily on French impressions, with delicate and expressive sippers, a smashing Bloody Mary, and a wine and beer list heavy on the Old World influences? 1265 Washington Blvd., Detroit; 313-5977734; lesupremedetroit.com

Kiesling

Old brick, warm wood, and burnished leather couches help make this Milwaukee Junction mainstay a must-visit. The rows and rows and rows of bottles are a clue to just how well the staff knows its drinks, from the classics to new inventions. The drinks list is also conveniently arranged in order of “booziness.” 449 E. Milwaukee Ave., Detroit; 313-638-2169; kieslingdetroit.com

At the center of NFL Draft events and activities.

Grey Ghost Detroit

Grey Ghost’s beverage program is every bit as innovative and smart as its celebrated food. A few dozen standards, changed seasonally, run the gamut from breezy and refreshing to dark and brooding. Grey Ghost makes clever use of ingredients like pickled honeydew and chiles to complement the food offerings. 47 Watson St., Detroit; 313-262-6534; greyghostdetroit.com

Standby

There’s a reason Standby has been around for almost 10 years, making it an old-timer by Detroit standards. This moody Belt alley bar organizes its drinks menu by listing the base spirit (rum, for example), flavor profile (“savory, tropical, nostalgic”), and preparation and serving method (stirred or shaken, served in a cordial glass or even a coconut). 225 Gratiot Ave., Detroit; 313-2415719; standbydetroit.com

Sugar House

One of the first and still one of the premier cocktail bars in the city, Sugar House set the bar for Detroit’s cocktail renaissance all the way back in 2011. With drink options running into the hundreds, Sugar House offers 101 impeccably made classics like the bijou and pisco sour, along with a rotating seasonal menu and a deep, deep list of single-barrel whiskies. 2130 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-962-0123; sugarhousedetroit.com

Castalia at Sfumato

It’s not often that a bar changes the cocktail game completely, but Castalia does just that in a tiny basement space in Midtown that doubles as a perfumery. Drinking at Castalia is a full-on sensory experience; each cocktail is meant to be savored as much by scent as by taste, as each drink is paired with a scent stick meant to draw out subtle nuances in the drink. 3980 Second Ave., Detroit; 313-305-1442; castaliacocktails.com

Ash—Bar at The Siren

The vibe at Ash—Bar is all about midcentury chic, like drinking a martini on a first-class train car sometime in the late ’40s. Lime-green banquettes and whimsical concoctions are available all week and all day on Saturday and Sunday, from breakfast through dinner. Ash— Bar’s happy hour is one of the best in the city, too, featuring classic cocktails and wine from 3 to 6 p.m. daily. 1509 Broadway St., Detroit; 313-2774736; ash.world/hotels/the-siren

Sports Bars

Nemo’s

No sports lover’s visit to Detroit is complete without a stop at Nemo’s for some draft beer and griddle sliders. This fan favorite was once a quick hop from Tiger Stadium. It’s survived thanks to an incredibly friendly staff and fanatically loyal customers, who flock to the green-striped awning whether or not there’s a game on. 1384 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-965-3180; nemosdetroit.com

Thomas Magee’s

One sign of a great sports bar is its cable TV package. Thomas Magee’s invests in just about every game you can find, especially international soccer games. If there’s an important match on, Thomas Magee’s will open as early as 7 a.m. 1408 E. Fisher Service Drive, Detroit; 313-263-4342; thomasmagees.com

Tin Roof

Three floors of giant TVs, live music stages, a few dozen beers, and a perfect rooftop view of Comerica Park: With these perks, it’s no surprise that Tin Roof is consistently packed before every Tigers and Lions game. 47 E. Adams Ave., Detroit; 313-262-6114; tinroofdetroit.com

McShane’s

Whiskey, sports, and Irish hospitality make this Corktown staple a perfect place to stop for a quick drink or to while away a few late-afternoon hours chatting with the bartender or a new friend. 1460 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-961-1960; mcshanespub.com

Detroit City Clubhouse

Watch parties, watch parties, and more watch parties bring the fans to this east-side spot run by the owners of the local semipro soccer team. The clubhouse boasts giant TV screens for soccer and NFL action, while indoor soccer leagues compete on the adjacent fields. 3401 E. Lafayette St., Detroit; 313-656-2480; detroitcityclubhouse.com

Wine Bars

The Royce Detroit

If you’ve never been to a Wednesday free wine tasting at The Royce, you’re missing out. The wine shop and bar near Grand Circus Park hosts wine tastings every week, and the staff is dedicated and passionate about the best vino for every occasion. 76 W. Adams Ave., Detroit; 313-4812160; theroycedetroit.com

Ladder 4 Wine Bar

This converted historic firehouse is stunning, sumptuous, and serious about its wines. Ladder 4 features a rapidly rotating list of wines that lean heavily on the low-intervention and “natural” side. 3396 Vinewood St., Detroit; 313-638-1601; ladder4winebar.com

MotorCity Wine

For 14 years (15 years in August), Detroit bartenders and musicians have flocked to MotorCity Wine for chill nights, music jams, and samples of funky, unique wines from all over the world. MCW is utterly unpretentious and welcomes everyone, from novices to wine geeks. 1949 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-483-7283; motorcitywine.com

Mudgie’s Deli & Wine Shop

Perhaps better known for its sandwiches, Mudgie’s has a smart collection of reasonably priced wines available by the bottle and glass. From Thursday to Saturday, the beloved Corktown deli and bar offers bottle discounts in its attached shop during happy hour. 1411 Brooklyn St., Detroit; 313-961-2000; mudgiesdeli.com

Stadt Garten

The folks at Stadt Garten are proud wine nerds, especially when it comes to anything German. The cozy Midtown storefront with an attached bar and garden epitomizes the concept of gemütlich: effortlessly cozy and cheerful. 3980 Second Ave., Detroit; 313-500-0000; stadtgartendetroit.com

WHERE TO EAT DOWNTOWN

An insider’s guide

By Jack Thomas

irst-time visitors: You may have heard of Detroit’s Coney dog (not a chili dog, and a favorite of Anthony Bourdain). Or Detroitstyle pizza (for an authentic experience, go to Buddy’s Pizza on East McNichols Road, where Detroitstyle pizza was first introduced, and order your pie well done).

Pizza on East McNichols Road, where Detroitat

When I say these foods are amazing, I mean it. I love grabbing a late-night Coney at Duly’s, American, or Lafayette. And I used to wait tables at the original Buddy’s location. I sincerely love the pizza, the staff, and the magical dining room, virtually unchanged since 1946. Still — I hope to go beyond a surface-level introduction to Detroit dining.

I’ve found when I visit a new city, the best recommendations seem to come out of a conversation with a local. So, I’ve enlisted the help of my co-workers to try to simulate this experience. Here is a local’s guide to dining in Detroit, courtesy of the Hour Detroit staff and contributors. Remember to tip your servers.

Casual

Michigan & Trumbull Pizza

PIZZA

“It’s the best Detroitstyle pizza in town, and the small venue has a very nice feel to it. I usually get the Margherita.”

—Andrew Nolan, account executive

Detroit Beer Co.

VEGETARIAN OPTIONS

“The service is friendly; they’re inside a historic building and have some historic photo displays of the city. I’ve tried their Beyond Burger and the cauliflower po’boy — both were really good. They also have vegan quinoa tacos and ricotta cheese ravioli for vegetarians.” —

Christina Clark, digital editor

Stables

Fluffer Nutter. Green Dot is dark and oldtimey with brick walls and old-fashioned bar chairs. And it’s always crowded — but you can pass the time on their covered outdoor patio, complete with picnic tables and a bar.”

Kate Walsh, editor

Iggy’sEggies BREAKFAST

“I first stumbled upon Iggy’s after I went to an early-morning shoe drop with my teenage son at the Nike store on Woodward. He was starving, and we needed to eat fast. Not only do Iggy’s breakfast sandwiches hit the spot, but their burgers and fries are among the best I’ve had. It’s also no muss, no fuss. Order at a window, wait, and

Ima/Ima Izakaya NOODLES

“I order the spicy seafood kimchi ramen. Detroit takes its ramen seriously, and this variation lands at the top of my rankings. It’s cozy, hearty comfort food with a spicy kick. Both Ima locations in

Detroit have cool décor and are in hip areas of the city — Midtown and Corktown. They’re good jumping-off points for exploring all Detroit has to offer outside of the downtown.”

—Emily Doran, managing editor, Hour Custom Publishing

Visit a James Beard HONOREE

2024 SEMIFINALITS

Detroit

Alpino (Best New Restaurant) alpinodetroit.com

Baobab Fare (Outstanding Restaurateur) baobabfare.com

Folk (Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program) folkdetroit.com

Freya (Best Chef: Great Lakes) freyadetroit.com

Ladder 4 Wine Bar (Best Chef: Great Lakes) ladder4winebar.com

Selden Standard (Outstanding Restaurant) seldenstandard.com

“The atmosphere is minimalist and hip, and their team is knowledgeable, warm, and welcoming. It consistently serves dishes that are creative, deeply flavorful, and beautifully presented. For me, Selden is the standard for one of the best dining experiences our city has to offer.” Michelle Kobernick, contributing writer

Nepantla Cafe (Emerging Chef) nepantladetroit.com

IN THE BURBS

Ann Arbor

Miss Kim (Best Chef: Great Lakes) misskimannarbor.com

Spencer (Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program) spencerannarbor.com

Clawson

Sozai (Best Chef: Great Lakes) sozairestaurant.com

“There isn’t anything like it in Michigan. Last year, I ate at some of the best restaurants in Japan, and as I enjoyed impeccable and pristine sashimi at a sushi bar in Tokyo and a Michelin-starred kaiseki (multicourse dinner) in Kyoto, I thought how lucky I was to have a place like Sozai back home so I could enjoy the same dishes featuring the best ingredients without traveling halfway around the world.” —Dorothy Hernandez, contributing writer

Dearborn

AlTayeb Restaurant (Outstanding Hospitality) facebook.com/ altayebofdearborn

Shatila Bakery (Outstanding Bakery) shop.shatila.com

Ypsilanti

Bellflower (Best Chef: Great Lakes) bellflowerypsi.com

Rocco’s Italian Deli SANDWICHES

“Simple, delicious Italian cold-cut sandwiches made with fabulous bread and fresh ingredients. I always go with the II Rocco, made with hot soppressata, mortadella, fontina, romaine, spicy red pepper relish, and garlic lemon aioli. Jimmy John’s could never.” —JT

Sweetwater Tavern

WINGS, BAR FOOD

“Hands down my favorite spot for wings. Ultracrispy, flavorful, and prepared completely from scratch. The bar is a great place to watch a game, and the restaurant has an old-school, homey atmosphere.” —JT

Yum Village

AFRO-CARIBBEAN

“I love grabbing lunch here. The jollof rice burns so good. The jerk chicken is out of this world, along with the plantains. It’s serverless and cashless — you tap out your order on an iPad. I recommend ordering and paying online about 20 minutes in advance, so your food is ready to go when you get there.” —JT

Fancy

Mink

SEAFOOD, TASTING MENU, COZY

“Since they offer a rotating tasting menu, I’ve never had the same dish twice, but they always have an oyster amuse-bouche. They serve you two oysters, one from the West Coast and the other from the East Coast, each prepared in a unique style. It’s a very cozy restaurant, and the bar seating allows you to see everything going on in the kitchen. Chef Rolka always puts together a great menu. Their tinned fish selection is outstanding as well, which a lot of other seafood spots don’t offer.” —Will Reaume, intern

San Morello ITALIAN, DINING EVENTS

“One of the best meals I’ve had downtown was at a San Morello VIP event (folks who subscribe to their newsletter are invited) This was a collaborative dinner with the restaurant (housed in the fantastic Shinola Hotel) and Detroit City Distillery. The food and drinks were exceptional, the setting was magnificent, and my fellow diners/new friends were super fun.” —KW

Wright & Co.

SMALL PLATES, COCKTAILS, GREAT VIEWS

Fun

Cadieux Cafe

BELGIAN, FEATHER BOWLING

“The real big draw to this restaurant is the feather bowling lanes. It’s like curling or bocce, but with rocks that resemble giant wheels of cheese. The goal is to get your stones closest to the feather without touching it. You do have to reserve lanes ahead of time, but man, is it so fun. I usually get the Mussels Forte dei Marmi. It’s one of their best-sellers and is a more traditional preparation for mussels. Get those with a side of pommes frites, and you’ll be a happy camper. Just talking about it makes me miss it.” —Kathryn Dave, graphic designer

Checker Bar

BARCADE, PIZZA, BURGERS

“They’ve been around for over 50 years, so they’re a staple of the city and boast being Detroit’s first arcade bar. Pizza and burgers take center stage. I always sub in veggie on The Checker Burger, with fries — it’s delish.” —CC

Sgt. Pepperoni's Pizzeria & Deli PIZZA, BAR, BOWLING, MUSIC

“Sgt. Pepperoni’s is located inside The Garden Bowl, one of the nation’s oldest bowling alleys. They make a top-tier pizza, and the price is right. There’s also a bar inside. If that’s not enough, it’s connected to two great music venues — upstairs is The Magic Stick (where The White Stripes used to perform), and next door is The Majestic Theatre. Grab some bowling shoes or kick back with a slice and a brew (or a Faygo). —JT

For more fine-dining options, see our Restaurant Listings on page 86. You can also go to hourdetroit.com/food to view articles about other eateries and chefs in metro Detroit. And follow us on social media to stay up to date on all things metro Detroit.

“Take the elevator up to the second floor of the Wright-Kay Building, where you’ll find one of the coolest restaurants I’ve ever been to — anywhere. Snack on elevated dishes that come out fast or try one of their unbeatable cocktails.” —JT

Eastern Market HISTORIC, DINING, SHOPPING, SIGHTSEEING

2934 Russell St., Detroit

A visit to America’s largest open-air market is an essential part of the Detroit experience — if only to smell the barbecue and listen to the sounds of street performances. The market itself, open Saturdays yearround, features fresh produce from local farmers, products from area vendors, and offerings from local food trucks. The surrounding business district has many bar and dining options that are also open during the week, as well as some fun and unique shopping (Vintage Eastern Market, People’s Records). It’s also home to historic nut roasters Rocky’s Original Peanut Co. and Germack (which also roasts coffee). Operational for over 130 years, this market always has something new to explore.

what to do in the suburbs

Had enough of football and the city? There’s plenty more to do in metro Detroit.

Art & Culture

Arab American National Museum

The Arab American National Museum is the sole museum of its kind in the country dedicated to Arab American history and culture. The Smithsonian affiliate is fittingly located in the city of Dearborn, where over 50% of the population possesses Arabic heritage. 13624 Michigan Ave., Dearborn; 313-429-2535; arabamericanmuseum.org

Cranbrook House & Gardens, Cranbrook Institute of Science,and Cranbook Art Museum

Enjoy the seasonal flowers and trees of this architecturally significant Bloomfield Hills manor on your own or make a reservation for lunch or afternoon tea with a group. The Institute of Science is a natural history museum with exhibits, a planetarium, and an observatory. The art museum is a leading museum of contemporary art, architecture, and design. They are all public areas on the Cranbrook Educational Community property. 39221 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills; 248-6453200; cranbrook.edu

Edsel and Eleanor Ford House

Once home to Edsel Ford, son of Ford Motor Co. founder Henry Ford, the historic Edsel and Eleanor Ford House rests along the shores of Lake St. Clair, at a place known locally as Gaukler Pointe. Dine in at The Continental or pack a picnic when you tour the home and property. 1100 Lake Shore Road, Grosse Pointe Shores; 313-884-4222; fordhouse.org

Ford Rouge Factory Tour

The Ford Rouge Factory Tour combines environmental innovation with industrial ingenuity. Watch Ford F-150s get assembled, visit what’s billed as North America’s largest “living” roof, watch a short film about the history of Ford and the company’s assembly process, and check out the actual cars, which have been produced at the plant since 1928. 20900 Oakwood Blvd., Dearborn; 313-982-6001; thehenryford.org

Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village

Explore American innovation at the 12-acre museum in Henry Ford’s hometown. The Driving America exhibit’s world-famous collection of historically significant vehicles is a notable highlight. Or, head to Greenfield Village (on the same campus) for glassblowing demonstrations, Model T rides, and a tour of the Wright brothers’ home. 20900 Oakwood Blvd., Dearborn; 313-9826001; thehenryford.org

Meadow Brook Hall

The story behind Meadow Brook Hall is not your typical boy-meets-girl tale. Lumber baron meets widow of automotive aristocrat by the surname of Dodge, husband and wife found Oakland University, and the two live happily ever after in their 110-room Tudor revival mansion. Nevertheless, the Dodge and Wilson families’ ornate Rochester manor makes a fantastic venue for house and garden tours. 350 Estate Drive, Rochester; 248-364-6200; meadowbrookhall.org

The Zekelman Holocaust Center

The just-remodeled Zekelman Holocaust Center is a stunning documentation of the Holocaust as well as Jewish culture and Jewish peoples’ contributions to society. 28123 Orchard Lake Road, Farmington Hills; 248-553-2400; holocaustcenter.org

Activities

Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum

This museum displays 250-plus interactive exhibits on nature, physics, health, mathematics, and more. 220 E. Ann St., Ann Arbor; 734-995-5439; aahom.org

Blake’s Orchard & Cider Mill

This year-round 800-acre family-friendly venue was founded in 1946. It has a cider mill, a children’s activity area, a store, a taproom, a tasting room (plus many other dining options) — and it’s where Blake’s Hard Cider is produced. 17985 Armada Center Road, Armada; 586-784-5343; blakefarms.com

Detroit Zoo

This nearly 100-year-old zoo is located north of Detroit, in the sleepy city of Royal Oak. Its campus feels both old (in a good way) and new. More recent additions include a penguin conservation center, an expanded red panda forest, a tiger forest, and four gorillas. It’s a lovely place to take a walk, ride a carousel, attend an event, and meet furry friends. 8450 W. 10 Mile Road, Royal Oak; 248-541-5717; detroitzoo.org

Fowling Warehouse

Feeling inspired to toss the ole pigskin? Now, try heaving it at bowling pins! Sip a beer from the Fowling Warehouse’s full-service bar while you take a stab at fowling. It’s also the designated pregame spot for the Northern Guard Supporters — a lovably rowdy group of Detroit City Football Club fanatics. 3901 Christopher St., Hamtramck; 313-264-1288; fowlingwarehouse.com

Huron-Clinton Metroparks

This regional park system consists of 13 Metroparks in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw, and Livingston counties. Each Metropark provides a natural oasis from urban and suburban life by offering an ever-growing variety of year-round outdoor recreational and educational activities in safe, clean environments. Picnicking, hiking, nature study, biking, golf, and disc golf are a few activities you can enjoy in the spring. Each park is unique and offers its own slate of outdoor experiences. Daily passes are $10. Locations and information can be found at metroparks.com.

Skip’s Huron River Canoe

Livery & Outfitters

Park at Delhi Metropark to rent kayaks, canoes, or tubes, then catch a ride. 3902 E. Delhi Road, Ann Arbor; 734-769-8686; paddlethehuron.com

University of Michigan

Whether you’re a Wolverines fan or simply seeking out a scenic route, the elegant historical architecture of the University of Michigan’s central campus makes it a great place for a brisk walk or a day of people-watching. (Tip: Don’t step on the “M” in front of the Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library. It’s said to be bad luck.) For a tour of Michigan Stadium (aka the Big House), fill out a request form online at least two weeks in advance. The campus is located just north of South University Street in Ann Arbor; umich.edu. The stadium is at 1201 S. Main St; for tours, go to facilityrentals.ath.umich.edu/index.php/ facility-tours.

Shopping

Birmingham Shopping District

Birmingham’s vibrant downtown features a wide variety of shopping, dining, and hotel options (many of them high-end). There are also worldclass spas and salons. Two movie theaters and a centrally located park add to the fun. Old Woodward Avenue and Maple Avenue, Birmingham; 248-530-1200; allinbirmingham.com

Great Lakes Crossing Outlets

For deals on designer handbags and clothing, visit Great Lakes Crossing Outlets in Auburn Hills. This enclosed shopping mall has more than 200 stores and restaurants, plus it’s home to the Sea Life Michigan Aquarium. In other words? There’s something for both kids and adults. 4000 Baldwin Road, Auburn Hills; 248-454-5000; greatlakescrossingoutlets.com

The Rust Belt Market

The Rust Belt Market houses a collection of local small businesses selling unique products, such as those you might find at an art fair. Visit to help support local artists and vendors. 22801 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-238-8728; rustbeltmarket.com

Somerset Collection

With stores like Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Balenciaga, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Tiffany & Co., Tory Burch, Prada, Burberry, Versace, Apple, and Zara, Somerset Collection represents the pinnacle of luxury retail excellence. 2800 W. Big Beaver Road, Troy; 248643-6360; thesomersetcollection.com

The Village of Rochester Hills

With a clock tower, a fountain, a gazebo, a variety of dining options, and tree-lined boulevards, The Village of Rochester Hills is a picture-perfect place to shop for loved ones. This bustling shopping district features respected national and local retailers like Banana Republic, Francesca’s, Pottery Barn, and Williams Sonoma. 104 N. Adams Road, Rochester Hills; 248-375-9451; thevorh.com

ARTS, CULTURE, AND OTHER THINGS TO DO

WATER WARRIORS

Meet the folks behind the Rouge River cleanup efforts. Plus, find out how you can help.

SPRING READ

Postindustrial

DIY celebrates grassroots preservation efforts in Detroit

I’m in love with the new, expanded storefront of Source Booksellers, the independent bookstore in the Cass Corridor at the corner of Cass Avenue and Canfield Street. Owner Janet Webster Jones has dedicated her life to books. This haven of nonfiction reads is a testament to her taste. The recent arrival Postindustrial

DIY: Recovering American Rust Belt Icons by Daniel Campo caught my eye. When we’re talking do-it-yourself grassroots efforts of historic preservation in Rust Belt cities, you just know Detroit is

going to be front and center. And it is, woven through the book as it profiles efforts to resurrect the Rust Belt and spotlighted in chapters dedicated to the Packard Plant and Michigan Central Station. Campo brings great narrative and a decade of reporting, alongside fantastic photographs, to properly explore Detroit’s rust, rot, and comeback with the “small guy” front and center.

Postindustrial DIY: Recovering American Rust Belt Icons by Daniel Campo is out now via Fordham University Press. Shop local and pick up your copy at Source Booksellers in Detroit, or an independent bookstore near you.

