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It’s not just a destination – it’s the destination. See why The Wall Street Journal featured Traverse City as one of “The 10 Best Places to Go in 2025”.
Sunday, August 17 ★ 12-4 PM
28 An Insiders’ Guide to
Adventure awaits in these 28 lakeside destinations that remind us why the Great Lakes State is a one-of-a-kind place.
The former Teamster president disappeared in July 1975. Today, many — including his family and law enforcement — still yearn for answers.
OBJECT LESSON
This affordable, electric, and customizable car was created by a Troy startup.
COMMUNITY
One couple’s 12-year journey to bring a public skate park to Rochester.
IN MEMORIAM
The legacy of journalist Luther Keith lives on with Neighborhoods Day.
ANNIVERSARY
What do Michael Moore and Kid Rock have in common?
DESIGN
This Saugatuck home with a saltwater pool is surrounded by dunes.
BEAUTY
Local fashion experts reveal their Michiganmade beauty secrets.
RETAIL
Inspiration for hosting your outdoor party this summer.
ESSAY
Michiganders, don’t be afraid to make the most of your summer.
LISTINGS
Concerts, comedy, music, theater, and more.
MUSIC
A laid-back country music festival is coming to Brooklyn.
EVENTS
Festivals, fairs, theater, and more to enjoy while you’re Up North.
Q+A
Marrow’s Sarah Welch on her upcoming Traverse City restaurant.
REVIEW
Our critic pays a visit to Detroit’s latest seafood spot.
DRINKS
An ode to the messy and the beautiful for National Dive Bar Day on July 7.
RESTAURANT LISTINGS
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EDITOR’S LETTER
about how we do summers in Michigan. “I hear everyone goes to northern Michigan — what you call Up North,” he said, seeking confirmation. “Well, many people do,” I replied, explaining that I was going up to Charlevoix for Memorial Day weekend.
The day after Memorial Day, I got a text: “How was the U.P.?” Strange, I never told him I was going to the U.P., but my son and I did take a rare day trip to Tahquamenon Falls. Was I being tracked? Then I realized, “Oh, he thinks Up North is the U.P.” Silly!
There are a lot of things we take for granted here in Michigan: that people know the difference between the U.P. and Up North, that they’ll understand when we point to a location on our hand, and that we have one of the most beautiful places to vacation not too far away.
This conversation made me wonder: Is Michigan a rarity? Do people in other states have second homes in a lakefront community or spend their vacation money near a lake?
So I did some research and found a 2024 article by the National Association of Home Builders that said half of the nation’s second homes are concentrated in only eight states. Not only is Michigan one of them, but our 1st Congressional District (basically the top third of the Mitten and all of the U.P.) has the highest share of second homes of any U.S. district, with 24.5% of dwellings qualifying as second homes.
And as far as tourism goes, Pure Michigan’s data from 2023 shows that most counties had growth in visitor spending year over year. Of the “Up North” counties, Roscommon County (home to Houghton Lake) had the highest positive rate of change in tourist spending at 16.8% between 2022 and 2023. Menominee County in the U.P. had the second highest at 11.8%, and Grand Traverse County took in the most dollars with $630.8 million, an 8% increase.
All of this is great news, but if you’re looking for more-colorful information on our lake towns, I invite you to turn to page 28, where Hour Detroit contributor and Michigan Blue Editor Megan Swoyer provides a guide to 28 fantastic waterfront destinations. It’s the perfect beach read (or pre-beach research).
KATE WALSH, EDITOR KWALSH@HOUR-MEDIA.COM
PUBLISHER: Jason Hosko
EDITORIAL
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Kate Walsh
DIGITAL EDITOR: Christina Clark
COPY EDITOR: Olivia Sedlacek
ASSOCIATE EDITORS: Juliana Lumaj, Jack Thomas
CONTRIBUTORS: Ronald Ahrens, Bill Dow, Ron Garbinski, Ryan Patrick Hooper, Allan Lengel, Mickey Lyons, Jim McFarlin, Danny Palumbo, Will Reaume, Megan Swoyer, Lauren Wethington INTERN: Genevieve Orlewicz
DESIGN
CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Lindsay Richards
SENIOR PRODUCTION ARTIST: Stephanie Daniel
ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR: Steven Prokuda
CONTRIBUTORS: Chuk Nowak, Jacqui Oakley, Ryan Olbrysh, Rebecca Simonov
ADVERTISING
MEDIA ADVISORS: Samantha Alessandri, Cynthia Barnhart, Hannah Brown, Karli Brown, Sarah Cavanaugh, Cathleen Francois, Donna Kassab, Lisa LaBelle, Carol Lawrence, Mary Pantely & Associates
PRODUCTION
PRODUCTION MANAGER: Crystal Nelson
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT: Alessandra Taranta
ACCOUNT MANAGER: Elizabeth Kowalik
GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Joe Salafia
SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR: Emily Doran
IT
IT DIRECTOR: Jeremy Leland
DIGITAL
DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL STRATEGY: Travis Fletcher
DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT MANAGER: Matt Cappo
SR. DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST: Luanne Lim
DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST: Izak Geisler
CIRCULATION
CIRCULATION MANAGER: Riley Meyers
CIRCULATION COORDINATORS: David Benvenuto, Cathy Krajenke, Rachel Moulden, Michele Wold
MARKETING & EVENTS
MARKETING & EVENTS MANAG ER: Regan Wright
WEDDINGS ACCOUNT MANAGER: Karen Wilkie
MARKETING & EVENTS COORDINATORS: Lindsay Sheridan, Maya Stephenson
MARKETING & EVENTS ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT: Isabella Amadori
MARKETING RESEARCH
MARKETING RESEARCH DIRECTOR: Sofia Shevin
MARKETING RESEARCH COORDINATORS: Kristin Bestrom, Alyssa Fueri
MARKETING RESEARCH SALES COORDINATOR: Alexandra Thompson
MARKETING RESEARCH SALES ASSISTANT: Theresa Lowery
PRS GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Kendra Okamoto
MARKETING RESEARCH INTERNS: Alyssa Dunson, Alli Garpow
BUSINESS
CEO: Stefan Wanczyk
PRESIDENT: John Balardo
DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS: Kathie Gorecki
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An EV startup based in the suburbs has pioneered what it bills as a radically affordable and ultracustomizable car for consumers p. 14
The lowdown on the minimalist EV pickup that’s giving Detroit automakers a lesson in practicality
BY RONALD AHRENS
Slate Auto, a 3-yearold startup company in Troy, has revealed its concept for a minimalist EV pickup that addresses the auto industry’s affordability crisis. Called the Blank Slate, the compact truck will be made in only one configuration at the company’s plant in Warsaw, Indiana, to be sold online directly to consumers for about $20,000 after federal incentives. Volume production is intended for late 2026.
Simplifying the build process to reduce costs means skipping some conventional steps. Because the body is made of composite panels, the plant gets by without the usual stamping presses and bevy of robot welders. Nor is there a paint shop, because the dentresistant panels (think of Saturn) are slate gray.
The Blank Slate is equipped with three knobs to control the heat and air conditioning. Windows crank up and down by hand. Sorry, no infotainment system — but bring your own tech and mount your phone or tablet to avoid struggling with a built-in system. A USB port and a mounting point accommodate your speaker.
The design encourages adaptation and modularity. Accessory do-it-yourself kits (think of IKEA) let the buyer convert the base pickup into either of two SUV variants: a blocky five-passenger SUV with a roll cage and side-curtain airbags and a fastback SUV — pretty racy!
To individualize your Blank Slate, order one of the vinyl wrap kits, which start at about $500, in nearly any pattern and color. Apply it yourself or have Slate do it. You can choose from more than 100 accessories and addons, such as ladder racks in “work truck” mode and bike, ski, and gear racks in “play hard” mode. Watch for additional innovations from the aftermarket.
“We have not announced pricing for accessories yet, specific or directional,” said Slate’s head of public relations at press time in mid-May.
Standard features of the Blank Slate emphasize occupant safety. There are up to eight airbags, a backup camera, forward collision warning, traction control, electronic stability control, and active emergency braking. The internal steel cage is a stout safety cell that mates with the battery deck below.
Power train:
The 150-kilowatt (201-horsepower) electric motor is fed by a 52.7-kilowatt-hour battery pack and drives the rear wheels. An 84.3 kWh pack can be ordered.
Performance: 0 to 60 miles per hour in 8.0 seconds, 90 mph top speed Range: 150 miles with standard battery, 240 miles with extended battery
Efficiency: 96 miles per gallon equivalent
Payload: 1,433 pounds in the pickup bed, which can carry sheets of plywood
Towing: 1,000 pounds
The length of 174.7 inches and width of 70.6 inches place the truck right around the maximum of compactvehicle class standards. The height of 69.3 inches is on par with a Ford Maverick. The 108.9-inch wheelbase surpasses that of a Honda Civic (107.7). Today’s vehicles — especially electric ones — are heavier than ever. At 3,602 pounds, this one exceeds the weight of the original Ford Mustang by a half-ton.
Visit slate.auto and reserve your Blank Slate for a $50 fee. While you’re there, check out the merch. There’s even a Slate doggie bandana for $12.50.
IN 2007, when I was 9, my mom signed me up for skateboarding lessons. They were at a place called South Street Skatepark, located in a warehouse along the Clinton River in Rochester, my hometown. I was a shy kid who hated organized sports. But suddenly, I felt motivated by an after-school activity. The memories remain vivid for me, as they do for many of my childhood friends.
“We didn’t yell at you back then, did we?” owner Linda Gallaher asks me with a chuckle. It’s early April; she and I, along with her husband, Von, are catching up at South Street Skateshop, which the couple opened in downtown Rochester as an offshoot of the park in 2009. Just four years later, when their lease on the warehouse was up for renewal, they decided to close the indoor skate park.
“It was devastating for so many of our skaters and families,” Linda says. “So we promised we would work with the city to see if we could do an outdoor, free public park.”
The plan is finally coming together after 12 years of effort. As soon as this summer, a grassy parcel at the city’s Scott Street Park will be transformed into a skate plaza. The designer: Spohn Ranch, a Los Angeles company that has already built several public skate parks around
Rochester is getting its first official public skate park
BY JACK THOMAS
PHOTO BY CHUK NOWAK
Michigan, including in Northville, Armada, Milford, Garden City, Holland, Marquette, and Houghton.
Linda and Von’s long road of keeping their promise began when they started speaking at Rochester City Council meetings in 2014. In 2018, the City Council voted unanimously to donate a plot of land to build the skate park, but with a condition: SPLAT (an advisory committee that was formed in 2017) needed to raise the construction funds — $800,000 — over the next three years. SPLAT applied for grants from several organizations — including the Tony Hawk Foundation (now The Skatepark Project) — but since Rochester isn’t an underserved community, Von says, they didn’t end up securing any.
“Which we understand,” Linda says. “This is a community that can support something like this on their own, if they really want it.” Without the needed funds, the project stalled. (To date, SPLAT has managed to raise just under $8,000 through grassroots donations, which is set aside in a Rochester Area Community Foundation bank account.)
But welcome news came last July: City Council allotted $500,000 in its fiscal budget to finally build the skate park. When I spoke to Linda and Von in April,
This spring, Rochester broke ground on another major development project. The Farmers Market Lot at Third and Water streets now has an additional indoor space called The Graham, named after Rochester’s first homeowners, who once lived in a log cabin in this very area. The Graham is being built on the foundation of the old Animal Emergency Center building at 265 E. Second St. Made possible by $900,000 of funds left over from the American Rescue Plan, The Graham will be a place for live music and other events year-round, such as food festivals and farm-to-table dinners, says Kristi Trevarrow, executive director of the Rochester Downtown Development Authority, who adds, “But we really want to see what the community is looking for.”
Spohn Ranch was finalizing its renderings, and SPLAT (which stands for Skate Park Leadership Advisory Team) was hoping to raise some additional resources.
“We’ll use everything that we’ve got in the 501(c)(3) fund, which will allow those park funds to be used just for the park, not for all the niceties around it,” Von says. “And whatever else we can get, whether it’s concrete from local concrete guys, or landscape architects that may want to donate materials or expertise. I want the park to be as big and nice as we can make it.”
Here’s hoping it will lead to many more memories for the next generation of skater kids.
… by one of the many who consider the groundbreaking Detroit News journalist and ARISE Detroit founder a role model BY
JIM MCFARLIN
LUTHER KEITH, the youngest person ever inducted into the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame, was convinced his friend and fellow musician, the longtime Detroit reporter, editor, and columnist Keith Owens, deserved the same recognition.
Twice he nominated Owens for enshrinement.
Twice Owens was denied.
So what did Luther do? Nominate him a third time, of course.
“They sent the same damn rejection letter both years!” Owens recalls. “But Luther said this wasn’t just an award. This was the Hall of Fame. So I said, ‘OK, we’ll go a third time.’ Lu did not ever, ever give up.”
Luther Keith stands in front of a “tree” of block clubs, community groups, and churches participating in ARISE Detroit’s Neighborhood Day..
In February, Owens received a call from Luther: “Meet me at Baker’s Keyboard Lounge.” He wanted to break the news in person: Owens would be joining the MJHOF class of 2025. To celebrate, Luther, a self-taught blues guitarist and songwriter who labored to win the respect of Detroit’s music community as Luther “Badman” Keith, would throw a party for Owens on March 5 at Baker’s, and they would jam the night away onstage like old times.
When the celebration ended, “Luther said, ‘Man, I think this is the best night I’ve ever had,’” Owens remembers. “I woke up about 5:30 and there was a text from him at 12:45 that said, ‘I just want you to know this was a really great night. Everybody had a ball.’ I texted him back and just said, ‘Thank you so much.’”
Keith never saw the text. Luther Alton Keith, the native Detroiter, trailblazing newsman, and founder and executive director of the volunteer coalition ARISE Detroit for nearly two decades, died peacefully in his sleep that night at 74. And how fitting that he should leave upon achieving victories in the greatest loves of his life — after his wife, Jacqueline, and daughter, Erin — journalism and music.
Now, something Luther Keith the editor might abhor: a sudden first-person reflection. When I was asked to write this tribute to Luther, I leaped at the opportunity. I’d known him since coming to Detroit in the ’70s, and for me, as with countless others, he served as role model, confidant, and inspiration. After working his way off The Detroit News loading dock and into the newsroom, the University of Detroit (now Detroit Mercy) alum launched a threedecade career at the News that abounded with firsts:
• The first Black sports writer at a Detroit daily newspaper.
• The first Black reporter to cover the Michigan statehouse in Lansing (what fun that must have been).
• The first Black assignment editor at the News.
• As assistant managing editor, the first Black person to adorn the News masthead in the paper’s history.
I was advised that if I quoted two or three people, I might be given more space for this remembrance. I laughed out loud. Two or three? There are hundreds, if not thousands, who would leap to sing the praises of Luther Keith. His life touched so many others’, always in a positive way.
Take Wayne State University’s Journalism Institute for Minorities (now the Journalism Institute for Media Diversity), which Luther helped to establish in 1985. Countless WSU
alums of color credit their career paths to that training; Kim Trent, deputy director for prosperity for the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity and former chair of the WSU Board of Governors, says Luther changed her life.
“In his obituary, they told how he got a call offering him a scholarship to the University of Detroit, and he never knew who recommended him or how he got it,” she relates. “He did the exact same thing to me. He called my house out of the clear blue sky and told my mother, ‘We want to offer your daughter a full ride to Wayne State to study journalism.’
“It’s funny, but I realize now I never asked him how he got my name or why I was offered that amazing opportunity. But because of it, I was on my way.”
He was a bad man, all right.
ARISE Detroit will present a relatively subdued appreciation of Luther at its major event, the 19th annual Neighborhoods Day, on Aug. 2, explains Leslie Andrews, ARISE board chair and interim executive director while Luther’s successor is being found.
“We’d like to feature Luther’s picture on all the collateral materials, yard signs, banners,”
she says. “We were holding off doing anything big because next year is our 20th [anniversary]. That was actually his plan, to do something big on the 20th. Actually, he had given hints of retirement.”
Andrews had worked alongside Luther on the ARISE board since 2008. How would she describe him? “The bluesman who was a newsman, but who really was a truth seeker,” she rhapsodizes. “Detroit’s biggest champion. An example by which to follow on staying the course. He understood that it was important for people to value not only themselves but their environment and their communities.”
Michael Moore and Kid Rock may seem like polar opposites, but as these cover stories show, they had one thing in common: their love for their hometowns. Below are excerpts from those articles.
By Anthony Bozza
Feature intro: Last year, in just eight weeks, renegade filmmaker Michael Moore transformed a grassroots idea — screening under-theradar films among friends, solely for the love of the medium — into a nationally acknowledged, unparalleled happening. In one week, the Traverse City Film Festival admitted more than 50,000 people and generated an estimated $5 million in revenue for local businesses. Its second incarnation, July 31 through Aug. 6, is poised to break those records and duly establish the festival as a tradition worthy of what Moore sees as the burgeoning cultural evolution underway in the Traverse City region. Moore, who lives on Torch Lake, talked with Hour Detroit about how a spontaneous gesture became, in the words of one local newspaper, the greatest event to hit the area “since the Ice Age.” And how, for the love of film, he’s willing to put politics aside. Seriously.
Interview highlight:
Hour Detroit: Why Traverse City?
It’s not exactly in the industry loop. Michael Moore: Why Traverse City? Very simple: because I live there! Why would I want to travel 1,000 miles to do a festival? Robert Redford lives in Utah; that’s why the Sundance Film Festival is there. Utah would be the last place you’d think would have the premier film festival in America, but they do.
I’m here, so the festival is here. …
There is something happening up in northwestern Michigan that is very vibrant culturally, artistically, socially, and politically. For example, Traverse City has three public radio stations. There’s only like 20,000 people in the city, and they’ve got three separate public radio stations. Detroit doesn’t have that. There also is a more diverse group of people up there than there used to be. It used to be a very conservative, Republican area. But Traverse City voted for Kerry in the last election.
So things are changing. Not that the politics have anything to do with the film festival, but just, in my opinion, that fact is a clear indication that there’s not just one homogenized voice going on up there anymore.
By Jim McFarlin
Feature intro:
Usually, Hour Detroit’s most prestigious annual award [Detroiter of the Year] has been reserved for titans of local industry, urban-development visionaries, or legal lions. Well, this year our industrialists are scrambling to keep their businesses from circling the bowl. Big-name politicians have let us down. And securing a loan to reshape the city’s skyline? Hey, good luck with that. It’s been an unconventional year, to say the least. But in the category of creative pioneers, lanky 38-year-old Robert James Ritchie — the boy from Romeo, Michigan, with a musical dream and sheer determination in his heart — surely qualifies.
In truth, even the Kid himself was surprised upon receiving the news. Informed that he is the first musician to receive the Hour distinction, “That’s probably because them other people must have said no,” he cracked. “You start thinking of Bob Seger, Aretha Franklin, people like that.”
Interview highlight:
Detroit will make a comeback, he says. As the man said, our city is always a year or two ahead of everyone else; it was so for the recession and should hold true for the recovery. … He plans to be here to witness the next renaissance. But can Ritchie still be “Kid” Rock as 40 approaches?
“Yeah, I’m going to be a kid forever,” he replies with a laugh. “I’ve often thought about how you grow old gracefully in this business. I’ve never done anything gracefully. I’ve just put the pedal to the metal and did it. It’s kind of funny, because I’ve got rocking chairs on my porch and I always envision myself when I’m old and gray, sitting up there drinking my beer, maybe watching the grandkids. And somebody’s going to come up and say, ‘What are you up to, Kid?’ I’ll be going back and forth in my chair; I’ll look up and say: ‘Still rockin’.’”
july 10 | Shakespeare on the Rocks: The Tempest A live evening performance on the Back Lawn by Shakespeare in Detroit
july 13 | Summer Beer and Wine Soiree on the Bay
Sip, stroll, and savor lakeside views, historic charm, and curated beverage samplings
july through august | summerfest movies & concerts
Enjoy free movies and live concerts on the Back Lawn, six dates July through August
scan the qr code to check out the full schedule of summer fun at the war memorial
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Renowned Birmingham-based designer Kevin Serba created a southwest Michigan haven with an accent on the great outdoors
BY MEGAN SWOYER
Kevin Serba and his husband, Tim Tamer, put in an offer on their lot in southwest Michigan’s Saugatuck, it was sight unseen. After searching for six years, they knew the area had everything they wanted — woods, proximity to Lake Michigan, ravines, sand dunes, and, most importantly, seclusion — so they made their move, and their bid was accepted.
They hired Lucid Architecture (of Zeeland) to engineer and design the four-bedroom home but didn’t need an interior designer, of course. Serba, whose design firm, Serba Interiors, is based in Birmingham, would outfit the vacation retreat with great art, contemporary furnishings, and an inviting outdoor space perfect for entertaining. It’s a 180-degree turn from where the couple would stay during their home search. “We bought and renovated a 57foot boat and lived on that for six summers while looking for property,” Serba says.
The spectacular house is located on a road just off Oval Beach, which earlier this year was rated one of Tripadvisor’s 25 best beaches in the U.S., thanks to surrounding bluffs, fine sands, and clear waters, not to mention its unique shape (yes, the beach is oval).
Here, Serba, whose home took 14 months to build and was finished six years ago, shares some of his favorite exterior elements and offers tips for those looking to create an inviting outdoor space.
Mix master: Serba selected aggregate for the patios and entry. Ipê (a tropical hardwood) was used for the decks, while the home’s exterior is a combination of cedar, Hardie board, and Corten (copper chromium alloy) steel. “The cedar was too red and I wanted it more brown so had it custom-tinted.”
Deck-adence: A cantilevered deck spans the front of the house so “one can go to the pool area without going into the house,” Serba says.
Swimmingly refreshing: The couple opted for a saltwater pool and a separate hot tub that adjoins it. “We like using hot tubs through the winter and had part of the patio that runs from the kitchen door to the hot tub heated so we wouldn’t have to shovel snow.” He chose saltwater for the pool because it’s “better for your skin and hair and easier to maintain.”
Soft surroundings: The cushioned seating and side tables all are from RH (formerly Restoration Hardware).
Fired up:
Serba had a steel ring custom-made for the gas firepit, which features black lava rock.
Tree glee:
Since some trees had to be removed to create the lot, quite a few trees were added, including oak, aspen, pine, and hemlock varieties. “When we planted the pine trees, they were 7 feet tall; now they’re 30 feet tall.”
Screen room:
The alfresco dining area features floorto-ceiling screens and a cedar ceiling.
Lawn? Yawn:
“We didn’t do a lawn and decided to keep it all natural,” the designer says. He called on Craig Bergmann Landscape Design based in Lake Forest, Illinois. Ornamental grasses, ferns, and hydrangea adorn the property. Cutting gardens in sunnier areas pop with flowers such as dahlias, zinnias, and allium, which are great for making arrangements, Serba says. The one pictured on the patio table includes varieties he’s grown.
The views:
“The home, which has a nature preserve on two sides of it, is 1,100 feet from Lake Michigan, and in the winter, you can see the water through the trees from the porch,” says Serba, who suggests considering how views will look throughout the four seasons when buying, building, or revamping your vacation home.
DANNIE ROGERS
Detroit Lions team reporter
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LATRICE DELGADO-MACON
Founder of Detroit Fashion Community, a nonprofit organization
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Metro Detroit fashion and beauty experts share their favorite local beauty products and services
BY JULIANA LUMAJ
VALENTINA JUNCAJ
Owner of Vajzë, an online jewelry store
Phytoskin’s Phyto-Lip Serum is so moisturizing and glossy for the lips. The Roll-X Cuticle Oil from Rated X Skin is a lifesaver for my cuticles! It’s so easy to apply and not greasy — just moisturized hands and cuticles. I love my weekly blowouts at Roche Salon and monthly facials and brow services at Khonsu Esthetics
NICOLE JARECZ
Fashion illustrator and author
My go-to beauty splurge is microneedling with PRP [platelet-rich plasma] at Bocci Salon in Sterling Heights. I usually treat myself to it a couple of times a year, especially during the winter months, when my skin needs a boost. It leaves my complexion looking radiant, and my makeup goes on like a dream afterward.
ASIMA KHAN
Fashion writer and influencer
When it comes to beauty, I believe consistent maintenance is key! The more you can do in treatments, the less you’ll worry about when it comes to daily prep — whether it’s getting timely facials or making sure your nails are always manicured. I go to Edn Skin & Spa for laser hair removal and Shape Your Beauty for microblading and brow waxing. (Be sure to book with Dunya Neroda. She’s incredible!)
GRETCHEN R. VALADE
Director of sustainability at Carhartt and co-founder of Eugenie, a boutique in Detroit’s West Village
Detroit Rose’s Essential Body Oil and Aphrodite Face Oil are part of my daily rotation, along with Kiwa Studio’s Gentle Detox Mask when needed. While not local to Detroit, but local to Michigan, I couldn’t live without Poppy and Someday’s Venus Rose Toner. It is such a treat when I am able to go to Meta Physica for an infrared sauna, and it feels extra luxurious going to Wink Boutique in Grosse Pointe for a private manicurepedicure — they last a good two weeks, which doesn’t often happen when I get my nails done at other places!
One of my favorite beauty services is my biweekly hair appointment at Salon Centerfolds in Redford Charter Township. Ebony, the talented stylist and owner, delivers an exceptional experience every time. I especially love that she uses her own line of premium hair extensions. The salon itself is stunning — elegantly decorated, welcoming, and staffed by an incredibly professional and friendly team. It’s truly a gem in the metro Detroit beauty scene.
What They Love at The Lip Bar
Nearly everyone we asked told us they love this downtown gem, which is not all that surprising since it’s the inspiration behind this story. In March, The Lip Bar updated the label of one of its Nonstop Liquid Matte shades from Playmate to Big Gretch to honor Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who has often been seen sporting the stunning fuchsia shade. So we wondered, What other local beauty products are loved by some of our favorite trendsetters?
“I’m extremely loyal to The Lip Bar’s glosses in just about every shade they make (Ringleader is so good!).”
—Dannie Rogers
“I love the formula of Fresh Glow 2-in-1 Powder Bronzer and Blush and the subtle shimmer both the blush and bronzer give.”
—Valentina Juncaj
“One of my all-time favorite beauty finds from a local brand are their lip glosses — they’re seriously next-level. I love popping into their flagship store in downtown Detroit; the vibe is always on point, and the products never miss. I enjoy using Gloss Up Sheer Finish Gloss in Showstopper! It’s an easy-to-wear color!”
—Nicole Jarecz
“One of my go-to products for the perfect red lip is the Nonstop Liquid Matte in the shade Bawse Lady.”
—Asima Khan
BY JAMIE FABBRI
1. Settle Lounge Chair by Muuto, price varies, Design Within Reach, Grand Rapids; dwr.com
Outdoor Movie Screen, $349, Pottery Barn, multiple locations; potterybarn.com 3. Leland Rattan Beverage Tub, $199.95, Crate & Barrel, Novi; crateandbarrel.com 4. Hammered Handcrafted Stemless Wine Glasses, $48/set of 4, Pottery Barn, multiple locations; potterybarn.com 5. Mallorca Beach Towels, $348/set of 4, Serena & Lily, Birmingham; serenaandlily.com 6. Pickleball Set, $248, Serena & Lily, Birmingham; serenaandlily.com 7./8. Hawthorne Collection’s Chip & Dip Bowl and Lazy Susan, $198 and $168, Serena & Lily, Birmingham; serenaandlily.com 9. Deep Seating Rocking Chair Set, $3,149, Cottage Works, Ludington; polywood.com; yourcottageworks.com 10. Great Lakes Glasses by CatStudio, $19 each, Little Luxuries of Mackinac Island, Mackinac Island; littleluxuriesofmackinac.com 11. Lantern Lighting, price upon request, Ruth Casper Design Studio, Michigan Design Center, Troy; michigandesign.com; ruthcasperdesign.com 12. 2-in-1 Bean Bag Toss, $159.95, Crate & Barrel, Novi; crateandbarrel.com 13. Hammered Outdoor Pitcher, $29.50, Pottery Barn, multiple locations; potterybarn.com.