LIVE COMEDY

A tale of two talents in two cities

Tim Robinson has become one of the biggest comedy stars out of Detroit, turning the skills he learned during his time at The Second City Detroit and Planet Ant in Hamtramck into the successful and highly meme-able I

Think You Should Leave sketch show on Netflix. Robinson is bringing a live show of his awkward, surrealist sketches to the Fox Theatre — and it sold out fast. Expect more shows to be added and grab those tickets quickly. And if you can’t, I’ll offer up another homegrown talent who was a featured stand-up comic on Conan

DON’T-MISS EVENTS

Save the dates for comedy shows, film screenings, performances, and more

COMPILED BY LAUREN WETHINGTON

APRIL 1

MUSIC

Mariah the Scientist: Known for raw, emotional lyrics that read like a diary entry, up-and-coming R&B artist Mariah the Scientist began writing songs during her time as a biology student at St. John’s University in New York. Her latest album, To Be Eaten Alive was released in October and is the singer-songwriter’s first to chart on the Billboard 200 list. Expect to hear singles like “Bout Mine” and “From a Woman” when the rising star makes a stop at The Fillmore this month. $64+. The Fillmore, Detroit; livenation.com

 Daniel Campo’s Postindustrial DIY: Recovering American Rust Belt Icons, touches on Detroit’s historic preservation efforts.

APRIL 2024

Culture Calendar

Our carefully curated guide to the month in arts and entertainment

BY RYAN PATRICK HOOPER

O’Brien’s old talk show

ing a rising star in Brad Wenzel, you can’t go wrong with local comedy this month.

Go to 313presents. com/foxtheatre to stay abreast of news on Tim Robinson tickets; check out aacomedy.com for tickets to and information about Brad Wenzel’s show and other upcoming events.

ON MY PLAYLIST Won’t you come listen to my new show?

This is a little selfserving, but one of the reasons I’m even allowed to be in the glossy, refined pages of Hour Detroit is because of my gig at 101.9 WDET-FM. And the station just went through a bunch of changes — adding

APRIL 4

MUSIC

Kane Brown: Blending country, pop, and R&B influences with ease and charm, Tennesseebased singer-songwriter Kane Brown hit country airwaves via his 2014 single “Don’t Go City on Me.” But it was the artist’s 2018 album Experiment that put him on the map, thanks to radio-friendly hits like “Lose It” and “Homesick.” Singersongwriter Tyler Hubbard and country-rock act Parmalee will

join the award-winning artist on stage. $65+. Little Caesars Arena, Detroit; 313presents. com

APRIL 7 COMEDY

Ilana Glazer: The comedian, actor, and writer is best known for portraying a fictionalized version of herself in the Comedy Central series Broad City. Following the show’s conclusion in 2019, Glazer recorded her first stand-up special — 2020’s The Planet Is Burning — and starred alongside Pierce Brosnan and Justin Theroux in the horror film False Positive, which she also co-wrote. Choose from two showtimes when Glazer brings her irreverent brand of comedy to Royal Oak. $44+.

Royal Oak Music Theatre, Royal Oak; royaloakmusictheatre. com

APRIL 11 MUSIC

Brit Floyd: Celebrate the moving and profoundly influential catalog of British rock band Pink Floyd at this new production from one of the most successful tribute bands of all time. Fans will find every element of Pink Floyd’s iconic Division Bell Tour captured here, down to the circular projection

screen and dazzling laser light show. The show will include selections from The Dark Side of the Moon, The Wall, Wish You Were Here, and many more albums. $24+. Fox Theatre, Detroit; 313presents.com

APRIL 12-MAY 11

ART

The Quilted Palette: Behold the latest innovations in contemporary quilting at this exhibition at the Northville Art House. Showcasing a blend of traditional quilting methods and modern techniques, the display is presented by Paradigm, a southeast Michigan quilters’ group. A reception will kick o the exhibition on Friday, April 12, at 5 p.m. No cost. Northville Art House, Northville; northvillearthouse.org



Ryan Patrick Hooper is the host of 101.9 WDET-FM’s new show In the Groove.

more local news, adding more local music — and one of those musical additions is my new show, In the Groove with Ryan Patrick Hooper (weekdays from noon to 3 p.m.). What you’ll hear is a lot like what you’ll find in this column — great local selections from the deep roster of artists that Detroit produces, plus the best of who is coming to town. And it’s an insane honor for me to be sharing about it here and also on the airwaves at WDET, which is celebrating 75 years in public radio this year (this means no ads, thanks to support from listeners and readers like you).

My introduction to WDET was through my late father, who painted Dodge trucks on the assembly line. Everyone he worked with had their radio blaring, exposing him to lots of different music (not a lot of blue-collar white guys in the plant were able to rap DMX tracks front to back like my

APRIL 13

THEATER

All Things Equal: The Life and Trials of Ruth Bader Ginsburg: This new play by Tony Awardwinning playwright Rupert Holmes follows the storied career of the late Supreme Court justice, played by actor Michelle Azar. Witty, fascinating, and surprisingly funny, the production o ers a chance for audiences to get acquainted with an American icon and the personal tribulations that shaped her groundbreaking professional career. $72+. Fisher Theatre, Detroit; broadwayindetroit.com

APRIL 14

MUSIC

Andrea Bocelli: The legendary Italian tenor will celebrate his 30-year career with a string

dad could). That’s how he stumbled on WDET, listening during his shift and racing home to impress me with the army of new bands he had discovered. Have you ever heard of The Beta Band? Gomez? It got me hooked and brought me closer to my dad. I fantasized for years about being a music host on WDET. I eventually got an internship, and then another internship, and then a part-time job, and now here I am.

Like the mixed sounds of the city bleeding out from the radios on the assembly line, I hope to build something that represents the city

of live concert dates this year. Bocelli got his first taste of fame in 1994, when he won the newcomers division of the 44th annual Sanremo Music Festival in Italy. Since then, the vocalist has recorded 15 solo studio albums, won seven World Music Awards, and sold more than 75 million records worldwide. His 1999 album Sacred Arias is the bestselling solo classical album of all time. $131+. Little Caesars Arena, Detroit; 313presents. com

APRIL 16

FILM

Dance Film Series at the Detroit Opera House: Join a welcoming community of dance enthusiasts to view

and feels like the city. If you enjoyed anything I’ve written for Hour over the years, I hope you’ll come over to WDET’s airwaves during the week and enjoy the eclectic mixtape of music I’m putting together over there.

In the Groove with Ryan Patrick Hooper airs weekdays noon to 3 p.m. on 101.9 WDET, Detroit’s public radio station. You can stream the show live at wdet.org.

Ryan Patrick Hooper is the host of In the Groove on 101.9 WDET, Detroit’s NPR station (weekdays from noon to 3 p.m.).

filmed performances from An American in Paris Anything Goes, and 42nd Street at this Tuesday-evening tradition. Expect snacks, beverages, and plenty of lively discussion. $10. Detroit Opera House, Detroit; detroitopera.org

APRIL 18

MUSIC

Rain: A Tribute to The Beatles: Enjoy faithful performances of the iconic band’s most beloved works, including selections from Sgt. Pepper’s

Lonely Hearts Club Band and the famous Magical Mystery Tour, at this spectacular tribute show. Beatles fans will delight as the stage presence, costumes, and personalities of the original Fab Four enhance the band’s notefor-note performances. LED technology, high-definition screens, and multimedia content give the show a 21st-century touch. $25+. Fox Theatre, Detroit; 313presents. com

APRIL 19 COMEDY

Kathy Gri n: The Grammy and Emmy Award-winning comedian and actor rose to fame thanks to her hit reality television series, My Life on the D-List, which aired on Bravo

between 2005 and 2010. With nearly two dozen stand-up specials and six Grammy Awardnominated comedy albums to her name, Gri n holds a Guinness World Record for her vast catalog of work. The titan of comedy will perform in a uniquely intimate setting when she arrives at Royal Oak Music Theatre during her My Life on the PTSD-List tour. $49+. Royal Oak Music Theatre, Royal Oak; royaloakmusictheatre.com

APRIL 19-21 DANCE

Wayne State University’s 95th Annual Spring Dance

Concert: Witness creative and inspiring performances from Wayne State University dance students as they celebrate the conclusion of the academic year. Intended to reflect the movement of the modern era, the works were developed in collaboration with guest artists and feature a diverse array of dance techniques from all over the world. $25. Hilberry Gateway, Detroit; wayne.edu

APRIL 20 MUSIC

The Stylistics and The Spinners: Philadelphia soul meets Motown blues at this double-bill performance at Detroit’s Music Hall. The Stylistics released a dozen smash R&B hits during their early-’70s heyday, including “Stop, Look, Listen (to Your Heart)” and “You Make Me Feel Brand New.” The show also features Ferndale’s own The Spinners, whose 1966 Motown single “Truly Yours” hit Billboard’s R&B chart at No. 16. $40+. Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts, Detroit; musichall.org

APRIL 21 MUSIC

Waxahatchee: Led by singersongwriter Katie Crutchfield, this indie folk project — named for a creek near Crutchfield’s hometown of Birmingham, Alabama — garnered widespread acclaim in 2020 with the release of its fifth album, Saint Cloud. Appearing on year-end “best of” lists in Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, and more than a dozen other publications, the album was praised for its emotionally raw depiction of an artist struggling with addiction. Crutchfield and company will promote their newest album, Tigers Blood, when they arrive at the Majestic Theatre this month.

$35+. Majestic Theatre, Detroit; majesticdetroit.com

APRIL 23-28

THEATER

Mamma Mia!: Treat the entire family to one of the longestrunning and best-loved shows on Broadway when this story of love, friendship, and identity lands on the Fisher Theatre stage this month. Featuring a soundtrack of infectiously catchy hits by ABBA and set on a sunny Greek island, the feel-good tale follows a young woman’s quest to find her father on the eve of her own nuptials. $42+. Fisher Theatre, Detroit; broadwayindetroit.com

APRIL 24-MAY 19

THEATER

Route 66: This nostalgic musical revue starts in 1950s Chicago and travels along the iconic “Main Street of America” to the California coast, showcasing 34 beloved rock ’n’ roll road-trip hits along the way. Audiences will be sure to recognize “King of the Road,” “Beep Beep,” “Little GTO,” and many more. $37+. Meadow Brook Theatre, Rochester; mbtheatre.com

APRIL 27

COMEDY

Ronny Chieng: Malaysian-born comedian and actor Ronny Chieng got his big break when he landed a correspondent role on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show in 2015. Since then, Chieng has released two comedy specials for Netflix and lent his culturally conscious funny bone to a smattering of major films, including Crazy Rich Asians, M3GAN, and Joy Ride. $39+. Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor; ticketmaster.com

FOR THE LOVE OF THE RIVER

Almost $2 billion has gone into cleaning up the Rouge — and there is still a long way to go. Here’s how you can help.

BY PAUL VACHON

THE SIGHT OF a river catching fire is undoubtedly shocking, yet in 1969, that’s precisely what occurred on the Rouge. According to the Michigan Environmental Council, “the oil-matted Rouge River in Detroit caught fire, shooting flames 50 feet in the air and sending smoke billowing near the I-75 highway bridge.” Refuse and other pollutants clogged the waterway, threatening human and aquatic life. It was a different era — when sensitivity to the health of the environment was in its infancy.

In 1972, the U.S. and Canada signed the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, a pact aimed at improving the quality of the Great Lakes. In 1987, the Rouge watershed was designated an “area of concern” under the GLWQA.

Just a year prior, the Friends of the Rouge was established. A nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the Rouge watershed, it assumed the role of its predecessor organization Rescue The Rouge — the first organization to clean the river from 1970 to 1973. In the early 1980s, an informal group of locals started Rouge Rescue, an annual volunteer event responsible for removing years of accumulated trash and debris from the river that Friends of the Rouge later took over.

The scope of the river may surprise some. Consisting of four principal branches (Main, Upper, Middle, and Lower) and innumerable tributaries, the Rouge River runs for a collective 127 miles. All the branches converge along the Dearborn-Detroit border before emptying into the Detroit River at Zug Island. There are also over 400 lakes, ponds, and impoundments (the bodies of water formed when a dam is constructed) in the Rouge watershed, which covers 467 square miles and overlaps three counties.

There are specific goals for cleaning up the river to remove the “area of concern” designation. The Rouge River Advisory Council’s most recent

Outdoor Volunteer Opportunities

report card covers many metrics, including the health of the fish and wildlife populations, the presence of invasive species, the number of beach closings, and the overall cleanliness of the river from an aesthetic perspective.

Compared to the report’s baseline (1994), considerable progress has been realized on most of these fronts: Dissolved oxygen once regularly reached zero; by 2018, it rarely went under 5 milligrams per liter. The same year, the EPA reported a healthier fish presence in the Upper Rouge. Yet it hasn’t been enough to remove the “area of concern” designation. “There have been several millions of dollars invested in cleanups and habitat restoration that have been implemented in the Rouge River,” says Marie McCormick, executive director of the Friends of the Rouge.

Despite these past efforts, the biggest challenge lies ahead: dredging the lower industrial areas of the Rouge to remove the thick bottom layer of sediment. “This is by far the biggest-ticket item. It should run north of $500 million.”

Another major project is a modification of the concrete channel through which the river flows in the Dearborn-Melvindale area. Built in 1975 to control flooding, the channel is a poor habitat for fish and wildlife. Modifications will include cutting the concrete in places to improve water flow and diverting water to create adjacent wetlands.

McCormick points out that her organization is still very much volunteer-oriented. While the Rouge Rescue event still occurs every spring, it has been augmented by a host of other activities.

“We now plant trees, remove invasive species, host rain garden-building workshops, and offer educational opportunities. These don’t happen on just one day anymore but over a period of time.”

To volunteer, please visit therouge.org/volunteer

Does Earth Day (April 22) have you in the mood to pitch in to a park cleanup? In addition to the Friends of the Rouge, here are a few more organizations you can check out this month and all year round..

People for Palmer Park

This organization works to sustain and improve one of Detroit’s legendary parks. Volunteers are needed for beautification work, staffing the urban educational garden, and other duties. Visit peopleforpalmerpark.org/ volunteer.html

Belle Isle Conservancy and Nature Center

Here you’ll find a bevy of volunteer opportunities, from greeting visitors at the aquarium to serving as a docent at the nature center. Visit belleisleconservancy. org/volunteer or belleislenaturecenter.detroitzoo. org/volunteer

Detroit Riverfront Conservancy

Maintaining the Detroit Riverwalk’s status as the best riverfront walkway in America (according to USA Today’s readers’ choice awards) requires scores of dedicated helpers.

A few examples: serving as a Riverwalk ambassador, working with Reading & Rhythm on the Riverfront (a children’s summer literacy program), and assisting with special events such as the Kids Fishing Fest. Visit detroitriverfront.org/volunteers

Detroit’s Rouge River was once so polluted with oil it caught fire and shot flames 50 feet into the air.



Friends of the Rouge is a nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring and protecting the Rouge River.

Solving a Puzzle

A mom’s quest for inclusion for her son resulted in a space of respite for other families with autistic children. Plus, local autism events and accommodations.

BY WILL REAUME

WHEN SHELL JONES’S son Duane was first diagnosed with autism at age 2 ½, she quickly realized how few recreational opportunities there were for kids like him. While there were places that could accommodate him, there were hardly any kids’ venues that were created specifically to meet the needs of autistic children. This inspired Jones to open Play-Place Autism and Special Needs Center in 2016, 12 years after his diagnosis.

Play-Place in Sterling Heights was designed for families to enjoy quality time together. “They can hang out, have fun and not be judged,” Jones says. “It gets the whole family out of the house. I like to loosely describe it as a Chuck E. Cheese.”

Inside are bounce houses, an art room, an iPad room, and more. One of the features Jones is most proud of is the Haircut Hut, where autistic children are seen by a stylist who understands their needs. The room includes themed stylist chairs, TVs, and plenty of sensory toys for kids to hold or fidget with while getting their haircut. According to Jones, haircuts can take a while, depending on if the child needs multiple breaks or more time to acclimate to the environment, which is why she sets aside an entire hour for each appointment.

An estimated 40,000 children in Michigan are autistic, yet Jones struggled to find a specialized day care facility for autistic kids. Play-Place’s Preschool Respite Program caters to working parents who need a place to complement their child’s preschool education. “Those programs are usually half-day,” Jones says. “You bring them [here] as a plus to supplement their school day. And you can go to work, and we’ll make sure that they’re confident, having fun, being well taken care of, fed, and in a safe environment.”

Respite services are also available for autistic teens and young adults as well, as Jones recognizes the importance of allowing all parents time to themselves. Play-Place’s Weekend Respite Day Camps are offered Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for ages 6 to 26. “Having a kid with special needs can be very isolating,” Jones says. “If you get a chance to refresh and refuel, you’re in better shape to be able to take care of your child. It’s tough being a mom, even without having a child with special needs.”

Play-Place offers a $45 monthly membership, which includes unlimited admission, a complimentary haircut, and opportunities for additional camps and programs. Walk-in daily admission is $7 per child/dependent and $3 per adult.

AUTISM- AND SENSORYFRIENDLY EVENTS

Autism Hero Walk

The largest gathering of people with autism in the state happens every year at the Detroit Zoo. The mile walk around the zoo takes place Sep. 21 and is sponsored by the Autism Alliance of Michigan and includes full-day admission to the zoo along with arts and crafts, entertainment events, and access to autism resource vendors.

Bowlero Lanes & Lounge

Every Wednesday from 4 to 6 p.m., the Royal Oak bowling alley hosts low-sensory hours, where the lights and music are lowered. For $7, bowlers get free shoe rental and “all you can bowl” during the two hours. Bowlero is an IBCCEScertified autism center and is also fully ADA compliant. Weighted vests and noisecanceling headphones are available free of charge.

DNR Outdoor Adventure Center SensoryFriendly Days

Experience the beauty of the outdoors in the heart of

Detroit during one of the Outdoor Adventure Center’s sensory-friendly days. On April 7 and May 5 from 10 a.m. to noon, enjoy the nature center with lowered noise levels and access to a quiet room. In April, the OAC celebrates the return of migratory birds with a themed craft and a walk on the surrounding riverfront to look for birds.

Henry Ford Museum

Despite the bright lights and multisensory exhibits, the Henry Ford Museum goes to great lengths to ensure everyone can enjoy their time there. In addition to noise-canceling headphones and earplugs included in sensory kits, the museum also offers sensory-friendly maps, which mark areas that might be overstimulating. Quiet spaces are located throughout the museum, giving folks a safe place to relax. All staff members have undergone the Michigan Autism Safety Training program put on by the Autism Alliance of Michigan, providing them with ways to recognize and communicate with those with autism. Through a partnership with Museums for All, the

entrance fee is $3 for recipients of SNAP and WIC benefits.

Sensory-Friendly Films at Emagine and AMC

Movie theaters can be very overwhelming, which is why AMC and Emagine theaters across Michigan offer sensory-friendly film showings. The theater lights are turned up and the sound turned down, making it easier for viewers with sensory sensitivities to enjoy the flick. Emagine theaters also allow visitors to bring in a safe snack from home to munch on during the movie. They also encourage guests to interact during the film, with talking and tablet use allowed. Participating Emagine locations include Canton, Macomb, Novi, Rochester Hills, and Royal Oak. For showtimes, visit emagine-entertainment. com/sensory-friendly. AMC locations include Sterling Heights, Clinton Township, and Livonia. Visit amctheatres.com/programs/ sensory-friendly-films.

 The Autism Hero Walk includes full-day admission to the Detroit Zoo.

Parents’ Guide to COLLEGE 2024

FINDING A COLLEGE THAT “FEELS” RIGHT ISN’T AS DIFFICULT AS IT SOUNDS

One of the most common responses given when students are asked why they selected a particular college is, “it just felt right.”

So, how do you define feel? How can a parent (and the student) start to put a list together of colleges that might feel right? The bottom line is that there are no rights and/or wrongs for parents wanting to help their young student choose a college or university because every

student is different – their dreams, their goals, their skill set, their comfort level and so many other “theirs” to consider. But there are ways parents can help in the process and help their young student find a school that might just feel right.

Here are three obvious ones to consider right away. Price. Major. Location. No. 1 is can we afford it, are there cost-saving opportunities available (like scholarships and financial aid)

PARENTS’ GUIDE TO COLLEGE

and how much debt are we looking at? Does this school offer the programs our student is interested in? And what part of the country does our student want to spend (or not want to spend) the next four years of their life living in? Size of the school and safety concerns also are factors in finding the right feel.

Michigan is home to some of the most amazing and distinguished colleges, universities and schools of higher learning in the world. And that includes many schools outside of Ann Arbor and East Lansing. Many young students are viewing the world through a different lens these days and “focusing” more on very specific interests and career opportunities.

The No. 1 rule for parents in helping decide where their child should go to college is to HELP them decide – not make the decision

for them. Yes, even if you are paying the bill, it’s their decision and their future. So let them make the final choice.

Parents shouldn’t stress about finding the so-called perfect college, because in truth, there is no perfect college, but hopefully there are a few colleges that appear to be a best fit for your student. Be a guide for your child but understand the ultimate decision will come down to what feels right for them.

In a recent survey, 80 percent of students pointed to a half dozen reasons behind their final decision: affordability, desired program, career outcomes, reputation/academic quality, value and proximity to home.

PARENTS’ GUIDE TO COLLEGE

Seven “subjects” parents need to take when helping their son or daughter choose the best college or university for their interests, goals, and personality.

Finances

According to a couple popular song lyrics, the best things in life are free and money can’t buy you love. But it’s going to cost plenty of money to go to college and you can pay now or later - or usually both. There are many things you can do to alleviate costs. The first thing is to start researching early for scholarship opportunities and try to take advantage of them. Explore financial aid packages and factor in what school is offering what when it comes to ways to save money. Balance the cost of living on campus to off campus.

Checklist

In a recent survey, 80 percent of students pointed to a half dozen reasons behind their final decision: affordability, desired program, career outcomes, reputation/academic quality, value and proximity to home. Other factors include a sense of community on campus, flexibility of schedule, real-world experience in curriculum and a feeling they would fit in – never underestimate the feeling aspect.

Three Do’s

* Visit all the schools on your list and even some you may not have considered before! You want to feel comfortable in your environment, making sure that it is a good fit.

* Review your financial aid package! Financing your college experience is a big step towards deciding where you will attend school.

* Start early and be relentless. Don’t sit back and wait, jump first to get involved and let people know who you are, what your future goals are and why you are someone that has a plan. And be engaged over the life of your college experience, only then will you really know if you made the right decision.

Three Don’ts

* Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing. Choosing a college that fits your needs is the most important! You want to make the decision based on what’s best for you and your family’s situation, financially, logistically and personally.

* Don’t underestimate the safety aspect. Parents should do a deep dive on crime statistics on campus and in the surrounding area, research the safety features on campus and even the medical services offered to students.

* Don’t wait until the last minute to make a decision. Generally speaking, May/June is a good time to have made your choice. This will allow you enough time to schedule the courses you want, finalize any financial choices you need to make and also get into housing if you plan to live on campus!

This is your time

This experience should be fun, exciting and self-fulfilling - for the student and parents. Try not to stress about the small stuff. This is your moment, do something with it and do it with enthusiasm, passion and creativity.