Lowdown: Located on an isthmus between Lake Michigan, Round Lake, and Lake Charlevoix, bisected by the Pine River along U.S. 31, which heads into Petoskey. Distinction: One of the best lake towns in America —Travel + Leisure
Must Do: After shopping downtown, find seats at Vue Wine Bar and watch the Bridge Street drawbridge in action. You’ll also see the Charlevoix South Pier Lighthouse from this vantage point. Michigan Beach (with a playground, snack bar, and great swimming) is a walkable distance from downtown. Hunt for Petoskey or Charlevoix stones at Fisherman’s Island State Park.
Add to the List: Make sure to find time to golf at Belvedere Golf Club, which made Golf magazine’s list of the top 100 courses you can play. Visit Bier’s Inwood Brewery, where you’ll find plenty of small-batch brewed beers, a variety of hard ciders and wines, and scenic views.
Favorite Fare: At the Weathervane Restaurant, feast on the planked whitefish as you watch a parade of boats gliding along the Pine River to or from Lake Michigan. Locals love breakfast and lunch at Smoke on the Water and pizza at Andy’s Party Store. In nearby Ironton, enjoy a beer and a lobster roll on the deck or dockside bar (you can pull your boat right up to the dock)
and make sure to check out the adjacent historic Ironton Ferry while you’re there. Plan It: visitcharlevoix.com
Lowdown: An ideal location — in a sheltered bay on the north shore of the Little Traverse Bay on Lake Michigan across from Petoskey.
Distinction: America’s best small lake town Travel + Leisure
Must Do: Shop in its charming downtown, take in the historical cottages, drive along jaw-dropping M-119 and its verdant Tunnel of Trees, watch boats in the marina, and sip a cold one at Stafford’s Pier Restaurant, the town favorite. Located downtown is Zorn Park City Beach, a family-friendly spot. Add to the List: Drive north on M-119 to Good Hart to find Middle Village Park beach by looking behind St. Ignatius Mission Church. A pathway near the church leads to the beach, which also includes access to an Odawa burial ground.
Favorite Fare: Drinks and small bites at the Fireplace Lounge at Otis Harbor Springs are refreshing and inventive. At Gurney’s
Bottle Shop, you can make your own sandwich or try a popular combo — such as the Train Wreck, which is stacked high with meats and cheese.
Plan It: petoskeyarea.com
Lowdown: Located on the southeast shore of Lake Michigan’s gorgeous Little Traverse Bay about 36 miles southwest of the Mackinac Bridge.
Distinction: One of the best small towns in the U.S. —USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards
Must Do: Bring home a famous Petoskey stone, the fossilized remains of ancient coral dating back 350 million years. You might find them at Solanus Mission Beach, a stony, dunelike environment with 500 feet of beach frontage via a boardwalk.
Add to the List: Take a sunset cruise aboard Little Traverse Bay Ferry Co.’s Miss Lauren, a 49-passenger ferry that travels between Petoskey, Harbor Springs, and Bay Harbor with beautiful views of these towns.
Favorite Fare: Ask about gluten-free options
and the quiche of the day at Julienne
Tomatoes. Symons General Store offers made-fresh-to-order gourmet deli sandwiches. City Park Grill, housed in an 1875 building, has great food, drinks, atmosphere, and history: Ernest Hemingway, who grew up spending summers on Walloon Lake, was a regular between the 1910s and 1920s when it was known as The Annex. Brandy's Harbortown in nearby Bay Harbor is a picture-perfect spot right on the water. Casual food options abound, while the ruminfused Brandy’s Painkiller is a must-try.
Plan It: petoskeyarea.com
Lowdown: Dominating the entertainment and winery/distillery scene in the state’s northwest region, it’s located at the base of the east and west arms of Lake Michigan’s 32-mile-long Grand Traverse Bay.
Distinction: One of the top 10 places to go in 2025 —Wall Street Journal
Must Do: TC is dubbed the Cherry Capital of the World, so a visit during its National Cherry Festival (June 28-July 5 this year) is a must for some point in your life. We suggest finding a seat at Chateau Chantal’s Jazz at Sunset. On summer Thursdays, you can sip some of Michigan’s best wine while tapping to the tunes of world-class jazz musicians.
Add to the List: Nice beach picks include Bowers Harbor Park on the stunning Old Mission Peninsula and West Grand Traverse Bay (the drive itself will impress) as well as West End Beach closer to town. Favorite Fare: For fine dining, consider the Artisan Waterfront Restaurant & Tavern at the Delamar Traverse City hotel, which is located on Grand Traverse Bay. The pork chops, scallops, and Great Lakes walleye (among so much more) are outstanding. Have a sweet tooth? Ask for a slice of the Fluffy Cheesecake, drizzled with salted caramel and other flavors. Out on the Old Mission Peninsula, Boathouse Restaurant gets rave reviews for its oysters, halibut, steaks, and more. If you like inventive cooking, try James Beard Award semifinalist The Cooks’ House — “a classic example of farm-to-table,” says Traverse City Tourism Public Relations Manager Mike Kent. The owners procure ingredients from regional sources, even for desserts like olive oil cake made with thyme syrup and lemon mascarpone or a box of Grocer’s Daughter chocolates (Grocer’s Daughter Chocolate is located in the village of Empire and is a mustvisit destination). Pick up beach-picnic treats at the Grand Traverse Pie Co. (be sure to get a slice of Grand Traverse cherry crumb pie) or Folgarelli’s Market & Wine Shop, which has more than 45 types of deli sandwiches — be sure to save room for a cookie. Plan It: traversecity.com
Lowdown: Situated on its namesake river and nestled between two of Michigan’s largest inland lakes — Burt and Mullett — 30 miles south of the Mackinac Bridge off I-75. Distinction: Best campground in the U.S. Campspot
Must Do: Rent a boat/pontoon to explore the meandering scenic inland waterway between lakes Michigan and Huron; enjoy Burt Lake State Park and its sandy beach; grab a tube or kayak from Big Bear Adventures to enjoy the fast-flowing Sturgeon River.
Add to the List: Bike the scenic North Central State Trail to Mackinaw City or Gaylord; visit the Cross in the Woods Catholic National Shrine featuring one of the world’s largest outdoor crucifixes; hike the nearby 11mile trail system at Wildwood Hills Pathway. Favorite Fare: Try the scrumptious whitefish or walleye at the Indian River Golf Club’s Greenside Grille (yes, it’s public) or the baby back ribs and vegan options at Michael’s Tavern & Steakhouse, a restored 1938 log building.
Plan It: experienceindianriver.com
Lowdown: This island city is located along the Straits of Mackinac, between Michigan’s Upper and Lower peninsulas. It’s a 3.8-square-mile car-free island. Distinction: The best summer travel destination in the U.S. —USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards
Must Do: Rent a bike (or bring your own) to pedal around the 8.2-mile island perimeter. You’ll pass cliffs, unique land formations like Arch Rock, a new nature center, and more. Add to the List: Pull up a seat at the Pink Pony bar on the deck of the historic Chippewa Hotel and order its famous frosty rum runner. Pay $10 to enter the majestic Grand Hotel, built in 1887. Visit Fort Mackinac or take a horse-drawn carriage tour for a history lesson. On Main Street,
pop into Little Luxuries for unique items, Mackinac Outfitter for outdoor clothing, and Somewhere in Time Gallery & Gifts for select Mackinac-themed artwork and note cards.
Favorite Fare: Order lunch and a homemade dessert at the quaint Watercolor Cafe, right on the harbor. The new Lilac Lounge at Mission Point Resort is an ode to the island’s favorite flower and serves the Lilac Bees Knees (a gin concoction with lavender and honey syrup). Plan It: mackinacisland.org
Lowdown: It’s the northernmost point of the Lower Peninsula at the southern end of the Mackinac Bridge and an access point for ferries to and from Mackinac Island.
Distinction: A top 10 tourist attraction in the U.S. (Colonial Michilimackinac) — FamilyFun magazine
Must Do: There’s a completely renovated visitor center and museum store at historic Colonial Michilimackinac, where everyone loves the frequent cannon and musket demonstrations. Bring a blanket or lawn chairs and stargaze at Headlands International Dark Sky Park.
Add to the List: Climb the McGulpin Point Lighthouse or visit Heritage Village, the city’s historical park, to tour the buildings or enjoy the gardens. Buy some souvenirs and fudge on Central Avenue.
Favorite Fare: “I love El Zarape [an authentic Mexican taqueria] and its grilled chicken enchilada topped with lots of lettuce, salsa, and guac,” says local artist Mary Lou Peters. Or try Audie’s Restaurant, where you can get a taste of the locally caught planked whitefish which is delivered fresh from the Great Lakes daily. You can’t miss the Wienerlicious hot dog stand (it has the “world’s largest wiener” on its roof), and you shouldn’t.
For casual dining across the bridge in St. Ignace (another location to catch a ferry to Mackinac Island), try dining near the water at The Gangplank Pub & Grub, where you’ll find whitefish tacos, beer-battered cheese curds, and the famous mile-high Walk the Plank burger.
Plan It: mackinawcity.com
If you haven’t been to the island in a few years, be prepared for new treats, experiences, and extravagant designs
By Juliana Lumaj
Although Mackinac Island is known for being a historical town, with roots dating back more than 400 years, that doesn’t mean you can’t expect something new to pop up every now and then.
Most visitors traditionally stop at shops like Joann’s Fudge and Original Murdick’s Fudge to satisfy their sweet tooth. But in May, o erings expanded to include the island’s only cookie shop, Mackinac Island Cookie Co. There, visitors can purchase a cookie the size of their head, including the original chocolate chip oatmeal with sea salt.
In May of 2024, the island welcomed its only gaming center when the Carousel Arcade opened. Guests of all ages can enjoy games like Super Bikes 3, Monopoly RollN-Go Hoops Fx basketball, Ring Toss, and more. The venue has kidfriendly refreshments like popcorn and slushies, plus adult beverages: beers, seltzers, and ciders.
If you’re more in the mood for a glass of rosé and appetizers by the water, be sure to check out Hotel Iroquois’s cocktail dock, which opened in 2022. It’s situated 250 feet out into Lake Huron, seats 60 people, and is available to everyone on the island.
For those seeking a stay or a meal away from busy Main Street, hop on a 45-minute horse-driven taxi to The Inn at Stonecli e, which reopened in June 2024 after a two-year, $40 million renovation. The former mansion of a wealthy Chicago-based business baron is now owned by the Pulte Family Charitable Foundation. The renovation included updating The Straits restaurant and adding three new luxury cottages, event spaces, a library, and Horsey’s Pub. While much has been done — including changing the dark wood interior to white and adding massive windows — the inn preserved its historic charm by maintaining the original hardwood floor, stained-glass windows, fireplace mantels, gables, moldings, and timberwork. It has also revived its apple orchard by planting new apple and pear trees and adding a chicken coop, an apiary, and raised garden beds that produce fresh herbs for the culinary team.
Located on Lake Superior about a two-hour drive west of Sault Ste.
Marie, popular Grand Marais (once a booming lumber town from 1885 to 1910) is the eastern gateway to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.
Distinction: One of the most beautiful beaches in the U.S. —Condé Nast Traveler
Must Do: Explore the area’s coast by hiking, biking, kayaking, and beachcombing to soak up the splendorous cliffs merging with the turquoise waters. Waterfalls, inland lakes, and more attract visitors to this outdoor paradise.
Add to the List: Check out Coast Guard Point’s front range light and rear range light. Au Sable Light Station, located within Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, stands on Au Sable Point west of town. Tours are available.
Favorite Fare: Lake Superior Brewing Co. serves up good beer (with apropos names — Backwoods, Hematite, and Cabin Fever, for example) and burgers galore, including olive, blue cheese, and buffalo chicken varieties. Plan It: grandmaraismichigan.com
Lowdown: The Upper Peninsula’s largest city and an energetic college town with great harbor views of Lake Superior about three hours northwest of the Mackinac Bridge. Distinction: One of the 10 best small-town cultural scenes in the U.S. —USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards
Must Do: Head outdoors to experience the U.P. lifestyle, baby! Stunning waterfalls are everywhere. Kayak/board the crystalclear Great Lake or inland ones. There are biking and hiking options galore with some pretty nice elevation changes, plus 6 miles of Lake Superior beaches. Try surfing those awesome waves!
Add to the List: Discover local history at the Marquette Maritime Museum, Marquette Harbor Lighthouse (book a tour to see the catwalk!), and Marquette Regional History Center. Snap photos at the 1,000foot Lower Harbor Ore Dock. At 85 feet tall, it’s one of the most iconic images of America’s iron ore industry. See the towering rock formations at Presque Isle Park.
Favorite Fare: Take your pick of 13 breweries and taphouses. The Vierling Restaurant & Marquette Harbor Brewery in the restored 1883-era downtown building serves Lake Superior whitefish prepared several delectable ways. Plan It: travelmarquette.com
Lowdown: Northeastern Michigan’s largest city, along U.S. 23 fronting Lake Huron’s Thunder Bay, and the gateway to the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, which protects nearly 100 historically significant shipwrecks.
Distinction: One of Michigan’s most
picturesque small towns —World Atlas Must Do: Visit the impressive Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center to learn about the vast, 4,300-square-mile sanctuary that encompasses most of northern Lake Huron. Book a two-hour narrated glass-bottom boat ride to view the Shipwreck Alley graveyard. Or kayak over these cool wrecks.
Add to the List: Climb the steep 130 steps to the top of the 1870 New Presque Isle Lighthouse. At 113 feet tall, it’s the tallest on the Great Lakes that the public can climb. The less ambitious also can climb the nearby 1840 Old Presque Isle Lighthouse. Favorite Fare: Check out Red Brick Tap &
Barrel — housed in a century-old renovated space — for fish and chips and menu ingredients from local growers. Plan it: visitalpena.com
Lowdown: Located in the state’s northeast region along U.S. 23 on the shores of Lake Huron’s Tawas Bay north of Saginaw. Distinction: One of Michigan’s most picturesque small towns —World Atlas Must Do: Stop at the Village Chocolatier for delicious hand-dipped candy to nibble on during the scenic drive southeast off U.S. 23 to Tawas Point State Park, known for its eponymous lighthouse. The 67-foottall lighthouse recently underwent a $455,000 restoration. Tawas Point is also a destination for bird-watchers.
Add to the List: Take a kiteboarding lesson at Motor City Kite and Surf in East Tawas. North of town on the River Road National Scenic Byway is the Huron-Manistee National Forest’s Lumberman’s Monument Visitor Center. Short trails lead to breathtaking Au Sable River views. Favorite Fare: Boathouse Beer Co. & Boozery features handcrafted beer and a menu jammed with entrées like beef tenderloin and Polish sausage with pierogi, soups, and burgers and other handhelds. Get a seat on the welcoming water’s-edge deck at Social Oak Chophouse & Wine Bar. The outdoor
Bikinis Beach Bar often has a DJ. Plan It: tawasbay.com, easttawas.com
Lowdown: Located along the Saginaw River east of I-75 at Saginaw Bay off Lake Huron. (Or, in Michigander-speak, it’s where the thumb meets the pointer finger.)
Distinction: One of the most affordable places to live in the U.S. —U.S. News & World Report
Must Do: Book a tall ship Appledore IV sailing adventure that goes from downtown’s Wenonah Park into Saginaw Bay.
Add to the List: Stroll Center Avenue and check out historic Victorian mansions that once belonged to lumber barons. Wenonah Park’s band shell rocks during the summer. On North Water Street, visit the Bay City Antiques Center, which, alongside Bay Antique Center, houses more than 60,000 square feet of oldies but goodies. Have a sweet tooth? You’ll find treats at nearby St. Laurent Brothers, one of Michigan’s oldest candy stores.
Favorite Fare: Drift Shoreside Beer Garden satisfies with beverages galore, burgers, churros, and more.
Plan It: gogreat.com/cities/bay-city
Lowdown: The Saginaw River flows through the center of town about an hour and 30 minutes north of metro Detroit along the I-75/I-675 triangle.
Distinction: One of the 50 best cities in which to retire in the U.S. —Investopedia with Travel + Leisure
Must Do: For a special experience, check in at the charming Montague Inn Bed & Breakfast on Lake Linton. Bike the Saginaw Valley Rail Trail, which runs 11 miles south through natural areas and features seven restored railroad bridges. The 1927 Temple Theatre hosts national headline acts from comedians to concerts.
Add to the List: Explore the 10,000-acre
Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge via water or land: Johnny Panther Quests Ecotours takes you on a three-hour thrilling boat ride through the refuge into what’s considered the wildlife-rich “Everglades of Michigan”; you can also drive your car along the 6.5-mile Wildlife Drive. Browse the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum on the Saginaw Valley State University campus.
Favorite Fare: In the Old Town entertainment district, the casual-upscale Jake’s Old City Grill serves delightful chophouse entrées and seafood paired with extensive wine and martini selections. The open kitchen at the cozy Artisan Urban Bistro creates seasonal dishes. Make reservations early for its spectacular weekend brunch!
Plan It: gogreat.com/cities/saginaw
Lowdown: Renowned for its sandy Lake Michigan beaches, this shop- and restaurant-lined town west of Grand Rapids features a boardwalk that runs along the harbor to Grand Haven State Park beach and the south pier.
Distinction: One of the most beautiful
beaches in the U.S. (Grand Haven City Beach) —Condé Nast Traveler Must Do: The lights on the south pier make for gorgeous photo backdrops. You can access the boardwalk and view the lighthouses from the beach at Grand Haven State Park.
Add to the List: Hike nearby Rosy Mound, which is “a bit of a trek with lots of stairs through winding trails and dunes,” says Grand Haven cottage owner Sue Keels. “But when you finally reach the overlook, the view of Lake Michigan is absolutely breathtaking.” The seasonal 1962 Grand Haven Musical Fountain features 25-to-30minute synchronized light and water shows at night through Labor Day.
Favorite Fare: Keels loves Noto’s at the BilMar for its outstanding lake view and the crab-stuffed whitefish. “We also love their wood-fired oven pizza.” Just a couple of miles from Grand Haven and nestled in the woods is The Arboreal Inn, a classic Spring Lake fine-dining establishment. “It’s locally owned, and the food and service are amazing,” Keels says. Be sure to order the lobster bisque, which, she says, “is delicious and such a classic — very old-school, but that’s why we love it.”
Plan It: visitgrandhaven.com
Lowdown: Located on the shores of Lake Macatawa and seconds from Lake Michigan where U.S. 31 and I-196 meet.
Distinction: One of the best small-town festivals in America (Tulip Time)
Reader’s Digest
Must Do: Holland’s Tulip Time — the oldest tulip festival in the U.S., with millions of gorgeous flowers — honors the town’s Dutch heritage (the 2026 festival is May 1-10). View the tulips in public parks, along downtown streets, or at various venues
for a fee. Lovely beaches and a hopping downtown are summertime draws. The much-photographed Big Red Lighthouse stands by the channel that connects Lake Macatawa to Lake Michigan.
Add to the List: Hit the area’s sand dunewrapped beaches, including at Holland State Park. Tunnel Park has an actual tunnel through a sand dune, while the not-so-crowded Laketown Beach is more secluded with spectacular views of Lake Michigan.
Favorite Fare: Try Butch’s Dry Dock (a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence winner) for a drink and app on the bar side. Warm sourdough bread with smoked sea salt and butter, as well as truffle cauliflower paired with Michigan’s Left Foot Charley Riesling, is a winner.
Plan It: holland.org
Lowdown: Located southwest of Grand Rapids between the eastern shore of Lake Michigan and I-96, the Saugatuck/Douglas region,
There’s no doubt that the Great Lakes can be dangerous; here are some tips to help keep you alive
By Juliana Lumaj
Whether you’re a casual swimmer or an athlete, Michigan’s Great Lakes, which are often referred to as inland seas, are not to be underestimated. There were approximately 94 drownings across all the Great Lakes in 2024, an increase from 85 in 2023, according to unofficial data gathered by the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project.
Since its founding in 2010, the 501(c)(3) organization, whose mission is “Saving lives!,” has recorded more than 1,300 drownings across all five lakes.
Not all Great Lakes beaches are equal, however. Ron Olson, the chief of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ Parks and Recreation Division, says those numbers don’t accurately represent what goes on at designated state park beaches but rather a cumulation of incidents that have occurred, whether that’s on private land, public property, breakwalls, etc.
Among the 36 million visitors to Michigan state-operated beaches in 2024, only one drowning incident occurred, Olson says; this was at Ludington State Park in a non-designated swimming area where “No swimming” signs were present due to the strong currents.
“The waves and everything might be fun to do,” Olson says, but rip currents are a challenge that “even an Olympic swimmer can’t beat.”
But designated swimming areas can also get rough, so that’s why a beach flag warning system was implemented at many of the state parks in cities like Grand Haven, Holland, and Bay City. Colors range from green, which indicates calm conditions, to double red, which was added in 2022 and allows the state to close off water access when conditions become too dangerous.
There are no lifeguards at state parks, so observing these flags and knowing their meaning is just as important as staying in designated swimming areas.
In 2023, three people drowned at state park beaches, including one at Warren Dunes State Park in July. In that instance, 2-foot waves prompted a yellow flag, which indicates medium hazard and warns visitors to watch for strong currents and high waves, approximately one hour before the incident.
SwimSmart towers were also installed at Grand Haven State Park in Ottawa County in 2024 to improve emergency response time. Visitors can open the life ring cabinet situated by the water, prompting alerts to five different locations in the state park to notify DNR staff of an emergency. At the same time, the Ottawa County Central Dispatch is notified to send out emergency responders. A push button is also available to facilitate two-way communication between visitors and 911 operators, who can observe the situation through the cameras of four communication towers. Last season, there were two events in which the towers were used, resulting in response times of less than two minutes and positive outcomes.
“We’ve done a lot of education, which I think has helped a lot in the last five or six years to minimize emergencies,” Olson says. “We’ve worked very closely with the local fire departments and others to work on jointly messaging water safety.”
including nearby Fennville, is known as the Art Coast of Michigan, thanks to its rich legacy of creativity that goes back to the early 20th century with the founding of the Ox-Bow School of Art & Artists’ Residency in Saugatuck. Ox-Bow drew artists — especially from Chicago — who were inspired by the area. Today, visitors can explore dozens of art galleries and studios showcasing a variety of styles and mediums. That spirit has also helped to foster a welcoming atmosphere and to make the area a haven for all, including LGBTQ+ individuals.
Distinction: One of the “Best of the Best” U.S. beaches (Oval Beach) —Tripadvisor
Must Do: These towns’ downtowns are as picturesque as their six combined beaches, with galleries and shops as well as quaint inns and eateries. Book a night at the Wickwood Inn, recently refined with a cozy but chic aesthetic; there’s always something to nibble on in the inn’s library (such as a large, locally sourced plate of charcuterie with wine). Breakfast includes avocado toast and farm-fresh eggs. Douglas’s revamped Forest Inn (the former Sherwood Forest bed-andbreakfast) is now open after extensive renovations to the many spaces in both the main house and the cottage as well as the entire grounds.
Add to the List: Fruit farms, wineries, and farmers markets dot this region’s countryside thanks to the moderating influence of Lake Michigan and favorable soil conditions.
Favorite Fare: Saugatuck locals give a thumbs-up to the upscale Bowdie’s Chophouse and Pumpernickels. Plan It: saugatuck.com
Lowdown: Positioned on Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Black River about an hour north of the Indiana state line on I-196.
Distinction: One of the most beautiful towns in America —World Atlas
Must Do: Of the 10 public beaches, families love South Beach because of its access to the South Haven Lighthouse, concession stand, picnic areas, and playground. North
Beach is also popular. The South Haven South Pierhead Light is at the entrance to the Black River. It was lit in 1872 and is still operational, with an original catwalk that still links the tower to shore.
Add to the List: Van Buren State Park is known for its tremendously high dune
Lowdown: Located in the southwest corner of the state on the bluffs of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the St. Joseph River about 90 miles from Chicago.
formations. Try a Beachtown Buggies rental to cruise down to the beach or explore the Michigan Maritime Museum, with its changing exhibits and a fleet of period and replica vessels available to visitors for on-water experiences.
Favorite Fare: Clementine’s, an 1896 building that once housed the Citizen’s State Bank, features lots of choices for all ages, from chicken fingers to steaks.
Plan It: southhaven.org
Distinction: One of the friendliest little towns in Michigan —World Atlas
Must Do: Silver Beach County Park has access to the South Pier and lots of swimming space. Sunset lovers like Tiscornia Beach Park, where you can tour the North Pier Lighthouse. Live theater, tall ship sailing, lavender fields, wine trails, beaches … it’s all in this region.
Add to the List: Antiques on the Bluff in Lake Bluff Park overlooking Lake Michigan features more than 50 antiques vendors and takes place on the first Sunday of the month from May through October. Admission is free.
Favorite Fare: Schu’s Grill & Bar, located downtown, provides views of Lake
Michigan and serves up burgers of all types, from olive to caprese; fish entrées; catch-of-the-day specials; perch sandwiches; and more.
Plan It: stjoetoday.com
Lowdown: Located on the shores of Lake Cadillac. The Clam River, which begins in Cadillac, is part of the Muskegon River watershed. “It’s the diamond on your left hand — a beautiful mix of two lakes, parks, culture, and a quaint little town to explore,” says resident Julie Raabe Gentry.
Distinction: One of the greatest adventure towns in northern Michigan —Traverse Northern Michigan
Must Do: The 660-acre William Mitchell State Park, situated between lakes Mitchell and Cadillac, provides great beach access and designated swim areas. For a hike or bike ride, the 92-mile Fred Meijer White Pine Trail State Park can be accessed from the east side of Lake Cadillac. A network of trails follows the lake’s shoreline, so be on the lookout for wildlife!
Add to the List: Lake Mitchell is perfect for kayaking.
Favorite Fare: Gentry gives Clam Lake Beer Co. and Lakeside Charlies (sit on the patio) a thumbs-up for good sandwiches and other casual food.
Plan It: cadillacmichigan.com
Lowdown: The 30-mile Leelanau Peninsula is northwest of Traverse City and extends into Lake Michigan. Leelanau: The name alone evokes relaxation, from its scenic M-22 highway to the dozens of vineyards soaking up the region’s perfect lake effect to the astounding Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Cute coastal towns and villages like Leland, Suttons Bay, Empire, Glen Arbor, and others entice with charming downtowns and exquisite beaches. Those jewel-toned waters never leave your side, whether it’s the shimmering grande dame (Lake Michigan’s Grand Traverse Bay) or the beckoning emerald waters of crystal-clear Glen Lake. You could spend weeks on the peninsula and never tire of its quintessential northern Michigan vibe.
Distinction: One of the best places to go in the U.S. —Condé Nast Traveler
Must Do: Explore the dunes, which wow with bluffs that tower 450 feet above Lake Michigan, lush forests, clear inland lakes, and unique flora and fauna. An island lighthouse, U.S. Life-Saving Service stations, coastal villages, driving tours, and
picturesque farmsteads also pepper the village.
Add to the List: All you need is a beach towel, a cooler for your picnic, and sunblock to make the most of this gorgeous slice of Michigan paradise. Hit up Empire Beach Village Park first for swimming and sunbathing before beelining to the big Sleeping Bear!
Favorite Fare: Pick up lunch goodies at Shipwreck Café on Lacore Street — it offers fresh sandwiches, salads, and soups to go. Breakfast wraps, brownies, and cookies are also available.
Plan It: traversecity.com, empirechamber.com
Must Do: Besides beachcombing along soft-sand shorelines, head to Frankfort North Breakwater Lighthouse for fabulous sunsets from its pier. Then hit M-22 and drive to the Point Betsie Lighthouse to tour the original 1858 lighthouse keeper’s residence. You can also climb the 34-step tower and visit its museum.
Add to the List: Some of the freshest dips you’ll ever take are in the region’s Crystal Lake and Glen Lake, both matching Caribbean colors thanks to their depth and clarity.