Consider a “specialty” school

Many young students are viewing the world through a different lens these days and “focusing” more on very specific interests and career opportunities. Here are few:

* Compass College of Cinematic Arts in Grand Rapids

* Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids

* College for Creative Studies in Detroit

* DIME Detroit, an institute for serious musicians

Smaller school options

There are plenty of smaller school options that offer big-time advantages and options right here in Michigan. Davenport University in Grand Rapids, with an enrollment less than 6,000, and Rochester University in Rochester Hills, with an enrollment just over 1,000, are two schools worth exploring.

PARENTS’ GUIDE TO COLLEGE

Baker College

420 S Lafayette Ave, Royal Oak, MI 48067

Enrollment Information: 855-487-7888 | baker.edu

Baker College believes in a student-first philosophy. It’s a principle that ensures commitment to the success of its students, from enrollment to graduation and beyond. With more than 80 programs including nursing, business, information technology and cybersecurity, education, and psychology, Baker prides itself on providing students with a transformational educational experience that gives them the real-world knowledge and job-ready skills they need to thrive in the working world. It also offers several specialized programs through two affiliated institutions: The Culinary Institute of Michigan and The Auto/Diesel Institute of Michigan. Baker College’s campuses span the state of Michigan, with six locations: Cadillac, Jackson, Owosso, Muskegon, Port Huron, and Royal Oak. Free apartment-style housing is available on select campuses. Baker College makes it easy for students to find their fit. ■

Awards/recognitions:2024 Best Regional Universities Midwest Rankings, usnews.com; Best Online Marketing

of 2023, Forbes; Gold Status for Veteran-Friendly Support, Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency. // Affiliated colleges/satellite campuses:Baker College of Cadillac, Baker College of Muskegon, Baker College of Jackson, Baker College of Owosso, Baker College of Royal Oak, Baker Online, Center for Graduate Studies, Culinary Institute of Michigan — Muskegon, Culinary Institute of Michigan — Port Huron, Auto/Diesel Institute of Michigan, St. Francis School of Law.

Kalamazoo College

1200 Academy St. • Kalamazoo, MI 49006

Enrollment Information: 269-337-7166, kzoo.edu

Nationally renowned and globally oriented, Kalamazoo College is the home of the K-Plan, an individualized and integrated approach to the liberal arts and sciences. The K-Plan combines exceptional scholarship, study abroad, career development, civic engagement and independent research in a flexible curriculum that allows students to make the most of their unique interests and gifts. At K, administrators and faculty embrace our motto — “More in Four. More in a Lifetime.” — by offering students more opportunities to explore, more faculty and staff mentorship and support, and more preparation for meaningful careers that make a positive impact on the world. Wherever students want to go in life, their K-Plans can take them there. ■

THE

Turn Four Into

MORE

“What I love the most about environmental studies at K is that I’m not just studying science—I’m studying history and anthropology. I’m studying economics and policy. It’s really cool to see the reflections of a subject I love in new areas.”

Emerson ’25

Major: biology with a concentration in environmental studies

Study abroad plan: Thailand Activities: ECO club board, Outdoor program leader

© Esther Tuttle Photography

For You. Not For Everyone.

Kettering equipped me to succeed faster than my peers at other schools. It tested me academically and pushed me to turn aspirations into tangible achievements.

VARUN RALLABANDI ‘25

MAJOR: Computer Science

CO-OP: Lab2Fab, Fremont, CA

ORGANIZATIONS: Vice President Student

Government, Phi Delta Theta Fraternity, Robot Honor Society

ACHIEVEMENTS: Two provisional patents

HOMETOWN: Troy, MI

Not everyone splits their time between cutting-edge research in Michigan and high-level strategy sessions in California. Not everyone patents robotic solutions for household brands and pitches their ideas to CEOs — before they graduate.

But Bulldogs do — because their Kettering experience is like no other.

Kettering University

1700 University Ave., Flint, MI 48504

Enrollment Information: 810-762-9500 | kettering.edu

THE STATS

This Is Your Proving Ground. At Kettering University, you won’t have to go looking for challenges that test your skills; we’ve got them right here. Your innovations won’t stop in the lab or the Learning Commons. With a 50/50 blend of rigorous academics and paid co-op employment, Kettering is the place where you’ll work shoulder to shoulder with professors and industry leaders, proving what you’re made of. You’ll solve manufacturing problems on a deadline. You’ll remake the drivetrains, solar panels, drones, security code, medical devices, and electric vehicles that impact lives everywhere. You’ll be more prepared, more connected, and better equipped than your peers. And they’ll never catch up. ■

Year founded:1919 // Current enrollment: ~1,800 // Student-faculty ratio:11:1 // Number of undergraduate degrees offered: 8 majors with 15 minors // Number of master’s degrees offered:12 // Subject matter expertise:Engineering, computer science, business, advanced mobility, artificial intelligence, intelligent manufacturing, new energy vehicles, sustainability, and cybersecurity. // In-state tuition: $46,380 // Percentage of students on financial aid:99% // Awards/recognitions:No. 1 in graduates’ starting salaries in Michigan, SmartAsset, 2024, Top 30 Colleges with the “Best Bang for Your Buck,” Business Insider, 2023, No. 6 in Most Innovative Schools among Midwest regional universities, U.S. News & World Report, 2024.

Cleary University

3750 Cleary Drive, Howell, MI 48843

Enrollment Information: 800-686-1883 | cleary.edu

Choose Cleary University for a Lifetime of career success. The Cleary Mind experience fully prepares graduates for the rapidly changing business world. Employers actively seek Cleary graduates, who secure the third highest salaries in Michigan two years post-graduation. Cleary also offers renowned certifications from Google, Meta, IBM, and Sigma achievable in only six months.

The Cougar Country Promise scholarship ensures no or minimal tuition costs for eligible students, and 85% of Cleary students receive financial aid or scholarships.

Here’s more: Cleary has 20 competitive NAIA sports teams, expedited master’s degree programs, and discounted accelerated degrees for first responders, and 95% of graduates are employed or continuing their education.

Cleary is ranked #9 in the US for its MBA online leadership program, #5 in the country for its ratio of student debt to starting salaries, and is the #2 school in Michigan for return on investment. ■

THE

For more than a century, the College for Creative Studies has distinguished itself as one of the premier institutions of higher learning in the world. CCS is a world-class institution that educates artists and designers to be leaders in the creative professions.

Private and fully accredited, it enrolls nearly 1,400 students pursuing Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Arts, and Master of Fine Arts degrees. At CCS, students have the opportunity to participate in experiential learning and collaborations with industry in the classroom, providing opportunities to gain practical skills through hands-on experiences with faculty, peers, industry and community partners. In the 2022/2023 academic year alone, 1303 companies engaged with CCS to review portfolios, conduct workshops, and recruit talent. ■

Ferris State University is an equal

PARENTS’ GUIDE TO COLLEGE

Kendall College of Art and Design

17 Fountain St. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Enrollment Information: 616-259-1118 | kcad.edu

Kendall College of Art and Design provides a world-class art and design education complemented by Ferris State University’s resources and support systems. Its immersive learning environment offers a wide range of specialized degree programs in design, fine art, and art history. Students receive a quality Ferris education while getting the expert instruction and personalized support they need to transform their creativity into a marketable skill set and a dynamic career.

KCAD’s faculty includes accomplished artists, designers, and scholars who leverage their professional experience to help students make the most of their education. The classroom extends beyond campus into West Michigan’s art and design community, where KCAD’s strong relationships with arts organizations, industry-leading companies, and nonprofits help provide transformative real-world learning experiences and invaluable professional network connections. ■

Madonna University

36600 Schoolcraft Road, Livonia, MI 48150

Enrollment Information: 734-432-5300 | madonna.edu

Founded in 1937, Madonna University empowers students with Franciscan values of respect, justice, and service. Immerse yourself in a community of dedicated learners pursuing meaningful careers through impactful programs in health care, education, and more. Madonna helps students succeed through:

Personalized Support: From committed faculty members to dedicated advisers, we ensure you thrive with individual attention.

Impactful Opportunities: Equip yourself to make a difference in health care, education, and other fields through service-oriented learning.

Affordable Excellence: Generous scholarships and our Commitment to Affordable Learning make your dream attainable.

More Than a Degree: Develop transferable skills for a future-proof career and make a real impact.

Visit our website to explore our diverse programs, discover scholarships, and experience the supportive community that will help you succeed. ■

THE

THE STATS

University of Detroit Mercy

4001 W. McNichols Road, Detroit, MI 48221

Enrollment Information: 313-993-1245 | udmercy.edu

University of Detroit Mercy is Michigan’s largest and most comprehensive Catholic university, offering more than 100 undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees and programs. Students receive experiential and co-op opportunities, and engage in hands-on, real-world projects before they graduate. Each year, UDM invests in resources to enhance programming to improve the student experience. Recently, the College of Engineering & Science received a $497,080 award from the U.S. Department of Defense to sustain its work in establishing the Metro Detroit Regional Vehicle Cybersecurity Institute, a regional cybersecurity consortium. UDM is also dedicated to helping all students earn a degree. In early 2024, it rolled out the Titan Edge, a program that offers eligible Michigan students a transformative education from Detroit Mercy with zero out-of-pocket tuition costs. ■

Walsh College

3838 Livernois Road, Troy, MI 48083

Enrollment Information: 248-823-1600 | walshcollege.edu

Walsh College is a private, independent, notfor-profit, upper-division institution. Founded in 1922, it offers internationally and nationally ranked undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral business and technology degrees and certificates online, in person, or through a combination of each.

Walsh has partnered with community colleges for more than 50 years to provide a smooth, supportive transfer experience. Students who start at a community college and finish at Walsh can save $35,000 to $60,000 over traditional four-year schools. Walsh’s student loan default rate is 0.9%, compared with 7% nationally.

Walsh’s faculty bring real-world experience and personal attention to small class settings both online and in person. Year-round registration lets students plan their academic year in advance. Students enjoy an active alumni network, professional mentoring, and lifetime career services. ■

THE STATS

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Food&Drink

DRINKS p. 80

DINING NEWS p. 81

RETAIL p. 82

RESTAURANT REVIEW p. 83

RESTAURANT LISTINGS p. 86

Sexy Steak opens in Detroit’s GAR Building, plus more April food findings p. 81

DRINKS

Raise a Glass

... to some of the best baseball bars — past and present — in Detroit and perhaps even the world

BY MICKEY LYONS

ONCE UPON A TIME, sports bars didn’t exist. Certainly people gathered at 19th-century bars, and inevitably sports were discussed, sometimes hotly. Today, the modern sports bar is ubiquitous, with its giant flat screens and autographed jerseys covering every surface. Somewhere between these two, the murky origins of the sports bar might very easily be traced to one of these beloved Detroit baseball bars.

Lindell AC

The legendary Lindell AC — which opened in 1949 at Cass and Bagley and moved to Cass and Michigan in 1963 — is still remembered fondly by many longtime Detroiters. Former regulars still laugh about the antics of the bar’s owners, brothers John and Jimmy Butsicaris, and the drunken shenanigans of sports figures who visited the bar long ago.

Any time you mix athletes, journalists, and booze, you’re likely to get a crackerjack night. This combustible combination was possible because so many visiting athletes stayed at the nearby Leland and Book-Cadillac hotels. Players like Mickey Mantle and Alex Karras became regulars at this hole-in-the-wall bar, dropping in usually after but sometimes before their exploits on the playing field.

Sometime in the 1950s, baseball player and manager Billy Martin, a frequent barstool warmer at the Lindell, supposedly told the owners that the place looked like a dump and recommended they cover the dingy walls with some sports memorabilia to disguise the shabby surroundings. And so they did. Later, legendary Detroit sports writer Doc Greene inspired the addition of ‘AC’ to the name, a dig to the tony Detroit Athletic Club a few blocks away.

The Lindell closed in 2002 but has lived on in fond memory for many. In 2019, the Detroit Historical Museum commemorated the famed watering hole with a replica “Night at the Lindell AC” event, which celebrated the opening of an exhibit about the bar. In a 2017 documentary, Meet Me at the Lindell, former cook Terry Foster had this to say about the Lindell:

“It was old and stinky and the chairs kind of creaked and nothing worked, but it was the place to be because it was like a movie theater. Maybe it was Stella [John Butsicaris’s wife] yelling at somebody as she was cooking. Maybe it was Jimmy threatening to break somebody’s arms if they weren’t

acting right. Maybe it was Johnny cracking jokes and trying to steal kisses from the waitresses. It was just fun to go there and be part of the scene.”

Hoot Robinson’s

William “Hoot” Robinson was an ordinary Detroit barman who was also an avid baseball fan. He opened his first joint at Michigan and Trumbull in 1936 in the Checker Cab building, with a view right across Trumbull to Briggs Stadium. While he was serving up drinks in the Checker Cab building, reportedly Babe Ruth visited and at least one Tigers pitcher insisted on a beer and a hot meal before games.

Robinson moved his popular bar right next door, to the former Tiger Cocktail Bar, in the 1950s. The crowd on opening day in 1984 must have known something special was coming that year (the Tigers would win the World Series in the fall): Fans started lining up at the bar well before noon, and the crowd spilled into the streets all day.

Hoot Robinson’s closed in 1994, just a few months before Robinson’s death, and the building remained shuttered for 20 years. Thankfully, the UFO Factory now occupies the space, and fans can still grab a beer and a hot dog for old times’ sake.

 The Springstead family and Nemo’s have hosted generations of Detroit Tiger fans since 1965.

Hoot Robinson opened his first bar in the Checker Cab building in 1936; Babe Ruth was reportedly a fan. 

Nemo’s

Nemo’s might not have been around in the 1930s or even the ’50s, but the 19th-century building on Michigan Avenue just a block from old Tiger Stadium holds plenty of baseball memories for several generations of Detroiters. First opened in 1965 by the Springstead brothers, Pat and Tim, Nemo’s is still going strong nearly 60 years later.

One former batboy recalls making good tip money from Tigers players by running down to Nemo’s midgame for burgers — and maybe a beer or two.

A 1979 Detroit Free Press article declared Hoot’s, Nemo’s, Mary’s Bengal Bar, and other Corktown sports bars like the Lager House to be “of utmost significance when sleet threatens to mix with strike outs and sliders.” These beloved Corktown sports bars were “blessedly free of the shiny, plastic feel of the typical toney suburban tavern.”

Thankfully, enough bars remain what that 1979 Free Press article dubbed “hang-loose joints where you can concentrate on the basics: baseball, beer and burgers.” Stadiums may move, sports bars may change locations, but these baseball classics remain.

What’s Cooking?

Metro Detroit food and beverage headlines

BY JACK THOMAS

Jackson Pollock-inspired restaurant coming to The Village of Rochester Hills

In the space once occupied by Noodles & Co. arrives a brand-new restaurant — The Jackson — from hospitality veteran Michael

Mauro and award-winning chef Justin Vaiciunas, who has worked in notable kitchens such as those at the Detroit Athletic Club and Birmingham’s 220 Merrill. The Jackson will feature a bar and dining area inspired by the paintings of pioneering abstract expressionist Jackson Pollock. The interior will be designed by Pophouse, a Detroit-based design firm owned by Jennifer Gilbert, the wife of

multibillionaire Dan Gilbert. The menu will feature local, seasonal ingredients.

Lincoln Yard now open in Birmingham

This long-awaited new restaurant from Union Joints opened this past March in Birmingham’s Rail District. It features cocktails and serves up comforting foods like rotisserie-roasted and smoked meats as well as wood-fired pizza and vegetarian options. Union Joints is the restaurant group behind the Clarkston Union, Union Woodshop (also in Clarkston), and Vinsetta Garage in Berkley, among many more local eateries. It’s located at 2159 E. Lincoln St. in a repurposed garage on the former site of the Birmingham Public Schools bus yard, across the street from tennis courts, the Birmingham Racquet Club, Lincoln Skate Park, and Birmingham Ice Sports Arena. “It’s lively and has the ethos of being able to have kids come over after a practice across the street and grab a pizza,” says Ann Stevenson, who co-owns Union Joints with her husband, Curt Catallo. “And I’m stoked about the cocktail list that we have. I like the plurality of who we’re serving.”

Sexy Steak opens in Detroit’s Grand Army of the Republic Building

A new restaurant serving steaks, Italian fare, and seafood opened in the historic Grand Army of the Republic Building, located at Cass and Grand River avenues in downtown Detroit. The concept features an oyster bar and two levels of dining with more than 200 seats. There’s also the option to pick out your own cut from a display case (lined with Himalayan salt) before it’s cooked. Plus, above the restaurant, there are another two levels of spaces, dubbed Castle Hall, that can be rented out for events. The castlelike structure is on the National Register of Historic Places. Many of the original elements were kept intact, and the renovated building features a memorial space with historical artifacts from the building’s history, which dates back over 120 years.

Albena’s chef-owner moves to The Dixboro Project

Starting April 1, Garrett Lipar joins Ann Arbor’s Dixboro Project as partner and executive chef. In February, Garrett and his wife/business partner,

Tiffany Lipar, announced that Albena, their high-end tasting menu concept in Detroit’s Siren Hotel, would close in March after six years of operation. Garrett Lipar was previously head chef at Torino in Ferndale. Dixboro Project, which opened in 2021, is run by Ann Arbor restaurateur Sava Farah of The Pulpo Group (Sava’s, Aventura). Housed inside a reclaimed barn, the restaurant has changed chefs more than once since its inception — it initially opened with Michelin-starred chef Louis Maldonado and, more recently, was helmed by chef Joseph VanWagner.

James Beard Foundation to announce finalists

Thirteen metro Detroit restaurants are semifinalists in the 2024 James Beard Awards, known as the “Oscars of food.” There are a couple of fresh faces: Alpino (best new restaurant) and John Yelinek of Ladder 4 Wine Bar (best chef: Great Lakes). The 2024 nominees will be announced Wednesday, April 3. The final James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Ceremony takes place Monday, June 10, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. For updates, visit jamesbeard.org

(Right) Owners John and Jimmy Butsicaris inside Lindell AC in the ’70s. (Below) John outside the bar in the ’60s.

Lincoln Yard’s roasted carrots are made with harissa, hazelnut dukkah, and labneh.  

The display case at Sexy Steak, lined with Himalayan salt, allows diners to choose their cut of meat before it’s cooked.

A MOUNTAINOUS FEAST

BY JACK THOMAS | PHOTOS BY CHUK NOWAK

James Beard-honored Alpino in Corktown offers drinks, cuisine, and an atmosphere inspired by the “backbone of Europe”

RESTAURANT REVIEW

 Alpino in Corktown is home to a diverse selection of Alpine cuisine.

Esca, an Italian seafood eatery in Manhattan’s theater district. That’s where he fell in love with the distinct aroma of a dry Muscat from Valle d’Aosta, a castle-filled region in northwestern Italy atop the Western Alps bordered by France and Switzerland.

From there, he began to research northern Italian foods — and became fascinated with the intersecting cultures connected by the mountain range spanning eight countries, as told through food. “You’d run across a dish that was written in German, but also in Italian,” Richter says. “I started seeing similarities in cuisines and thought, ‘Nobody’s really tackled this — the backbone of Europe.’”

Alpine Folk

NO MATTER HOW HUNGRY I AM when I go to Alpino, I always leave absolutely stuffed. This past winter particularly, the restaurant had a feeling so easy to lean into as a Michigander, a feeling that says you’re home for the holidays, and it’s time to feast. There’s a leaping wood fireplace and close-quarters seating that evokes the extended-family dinner table. As I found out, it’s all by design.

When Sterling Heights-born restaurateur David Richter returned to his home state from New York with the concept for Alpino in 2019, he hoped locals might feel a connection to cuisine from the Alps, and he was right. “It’s a cuisine that has four seasons, just like we have here,” says Richter, who is of Italian descent and has taken numerous trips to the Italian and French Alps since 2004. “Some of the fish here in Michigan that people are familiar with you’d find in the lakes and rivers in the Alps. It’s all fresh water; it’s not oceanside. Same with game birds and venison.”

The long booths with community-style tables are, in fact, intended to generate conversations between strangers. In a less social, post-COVID world, it’s refreshing; Richter calls it “a community of one under one roof.”

On a February afternoon, I chatted with Richter and Executive Chef Colin Campbell at a window booth in Alpino before service. Richter is upbeat and gregarious. He can speak passionately and at great length about a range of topics (food, wine, history, music, etc.). Beyond his jovial and friendly nature, you get the sense of a mind immersed in small details.

His interest in Alpine cuisine was sparked more than two decades ago. In 2000, he worked as the manager and assistant beverage director at

Alpino’s Cellar Roots music series features folk music (roots, Americana, blues, banjos, fiddles, etc.), which Richter calls “an underserved genre of music in Detroit, at least for my short time living back here.” He spent nearly a decade in management at City Winery, a New York City eatery and event space that hosted some major acts in Richter’s time (Prince played a surprise show there to a crowd of 500 people in 2013).

Alpino’s small basement venue can seat only about 40 people and contains a bar and tables with full service. The space makes for a quiet, upclose way to appreciate music. I caught Gories co-founder Danny Kroha’s set in early February. As he fingerpicked a hypnotic rendition of “House of the Rising Sun,” I started to imagine what it might have been like to see a folk show in 1960s Greenwich Village.

This intersection is exemplified perfectly in the raclette, Alpino’s take on the traditional cheese dish born in Switzerland and served across Europe. From a hot platter, the server scrapes a small avalanche of French raclette cheese onto a soft brioche slice, which is drizzled with a touch of honey and piled with ultrathin speck. It hits all the right notes. The brioche lays a buttery foundation. The speck (a fancier cousin of bacon, from Italy’s South Tyrol province) adds a smoky, savory bite, rounded out by the sweet and floral honey. The cheese is sharp and creamy, only enhanced by the flavor of browned bits raked from the bottom of the sizzling plate.

At Alpino, there’s more than enough cheese to go around. It made me realize that what we think of as “Swiss cheese” in the States (Emmentaler) is just a tiny sliver of what the region has to offer (there are so many Swiss cheeses: rahmtaler, Schallenberg, rockflower — the list goes on). “You could just do a whole menu on the cheeses from that part of the world paired with wines, and that alone would be its own little menu,” Richter says. Alpino’s wine list includes a good mix of economical and special-occasion bottles. There’s

 Owner and operator David Richter (left) and Executive Chef Colin Campbell (right) sitting in Alpino.

 Left: Alpino sold about 4,000 orders of its popular Wienershnitzel in 2023

Right: The gruyère and emmentaler fondue comes with a side of potatoes, apples, and bread.

“It’s resonated with a lot of folks deeper than we thought in the beginning, which is great.”

—DAVID RICHTER

At a Glance:

a heavy Italian presence, with additional selections from France, Germany, and Austria.

The cocktail program is headed by Detroit native Andre Sykes, whose beverage skills earned Detroit’s Shelby a James Beard Award semifinalist nod in 2022. His signature mixes incorporate a diverse selection of Alpine flavors, like pine syrup and spiced pear. There are also Alpine spirits; lots of vermouths. However, you may be introduced to the less familiar: Ever tried génépi, the absinthe-like herbal aperitif invented in French Savoy?