Favorite Fare: Rock’s Landing is right on the shores of Crystal Lake. Outdoor seating on an enclosed deck with spectacular views allows you to make the most of Michigan’s great outdoors. Expect local produce and organic meats on the menu, as well as draft beer and specialty cocktails. Plan It: frankfortmich.com, traversecity.com
Must Do: Visitors love the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore territory for its bucolic setting amid sand, dune grasses, and the Crystal River that flows into Lake Michigan near the famous Homestead resort’s beach club. The M22 Inn, a twostory colonial-style motel, is popular for families and is within walking distance of restaurants and shops. Add to the List: Stop at Cherry Republic, the flagship store of all things Michigan cherries. There, you’ll find everything from cherry brownie mixes to cherry wines. Favorite Fare: Vegans, vegetarians, and meat lovers will be satisfied at the quaint Good Harbor Grill, where fresh local whitefish may grace the menu at lunch and dinner. Vegans rave about the tofu scrambles for breakfast. A raspberry jalapeño tofu also entices. Plan It: visitglenarbor.com
Distinction: One of the most beautiful small towns in America —Travel + Leisure
Must Do: Catch the flavor of this sweet village — stroll quaint Fishtown, right on the Leland River that flows over a dam and into Lake Michigan. Among shanties, tugs, and charter boats are shops and eateries worth exploring for art, smoked fish, and casual apparel.
Add to the List: Stop in at Verterra Winery (meaning “true to the land”) for estategrown fruit used to produce red, white, rosé, and sparkling wines that capture the essence of the Leelanau Peninsula. Take a ferry to South Manitou Island for a nice day trip amid forests, schoolhouses, sand dunes, and a lighthouse, or visit North Manitou Island for primitive backcountry camping.
Favorite Fare: The Village Cheese Shanty has a huge following and is perfect for finding yummy ingredients for a picnic lunch on Van’s Beach.
Plan It: traversecity.com, lelandmi.org
Must Do: This is wine country, with 24 tasting rooms on the Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail. We suggest heading over to Gilchrist Farm to enjoy its farm-to-table fare. Suttons Bay Beach on Front Street is a neat spot for picnicking.
Add to the List: Visit the Happy Woman store, a vintage bright-blue structure with a red door, for an array of handmade products and apparel that support makers and artisans.
Favorite Fare: The 45th Parallel Café is chock-full of breakfast options, plus burgers and sandwiches. Grab a table at V.I. Grill, where hand-battered Leelanau cheese curds, hearty sandwiches, and braised ribs rule. Locals love Martha’s Leelanau Table, where in-season Michigan flavors abound.
Plan It: traversecity.com
Lowdown: Located in Roscommon County, Houghton Lake is home to the largest inland lake in Michigan, covering about 22,000 acres. It’s a big draw for boaters, water sports enthusiasts, and anglers.
Distinction: Named a “fish factory” and “best action spot in Michigan” —Game & Fish
about 5 miles east of Houghton Lake. History buffs love to stop at Trestle Park and its historic railroad trestle that commemorates Michigan’s logging days of the late 1800s.
Favorite Fare: Make the most of water views by finding a seat at the Back Door Saloon, which features popular burgers and gorgeous lake vistas. The building has been part of the region’s history since the 1930s. DJ music also is on tap, typically on Saturdays. We hear the Bloody Mary is the best! Plan It: visithoughtonlake.com
Lowdown: Situated around the Pere Marquette Lake and River where U.S. 10 ends at Lake Michigan.
Distinction: Best small town in the U.S. USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards
Must Do: Head to Lakeview Park, which offers scenic lake views and has a pavilion, fishing pier, and kayak launch. Located at Federal Avenue and M-55, the park and lake lure a lot of fisherfolk thanks to a rich fish habitat including walleye, bass, northern pike, and panfish.
Add to the List: Cruise the lake in a pontoon, and if you don’t have one, visit docklyne.com for rental information. Love miniature golf? Try for holes-in-one at Pirate’s Cove in Prudenville, located
Add to the List:
Must Do: Stearns Park Beach is a beautiful in-town beach with Brunch Babes food truck service. Ludington State Park Beach has 7 miles of pristine Lake Michigan coastline with expansive dunes and 25 miles of hiking trails. There are five historic lighthouses within 60 miles of this part of the state, with two in Ludington. The S.S. Badger, a National Historic Landmark, offers daily ferry service across Lake Michigan to Manitowoc, Wisconsin, for 620 passengers and 180 cars May through October. It also offers two-hour evening shoreline cruises on select summer dates.
Favorite Fare: At Table14, a Charleston, South Carolina-inspired bistro owned by husband/wife team Howard and Laura Iles, you’ll find Southern delights such as shrimp and grits, buttermilk-fried chicken, and she-crab soup, to name a few.
Local Kim Skeltis says Cluck Bucket has excellent homemade chicken salad dishes and other sandwiches (almost all with chicken), plus rice bowls, fresh lemonade, and crowd-pleasing acai bowls. Plan It: pureludington.com
Lowdown: A 6,200-resident Lake Michigan town halfway between Traverse City and Muskegon along U.S. 31, bisected by the Manistee River and Manistee Lake.
DISTINCTION: Best beach in Michigan (First Street Beach) —USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards Must Do: This old lumber baron town overflows with beautiful Victorian
architecture. Its downtown is on the National Register of Historic Places. A self-guided tour features more than 100 sites. The 1.75-mile South Riverwalk has 25 historical markers. For beachgoers, check out Fifth Avenue and First Street beaches by the North Pier Lighthouse. Add to the List: Enjoy exhibits and concerts at the 1903-era Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts. The S.S. City of Milwaukee, a former Lake Michigan car ferry, runs as a “boatel” in the summer, and the retired U.S. Coast Guard ship Acacia is available for seasonal tours.
Favorite Fare: Try BlueFish Kitchen + Bar for local fish and meats in a historic 1895 building on the river or The Painted Lady Saloon, the oldest operating saloon in town, with delicious homemade soups. Plan It: visitmanisteecounty.com
Megan Swoyer has covered Michigan travel since her days as associate editor at AAA’s Michigan Living magazine. Today, she is editor of Hour Media’s Michigan Blue magazine.
Through education and partnerships, a coalition in Marquette County hopes to teach visitors and residents how to enjoy the great outdoors responsibly
By Juliana Lumaj
From kayaking the crystal-clear waters of McCarty’s Cove to hiking the picturesque, 47-mile Iron Ore Heritage Trail, it’s no surprise that tourism is responsible for 15% of Marquette County’s economy — generating about $250 million per year.
But as you plan your next trip to the U.P. (or anywhere!), the folks at Respect Marquette County ask that you review the seven principles that the coalition adopted through its partnership with Leave No Trace, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating people on how to enjoy the outdoors responsibly in order to avoid environmental degradation.
Know before you go: Research trail conditions, campsite availability, etc.
Stick to trails and campsites: Protect plants and respect private property.
Trash your trash: This protects wildlife, water sources, and other visitors.
Leave it as you find it: This protects nature and reduces the spread of invasive species.
Be careful with fire: Buy firewood locally; keep fires small; burn all wood to ash.
Keep wildlife wild: Observe from a distance; never approach, follow, or feed them.
Share our trails and manage your pet: Hikers yield to uphill hikers, bikers yield to hikers, and everyone yields to horses and wheelchairs; keep pets leashed and under control.
“It’s about creating shared values around stewardship and respectful enjoyment of the natural beauty that surrounds us,” Travel Marquette CEO Susan Estler says.
Respect Marquette County was founded in 2022 following a collaborative planning session involving approximately 25 community stakeholders who were interested in creating a healthy environment for tourism. It is the only formal coalition of its kind in the Upper Peninsula.
By Allan Lengel
by Ryan Olbrysh
On the 50th anniversary of the former Teamster president’s disappearance from Detroit, his son, the FBI, and at least one investigative reporter have not given up the hunt for his body and for answers
R. Hoffa
Washington
A lifetime ago — 50 years — James P. Hoffa, attorney for his father’s old Detroit Teamsters Local 299, was vacationing at his summer home outside Traverse City with his wife, Virginia, and their two young sons. Gerald Ford was president. The Tigers were in last place; Bruce Springsteen was about to release his breakthrough album, Born to Run; and Frank Fitzsimmons was president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
On July 31, 1975, the phone next to his bed rang. It was 6 a.m. Life would never be the same.
It was his mother, Josephine, who told him his father, James Riddle Hoffa, hadn’t come home the previous night. She was crying, recalls Hoffa, 84, during a phone interview from his Michigan home with Hour Detroit.
“I thought the worst,” he says — and with good reason. His father, though just 5-foot-5, was a larger-than-life figure with the build of a boxer and a fighter’s share of enemies. He served as Teamsters national president from 1957 to 1971 and refused to relinquish control of the union, even after beginning a 13-year sentence in 1967 at the Lewisburg federal penitentiary in Pennsylvania for jury tampering, attempted bribery, conspiracy, and wire fraud related to the union’s pension fund.
In December 1971, President Richard Nixon commuted his sentence with the caveat that he refrain from union activity until 1980. But by 1975, Hoffa, 62, was challenging Nixon’s restriction and had vowed to regain the presidency — and to rid the union
of mob influence and its access to pension funds for business loans.
As part of his effort to regain control, he was supposed to meet with Detroit mobster Anthony “Tony Jack” Giacalone and New Jersey Teamster and mobster Anthony “Tony Pro” Provenzano for lunch on Wednesday, July 30, 1975, at Machus Red Fox on busy Telegraph Road in Bloomfield Township to clear a path for his return. According to an FBI report, they were to discuss “a disagreement over who would control the union.”
The two mobsters, who were related by marriage, stood up Hoffa. In fact, at the time of the lunch, Tony Giacalone was reportedly walking around the Southfield Athletic Club asking people every half hour what time it was, according to a former federal prosecutor.
Sometime that afternoon, James Riddle Hoffa vanished forever — leaving behind his
green 1974 Pontiac Grand Ville, which sat overnight in the restaurant parking lot, and a mystery. The question of what happened in or near the parking lot on that day in July has fascinated professional and amateur sleuths ever since. The location of Hoffa’s still-undiscovered remains became a cultural punch line. No surprise that half a century later, Hoffa’s unquiet spirit still haunts the place where he began his rise to power.
“As the 50th anniversary of Mr. Hoffa’s disappearance approaches, the FBI Detroit
“I believe they probably just shot him in the head, but I’ve also heard from pretty reliable sources that they strangled him.”
—author Scott Burnstein, founder of a national website called The Gangster Report
Field Office remains steadfast in its commitment to pursuing all credible leads,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, special agent in charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office, in a statement to Hour Detroit. “The case remains an active investigation, and we continue to encourage anyone with information to submit a tip at tips.fbi.gov or call 1-800-CALL-FBI [225-5324].”
The disappearance and presumed murder of Hoffa remains an FBI cold case — a subject of speculation and global intrigue. It has been the basis for countless articles, books, and films. Jack Nicholson portrayed the union boss in the 1992 film Hoffa; Al Pacino did the same in Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman in 2019.
Perhaps the irony of his middle name — Riddle — is not lost in his storyline.
“When this happened, I felt that the case would be solved in 1975, 1976,” says James P. Hoffa, who followed in his father’s footsteps, serving as president of the Teamsters from 1998 to 2022. “Now that it’s gone this long, each year I think it diminishes our opportunity to find out what happened.
“My theory is that the Detroit mob was involved in his murder,” he says. “It was part of a plot that he not come back in the labor movement because they were able to control Frank Fitzsimmons and they didn’t want my father coming back to reform the union and make it what it should be.”
Former and current federal law enforcement officials insist they essentially know what happened — and, mostly, who was involved. But no one was ever charged, and most, if not all, of the key suspects are now dead. The debate continues as to where the body was disposed of and whether certain figures — like the late Chuckie O’Brien, Hoffa’s onetime right-hand man and self-described foster son — had a hand in the death.
After 50 years, the FBI has not given up on the case, which Keith Corbett, the former head of the Organized Crime Strike Force for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Detroit, says “has always been an embarrassment to the FBI because they never solved it in the sense of being able to say definitively what happened.”
Paul Abbate, a former head of the FBI’s Detroit office who went on to become the deputy director of the agency until his resignation in January, doesn’t see it as an embarrassment. Ditto for other former agents involved in the case interviewed by Hour Detroit. However, Abbate doesn’t downplay the importance of the case.
“I looked at it as a priority because it’s such a high-profile matter,” he says. “It was unresolved, and the bureau prides itself on bringing resolution to cases — even if it’s years or decades later. We never give up on any case, certainly involving a loss of life.”
Born in Brazil, Indiana, on Valentine’s Day in 1913, James Riddle Hoffa got involved in organized labor during the Depression and rose through the ranks. He became president of Local 299 in Detroit and, in 1957, president of the national union — securing the first nationwide agreement for its members under the National Master Freight Agreement. While he was a hero to many members, the Justice Department was concerned about his cozy relationship with organized crime, which couldn’t obtain traditional bank loans and turned to the union pension fund to bankroll business ventures including Las Vegas casinos.
After serving nearly five years of his 13year sentence for charges related to the pension fund, in late 1971 he returned home to his wife of 35 years, Josephine. He vowed to retake the presidency and cleanse the union of organized crime’s influence.
On July 31, 1975, after getting the phone call from his mother, Hoffa’s son wasted no time, chartering a plane to the Oakland-Pontiac Airport. His wife and children drove home later. “I right away got home and contacted the police, contacted the FBI, filed reports.” He also went to the restaurant parking lot that day to check the trunk of his father’s car — to make sure he wasn’t in it.
From his parents’ summer home, a lakefront cottage on 3 acres in Lake Orion, he frantically called Teamsters officials and whoever else might have a clue as to his father’s whereabouts.
“Whether they knew or not, they basical-
ly just blew it off, saying, ‘I don’t know anything about it.’”
One of the people he called was Frank Ragano, his dad’s Florida attorney. On March 3, 1975 — just months before the disappearance — Ragano attended a meeting in Miami with Hoffa to discuss financing a film about Hoffa’s life, according to an FBI report, which noted that Hoffa insisted on having final say on the script.
“He was not helpful,” Hoffa’s son says of Ragano.
Over the decades, tips both plausible and ridiculous have come in from around the country, suggesting Hoffa was buried beneath Giants Stadium in New Jersey, under the Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit, on farmland in Oakland County. Some of these tips led the FBI to conduct fruitless digs — the most recent in 2022 adjacent to a former landfill in Jersey City, New Jersey. The total cost to taxpayers for the searches is difficult to calculate, but in 2006 alone, the FBI estimated it spent more than $200,000 to excavate Hidden Dreams Farm in Milford Township, 30 miles northwest of Detroit. That property had been owned by Hoffa associate Rolland McMaster.
In 2013 — nearly 40 years after the disappearance — the FBI deployed about 40 employees for three days to a dig in Oakland Township on property previously owned by mobster Jack Tocco. That tip came from 85-year-old ex-mobster Anthony “Tony Z” Zerilli, the highest-ranking Mafia figure to
come forward in the probe. Zerilli was in prison at the time of Hoffa’s disappearance, but his father led the Detroit Mafia then. Zerilli himself was a former underboss, and authorities believed he knew enough key players to be credible. He claimed Hoffa was struck with a shovel and buried alive in a shallow grave inside a barn on the property.
Nothing turned up in the barn.
“Certainly we’re disappointed,” said Robert Foley, head of the Detroit FBI at the time.
The FBI has also chased many false leads.
the Detroit mob, including brothers Vito “Billy Jack” Giacalone and Anthony “Tony Jack” Giacalone. Others, like John Anthony — a former FBI agent who served as legal adviser and media coordinator for the Detroit FBI office at the time — believe it was a collaboration between the Detroit and New Jersey mobs. The thought is that Tony Provenzano, a member of the Genovese crime family from New Jersey and former president of Teamsters Local 560 in Union City, New Jersey, didn’t want Hoffa disrupting the mob’s lucrative ties to the union.
About four years after Hoffa’s disappearance, Anthony says, the Detroit FBI office sent two agents to visit Provenzano at the Lompoc federal penitentiary in California, where he was serving time for racketeering. Anthony explains that the Drug Enforcement Administration had a criminal case against a member of Provenzano’s family and the FBI was hoping to negotiate a deal in exchange for information about Hoffa.
But during the meeting, Anthony recalls, Provenzano simply told the agents, “He’s dead,” and refused to elaborate. Provenzano died at 71 of a heart attack at a hospital near the prison in December 1988.
In one case, the FBI attempted to verify the claims of an inmate serving a life sentence for the murder of a woman he had kidnapped. He claimed to know details of the Hoffa murder.
But an FBI file reviewed by Hour Detroit stated that the Detroit office considered him “to be a con artist and manipulator” who had done a “masterful job of researching the known public information concerning the FBI’s official position and theories on the Hoffa case.”
The report went on to note that “on January 30, 1996,” the inmate was “unable to provide a specific location for Hoffa’s body. Detroit considers … [the] information to be false and without credibility.”
Former federal officials and investigative reporters have differing opinions. Some believe the plot involved only
Local investigative reporter and author Scott Burnstein, founder of a national website called The Gangster Report, who has organized-crime sources around the country, says he’s not convinced that the New Jersey mob was actually involved in Hoffa’s disappearance.
He believes that while it may have required a consensus from Mafia dons around the country that Hoffa had to go, it was the Detroit mob that did the job, from start to finish, since Hoffa was considered a Detroit asset.
“I’ve heard from multiple people that New Jersey people really didn’t participate,” he says. “But I’m open to the possibility that someone from New Jersey was in the car” that took Hoffa away. “But definitely Billy Giacalone was in the passenger seat and Detroit mobster Anthony ‘Tony Pal’ Palazzolo was in the driver’s seat.”
He believes they drove Hoffa to a house five minutes away down Telegraph Road, where Palazzolo killed him. From there, he says, the body was quickly disposed of — possibly at the Central Sanitation Services incinerator in Hamtramck, which was run by organized-crime figures.
“I believe they probably just shot him in the head, but I’ve also heard from pretty reliable sources that they strangled him,” Burnstein says.
Eric Straus, who worked for the nowdefunct Organized Crime Strike Force and is still a federal prosecutor in Detroit, believes it was a Detroit mob job.
“I’ve always thought that the New Jersey angle was absurd and it was really kind of a red herring that no one should have chased. The Detroit Cosa Nostra was an extremely capable crime family. It didn’t need the New Jersey guys coming to Detroit.”
Washington, D.C., investigative reporter Dan Moldea, who published the book The Hoffa Wars in 1978, immediately came to Detroit after Hoffa vanished and started freelancing for NBC News. He later worked on the story for the Detroit Free Press. To this day, he has never given up on cracking the mystery.
He’s convinced that the New Jersey mob had a heavy hand in the disappearance. He says he was told that Tony Provenzano,
who didn’t want Hoffa returning to power, had put a contract out on Hoffa and that some of his top lieutenants were involved in the killing.
“I actually believe that Tony Provenzano was present for the murder,” Moldea says, adding that he was told by an FBI informant that Provenzano was at Carl’s Chop House on Grand River in Detroit the night before the disappearance, telling someone, “It’s go-
Detroit Free Press photographer Tony Spina snapped this outside Hoffa’s Lake Orion home for the paper’s photo files. Spina’s caption for the series reads: “Little did I know when I took them that Hoffa would disappear later that day. The photos became important in the government investigation of the disappearance.”
“It was unresolved, and the bureau prides itself on bringing resolution to cases — even if it’s years or decades later. We never give up on any case, certainly involving a loss of life.”
—Paul Abbate, former director of the FBI’s Detroit field office
ing to be a great day tomorrow.”
From his reporting, Moldea says, he believes the body was loaded into a 55-gallon drum and shipped by truck and buried adjacent to a former 87-acre landfill in Jersey City, New Jersey — the former PJP Landfill, also known as “Brother Moscato’s Dump.” It was operated by mobster Phil Moscato and Paul Cappola Sr.
Moldea says it was Cappola who, before he died in 2008, told his son Frank that Phil Moscato directed him to bury Hoffa’s body after it arrived. Moldea says that on Sept. 29, 2019, Frank Cappola showed him a small patch of land in which he said the body was buried. In a sworn statement in 2019 to Moldea, Frank Cappola said his father was directed to bury the body at the landfill, but because he believed it was under law enforcement surveillance, he buried it in an adjacent spot.
“My father saw but never handled Hoffa’s dead body,” Cappola said in his statement. He died in 2020.
Moldea says he kept pushing the FBI to dig at the site, and eventually, agents did so
in 2022 but came up empty. He insists “the FBI dug in the wrong spot, not the one place we gave them,” and hasn’t given up on persuading agents to return.
But others, like Straus and Burnstein, are skeptical that the body was ever shipped out of Michigan.
“What criminal group would transport this radioactive body through 30 to 40 police jurisdictions to be buried in an unknown place? It defies logic,” Straus says. “The body had to be disposed of quickly. It had to happen in Michigan. The New Jersey theory just doesn’t make any sense.”
James P. Hoffa agrees, saying, “We really don’t believe he was ever transported from Detroit to New Jersey.”
Mention the 2019 Martin Scorsese film The Irishman, and you’re bound to get a strong reaction from Moldea. The movie, which starred Al Pacino as Hoffa and Robert De Niro as gangster and Teamster official Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran, is based on the 2004 book I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt. In the book, Sheeran, who was also known as a hit man for the Pennsylvania mob, claims to have killed Hoffa at a home in Detroit. Sheeran died in 2003, a year before the book was published. Moldea recounts in 2014, five years before the film was released, inviting De Niro to speak at his twice-yearly gathering of authors at the Old Europe, a German restaurant in northwest Washington, D.C. De Niro had bought the movie rights to the Sheeran book.
Later in the evening, after the actor spoke to the nearly 90 authors in attendance, Moldea says he sat down with the actor and told him the Sheeran account was pure fiction.
“I said, ‘You know, you’re the greatest actor who’s ever lived, but you don’t know shit about the Hoffa case.’ He was not thrilled. I was hoping to get along with him, but he was just declaring that Sheeran had the right story.”
Another unanswered question is whether Chuckie O’Brien, a Teamster who was Hoffa’s former right-hand man and identified himself as his foster son, was involved. The FBI initially suspected he may have driven Hoffa away after the aborted lunch date. He was never charged. O’Brien, who was on the
outs with Hoffa at the time, gave conflicting accounts of his whereabouts. The FBI in 1976 referred to him as a pathological liar.
“I always thought Chuckie O’Brien was involved in some way or another,” James P. Hoffa says. “He certainly knew what was happening.” He says he confronted O’Brien at the Lake Orion house after his father vanished. “I wanted to know where he was the day of the disappearance. I wanted to know what happened, and he left the house in a hurry. That was the last time I spoke to him.”
People like Straus; some FBI investigators; Burnstein; and O’Brien’s stepson, Jack Goldsmith — a former Justice Department official and current law professor at Harvard University — believe he had no involvement and was intentionally kept out of the loop. Straus says O’Brien had had a falling-out with Hoffa and the mob simply wouldn’t have trusted someone like O’Brien to play a role and keep his mouth shut.
In fact, Goldsmith wrote a book, In Hoffa’s Shadow, laying out a convincing case, including a timeline of that day, as to why his stepfather had no role in the death. Still, despite all his efforts, Goldsmith was unable to convince the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Detroit to write a letter clearing O’Brien’s name before O’Brien died in 2020 at age 86.
Former FBI agent Anthony says that even if no one has been charged in the Hoffa murder, the massive probe put a big dent into crime: “As a result of the FBI’s investigative efforts, there were over 1,000 mob guys who were indicted and convicted. The investigation put a lot of heat on organized crime.”
James P. Hoffa says the 50th anniversary is a time to celebrate the good his father did for American workers.
Still, he hasn’t totally given up on the case.
“We are ever vigilant to what goes on,” Hoffa says about himself and his sister, Barbara Ann Crancer, a retired Missouri judge and attorney. “We read all the articles. We do have periodic contact with the FBI. I don’t want to say any more than that.”
Allan Lengel is the editor for Deadline Detroit He previously worked as a reporter for The Washington Post and The Detroit News and taught journalism at the University of Maryland
ARTS, CULTURE, AND OTHER THINGS TO DO
ARTS & CULTURE
AJR, Blues Traveler, Spin Doctors, and more are coming to outdoor music venues near you this month p. 49
ESSAY
Musings from our resident culture conversationalist
BY RYAN PATRICK HOOPER
THE MOST problematic thing about me is that I still measure the success of my year by how well my summer went.
I said this to a close friend once, lamenting that I hadn’t taken advantage of Michigan’s scant summer months and was therefore entering an autumn of regret for not soaking up more sun while I could. He looked at me incredulously and said, “Well, I’m not a kid anymore, so I don’t pin my happiness on a successful summer.”
For a moment, I thought he was right. I felt like an idiot — like an immature little kid.
But now that we’re halfway through the summer, I believe he was terribly wrong.
There are so many rainy, gray days throughout our years in Detroit that I think it’s absolutely imperative that we do everything we can to feel the sun on our skin, to sweat, to call out of work on a beautiful day or when a friend pops into town — or for whatever reason you deem important enough.
And how you go about that is up to you.
For me, something as simple as getting to Belle Isle to lounge and read a book can feel like a major victory. It’s like going to the gym just to use the sauna and do nothing else. I’m proud of anyone for going at all. Setting the wheels in motion usually means that you’ll do more once you arrive.
That could mean spending a little more than you would’ve liked on that summer cabin rental somewhere on the water Up North (we can debate where Up North actually starts another time). Or befriending that person you maybe don’t like that much just so you can get invited to their family’s cottage and not have to spend anything. I’m not judging you!
Whatever brings you bliss in the summer months, I say chase it with abandon. And sure, embracing this sort of blissed-out hedonism can be dangerous.
But the older I get, the more I realize that chasing a childlike dream of having a perfect summer is a valiant pursuit.
This is grim, but when I think about being on my deathbed, I know I won’t say, “I wish I’d worked more. I’m so glad I didn’t call out of work to go to that baseball game. I’m happy I didn’t take a half-day to see that friend from school I hadn’t seen in forever.”
Abandoning responsibility — responsibly — is one of the most rewarding things you can do.
And finding yourself soaking up as much of summer as you can — like a kid numbering the days before they have to go back to school and reality — is a great way to live, if you ask me.
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.).
Scissor Sisters, a pop rock band that recently reunited after 12 years, will perform with Kesha at Pine Knob on July 19.
JULY 6
MUSIC
The Music of John Williams: The Detroit Symphony Orchestra will perform fan-favorite selections from some of the most iconic blockbusters of the last 50 years, including Jaws, Superman, Star Wars, E.T., Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, and more. $39.05+. Meadow Brook Amphitheatre, Rochester Hills; dso.org
JULY 9
MUSIC
PJ Morton: Audiences may recognize this New Orleans-based singer, songwriter, producer, and instrumentalist as the keyboardist for Maroon 5, the wildly successful pop band fronted by vocalist Adam Levine. Morton earned two Grammy Award nominations and widespread critical acclaim for his 2017 solo album Gumbo, which fused elements of R&B, funk, soul, and jazz. $26.75+. Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre, Detroit; ticketmaster.com
JULY 11
MUSIC
Blues Traveler and Gin Blossoms: Relive the best of the ’90s when the bands behind summer anthems like “Run-Around” and “Hey Jealousy” share the Meadow Brook Amphitheatre stage. Fellow ’90s hitmakers Spin Doctors (“Two Princes,” “Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong”) will kick off the show. $46.70+. Meadow Brook Amphitheatre, Rochester Hills; 313presents.com
ARTS & CULTURE
Save the dates for concerts, comedy shows, theater, dance performances, and more
COMPILED BY LAUREN WETHINGTON
JULY 11-13
ART
Art in the Park: More than 400 artists from around the country will display paintings, ceramics, jewelry, sculptures, folk art, and more against the charming backdrop of downtown Plymouth. Expect live music, colorful sidewalk murals, children’s activities, and even interactive theater performances by My Adventure Theater. No cost. Downtown Plymouth; artinthepark.com
JULY 12
MUSIC
Sam Barber: The country singer and songwriter got his first taste of fame on TikTok, where his cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man” racked up big views. After launching a string of original singles — including “Straight and Narrow,”
which boasts 300 million streams on Spotify — Barber dropped his debut album, Restless Mind, late last year.