The front-of-house staff is quite attentive, but the service also feels pleasantly relaxed. Everyone knows their stuff — they can tell you all about the ingredients, and some of my favorite dishes so far have been server-recommended. But then again, it helps when the food isn’t a hard sell.

“Very early on, David and I talked about his vision — these heirloom recipes, rustic stuff,” Campbell says. “[The current menu] may be slightly more elevated than what he pictured in his mind. But doing very honest, good food was where I wanted to be at — not trying to be super modern with everything. It’s very rewarding.”

The Wiener shnitzel, fluffy and delicate, is spiritually true to the Austrian dish believed to have originated sometime in the 18th century, often reserved for holidays and other special occasions. Chef Campbell is no stranger to schnitzel, having spent countless hours hammering away at cutlets in the prep kitchen at Steinhaus, a German restaurant in Marquette, his first gig out of culinary school at Northern Michigan University.

The flattened veal cutlet is coated in flour, dipped in Düsseldorf mustard-infused egg wash, covered in breadcrumbs, deep-fried to a lovely golden brown, and served with a lemon wedge. If it stopped there, it would be a classic, delicious Wiener schnitzel. But there’s more: It’s ladled with rahmsauce (made with morels occasionally foraged from the

Michigan wilderness by local purveyor Stoney Creek Mushrooms), a German cream gravy, which traditionally goes on a jägerschnitzel, “but it’s so good,” Campbell says. On top is a shaved cremini mushroom salad with mustard seed vinaigrette. The extra toppings are designed to elevate the dish, while also giving native Austrians and Germans and other Europeans from the region “something that’s very similar to what they grew up eating,” Campbell says.

Richter says they’ve had several people from Alpine countries say the restaurant reminds them of home. “And it’s feedback that I didn’t think was going to happen. I thought it would just be like, we’ve created a cool concept that people are going to love. It’s resonated with a lot of folks deeper than we thought in the beginning, which is great.”

The previous two occupants of 1426 Bagley in Corktown (Lady of the House and St. CeCe’s Pub) were Irish restaurants — and Alpino still has fragments of the building’s Irish history. It has the same wooden door, engraved with what look like Celtic designs, framed by a cobblestone facade. Despite its Irish origins, the entrance easily passes for an ancient woodland home on a mountain. The wood fireplace inside once had stones chiseled with the names of counties of Ireland, which Richter removed and donated to the nearby Gaelic League and Irish American Club of Detroit.

The interior is bright and cozy, with light walls, reclaimed cypress beams, and lots of natural wood tones. There are fur-covered chairs by the fireplace. On the mantel hangs a painting of Alpino’s mascot, a cow with flowers coming out of its head. There’s a story behind it. “In Alpine towns, a lot of the cattle graze high up on the Alpine mountains all summer long,” Richter says. “At the end of the season, the cattlemen bring them down, and they parade them through the streets with a flower crown on their head. It symbolizes the season’s over, and then it usually turns into a festival.”

One dish that encapsulates the feeling of a fall

Price: $$$

Vibes: Relaxing, cozy, social, fun

Service: Friendly, helpful, attentive

Sound level: Moderate, with an excellent music playlist curated by Richter himself

Dress code: Business casual

Open: Dinner daily, plus Sunday brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Reservations: Highly recommended. Call 313-5240888 or reserve online at alpinodetroit.com

Parking: There’s a free on-site parking lot (a big plus).

Accessibility: The main dining area is wheelchair accessible.

harvest is the seasonal chestnut gnocchetti, earthy and soothing. The first thing I tasted was the fried sage, which added herbaceous overtones to the hearty pasta dish, which features wild boar sausage, apple, kale, and melty Morbier cheese. The gnocchetti (similar to gnocchi) is made with chestnut flour, a popular base for pastas in northern Italy.

The dessert menu moves away from rustic flavors and enters avantgarde territory — like a drummer playing a thunderous solo at the end of a gig during which they had been holding back the whole time. When I took my first bite of the herb torte, a server asked, “Isn’t it so surprising?” I had to agree. The round cake is soft, crumbly. It’s sweet and botanical, baked with an Alpine blend of herbs including basil, tarragon, parsley, and chives. On top are tiny slices of a pear soaked in mulled wine (glühwein), diplomat cream, and candied nuts. There’s not much to compare it to as far as the flavor combination — just know it’s delicious and you’re in for a ride.

I was intrigued to hear about Samantha Hamrick, Alpino’s pastry chef (she has “CAKE LOVE” tattooed on her knuckles), who was busy prepping for Valentine’s Day during my interview with Richter and Campbell. “She’s always been passionate about cakes and pastries,” Campbell says. “She’s very in tune, very up to date. She’s great with flavor, has a very advanced palate and a strong desire for creativity.” Hamrick initially joined the opening crew as a floor manager and helped write the first wine menu, including the tech sheets for staff training, before taking over the pastry chef position months later. She’s always tweaking recipes and introducing new desserts — I’m excited to try what she whips up next.

It’s worth noting that during the making of this review, Alpino made it to the semifinalist round of the James Beard Awards in the best new restaurant category. After the announcement, business was already starting to pick up.

“[James Beard recognition] has definitely been a goal of mine for the majority of my career,” Campbell says. “I moved down here two years ago [from Charlevoix] with the back-of-my-mind intention of pushing for that. My past jobs have been in small cities. So it was nice to see it come so quickly.”

Richter shares his staff’s excitement, but he still finds himself waking up in the middle of the night on a regular basis, thinking about the speech he’d give if Alpino won. The next round of nominations is April 3. If my experiences at Alpino are any indication, he may need to have that speech prepared.

 The Herb Torte has a sweet and botanical flavor and is baked with Alpine herbs.

Restaurant Guide

Wayne

Al Ameer

$$

LEBANESE • This halal restaurant is a recipient of the prestigious James Beard America’s Classics Award. The Al Ameer platter is perfect for sharing: chicken shawarma, meat shawarma, tawook kabob, and two kafta served with hummus and salad. 12710 W. Warren Ave., Dearborn; 313-582-8185. 27346 Ford Road, Dearborn Heights; 313-565-9600. 6505 N. Canton Center Road, Canton; 734-627-7707. L,D daily.

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, while keeping the character of the old-school restaurant, known for its steaks and pastas. 3401 Riopelle St., Detroit; 313-831-5940. L,D Tue.-Sat.

Alpino

$$

ALPINE •This Alps-inspired Corktown eatery quickly became beloved after opening in 2022. The cozy interior evokes cabins and farmhouses from the European countryside. Order beers and wines from all over Europe, plus cocktails like the kaffeepause, their riff on an espresso martini made with brandy, house coffee liqueur, and demerara. Choice bites include the fondue, wiener schnitzel, or the chestnut gnocchetti, made with chestnut dumplings, wild boar sausage, apple, kale, morber, and fried sage. There are tasty vegetarian and vegan options, as well. 1426 Bagley St., Detroit; 313-524-0888. D daily, BR Sun.

Andiamo

$$

ITALIAN • Over the past three decades, Joe Vicari has established several Andiamo restaurants in metro Detroit, all inspired by the late master chef Aldo Ottaviani’s philosophy of seasonal, from-scratch cooking. The menus differ slightly at the different locations, but the constant is the fresh, housemade pastas — handcrafted by the trinity of “pasta ladies,” Anna, Tanya, and Angelina, who have carried on the tradition. The downtown Detroit location offers a breathtaking view of the Detroit River, while the Livonia location offers a comfortable and casual vibe. 400 Renaissance Center, Detroit; 313-567-6700. D Mon.-Fri., L,D Sat.Sun. 38703 Seven Mile Road, Livonia; 734-953-3200. D daily.

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. (Farmington Hills location temporarily closed Mondays)

Apparatus Room $$$$

NEW AMERICAN • The Foundation Hotel’s restaurant, the Apparatus Room, once housed the Detroit Fire Department headquarters. Chef Rece Hogerheide’s cooking is refined and highly skilled — he was executive chef of the Daxton Hotel’s restaurant Madam, named 2023 Restaurant of the Year by Hour Detroit. 250 W. Larned St., Detroit; 313-800-5600. B,L,D Mon.-Fri., BR,D Sat.-Sun.

Ash-Bar $$$

EUROPEAN • Located on The Siren Hotel’s second

FEATURED Atwater in the Park GERMAN

At this casual spot, traditional German-style beer is the beverage of choice. Chef Chris Franz’ noteworthy menu is compatible with such additions as the Atwater Brat and other sausages teamed with sauerkraut, plus Bavarian soft pretzels.

1175 Lakepointe St., Grosse Pointe Park; 313-344-5104. L,D daily.

floor, this eatery is meant to capture the “spirit of the quintessential European cafe seen through an Americana lens,” along with serving specialty cocktails and good coffee. Chef Scott Martinelli’s menu changes seasonally and features a bread of the day and entrées like pasta, moules (the national dish of Belgium), and seafood. Or try the pork belly rillons, made with sweet-andsour blackberry sauce, fennel, cipollini, and cilantro. 1509 Broadway St., Detroit; 313-277-4736. B,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 patatas bravas, and the Babo Burger. 15 E. Kirby St., Ste. 115, Detroit; 313-312-1493. B,L,D Tue.-Sat. B,L Sun.

Baker’s Keyboard Lounge $$

SOUL FOOD • This iconic lounge features live music, along with beef short ribs with gravy, creamy mac and cheese, collard greens, and sweet cornbread muffins. 20510 Livernois Ave., Detroit; 313-345-6300. D Mon.-Fri.

Baobab Fare $$

EAST AFRICAN • With his New Center restaurant, Hamissi Mamba urges diners to venture into culinary territories they’d otherwise miss, like the Mbuzi starring a goat shank that is slow-roasted until the meat is so tender that it slides off the bone. 6568 Woodward Ave., Ste. 100, Detroit; 313-265-3093. L,D Tue.-Sun.

Barda $$$$

ARGENTINIAN Barda brings a new cuisine to metro Detroit. True to Argentinian culture, the restaurant celebrates traditional meat dishes. For starters, Carne y Hueso, meaning Flesh and Bone, features a mold of finely chopped beef tartare topped with spicy horseradish alongside a dense bone filled to the brim with buttery marrow. Tira de Asado, a classic Argentinian short rib dish, arrives on a plate in a coriander-pepper crust. And inch-thick slices of rare Bife, or strip loin steak, lie on a bed of melted butter infused with chimichurri. 4842 Grand River Ave., Detroit; 313- 952-5182; barda-detroit.com. D Thu.-Sun.

Bar Pigalle $$$

FRENCH • Nestled inside The Carlton Lofts in Brush Park, this restaurant beautifully complements the neighborhood’s former nickname, the Little Paris of the Midwest, by serving French-inspired cuisine, such as the duck confit with agrodolce, grapes, and frisée. 2915 John R Road, Detroit; 313-497-9200. D daily BR Sat.-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.

Bobcat Bonnie’s $

GASTROPUB • The menu is eclectic, featuring fried goat cheese, fish tacos, Buddha bowls, and a barbecue bacon meatloaf — plus, plenty of vegetarian and vegan options. The weekend brunch, complete with a Bloody Mary bar and all the classics, is a big hit. See bobcatbonnies.com for locations and hours.

Bohemia $$$

NEW AMERICAN • The former member’s-only lounge in this restored Romanesque Revival in downtown Detroit is now a posh restaurant open to the public (the downstairs bar is also open to the public). The stunning dining room reflects the club’s history while staying fresh and modern with local art on the walls and an Instagrammable seating area in the middle of the dining room with plush couches and trees lined with lights. The food is upscale but approachable such as the Nashville Fried Chicken and the lobster fettucini, which is worth every indulgent bite. 712 Cass Ave., Detroit, 313-338-3222. D Wed.-Sat..

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 daily.

Bronze Door $$$$

NEW AMERICAN • One of the newest restaurants under the Joe Vicari Restaurant Group brand (in partnership with Tony Soave of Soave Enterprises) revives the well-known name of a Grosse Pointe staple from the mid-1900s. In the 1960s and 1970s, 123 Kercheval Ave. was home to the Bronze Door, which closed to make way for The Hill Seafood and Chop House. In 2021, it was born again as the Bronze Door, offering classic bistro fare like steak frites and house specialties such as Short Rib Alla Bolognese (braised beef short ribs, pancetta, roasted battuto, imported Mafaldine pasta, ricotta salata, and black truffle). 123 Kercheval Ave., Grosse Pointe Farms; 313-886-8101. BR Sun. L Tue.-Fri. D daily.

Bucharest Grill $ MEDITERRANEAN-AMERICAN • This bustling casual sandwich shop, now with six locations, is a cult favorite with its fresh Mediterranean fare, notably the best chicken shawarma wrap sandwiches in town. We’re serious. See bucharestgrill.com for locations and hours.

Cadieux Café $$

BELGIAN • This institution was like a slice of home for early Belgian immigrants. The former speakeasy serves 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.

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Café Nini $$$

ITALIAN • This intimate spot offers well-prepared food that includes eight appetizers, more than a dozen pasta dishes, and 16 main plates, notable among which are Involtini di Pollo “Da Edoardo,” prosciutto, spinach, and Parmigiano Reggiano-filled chicken breast, sautéed in a sherry wine sauce, topped with fresh mushrooms. The wine list is impressive as well. 98 Kercheval Ave., Grosse Pointe Farms; 313-3083120. D Tue.-Sun.

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 featuring ground veal, beef, sausage, and pancetta. It makes for a delicious Italian feast you can conveniently pick up on your way home. 15550 N. Haggerty Road, Plymouth; 734-420-1100. L,D Tues.-Sat., L Sun.

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, with items such as barbecue babyback ribs and potato skins, but the main draw is steak by the ounce, at market price. 14726 Gratiot Ave., Detroit; 313-527-2100. L,D Wed.-Sun.

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, seared scallops, and steaks. 150 W. Congress, Detroit; 313-965-4970. D daily.

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.

Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails $$

NEW AMERICAN • While the menu rotates based on the season, its offerings always highlight the freshest local ingredients. Creatively prepared dishes range from cold starters to hearty entrees. But the Twice Cooked Egg is not to be missed. 15 E. Kirby St., Detroit; 313-818-3915. D Tue.-Sat.

Cliff Bell’s $$

EUROPEAN-INSPIRED • This restored Art Deco hotspot offers small plates such as oysters with cava granita and potato croquettes. Entrees range from savory seared diver scallops to their 16-ounce grilled pork chop. Jazz prevails on the bandstand. 2030 Park Ave., Detroit; 313-961-2543. D Wed.-Sun.

Common Pub $

GASTROPUB • Fans of Atlas Global Bistro, which shuttered in 2013, should be happy to learn that some of the principals may be found at this spot in the Belcrest Apartments. The well-edited menu includes duck fatfried chicken and a burger. 4601 Riverside Blvd., Detroit; 313-338-9466. L, D Tue.-Fri. D Sat. BR Sun.

Coriander Kitchen and Farm $$

GASTROPUB • At this Jefferson Chalmers eatery, guests can rent firepits and roast house-made marshmallows to make s’mores, or sip mugs of hot buttered rum. By day, grab a picnic table and enjoy creamy smoked lake trout whitefish dip, seasoned with herbs and paired with pickles and crackers. 2415 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-638-2261. D Wed.-Sat. BR Sat. B,L Sun.

Cork & Gabel $$$

EUROPEAN-INSPIRED • This Corktown eatery takes the form of a 4,450-square-foot renovated beer hall and is an ode to filling European staples. Try the chicken marsala, featuring a pan-seared 7-ounce chicken breast, sauteed wild mushroom blend, wild rice, and seasonal grilled vegetables, cooked in a Lombardo Ambra Sweet Marsala wine sauce. Simply delicious! 2415 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-638-2261. D Wed.-Sat. BR Sat. B,L Sun.

Cuisine $$$

EUROPEAN-INSPIRED • Cuisine offers a romantic, white-linen experience with the level of food, service, and ambience one might describe as timeless rather than trendy. Examples of the expertly prepared fare include the Alaskan halibut, as well as the sea scallops, featuring lemon risotto, corn, almonds, citrus butter, and beet dust. 670 Lothrop Rd., Detroit; 313-872-5110. D Wed.-Sat. (Note: Not wheelchair accessible).

Detroit Shipping Company $

FUSION • This bi-level destination created out of shipping containers offers a variety of food options ranging from the Caribbean-fusion dishes at Coop to Thai fare from Bangkok 96 and more. 474 Peterboro St., Detroit; 313-462-4973. L Sat.-Sun., D Tue.-Sun.

Detroit Soul $

SOUL FOOD • A hidden gem on the city’s East Side. Detroit Soul serves its namesake with a healthy twist. Owners Sam Van Buren and Jerome Brown draw from the recipes of their grandparents, who relocated to Detroit from Alabama in the 1940s. The turkey and collard greens are savory standouts and yams are a sweet treat. This is the kind of place that every soulfood lover must visit. 2900 E. Eight Mile Road, Detroit; 313-366-5600. 14300 E Jefferson Ave., Detroit; 313926-6305. L,D Tue.-Sun.

Detroit Vegan Soul $

VEGAN • The popular spot offers your classic soul food favorites but with plant-based twists — mac and cheese, collard greens, and interpretations of catfish and pepper steak. 19614 Grand River Ave., Detroit; 313-766-5728. L,D Wed.-Fri. (Takeout only; no phone orders).

Dime Store $

BREAKFAST/BRUNCH • This popular breakfast and lunch spot adds just the right retro touch to a contemporary American menu typified by fresh, hearty omelets and Benedicts early in the day. 719 Griswold St., Ste. 180, Detroit; 313-962-9106. B,L Thu.-Tue.

RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR  2010

Dirty Dog Jazz Cafe $$$

GASTROPUB • A jazz club with top guest musicians and an American bistro menu in a traditional interior. Starters include oysters by the half- or full-dozen, and lump crab cakes. Main entries include a beef short rib. 97 Kercheval Ave., Grosse Pointe Farms; 313-882-5299. L Tue.-Fri., D Tue.-Sat.

Eatori Market $$

SPECIALTY GROCERY • This stylish spot overlooks downtown’s Capitol Park. The menu has steamed mussels with leeks, garlic, and toasted crostini. International flourishes abound with truffle aioli for the burger. 1215 Griswold St., Detroit; 313-395-3030. L,D daily.

El Asador Steakhouse $$

MEXICAN • A concentrated cuisine with little modern flairs that also stays faithful to traditional Mexican cooking. Don’t miss the Camarones en Salsa de Langosta: breaded shrimp stuffed with cheese, fried to a golden dark brown, and topped with a lobster cream sauce. It’s a delicious dinner spot you don’t want to miss and an unassuming Latin-American find in

Detroit’s Springwells Village. 1312 Springwells St., Detroit; 313-297-2360. L,D Tue.-Sun.

El Barzon $

MEXICAN-ITALIAN • Norberto Garita prepares Italian and Mexican cuisines alongside his wife, Silvia Rosario Garita. Authentic Mexican entrees include enchiladas with a homemade green sauce made with tomatillo, jalapeños, and roasted poblano pepper, while the Italian influence takes the form of spaghetti carbonara and zuppa di pesce (seafood soup). 3710 Junction Ave., Detroit; 313-894-2070. D Tue.-Sun.

Evie’s Tamales $$

MEXICAN • This Mexicantown restaurant makes some of the best tamales around. Pork or chicken is jacketed with sturdy masa, a dough of ground corn, and then wrapped in a corn husk and steamed. Eat in or order a dozen for later. 3454 Bagley St., Detroit; 313-843-5056. B,L Mon.-Sat.

RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR  2024

Freya $$$$

NEW AMERICAN • Freya provides elegant, elevated dining served inside a warm and inviting space in Detroit’s Milwaukee Junction district. Chef de Cuisine Phoebe Zimmerman’s fixed-price dinners — which change daily and are available in five or nine courses — invite guests to tap into a world of flavors and sensations. There are also cocktail pairings as well as dishes that accommodate vegetarian, vegan, and pescatarian diets. Co-run by 2023 James Beard semifinalist Sandy Levine, it made The New York Times’s list of the 50 best restaurants in 2022. 2929 E. Grand Blvd., Detroit; 313-351-5544. D Tue.-Sat.

Fishbone’s Rhythm Kitchen Café $$

FEATURED Dakota Inn Rathskeller

EUROPEANINSPIRED

The sausages are the kind that snap when you cut them. The combo plate features one bratwurst and one knackwurst, served with hot German potato salad and sauerkraut. And yes, join the crowd in singing the Schnitzelbank song. 17324 John R St., Detroit; 313-867-9722. D Thu.-Sat..

NEW ORLEANIAN • Enjoy classic New Orleans dishes, such as jambalaya and fried catfish beignets. Come for lunch, dinner, happy hour, or carry-out. 400 Monroe St., Detroit; 313-965-4600. 29244 Northwestern Hwy., Southfield; 248-351-2925. 23722 Jefferson Ave., St. Clair Shores; 586-498-3000. L,D daily.

Flowers of Vietnam $$

VIETNAMESE • Chef and owner George Azar transformed a former Coney Island into an industrial-cool destination, but the neighborhood joint vibe remains. The menu is shaped around Azar’s appreciation of Vietnamese food, with a very personal twist. 4440 Vernor Hwy., Detroit; 313-554-2085. D Thu.-Sun.

Folk $

NEW AMERICAN • A charming Corktown storefront dishing up an all-day brunch menu. It’s an offshoot of the Farmer’s Hand grocery and farmers market. The menu focuses on globally inspired dishes like salads, quiche, and sandwiches — all beautifully plated and nutritious. Infused milks and frothy lattes are well sought after, too. 1701 Trumbull Ave., Detroit; 313-742-2672. B,L daily.

Ford’s Garage $$

BURGERS • Henry Ford’s legacy is celebrated on Dearborn’s main thoroughfare. There are at least 12 variations on the classic American burger here. Try the Ford’s Signature, featuring a half-pound of grilled black angus beef, aged sharp cheddar, applewoodsmoked bacon, and bourbon barbecue sauce. Other appealing dishes include shrimp mac and cheese, and chicken wings. 21367 Michigan Ave., Dearborn; 313-752-3673. L,D daily.

Giovanni’s Ristorante $$$

ITALIAN • This old-school Italian restaurant offers housemade pastas, including an outstanding lasagna. Elaborate veal and seafood dishes and desserts like key lime cheesecake tira misu round out the delicious menu. 330 Oakwood Blvd., Detroit; 313-8410122. L,D Tue.-Fri., D Sat.

Golden Fleece $$

GREEK • Spend a night dining in Greektown’s longeststanding restaurant, starting with a flaming saganaki and a joyous “Opa!” Then, peruse the menu containing various Balkan comfort foods like chicken gyros, spinach pie, and french fries sprinkled with feta and oregano. 525 Monroe St., Detroit; 313-962-7093. L,D daily.

Grandma Bob’s $

PIZZA • If you’re wondering what that psychedelic building on Corktown’s Michigan Avenue is, it’s a pizzeria known as Grandma Bob’s. Chef Dan De Wall, previously of Wright and Co., offers a small, delicious menu of pies, including sausage and pistachio with ricotta cheese and thyme. Or try the Big Mack — the vegan pizza version of the popular burger. 2135 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-315-3177. L,D daily.

Grand Trunk Pub $

NEW AMERICAN • Meats from Eastern Market and delicious breads anchor the hearty fare, which pairs well with a selection of Michigan beers. Staples include a reuben with Poet Stout Kraut and the Ghettoblaster beer-battered fish and chips. 612 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-9613043.; L, D, Tue.-Sun. BR Sat.-Sun.

The Greek $

GREEK • Plaka Café was a presence on Monroe Avenue for years, and now its space is in the hands of the founders’ children. Notable dishes include spinach pie, lamb chops, and New York strip steak. 535 Monroe Ave., Detroit; 313-209-6667. L,D daily.

Green Dot Stables $

NEW AMERICAN • The menu of sliders — with 20-plus eclectic bun toppings, including Cuban, Korean, and “mystery meat” — packs in fans. Local beers are spotlighted alongside Chicken Paprikas soup, a nod to the neighborhood’s Hungarian origins. 2200 W. Lafayette Blvd., Detroit; 313-962-5588. L,D daily.

Grey Ghost $$

NEW AMERICAN • The cuisine at this Brush Park hotspot isn’t easily defined, but the results are original and well-prepared — for example, pork tenderloin with romanesco, peri peri, and wild rice or yellowfin tuna with kimchi, edamame, and sweet soy. 47 Watson St., Detroit; 313-262-6534. D daily.

Highlands $$$

STEAKHOUSE/NEW AMERICAN • Occupying the top two floors of the Renaissance Center, Highlands comprises three separate concepts. A steakhouse of the same name provides a high-end dining experience, while the more casual Hearth 71 (currently closed but reopening soon) serves locally sourced dishes cooked over an open fire. The third concept within the space is the appropriately named High Bar, where guests can choose from a vast collection of spirits and decadent desserts. 400 Renaissance Center, Floors 71 and 72, Detroit; 313-877-9090; D Mon.-Sat.

The Hudson Cafe $ BREAKFAST/BRUNCH • The fresh, well-prepared fare from the kitchen of this breakfast/lunch spot has creative takes on the eggs Benedict theme, red velvet pancakes, and apple-walnut stuffed French toast, as well as lunchtime sandwiches and salads. 1241 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-237-1000. 17101 Haggerty Rd, Northville 248-308-3793. B,L daily.

Hungarian Rhapsody $$

HUNGARIAN • This Downriver restaurant offers authentic Hungarian dishes, such as chicken and veal paprikas, beef goulash, and palacsinta (crêpes). 14315 Northline Road, Southgate; 734-283-9622. L,D Tue.-Sun.

FEATURED Metropolitan Bar and Kitchen

LATIN

The business brings a bodegastyle market along with a neighborhood restaurant and bar to West Village. The menu highlights local and seasonal ingredients in dishes like beet salad or the Metro

“Mac” Burger. 8047 Agnes St., Detroit; 313-4475418. B Sat.-Sun. D Tue.-Sat.

Iggy’s Eggies $

AMERICAN • Jammy-yolk egg sandwiches, breakfast burritos, and more are on the menu at Iggy’s Eggies’ walk-up window. You can also get Lovers Only’s famous Classic Smash burgers and fresh-cut fries at Iggy’s. Take your breakfast or lunch to a table at nearby Capitol Park for a true downtown experience. 34 West Grand River Ave., Detroit; 313-986-1174. B,L daily.

Ima $

JAPANESE-INSPIRED • This ramen hotspot has three locations and a Midwest emphasis. Ima tacos trade the traditional shell for a slice of jicama, stuffed with spicy shrimp, roasted tofu, or garlic chicken. Appetizers include edamame, dumplings, and clams. 4870 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-883-9788. 32203 John R Road, Madison Heights; 248-781-0131. L,D daily.

Ima Izakaya $$

JAPANESE-INSPIRED • Chef Michael Ransom has slowly and steadily built up his local chain of noodle shops over the past few years, and his latest one takes it up a notch with the izakaya concept, the Japanese equivalent to a pub. In addition to the staple noodles and soups that put Ransom on the map, the menu also includes grilled skewers from the robata grill such as Kawahagi Trigger Fish Jerky and Mini Kurobuta Pork Sausages. There’s also a tantalizing selection of cocktails and mocktails, sake, beer, and wine to make it a true izakaya experience. 2100 Michigan Ave., Detroit, 313-306-9485. L, D daily.

Ivy Kitchen and Cocktails $$$

NEW AMERICAN • This Black-owned restaurant was founded by Nya Marshall to bring fine dining to the East Jefferson Corridor where she grew up. The spot serves New American fare with international influences in a modern, elevated space bathed in neutral tones. The Mezcal Wings with pickled jalapeño and cilantro bring a Mexican kick, while dishes like the Creamy Cajun Pasta contribute New Orleans flavors. 9215 E. Jefferson Ave., Detroit; 313-332-0607; L Fri.-Sun., D daily.

RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR  2012

Joe Muer Seafood $$$$

SEAFOOD • This reborn Detroit legend is stellar for a romantic evening or a quiet business lunch or dinner. Located on the main floor of the GMRenCen, it has sweeping views of the Detroit River and a menu that walks the line between old-time favorites and hipper Asian-influenced seafood, sushi, and raw bar. (There’s also a Bloomfield Hills location.) There are reminders of the past as well: smoked fish spread, creamed spinach, and stewed tomatoes. A true Detroit classic. 400 Renaissance Center, Ste. 1404, Detroit; 313-567-6837. 39475 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills; 248-792-9609. L,D daily.

Johnny Noodle King $

JAPANESE-INSPIRED • This noodle shop offers bowls topped with pork belly, confit chicken, and tofu, as well as seaweed salad and gyoza. There are also several fusion bowls like the Southwest Verde, a green chili chicken broth topped with chicken thigh confit, cilantro, corn, and hot peppers. 2601 W. Fort St., Detroit; 313-309-7946. L,D daily.

Jolly Pumpkin $$

BREWERY • Jolly Pumpkin’s brews rule the offerings, along with other Northern United Brewing Co. beverages, such as North Peak and Jolly Pumpkin artisan ales. Pizzas with creative toppings abound. 441 W. Canfield St., Detroit; 313-262-6115. 419 S. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-544-6250. 311 S Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-913-2730. L,D daily (Detroit, Ann Arbor); L Fri.-Mon, D daily (Royal Oak).

Karl’s Cabin $$

AMERICAN • Dishes from their currently rotating drive-through menu such as pan-seared walleye and

pierogi & sausage surpass typical roadhouse food. 6005 Gotfredson Road, Plymouth; 734-455-8450. L,D daily.

The Kitchen by Cooking with Que $$

VEGAN • This eatery created by Detroit-based cooking blogger Quiana Broden serves lunches of smoothies, salads, and sandwiches. Broden also often offers live cooking demonstrations. 6529 Woodward Ave., Ste. A, Detroit; 313-462-4184. L, D Fri.-Sun. Private events only Mon.-Thur.

Kuzzo’s Chicken and Waffles $

SOUTHERN COMFORT • Several recipes, including a signature thin waffle, are family-owned at ex-NFL player Ron Bartell’s spot. Think comfort food kicked up a notch: fried catfish, salmon croquettes, shrimp and grits, and biscuits. Drink the Kool-Aid, too. 19345 Livernois Ave., Detroit; 313-861-0229. B,L,D Tue.- Sun.

Ladder 4 Wine Bar $$$

WINE BAR • This southwest Detroit wine bar occupies a former 1910 firehouse, offering a daily wine list and seasonal European-inspired bites made with local ingredients — some grown in its backyard garden. Though its owners prefer not to call it a restaurant, it made Bon Appétit’s “24 Best New Restaurants” and The New York Times’s “50 Places in the United States That We’re Most Excited About Right Now” — both in 2023. 3396 Vinewood St., Detroit; 313-638-1601. D Wed.-Sun.

La Dolce Vita $$$

ITALIAN Traditional Italian cuisine is key at this Palmer Park hideaway. Recommended is the bronzino in lemon caper cream sauce, the veal scaloppine with artichokes, and the lasagna. 17546 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-865-0331. D Tue.-Sun., BR Sun.

La Lanterna $$

ITALIAN • The founder of Da Edoardo, the first Edoardo Barbieri, started it all in 1956 with a restaurant called La Lanterna. Now his grandchildren have revived it. Although the white and red pizzas — like Margherita, Liguria, and Da Edorado — dominate, there’s more, including a number of elegant pastas like the Lasagna Alla Bolognese. 1224 Griswold St., Detroit; 313-962-8821. L,D Tue.-Sun.

London Chop House $$

STEAKHOUSE • The kitchen turns out classics like oysters Rockefeller, French onion soup, and sauteed loup de mer with scallops. This is the place to come when you need to satisfy a craving for steak in elegant surroundings with hospitable service. 155 W. Congress St., Detroit; 313-962-0277. D Mon.-Sat.

Leila $$$

LEBANESE • The restaurant from the proprietors of Birmingham’s Phoenicia is named after the owner’s mother — just one facet of the establishment that pays homage to family traditions and heritage. The menu includes various Lebanese dishes, from falafel to Leila’s Mixed Grill that offers a little bit of everything with shish kebab, tawook, and kafta. Other menu items include Kibbeh Niyee — fresh lamb, cracked wheat, and spice — and tabbouleh made of parsley, cracked wheat, and spices. The beer and wine lists offer plenty of options to accompany any meal. 1245 Griswold St., Detroit; 313-816-8100. D daily.

Le Suprême $$$

FRENCH • This Paris-inspired brasserie pays homage to the City of Light with its 1920s-inspired décor on the historic Book Tower’s ground floor. There is pastis, absinthe, France-themed cocktails, and over 300 wines. Standout dishes include the escargots, honeyroasted duck breast, and trout amandine. 1265 Washington Blvd., Detroit; 313-597-7734. D daily, BR Sat.-Sun.

Lucy & the Wolf $$

SPANISH • This Anglo-sounding restaurant offers very good Spanish-inspired tapas dining. Standouts include spicy beer cheese dip, harissa rubbed halfchicken, and roasted sablefish. 102 E. Main St., Northville; 248-308-3057. D Tue.-Sat.

Lumen Detroit $$

NEW AMERICAN • A contemporary American menu and a Victor Saroki setting make the restaurant overlooking downtown’s Beacon Park one of the best of recent entrants onto the scene. Appetizers such as freshly made pretzels prelude main courses like the maple dijon salmon. 1903 Grand River Ave., Detroit; 313-626-5005. L Fri.-Sun., D. Wed.-Sun.

Mario’s $$$

ITALIAN • This Midtown Detroit classic dates to 1948. Linen-covered tables, framed paintings on wood-paneled walls, expert waiters clad in black tie, and tableside preparation survive here. Italian dinners always begin with an antipasto tray and continue through soup, salad, pasta, and entree. 4222 Second Ave., Detroit; 313-832-1616. L,D daily.

Marrow $$

NEW AMERICAN • This West Village restaurant and butcher shop hybrid is an ode to meat, especially unusual cuts. Diners must walk through the butcher shop, bypassing cases of pastrami and sausage, before entering the restaurant. Offerings from a sample tasting menu include Roasted Bone Marrow and Local Lamb ragu. 8044 Kercheval Ave., Detroit; 313-513-0361. L,D Thu.-Sun.

Maty’s African Cuisine $$

WEST AFRICAN • A small storefront in the Detroit Old Redford neighborhood is decidedly Senegalese. Fataya, deep-fried pastries with savory fillings, are reminiscent of an empanada. The star of the show is the whole chicken with yassa. 21611 Grand River Ave., Detroit; 313-472-5885. L,D Tue.-Sun.

M Cantina $

MEXICAN • Nuevo Latino street food is the premise at this surprising spot where everything from the tortilla chips to the salsas are made in-house in the open kitchen. Juices are freshly squeezed, and the menu of tortas,

Mercury Burger & Bar $

BURGERS • This Corktown joint seats 70 around the zinc-covered bar set with Mercury (Liberty) dimes. The burger is available in a variety of iterations, such as Southwest Detroit with a chorizo slider, jalapeno, Müenster cheese, tortilla strips, and avocado. 2163 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-964-5000. L,D daily. tacos, tapas, and salads from the kitchen of Heidi and Junior Merino, from Hawaii and Mexico, is distinctive. 13214 Michigan Ave., Dearborn; 313-399-9117. L,D daily.

Michigan & Trumbull $$

ITALIAN-AMERICAN • After a successful four-month run at Fort Street Galley, Michigan and Trumbull became one of the latest in a long line of Detroit-style pizza joints to open in the area. Not your traditional carryout joint, Michigan and Trumbull is housed in a sleek, refurbished car-repair garage. The menu features square, deep-dish pies with Detroit-inspired names, such as Packard Pepperoni and Woodward White. 1331 Holden St., Detroit; 313-637-4992; L,D Wed-Sun.

Mi Lindo San Blas $$$

MEXICAN • Heaping platters of seafood such as shrimp, octopus, and scallops, tell the story at this spot that brings a corner of Mexico’s seaside Nayarit region to southwest Detroit. On weekends, when live music is added, the tables are often pushed back to create a dance floor. 1807 Livernois Ave., Detroit; 313-789-5100. L,D daily.

Monarch Club $$$

NEW AMERICAN • At the 14th floor of the revamped Element Detroit Hotel located at the Metropolitan is the Monarch Club. It’s one of the most recent rooftop bars to open in metro Detroit and serves a variety of delicious small plates along with classic cocktails. 33 John R St., Detroit; 313-306-2380. L Sun. D daily.

Mootz Pizzeria & Bar $$

ITALIAN-AMERICAN • Bruno DiFabio, a six-time World Pizza Games champ, rejects the label New York-style for his fare. “It’s authentic New York pizza,” he says. In a hurry? Grab a slice from Side Hustle, Mootz’s by-theslice counter next door. 1230 Library St., Detroit; 313-243-1230. L Fri.-Sun., L, D daily.

Motor City Brewing Works $

BREWERY • Just 15 mostly nontraditional pizzas on excellent, chewy crust, and the option to build your own pie with various toppings. Plus, salads from locally grown greens to accompany the housebrewed beers. 470 W. Canfield St., Detroit; 19350 Livernois Ave., Detroit; 313-832-2700. L,D daily (Canfield); L Sat.-Sun., D Wed-Fri. (Livernois).

Mudgie’s Deli $

FEATURED

Prism

NEW AMERICAN Greektown Casino-Hotel’s renamed eatery is located off the main casino. The menu features local ingredients, steaks, and fresh seafood.

555 E. Lafayette St., Detroit; 313-3092499. D Wed.-Sun.

DELI • Sandwich-lovers fill the seats for the House Smoked Pastrami Reuben or the Brooklyn (beef brisket, bacon, and beer cheese). The dinner menu features meat and cheese boards, as well as build-yourown sandwich options. It’s a delicious place for a meal any time. 1413 Brooklyn St., Detroit; 313-9612000. B Tue.-Sat. L Tue.-Wed., L,D Thu.-Sat.

Nico & Vali $$

ITALIAN • This eatery offers favorites with unexpected twists. The artichokes and chilies appetizer boasts battered and fried artichokes with Fresno and jalapeno peppers, tossed with fresh basil in white wine. Popular choices include the Whitefish Filet. It’s a classic Italian spot with an update that’s worth a visit. 744 Wing St., Plymouth; 734-207-7880. L Thu.-Sat., D Tue.-Sun.

Norma G’s $

CARIBBEAN • Lester Gouvia, the Trinidadian chef who brought us the famed food truck, opened a fullservice restaurant under the same name. Stop in for a plate of Chicken Pelau: a tasty blend of rice, diced chicken, squash, peppers, and golden-brown baked chicken. 14628 E. Jefferson Ave., Detroit; 313-2902938. D Tue.-Sat.

RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR  2022

Oak & Reel $$

SEAFOOD • Despite a global pandemic threatening to derail his longtime dream, chef Jared Gadbaw brought his vision of a seafood-focused Italian restaurant to life in Detroit’s Milwaukee Junction neighborhood in fall 2020. Oak & Reel’s resilience in the face of extreme adversity and its commitment to the vision of bringing diners impeccable dishes showcasing the freshest seafood, all presented with welcoming and knowledgeable service, is the reason we named Oak & Reel Hour Detroit’s Restaurant of the Year. The menu is seasonal and changes frequently. But in general, the crudos are pristine, the pastas are impeccable, and the seafood dishes are all well balanced and expertly prepared to accentuate the freshness and quality of the fish and shellfish. 2921 E. Grand Blvd., Detroit; 313-270-9600. D Thu.-Mon.

Olin $$$

MEDITERRANEAN • Starters like the potatoes and artichokes “bravas” with harissa and black garlic aioli and paellas are inspired by Spain, but showcase Olin’s unique spin on these iconic dishes. 25 E. Grand River Ave., Detroit; 313-774-1190. D Tues.-Sat. BR Sun.

Ottava Via $$

ITALIAN • Chef Ariel Millan sends out great thin-crusted pizzas, as well as interesting small plates typified by bruschetta, calamari, roasted garlic, and whipped goat cheese to be spread on paper-thin crostini. 1400 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-962-5500. L,D daily.

Pao Detroit $$$

FUSION • Visit this upscale Pan-Asian fusion restaurant for Asian-themed cocktails and dishes, such as creamy rock shrimp, charred octopus, and filet mignon. Based in the former Michigan Oriental Theater, the interior combines new and old. 114 W. Adams Ave., Ste. 200, Detroit; 313-816-0000. L Sun., D Tue.-Sun.

RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR  2018

Parc $$$

NEW AMERICAN • Excellent food, exceptional service, and a crisp and formal but distinctly unstuffy atmosphere set this Campus Martius gem apart. Appetizer highlights include a bright and fresh tuna tartar and charred burrata. Main courses include an interesting blend of Italian food, wood-grilled steaks, and a red chilé short rib. There’s also a large selection of dry-aged gourmet steaks. 800 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-922-7272. L,D daily. BR Sat.-Sun.

Park Grill $$

MEDITERRANEAN • Mediterranean fare gets a Balkan spin. The menu offers tasting plates, pita-wrapped sandwiches, and salads, as well as entrees including chicken and beef shawarma, beef and pork kafta, lemon-pepper pork tenderloin, and lamb chops. Service is friendly and informal. 15102 Kercheval Ave., Grosse Pointe Park; 313-264-1997. L,D daily.

Pegasus Taverna $$

GREEK • The cry of “opa!” resounds in St. Clair Shores at the second edition of the longstanding Greektown restaurant. It boasts an extensive menu, from moussaka and spinach pie to gyros and roast lamb. 24935 Jefferson Ave., St. Clair Shores; 586-7723200. 558 Monroe St., Detroit; 313-964-6800. L,D TueSun (Detroit); L Sun., D Tue.-Sun. (St. Clair Shores)

The Peterboro $$

ASIAN-FUSION • A contemporary take on AmericanChinese fare gives new life to the cuisine with robustly spiced dishes, including an “absurdly delicious” cheeseburger spring roll and a take on almond boneless chicken. 420 Peterboro St., Detroit; 313-833-1111. D Mon.-Sat.

Pho Lucky $

VIETNAMESE • This charming Midtown Vietnamese spot serves authentic fare emphasizing pho. Bowls of spicy broth with noodles, round steak, and meatballs come in several variations. Other noteworthy dishes here include summer rolls and crisp spring rolls. Look for Asian beers and robust Vietnamese coffee. 3111 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-338-3895. L,D Wed.-Mon.

Polish Village Café $

POLISH • The “Polish plate” includes stuffed cabbage, pierogi, kielbasa, sauerkraut, and mashed potatoes and gravy. The dill pickle soup and city chicken are standouts, too. A Detroit staple, where this cuisine getting harder to find. 2990 Yemans St., Hamtramck; 313-8745726. L,D daily. Not wheelchair accessible.

Portofino $

ITALIAN • This big waterfront spot in Wyandotte is both a local hangout and a restaurant with a menu that’s surprisingly ambitious. It offers a number of fish and seafood dishes, from lake perch to coconut shrimp and fried calamari, as well as steaks. Nearly every table in the restaurant has a river view. 3455 Biddle Ave., Wyandotte; 734-281-6700. L,D daily.

RESTAURANT LISTINGS 04.24

RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR  2019

Prime + Proper $$$$

STEAKHOUSE • Downtown Detroit dining gets a major shot of glamour with this over-the-top steak and seafood emporium on the corner of Griswold and State streets. Although red meat, from prime dry-aged Tomahawk ribeye to Wagyu strip, is the focus — and yes, there’s a burger made with a dryaged butcher’s blend — oysters, king crab, and caviar aren’t far behind. An elegant white and gold setting backgrounds it all. 1145 Griswold St., Detroit; 313-636-3100. D daily, BR Sat.-Sun.

Rattlesnake Club $$$$

NEW AMERICAN • This restaurant on the river remains one of the most appealing spots in town. The casually elegant space offers a range of appetizers, entrees, and desserts. Dishes that typify its style include seared diver sea scallops, an 8-ounce filet, and a roasted duck breast and foie gras steak. 300 River Place, Detroit; 313-5674400. D Tue.-Sat.

Red Dunn Kitchen $$

NEW AMERICAN The Trumbull and Porter Hotel’s spiffy restaurant is an ambitious undertaking, offering three meals a day. It is best experienced at dinner, with a la carte offerings such as foie gras-stuffed quail, smoked and marinated salmon collars, braised lamb leg, and bacon-wrapped duck breast with polenta. 1331 Trumbull Ave., Detroit; 313-887-9477. Private meetings and events only.

Red Smoke Barbeque $$

BARBEQUE • At Red Smoke, hickory and applewoodsmoked ribs, pulled pork, all-natural chicken, and an array of classic sides are served out of one of the most attractive two-story buildings that are still standing on Monroe Street. 573 Monroe St., Detroit; 313-962-2100. L,D daily.

Roman Village $

ITALIAN • The Rugiero family has been serving authentic Italian cuisine since 1964. They’ve launched three additional Antonio’s Cucina Italiana locations. Roman Village is the original and features their signature gnocchi Rita. 9924 Dix Ave., Dearborn; 313-842-2100. L,D daily.

San Morello $$$

ITALIAN This gem in the Shinola Hotel serves pizzas, pastas, and wood-fired dishes that draw inspiration from the coastal towns of Southern Italy and Sicily. The menu is handcrafted by James Beard Awardwinning chef Andrew Carmellini. 1400 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-209-4700. B,L,D daily.