$48+. Masonic Temple Theatre, Detroit; axs.com
JULY 17-19
ART
Ann Arbor Art Fair: Featuring nearly 1,000 artists and spanning 30 city blocks, this summer tradition in downtown Ann Arbor is made up of three separate events: the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, the Original; The Guild’s Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair; and Ann Arbor State Street District Art Fair. As
JULY 19
MUSIC
Kesha and Scissor Sisters: The party anthem queen will celebrate the drop of her latest album, Period, with a co-headlining tour this summer. Recently reunited glam-poppers Scissor Sisters — best known for ’00s hits like “Take Your Mama” and “I Don’t Feel like Dancin’” — will share the headline spot. Fans will also hear from up-and-coming English singer-songwriter Rose Gray. $43.65+. Pine Knob Music Theatre, Clarkston; 313presents.com
JULY 19
MUSIC
the largest juried art fair in the U.S., it draws artists from around the country and artwork in a variety of mediums, including paint, clay, glass, jewelry, and sculpture. No cost. Downtown Ann Arbor; theannarborartfair.com
JULY 17-19
COMEDY
Pete Holmes: As the creator and star of the HBO comedy series Crashing, Holmes mined his real experiences as a newly divorced comedian to hilarious effect. He also hosts the popular interview podcast You Made It Weird, which invites celebrity guests to share their strangest secrets, and is a frequent guest writer and voice actor on The Simpsons $40. Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle, Royal Oak; comedycastle.com
pianist and YouTube star Scott Bradlee, the troupe features some of the world’s most talented up-and-coming singers, dancers, and instrumentalists. $56+. Fisher Theatre, Detroit; broadwayindetroit.com
JULY 24-27, JULY 31-AUG. 3
THEATER
Shakespeare Royal Oak: Join metro Detroit’s best professional and emerging actors for Shakespeare’s classic Macbeth in Royal Oak’s Starr Jaycee Park. This isn’t your grandma’s Macbeth — director Jeffrey Michael Nahan’s unique rendition gives the classic tale of spells and revenge a unique steampunk twist. Cost TBA. Starr Jaycee Park, Royal Oak; shake speareroyaloak.com
Buddy Guy: The blues icon will extend his historic farewell tour to include a stop at Meadow Brook Amphitheatre this summer, about a week prior to his 89th birthday. Boasting eight Grammy Awards, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, the National Medal of Arts, and Kennedy Center Honors, Guy enjoys a legendary status among guitar players and influenced many of music’s best — including Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, and Keith Richards. $48.75+. Meadow Brook Amphitheatre, Rochester Hills; 313presents.com
JULY 22
THEATER
Postmodern Jukebox: This sprawling musical collective puts a classic spin on the biggest pop hits of today. Led by
JULY 26-27
ART
Orchard Lake Fine Art Show: This two-day juried fair has brought more than 100 talented local and national artists to the heart of West Bloomfield almost every summer since 2003. Browse paintings, sculptures, jewelry, photography, woodwork, and glasswork, as well as enjoy food vendors and a youth art competition. $5. 6925 Daly Road, West Bloomfield; hotworks.org
JULY 29
MUSIC
AJR: Musically talented brothers Adam, Jack, and Ryan Met grew up busking together on the streets of New York City. After their debut single, “I’m Ready,” went viral on Twitter in 2013, the trio landed a recording contract and went on to release hits like “Bang!,” “Weak,” and “Sober Up,” a collaboration with Weezer vocalist Rivers Cuomo. $53.85+. Pine Knob Music Theatre, Clarkston; 313presents.com
FOR THE SECOND TIME since the festival’s start in 2013, country music’s faithful won’t be flocking to Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan, for Faster Horses this summer. A message posted on its website stated it was “taking the year to make plans for a bigger and better Faster Horses,” leaving fans wondering what the future of country music festivals in the Midwest looks like.
Founded by Brian O’Connell, president of country touring and festivals at Live Nation, Faster Horses quickly became known for its hard-partying guests and big-name artists, including Tim McGraw, Morgan Wallen, Jason Aldean, and Luke Combs. The “party of the summer” hasn’t been all laughs and good times, however. There have been numerous accounts of criminal sexual assault (in November 2021, MLive reported there had been 30 reports since 2013) and seven deaths. 2021 proved to be the festival’s deadliest year, with four deaths occurring in a 24-hour period. Three of the four, Kole Sova (19), Dawson Brown (20), and William “Richie” Mays Jr. (20), died of carbon monoxide poisoning while staying overnight together at the Junction campground. The friends — former classmates at Michigan Center High School — installed a generator in the wrong direction to their trailer, causing exhaust to vent back into the camper and exposing the friends to deadly levels of carbon monoxide.
The families of the young men filed a lawsuit against Live Nation and Michigan International Speedway, alleging the shrunken campsites caused an unsafe environment, leaving them no other choice but to install the generator the way they did. The Jackson-based lawyer representing the families, Ron Marienfeld, argued the festival played a role in their deaths.
“Our position is that the campsites were shrunken by a third and it didn’t leave room no matter where you put the generators for proper ventilation,” Marienfeld told Hour Detroit in April 2024.
Michigan music festivals have a fresh face amid the country music “hard-partying” festival’s cancellation
BY WILL REAUME
Marienfeld and his team sought the expertise of an event management specialist, who testified that both the reduced campsite size and lack of proper generator education contributed to the deaths.
The founder of a new country music festival near the Michigan International Speedway hopes to bring a more laid-back vibe to Brooklyn.
“The main thing is there should have been more warning with the size of the campsite, and they should have told them to keep the generator 10 feet away,” Marienfeld said.
The lawsuit, filed in Lenawee County, was struck down in the lower courts, and their decision was upheld in a 2-1 ruling by the Michigan Court of Appeals. Marienfeld’s
application for an appeal was then denied by the state Supreme Court.
Meeka Sova, Kole Sova’s mother, was also in attendance at the 2021 Faster Horses festival. Since the death of their son, Meeka and her husband, Jerry Sova, have returned to the festival every year to hand out carbon monoxide detectors to campers. “People wanted to give us money for them, but we told them we’re doing this because we want to make sure you guys are safe,” Sova told Hour Detroit
The couple started a charity, For the Boys, in September 2022 as a way to honor their
son’s and his friends’ legacies and spread awareness about carbon monoxide poisoning. Since its inception, For the Boys has distributed 2,750 carbon monoxide detectors.
While the festival’s pause in 2025 does not appear to be related to incidents from previous years, it has rekindled discussions regarding festival safety and the culture surrounding Faster Horses. Hour Detroit contacted Live Nation for comment, but the organization could not be reached.
While there is no Faster Horses festival this year, there is something nearby for music fans over at The Groves of Michigan campground, a little over a mile from the Michigan International Speedway.
The Country Roads Music Festival — which takes place Friday, July 18, to Sunday, July 20 — is offering three days of music and festivities.
Founder Darci Keyes, who purchased The Groves of Michigan two years ago, hopes to inject a more intimate, laid-back vibe into the small Irish Hills community. She also wants to take advantage of an abundance of homegrown talent, putting the spotlight on country artists from Michigan and the Midwest.
“A lot of the bands play around the area at The Machine Shop [Flint] or District 142 [Wyandotte],” she says. “All in all, we will have about 20 Michigan bands.”
Michigan artists like The Gasoline Gypsies, the Family Tradition Band, BlueSkye, and Louie Lee will be performing onstage and around bonfires located throughout the campground. While many of the supporting acts are local, Keyes tapped out-of-towners Restless Road, Colt Ford, and Drew Baldridge to headline Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Keyes plans to have something for everyone at her festival, including an art gallery in the woods, cornhole tournaments, morning 3K trail walks around the approximately 215-acre property, food vendors and a drink tent, and perhaps a barbecue competition between food trucks.
Keyes purchased the campground with the intention “to do some small festivals,” she says. “I don’t think we had a country music festival in our plans because of Faster Horses. But when they canceled, we [knew] there would be somewhat of a void for country music in the area.”
Plus, for many local campgrounds and small businesses in Brooklyn, the July “hillbilly sleepover” that called Michigan International Speedway home for more than a decade provided an essential economic boost. Faster Horses has drawn upwards of 40,000 attendees to Lenawee County, a region home to fewer than 100,000 residents.
She wants to make it clear the Country Roads Music Festival will be a much different scene from Faster Horses.
“I think there are a lot of people that stayed away from Faster Horses or that went to Faster Horses and didn’t go anymore just because it had kind of gotten big and had gotten to be more of a party scene,” Keyes says. “And that wasn’t necessarily their jam. So I think that we cater to slightly different demographics and crowds.”
Keyes emphasizes her commitment to providing a safe, enjoyable experience for campers at The Groves, which has 1,600 campsites.
“We’re definitely very conscious about making sure people are safe and making sure we don’t have generators where the tents are,” Keyes says. “And where the RVs are, they have to be more than 6 feet away from the RV. We’ll also have EMTs on-site 24 hours a day the whole weekend.”
Whether or not Faster Horses does make a comeback, Keyes sees a place for the new festival to continue. “I think we would keep it and just move it a bit later in the season,” she says. “As long as it’s successful and people want to come here, I think there’s room for both of them.”
BY LAUREN WETHINGTON EVENTS
JUNE 20-AUG. 16
Young Americans Dinner Theatre: Broadway-style theater dinner with a rich and extensive history. The Highlands, Harbor Springs; highlandsharborsprings.com
JUNE 28-JULY 5
National Cherry Festival: A Michigan tradition for nearly 100 years. Multiple venues, Traverse City; cherryfestival.org
JULY 1-31
Mementos: Huntington Woods native Julie Muszynski’s first solo painting exhibition presents a nostalgic story of summers on Mackinac Island. The NYC- and Detroit-based artist/ designer once worked as a host at Hotel Iroquois. Mackinac Island Public Library, Mackinac Island; find them on Facebook
JULY 8-12
Alpenfest: Live music, which includes performances from the Petoskey Steel Drum Band and Mainstreet Soul, and a fun run in the heart of Gaylord. Downtown Gaylord; gaylordalpenfest.com
JULY 11-13
Blissfest Music Festival: Annual folk and roots festival featuring camping and family activities. Blissfest Festival Farm, Harbor Springs; blissfest.org
JULY 19-26
Charlevoix Venetian Festival: Music, carnival rides, art, parades, and more. Downtown Charlevoix; venetianfestival.com
AUG. 5-9
Western Michigan Fair: Animal shows, games, and rides for the whole family. Mason County Fairgrounds, Ludington; masoncountyfairgrounds.com
AUG. 21-23
HarborFest: Three days of live music on the lake. Lower Harbor, Marquette; marquettewestrotary.org
FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATIONS
These scenic destinations o er fireworks, parades, and family fun on Independence Day: Boyne City Harbor Springs Petoskey Mackinaw City Mackinac Island
When it comes to dental care, expertise matters. Whether you’re seeking relief from tooth pain, looking to correct a bite issue, or aiming to ensure your child’s development is on track, choosing the right specialist can make all the difference. That’s where Hour Detroit’s Top Dentists list comes in. This special section is designed to help connect metro Detroit residents with highly respected professionals across key dental specialties.
On the following pages, you’ll find a curated list of toprated general dentists, endodontists, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, orthodontists, pediatric dentists, periodontists, and prosthodontists. These are the professionals whom other dentists trust; their names were put forward through a peer survey of licensed dental practitioners in the community. Each nomination was then carefully vetted based on licensure and good standing with Michigan’s regulatory bodies.
The specialties represented in this list cover a wide range of critical services. Endodontists treat problems inside the tooth, performing procedures such as root canals. General dentists do routine exams and procedures such as fillings. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons handle everything from jaw surgery to dental implants. Orthodontists specialize in aligning teeth and correcting bites using braces or clear aligners. Pediatric dentists are trained to manage the unique dental needs of children, helping them build healthy habits early. Periodontists treat gum disease and place dental implants. And prosthodontists focus on restoring and replacing teeth to improve both function and appearance. Your oral health is a vital part of your overall well-being. With this trusted guide, you can feel confident knowing you’re in skilled, well-qualified hands, no matter your dental needs.
Sarmad Alyas, D.D.S., M.S.D. Everest Endodontics
Troy
Ali Aminlari, D.D.S., M.S. A2 Endodontics Ann Arbor
Vajra Bentur, D.D.S. Professional Endodontics Southfield
Young Bin Bok, D.D.S., M.S. Root Canal Specialty Associates Ann Arbor
Dominic Calek, DDS
Bay Pointe Endodontics 35054 23 Mile Road Building B, Suite 105 New Baltimore, MI 48047 586-725-0200 baypointe@endodoctors.com endodoctors.com
Tiffeny Chimelak, D.D.S. Endodontic Associates Novi
Ashley Coulter, D.M.D.
Signature Endodontics St. Clair Shores
Carolina Cucco, D.D.S., M.S., Ph.D. Root Canal Specialty Associates West Bloomfield
Nils E. Danielson, D.D.S., M.S. Danielson Endodontics, P.L.L.C. Clawson
Timothy Daws, D.D.S. Orchard Endodontics Shelby Township
Gianni DeCarolis, D.M.D. Endodontic Associates Bloomfield Hills
Derik P. DeConinck, D.D.S.
Michigan Endodontics, P.C. Warren
Erich A. Dittmar, D.D.S., M.S.D. Kensington Valley Endodontics Brighton
Craig Duhaime, D.D.S. Endodontic Associates Clarkston
Steven Edlund, D.D.S., M.S.
Root Canal Specialty Associates Ann Arbor
Todd V. Ester, D.D.S.
Renaissance Endodontics, P.L.L.C. Southfield
Michael Glass, D.D.S. Endodontic Associates
Rochester
George T. Goodis
DDS, M.S.
Goodis Endodontics 20175 Mack Ave. Grosse Pointe Woods, MI 48236 313-886-4040 gtgoodis@endodoctors.com endodoctors.com
Brad G. Griffin, D.D.S. Renaissance Endodontics, P.L.L.C. Southfield
Gerald J. Halk
DDS, M.S., J.D., LLM
Sterling Endodontics 41400 Dequindre Road Suite 125 Sterling Heights, MI 48314 586-726-1999 sterling@endodoctors.com endodoctors.com
Bradley A. Hirschman, D.D.S. Advanced Endodontics
Novi
Carolin Ibrahim, D.D.S., M.S.D.
Everest Endodontics
Troy
David Karwacki, D.D.S.
Endodontic Associates
Farmington Hills
Lindsey LaLonde, D.D.S.
Orchard Endodontics
Shelby Township
Jay Lang, D.D.S., M.S. Orchard Endodontics
Shelby Township
Amruta Mahajan, D.D.S.
Endodontic Associates
Farmington Hills
Jeffery Marderosian, D.D.S. Professional Endodontics
Southfield
Stephen T. McInerney DDS, M.S.
Root Canal Specialists 31100 Telegraph Road Suite 120 Bingham Farms, MI 48025 248-540-9191 info@rootcanalspecialistspc.com rootcanalspecialistspc.com
Christopher McWatters, D.D.S., M.S. Root Canal Specialty Associates
Ann Arbor
Brian Meade, D.D.S., M.S. Brian Meade Endodontic Specialist Ypsilanti
Kimberly K. Melegari, D.D.S. Signature Endodontics St. Clair Shores
Jeremy Michaelson, D.M.D. Endodontics, P.C. Canton
Stephen Navarre, D.D.S. Endodontic Associates Clinton Township
Gabrielle Noory, D.D.S. Professional Endodontics Southfield
James Nowicki, D.D.S. Endodontic Associates
Rochester
Andrew Racek, D.D.S., M.S. Root Canal Specialty Associates Ann Arbor
Eric Richardson, D.D.S. Professional Endodontics Southfield
Mark J. Robinson, D.D.S. Endodontic Associates Ann Arbor
Ross Ryan, D.D.S. Bloomfield Endodontics Bloomfield Hills
Robert Rybicki, D.D.S. Novi Endodontics Novi
Andrew Schoelch, D.D.S. Professional Endodontics Southfield
Mark Shallal-Ayzin, D.D.S. Endodontic Associates Commerce Township
Michael Shapiro, D.M.D., M.S. Root Canal Specialty Associates West Bloomfield
Louis Shoha, D.D.S., M.S. Professional Endodontics Clarkston
Steve Shoha, D.D.S. Professional Endodontics Southfield
Chad Speirs, D.M.D. Aether Endo | Integrative & Contemporary Endodontics Birmingham
Rachel Stockhausen, D.D.S., M.S. Precision Endodontics Livonia
James Thomas, D.D.S., M.S. Rochester Endodontics, P.L.L.C. Rochester Hills
Andrea Tory, D.D.S., M.S. Parkside Endodontics Canton
Steve J. Vlahakis, D.D.S. Plymouth Endodontics Plymouth
Dmitry Vodopyanov, D.D.S., M.S. Root Canal Specialty Associates West Bloomfield
Thomas Vokal, D.D.S., M.S. Macomb Endodontics Chesterfield
Mayank D. Vora, D.D.S., M.S. Roots Endodontics, P.L.C. Brighton
Hassan Yehia, D.D.S., M.S. Endodontic Center Royal Oak
Edgardo Zuniga DDS, M.S. Lyon Endodontics, PLC 112 E. Lake St. South Lyon MI 48178 248-617-3747 office@samedayrootcanal.com samedayrootcanal.com
Michael Zuroff, D.D.S., FICD, FPA Endodontics, P.C. Dearborn
Nicholas M. Abdallah, D.D.S. Arch Dental Madison Heights
Gigi Algenio, D.D.S. Dr. Gigi Algenio’s Family Dental Shelby Township
Alexander J. Alkass, D.D.S. Alkass Dental Waterford
Michelle Andrusyszyn DDS
CSW Dental 5710 Whitmore Lake Road Brighton, MI 48116 810-229-9346 records@cswdds.com cswdds.com
Leena Bahu, D.D.S., F.A.G.D. Elite Dental Care West Bloomfield
David Banooni, D.D.S. Lifetime Dental Group South Lyon
Dolores Baran, DDS Royal Oak Dentist 1103 N. Main St. Royal Oak, MI 48067 248-548-1440 drbarancommunications @gmail.com royaloaksmiles.com
William G. Bender, D.D.S.
William G. Bender, D.D.S., P.C. Grosse Pointe Woods
Richard Bernstein, DDS, Fellow ASDA
Richard S. Bernstein, DDS 31158 Haggerty Road Farmington Hills, MI 48331 248-661-8700 info@smiledesigner.net smiledesigner.net
Edward Borio, D.D.S.
Edward A. Borio, D.D.S. Bloomfield Hills
Ana Brajak, D.D.S.
Preferred Dental Practice Eastpointe
Jessica Brisbois, D.D.S. Farmington Smiles Farmington
John F. Brucia, D.D.S.
John F. Brucia, D.D.S., P.C. Warren
William D. Campbell, D.D.S.
William D. Campbell D.D.S., P.C.
Sterling Heights
Carly Cassleman, D.D.S. St. Clair Tooth Co. St. Clair Shores
Evan Castile, D.D.S.
Castile Dental Group Shelby Township
Majella Caven-Nwagwu, D.D.S.
Anchor Dental Commerce Township
Noah D. Cohen, D.D.S.
Parkside Dental Team
Westland
Sam Cohen, D.M.D.
Parkside Dental Team Westland
Steven Cohen, D.D.S.
Parkside Dental Team Westland
Anita Dallo, D.D.S. Commerce Dental Group Commerce Township
Paul Darmon, D.D.S.
Paul Darmon, D.D.S., P.C. Beverly Hills
Christopher Degenhardt, D.D.S.
Degenhardt Dental
Troy
Theodore Degenhardt III, D.D.S.
Degenhardt Dental
Troy
Maryann L. Best, D.D.S. Motyl & Best Dentistry Birmingham
Daniel R. Blazo, D.D.S. Advanced Smile Dearborn
Tim DeMeulenaere, D.D.S.
Preferred Dental Practice Eastpointe
Robert DiPilla, D.D.S.
Dr. Robert DiPilla, D.D.S. Birmingham
Michael DiRezze, D.D.S. Pointe Prosthodontics Grosse Pointe Woods
Ami Pranav Doshi, D.D.S. Whole Dental Wellness Birmingham
Angela M. Douglas, D.D.S. Henry Ford Cancer Detroit
Horacio Falcón, DDS Falcón Dental Group 20690 Vernier Road Harper Woods, MI 48225 313-884-3050 info@falcondentalgroup.com falcondentalgroup.com
Jennifer S. Fanti, D.D.S. Southgate Dental Southgate
Daniel C. Fischer, D.D.S. Fischer Family Dentistry Garden City
Bruce R. Fisher, D.D.S. Plymouth Family Dentistry Plymouth
Natalie S. Gaida, D.D.S. J.L. Colon Dentistry Roseville
Kelly M. Giera, D.D.S. Mosaic Dental Troy
Raphael V. Goldstein, D.D.S. Goldstein Dental Group, P.L.L.C. Novi
Linda Goodman, D.D.S. MayFair Dental Associates Farmington Hills
Chris Gorecki, D.D.S. Marlow Family Dental Warren
Kevin D. Groth, D.D.S., F.A.G.D. Groth Dental Bingham Farms
Steven D. Gustafson, D.D.S. Gustafson Morningstar Dentistry Royal Oak
Bruce Hagelthorn, D.D.S. LakeView Family Dental Livonia
Alaa K. Hermiz, D.D.S. Dr. Alaa K. Hermiz, D.D.S. Oak Park
Shiva Hogugi, D.D.S. LakeView Family Dental Keego Harbor
Kevin M. Homer, D.D.S. Edward Street Dental, P.C. Madison Heights
Alexander J. Hunt, D.D.S. Distinctive Dental Smiles Brighton
Brian J. Hunt, DDS
Dr. Brian J. Hunt, DDS 24641 Jefferson Ave. St. Clair Shores, MI 48080 586-772-7373 info@brianjhuntdds.com brianjhuntdds.com
Veronica Jabero, D.D.S. Southfield Dentistry Southfield
Stephen E. Jacobson, D.D.S. Jacobson Dental Group Walled Lake
Jeffrey Jaghab, D.D.S. Drs. Jeffrey and Stephanie Jaghab & Associates Northville
Martin G. Janower, D.D.S. Janower and Monkman Dentistry Madison Heights
Quanda Johnson, D.D.S. Today’s Smile Family & Cosmetic Dentistry Oak Park
Jessica J. Kakos DDS
Kakos Dental 6621 W. Maple Road Suite 200 West Bloomfield, MI 48322 248-489-5950 kakosdental.com
Joel R. Kerwin, D.D.S. Hartland Smilemakers Hartland
Shadi Krecht, D.M.D., M.S. Shadi Krecht, D.M.D. Plymouth
Daia Orthodontics & TMJ Orthopedics is responsible for many beautiful smiles in Southeast Michigan. The Rochester Hills practice was founded in 1975 by Dr. William Molloy, a phenomenal orthodontist who recently retired. Dr. Molloy passed the torch in 2016 to Dr. Hadi Daia, an internationally acclaimed orthodontist, a fellow of The Royal College of Dentists of Canada, and a diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics and the American Board of Orofacial Pain. After Dr. Daia published his book, Low Level Laser Therapy for Management of Temporomandibular Disorders, in 2011, compiling years of research and clinical trials, he entered the practice of orthodontics.
“A smile can change our lives,” Dr. Daia says. “It is our introduction to impress at a job interview, a date, a graduation, and walking down the aisle. We want to make this process as easy and efficient as possible in a fun environment operated by enthusiastic, experienced, and gifted professionals.”
The team at Daia Orthodontics & TMJ Orthopedics utilizes cutting-edge technologies to provide a precise diagnosis and personalized, comprehensive treatment plans that are unique for every patient. As one of Invisalign’s Top 1% Diamond Providers and an expert in digital orthodontics, Dr. Daia, along with his team, is equipped to offer several treatment modalities, including discreet, clear aligners.
If you are struggling with a TMJ disorder, jaw pain, burning mouth syndrome, or headaches, your consultation would be focused on navigating the complexities of the jaw, head, and neck parafunction using neuromuscular and orthopedic approaches.
Dr. Daia invites you to schedule an evaluation to get a beautiful, healthy, functional smile. ■
Oleg Krivichkin, D.D.S.
Southfield Family Dental Center Southfield
Eric M. Kruske, D.D.S. Farmbrook Dental Group Bloomfield Hills
Erin Leppek, D.D.S. LakeView Family Dental Southfield
Ryan Madek, D.M.D. Madek Family Dentistry Commerce Township
Kevin Malerman, D.D.S. Lifetime Dental Group West Bloomfield Township
Michael J. Marderosian, D.D.S. Farmbrook Dental Group Bloomfield Hills
Cole P. McCloskey, D.D.S. PGS Dentistry - Chesterfield Family Dentistry Chesterfield
Mitchell S. Milan, D.D.S. Birmingham Center for Cosmetic Dentistry, P.C. Birmingham
Renee C. Miller, D.D.S.
Dr. Renee C. Miller, D.D.S. Grosse Pointe Woods
Courtney Miller-Reid, D.D.S. Farmington Smiles Farmington
Andrea B. Monkman, D.D.S. Janower and Monkman Dentistry Madison Heights
Daniel Murphy, D.D.S. Daniel P. Murphy, D.D.S. Trenton
Robert G. Nakisher, D.D.S., F.A.G.D. LakeView Family Dental West Bloomfield
Matthew D. Nona, D.D.S. Nona Dental Farmington Hills
William Palm, D.D.S. Palm Family Dental Huntington Woods
Dorothy A. Pasikowski, D.D.S.
Dorothy Pasikowski, D.D.S. Berkley
Alexandra Peri, DDS MI-nt Dental 44004 Woodward Ave. Suite 200 Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302 248-334-3888 smiles@mi-ntdental.com mi-ntdental.com
Jennifer Persichetti, D.D.S. Persichetti Dental Clinton Township
Frank T. Petruzzello, D.D.S. Briarwood Dental Sterling Heights
Nicholas Reid, D.D.S. Farmington Smiles Farmington
Daniel Rogers, D.D.S. Parkside Dental Team Westland
Michael Saba, D.D.S. Brush Rinse Floss Shelby Township
Ogie Sabageh DDS
Whole Dental Wellness 35106 Woodward Ave. Birmingham, MI 48009 248-645-1060 birmingham@wholedental.com wholedental.com
Meena Kishan Sabnis, D.D.S. Jacobson Dental Group Walled Lake
David Salah, D.D.S. Progressive Dental Group Novi
Rebecca Schwarcz DDS
Whole Dental Wellness 21055 12 Mile Road Roseville, MI 48066 586-772-0100 roseville@wholedental.com wholedental.com
Pria Shoha, D.D.S. BioDentistry MI Bloomfield Hills
Sue Shoha, D.D.S. BioDentistry MI Bloomfield Hills
David Sorial, DDS
Smile Farmington Hills, PC 32931 Middlebelt Road Suite 612 Farmington Hills, MI 48334 248-626-9915 smilefh21@gmail.com smilefarmingtonhills.com
Adam Stachler, D.D.S. Plymouth Family Dentistry Plymouth
Scott Stinnet, D.D.S. LakeView Family Dental West Bloomfield
James Tangalos DMD
Whole Dental Wellness 21055 12 Mile Road Roseville, MI 48066 586-772-0100 roseville@wholedental.com wholedental.com
Brittany VanBuskirk, D.D.S. VanBuskirk Dental Troy
Enkelejda Veizaj, D.D.S. Wyandotte Family Dental Wyandotte
Suela Veizaj, D.D.S. Wyandotte Family Dental Wyandotte
John F. Vinckier, D.D.S. Today’s Orthodontics & Pediatric Dentistry Novi
Timothy Visger, D.D.S. Bruce E. Hulscher, D.D.S. & Associates Walled Lake
Kimberly I. Vogel, D.D.S. Today’s Orthodontics & Pediatric Dentistry Novi
Jeffrey E. Watzman, D.D.S. Edward Street Dental, P.C. Madison Heights
Jeffrey L. Weinfeld, D.D.S.