The Sardine Room $$$

SEAFOOD A seafood restaurant and raw bar, The Sardine Room is fresh, fun, and energetic, with cleanline décor and a menu full of surprises. Worthwhile is a grouper sandwich that’s available seared or blackened. 340 S. Main St., Plymouth; 734-416-0261. D daily, BR Sat-Sun.

Savannah Blue $$

SOUL FOOD Dine on upscale soul food like the red snapper and the shrimp and grits. Shareables include catfish fritters, and a Georgian Hummus that substitutes black-eyed peas for chickpeas. There’s also a great bar. 1431 Times Square, Detroit; 313-926-0783. D Tue.-Sat.

Scotty Simpson’s Fish & Chips $

SEAFOOD • Head to this Brightmoor spot for perfectly prepared fish and chips. The key to Scotty’s longevity is the batter that coats the cod, perch, shrimp, chicken, onion rings, and frog legs. Cash only. 22200 Fenkell St., Detroit; 313-533-0950. L,D Tue.-Sat.

Second Best $

RETRO AMERICAN • The talents behind nearby Grey Ghost have unveiled a second, more casual spot with a retro spin in Brush Park. The lighter menu includes a fried green tomato BLT and fried chicken sandwiches that accompany drinks that were popular more than a few years back. 42 Watson St., Detroit; 313315-3077. L Sat.-Sun., D daily.

RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR  2016

Selden Standard $$$

NEW AMERICAN • What sets Selden Standard apart is that it is moving Detroit into a new era in which upperend dining with starched linen and tuxedoed waiters doesn’t hold much interest anymore. Chef Andy Hollyday, a multiple James Beard semifinalist, does farm-totable scratch cooking with ideas borrowed from around the world. A key to his cooking is the wood-fired grill. This spot has garnered national attention. 3921 Second Ave., Detroit; 313-438-5055. D daily.

Seva Detroit $$

FEATURED

Rocky’s of Northville

NEW AMERICAN

The near 30-year old seafood spot serves up shrimp cocktail, smoked salmon pate, and broiled Great Lakes whitefish. Or, try the chipotle honey-glazed salmon.

41122 W. Seven Mile Road, Northville; 248-349-4434. L

Tue.-Fri. D Tue.-Sun.

VEGETARIAN • Seva offers such dishes as black bean and sweet potato quesadillas, gluten-free options, and colorful stir-fries — some vegan as well as vegetarian. There’s also a full bar and a juice bar. 2541 Jackson Ave., Ann Arbor; 734-662-1111. 66 E. Forest Ave., Detroit; 313-974-6661. L,D Mon.-Sat.

RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR  2020

SheWolf Pastificio & Bar $$$

ITALIAN • Chef Anthony Lombardo takes fresh and housemade to a new level with this Midtown restaurant that serves only dinner from a menu inspired by Italian cooking specific to Rome. Milling all of his own flour for his pastas, breads, and polenta in house, Lombardo, well known as the former executive chef at Bacco, serves a selection of simple but elegant regional Italian dishes. 438 Selden St., Detroit; 313-315-3992. D Tue.-Sun

Sindbad’s Restaurant and Marina $$

SEAFOOD • Sitting by the Detroit River, this longlasting establishment prides itself on serving some of the best perch, pickerel, shrimp, and scallops in Detroit, along with its signature clam chowder. 100 St. Clair St., Detroit; 313-822-8000. L,D Tue.-Sun.

Slows Bar BQ $$

BARBEQUE • The brick-and-wood original in Corktown gained a following for its pulled pork, ribs, and chicken. They expanded with a “to go” spot in Midtown. This is a true Detroit classic in every sense of the term. Corktown location: 2138 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-962-9828. L,D daily. Slows To Go in Midtown: 4107 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-309-7560. L,D Tue.-Sun.

Standby $$

NEW AMERICAN • In a place where cocktails are king, there’s no shortage of food options. The fare ranges from small plates of marinated olives and fried deviled eggs to entrees such as Thai pork skewers and the house cheeseburger. 225 Gratiot Ave., Detroit; 313-2415719. D Wed.-Sun. Not wheelchair accessible.

The Statler $$$$

FRENCH • A taste of Paris in downtown Detroit. This French-American bistro from the Joe Vicari Restaurant Group takes its name from the former historic Statler Hotel, which is now home to not only the bistro, but also City Club Apartments. Classic French fare (with some modern twists) such as seared foie gras mousse; Henri Maire escargots (wild Burgundy snails, garlic butter fondue, parsley, Pernod, and profiteroles); and bouillabaisse provence (seafood stew with shrimp, scallops, lobster, mussels, saffron broth, croustade, and rouille)

typify the menu. The large, year-round open-air outdoor patio offers stunning panoramic views of the Detroit skyline and Grand Circus Park. There’s also a neighborhood market where customers can grab groceries and gourmet packaged meals on the go. 313 Park Ave., Detroit; 313-463-7111. D daily, BR Sun.

Supino Pizzeria $$

ITALIAN Relax with one of the town’s best thincrust pizzas — they come in more than a dozen variations, with or without red sauce. A few dishes from La Rondinella (the previous longtime tenant at its Russell Street location) made the list as well — small plates such as polpette, and three delicious salads. Beer, wine, and cocktails add to the appeal. 2457 Russell St., Detroit; 313-567-7879 (Russell St. location temporarily closed). 6519 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-314-7400. L,D daily.

Sweet Soul Bistro $

SOUL FOOD • The large menu includes homages to Detroit musicians, from Stevie Wonder Wonderful Wings to Aretha Franklin Catfish Bites. Also notable are the crab cakes. In the evening, the bistro transforms into a club. 13741 W. McNichols Road, Detroit; 313- 862-7685. L,D daily.

Symposia $$$$

MEDITERRANEAN • Located in the heart of downtown Detroit inside the Atheneum Suite Hotel, Symposia serves Mediterranean cuisine inspired by Greece, Italy, Spain, and more. A signature can’tmiss dish is the Spanish octopus with romesco, Yukon potato, and chorizo Ibérico. 1000 Brush St., Detroit; 313-962-9366. D Wed.-Sun.

Takoi $$

THAI • Thai-Laotian fare might seem out of place in Corktown, but virtually everything on the menu has distinction. There’s a depth, concentration, and balance between heat and coolness, the range of spices, the delight of moving from one superb bite to the next. 2520 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-855-2864. D Tue.-Sat.

Tap at MGM Grand $

SPORTS BAR • More than 40 HD flatscreen TVs for sports fans, plus sports memorabilia. The menu features comfort food and pub classics: burgers, wings, and house nachos. Pizza and more upscale entrees are also available, as are more than 50 beers. Bring your family and friends for a very entertaining night on the town. 1777 Third St., Detroit; 313-465-1234. B,L,D daily.

Townhouse $$$

NEW AMERICAN • The downtown hotspot in 2021 underwent an aesthetic overhaul of the space and menu designed to elevate the spot’s signature comfort food fare. Staples, like the burger and fries, remain on the menu, but there are also fine-dining-inspired additions, like the caviar-topped crispy potato dish and the A5 wagyu served with brioche, nori, capers, and truffle. 500 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-723-1000. L, D daily.

Vertical Detroit $$$

NEW AMERICAN • This wine-centric restaurant puts the focus on pairing chef Matt Barnes’ innovative cuisine with owners James and Rémy Lutfy’s nationally recognized wine program. The menu emphasizes locally sourced protein, seafood, and produce. A must-try for any wine enthusiast. 1538 Centre St., Detroit; 313732-9463. D Tue.-Sat. Not wheelchair accessible.

Vicente’s Cuban Cuisine $$

CUBAN • An evening at this lively spot is more than just Cuban and Spanish dining. Appetizers and tapas include the outstanding Tapa de la Casa, pork leg mari-

Ingredients

2 ounces Roku Gin

1/4 ounces Licor 43

1/2 lime, squeezed and dropped in Fever Tree Elderflower tonic water (to top)

Fresh sage, for garnish 3 orange wheels, for garnish

Directions

1. In a large wine glass, drop in the orange wheels and add in all of the other ingredients along with some ice. Gently stir.

2. Garnish with a bouquet of fresh sage and enjoy!

RECIPE

PHOTO BY REBECCA SIMONOV

RESTAURANT LISTINGS 04.24

nated in mojo; a Spanish chorizo and fresh mushrooms concoction with garlic lemon sauce; and empanadas, a Cuban turnover filled with ground beef or chicken. 1250 Library St., Detroit; 313-962-8800. L,D daily.

Vigilante Kitchen + Bar $$$

MIDWESTERN-ASIAN FUSION • Housed in the former Smith & Co. space, the menu offers a variety of baos, bowls, salads, and desserts, with designated vegetarian and halal menus, and a zero-proof cocktail selection. A unique concept from executive chef Aaron Cozadd, Vigilante Kitchen + Bar employs industry workers dealing with addiction, providing them with recovery resources while still allowing them to advance their culinary skills. 644 Selden St., Detroit; 313-638-1695. D Wed.-Sun.

Vivio’s Food & Spirits $

SANDWICH/DELI • This Eastern Market classic has been run by the Vivio family for more than 40 years. Sandwiches and burgers are mainstays, but diners also appreciate the steamed mussels. 3601 Twelve Mile Road, Warren; 586-576-0495. L,D daily.

The Whitney $$$$

NEW AMERICAN • The historic 1890s mansion is still going strong. The menu is typified by classic beef Wellington, wrapped in spinach, prosciutto, and pastry; and a seared Verlasso salmon fillet. Tableside cooking, by reservation only, is an optional feature. Don’t forget The Katherine McGregor Dessert Parlor for a sweet treat.4421 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-832-5700. D Tue.-Sun. and high tea Sat.

Wright & Co. $$$

NEW AMERICAN • The collaboration between Marc Djozlija and executive chef Kyle Schutte gives life to the second-floor space in the Wright Kay building. Small plates such as wild caught walu, Michigan mushroom pate, and grilled sea scallops are the focus. The menu highlights seasonal dishes around a composed shared plates concept. 1500 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-962-7711. D Tue.-Sat.

Yum Village $

AFRO-CARIBBEAN • The former food truck opened a full-service restaurant in the North End in 2019. The space is bright and fun with wooden tables, mismatched chairs, and a colorful, geometric paint job. And the food is just as bold. The restaurant serves up piquant dishes like Lemon Pepper Jerk Chicken. 6500 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-334-6099. L,D Mon.-Sat.

Oakland

168 Crab & Karaoke $$

PAN-ASIAN • Don’t judge by 168 Crab & Karaoke’s unassuming strip mall location. It’s a unique experience that meshes food, karaoke, and pop party culture into a one-stop destination. As the name suggests, seafood is the main attraction here, specifically the seafood boils, which come with your choice of seafood (crab, clams, lobster, etc.), with sauce, corn and potatoes. 32415 John R Road, Madison Heights; 248-616-0168. D daily.

220 Merrill $$$

NEW AMERICAN • The menu includes apps and small plates as well as pan roasted salmon, tuna tartar, and oysters on the half shell. There are heartier entrees as well, like the braised beef short ribs. 220 Merrill St., Birmingham; 248-646-2220. L, D daily.

Adachi $$$

JAPANESE-INSPIRED • Heading the kitchen is Lloyd Roberts, who has trained in the kitchens of celebrity chefs such as Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Nobu Matsuhisa. Here, short rib bao buns are served with pickled

cucumber and fresh scallions and miniature tacos are filled with lobster. 325 S. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-540-5900. L,D daily.

Andiamo $$

ITALIAN • Over the past three decades, Joe Vicari has established several Andiamo restaurants in metro Detroit, all inspired by the late master chef Aldo Ottaviani’s philosophy of seasonal, from-scratch cooking. The menus differ slightly at the different locations, but the constant is the fresh, housemade pastas — handcrafted by the trinity of “pasta ladies,” Anna, Tanya, and Angelina, who have carried on the tradition. 6676 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield; 248-865-9300. D daily.

Anita’s Kitchen $

LEBANESE • With pita pizzas and lamb chops, the Lebanese food here is some of the best around. And there’s vegetarian and gluten-free fare, too. Healthy, nutritious, and delicious. See website for locations; anitaskitchen.com

Bella Piatti $$

ITALIAN • The location right across from the Townsend Hotel has inspired a number of visiting celebrities, professional athletes, and film crews who stay there to check out the Italian fare at this restaurant. The menu of such dishes as Gemelli pasta with fresh tomato sauce; salmon baked with spinach, kalamata olives, white wine, and tomatoes; and tagliatelle Bolognese stands on its own. It’s one of our true favorites in the area in terms of Italian restaurants. 167 Townsend St., Birmingham; 248-4947110. D Tue.-Sat.

Beverly Hills Grill $$$

NEW AMERICAN • This Beverly Hills institution has built a loyal following over the years with its California vibe and dawn-to-dark schedule. They’re still serving crowd favorites like their BHG Burger and classic eggs benedict. 31471 Southfield Road, Beverly Hills; 248-642-2355. B, L, D Tue.-Sat. B, L Sun.

Bigalora: Wood Fired Cucina $$

ITALIAN • The pizza concept from chef Luciano Del Signore, a four-time James Beard Award nominee, features small plates, fresh pastas, wood-roasted meats, and a range of distinctive Neopolitan pizzas. See website for locations; bigalora.com

Birmingham Pub $$$

GASTROPUB • This stylish yet casual gastropub from the Joe Vicari Restaurant Group took over the former Triple Nickel space. True to its name, the restaurant’s bill of fare features pub classics taken up a notch, such as fish and chips served with jalapeno hush-puppies and filet mignon with Parmesan truffle fries and zip sauce. There are also TVs at the bar so you won’t miss a minute of the game. 555 S. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-885-8108. L Tue. - Fri., BR Sat. - Sun.

Bistro Joe’s $$$

GLOBAL • Part of Papa Joe’s Gourmet Market, Bistro Joe’s is in a mezzanine overlooking the open kitchen and market. There is an eclectic list of dishes like spicy tuna “tacushi,” P.E.I. Pesto Mussels, and tasty flatbread pizzas. 34244 Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-594-0984. D Tue.-Sun., BR Sat.-Sun.

RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR  2003

Café Cortina $$$

ITALIAN Selections include prosciutto di Parma stuffed with greens and mozzarella; and gnocchi with wild oyster mushrooms. For dessert, try the crepes. 30715 W. 10 Mile Road, Farmington Hills; 248-474-3033. L Sun., D Tue.-Sun.

Café ML $$

NEW AMERICAN • Café ML is contemporary in décor and its “globally inspired food.” Such dishes as short rib steamed buns, Chinese chicken salad, Singapore street noodles, and Korean fried chicken share the menu with burgers, steak frites, and fresh seafood. Garage door-style windows open onto the patio on warm days. 3607 W. Maple Road, Bloomfield Township; 248-642-4000. D daily.

Capital Grille $$$

STEAKHOUSE • Hand-cut, dry-aged steaks and fresh seafood dishes are the stars at Capital Grille. The restaurant’s outstanding wine list features over 350 labels. The setting is appropriate for both business lunches and social events and includes well-appointed private dining rooms. 2800 W. Big Beaver Road, Troy; 248-649-5300. L,D daily.

Churchill’s Bistro & Cigar Bar $$$

TRADITIONAL • You can buy your cigar and smoke it too. Plus, enjoy dry-aged steaks, pan-roasted sea bass, and lamb chops, among other options. A full bar boasts a large selection of whiskey, scotch, and bourbon — and plenty of wine. 116 S. Old Woodward, Birmingham; 248-647-4555. L,D daily.

Como’s $$

NEW AMERICAN • This Ferndale favorite reopened in May 2019 under the ownership of Peas & Carrots Hospitality with a trendier, fresher look. The warm, homey feel is still intact, but it’s ditched the old menu for — among other things — chef Zack Sklar’s square, deep-dish, Detroit-style pizza that’s leavened from a sourdough starter as opposed to commercial yeast. 22812 Woodward Ave., Unit 100., Ferndale; 248-677-4439. L,D daily.

Cornbread Restaurant & Bar $$

FEATURED Casa Pernoi

ITALIAN

Three months after its grand opening, what once was a multihyphenate concept, blending French, Asian, and Italian cuisine, soon defaulted simply to a cuisine most familiar to chef Luciano

DelSignore: Italian. Housemade pastas rolled by hand, and a meaty branzino typify the menu. 310 E. Maple Road, Birmingham; 248-940-0000.

D Tue.-Sat.

SOUL • In 1997, Patrick Coleman melded his experience in fine dining with his grandma’s southern roots to create Beans & Cornbread Soulful Bistro. It racked up accolades and fans over the years, including Stevie Wonder and Thomas (Hitman) Hearns. Cornbread is the sequel to Beans and Cornbread, continuing the tradition of soul food with an upscale twist. Classics like catfish and a gravy-smothered pork chop endure. 29852 Northwestern Hwy., Southfield; 248-208-1680. L,D Thu.-Tue.

Crispelli’s Bakery Pizzeria $

ITALIAN-INSPIRED • This hybrid offers artisanal pizzas from a brick oven, salads, paninis, and soups. A bakery offers crusty breads, desserts, and meals to go. Two patios add to the appeal. See website for locations; crispellis.com

Culantro $$

PERUVIAN • Native Peruvian Betty Shuell brings a taste of her home to Ferndale. The casual, homey, seat-yourself establishment is named after an herb that is often used in traditional Peruvian cooking. An especially notable dish is the Pollo a la Brasa, marinated chicken served with French fries, rice, and a variety of dipping sauces. 22939 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-632-1055. L,D daily.

Diamond’s Steak & Seafood $$$

STEAKHOUSE • This Howell restaurant is the perfect location for ribeye, fresh gulf shrimp, or a classic cheeseburger. Plus, weekends boast a buffet-style brunch. 101 W. Grand River Ave., Howell; 517-548-5500. L,D Tue.-Sat.

Eddie’s Gourmet $$

NEW AMERICAN • Chef Eddie Hanna’s gourmet diner is a simple concept that works to perfection. The menu offers a standard selection of breakfast items, burgers, sandwiches, and lunch specials, but the real draw is the counter-side gourmet and pasta specials. Offerings include Veal Marsala and Chicken Milano. 25920 Greenfield Road, Oak Park; 248-968-4060. L,D Tue.-Sat.

Elie’s Mediterranean Grill/Bar $$

LEBANESE • The lamb and chicken shawarma, shish kafta, kibbee nyeh, and other Lebanese dishes are emphasized by the décor, including photomurals of old Beirut and strings of blue beads cascading from the ceiling. A fun place to frequent for a quick lunch or a night out with friends. 263 Pierce St., Birmingham; 248-647-2420. L,D Mon.-Sat.

The Fed $$

GASTROPUB An attractive restaurant with great food and a delightfully refreshing atmosphere. The menu crosses boundaries, from shareables, like Spanish Octopus and Wild Mushroom Flatbread. Plus, the bright and airy bohemian-chic interior is highly Instagrammable. 15 S. Main St., Clarkston; 248-297-5833. D Tue.-Sat., B,L,D Sun.

RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR  2009

Forest $$$

EUROPEAN-INSPIRED • The menu is brief but designed to let the kitchen assemble sharp flavors from various farm and market ingredients. Try the delightful pastas, like the Bolognese and the agnolotti, as well as the understated Farm Egg. 735 Forest Ave., Birmingham; 248-258-9400. D Tue.-Sat.

The Fly Trap $

ECLECTIC AMERICAN • This “finer diner” typifies trendy Ferndale with its tin ceiling, red-topped tables, and counter with swivel stools. It offers sandwiches, salads, pastas, and omelets. 22950 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-399-5150. B,L Tue.-Sat.

Garage Grill & Fuel Bar $$

NEW AMERICAN • The car-themed rooms of a former 1940s gas station are as fresh and appealing as the dishes themselves. The kitchen serves up a variety of seafood starters and “full-size sedan” entrees, as well as pizzas. 202 W. Main St., Northville; 248924-3367. D Wed.-Sun., BR Sat.-Sun.

Gran Castor $$

LATIN STREET • From the duo behind hit spots like Vinsetta Garage and Union Woodshop comes this vibrant Latin-American café and restaurant.Diners can choose to sit behind one of the two bars, a cozy café, or in the 245-seat dining room all decked in colorful textiles. At Gran Castor, the dining room is equally as decadent as the food and drinks served. Grab a $5 margarita between 4 p.m.-6 p.m. daily. 2950 Rochester Road, Troy; 248-278-7777. D daily.

Hazel’s $$

SEAFOOD • What was once multiple concepts under one roof named after the three neighborhoods that converged right where the restaurant stands (Hazel, Ravine and Downtown) is now simply Hazel’s. The casual and comfortable restaurant specializes in authentic dishes, drinks, and vibes from some of the country’s top seafood destinations. Here you’ll find dishes like Maine-caught lobster, Maryland Blue Crab, and more. 1 Peabody St., Birmingham; 248-671-1714. D Tue.-Sun., B,L Sat.-Sun.

Honcho $

LATIN FUSION • From the owners of Vinsetta Garage and Union Woodshop, this restaurant can be described as “Latin food that speaks with an Asian accent.” Menu items include a chicken burrito fried and tossed in a soy fish sauce and Korean pork tacos, featuring Woodshop pulled pork tossed in Korean BBQ sauce and topped with toasted sesame seeds and Malay radish slaw. 3 E. Church St., Clarkston; 248-707-3793. L,D daily.

RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR  2002

Hong Hua $

CHINESE • One of the best area restaurants dedicated to Asian food offers some rare delicacies as well as more customary items. One signature dish is King of the Sea: lobster chunks, scallops, and grouper with greens in a garlic sauce. 27925 Orchard Lake Road, Farmington Hills; 248-489-2280. L,D Tue.-Sun.

Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse $$$$

STEAKHOUSE • This plush modern steakhouse offers dry-aged prime and Kobe-style wagyu beef in a fun, clubby setting. An extensive wine list accompanies the restaurant menu that also features platters of chilled fresh seafood. 201 S. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-594-4369. D daily. 17107 Haggerty Road, Northville Twp.; 248-679-0007. D Tue.-Sun.

Imperial $ MEXICAN-INSPIRED • The menu offers Californiastyle tacos on soft tortillas, including lime-grilled chicken, carnitas, and marinated pork, as well as slow-roasted pork tortas, and guacamole. 22828 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, 248-850-8060. L,D daily.

It’s A Matter of Taste $$$

ITALIAN • With a patio that overlooks Union Lake, this Commerce eatery has a menu with offerings inspired by northern and southern Italy. Chef-owner Tom Traynor’s signature dish is crisped walleye, sitting atop jasmine rice, steamed mussels, Thai vegetables, and cilantro with coconut milk and red sauce. You also can’t go wrong with the fresh pasta, and classic cuts like the lamb osso bucco, filet mingon, or New York strip. 2323 Union Lake Rd., Commerce Charter Twp.; 248-360-6650. D Wed.-Sun.