Jeffrey L. Weinfeld, D.D.S. West Bloomfield
David Whalen, D.D.S. Cosmetic Dentistry Institute Troy
Tara Wilson, DDS CSW Dental 5710 Whitmore Lake Road Brighton, MI 48116 810-229-9346 records@cswdds.com cswdds.com
Mark E. Wolowiec, D.D.S. Farmbrook Dental Group Bloomfield Hills
Natasha Yest, D.D.S. Gentle Family Dentistry of South Lyon South Lyon
David Zamler, D.D.S. M1 Dentistry Pleasant Ridge
Maha Zetouna, D.D.S. Modern Dental Family and Cosmetic Dentistry Macomb
Zaid W. Abu-Seir, D.D.S. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Associates of Michigan, P.C. Farmington Hills
Joe Alamat, D.D.S., M.D., M.S. Alamat Oral Surgery Group Shelby Township
Jonathon Anderson, D.D.S. Birmingham OMS, P.L.C. Birmingham
Benjamin T. Barbetta, D.M.D., M.D. Henry Ford Hospital Detroit
B. Sedki, D.D.S.
B. Sedki D.D.S. Commerce Township
Ricardo Seir, D.D.S. Parkside Dental Team Westland
Gary J. Warr, D.D.S. Beacon Square Dentistry Southfield
John P. Warr, D.D.S. Towne Center Dentistry Waterford
Norman Betts, D.D.S., M.S. Trillium Oral Surgery and Implantology Plymouth
Chad E. Betz, D.D.S. Specialized Surgeons Livonia
Dr. Tara Wilson is one of six experienced practitioners at CSW Dental Associates in Brighton. Even though the practice is large, patients benefit from a consistent and personalized approach, receiving care from the same dentist at every visit. “We cultivate long-term relationships with our patients,” Dr. Wilson says. “I have had the privilege of caring for individuals since childhood, many of whom now bring their own children to our practice.”
With over two decades of experience since beginning her practice in 1999, Dr. Wilson has developed a particular passion for smile makeovers, especially using veneers and crowns. “ ese treatments often have a profound impact on a patient’s confidence and self-image,” she explains. “It is incredibly rewarding to witness the transformation of someone who has spent years hiding their smile finally beaming with pride. Your smile is truly the signature of your personality.”
Dr. Wilson and her colleagues prioritize both patient care and community well-being. Every hygiene appointment includes a blood pressure screening and an oral cancer examination — preventive measures that have led to the early detection of serious conditions. “We’ve identified high blood pressure and oral lesions in many patients, which has allowed them to seek timely medical intervention — often lifesaving,” Dr. Wilson says. e practice off ers a comprehensive range of services, including general and cosmetic dentistry, implant restoration, and ClearCorrect orthodontics. Equipped with advanced dental technology, the office ensures patients receive the highest standard of modern care. is includes digital scanning systems that enhance accuracy in treatment planning and help patients better understand their oral health through 3D imaging.
Dr. Wilson also emphasizes patient education, taking time to explain the distinction between necessary health treatments, optimal solutions, and elective aesthetic options. She works closely with each patient to anticipate future dental needs and promote preventive care.
“As we age, our teeth naturally undergo changes,” she says. “Ongoing preventive care and early intervention are essential to maintaining lifelong oral health.” ■
CSW Dental Associates 5710 Whitmore Lake Road, Brighton, MI 48116 810-229-9346 | cswdds.com
Thomas Bolten, D.D.S., M.D. Michigan OMS West Bloomfield
Fredric L. Bonine, D.D.S., M.S., P.C. Dr. Fredric L. Bonine, D.D.S., M.S., P.C. Brighton
Nicholas Bournias, D.D.S. Michigan OMS Clinton Township
Henry G. Bryan, D.D.S.
Henry G Bryan, D.D.S. Roseville
Colonya Calhoun DDS, Ph.D., Oral Surgeon Lakeshore Dental Specialists x TDR Specialists in Orthodontics 18501 E. Eight Mile Road Eastpointe, MI 48021 586-777-0260 office@dentalspecialistsdetroit.com dentalimplantsdetroit.com
Robert Chames, D.D.S.
Oakland Oral Surgery & Dental Implant Center Novi
Jeffrey S. Cohen, D.D.S.
Lakes Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, P.C. West Bloomfield
David Coviak, D.D.S., M.D.
Summit Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Rochester Hills
Sean P. Edwards, D.D.S., M.D. University of Michigan Health - Oral Surgery Procedure Unit Ann Arbor
Yuksel Erpardo DDS, Ph.D. Center for Implant Dentistry & Oral Surgery 28124 Orchard Lake Rd., Ste. 100 Farmington Hills, MI 48334 248-702-6622 info@c4implantdentistry.com drerpardo.com
Dexter K. Flemming, D.D.S., M.S.
Michigan Center for Oral Surgery
Southgate
Gary Forgach, D.D.S.
Bloomfield Oral Surgery
Bloomfield Hills
Arvind Gulati, D.D.S.
Novi Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
Novi
Anish Gupta, D.D.S.
Lyon Dental Implants and Oral Surgery
New Hudson
John Hackenberger, D.D.S.
Summit Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
Grosse Pointe Woods
Joseph Hildebrand, D.D.S.
Dr. Joseph Hildebrand, D.D.S., P.C.
Shelby Township
Paul Ho, D.D.S.
Southshore Oral Surgery Brownstown
Frank Holecek, D.D.S.
Oakland Dental Care
Rochester Hills
Marvin Jabero, D.D.S.
Oral & Facial Surgeons of Michigan Hartland
Carolyn John, D.D.S.
Seven Oaks Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstructive Surgeons
Lake Orion
Robert John, M.D., DDS
Troy Oral Surgery 1500 W. Big Beaver Road Suite 110 Troy, MI 48084 248-665-8769 info@troyoralsurgery.com troyoralsurgery.com
Anthony C. Fasi, D.D.S.
Michigan Oral Surgeons Ann Arbor
Norbert E. Fernandez, D.D.S. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of Ann Arbor Ann Arbor
Adam Fisher, D.M.D.
Saline Oral Facial & Dental Implant Surgery
Saline
Bryan Johnson, D.D.S.
Oral & Facial Surgeons of Michigan
Clarkston
Anthony E. Kasper, D.D.S., O.M.F.S.
Keystone Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, P.C.
Clinton Township
P. Andrew Kissoondial, D.D.S.
Oakland Oral Surgery & Dental Implant Center
Sterling Heights
Michael Kraemer, D.M.D., M.D.
Summit Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
Rochester Hills
Vejayan Krishnan, D.D.S.
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Associates of Michigan, P.C. Farmington Hills
Arshi Lehal, D.D.S., M.D.
Summit Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Rochester Hills
Sanjot Lehal, D.D.S. Bloomfield Oral Surgery Bloomfield Hills
Nick Leone, D.D.S.
Nick Leone, D.D.S. St. Clair Shores
Claude LeRose, D.D.S., M.D., FACS
Summit Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
Grosse Pointe Woods
Robert Lesneski, D.D.S.
Greater Michigan Oral Surgeons & Dental Implant Center
Oxford
Paul C. Lopez, D.D.S.
Michigan Oral Surgeons
Ann Arbor
Jeffery A. McFadden, D.D.S.
Specialized Surgeons
Livonia
Andrew T. Meram, D.D.S., M.D.
Oral & Facial Surgeons of Michigan Brighton
Jack Moores, D.D.S.
Oakland Oral Surgery & Dental Implant Center Livonia
Ronald P. Morris, D.D.S.
Downriver Surgery Center Wyandotte
James A. Muller II, D.D.S., M.D.
The Huntington Group, P.C. Huntington Woods
Brian Murphy, D.D.S. Michigan OMS Clinton Township
Derek Nykiel, D.D.S., M.D.
Bingham Farms Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Bingham Farms
Suzanne Pasternak, D.D.S., M.D.
Superior Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
Rochester Hills
Aaron M. Pokorny, D.D.S., M.D.
Rochester Hills Oral Surgery
Rochester Hills
Carlos A. Ramirez-Neyra, D.D.S., M.D.
Henry Ford Center for Head and Neck Maxillofacial and Reconstructive Surgery
Warren
Paul A. Renke, D.D.S. Rochester Hills Oral Surgery Rochester Hills
David M. Rombach, D.D.S., M.D. The Huntington Group, P.C. Huntington Woods
Aaron Ruskin, D.D.S. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Associates of Michigan, P.C. Farmington Hills
Christopher Sanker, D.D.S., M.D. Michigan Oral Surgeons Ann Arbor
Timothy Schmakel, D.D.S., M.D. Bingham Farms Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Bingham Farms
Russell Sclafani, D.D.S., M.D. Summit Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Rochester Hills
Kathryn A. Sonpal, D.D.S. Rochester Hills Oral Surgery Rochester Hills
David Szandzik, D.D.S. Summit Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Grosse Pointe Woods
William Lee Thompson, D.D.S., M.D. iCare Oral Surgery Commerce Township
Kyle Thorsrud, D.D.S. Southshore Oral Surgery Brownstown
Jeffrey Wasielewski, D.D.S. Trillium Oral Surgery and Implantology Plymouth
Jeevaka Yapa, D.D.S. Yapa Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Southfield
Susan Abed, D.D.S. Abed Orthodontics Brownstown Charter Township
Maggie Anderson, D.D.S., M.S. Drs. Nolan & Guest Orthodontics Canton
Philip Badalamenti, D.D.S. Badalamenti-Ferlito Orthodontics St. Clair Shores
“In a time when technology moves fast and life moves even faster, the heart of dentistry should remain constant,” says Dr. Jessica Kakos. “It should always center on the patient — their health, their comfort, their story.”
With over 21 years of experience and a thriving multilocation practice, Dr. Kakos has built her career on ethics, integrity, and a deeply personal approach to care. A proud graduate of the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry, she views dentistry as a true blessing. “I’ve always considered my skill a gift to serve others,” she says.
As the field evolves, patients now have access to advanced tools and treatments that can restore not just oral health but confidence and quality of life. Dr. Kakos embraces the latest technology — from digital imaging to leading-edge cosmetic and restorative solutions — not just for innovation’s sake, but to enhance care.
“It’s an incredibly rewarding time to be in this profession,” she says. “There’s greater opportunity to enhance overall well-being — but no matter how far we progress, the patient must always come first. Dentistry isn’t a business to me. It’s a calling — rooted in trust, honesty, and caring for the whole person, not just their teeth.”
A mother of four, Dr. Kakos understands the importance of balance and connection. “Being present — with patients, my team, and my family — has always been a priority for me,” she says. “It’s important to take the time to check in on people’s lives, not just their dental needs.”
At Kakos Dental, that philosophy comes through clearly. The focus goes beyond cosmetic and general dentistry. Patients of all ages — including secondand third-generation families — are welcomed with warmth and compassion.
Outside the office, Dr. Kakos gives back through care for underserved communities, support for student-athletes, and a heart for service. “Helping others and building lifelong relationships — that’s the greatest reward.” ■
Jessica J. Kakos, DDS Kakos Dental
Bloomfield Hills
6443 Inkster Road, Suite 176 Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301
248-855-4143
Royal Oak 122 Catalpa Drive Royal Oak, MI 48067
248-398-7880
West Bloomfield
6621 W. Maple Road, Suite 200 West Bloomfield, MI 48322
248-489-5950
kakosdental.com
Marsha L. Beattie, D.D.S. Hersh Beattie Isenberg Orthodontics West Bloomfield Township
Mark Berkman, D.D.S. Outstanding Orthodontics Commerce Township
Mark A. Bieszki, D.D.S., M.S. Macomb Orthodontics Macomb Township
Dr. Jen Bonamici
Reynolds Orthodontics 4299 Orchard Lake Road Suite 196 West Bloomfield, MI 48323 248-344-8400 info@myamazingsmile.com myamazingsmile.com
Thomas J. Borgula, D.D.S., M.S.
Thomas J. Borgula, D.D.S., M.S. Shelby Township
George Bork, D.D.S. TDR Specialists in Orthodontics Novi
Richard Bruno, D.D.S. Clawson Orthodontics Clawson
Eric Brust, D.D.S. SBK Orthodontics Ann Arbor
Bridget Bushon-Miller, D.D.S., M.S. Sterling Orthodontics Sterling Heights
Jade Cook, D.D.S., M.S. Petrous Orthodontics Royal Oak
Ulla Crouse, D.D.S., Ph.D. Brighton Orthodontics Brighton
Andrew Daabous, D.D.S. LakePointe Orthodontics St. Clair Shores
Hadi Daia, DDS M.S., FRCD(C) Daia Orthodontics & TMJ Orthopedics 930 W. Avon Road, Ste. 16 Rochester Hills, MI 48307 248-652-1244 smile@daiaortho.com daiaortho.com
Steve Degenhardt, D.D.S., M.S.
Birmingham and Milford Orthodontic Specialists
Birmingham
Andrew DeHaan, D.D.S. DeHaan Orthodontics
Lake Orion
Archana Dhawan, D.D.S., M.S.
Oakland Orthodontics
Troy
Kathy Elias, D.M.D., Ph.D.
Elias Orthodontics
Dearborn
Cynthia L. Fee, D.D.S., M.S. Plymouth Orthodontics
Plymouth
Thomas Fredal DDS, MSD
Fredal Orthodontics
7827 25 Mile Road Shelby Twp., MI 48316 586-544-4440 info@fredalortho.com fredalortho.com
Dori Freeland, D.D.S., M.S. Freeland Orthodontics Lake Orion
Richard F. Frenchi, D.D.S., M.S. LakePointe Orthodontics St. Clair Shores
Thomas Gebeck, D.D.S., M.S. Dr. Hummon & Dr. Gebeck - Orthodontic Associates P.C. Birmingham
Renée E. Geran, D.D.S., M.S. South Lyon Orthodontics
South Lyon
Robert W. Goodman, D.D.S., M.S.
Maple Orthodontics
West Bloomfield
Sindy Goodman, D.D.S., M.S., MBA
Maple Orthodontics
West Bloomfield
Christian Groth, D.D.S., M.S.
TDR Specialists in Orthodontics
Birmingham
Susie Guest, D.D.S., M.S.
Drs. Nolan & Guest Orthodontics
Canton
Thomas A. Hamway, D.D.S., M.S.
TNT Orthodontics
Brighton
Michael R. Hardy, D.D.S., M.S.
Metropolitan Dental Center Waterford Township
Aaron M. Havens, D.D.S., M.S. Havens Orthodontics
St. Clair Shores
David C. Havens, D.D.S., M.S. Havens Orthodontics
St. Clair Shores
Jessica Hazzard, D.D.S., M.S.D. Today’s Orthodontics & Pediatric Dentistry Livonia
Gregory Hummon, D.D.S., M.S. Dr. Hummon & Dr. GebeckOrthodontic Associates, P.C. Birmingham
Rodney Hyduk, D.D.S., M.S.D. Ortho by Hyduk
Troy
Amy Noble Isenberg, D.D.S. Hersh Beattie Isenberg Orthodontics West Bloomfield Township
Nicole M. Jane, D.D.S. The Big Smile Orthodontics Livonia
Brynn Jezdimir, D.D.S., M.S. LakePointe Orthodontics St. Clair Shores
Thomas D. Jusino, D.D.S. Jusino Orthodontics Farmington Hills
Justin Kammo, D.D.S. Profound Orthodontics Bingham Farms
Alan J. Ker, D.D.S., M.S. Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontic Specialists of Michigan Clinton Township
Leen Khatib, D.D.S. SBK Orthodontics Ann Arbor
William Krieg, D.D.S. LakePointe Orthodontics St. Clair Shores
Donald J. Kubicki, D.D.S., M.S.
Donald J. Kubicki, D.D.S., M.S. Sterling Heights
Maureen Ann Kuhta, D.M.D. Aligned House of Orthodontics Birmingham
Courtney Martusiewicz, D.D.S., M.S. Eastside Orthodontics Roseville
Nawaf Masri, D.D.S. Masri Orthodontics Livonia
Julia Mastracci DDS, M.S., Orthodontist Lakeshore Dental Specialists x TDR Specialists in Orthodontics 18501 E. Eight Mile Road Eastpointe, MI 48021 586-777-0260 office@dentalspecialistsdetroit.com dentalimplantsdetroit.com
Craig McMullen, D.D.S., M.S. TNT Orthodontics Brighton
Laurie McNamara McClatchey, D.D.S., M.S. McNamara Orthodontics Ann Arbor
Jennifer K. Mertz, D.D.S., M.S. Grosse Pointe Orthodontics Grosse Pointe Woods
Charles W. Munk, D.D.S. Munk Orthodontics Clarkston
Andrea Nakisher, D.D.S. Nakisher Orthodontics Farmington Hills
Patrick Nolan, D.D.S., M.S. Drs. Nolan & Guest Orthodontics Canton
Kenneth Norwick, D.D.S. Norwick Orthodontics Dearborn
Jerek Petrous, D.D.S., M.S. Petrous Orthodontics
Royal Oak
Nicholas Rafaill, D.D.S. Straight Smiles Orthodontics
Shelby Township
Thomas Rafaill, D.D.S. Straight Smiles Orthodontics
Shelby Township
Lakeshore Dental Specialists is redefining specialty dentistry in metro Detroit. At the fully integrated dental specialty practice, the Eastpointe-based team brings board-certified experts in oral surgery, endodontics, periodontics, orthodontics, and dental implants together under one roof to deliver collaborative, coordinated care that’s rare in the industry.
“At Lakeshore, we believe that when specialists work side by side, patients benefit from a more thoughtful, seamless, and elevated experience,” says Dr. Whitney D. Weiner, periodontist and founder. “It’s not just about great outcomes — it’s about doing what’s right for the patient at every step.”
The doctors — Dr. Colonya Calhoun (oral surgery), Dr. Julia Mastracci (orthodontics), Dr. Mustafa Tattan (periodontics and dental implants), and Dr. David Karwacki (endodontics) — are all board-certified specialists and leaders in their respective fields. They are deeply committed to
patient care and community health, regularly partnering with local dentists and providers to expand access to specialty services and create smoother referral pathways.
Whether a patient needs IV sedation and wisdom tooth removal, dental implants, a root canal, advanced gum disease treatment, or full orthodontic care, Lakeshore offers it all, comprehensively and compassionately. No referrals across town. No disjointed handoffs. Just modern, multidisciplinary care delivered with precision, purpose, and heart.
Lakeshore is also proud to partner with TDR Orthodontics in launching its first eastside Detroit location, expanding access to top-tier orthodontic care in historically underserved communities.
With 3D imaging, guided surgical technology, regenerative techniques, and modern sedation options, Lakeshore prioritizes both comfort and clinical excellence. Patients consistently say they’ll never go back to fragmented specialty care again.
Patients looking for something more comprehensive, more connected, and truly patient-first can experience the difference at Lakeshore Dental Specialists. As Dr. Weiner says, “We’re proud to be setting a new standard for specialty dentistry in Detroit.”
Now welcoming new patients. Conveniently book online at dentalimplantsdetroit.com ■
Lakeshore Dental Specialists 18501 E. Eight Mile Road Eastpointe, MI 48021
586-777-0260
dentalimplantsdetroit.com
James Reynolds DDS, MS
Reynolds Orthodontics
4299 Orchard Lake Road Suite 196
West Bloomfield, MI 48323
248-344-8400 info@myamazingsmile.com myamazingsmile.com
Rebecca Rubin, D.M.D., M.S. Lash Rubin Orthodontics West Bloomfield Township
Jake Schering, D.D.S., M.S. Apex Orthodontics Canton
Lainie Shapiro, D.D.S. Outstanding Orthodontics Commerce Township
Brandon Shoukri, D.D.S., M.S. Dexter Orthodontics
Dexter
Mamnoon A. Siddiqui, D.D.S., M.S. Siddiqui Orthodontics
Dearborn
Brad Stieper, D.D.S. SBK Orthodontics Ann Arbor
Timothy G. Stroster, D.D.S., M.S. TNT Orthodontics Brighton
Nicole Teifer, D.D.S., M.S.D. Today’s Orthodontics & Pediatric Dentistry Novi
Ari G. Thanasas, D.D.S., M.S. Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontic Specialists of Michigan Clinton Township
Howard L. Tingling, D.D.S., M.S. Dr. Howard L. Tingling, D.D.S., M.S. Southfield
Jana Tumpkin McQueen, D.D.S. McQueen Orthodontic Specialists Southfield
Al S. Vaitas, D.M.D. Birmingham and Milford Orthodontic Specialists Birmingham
Gerald Wesley, D.D.S. Lifetime Orthodontics
Clinton Township
Robert K. Wesley, D.D.S.
Wesley Orthodontics
Richmond
Nicole S. Wright, D.D.S., M.S.
Plymouth Orthodontics
Plymouth
Randa Zarka, D.D.S., M.S.D.
Today’s Orthodontics & Pediatric Dentistry
Livonia
Gabrielle Zuzo, D.D.S., M.S.
Zuzo Orthodontics
Plymouth
Salwa Atwan, B.D.S., D.D.S., M.S.
Salwa Atwan D.D.S., M.S.,
Pediatric Dentistry, P.C.
Plymouth
Amit Batra, D.D.S.
Macomb Children’s Dentistry
Macomb
Sam Blanchard, D.D.S., M.S.
Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontic Specialists of Michigan
Clinton Township
Mary Hannawa Calek, D.D.S., M.S.
Children’s Dental Specialists
Troy
Sarah A. Carrico, D.M.D., FAAPD
Pediatric Dentistry of Brighton
Brighton
Andreina Castro, D.D.S.
Golnick Pediatric Dental Associates
Taylor
Maegan E. Daughtery, D.D.S.
Dr. Amy C. Parker, D.D.S., M.S., and Associates
Southfield
James Delaney III, D.D.S.
Drs. Delaney, Root & Associates, P.C.
Waterford
Molly Doyle, D.D.S.
Motor Mouth Pediatric Dentistry
Dearborn
Madison Fantin, D.D.S.
Golnick Pediatric Dental Associates
Taylor
Naila Farooq, D.D.S.
Lakes Pediatric Dentistry Commerce Township
Renee Fraser, D.D.S.
Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontic Specialists of Michigan Clinton Township
Lisa Goldberg, D.D.S.
Arnold Tracht, Daniel Briskie, & Lisa Goldberg, D.D.S., P.C. Rochester Hills
Jason Golnick, D.D.S.
Golnick Pediatric Dental Associates
West Bloomfield
Dawn Yuen Harvey, D.D.S., M.S. Toothworks Pediatric Dentistry Grosse Pointe Woods
Danny Kalash, D.M.D. Tooth and Waffles Pediatric Dentistry Northville
Martin Makowski, D.D.S. Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontic Specialists of Michigan Clinton Township
Sam Malcheff, D.D.S. Canton Pediatric Dentistry Canton
Amy C. Parker, D.D.S., M.S. Dr. Amy C. Parker, D.D.S., M.S., and Associates Southfield
Aimee Picard, D.D.S.
Ann Arbor Pediatric Dentistry Ann Arbor
Dana Radtke, D.D.S., FAAPD Pediatric Dentistry of Brighton Brighton
Curt Ralstrom, D.D.S., M.S. Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontic Specialists of Michigan Clinton Township
Elizabeth Ralstrom, D.D.S., M.S. Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontic Specialists of Michigan Clinton Township
Jocelyn M. Robelli, D.D.S., M.S.
Jocelyn M. Robelli D.D.S., M.S., P.L.L.C. Roseville
Angela M. Rogers, D.M.D., M.S. Especially for Kids, P.C. Southfield
Megan Stowers, D.D.S., M.S. Stowers Pediatric Dentists West Bloomfield
Dina Tanbakuchi, D.M.D. Golnick Pediatric Dental Associates West Bloomfield
Arnold Tracht, D.D.S.
Arnold Tracht, Daniel Briskie, & Lisa Goldberg, D.D.S., P.C. Rochester Hills
David Vazquez, D.D.S. Motor Mouth Pediatric Dentistry Dearborn
Cari M. Zupko, D.D.S., M.S. Dr. Cari M. Zupko & Associates Beverly Hills
A.G. Alsaidi, D.D.S., M.S. Michigan Gum Docs Southfield
Lauren Anderson, D.D.S., M.S. Anderson Periodontal Wellness Bloomfield Hills
Khashayar Azimi, D.D.S., M.S. Periodontal Specialties Clinton Township
Shabnam Behdin, D.D.S., M.S. Michigan Periodontics & Implants New Boston
Monish Bhola, D.D.S., M.S.D. Advanced Periodontics & Implantology Plymouth
Leyvee Cabanilla-Jacobs D.D.S., M.S.D. Advanced Periodontics & Implantology Plymouth
Sandra S. Chang, D.D.S., M.S. Michigan Perio - Sandra S. Chang, D.D.S., M.S. & Shayan Barootchi D.M.D., M.S. Canton
David G. Darany, D.D.S., M.S. Periodontic & Implantology Associates Dearborn
Linda L. Dobis, D.D.S. Periodontic & Implantology Associates Dearborn
Omar El-Banhawy, D.D.S., M.S., FICOI Dental Implant Center of Royal Oak Royal Oak
Dalia Hasso, D.D.S., M.S. Michigan Periodontics & Implants Sterling Heights
Mark S. Isler, D.D.S., M.S. Commerce Dental Group Commerce Township
Mitchell D. Kaplan, D.D.S., Ph.D. Mitchell D. Kaplan, D.D.S., PhD, P.C. Ann Arbor
Dr. Amanda M. Sheehan feels a sense of pride and satisfaction when one of her patients walks out the door of Oakland Family Dental with a life-changing smile. “I’m proud to help patients regain their confidence,” she says. Since opening Oakland Family Dental in Waterford in 2016, she’s made it her mission to treat patients with care and compassion from the moment they walk in the door until they flash their new, confident smile. Oakland Family Dental offers a full slate of services: general dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, orthodontics, sleep dentistry, sedation dentistry, and dental implants. Dr. Sheehan is known for her dedication to education; she graduated summa cum laude from Franklin Pierce
College, received her doctorate from SUNY at Buffalo, and received her certificate in dental oncology from the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in 2012. She’s a diplomate in the International Congress of Oral Implantologists, the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, and the American Board of Oral Implantology. She’s also among the few dentists in North America who have achieved a Mastership in the Academy of General Dentistry, and she holds the title of faculty director at the Resnik Implant Institute, where she mentors colleagues on implant surgery and prosthetics. Most recently, she became the first female dentist in Michigan to obtain board certification in implants (ABOI). By continuously
proving her dedication to her field and her patients, Dr. Sheehan has established herself as one of Michigan’s premier dental providers. ■
Oakland Family Dental 4626 W. Walton Blvd., Waterford, MI 48329 248-674-0384 | oaklandfamilydental.com
Amar Katranji DDS, M.S. Nemeth & Katranji Periodontics
29829 Telegraph Rd., Ste. 111 Southfield, MI 48034 248-357-3100 info@drnemeth.com drnemeth.com
Bassam M. Kinaia, D.D.S., M.S., D.I.C.O.I.
Michigan Periodontics & Implants Sterling Heights
Shilpa Kolhatkar, D.D.S., M.D.S. Advanced Periodontics & Implantology
Plymouth
Samuel Korkis, D.D.S., M.S. Troy Periodontics and Dental Implants
Troy
Peter Leone, D.D.S., M.S. Periodontal Specialties
Clinton Township
David Lipton, D.D.S., M.S. Michigan Dental Specialists Bloomfield Hills
Andrea Lopez-Torres, D.M.D., M.S.
Professional Periodontics & Implant Services
Warren
Alexandra B. Plonka, D.D.S., M.S.
Professional Periodontics & Implant Services
Warren
Abdullah Sayed, D.D.S., M.S. Pristine Periodontics and Implants
Birmingham
Lindsey M. Steele, D.D.S., M.S. Jacobson Dental Group
Walled Lake
Jacob Steiger, D.D.S., M.S.
Periodontic and Implantology Specialists
Farmington Hills
Lauren M. Syrowik, D.D.S., M.S.
Periodontic & Implantology Associates
Dearborn
Paul VanRaaphorst, D.D.S., M.S.
Rochester Periodontics & Dental Implants, P.C. Rochester Hills
Whitney D. Weiner
DDS, M.S., Periodontist Whole Dental Wellness 35106 Woodward Ave. Birmingham, MI 48009 248-645-1060 birmingham@wholedental.com wholedental.com
Michael Wojcik, D.D.S., M.S. Periodontal Specialties Clinton Township
Steve L. Wolf, D.D.S. Legacy Periodontics & Implants Novi
Mark Zahn, D.D.S., M.S.
Mark D. Zahn D.D.S., M.S., P.C.
Ann Arbor
Samir F. Zakaria DDS, MSD
Periodontics & Dental Implants
Diplomate, American Board of Periodontology 18800 Northville Road Northville, MI 48168 734-542-9904 zakariaperio.com
Aaron Zeevi, D.D.S., M.S. AZ Periodontics Implant Surgery Huntington Woods
Jonathan S. Zora, D.D.S., M.S. Periodontic & Implantology Associates Dearborn
David Bartolovic, D.D.S. Pointe Dental Group Grosse Pointe Farms
Robert A. Brustad, D.D.S. Dr. Robert A. Brustad, D.D.S. Ann Arbor
Benjamin J. Czerniawski, D.D.S., M.S. Pointe Prosthodontics Grosse Pointe Woods
Chady Elhage, D.D.S., M.S. Dental Implant Center of Royal Oak Royal Oak
Sabrina Garcia Hammaker, DDS M.S., FACP
Michigan Prosthetic Dentistry 9416 S. Main St., Suite 112 Plymouth, MI 48170 734-453-6840 info@miprosdent.com michiganprostheticdentistry.com
Daniel Hammaker DDS, M.S.
Douglas A. Henke, D.D.S., M.S.
Douglas A. Henke, D.D.S., M.S. Farmington Hills
Rami Jandali, D.M.D., M.S., F.A.C.P. Amazing Smiles Dental Implant Center Southfield
Jesse Kane, D.D.S. Kane Dentistry Prosthodontics and Implant Dentistry Ann Arbor
Neil L. Matthews, D.D.S., M.S. Neil L. Matthews, D.D.S., M.S. Rochester Hills
Ajay Ojha, D.D.S. Comprehensive Dental Clinic Sterling Heights
Robert Stewart, D.D.S., M.S. Robert B. Stewart, D.D.S., M.S., P.C. Grosse Pointe Woods
Sharitha V. Uchil, B.D.S., M.S.D. SAAV Prosthodontics P.C. Livonia
Jonathan P. Wiens, D.D.S. Prosthodontic & Implant Consultants West Bloomfield
Jennifer Wiens Priebe
D.D.S., M.S., F.A.C.P. Prosthodontic & Implant Consultants West Bloomfield
Michigan Prosthetic Dentistry 9416 S. Main St., Suite 112 Plymouth, MI 48170 734-453-6840 info@miprosdent.com michiganprostheticdentistry.com
Dr. Ghada Beydoun, DDS, is once again honored to be recognized as a top dentist by Hour Detroit magazine. At her practice, she believes in transforming smiles and lives with a unique, patientcentered approach. What sets her apart is their commitment to providing comprehensive dental care under one roof, ensuring that each patient receives the highest standard of treatment tailored to their specific needs.
“Our state-of-the-art practice offers a wide range of services, from dental implants and root canals to Invisalign, laser treatments, Botox, and cosmetic procedures,” said Dr. Beydoun, who opened Premier Dental Care in 2008. “This holistic approach allows us to address both functional and aesthetic aspects of dental health, ensuring that our patients not only look great but feel great too.”
One of Premier Dental Care’s key differentiators is their dedication to cosmetic dentistry. Their personalized treatments are designed to guide patients through their dental journey, ensuring they maintain optimal results for years to come.
“As a detail-oriented and extensively trained cosmetic dentist, I take pride in aligning dental treatments with facial aesthetics,” Dr. Beydoun says. “By integrating Botox treatments for the jaw, lips, and other facial areas, we create a balanced, harmonious profile that enhances each patient’s natural beauty. This meticulous approach ensures that every patient leaves our practice with a renewed sense of confidence and a stunning smile. “At our practice, we believe that dental care is more than just treatments; it’s about building lasting relationships and ensuring each patient feels supported throughout their journey. We are dedicated to changing lives, one smile at a time.” ■
313-274-4422
premierdentalcaredh@gmail.com
premierdds.org
@smilesbypdc
Dr. Dolores Baran, a nationally respected dentist with impeccable educational credentials and professional accomplishments, is best known by her patients for the incredible care, comfort, and support she offers and the amazing results she achieves.
A graduate of the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Dr. Baran has more than 35 years of experience and has earned multiple accolades throughout her career for being a highly skilled dentist and a caring person who prioritizes getting to know her patients. She also has been active with charities and has brought life-changing smiles and dentistry to women who were victims of Hurricane Katrina, and to those seeking shelter and support through Lighthouse in the wake of domestic abuse or displacement. She continues to be involved with the Judson Center of Royal Oak, helping children with special needs.
“Our dentists and team utilize advanced dental technology and fully customized care to provide a comfortable dental experience with high-quality results,” Dr. Baran says. “We enjoy caring for our patients, and it shows through the level of service we provide.”
Royal Oak Smiles is a full-service dental office that provides high-quality and state-of-the-art dental care, offering a complete line of services including cosmetic Botox (and Botox for migraines), Invisalign (invisible braces), restorative work, tooth gems, same-day crowns, implants, wisdom teeth removal, and sedation. For those who have painful and constant canker sores, Dr. Baran uses a laser to eliminate the pain instantly and speed up healing. ■
Royal Oak Smiles
1103 N. Main St., Suite A Royal Oak, MI 48067
248-548-1440
royaloaksmiles.com
Whole Dental Wellness is redefining modern dentistry through a collaborative, specialistled model that delivers comprehensive care for patients of all ages.
With a team of top general dentists and specialists working side by side, Whole Dental Wellness takes a personalized approach to oral health that prioritizes prevention, education, and trust. Its integrated care is a comprehensive whole health philosophy designed to treat the mouth and body as one system. From crowns and bridges to clear aligners, IV sedation, pediatric care, and everything in between, Whole Dental Wellness combines advanced techniques with compassionate care to meet the needs of every patient. Both locations are also committed to seeing same-day emergencies.
Founded by Dr. Whitney D. Weiner, a nationally recognized periodontist and health care entrepreneur, Whole Dental Wellness began as a single-location specialty office and has grown into one of metro Detroit’s leading dental groups. With two convenient locations in Birmingham and Roseville, and continued expansion on the horizon, its mission is to bring exceptional, integrated care to more families across metro Detroit. Whole Dental Wellness also offers in-house insurance at both locations.
“We’re proud to be both high-tech and high-touch, leveraging advanced diagnostics and digital workflows while never losing sight of the human connection that defines great health care,” Dr. Weiner says. “We believe in meeting patients where they are, cutting through the noise of online trends, and helping them make confident, informed decisions about their health.”
Patients come to Whole Dental Wellness through referrals from people they trust, and they stay for years. “We manage care across a lifetime, building relationships that support long-term health and well-being,” Dr. Weiner says. “Our goal is a lifetime of dental wellness to improve whole health for each patient.”
Whole Dental Wellness prides itself on dentistry done differently — dentistry that is collaborative, innovative, and deeply rooted in the local community. Now welcoming new patients. Conveniently book online at wholedental.com ■
Whole Dental Wellness
35106 Woodward Ave. Birmingham, MI 48009
248-645-1060
21055 12 Mile Road Roseville, MI 48066
586-772-0100
wholedental.com
Dr. Jamie Reynolds knows there’s more to orthodontics than straightening teeth because he has the privilege and thrill of seeing the “big picture” results every day.
“If we can change the way someone feels about their smile, it will have an impact on how confident they are,” he says. “That opportunity to change lives is what makes our job really special. And we want to make sure we give each individual the most aesthetically pleasing smile possible.”
Dr. Reynolds has been with Reynolds Orthodontics for 22 years. The practice now includes four locations - Novi, Rochester, Troy, and West Bloomfield offices - and three other amazing and talented orthodontic specialists: partner doctor and specialist, Dr Jenn Bonamici and associate doctors and specialists Dr. Andrei Taut and Dr Elizabeth Biggs. Their goal is to
“provide cutting-edge orthodontic care with industry-leading treatment options and efficiency, while creating “Amazing Smiles” for our patients in an environment that is fun and affordable for our customers and rewarding for our team,” says Dr. Reynolds.
High on the list of priorities at the practice is avoiding unnecessary or invasive procedures. One example is the Damon Braces System, a cuttingedge combination of a special brace design and wire technology that allows orthodontists to wield gentler forces with greater comfort.
Reynolds Orthodontics also is among the top providers of Spark, which uses removable, clear aligners. “It’s a great way for those who aren’t keen on the idea of braces to get a beautiful, healthy smile,” Dr. Bonamici says.
The doctors invite you to schedule a
complimentary smile assessment at any of their four state-of-the-art locations. ■
Reynolds Orthodontics Novi, Rochester Hills, Troy and West Bloomfield 248-344-8400
myamazingsmile.com
What We Do:
• Wisdom teeth removal made simple and stress-free
• Dental implants placed with surgical accuracy
• Saf e IV sedation for maximum comfort
• Facial trauma and reconstruction
SometimeS your joy iS the Source of your Smile, but sometimes your Smile can be the source of your Joy.”
Dr. Brian J. Hunt provides the latest advancements in dental care in a safe and comfortable environment. He ensures that his patients receive the most effective and efficient care possible by using advanced technologies for diagnostics and treatment planning.
“Every patient has a unique smile and different needs, so we create personalized treatment plans, thereby providing the best solution for each individual,” says Dr. Hunt. “We offer general, implant, and cosmetic dentistry for the whole family. We can complete your entire treatment in our office with the one team you know and trust.”
Since a healthy smile begins with good oral health, Dr. Hunt focuses on preventive care to keep your smile beautiful inside and out. Starting with regular check-ups and cleanings, he will help maintain, diagnose, and provide treatment including white fillings, crowns, root canals, and more.
“We want to help our patients achieve the best smile possible,” says Dr. Hunt. That’s why he specializes in comprehensive dental care — to maintain the health and beauty of your teeth.
Call the office today to start your smile transformation. ■
Brian J. Hunt, DDS 24641 E. Jefferson Ave., St. Clair Shores, MI 48080
586-772-7373 brianjhuntdds.com
D
entistry Doesn’t have to feel intimiDating. Dr. Alexandra Peri and her staff at MI-nt Dental are on a mission to change the way people think about dental care, focusing on less stress and anxiety and more trust. “One patient told us during her first visit that she almost turned around in the parking lot,” Dr. Peri says. “We took things at her pace. Now, she recently completed a full smile restoration. Seeing that transformation — not just in her teeth, but in her confidence and comfort — is why we do what we do.”
What sets Dr. Peri’s office apart is the calm, boutique atmosphere that doesn’t feel like a typical dental office. It’s warm, personal, and centered on patients. “Our goal is to make every patient feel seen, heard, and cared for in a space where anxiety melts away,” Dr. Peri says.
MI-nt Dental also has an in-house membership plan designed for patients without traditional insurance that helps make care more accessible and affordable. “We are proud of this plan,” Dr. Peri says. “It is part of our commitment to removing barriers to care.” ■
MI-nt Dental 44004 Woodward Ave. Suite 200 Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302
248-334-3888 | mi-ntdental.com
DDS, M.S., and
DRS. DANIEL HAMMAKER AND Sabrina Garcia-Hammaker provide expert prosthodontic care with a blend of precision, artistry, and compassion. Specializing in dental implants, crowns, veneers, and full-mouth reconstruction, they tailor every treatment to each patient’s needs. Using advanced technology in a warm, welcoming environment, they restore both function and beauty. eir meticulous, patient-first approach helps individuals regain confidence, comfort, and lasting oral health with exceptional, personalized outcomes. ■
Michigan Prosthetic Dentistry 9416 S. Main St., Suite 112, Plymouth, MI 48170
734-453-6840 • michiganprostheticdentistry.com
Q&A
What will your role at the new place look like?
Sarah Welch, the acclaimed Detroit-based chef who is starting a new restaurant called Umbo with her husband, Mink Executive Chef Cameron Rolka, in Traverse City
BY JACK THOMAS
IN APRIL, Sarah Welch, executive chef at Marrow, made a surprising announcement: She was leaving Detroit and the butcher shop and eatery she helped start seven years ago. The two-time James Beard nominee in the best Great Lakes chef category (2020 and 2023) is ready for the next chapter of her culinary career. She’s headed north — to Traverse City — with her husband, Cameron Rolka, to start a new restaurant, Umbo. Rolka is executive chef at Mink, a Corktown oyster bar where Welch is a partner.
Welch says the Up North spot is planned to open in 2026 at 430 E. Front St. Hour Detroit chatted with Welch before her last day at Marrow on April 30 about what she’s looking forward to at the new restaurant. To stay up to date, visit eatumbo.com
Umbo will be the first time in a while that Welch (left) will be working directly alongside Rolka (right). The culinary couple first met on the line at Ann Arbor’s Mani Osteria & Bar.
My husband and I will be owneroperators. I’m satiated with the accolades I’ve received, and I think that my husband has an underspoken talent. So I think of this as an opportunity to get him the recognition he deserves. I want to support him culinarily and on the front end with the beverage program. Which is part of the reason why I’m going up there to work in the wine industry for a little bit before we open to get myself familiarized with local wine and local beverage and front-of-house service.
It’s going to be sort of an intimate setting, right?
Yeah, similar layout to Mink. We want to have predominantly bar seating. We’re going to have a big oyster program there. We hope to bring our caviar program and our tinned fish program up there, and we’ll have a fried-fish sandwich on occasion and do patio parties. We have a big outdoor space that we hope to rehab in the first couple years. We want to be a neighborhood spot, but we also want to be an opportunity for people to go out and spoil themselves.
Will any staples from either Mink or Marrow make it to the menu?
We’re looking to bring some of our favorites that we created at both restaurants. I would love to see the lobster roll that Cam created at Mink as a regular cast member on our menu. I think we’ll have a similarly curated oyster list. We’re also just excited to get to know the farming community up there. We’ll have access to a totally different list of ingredients, and I’m sure that that will serve as inspiration for new menu items.
Are you going to do staging around the area?
We have some friends up there that we’ll hope to work with. Andy Elliott at Modern Bird has been hugely helpful. The guys over at Crocodile Palace have been open books about helping us figure out what our financials should look like — same with Jen [Blakeslee] at The Cooks’ House. I think we’ll lean on them to help us and we’ll try and help them out while we have this lead time.
Are you going to miss Detroit? Do you think you’ll be back sometimes?
Oh yeah, my entire social network is in Detroit. But it’s best for Marrow if I give it some space, and it’s best for me if I take time to figure out how to gracefully execute what’s next.
From upper left, clockwise: Oysters with cucumber, shallots, and Chardonnay mignonette and lemon; Le Poursuite (vodka, elderflower, crème de violette, lemon, and rosé); baby iceberg salad (green goddess dressing, cucumber, roasted peppers, and goat cheese polenta croutons).
The London Chop House’s new sister restaurant is a fresh and inviting place to get your seafood fix
BY
I DON’T NORMALLY review restaurants two months after they open. It’s just not good etiquette. The food, the bar, the service — every restaurant deserves time to dial it in. However, when I found out that Ostrea — a plushy, exciting new seafood concept — was opening above the London Chop House in the Murphy-Telegraph Building, I had high, if not unreasonable, expectations.
The London Chop House is a juggernaut, a titan in the history of Detroit’s dining scene. A restaurant with such a legacy has a certain confidence to it. It’s swanky and intentional, a spectacle from the jump. So, when the team behind this Motor City institution announced they were venturing into a seafood concept, the same lofty expectations were already set in stone.
However, RJ Scherer, executive chef at the London Chop House and partner at Ostrea, who took the lead on its food and beverage, had a different vision. “I wanted it to be completely different,” he admits. “Maybe this isn’t the only stop for the guest this evening. Maybe they hit up some different locations downtown. Maybe it is a business dinner. Maybe you’re even going to the Chop House afterwards.”
What Scherer aims for is ease and fluidity — less buttoned down, more casual, but with the same refined food as its predecessor. While the Chop House has a dramatic, dimly lit, subterranean entrance, Ostrea is street
The Dovetail is a spicy and citrusy blend of tequila, blood orange liqueur, lime, jalapeño, and ginger.
level — the type of place you can swing in and out of with ease. Even in its quiet moments, the restaurant feels bustling. New seafood arrives to the kitchen on a constant basis, with fresh oysters being delivered every single day. And if one is to ascertain the merits of a seafood restaurant, one must start with the oysters.
Orleans, it’s tradition to tip your oyster shucker a few bucks. If you’ve got cash in your pocket, I advise doing the same here. It’s a classy move. Plus, shucking oysters is one of the leastappreciated gigs in the restaurant business. The job quite literally entails opening up a hard rock with a small knife, so compensate the people prying open your bivalve mollusks fairly.)
The raw oyster selection at Ostrea is constantly revolving, with a minimum of three select varieties available on any given day. On this particular visit, I enjoyed a dozen oysters laid on a circular platter bedded with ice — Corktown Gold from Massachusetts, Bad Boy from Nova Scotia, and Pink Moon from Prince Edward Island. Each one popped with a clean, oceanic freshness. Each was shucked perfectly — the muscle detached, the oyster meat itself wholly intact without blemishes. A lovely Chardonnay, shallot, and cucumber mignonette added some vigor to each cupped shell.
(A word on oysters: In New
Though Ostrea’s menu starts with oysters (they’re listed at the top), it also encourages diners to experiment. While most menus read like linear directions — appetizers, salads, and then entrées — Ostrea’s is a proverbial smorgasbord. Hot and cold selections are listed adjacently and reach the eyes at all at once. Diners are urged to sift through the items, see what announces itself, and then pounce. It’s refreshing, and with this adventurous style of eating encouraged, there are many different experiences to be had at Ostrea.
OSTREA DETROIT
My own eyes immediately darted toward the lobster roll, which jumped off the menu’s page for one key reason: celery salt, which is a powerful flavor enhancer. This
Maine-style lobster roll features knuckle and claw meat dressed with a celery salt mayonnaise, stuffed inside a brioche bun that’s been grilled with Old Bay-infused butter. Celery leaf — an often-underutilized ingredient with lovely flavor — is the garnish. The roll was rich but not so fatforward that it constituted a gut bomb. It felt fresh, both traditional and new, and faintly reminiscent of the flavors in a Bloody Mary.
In my time visiting restaurants both in Detroit and afar, it’s been my understanding that most places have been court-ordered to serve hamachi crudo. As such, the dish can feel a bit procedural and ordinary. To test Ostrea’s prowess, I ordered one, and I was very much surprised by Scherer’s rendition of this well-trodden dish — thick chunks of Japanese yellowtail, sectioned grapefruit, a dash of preserved lemon syrup, finely ground pink peppercorns, and basil. It sings of light and summery flavors, but it’s also yet another finely tuned offering from Scherer. A stab of pleasantly bitter grapefruit, clean hamachi, and basil all in one swift move feels divinely harmonic. I found myself skewering forkfuls of the trio and swirling it around the ground pink peppercorn, making sure to sop up every bit of its mild, sweet spiciness.
A word about the portion sizes and prices at Ostrea, which people online seem to be getting hung up about: Seafood covers the spectrum of affordability — it can be anything from a humble crab-shack experience filled with fried clam strips, shrimp, and cod sandwiches with tartar sauce to the more elegant and cheffy preparations you find at Ostrea. Quality oysters aren’t light on the wallet. Neither is a lobster roll. To this critic, Ostrea strikes a nifty middle ground. There’s a lot of lovely nourishment to be had here for $32.
Take Ostrea’s seafood chowder, a stew that leans into heartiness but also refined flavors. The base for the chowder is a crab and lobster velouté, made with leftover shells and carcasses in the kitchen. Thick chunks of bacon lardon, flaky swordfish, and buttery scallops provide additional heartiness, and the house-made everything oyster cracker pops with sesame and poppy seeds. It’s a
robust stew made with staunch technique. Paying $22 for a bowl of chowder might feel egregious, but for something so luxurious, I’d encourage it.
Ostrea’s drink menu is smartly geared toward seafood pairings, and you’ll want to pair them accordingly. The Le Poursuite cocktail is a bright and bubbly concoction with vodka, elderflower, crème de violette, lemon, and rosé. There’s a nifty rotating beer and cider selection that’s also light on the wallet. (Note: Crisp and fruity cider pairs very well with shellfish.) Also, the combination of raw
Price: $$$-$$$$
Vibe: After work, formal, special dinner Service: Attentive Sound level: Low to moderate
Dress code: None Open: 3 to 11 p.m.
Monday-Saturday (the kitchen opens at 4 p.m. and closes at 10 p.m.)
Reservations: Make yours online on OpenTable or by phone (large parties should email admin@ ostreadetroit.com).
Parking: Street, lot, and structure parking are available nearby.
Valet: Available at the London Chop House, 155 W. Congress St. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
The grilled swordfish is served as an acqua pazza over crispy fingerling potatoes.
oysters and Champagne is a hit for a reason — effervescent Champagne pairs well synergistically with oysters. My suggestion: Order a glass with the lobster roll; it cuts through the inherent richness of a buttery brioche bun.
The hamachi crudo combines Japanese yellowtail, grapefruit, lemon syrup, pink peppercorns, and basil.
A restaurant this new is supposed to be a cub, stumbling around and new to the world, but this is more like a fully formed foal. Ostrea arrives seasoned and brighteyed. Restaurants that embrace change are always the most exciting, and I look forward to seeing what big swings the team at Ostrea takes. Scherer says he’s focused on sustainability, and as he continues to embrace it, you can expect lots of evolution. As he often tells his staff, “As soon as we get comfortable making something, we’re going to change it.” A good seafood restaurant transforms just as much as it accommodates. The good news? You, the diner, are in capable hands.
I WAS DRIVING up the Lodge not long ago, and as he often does as I get close to the Wyoming exit, Ron Gurdjian came to mind. Ron passed away in 2018, but before that, he presided over Tom’s Tavern, a gorgeous ramshackle dive bar made of plywood and held together by spilled whiskey and stubbornness. To me, Tom’s was the Platonic dive: that perfect, absolute, and eternal dive bar that is somehow the exemplar and reflection of all dive bars everywhere. It was dark. It was off-kilter in more ways than one, with not a single right angle in the place and a floor that sloped steeply downward no matter where you were standing. Like our own Mystery Spot, Tom’s was a place outside of time and the rules of physics. It was magical. But then again, so many real dive bars are magical — rough around the edges (and, in some cases, the center as well) without being truly scary. The customers are as varied and chaotically interesting as the characters in any Venetian opera, from factory workers to academics to frat boys. If you want to get a good understanding of a city, look at its dives. To my mind, they’ll tell you more about the
An ode for National Dive Bar Day on July 7
BY MICKEY LYONS
character of a town than the five-star hotel restaurants will. To reach the soul of a city, you have to look at the unpretty places, too.
And despite our new shininess on the global stage, Detroit has plenty of unpretty left. The glitz and glamour of downtown’s revitalization hasn’t spread equally to every corner of the city, and the echoes of a violent police raid on a blind pig in 1967 still ring out on some sweltering July nights. Economic uncertainties and layoffs hit harder at the canned beer level than they do at the Aperol spritz.
So I worry about our precious dives. Tariffs, changing consumer behavior, and inflation make it harder and harder to eke out a living on that razor-thin profit margin. We lost Tom’s
when Ron passed and no one stepped up to put in the long hours and fix up the place for the inevitable inspections. When that happened, we lost generations of rockabilly, jazz, first dates, and late nights. Cigarettes, sticky floors, college kids skipping class, and a bride dancing on the bar: I’ve seen all of these at Tom’s, and I’m guessing you have at whatever bar is your Platonic dive.
Then again, I know the stubbornness and resilience behind the smiles of most of the folks who run these places. They’ve weathered recessions. They’ve stood ankle-deep in water to fix a boiler and then cleaned up, gone upstairs, and comforted a grieving patron. Dealing with thieves, drunks, tax collectors, and fire inspectors is no job for the weak of heart. There’s an honesty to an unassuming corner bar; the regulars and staff suffer no fools or poseurs. So I have faith, too, that come what may, somewhere in town, I’ll always be able to swing open a crooked door into an inkdark room, shutting out the blinding light of day and taking my place on the rail, elbows propped in the same spot that generations of elbows have been, and order a can of beer and a shot of well whiskey. The dive abides.
Adelina $$$$
ITALIAN • Brought downtown by celebrity chef Fabio Viviani, Adelina features traditional Italian eats in a modern atmosphere, with made-in-house pasta and starters like focaccia, seared tuna crudo, sausage and peppers, and a roasted Wagyu meatball. Entrées include lamb chops with house made Tzatziki, veal milanese, and salmon with romesco sauce. Stick around for desserts like the zeppole Italian ricotta doughnuts. 1040 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-246-8811. D Tue.-Sun.
Al Ameer $$
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 $$
ITALIAN • Guy Pelino, Roma Café’s chef, took over the ownership reins of this restaurant on the edge of the Eastern Market. He retained the menu, adding a charcuterie board and updating the wine list, while keeping the character of the old-school restaurant, known for its steaks and pastas. 3401 Riopelle St., Detroit; 313831-5940. L,D Tue.-Sat.
Alpino $$$
ALPINE •This Alps-inspired Corktown eatery quickly became beloved after opening in 2023. The cozy interior evokes cabins and farmhouses from the European countryside. Order beers and wines from all over Europe, plus Alps-inspired cocktails, fondue, wiener schnitzel, raclette, and pastas. 1426 Bagley St., Detroit; 313-524-0888. D daily, BR Sun.
Andiamo $$
ITALIAN • Over the past three decades, Joe Vicari has established several Andiamo restaurants in metro Detroit, all inspired by the late master chef Aldo Ottaviani’s philosophy of seasonal, from-scratch cooking. The menus differ slightly at the different locations, but the constant is the fresh, housemade pastas — handcrafted by the trinity of “pasta ladies,” Anna, Tanya, and Angelina, who have carried on the tradition. The downtown Detroit location offers a breathtaking view of the Detroit River, while the Livonia location offers a comfortable and casual vibe. 400 Renaissance Center, Detroit; 313-5676700. D Mon.-Fri., L,D Sat.-Sun. 38703 Seven Mile Road, Livonia; 734-953-3200. D daily.
Antonio’s Cucina Italiana $$
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 closed Mondays)
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.
Apparatus Room
$$$$
NEW AMERICAN • The Foundation Hotel’s restaurant, the Apparatus Room, once housed the Detroit Fire Department headquarters. Chef Rece Hogerheide’s cooking is refined and highly skilled — he was executive chef of the Daxton Hotel’s restaurant Madam, named 2023 Restaurant of the Year by Hour Detroit. 250 W. Larned St., Detroit; 313-8005600. B,L,D Mon.-Fri., BR,D Sat.-Sun.
Avalon Café and Bakery
$$
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; 313-3121493. B,L,D Tue.-Sat. B,L Sun.
Baker’s Keyboard Lounge
$$ SOUL FOOD • This iconic lounge features live music, along with beef short ribs with gravy, creamy mac and cheese, collard greens, and sweet cornbread muffins. 20510 Livernois Ave., Detroit; 313-345-6300. D Mon.-Fri.
Baobab Fare
EAST AFRICAN • With their New Center restaurant, Hamissi Mamba and Nadia Nijimbere urge diners to
$$
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
$$$$ ARGENTINIAN • Barda brings a new cuisine to metro Detroit. True to Argentinian culture, the restaurant celebrates traditional meat dishes. For starters, Carne y Hueso, meaning Flesh and Bone, features a mold of finely chopped beef tartare topped with spicy horseradish alongside a dense bone filled to the brim with buttery marrow. Tira de Asado, a classic Argentinian short rib dish, arrives on a plate in a coriander-pepper crust. And inch-thick slices of rare Bife, or strip loin steak, lie on a bed of melted butter infused with chimichurri. 4842 Grand River Ave., Detroit; 313- 9525182; barda-detroit.com. D Thu.-Sun.
Bar Pigalle
$$$ 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.
Basan
$$$$
ASIAN-INSPIRED • Named for the Japanese folkloric bird, Basan features a fluid rotation of zestful, bold, and edgy dishes that are novel and creative, with a nightly tasting menu and optional wine pairing. Standouts from the menu include the assortment of buns (such as Brussels sprouts, firecracker shrimp, and twice-fried chicken), beef dandan, and octopus skewers. 2703 Park Ave., Detroit; 313-481-2703. D daily.
Besa
$$$ 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.
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 never-frozen, 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
$$$$
NEW AMERICAN • Operated by the Joe Vicari Restaurant Group brand (in partnership with Tony Soave of Soave Enterprises) revives the well-known name of a Grosse Pointe staple from the mid-1900s. In the 1960s and 1970s, 123 Kercheval Ave. was home to the Bronze Door, which closed to make way for The Hill Seafood and Chop House. In 2021, it was born again as the Bronze Door, offering classic bistro fare like steak frites and house specialties such as Short Rib Alla Bolognese (braised beef short ribs, pancetta, roasted battuto, imported Mafaldine pasta, ricotta salata, and black truffle). 123 Kercheval Ave., Grosse Pointe Farms; 313-886-8101. BR Sun. L Tue.-Fri. D daily.