J-Bird Smoked Meats

$$

BARBEQUE • Wood-smoked meats served with the traditional sides of cornbread, buttermilk slaw, and mac and cheese, are what’s on the menu at this meatlovers mecca. Other popular dishes include the Three Meat Sampler and JBird Gumbo, as well as St. Louis Ribs and old-fashioned JBurgers. 1978 Cass Lake Road, Keego Harbor; 248-681-2124. L,D Mon.-Sun.

Joe Muer $$$$

SEAFOOD • The Bloomfield Hills location of the iconic restaurant continues the tradition of excellent food, service, and ambiance. The menu emphasizes classic fresh fish and “Muer Traditions” such as Dover sole and Great Lakes Yellow Belly Perch. There’s also a raw and sushi bar as well as premium steaks. And make sure to save room for dessert, because the coconut cake is not to be missed. A piano bar adds to the vibe. 39475 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills; 248-792-9609. D daily.

KouZina Greek Steet Food $

GREEK • The Greek “street food” at this Royal Oak spot comes in lamb and beef, and chicken. Try the lentil soup for a delicious lunch or go for something more filling like the gyro bowl. Either way, you can’t go wrong with this excellent eatery. 121 N Main Street, Royal Oak; 248-629-6500. L,D daily Mon.Sun.

Lao Pot $$$

CHINESE • In 2019, the owners of Madison Heights’ international market 168 Asian Mart opened Lao Pot, which specializes in Chinese Hot Pot cuisine. Hot Pot is a traditional method of cooking, using a pot of simmering broth, which sits in the center of the dining table. Lao Pot allows diners to customize and cook their meals right at their tables, combining great food and a memorable experience. 32707 John R. Road, Madison Heights; 248-689-9888. L,D daily.

RESTAURANT LISTINGS 04.24

La Strada Italian Kitchen & Bar $$$

ITALIAN • A slice of European elegance offers an impeccable menu of Italian dishes and wines. Delicious fresh pastas, pizzas, antipastis and more are proudly served and very tasty. 243 E. Merrill St., Birmingham; 248-480-0492. D Tue.-Sat.

Lellis Inn $$

ITALIAN • Dinners begin with an antipasto tray, creamy minestrone, salad, side dish of spaghetti, and then — nine times out of 10 — a filet mignon with zip sauce. 885 N. Opdyke Road, Auburn Hills; 248-3734440. L,D daily.

Loccino Italian Grill $$

ITALIAN • Loccino is a “family-friendly” yet upscale Italian restaurant. Choose from fresh seafood, steak, and chicken dishes, plus traditional pastas, pizzas, salads, and more. They also offer happy hour specials from 3-7 p.m. weekdays. A great special occasion place or delicious workday lunch spot for whenever you need a break from the office. 5600 Crooks Road, Troy; 248-813-0700. L Mon.-Fri., D daily.

Lockhart’s BBQ $$

FEATURED Loui’s Pizza

ITALIAN

Sure, you can now get a Michigan craft beer, but not much else has changed. And that’s a good thing. Parties dine on square pizzas with crisp crust, faintly charred around the edges. Hailed by food critics and Detroiters alike as one of the city’s most classic Detroit style pizzas, it’s well worth a trip.

23141 Dequindre Road, Hazel Park; 248-547-1711. L,D Thu.-Sun.

BARBEQUE • The heart of this joint’s authentic barbecue is the dry-rubbed meat smoker, which can smoke up to 800 pounds of meat at a time. Choices such as pork ribs, pulled pork, beef brisket, burnt ends, and chicken are served atop butcher paper on metal trays for the true experience. 202 E. Third St., Royal Oak; 248-584-4227. L,D daily. BR Sun.

Luxe Bar & Grill $$

NEW AMERICAN • The simple menu at this Grosse Pointe Farms joint offers burgers on brioche buns and interesting salads and sides, as well as entrees typified by wild-caught salmon, prime filet, and Greek-style lamb chops. 525 N. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-792-6051. 115 Kercheval Ave., Grosse Pointe Farms; 313-924-5459. L,D daily.

Mabel Gray $$$

NEW AMERICAN • Chef James Rigato produces some masterful dishes on this tiny menu, which does not miss a beat. The menu includes a multi-course tasting option, as well as a daily listing of changing items that never disappoint. It’s a fine dining experience that is certainly worth a visit. 23825 John R Road, Hazel Park; 248-398-4300. D Tue.-Sat.

Mad Hatter Bistro, Bar & Tea Room $$

ECLECTIC AMERICAN • The whimsical setting inspired by Alice in Wonderland welcomes far more than the tea sipping set with burgers and sandwiches. There are also pastries, of course. 185 N. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-540-0000. L Tue.Fri, D daily, BR Sat.-Sun. Tea by reservation. Lower level not wheelchair accessible.

RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR  2023

Madam $$$

NEW AMERICAN • Since opening in 2021, Madam has carved its niche with its global take on farm-totable cuisine, taking diners on a tour from Michigan to Asia to Europe. Staples from chef de cuisine Clifton Booth include mushroom dumplings, Spanish octopus, steak frites, and pasta dishes. 298 S. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-283-4200. B,D daily, L Mon.-Fri., BR Sat.-Sun.

Mare Mediterranean $$$$

SEAFOOD • Inspired by restaurants in Sicily where the catch of the day is the basis of dinner, this sophisticated restaurant from Nino Cutraro and his partner offers the freshest seafood flown in from the Mediterranean several times a week. You select

RESTAURANT LISTINGS 04.24

the type of fish you want from the market in front of the open kitchen and how you want it prepared (acqua pazza, salt baked, grilled, or pan fried). Served table-side in glorious fashion, it’s a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach. 115 Willits St., Birmingham; 248-940-5525. D Tue.-Sat. BR Sat.-Sun.

Market North End $$

AMERICAN • Joe and Kristin Bongiovanni opened this eatery just across the street from the family’s existing restaurants, Salvatore Scallopini and Luxe Bar & Grill. It represents a younger, more casual alternative to the cult-favorite classics, with a serious kitchen that offers traditional American dishes as well as hints of global influences. 474 N. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-712-4953. L,D daily.

The Meeting House $$

ECLECTIC AMERICAN • This eclectic American menu includes steak frites remarkably close to those at Paris bistros, and a house made soft pretzel with roasted jalapeno-goat cheese dip. Or, try the sesame miso beef short rib, served with rice. 301 S. Main St., Rochester; 248-7594825. D daily, BR Sat.-Sun.

Mesa Tacos And Tequila $

MEXICAN-AMERICAN • The two-story setting includes balcony seating in a big, open room where the bar gets equal time with the kitchen. The pop-Mexican menu — which includes guacamole, nachos, and the titular tacos — is backed up with an array of tequilas. 312 S. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-545-1940. L & D daily.

RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR  2008

Mon Jin Lau $$

ASIAN-FUSION • Explore such dishes as Singapore noodles, combining chicken, shrimp, chilies, and curry with angel-hair pasta; Mongolian beef; or seared scallops with lemongrass-basil Thai curry sauce. The patio opens up and the dining room transforms into a dance floor for weekly events. 1515 E. Maple Road, Troy; 248-689-2332. L Mon.-Fri., D daily.

The Morrie $$

NEW AMERICAN • Music and munchies can be a great combination when served in the right proportions. Such offerings as the smoked chicken wings and Detroit style pizza appeal to a wide demographic. The rock ’n’ roll-themed eatery also brought its much-loved American dishes and cocktails to Birmingham in 2019. 511 S. Main St., Royal Oak; 248216-1112. D daily, BR Sat.-Sun. 260 N. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-940-3260. D Fri.-Sat.

Oak City Grille $

NEW AMERICAN • This downtown Royal Oak spot bridges the gap between bar food and upscale dining. Order a dressed-up sandwich or burger, or elevate your dining experience with an 8-ounce filet mignon or lamb chops. The friendly price range makes anything possible. 212 W. Sixth St., Royal Oak; 248-556-0947. D Tue.-Sun.

Ocean Prime $$$$

SEAFOOD • An upper-end steak-and-fish place and a popular business lunch site. The menu features naturally harvested fresh fish and prime aged beef. Don’t miss the chocolate peanut butter pie or the carrot cake. A triedand-true metro Detroit spot. 2915 Coolidge Hwy., Troy; 248-458-0500. L Mon.-Fri., D daily.

One-Eyed Betty’s $$

ECLECTIC AMERICAN • Picnic-style tables and blackboards lettered with scores of brew choices add a beer-hall sensibility to this popular spot. The kitchen delivers New Orleans-themed dishes such as Chicken Tchoupitoulas with tasso ham and bearnaise sauce, as well as a mouth-watering bacon

burger. Weekend brunch features delicious housemade doughnuts. 175 W. Troy St., Ferndale; 248808-6633. D daily, BR Sat.-Sun.

O.W.L. $

MEXICAN-AMERICAN • This Royal Oak spot offers sustenance for the early birds to the night owls. Step up to the counter and order from the letterboard menu before grabbing a stool at the counter or along the window ledge. Dishes here include such diner musts as eggs, sausage and potato hash, burgers, and chicken wings as well as tacos and nachos served from the open kitchen. 27302 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak; 248-808-6244. B, L,D daily.

Phoenicia $$$

FEATURED Voyager SEAFOOD

Fresh seafood with emphasis on oysters is the premise in this hard-to-find location. The space features convivially close quarters for such dishes as peel-n’-eat shrimp, yellowfin tuna tartare, and halibut fish and chips. The premium bar offers short but notable lists of beer and wine as well as craft cocktails. 600 Vester St., Ferndale; 248-658-4999. D Tue.-Sat.

LEBANESE • This long-standing upscale eatery has clean, contemporary lines that complement the French door-style windows. Don’t miss the portabella mushrooms or roasted garlic cloves with tomato and basil as an appetizer. The menu expands to unexpected items such as baby back ribs and single-serving-sized local whitefish. 588 S. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-644-3122. L Mon.-Fri., D daily.

Pinky’s Rooftop $$

ECLECTIC AMERICAN • With its second-floor view of downtown Royal Oak, Pinky’s Rooftop is a go-to spot for a night on the town. The name hearkens back to a Detroit restaurant and speakeasy on the east side that was called Pinky’s Boulevard Club (and the fact that everything is pink). The playful and eclectic menu offers a taste of a little bit of everything, from Kasseri Saganaki to Red Chile Beef Taco. It’s part of the Adam Merkel Restaurants group, which includes Howell hot spots The Silver Pig, Cello Italian, and Diamond’s Steak & Seafood. 100 S. Main St. Rear, Royal Oak, 248-268-2885. D Tues.-Sun. Br. Sat.-Sun.

Pop’s For Italian $$

ITALIAN • It doesn’t sound fancy, but this Ferndale restaurant serves well-prepared, Italian dishes paired with an ambitious wine program. The fairly brief menu starts with a list of Neapolitan pizzas, then moves to pastas, but has all the classics. 280 W. Nine Mile Road, Ferndale; 248-268-4806. D Tue.-Sun. BR Sat.-Sun.

Prime29 Steakhouse $$$$

STEAKHOUSE • The 29-day aged prime beef, including the 24-ounce tomahawk bone-in rib-eye, still stars here. There’s also Chilean sea bass and black pearl salmon. The service is notable, as is the Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator. 6545 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield; 248- 737-7463. D Tue.-Sun.

Public House $$

NEW AMERICAN/VEGAN • This Ferndale spot reopened under new ownership and with a refreshed look in late 2021. Standout selections include its burgers, shareable plates, plus craft cocktails and mocktails. It also features a special vegan menu and carries plenty of gluten-free options. 241 W. Nine Mile Road, Ferndale; (248) 654-6355. L,D Tue.-Sun. BR Sat.-Sun.

Quán Ngon Vietnamese Bistro $

VIETNAMESE • This gem of a bistro in a handsome space adds to the local Vietnamese offerings. Dishes such as cha gio (elegant little eggrolls), bun bo noug cha gio (grilled beef with eggroll, vermicelli, mixed greens, plus sweet and sour sauce), and banh mi made with fresh ingredients. 30701 Dequindre Road, Madison Heights; 248-268-4310. L,D daily

Redcoat Tavern $

BURGERS • The half-pound choice beef hamburger is always atop the list of local favorites. But a low-fat, highflavor Piedmontese beef one is tastier than the original. This is the place for your burger craving. 31542 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak; 248-549-0300. 6745 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township; 248-865-0500. L,D Mon.-Sat.

Rochester Chop House $$

NEW AMERICAN • Two restaurants in one; Kabin Kruser’s and the Chop House. There’s a throwback roadhouse-style feeling about the Chop House, which has a menu divided between red meat and fresh fish and seafood. Signature dishes include calamari, Maryland jumbo lump crabcakes, and a large selection of aged steaks, rack of lamb, and steak/seafood combinations. 306 S. Main St., Rochester; 248-651-2266. L Mon.-Fri., D daily

Ronin $$

JAPANESE • The sushi menu, ranging from spicy tuna rolls to yellowtail and salmon eggs and well beyond, is augmented by a concise menu of cooked fare. Front windows open onto the sidewalk, making the cocktail lounge open-air during the warm months. 326 W. Fourth St., Royal Oak; 248-546-0888. D daily.

Silver Spoon $$

ITALIAN • This quintessential slice of Italy features excellent food, knowledgeable staff, and friendly service. Try the bucatini made with pancetta, onion, red wine, and fresh tomato sauce. Also worth trying: saltimbocca alla Romana, or veal scaloppini sautéed in white wine. A truly delicious place for any kind of outing. 543 N. Main St., Rochester; 248-652-4500. D Mon.-Sat.

Social Kitchen & Bar $$$

NEW AMERICAN • The energetic Birmingham spot allows guests a view of the kitchen action. It has a creative and varied menu typified by fried chicken sandwiches, crispy Brussels sprouts, and salmon with braised lentils, crispy kale, and a mustard vinaigrette. 225 E. Maple Road, Birmingham; 248-5944200. L Mon.-Fri., D daily, BR Sat.-Sun.

Sozai $$

JAPANESE • To truly experience Sozai, you have to reserve a seat at the custom-built sushi bar where chef Hajime Sato will curate a unique sustainable sushi dining experience called omakase. There’s also a menu offering crowd pleasers like chicken karaage and rolls featuring familiar ingredients with tuna, jalapeno and avocado. 449 W. 14 Mile Road, Clawson; 248-677-3232. D Tue.-Sat.

Streetside Seafood $$

SEAFOOD • Small and cozy yet sophisticated, the restaurant has a pared-down seasonal menu of fresh fish and seafood. There are always two soups: a bisque and a chowder. Favorites include the oysters and bouillabaisse. A delicious restaurant for all palates to enjoy and feel comfortable in. 273 Pierce St. Birmingham; 248-645-9123. L Thu.-Fri., D daily.

Sylvan Table $$$

NEW AMERICAN • With a working farm on the 5-acre property, Sylvan Table isn’t just talking the farm-totable talk. The restored 300-year-old barn feels grand and vast when you step into the stunning space, but it is homey, welcoming, and inviting. The menu changes often to reflect what’s growing but some of the staples include the trout — seasoned with herb oil, salt, and pepper, cooked over a wood-fired grill, and served whole — and Chicken Under a Brick, which is cooked to charred perfection. 1819 Inverness St., Sylvan Lake, 248-369-3360. D Mon.-Sun.

Take Sushi $$

JAPANESE • Crisp salads, sashimi, sushi, oversize bowls of soba or udon noodles, and all the familiar —

and some not-so-familiar — entrees combine to make this spot special. The exceptionally warm service is unforgettable. 1366 Walton Blvd., Rochester Hills; 248-652-7800. L,D Tue.-Sat., D Sun.

Tallulah Wine Bar & Bistro $$

WINE BAR • Understated décor and a pared-down menu of seasonal dishes make this spot a Birmingham classic. The kitchen turns out dishes like Lamb Belly Ragu with housemade pasta; and whole branzino with charred zucchini and romesco. Wine is served by the glass, the pitcher, or bottle. 155 S. Bates St., Birmingham; 248-731-7066. D Mon.-Sat.

Three Cats Restaurant $

BREAKFAST/BRUNCH • Formerly a small café serving customers of the boutique Leon & Lulu, Three Cats is now a full-fledged restaurant and bar. Located in the former Clawson movie theater next door to the shop, the spot serves small, simple plates, including vegetarian and vegan options for brunch, lunch, and dinner. The beverage menu features local selections, such as vodka from Ferndale’s Valentine’s Distilling Co. and wines from grapes grown on the Leelanau Peninsula. Patrons can even take home the colorful, quirky chairs or tables, as most of the furniture at Three Cats Restaurant is available for purchase. 116 W. 14 Mile Road, Clawson; 248-288-4858. L,D Tue.-Fri., B,L,D Sat.-Sun.

TigerLily $$

JAPANESE • With an eclectic ambiance and extensive Japanese menu, TigerLily satisfies taste buds with sushi, sashimi, nigiri, and hot dishes like the Yaki Udon or Japanese Street Corn. 231 W. Nine Mile Road, Ste. A, Ferndale; 248-733-4905. D daily.

Toast, A Breakfast & Lunch Joint $

BREAKFAST/BRUNCH • It’s fun, it’s breezy, and the food at Toast, A Breakfast & Lunch Joint is very, very good. Try the huevos rancheros: fried eggs upon corn tortillas, pintos, and cheese. Toast, a Neighborhood Joint, the spinoff of the Ferndale original has a more elaborate setting pairing ’50s retro with sleek contemporary in a pair of rooms. The new menu features twists to comfort food. 23144 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-398-0444. 203 Pierce St., Birmingham; 248-258-6278. B,L daily.

Toasted Oak $$$

BRASSERIE • The menu revolves around the charcuterie sold in the market next door and a list of hot grill items. In 2019, the restaurant earned a Wine Spectator magazine award for its outstanding wine program. Plus, just across the lot is Twelve Oaks Mall, should you fancy an evening of shopping and dinner. 27790 Novi Road, Novi; 248-2776000. B Mon.-Fri., L,D Tue.-Sat. BR Sat.-Sun.

Townhouse $$$

NEW AMERICAN • This popular Birmingham spot for comforting New American dishes has several exceptional offerings on its menu, such as the specialty 10 ounces of 28-day dry-aged beef hamburger on brioche. 180 Pierce St., Birmingham; 248-792-5241. L,D daily, BR Sat.-Sun. 500 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-723-1000. L,D daily.

Union Woodshop $$

BARBEQUE • Part of the ever-growing Union Joints restaurant group, this is a self-described wood-fired joint, where pulled pork, ribs, chicken, and beef brisket come from the smoker, and Neapolitan-style crisp-crusted pizzas from the wood-burning oven. And definitely check out the mac and cheese. There’s also a delicious kid’s menu for any youngsters in your party. 18 S. Main St., Clarkston; 248-625-5660. D Mon.-Sun.

Vinsetta Garage $$

NEW AMERICAN • This restaurant, which is housed in a vintage car-repair shop, offers well-prepared comfort food classics such as burgers, macaroni and

cheese, pizzas, and brown sugar-glazed salmon. A restaurant that pays true homage to the city of Detroit. 27799 Woodward Ave., Berkley; 248-548-7711. L,D daily

Waves $$

SEAFOOD • Seafood covers most of the menu at this Nautical Mile favorite. It’s a tough task choosing between such popular appetizers as coconut shrimp, crispy grouper nuggets, and plump steamed mussels. Entrees include al dente pastas and several choices from “over the wave,” such as lamb chops and New York strip steak, plus lump crab cakes, and beer-battered cod. 24223 Jefferson Ave., St. Clair Shores; 586-773-3279. L,D daily.

FEATURED

Da Francesco’s Ristorante & Bar ITALIAN

For more than 30 years, this metro Detroit favorite has packing in the crowds by offering traditional Italian dining with an upbeat modern twist.

49521 Van Dyke Ave., Shelby Township; 586-7317544. L,D Tue.-Fri., D Sat., L,D Sun.

Macomb

Andiamo $$

ITALIAN • Over the past three decades, Joe Vicari has established several Andiamo restaurants in metro Detroit, all inspired by the late master chef Aldo Ottaviani’s philosophy of seasonal, from-scratch cooking. Menus differ slightly between locations, but the constant is fresh, housemade pastas — handcrafted by the trinity of “pasta ladies,” Anna, Tanya, and Angelina, who have carried on the tradition. The Warren location is the flagship that started it all. 7096 14 Mile Road, Warren; 586-268-3200. L,D Mon.-Fri., D Sat.-Sun.

Bar Verona $$

ITALIAN • Modernized, made-from-scratch Italian favorites curated by Chef Salvatore Borgia as well as fresh craft cocktails fill the menu at this stylish eatery. Homemade pastas, such as Giuseppe’s, as well as a selection of steaks and seafood dishes typify the contemporary approach to fresh and uncomplicated Italian cuisine. 59145 Van Dyke Ave., Washington; 586-473-0700. D daily.

Blake’s Tasting Room $$

NEW AMERICAN • Enjoy a variety of house-made hard ciders to sip on from one of the U.S.’s top-producing hard cider brands. The menu offers bar-food staples with a twist, like the eye-catching Apple Burger, stacked with melted Swiss, onions, apple, and apple cider ketchup on a brioche bun. Plus, it’s steps away from family-friendly seasonal activities at Blake’s Orchard & Cider Mill. 17985 Armada Center Road, Armada; 586-784-5343. L,D daily.

Butter Run Saloon $

GASTROPUB • Solid American fare that’s beyond bar food (although their burgers are certainly noteworthy). There’s escargot, perch, steaks, and a huge whiskey selection — over a thousand at last count. 27626 Harper Ave., St. Clair Shores; 586-675-2115. B, L,D daily.

Detroit Fish House $$

SEAFOOD • This restaurant feels like a true coastal eatery, thanks to an extensive menu of fresh fish and seafood that ranges from salmon to Lake Superior whitefish — all served in a well-designed setting. 51195 Schoenherr Road, Shelby Charter Township; 586-739-5400. L Mon.-Fri., D daily.

Gaudino’s $$

ITALIAN • The trending market-restaurant combo has a good example at this spot. It offers imported pastas and sauces, plus a butcher counter with sausages and a wine assortment. The menu offers pasta and pizza, salads, and entrees, including Bistecca di Gancio, a sliced hanger steak with crispy Brussels sprouts and house bistro sauce. 27919 Harper Ave., St. Clair Shores; 586-879-6764. L,D Tue.-Sat

Isla $$

FILIPINO • Dishes at this Filipino restaurant, formerly sheltered at Fort Street Galley, are reflective of the culinary traditions of the founders’ Iloilo City hometown. Annatto is used to punch up the color of Chicken Adobo, the unofficial dish of the Philippines, and juicy mangoes complement sweet and savory dishes. 2496 Metro Pkwy, Sterling Heights; 586-883-7526. L,D Tue.-Sat., BR Sun.