Bucharest Grill
$
MEDITERRANEAN-AMERICAN • This bustling casual sandwich shop, now with six locations, is a cult favorite with its fresh Mediterranean fare, notably the best chicken shawarma wrap sandwiches in town. We’re serious. See bucharestgrill.com for locations and hours.
Cadieux Café $$
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.
Café Nini
$$$
ITALIAN • This intimate spot offers well-prepared food that includes eight appetizers, more than a dozen pasta dishes, and 16 main plates, notable among which are Involtini di Pollo “Da Edoardo,” prosciutto, spinach, and Parmigiano Reggiano-filled chicken breast, sautéed in a sherry wine sauce, topped with fresh mushrooms. The wine list is impressive as well. 98 Kercheval Ave., Grosse Pointe Farms; 313-308-3120. D Tue.-Sun.
Cantoro Italian Market and Trattoria $$ 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.
Cibo
$$$ MEDITERRANEAN FUSION • This palm-lined fine-dining destination offers everything from shareable pizzas, salads, lamb, and steaks to dishes like the pancetta Bolognese rotolo. It’s located inside the Cambria Detroit Downtown hotel, an Albert Kahn-designed building that used to house the original WWJ radio station. 600 W. Lafayette Blvd., Detroit; 313-338-3529. D daily, BR Sat.-Sun.
Cliff Bell’s $$ 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 fat-fried chicken and a burger. 5440 Cass Ave, Detroit; 313-285-8849. L, D Tue.-Fri. D Sat. BR Sun.
Coriander Kitchen and Farm $$ GASTROPUB • At this Jefferson Chalmers eatery, guests can rent firepits and roast house-made marshmallows to make s’mores, or sip mugs of hot buttered rum. By day, grab a picnic table and enjoy creamy smoked lake trout whitefish dip, seasoned with herbs and paired with pickles and crackers. 14601 Riverside Blvd, Detroit; 313 338-9466. D Tue.-Fri. D Sat. BR Sun.
Cork & Gabel
$$$ 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).
Dakota Inn Rathskeller
$
EUROPEAN-INSPIRED • 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, sing along with the schnitzelbank song. 17324 John R St., Detroit; 313-867-9722. D Thu.-Sat.
Detroit Shipping Company
VARIOUS • 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 soul-food lover must visit. 2900 E. Eight Mile Road, Detroit; 313-366-5600. 14300 E Jefferson Ave., Detroit; 313-926-6305. 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; 313-727-1973. L Mon.-Fri. (Carry-out focused)
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. 6920 N Rochester Rd, Rochester Hills; 313-962-9106. B, L daily
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 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.
Fishbone’s Rhythm Kitchen Café $$ NEW ORLEANIAN • Enjoy classic New Orleans dishes, such as jambalaya and fried catfish beignets. Come for lunch, dinner, happy hour, or carry-out. 400 Monroe St., Detroit; 313-965-4600. fishbonesusa.com for more locations.
Flowers of Vietnam $$ 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 $$
BURGERS • Henry Ford’s legacy is celebrated on Dearborn’s main thoroughfare. There are at least 12 variations on the classic American burger here. Try the Ford’s Signature, featuring a half-pound of grilled black angus beef, aged sharp cheddar, applewood-smoked bacon, and bourbon barbecue sauce. Other appealing dishes
include shrimp mac and cheese, and chicken wings. 21367 Michigan Ave., Dearborn; 313-752-3673. L,D daily.
founders’ children. Notable dishes include spinach pie, lamb chops, and New York strip steak. 535 Monroe Ave., Detroit; 313-209-6667. L,D daily.
Green Dot Stables
$$$$
RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR 2024 Freya
NEW AMERICAN • Freya provides elegant, elevated dining served inside a warm and inviting space in Detroit’s Milwaukee Junction district. Chef de Cuisine Phoebe Zimmerman’s fixed-price dinners — which change daily and are available in five or nine courses — invite guests to tap into a world of flavors and sensations. There are also cocktail pairings as well as dishes that accommodate vegetarian, vegan, and pescatarian diets. Co-run by 2023 James Beard semifinalist Sandy Levine, it made The New York Times’s list of the 50 best restaurants in 2022. 2929 E. Grand Blvd., Detroit; 313-351-5544. D Tue.-Sat.
Fusion Flare Kitchen & Cocktails $ NEW AMERICAN/SOUL • Burgers and wings share the menu with classic Southern staples like catfish, yams, and greens on Detroit’s west side. Try the delectable shrimp plate starter — it can be ordered deep-fried, New Orleans-style (with Cajun seasoning), or sautéed in a scampi sauce with garlic butter and wine. 16801 Plymouth Road, Detroit; 313-653-3700. L,D Wed.-Sun.
Giovanni’s Ristorante
$$$ 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; 313-841-0122. L,D Tue.-Fri., D Sat.
Golden Fleece
$$
GREEK • Spend a night dining in Greektown’s longest-standing restaurant, starting with a flaming saganaki and a joyous “Opa!” Then, peruse the menu containing various Balkan comfort foods like chicken gyros, spinach pie, and french fries sprinkled with feta and oregano. 525 Monroe St., Detroit; 313-962-7093. L,D daily.
Grandma Bob’s
$ PIZZA • If you’re wondering what that psychedelic building on Corktown’s Michigan Avenue is, it’s a pizzeria known as Grandma Bob’s. Chef Dan De Wall, previously of Wright and Co., offers a small, delicious menu of pies, including sausage and pistachio with ricotta cheese and thyme. Or try the Big Mack — the vegan pizza version of the popular burger. 2135 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-3153177. L,D daily.
Grand Trunk Pub
$
NEW AMERICAN • Meats from Eastern Market and delicious breads anchor the hearty fare, which pairs well with a selection of Michigan beers. Staples include a reuben with Poet Stout Kraut and the Ghettoblaster beer-battered fish and chips. 612 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-961-3043.; L, D, Tue.-Sun. BR Sat.-Sun.
The Greek
$ GREEK • Plaka Café was a presence on Monroe Avenue for years, and now its space is in the hands of the
$
NEW AMERICAN • The menu of sliders — with 20-plus eclectic bun toppings, including Cuban, Korean, and “mystery meat” — packs in fans. Local beers are spotlighted alongside Chicken Paprikas soup, a nod to the neighborhood’s Hungarian origins. 2200 W. Lafayette Blvd., Detroit; 313-962-5588. L,D daily.
Grey Ghost $$
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
$$$$
STEAKHOUSE/NEW AMERICAN • On the top two floors of the Renaissance Center, Highlands is the concept of chef-owner Shawn McClain, a James Beard awardee and Iron Chef winner. Besides boasting one of the city’s most breathtaking views the steakhouse’s offerings include three-course dinners with optional sommelier wine pairings. Its High Bar features an impressive selection of beers and spirits, plus elevated bar bites like the Hearth Burger. 400 Renaissance Center, Floors 71 and 72, Detroit; 313-877-9090; D Mon.-Sat.
Hiroki-San
$$$$ JAPANESE • Venture to the basement of the historic Book Tower building to enter Hiroki-San’s shoji-lined, mood-lit dining room. The menu includes an optional sake pairing and cocktails like the Genmaicha-Hai, a green tea-infused highball with lemon juice, honey, apricot, and seltzer. On the food side, enjoy small plates like the sweet and savory tako-age (deep-fried octopus), robatayaki and yakitori offerings, Wagyu steaks, and noodles. Sushi and sashimi can be ordered à la carte or as a “chef’s choice” platter. The wasabi is real. 1265 Washington Blvd., Detroit; 313-597-8344. D Tue.-Sat.
The Hudson Cafe $ BREAKFAST/BRUNCH • The fresh, well-prepared fare from the kitchen of this breakfast/lunch spot has creative takes on the eggs Benedict theme, red velvet pancakes, and apple-walnut stuffed French toast, plus lunchtime sandwiches and salads. 1241 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-237-1000. 17101 Haggerty Rd, Northville 248-308-3793. B,L daily.
Hungarian Rhapsody
$$ 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.
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 smashburgers 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; 248781-0131. 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; 313332-0607; 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; 248544-6250. 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 $$ AMERICAN • Dishes from their currently rotating drivethrough menu such as pan-seared walleye and pierogi & sausage surpass typical roadhouse food. 6005 Gotfredson Road, Plymouth; 734-455-8450. L,D daily.
The Kitchen by Cooking with Que $$ 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; 313462-4184. 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
$$$ WINE BAR • This southwest Detroit wine bar occupies a former 1910 firehouse, offering a daily wine list and seasonal European-inspired bites made with local ingredients — some grown in its backyard garden. Though its owners prefer not to call it a restaurant, it made Bon Appétit’s “24 Best New Restaurants” and The New York Times’s “50 Places in the United States That We’re Most Excited About Right Now” — both in 2023. 3396 Vinewood St., Detroit; 313-638-1601. D Wed.-Sun.
Lady of the House
$$$$
NEW AMERICAN • Chef Kate Williams’s nationally renowned restaurant known for its modern take on Irish, French, and Midwestern influences reopened in 2024 after closing amid the pandemic. The new location features many of the same staple dishes, prepared with local, seasonal ingredients in Williams’s no-waste kitchen: steak tartare with Dijonnaise, crispy potato, caviar, and charred leek top gremolata, and whole roasted chicken with challah migas and roasted shiitake and maitake mushrooms, topped with a frisée salad and a lemon-rosemary gravy. Standout desserts include the potato donut, made with sugared thyme and chamomile cream sauce. The restaurant even has its own Detroit City Distillery gin — mixed into cocktails like the Lady Martini and Lady Gin and Tonic. 4884 Grand River Ave., Unit 1C; 313-230-4678. D Wed.-Sun.
La Dolce Vita
$$$
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.
The Ledger
$$$$ NEW AMERICAN • Located in the former United Savings Bank building, this fine-dining restaurant features a seasonal, from-scratch menu and festive cocktails. For starters, try roasted Brussels sprout chips tossed in katsu or, for a real spectacle, the focaccia served with a candle made from tallow. Lobster rolls, Wagyu steaks, and Alaskan halibut round out the menu — plus photogenic desserts like The Ledger Cake with hazelnut mousse, salted caramel, and honey peanut praline. 306 S. Main St., Plymouth; 734-984-0020. D Tue.-Sun. BR Sat.-Sun.
Leila $$$
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.
Leña
$$$$
SPANISH-INSPIRED • At this restaurant located in Brush Park, just about every dish on the menu touches the kitchen’s central hearth at some point during its preparation. T menu riffs on Basque pinchos and Catalan tapas, plus a fine selection of Spanish wines and gin and tonics. James Beard-honored pastry chef Lena Sareini’s desserts are divine. 2720 Brush St., Detroit; 313-262-6082. D Wed.-Mon.
Le Suprême
$$$ 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, honey-roasted duck breast, and trout amandine. 1265 Washington Blvd., Detroit; 313597-7734. D daily, BR Sat.-Sun.
Lucy & the Wolf
$$ SPANISH • This Anglo-sounding restaurant offers very good Spanish-inspired tapas dining. Standouts include spicy beer cheese dip, harissa rubbed half-chicken, and roasted sablefish. 102 E. Main St., Northville; 248-308-3057. D Tue.-Sat.
Lumen Detroit
$$ NEW AMERICAN • A contemporary American menu and a Victor Saroki setting make the restaurant over-
looking 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 $$$
ITALIAN • This Midtown Detroit classic dates to 1948. Linen-covered tables, framed paintings on wood-paneled walls, expert waiters clad in black tie, and tableside preparation survive here. Italian dinners always begin with an antipasto tray and continue through soup, salad, pasta, and entree. 4222 Second Ave., Detroit; 313-832-1616. L,D daily.
Marrow $$$$
NEW AMERICAN • This West Village restaurant and butcher shop hybrid is an ode to meat, especially unusual cuts. Diners must walk through the butcher shop, bypassing cases of pastrami and sausage, before entering the restaurant. Offerings from a sample tasting menu include Roasted Bone Marrow and Local Lamb ragu. 8044 Kercheval Ave., Detroit; 313-513-0361. L,D Thu.-Sun. marrowdetroit.com for more locations.
Maty’s African Cuisine $$
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.
Metropolitan Bar and Kitchen $$ LATIN • The business brings a bodega-style market along with a neighborhood restaurant and bar to West Village. The menu highlights local and seasonal ingredients in dishes like beet salad or the Metro “Mac” Burger. 8047 Agnes St., Detroit; 313-447-5418. B Sat.-Sun. D Tue.-Sat.
Michigan & Trumbull $$ ITALIAN-AMERICAN • 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
$$$
MEXICAN • Heaping platters of seafood such as shrimp, octopus, and scallops, tell the story at this spot that brings a corner of Mexico’s seaside Nayarit region to southwest Detroit. On weekends, when live music is added, the tables are often pushed back to create a dance floor. 1807 Livernois Ave., Detroit; 313-789-5100. L,D daily.
Mink
$$$$
SEAFOOD • This raw bar with sustainably sourced seafood like oysters and caviar offers an immersive dining experience. The five-course chef’s tasting menu changes once a month and offers several appetizers and main meals with optional beverage parings. While indoor high-top bar seating is reserved for the chef’s tasting menu, Mink also offers first come, first served patio seating for walk-in diners. 1701 Trumbull, Detroit; 313-351-0771; D Thu.-Sun.
The Monarch Club
$$$ 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
$$ ITALIAN-AMERICAN • Bruno DiFabio, a six-time World Pizza Games champ, rejects the label New York-style for his fare. “It’s authentic New York pizza,” he says. In a hurry? Grab a slice from Side Hustle, Mootz’s by-the-slice counter next door. 1230 Library St., Detroit; 313-243-1230. L Fri.-Sun., L, D daily.
Motor City Brewing Works
$ BREWERY • Just 15 mostly nontraditional pizzas on excellent, chewy crust, and the option to build your own pie with various toppings. Plus, salads from locally grown greens to accompany the house-brewed beers. 470 W. Canfield St., Detroit; 19350 Livernois Ave., Detroit; 313-832-2700. L,D daily
Mudgie’s Deli
$
DELI • Sandwich-lovers fill the seats for the House Smoked Pastrami Reuben or the Brooklyn (beef brisket, bacon, and beer cheese). The dinner menu features meat and cheese boards, as well as build-yourown sandwich options. It’s a delicious place for a meal any time. 1413 Brooklyn St., Detroit; 313-961-2000. B Tue.-Sat. L Tue.-Wed., L,D Thu.-Sat.
Nico & Vali
$$
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.
RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR
Oak & Reel
2022
$$
SEAFOOD • Despite a global pandemic threatening to derail his longtime dream, chef Jared Gadbaw brought his vision of a seafood-focused Italian restaurant to life in Detroit’s Milwaukee Junction neighborhood in fall 2020. Oak & Reel’s resilience in the face of extreme adversity and its commitment to the vision of bringing diners impeccable dishes showcasing the freshest seafood, all presented with welcoming and knowledgeable service, is the reason we named Oak & Reel Hour Detroit’s Restaurant of the Year. The menu is seasonal and changes frequently. But in general, the crudos are pristine, the pastas are impeccable, and the seafood dishes are all well balanced and expertly prepared to accentuate the freshness and quality of the fish and shellfish. 2921 E. Grand Blvd., Detroit; 313-2709600. D Thu.-Mon.
Olin
$$$
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
Parc
2018
$$$
NEW AMERICAN • Excellent food, exceptional service, and a crisp and formal but distinctly unstuffy atmosphere set this Campus Martius gem apart. Appetizer highlights include a bright and fresh tuna tartar and charred burrata. Main courses include an interesting blend of Italian food, wood-grilled steaks, and a red chile short rib. There’s also a large selection of dryaged gourmet steaks. 800 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313922-7272. L,D daily. BR Sat.-Sun.
Park Grill
$$
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; 313264-1997. L,D daily.
Pegasus Taverna
$$ GREEK • The cry of “opa!” resounds in St. Clair Shores at the second edition of the longstanding Greektown
restaurant. It boasts an extensive menu, from moussaka and spinach pie to gyros and roast lamb. 24935 Jefferson Ave., St. Clair Shores; 586-772-3200. 558 Monroe St., Detroit; 313-964-6800. L,D Tue-Sun (Detroit); L Sun., D Tue.-Sun. (St. Clair Shores)
The Peterboro $$ ASIAN-FUSION • A contemporary take on American-Chinese 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.
Puma $$ SOUTH AMERICAN • Walk on in to the casual cousin of chef Javier Bardauil’s Barda. Puma features traditional, approachable Argentine and South American eats prepared on the open-fire grill. Standouts include the hearty choripán (chorizo and chimichurri on a baguette), a selection of ceviches, and the empanadas, plus refreshing cocktails. Live DJs are a regular source of entertainment. 4725 16th St., Detroit; 313-819-6804. D Thu.-Sun.
Polish Village Café $
POLISH • The “Polish plate” includes stuffed cabbage, pierogi, kielbasa, sauerkraut, and mashed potatoes and gravy. The dill pickle soup and city chicken are standouts, too. A Detroit staple, where this cuisine getting harder to find. 2990 Yemans St., Hamtramck; 313-874-5726. L,D daily. Not wheelchair accessible.
RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR 2019
Prime + Proper $$$$
STEAKHOUSE • Downtown Detroit dining gets a major shot of glamour with this over-the-top steak and seafood emporium on the corner of Griswold and State streets. Although red meat, from prime dry-aged Tomahawk ribeye to Wagyu strip, is the focus — and yes, there’s a burger made with a dry-aged butcher’s blend — oysters, king crab, and caviar aren’t far behind. An elegant white and gold setting backgrounds it all. 1145 Griswold St., Detroit; 313-636-3100. D daily, BR Sat.-Sun.
Prism $$$
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; 313-309-2499. D Wed.-Sun.
Rocky’s of Northville $$
NEW AMERICAN • Menu includes shrimp cocktail, smoked whitefish pate, and broiled Great Lakes whitefish. Also try chipotle honey-glazed salmon. 41122 W. Seven Mile Road, Northville; 248-349-4434. L Tue.-Fri. D Tue.-Sun.
Red Smoke Barbeque
$$
BARBEQUE • At Red Smoke, hickory and applewood-smoked 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 $$
ITALIAN • The Rugiero family has been serving authentic Italian cuisine since 1964. They’ve launched three additional Antonio’s Cucina Italiana locations. Roman Village is the original and features their signature Gnocchi Rita. 9924 Dix Ave., Dearborn; 313-842-2100. L,D daily.
San Morello
end dining with starched linen and tuxedoed waiters doesn’t hold much interest anymore. Chef Andy Hollyday, a multiple James Beard semifinalist, does farm-to-table scratch cooking with ideas borrowed from around the world. A key to his cooking is the wood-fired grill. This spot has garnered national attention. 3921 Second Ave., Detroit; 313-438-5055. D daily.
RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR
SheWolf Pastificio & Bar
$$$
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 Award-winning chef Andrew Carmellini. 1400 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-209-4700. B,L,D daily.
The Sardine Room
$$$ SEAFOOD • A seafood restaurant and raw bar, The Sardine Room is fresh, fun, and energetic, with clean-line décor and a menu full of surprises. Worthwhile is a grouper sandwich that’s available seared or blackened. 340 S. Main St., Plymouth; 734-416-0261. D daily, BR Sat-Sun.
Savannah Blue $$
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; 313-315-3077. L Sat.-Sun., D daily.
Sexy Steak
$$$$ ITALIAN STEAKHOUSE • This extravagantly decorated eatery occupies downtown Detroit’s castlelike Grand Army of the Republic Building. Its steaks, which you can choose from the Himalayan salt-lined display case, are cooked to order and finished with clarified butter, Zip-style sauce, rosemary, and a garlic bulb. 1942 Grand River Ave., Detroit; 313-403-1000. D daily.
RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR
Selden Standard
2016
$$$
NEW AMERICAN • What sets Selden Standard apart is that it is moving Detroit into a new era in which upper-
2020
$$$ ITALIAN • Chef Anthony Lombardo takes fresh and housemade to a new level with this Midtown restaurant that serves only dinner from a menu inspired by Italian cooking specific to Rome. Milling all of his own flour for his pastas, breads, and polenta in house, Lombardo, well known as the former executive chef at Bacco, serves a selection of simple but elegant regional Italian dishes. 438 Selden St., Detroit; 313-315-3992. D Tue.-Sun
Sindbad’s Restaurant and Marina
$$ SEAFOOD • Sitting by the Detroit River, this long-lasting 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 — overseen by celebrity chef partner Matty Matheson — 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; 313241-5719. D Wed.-Sun. Not wheelchair accessible.
The Statler
$$$$ FRENCH • A taste of Paris in downtown Detroit. This French-American bistro from the Joe Vicari Restaurant Group takes its name from the former historic Statler Hotel it occupies. Classic French fare such as seared foie gras mousse; Henri Maire escargots; and bouillabaisse provence (typify the menu. The large, year-round open-air outdoor patio offers stunning panoramic views of the Detroit skyline and Grand Circus Park. 313 Park Ave., Detroit; 313-463-7111. D daily, BR Sun.
Supino Pizzeria
$$ ITALIAN • Relax with one of the town’s best thin-crust pizzas — they come in more than a dozen variations, with or without red sauce. Plus, try small plates like polpette and three delicious salads. Beer, wine, and cocktails add to the appeal. 2457 Russell St., Detroit; 313-567-7879 L, D Wed.-Sun. 6519 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-314-7400. L,D Mon.-Sat.
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.
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.
Vecino
$$$$
MEXICAN • The Midtown eatery offers a luxurious way to experience the regional foods served in Oaxaca and Mexico City. It is the first restaurant in the state to feature in-house nixtamalization — a 3,000-year-old process used to turn corn into workable masa. Its unique offerings include mezcal cocktails, the tuna tostada, the half red snapper, and broccolini in green mole. 4100 Third Ave., Detroit; 313-500-1615. D Tue.-Sun.
Vertical Detroit $$$
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; 313-7329463. D Tue.-Sat. Not wheelchair accessible.
Vicente’s Cuban Cuisine $$
CUBAN • An evening at this lively spot is more than just Cuban and Spanish dining. Appetizers and tapas include the outstanding Tapa de la Casa, pork leg marinated in mojo; a Spanish chorizo and fresh mushrooms concoction with garlic lemon sauce; and empanadas, a Cuban turnover filled with ground beef or chicken. 1250 Library St., Detroit; 313-962-8800. L,D daily.
Vivio’s Food & Spirits $ SANDWICH/DELI • This Eastern Market classic has been run by the Vivio family for more than 40 years.
Sandwiches and burgers are mainstays, but diners also appreciate the steamed mussels. 3601 Twelve Mile Road, Warren; 586-576-0495. L,D daily.
Whatcha Wanna Eat Food Hall
$ FOOD COURT • Whatcha Wanna Eat is said to be the first Black-owned food hall in Detroit and aims to provide a platform to first-time restaurateurs in the city (producing tasty results for diners). Its seven restaurants feature a range of cuisines, including burgers, wings, tacos, hibachi bowls, and pit-style barbecue. 10635 W. McNichols Road, Detroit. L,D Tue.-Sun.
The Whitney
$$$$
NEW AMERICAN • The historic 1890s mansion is still going strong. The menu is typified by classic beef Wellington, wrapped in spinach, prosciutto, and pastry; and a seared Verlasso salmon fillet. Tableside cooking, by reservation only, is an optional feature. Don’t forget The Katherine McGregor Dessert Parlor for a sweet treat.4421 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-832-5700. D Tue.-Sun. and high tea Sat.
Wright & Co.
$$$
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; 313-9627711. D Tue.-Sat.
Yemen Café
$
YEMENI • A nearly all-hours destination and a Hamtramck essential, Yemen Café offers traditional Yemeni dishes like saltah, a comforting soup with ground beef, rice, eggs, and vegetables. Popular items include the fahsah (lamb stew) and a range of ghallaba entrées, plus Middle Eastern/Mediterranean staples like shawarma, kebab, fattoush, and tabbouleh. 8740 Joseph Campau Ave., Hamtramck. B,L,D daily.
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.
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; 248-8659300. 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
Aurora Italiana
$$$$
ITALIAN • This restaurant offers a sophisticated and modern take on Italian dining. Fresh pasta lays the groundwork for the rigatoni al bosco: tenderloin tips, wild mushroom, truffle demi-glace tossed in cream sauce. Other delectables include and peppers, steak, and seafood. Watch out for Al Capone in the men’s room. 6199 Orchard Lake Rd, West Bloomfield Township; 248-782-3000; D daily.
Aurora on the Lake
$$$$ ITALIAN • Located along Union Lake, this spin-off of West Bloomfield’s Aurora Italiana serves Italian fine dining in the space once occupied by It’s A Matter of Taste. 2323 Union Lake Rd, Commerce Township; 248360-6650; D daily.
Bella Piatti
$$
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. 167 Townsend St., Birmingham; 248-494-7110. D Tue.-Sat.
Beppé
$$$
NEW AMERICAN/ITALIAN • This neighborhood eatery has a little something for everyone — from bar staples like burgers to refined dishes like lamb belly; steak tartare; or the caponata made with roasted eggplant, olives, trumpet mushrooms, Calabrian chiles, thyme vinaigrette, Manchego cheese, and bread. The drinks program features refreshing spritzes and a rotating selection of über-drinkable Italian wines. 703 N. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-607-7030. L,D Sat.-Sun, D Tue.-Fri.
Beverly Hills Grill
$$$
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; 248642-2355. 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
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.
Casa Pernoi
$$$$
ITALIAN • Three months after its grand opening, what once was a multi-hyphenate concept, blending French, Asian, and Italian cuisine, soon defaulted simply to a cuisine most familiar to chef Luciano DelSignore: Italian. Housemade pastas rolled by hand, and a meaty branzino typify the menu. 310 E. Maple Road, Birmingham; 248-940-0000. D Tue.-Sat.
Churchill’s Bistro & Cigar Bar
$$$
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.
Clarkston Union
$
NEW AMERICAN • Perhaps known best for its iconic Union Mac and Cheese (Vermont sharp cheddar and mild Pinconning cheeses with layers of penne rigate and a crispy breadcrumb crust), the downtown Clarkston staple lauded by Guy Fieri has been a longtime purveyor of American comfort foods such as pot pie and meat loaf, plus burgers and handhelds like the Union Reuben and Cubano sandwiches. Located in an 1840s-era church, the restaurant provides much of the seating on pews. 54 S. Main St., Clarkston; 248-620-6100. L,D daily, B Sun.
Coeur
$$$
GLOBAL • Part of Papa Joe’s Gourmet Market, Bistro Joe’s is in a mezzanine overlooking the open kitchen and market. There is an eclectic list of dishes like spicy tuna “tacushi,” P.E.I. Pesto Mussels, and tasty flatbread pizzas. 34244 Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-5940984. D Tue.-Sun., BR Sat.-Sun.
RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR 2003
Café Cortina
$$$$
NEW AMERICAN • With a world-class wine program and delectable desserts, Coeur offers seasonal plates like squash tempura, potato and Comté croquettes, and grilled hamachi collar glossed with a sticky sweet kumquat glaze. Larger entrées include chicken roulade and short ribs. Order à la carte or leave it up to the chef with the five-course tasting menu and optional wine pairing. 330 W. Nine Mile Road, Ferndale; 248-466-3020. D Wed.-Sun.
Como’s
$$$
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
$$
NEW AMERICAN • This Ferndale favorite reopened in May 2019 under the ownership of Peas & Carrots Hospitality with a trendier, fresher look. The warm, homey feel is still intact, but it’s ditched the old menu for — among other things — chef Zack Sklar’s square, deep-dish, Detroitstyle pizza that’s leavened from a sourdough starter as opposed to commercial yeast. 22812 Woodward Ave., Unit 100., Ferndale; 248-677-4439. L,D daily.
Cornbread Restaurant & Bar
$$
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.
Ingredients
1 double shot of espresso
1 scoop (1/3 cup) amaretto ice cream (you can substitute cherry, strawberry, or spumoni)
3/4 ounce Lazzaroni amaretto
Directions
1. Measure amaretto and pour into a cup.
2. Add a scoop of ice cream on top.
3. Pour a freshly pulled double shot of espresso over the top. Enjoy!
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. The Berkley location’s patio adds 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.