J. Baldwin’s Restaurant $$$

NEW AMERICAN • The menu showcases chef Jeff Baldwin’s contemporary American food: award-winning stone fired pizza, Boom-Boom Shrimp, burgers, and salads. The desserts include chocolate bumpy cake and spiced carrot cake. 16981 18 Mile Road, Clinton Township; 586-416-3500. L,D Tue.-Sun., BR Sun.

Mr. Paul’s Chophouse $$$

STEAKHOUSE • This bastion of red meat as well as classic dishes is still going strong. Try old-school tableside presentations such as Chateaubriand and Caesar salad. There’s a solid selection of fresh seafood and pasta, too. The founding family still runs the place and emphasizes great hospitality and a heckuva good time. 29850 Groesbeck Hwy., Roseville; 586-777-7770. L,D Mon.-Fri., D Sat.

Sherwood Brewing Co. $

GASTROPUB • Quality local ingredients raise Sherwood’s fare to well above “elevated pub grub.” Some notable choices include the hand-stretched pizzas, burgers, sandwiches and spicy Buffalo Mac. 45689 Hayes Road, Shelby Township; 586-532-9669. L,D Tue.-Sat.

Steakhouse 22 $$

STEAKHOUSE • The late Nick Andreopoulos once spent time as a “broiler man” at London Chop House. His family stays true to those roots at this American steakhouse with a casual, neighborhood feel. They offer an array of well-prepared angus steaks, plus seafood and pasta dishes. With the sizable lunch and portions offered at Steakhouse 22, good luck saving room for dessert! 48900 Van Dyke Ave., Shelby Township; 586-731-3900. L,D Tue.-Sun.

Testa Barra $$

ITALIAN • The newest spot from talented chef and restaurateur Jeffrey Baldwin and his wife, RoseMarie, offers modern Italian fare in a lively, upbeat setting. Pastas are made in-house. 48824 Romeo Plank Road, Macomb Township; 586-434-0100. D Tue.-Sat.

Twisted Rooster $$

SPORTS BAR • This “Michigan-centric” chain (Chesterfield Township and Belleville) has takes on classics, with mac & cheese variations, steaks, and chicken with zip sauce. 45225 Marketplace Blvd., Chesterfield; 586-949-1470. L,D daily.

Washtenaw

Bellflower $$

NEW AMERICAN • A restaurant housed in a former exchange of the Michigan Bell Telephone Company, Bellflower answers Ypsilanti’s call for fine dining with an adventurous flair. Boudin sausage with roasted okra, baked oysters, and ginger ale or Coca-Colaroasted beets showed up on early menus as chef Dan Klenotic’s way of straddling the line of creole tradition and an imaginative style that is entirely his own. 209 Pearl St., Ypsilanti. D Mon. L, D Tue-Sat. L Sun.

Black Pearl $$

SEAFOOD • This seafood and martini bar is especially popular during patio season. But step inside for a host of

RECIPE

SEXY STEAK’S

SPICY SHRIMP DIAVOLO

PHOTO BY REBECCA SIMONOV

Ingredients

3 large sized shrimp (size U8 on packaging)

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons diced leeks

1/2 cup tomato broth

6 tablespoons Chablis wine

1 teaspoon Calabrian chili

6 tablespoons lemon juice

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley

Salt and black pepper, to taste

3 crostini slices (toasted baguette)

Fried leeks, for garnish

Micro greens, for garnish

1/2 charred lemon, for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat frying pan over high heat. Add in oil and shrimp and season with salt and pepper.

2. After searing one side for 1-2 minutes, flip shrimp over. Add garlic and leeks and continue cooking for 1 minute. Deglaze the pan with Chablis wine.

3. Add tomato broth, lemon juice, butter, and Calabrian chili. Continue to reduce until the sauce thickens such that if you dip a spoon into it, sauce clings to the spoon.

4. Add parsley and season with more salt and paper, to taste.

5. Place each shrimp of a crostini and pour sauce over top.

6. Top shrimp with fried leeks and micro greens. Garnish the plate with a charred lemon.

RESTAURANT LISTINGS 04.24

craft cocktails, then stay for dinner. A seafood-dominated menu includes a notable Misoyaki Salmon dish. Non-seafood options include the eponymous burger and filet mignon. And make sure to order dessert. 302 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-222-0400. D daily.

Blue LLama Jazz Club $$

CREATIVE AMERICAN • Come to this swanky jazz club for the music, featuring headliners such as the Grammy-nominated Ravi Coltrane Quartet, but stay for chef Louis Goral’s delicious food — steaks, seafood, and upscale Southern-style fare. 314 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-372-3200. D Wed.-Sat.

The Blue Nile $$

ETHIOPIAN • The real treat at this quaint restaurant is injera, a spongy bread used to scoop the meal, eaten with your hands in traditional style. The lentil dishes, often seasoned with an Ethiopian spice mixture called berbere, and the vegetables are equally delicious. 221 E. Washington St., Ann Arbor; 734-998-4746. D Tue.Sun. 545 W. Nine Mile Road, Ferndale; 248-547-6699. D Thu.-Sun. t stay for Chef Louis Goral’s delicious food — steaks, seafood and upscale southern-style fare. 314 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-372-3200. D Wed.-Sun.

Cardamom $$

INDIAN • Check out the Hyderabadi Biryani —chicken, goat, and vegetable dishes, in which the rice is first cooked, then baked. All the Indian favorites are available at Cardamom, such as Chicken Tikka Masala, Lamb Rogan Josh, and warm, fluffy, madefresh garlic naan. It’s the ideal spot for when you’re craving the classics. 1739 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor; 734-662-2877. D Wed.-Sun.

The Common Grill $$

SEAFOOD • Founded by Chef Craig Common, whose skilled work drew the attention of the now shuttered Gourmet magazine and the James Beard House, this mainstay was acquired in 2022 by Peas & Carrots Hospitality. Chefs Zack Sklar and Josh Humphrey kept most of the beloved restaurant’s menu, such as the expertly prepared oysters and seafood dishes, as well as the coconut cream pie. 112 S. Main St., Chelsea; 734-475-0470. L,D Tue.-Sun., BR Sat-Sun.

Dixboro House $$$$

NEW AMERICAN • Much like the restaurant’s ambience, the cuisine at Dixboro House is both refined and relaxed. The menu hosts rotating seasonal fromscratch dishes that highlight local ingredients—pizzas, salads, seafood, and steaks served in a rustic barn that once housed The Lord Fox, an iconic restaurant in Ann Arbor’s historic Dixboro neighborhood. 5400 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor; 734-669-3310. L,D daily. BR Sat.-Sun.

Mani Osteria & Bar $$

ITALIAN • This popular casual restaurant infuses freshness with lower prices than most osterias in the area. It’s a well-rounded blend of modern, eclectic Italian with classic standbys. The pizzas are hot, fresh and perfectly executed to suit your tastes. 341 E. Liberty St., Ann Arbor; 734-769-6700. L,D Tue.-Sun.

Miss Kim $$

KOREAN • This spinoff from the Zingerman’s mini empire comes courtesy of chef Ji Hye Kim, a James Beard semifinalist. Kim meticulously researches Korean culinary traditions and recipes to create her unique blend of modern Korean food highlighting Michigan vegetables, from housemade kimchi to the tteokbokki (rice cakes). Some of the restaurant’s standouts include a craveable Korean fried chicken and its plantbased counterpart the Korean fried tofu. 415 N. Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor, 734-275-0099. L and D Wed.-Mon.

Paesano $$

ITALIAN • Open since 1984, featuring a friendly waitstaff and decked in vibrant colors, this lively restaurant is not to be missed. The innovative menu changes seasonally, with housemade pastas, breads, and desserts. 3411 Washtenaw Ave., Ann Arbor; 734971-0484. L,D daily.

Seva Ann Arbor $$

VEGAN • Seva offers such dishes as black bean and sweet potato quesadillas, gluten-free options, and colorful stir-fries — some vegan as well as vegetarian. There’s also a full bar as well as a juice bar serving creamy smoothies and dense shakes, freshsqueezed juices, and craft mocktails. Choose from one of the most extensive vegetarian menus in the Detroit area. 2541 Jackson Ave., Ann Arbor; 734-6621111. L,D Mon.-Sat.

Shalimar $$

INDIAN • Offering North Indian, Tandoori, and Mughlai dishes, Shalimar is suitable for carnivores and herbivores alike. Standouts include the Lamb Tikka Masala, best eaten with the restaurant’s flavorful, chewy garlic naan served fresh and hot. 307 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-663-1500. L, D daily.

Slurping Turtle $

JAPANESE • This fun, casual Ann Arbor restaurant, owned by celebrity chef Takashi Yagihashi, offers plenty of shareable dishes, such as hamachi nachos and duck-fat fried chicken. But the star at Slurping Turtle is the noodle (Yagihashi’s “soul food”), which is made inhouse daily on a machine imported from Japan. 608 E. Liberty St., Ann Arbor; 734-887-6868. L,D daily.

Venue by 4M $$$

High-quality coffee; a diverse selection of alcoholic beverages, including cocktails and sustainably sourced wine; and a wide variety of elevated cuisine, such as goat cheese ravioli can be found in this highend mixed-use food hall. 1919 S. Industrial Highway, Ann Arbor; 734-800-0128; experience4m.com

Yotsuba Japanese Restaurant & Bar $$

JAPANESE • The semi-circular sushi bar is the center of this restaurant. Sushi chef Bobby Suzuki has a loyal following for his precise nigiri rolls. There are also tatami rooms and conventional seating. 7365 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township; 248737-8282. 2222 Hogback Road, Ann Arbor; 734-9715168. L,D Tue.-Sun.

Zingerman’s Roadhouse $$$

CLASSIC COMFORT • This eatery celebrates food from around the U.S., from the New Mexico black bean and hominy burger to the delicacies of New Orleans. The buttermilk biscuits are out of this world. 2501 Jackson Ave., Ann Arbor; 734-663-3663. B,L,D daily.

Charity Calendar

BOOKSTOCK USED BOOK AND MEDIA SALE

April 7, 8:15 a.m. - 11 a.m. bookstockmi.org

HADES OF PINK FOUNDATION’S “A WALK AT THE ZOO”

April 27, 7 a.m. - 12 p.m.

shadesofpinkfoundation.org/events-2-1/a-walk-at-the-zoo

THE BIG DRAFT WATCH PARTY

April 25, 4 p.m. - 10 p.m. bbbs.org

Metro Detroit’s biggest and best used book and media sale will celebrate 20 years of “supporting the need to read” April 7-14 at Livonia’s Laurel Park Place. Bookstock has 400,000-plus used books, DVDs, CDs, audio books, and vinyl for sale at bargain-basement prices, and all proceeds benefit literacy and education projects across metropolitan Detroit and beyond. Bookstock’s pre-sale runs 8:15-11 a.m. on Sunday, April 7. There’s a $25 admission charge for the pre-sale only. The sale runs Sundays from 11 a.m.-6 p.m., and Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. New merchandise is added daily! Bookstock will honor teachers Tuesday and Wednesday with Teacher Appreciation Days discounts, and all books are half price on Sunday, April 14. Neal Rubin, a Detroit Free Press columnist, is Bookstock’s honorary chair, while DPSCD Deputy Superintendent Alycia Meriweather is its honorary chancellor. For more information, call 248-502-2849, or find them on Facebook or at bookstockmi.org.

ON THE WINGS OF ANGELS INAUGURAL GALA

April 28, 6 p.m. - 10 p.m. otwoa.org

On the Wings of Angels, a local 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded by JoJo Dries, an abuse victim, is hosting an Inaugural Gala to raise awareness in the community of the need for resources for abuse victims. On the Wings of Angels provides resources, community, and support for those adversely affected by abuse. They say it takes a village, and it certainly does, but it also requires significant financial resources to fund the services to provide the immediate needs, support, and empowerment to assist women in rebuilding their lives free from violence, fear, and the unknown. This year’s Gala will also allow the organization to establish an endowment fund.

This year’s Gala, slated for April 28 from 6-10 p.m., will be emceed by Taryn Asher, a news anchor at Fox 2 Detroit. The evening will Include a gourmet dinner, a deejay and live entertainment, inspiring speakers, a keynote speaker, a silent auction, and dancing.

A VIP Reception/Meet and Greet will take place at Syndicate Ferndale on the night before the Gala, April 27, from 6-10 p.m.

The Shades of Pink Foundation’s signature event welcomes walkers, survivors, sponsors, and more to walk the Detroit Zoo while raising funds to provide temporary financial assistance for breast cancer patients and their families throughout southeast Michigan. The foundation helps patients navigate the devastating financial cost of a breast cancer diagnosis. Funds provide prompt assistance for daily living expenses such as mortgage/rent, insurance, transportation, child care, and other essentials of daily life.

FRIENDS’ BALL

April 20, 6 p.m. - 11:30 p.m. specialevents@ascension.org

The Ascension Providence Foundation presents the 2024 Friends’ Ball on Saturday, April 20, at 6 p.m. at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi. This special event benefits Women’s Heart Health at Ascension Providence Hospital and its outpatient clinics. Proceeds will help the hospital and medical team care for women with cardiovascular disease and those at risk. Heart disease ranks as the No. 1 killer of American women; it’s responsible for more deaths in women than all types of cancer combined! The goal is to ensure advanced diagnostics and treatment therapies are available to help all women in the community achieve and maintain cardiovascular health, regardless of their ability to pay. At the event, which will be emceed by Carolyn Clifford of WXYZ-TV, The Caduceus Society Physicians of the Year, Dr. Lakshmi and Dr. Vinaya Gavini, and Dr. Michael Jacobs, as well as other important community members, will be recognized. For tickets and sponsorship opportunities, please email specialevents@ascension.org.

WOMEN HELPING WOMEN LUNCHEON & FASHION SHOW

April 27, 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. gracecentersofhope.org

The Royal Park Hotel is the place to be on Saturday, April 27, for the annual Women Helping Women Luncheon & Fashion Show. Guests can expect auctions and raffles, a delicious luncheon, a fabulous fashion show featuring clothing and accessories from the Somerset Collection, and powerful testimonies from resident graduates. Your generous proceeds from sponsorships and donations directly benefit the women in the organization’s programs.

If you have any inquiries regarding The Women Helping Women Luncheon & Fashion Show, please reach out to Special Events Coordinator Christine Johnson at 248-334-2187, ext. 1131, or at cjohnson@ gracecentersofhope.org.

The NFL Draft is coming to Detroit in April, and it’s a once-in-a-lifetime event that’s sure to engage and entertain your clients, colleagues, family, and friends. Join Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of Southeast Michigan at The Big Draft Watch Party on Thursday, April 25 from 4-10 p.m. at Comerica Park — your home base for the Draft in Detroit! From logistics like parking, food, drinks, and indoor shelter to games, athlete appearances, and ballpark tours, The Big Draft Watch Party is an incredible turnkey opportunity located just steps from the heart of all the action in Campus Martius. Casual yet sophisticated, this event allows sponsors to focus on their guests, not details, while supporting the BBBS mission: to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships to ignite the power and promise of youth. In the first-ever Draft in Detroit, BBBS of Southeast Michigan selects YOU to join their team! Sign up today at bbbssoutheastmi.org.

THE DETROIT DRAFT PARTY

BENEFITING THE NFL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION DETROIT SCHOLARSHIP FUND

April 25, 7 p.m. - 11 p.m. givebutter.com/DetroitDraftParty

The 15th Annual Detroit Draft Party, hosted by the NFL Alumni Association Detroit Chapter, is a premier event celebrating the induction of new NFL talent while supporting a great cause. Held at The Norwood on April 25, this muchanticipated gala brings together local and national celebrities, sports enthusiasts, and NFL alumni for an unforgettable evening of camaraderie and excitement. As the draft unfolds in real time, attendees will have the unique opportunity to meet and greet former NFL players, share in the thrill of the draft picks, and contribute to the NFL Alumni Association Detroit Chapter Student Athlete Scholarship Fund. This event isn’t just a party; it’s a chance to be at the heart of the action in Detroit, network with like-minded individuals, and support the future of young athletes. For more information, visit givebutter.com/DetroitDraftParty.

ECHOES FROM THE EAST

April 27, 8 p.m. araborchestra.org

On April 27th, at 8 PM, “Echoes from the East: Vibrant Sounds of the Arab World” will resonate through the Michael A. Guido Theater at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center in Dearborn, Michigan, offering a timely homage to the rich cultural tapestry of the Arab world. This unique concert, featuring the renowned vocal talents of Salah El Kurdi and Hela Melki, promises an evening of profound musical exploration. Amidst a backdrop of global discord and misinformation, the National Arab Orchestra, led by Founder and Music Director, Michael Ibrahim, creates a platform of cultural diplomacy, aiming to foster understanding through the universal language of music.

The Spirit of Giving Gala

FRANKLIN WRIGHT Settlements’ Spirit of Giving Gala at MGM Grand Detroit helped raise funds for the organization’s Pathways to Hope program, which helps to improve the lives of local children through mentorship, providing access to clinical therapists, and more. The black tie event featured an evening of live music, food, and cocktails along with an awards ceremony and a silent auction. The nonprofit is dedicated to assisting community members with basic life, family, and social needs. For more information, go to franklinwright.org

1. Danny DeRose, Colleen Lauless, Vinnie Roberts 2. Tabitha Hurst, Nicole Nicholls 3. Charles Hicks, Carmen Frances, Michael and Brenda Van Tull, Ami Burl, Shawnee Mosby 4. Bertram and Monique Marks Sr, Ellen and Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II, BL Marks II

5. Dennis and Doll Rush 6. Rev Dr Kenneth Harris, Erica and Leonard Alford III 7. Rashida Williams, Stacie Hunter, Monique Marks, Nicole Wells Stallworth, Tarence Wheeler

8. Gabrielle Depaul, James Macon, Jennie McDaniels, Ian McGarvey

9. Garrett Winn, Jonathan, Greg and Jalen Jackson 10. Michelle Brown, Tarius Hagood, Chad Slider, Anna Henderson

PHOTOS BY KEVIN BEAN

12.14.2023

5

Midnight Hour

Warren Symphony Orchestra’s Black and White Gala

PHOTOS BY KEVIN BEAN

THE WARREN SYMPHONY Orchestra celebrated 50 years of classical music in the city and helped raise money for the orchestra’s programming and future performances. Guests at the event, which was held at The Gazebo Banquet Center, were encouraged to wear black or white and enjoyed an evening of music and dance performances alongside special tributes honoring the orchestra. For tickets to upcoming concerts and to learn more about this nonprofit, which relies on donations, grants, and funding, go to warrensymphonyorchestra.com

1. Cathy Reis, Susan Grunalt, Marie and Dave Verburgt 2. Councilman Jonathan and Kelly Lafferty, Sherry and Henry Brasza, Linda Sykes 3. Marjorie and Dr. Anil Kumar 4. Mayor Lori Stone, County Executive Mark Hackel, Joyce Russell 5. Mindy Moore, Dr. Andrew Need, Diane Young, Joyce Russell 6. Judge Steven Bieda, Lisa and Senator Paul Wojno 7. Oksana Hurban, Jim Van Havermaat 8. Jim Hartley, Debbie Watts, Judge Steven Bieda, Mary and Roger Roy, Mindy Moore, Frank Santoro 9. Christina and Mayor Michael Taylor 10. Heather Zielinski, Susan Palombo 11. Rose O’Day, Kathy Huebener, David and Angela Forney 12. Dave and Pam Muzzarelli, Tina and Daryl Gapshes

KIDSgala

9th Annual Charity Event

THIS FUNDRAISER — held in honor of Nicole Marie Burton, who died of leukemia at age 9 in 2013 — helps raise money for the KIDSgala organization and its mission to celebrate kids who have experienced a life-altering illness or event. This year’s gala was hosted at The Townsend Hotel in Birmingham and featured live entertainment by The Dan Rafferty Band and a ceremony hosted by Jay Towers alongside food stations and a hosted bar. To make a donation and to learn more, go to kidsgala.org

1. Fox 2’s Deena Centofanti, Jay Towers, David C. McKnight 2. Anna Johnson, Karen Buscemi 3. Sydney Spigot, Chef Ali, Kellis Lewis, Glenn Snively 4. Dusten and Theresa Wright, Andrew and Carolyn Sadler 5. Courtney Murray, Federico Paleo 6. Sandy and Faelan O’Brien

7. Erin Jameson, Vicki Leone, Maria Lombardo 8. Kayleigh Ehret, Adam Dewey, Paige Munro 9. Matthew Vanderhorst, Laura Jackson, Laura Genitti, Melissa Dunbar 10. Jamel Esse, Shane Pino, Tricia and Kevin Ray, Leah and Jim Garrison

11. Joanne and Randy Dzierzawski, Nicole and Mark Steffens 12. Leo Del Pilar, Heather Jones, Lisa Sell, Jacob Vanwagoner

13. Kyle Loken, Heather Keery, Ryan and Lori Giacolone

02.03.2024

PHOTOS BY KEVIN BEAN

FROM THE EARLY DAYS of television in the ’50s through the ’70s, numerous children’s shows produced by Detroit stations and Windsor, Ontario’s CKLW had kids glued to the “idiot box” as they were entertained with cartoons and a colorful cast of in-studio hosts that included Soupy Sales, Milky the Clown, Sagebrush Shorty, Johnny Ginger, Captain Jolly, Poopdeck Paul, Ricky the Clown, Wixie the Pixie, and Sgt. Sacto.

However, none was more popular than Bozo the Clown, clad in his oversize shoes, bulbous red nose, bald pate, and spiked red hair.

From 1959 to 1967, Canadian native Bob McNea, a former circus clown who first appeared as Moppets the Clown in commercials for Schaeffer Bread, played Bozo (pictured here) on Bozo the Clown on WWJ-TV (now WDIV). The show was performed live on camera from 4 to 5 p.m. daily and two hours each on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

The Bozo character first appeared in 1946 on Capitol Records children’s albums before Larry Harmon was cast as the clown for in-person record promotions. Harmon’s ship came in when he later franchised the character to television stations around the world. More than 200 people performed as Bozo the Clown on numerous local TV outlets.

When asked in a 1967 Detroit Free Press interview if he minded that his fame lay as a clown and not as Bob McNea, the performer responded, “At times it’s the type of thing you think about — but I sure wouldn’t want to have to live with the clown outfit on all the time. It’s a relief to put street clothes on.”

When the show’s rights moved to CKLW in Windsor in 1967 and later to WJBK, former WKNR radio music director Art Cervi (who for a time doubled as the talent coordinator for the CKLW, Channel 9 dance show Swingin’ Time) played Bozo until 1980. Cervi passed away at age 86 in 2021.

After McNea lost his Bozo gig, he promptly reappeared on WWJ-TV as the self-created Oopsy Daisy, billed as Bozo’s cousin. Later, in 1979, McNea negotiated a deal and relocated the production of his show to CKCO-TV in Kitchener, Ontario, where he reprised the Oopsy the Clown show for another generation of children. He died in 2005 at age 76. —Bill Dow