D’Marcos Italian Restaurant and Wine Bar $$$ ITALIAN • Located in the heart of downtown Rochester, this family-owned establishment is known for its extensive wine list, wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas and house-made pasta dishes like the beef tenderloin linguine with beef tenderloin tips, spinach, mushroom cream sauce, and parmesan. It’s also connected to The Backdoor, a speakeasy-style taco and tequila bar. 401 S Main St, Rochester; 248-759-4951. L,D Tue.-Sat
Eddie’s Gourmet $$ 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; 248-924-3367. 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
$$$$ STEAKHOUSE • This plush modern steakhouse offers dry-aged prime and Kobe-style wagyu beef in a fun, clubby setting. An extensive wine list accompanies the
restaurant menu that also features platters of chilled fresh seafood. 201 S. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-594-4369. D daily. 17107 Haggerty Road, Northville Twp.; 248-679-0007. D Tue.-Sun.
Imperial $ MEXICAN-INSPIRED • The menu offers California-style tacos on soft tortillas, including lime-grilled chicken, carnitas, and marinated pork, as well as slow-roasted pork tortas, and guacamole. 22828 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, 248-850-8060. L,D daily.
J-Bird Smoked Meats
$$
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 meat-lovers 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
$$$$
SEAFOOD • The Bloomfield Hills location of the iconic restaurant continues the tradition of excellent food, service, and ambiance. The menu emphasizes classic fresh fish and “Muer Traditions” such as Dover sole and Great Lakes Yellow Belly Perch. There’s also a raw and sushi bar as well as premium steaks. And make sure to save room for dessert, because the coconut cake is not to be missed. A piano bar adds to the vibe. 39475 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills; 248-792-9609. D daily.
KouZina Greek Street Food
$ GREEK • The Greek “street food” at this Royal Oak spot comes in lamb and beef, and chicken. Try the lentil soup for a delicious lunch or go for something more filling like the gyro bowl. Either way, you can’t go wrong with this excellent eatery. 121 N Main Street, Royal Oak; 248-629-6500. L,D daily Mon.-Sun.
Lao Pot
$$$
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.
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; 248-373-4440. L,D daily.
Lincoln Yard/Little Yard $$
NEW AMERICAN • From Union Joints, the oven-centric restaurant features a rotisserie, a smoker, and a woodfired oven used to bake pizzas. The menu’s centerpiece is the Main Builds option, which includes your choice of protein (rotisserie chicken, rotisserie cauliflower, smoked beef short ribs, or smoked pork tenderloin) with a sauce and two sides, such as roasted carrots, smashed potatoes, or mac and cheese. There are also salads and handhelds — and, of course, the classic Union Mac. 2159 E. Lincoln St., Birmingham; 248-653-5353. B,L,D daily.
Loccino Italian Grill $$
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 to 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.
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.
Luisa’s Artisanal Street Food $
ITALIAN STREET FOOD • The small restaurant offers a unique mishmash of influences — all with the grab-and-go convenience of “street food.” Its sandwiches are stuffed in piadina, a rustic Italian flatbread. Standouts include the smoky mole chili, made with roasted chile peppers, green bell peppers, black beans, braised steak, and mozzarella. Plus, the slushies are to die for. 22851 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-677-3331. L Tue., L,D Wed.-Sun.
Luxe Bar & Grill
$$
NEW AMERICAN • The simple menu at this Grosse Pointe Farms joint offers burgers on brioche buns and interesting salads and sides, as well as entrees typified by wild-caught salmon, prime filet, and Greek-style lamb chops. 525 N. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-792-6051. 115 Kercheval Ave., Grosse Pointe Farms; 313-924-5459. L,D daily.
RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR 2025
Mabel Gray $$$
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.
RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR 2023
Madam
$$$
NEW AMERICAN • Since opening in 2021, Madam has carved its niche with its global take on farm-to-table cuisine, taking diners on a tour from Michigan to Asia to Europe. Staples from chef de cuisine Clifton Booth include mushroom dumplings, Spanish octopus, steak frites, and pasta dishes. 298 S. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-283-4200. B,D daily, L Mon.-Fri., BR Sat.-Sun.
Market North End
$$ 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 $$ ECLECTIC AMERICAN • This eclectic American menu includes steak frites remarkably close to those at Paris bistros, and a house made soft pretzel with roasted jalapeno-goat cheese dip. Or, try the sesame miso beef short rib, served with rice. 301 S. Main St., Rochester; 248-759-4825. D daily, BR Sat.-Sun.
Mesa Tacos And Tequila $ MEXICAN-AMERICAN • The two-story setting includes balcony seating in a big, open room where the bar gets equal time with the kitchen. The pop-Mexican menu — which includes guacamole, nachos, and the titular tacos — is backed up with an array of tequilas. 312 S. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-545-1940. L & D daily.
RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR 2008
Mon Jin Lau $$ 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; 248689-2332. L Mon.-Fri., D daily.
Noble Fish
$
JAPANESE • For over 40 years, this laid-back sushi spot has been serving traditional rolls, nigiri, and entrées like the chirashi bowl inside a downtown Clawson Japanese market. Grab a tray and enjoy reasonably priced bites like its signature Noble Roll, made with grilled salmon skin, smelt roe, oshinko, egg, cucumber, and mayo. 45 E. 14 Mile Road, Clawson; 248-585-2314. B,L,D daily
Noori Pocha $
KOREAN • This retro Korean gastropub in Clawson will transport you to ’80s Seoul with its unmatchable aesthetic. The meal begins with complimentary tteokbokki, a rice cake cooked in a spicy red broth. From there, you can choose from a fine selection of import beers and bang-foryour-buck entrées like the shareable buldak: spicy chicken and cheese served with jumeok-bap (rice balls with seaweed). 1 S. Main St., Clawson; 248-850-7512. D Tue.-Sun.
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.
Oak Parker
$$
NEW AMERICAN • This lively neighborhood bar features thoughtful cocktails with a forward-looking food menu to match. Simplicity and a great bun (potato, brioche, or onion roll) make its smash burgers the perfect answer to a cold pint. You can also kick it up a notch with Hungarian sausage, schnitzels, or pastrami — the latter stuffed in deli-style sandwiches and deepfried chimichangas, or mixed in pastrami hash for weekend brunch. 13621 W. 11 Mile Road; oakparkerbar. com; B Sat.-Sun, L,D daily.
Ocean Prime
$$$$
SEAFOOD • An upper-end steak-and-fish place and a popular business lunch site. The menu features naturally harvested fresh fish and prime aged beef. Don’t miss the chocolate peanut butter pie or the carrot cake. A triedand-true metro Detroit spot. 2915 Coolidge Hwy., Troy; 248-458-0500. L Mon.-Fri., D daily.
One-Eyed Betty’s
$$
ECLECTIC AMERICAN • Picnic-style tables and blackboards lettered with scores of brew choices add a beerhall 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; 248-808-6633. 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; 248808-6244. B, L,D daily.
Phoenicia
$$$
LEBANESE • This long-standing upscale eatery has clean, contemporary lines that complement the French door-style windows. Don’t miss the portabella mushrooms or roasted garlic cloves with tomato and basil as an appetizer. The menu expands to unexpected items such as baby back ribs and single-serving-sized local whitefish. 588 S. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248644-3122. L Mon.-Fri., D daily.
Pinky’s Rooftop
$$
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 $$ ITALIAN • It doesn’t sound fancy, but this Ferndale restaurant serves well-prepared, Italian dishes paired with an ambitious wine program. The fairly brief menu starts with a list of Neapolitan pizzas, then moves to pastas, but has all the classics. 280 W. Nine Mile Road, Ferndale; 248-268-4806. D Tue.-Sun. BR Sat.-Sun.
Prime29 Steakhouse $$$$ STEAKHOUSE • The 29-day aged prime beef, including the 24-ounce tomahawk bone-in rib-eye, still stars here. There’s also Chilean sea bass and black pearl salmon. The service is notable, as is the Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator. 6545 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield; 248- 737-7463. D Tue.-Sun.
Quán Ngon Vietnamese Bistro $ VIETNAMESE • This gem of a bistro in a handsome space adds to the local Vietnamese offerings. Dishes such as cha gio (elegant little eggrolls), bun bo noug cha gio (grilled beef with eggroll, vermicelli, mixed greens, plus sweet and sour sauce), and banh mi made with fresh ingredients. 30701 Dequindre Road, Madison Heights; 248-268-4310. L,D daily
Redcoat Tavern $ BURGERS • The half-pound choice beef hamburger is always atop the list of local favorites. But a low-fat, high-flavor Piedmontese beef one is tastier than the original. This is the place for your burger craving. 31542 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak; 248-549-0300. 6745 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township; 248865-0500. L,D Mon.-Sat.
The Rind $$$ WINE BAR • Attached to Mongers’ Provisions in Berkley, The Rind serves signature cocktails from its full bar and offers wines by the glass and a selection of more than 150 bottles to choose from. In addition to snacks that pair well with wine, like marcona almonds, tinned razor clams, and (naturally) cheese and charcuterie, there’s heartier fare like a flat-iron steak and littleneck clams. 3125 12 Mile Road, Berkley; 248-468-4487. L,D Tue.-Sun.
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.
Sambong
$
KOREAN • Known for its signature naengmyeon (a Korean cold noodle dish), Sambong is a fully self-service restaurant with unique offerings like complementary broth. Besides the naengmyeon (which features house-made noodles), additional standouts include japchae, bulgogi, bibimbap, and donkatsu. 5389 Crooks Road, Troy; 248-731-7859. L,D Wed.-Mon.
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; 248-594-4200. L Mon.-Fri., D daily, BR Sat.-Sun.
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, 248369-3360. D Mon.-Sun.
Take Sushi
$$ JAPANESE • Crisp salads, sashimi, sushi, oversize bowls of soba or udon noodles, and all the familiar — and some not-so-familiar — entrees combine to make this spot special. The exceptionally warm service is unforgettable. 1366 Walton Blvd., Rochester Hills; 248652-7800. L,D Tue.-Sat., D Sun.
Tallulah Wine Bar & Bistro $$ 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. Located in the former Clawson movie theater next door to the shop, the eatery serves small, simple plates, including vegetarian and vegan options, plus local beverage 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; 248288-4858. L,D Tue.-Fri., B,L,D Sat.-Sun.
TigerLily
$$
JAPANESE • With an eclectic ambiance and extensive Japanese menu, TigerLily satisfies taste buds with sushi, sashimi, nigiri, and hot dishes like the Yaki Udon or Japanese Street Corn. 231 W. Nine Mile Road, Ste. A, Ferndale; 248-733-4905. D daily.
Toast, A Breakfast & Lunch Joint
$ BREAKFAST/BRUNCH • It’s fun, it’s breezy, and the food at Toast, A Breakfast & Lunch Joint is very, very good. Try the huevos rancheros: fried eggs upon corn tortillas, pintos, and cheese. Toast, a Neighborhood Joint, the spinoff of the Ferndale original has a more elaborate setting pairing ’50s retro with sleek contemporary in a pair of rooms. The new menu features twists to comfort food. 23144 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248398-0444. 203 Pierce St., Birmingham; 248-258-6278. B,L daily.
Toasted Oak
$$$
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 $$
NEW AMERICAN • This restaurant, which is housed in a vintage car-repair shop, offers well-prepared comfort food classics such as burgers, macaroni and cheese, pizzas, and brown sugar-glazed salmon. A restaurant that pays true homage to the city of Detroit. 27799 Woodward Ave., Berkley; 248-548-7711. L,D daily
Voyager $$
SEAFOOD • Fresh seafood with emphasis on oysters is the premise in this hard-to-find location. The space entails 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.
Waves $$
SEAFOOD • Seafood covers most of the menu at this Nautical Mile favorite. It’s a tough task choosing between such popular appetizers as coconut shrimp, crispy grouper nuggets, and plump steamed mussels. Entrees include al dente pastas and several choices from “over the wave,” such as lamb chops and New York strip steak, plus lump crab cakes, and beer-battered cod. 24223 Jefferson Ave., St. Clair Shores; 586773-3279. L,D daily.
Andiamo $$
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. 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, plis bar-food staples with a twist. It’s 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.
Da Francesco’s Ristorante & Bar $$ ITALIAN • Da Francesco’s has been around for more than 15 years, but its massive new facility is packing in the crowds by offering traditional Italian dining with an upbeat modern twist. 49521 Van Dyke Ave., Shelby Township; 586-731-7544. L,D Tue.-Fri., D Sat., L,D Sun.
Detroit Fish House $$
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 $$ ITALIAN • The trending market-restaurant combo has a good example at this spot. It offers imported pastas and sauces, plus a butcher counter with sausages and a wine assortment. The menu offers pasta and pizza, salads, and entrees, including Bistecca di Gancio, a sliced hanger steak with crispy Brussels sprouts and house bistro sauce. 27919 Harper Ave., St. Clair Shores; 586-879-6764. L,D Tue.-Sat
Host Utica
$$
VARIOUS • With a rotating cast of culinarians that shifts about once every few months, Host Utica is a great place to constantly try something new — and to get a first taste of concepts from up-and-coming chefs. The Instagram-friendly dining room has a full-service cocktail bar as well as brunch and dinner service, plus coffee and pastries. The building regularly holds culinary events and is home to a coworking office space. 7759 Auburn Road, Utica; 586-488-0134. D Tue.-Sat., BR daily.
Isla
$$
FILIPINO • Dishes at this Filipino restaurant, formerly sheltered at Fort Street Galley, are reflective of the culinary traditions of the founders’ Iloilo City hometown. Annatto is used to punch up the color of Chicken Adobo, the unofficial dish of the Philippines, and juicy mangoes complement sweet and savory dishes. 2496 Metro Pkwy, Sterling Heights; 586-8837526. L,D Tue.-Sat., BR Sun.
J. Baldwin’s Restaurant
$$$
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.
Khom Fai
THAI • At this Macomb staple, owners and brothers chef Isaiah and Chris Sonjeow serve a modernized take on Thai food, seasoned with what they call “a dash of
good ol’ Southern hospitality.” Sip a specialty cocktail and start with small plates like satay skewers, Rangoon, or sesame yellowfin tuna and enjoy entrées like drunken noodles, red curry, or Khom Fai’s signature fried chicken. 48856 Romeo Plank Road, Macomb; 586-247-7773. L Tues., Sun., D Tues.-Sat.
Luigi’s: The Original $$ ITALIAN • This cozy Italian eatery opened its doors in 1953. The sizeable menu offers prime rib, pasta, pizza, and well-prepared seafood. 36691 Jefferson Ave., Harrison Township; 586-468-7711; D Wed.-Sun.
Mr. Paul’s Chophouse
$$$
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
$$
STEAKHOUSE • The late Nick Andreopoulos once spent time as a “broiler man” at London Chop House. His family stays true to those roots at this American steakhouse with a casual, neighborhood feel. They offer an array of well-prepared angus steaks, plus seafood and pasta dishes. With the sizable lunch and portions offered at Steakhouse 22, good luck saving room for dessert! 48900 Van Dyke Ave., Shelby Township; 586731-3900. L,D Tue.-Sun.
Testa Barra
ITALIAN • Owned and run by chefs Mike and Gabriella Baldwin (of Food Network fame), Testa Barra is notable for its freshly made pasta dishes and favorites like Connie’s Lamb Shank, a fall-off-the-bone chop topped with red wine braise, stewed vegetables, polenta, and Asiago cheese. Its wine program is renowned, and the restaurant features 14 on-staff sommeliers to guide you through the list 48824 Romeo Plank Road, Macomb; 586-434-0100. D Tue.-Sun., BR Sun.
Twisted Rooster
$$ 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.
Bellflower $$
NEW AMERICAN • A restaurant housed in a former exchange of the Michigan Bell Telephone Company, Bellflower answers Ypsilanti’s call for fine dining with an adventurous flair. Boudin sausage with roasted okra, baked oysters, and ginger ale or Coca-Cola-roasted beets showed up on early menus as chef Dan Klenotic’s way of straddling the line of creole tradition and an imaginative style that is entirely his own. He was recognized as a James Beard semifinalist in 2024. 209 Pearl St., Ypsilanti. D Mon. L, D Tue-Sat. L Sun.
Black Pearl $$
SEAFOOD • This seafood and martini bar is especially popular during patio season. But step inside for a host of 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.
Cardamom $$ INDIAN • Check out the Hyderabadi Biryani —chicken, goat, and vegetable dishes, in which the rice is first cooked, then baked. All the Indian favorites are available at Cardamom, such as Chicken Tikka Masala, Lamb Rogan Josh, and warm, fluffy, made-fresh garlic naan. It’s the ideal spot for when you’re craving the classics. 1739 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor; 734-662-2877. D Wed.-Sun.
The Common Grill $$ 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; 734475-0470. L,D Tue.-Sun., BR Sat-Sun.
Dixboro House
$$$$
NEW AMERICAN • Much like the restaurant’s ambience, the cuisine at Dixboro House is both refined and relaxed. Chef Garret Lipar’s menu hosts rotating seasonal from-scratch dishes that highlight local ingredients—pizzas, salads, seafood, and steaks served in a rustic barn that once housed The Lord Fox, an iconic restaurant in Ann Arbor’s historic Dixboro neighborhood. 5400 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor; 734-669-3310. L,D daily. BR Sat.-Sun.
Ma Lou’s $
CHICKEN • This is Ypsi’s destination for all things fried chicken — try it as a plate, in the form of wings, or in the chicken and waffles, with classic Southern sides like collard greens, potato salad, and coleslaw. But Ma Lou’s shines especially in its ability to craft the perfect sandwich (made with your choice of chicken or tofu and spice levels from “Classic Southern” to “Spicy AF,” which may bring tears to your eyes). For instance, try The Hot Chick, stacked with a combination of the ultra-spicy Nashville hot baste, bacon, lettuce, tomato, pepper jack cheese, and jalapeño ranch. 15 W. Michigan Ave., Ypsilanti; 734-905-7994. L,D Tue.-Sat.
Mani Osteria & Bar
$$
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
$$
KOREAN • This spinoff from the Zingerman’s mini empire comes courtesy of chef Ji Hye Kim, a James Beard semifinalist. Kim meticulously researches Korean culinary traditions and recipes to create her unique blend of modern Korean food highlighting Michigan vegetables, from housemade kimchi to the tteokbokki (rice cakes). Some of the restaurant’s standouts include a craveable Korean fried chicken and its plant-based counterpart the Korean fried tofu. 415 N. Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor, 734-2750099. L and D Wed.-Mon.
Peridot
$$$$
VIETNAMESE-INSPIRED • This downtown Ann Arbor eatery offers both small plates and cocktails that incorporate ingredients like tamarind, Thai basil, Vietnamese cinnamon, and cilantro — with delightfully refreshing results. On the ever-changing menu, standout small plates have included ketchup fried rice and the savory kampachi and prosciutto: Italian dry-cured ham and amberjack sashimi. 118 W. Liberty St., Ann Arbor; 734-773-3097. D Mon.-Sat.
Seva
$$
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, fresh-squeezed juices, and craft mocktails. Choose from one of the most extensive vegetarian menus in the Detroit area. 2541 Jackson Ave., Ann Arbor; 734-662-1111. L,D Mon.-Sat.
Shalimar
$$
INDIAN • Offering North Indian, Tandoori, and Mughlai dishes, Shalimar is suitable for carnivores and herbivores alike. Standouts include the Lamb Tikka Masala, best eaten with the restaurant’s flavorful, chewy garlic naan served fresh and hot. 307 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-663-1500. L, D daily.
Slurping Turtle
$
JAPANESE • This fun, casual Ann Arbor restaurant, owned by celebrity chef Takashi Yagihashi, offers plenty of shareable dishes, such as hamachi nachos and duck-fat fried chicken. But the star at Slurping Turtle is the noodle (Yagihashi’s “soul food”), which is made in-house daily on a machine imported from Japan. 608 E. Liberty St., Ann Arbor; 734-887-6868. L,D daily.
Tomukun
$
KOREAN • Featuring a Korean noodle bar and Korean barbecue side by side, the downtown Ann Arbor eatery is a destination for ramen, udon, and pho, plus traditional rice dishes like bibimbap. On the barbecue side of things, order shareable grill-it-yourself meals like short ribs, pork belly, and marinated chicken — plus stir-fries, hot pots, and more. 505 E. Liberty St., Suites 100-200, Ann Arbor; 734-995-8668 (Tomukun Noodle Bar); 734-369-2602 (Tomukun Korean BBQ). L,D daily.
Venue by 4M
$$$
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 high-end mixed-use food hall. 1919 S. Industrial Highway, Ann Arbor; 734-800-0128; experience4m.com
Yotsuba Japanese Restaurant & Bar
$$ JAPANESE • The semi-circular sushi bar is the center of this restaurant. Sushi chef Bobby Suzuki has a loyal following for his precise nigiri rolls. There are also tatami rooms and conventional seating. 7365 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township; 248-737-8282. 2222 Hogback Road, Ann Arbor; 734-971-5168. L,D Tue.-Sun.
Zingerman’s Roadhouse
$$$
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.
2025 leadership celebration brunch sets the tone for a new era in Michigan dental excellence
2.0 became more than a vision — it became a movement — on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025, at the Goodis Happy New Year’s Leadership Celebration Brunch hosted at the distinguished Grosse Pointe Yacht Club from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This landmark gathering marked the official rise of “The New Golden Age: Dentistry 2.0,” a concept first introduced in the August 2023 edition of the Michigan Dental Association Journal by George Goodis, DDS.
Designed to empower the next generation of dental leaders, the celebration served as a powerful platform for young professionals and seasoned experts to connect, collaborate, and commit to a shared vision: advancing dental excellence across Michigan’s communities and neighborhoods.
Among the rising stars in attendance were standout University of Detroit Mercy dental students and recent graduates, alongside a distinguished University of Michigan alum. Pictured from left to right are Dr. Darya Dabiri, Dr. Chrissy Panagos, Ella Growney, Dr. Michael Fouad, Olivia Duffy, Arjang Geramifard, and Dr. Cyrus Razmgar.
These “Alpha Dentists” — leaders born in the 21st century — represent the future of Michigan dentistry and already hold leadership positions within the Michigan Dental Association. Providing mentorship and guidance were esteemed leaders in the dental field:
Dr. George Goodis and Dr. Gerald Halk, 2025 Ralph F. Sommer Endodontic Symposium general chair and co-chair.
Dr. Robert Steiman, DDS, Ph.D., dean emeritus of the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry.
Dr. Susan Paurazas, DDS, M.S., graduate endodontic program director at UDM.
The celebration also served as a launchpad for the upcoming Ralph F. Sommer Endodontic Symposium, scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 2, at the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club. With the theme “Bridging Pediatric Dentistry and Endodontics,” the symposium invites all Michigan dentists, specialists, residents, faculty, and students to join a day of learning, networking, and leadership development.
The New Golden Age is here — and Michigan is leading the way.
Goodis Endodontics
20175 Mack Ave. Grosse Pointe Woods, MI 48236 313-886-4040
Sterling Endodontics
4100 Dequindre, Suite 125 Sterling Heights, MI 48314 586-726-1999
Bay Pointe Endodontics
35054 23 Mile Road
Building B, Suite 105 New Baltimore, MI 48047 586-725-0200
endodoctors.com
THIS FUNDRAISER for C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital’s annual Save a Heart Celebration helps raise money for lifesaving research and provide support for the hospital’s “Little Victors” and their families. Hosted at Ruth’s Chris Steak House in Ann Arbor, the event was emceed by Tom Riles and included a specially curated meal, wines and specialty cocktails, live and silent auctions, and inspirational stories. Learn more at michmed.org/saveaheart.
PHOTOS BY CHRISTINE M.J. HATHAWAY
THIS ROARING ’20s-themed gala took guests back in time in support of the Packard Motor Car Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to the restoration and preservation of the Packard Proving Grounds. The event, which featured Fox 2 News’ Roop Raj as master of ceremonies, included a gourmet dinner, era-inspired cocktails, exclusive tours of the historic space, Packard car displays, live entertainment, and much more. Learn more at packardprovinggrounds.org.
THE AMERICAN Heart Association’s signature women’s initiative, Go Red for Women, has raised awareness of and addressed the clinical care gaps relating to women’s greatest health threat: cardiovascular disease. Its annual fundraising event takes place in cities throughout the U.S. and raises money to end heart disease and stroke in women. The Motor City’s version was held at The Westin Book Cadillac Detroit. Guests at the event were encouraged to wear red and were treated to an afternoon of food and drink, live auctions, and stories. Learn more at goredforwomen.org
July 13
2 to 6 p.m.
warmemorial.org/eventcalendar11/ augustsoiree
The 2024 Summer Beer & Wine Soiree on the Bay invites guests to sip and stroll through lakefront gardens, enjoy waterfront views, and explore the historic Alger House. Featuring over 100 wines, 50 craft beers and seltzers, gourmet pairings, and live yacht rock.
July 14
8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
migreengrape.com
Greens ’n’ Grapes returns to Saint John’s Resort, showcasing top local and international wines, craft brews, and gourmet food. Guests will enjoy a golf tournament at the Cardinal Championship Golf Course and wine tasting in the Garden Pavilion while supporting Michigan charities that serve children and families across the state.
FOUNDATION SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN — GROSSE POINTE GATHERING BAER HOME ON THE WATER
July 24 6 to 9 p.m.
corewellhealth.org/foundation/southeast/ events/grosse-pointe-gathering
The second annual Grosse Pointe Gathering on July 24 supports Corewell Health Beaumont Grosse Pointe Hospital’s Spiritual Care Endowment Fund. Scheduled for 6 to 9 p.m. at a private lakeside home, the event will include cocktails, dinner, entertainment, and activities.
July 24
7:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. business.auburnhillschamber.com/ events/details/auburn-hills-chamber-golfopen-2025-16855
Golfers will gather for one of Michigan’s premier golf outings, featuring a hot breakfast with a Bloody Mary and mimosa bar, followed by a shotgun start and 18 holes of scramblestyle golf. The day will include on-course beer stations, lunch at the turn, post-golf dinner with carving stations, networking, and raffles. Early registration recommended.
July 26–27
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
hotworks.org/events-hot-works/orchardlake-fine-art-show-july-26-27-2025
Consistently ranked among the top 100 art shows in America, this juried event in West Bloomfield, Michigan, features original, handmade artwork by professional artists from across the country. Visitors can enjoy live entertainment, delicious food, and a youth art competition for ages 5 to 13. Admission is $5 for adults; there is no cost for children 13 and under. Free parking is available behind Corewell Health at 6900 Orchard Lake Road.
July 26
8 a.m.
give.foundationforfamilies.org/event/ woodhouse-5k-for-new-day-2025/e645581
Participants are invited to spend a Saturday morning running or walking in a chip-timed 5K to support families facing the financial burden of cancer. Open to all ability levels, the race begins and ends at Rochester Municipal Park, winding through the scenic streets of downtown Rochester.
DURING THE ROARING ’20 s, when Detroit became the fourth largest city in the country largely due to the burgeoning auto industry, the skyline was rapidly transformed by stunning office skyscrapers, beginning with the 27-story Buhl Building. It opened 100 years ago, on May 1, 1925, at the corner of Griswold and Congress in the financial district, replacing a demolished four-story structure of the same name built in 1868 — by Frederick and Christian Buhl — over Savoyard Creek and a portion of Fort Shelby.
The “new” Buhl is a magnificent neo-Gothic structure with Romanesque accents, clad in cream-colored terra-cotta and adorned with figures sculpted by Corrado Parducci. The first four stories of the 390,000-squarefoot building have a rectangular footprint, while the fifth through 26th floors form a Latin cross, allowing for more natural light and eight corner suites on each floor.
The project was financed by a third generation of Buhls. The lead architect was Wirt C. Rowland — of the firm Smith, Hinchman & Grylls — who later designed the Penobscot (1928) and Guardian (1929) buildings. Other skyscrapers that soon graced downtown include the Book Tower (1926), Cadillac Tower (1927), Broderick Tower (1928), and David Stott Building (1929).
Two things longtime Detroiters may recall about the Buhl Building are The Savoyard Club, an elegant private club for businessmen located on the top floor from 1928 until 1994, and the tragedy that took place on June 11, 1982. On that day, a disgruntled law firm client shot and killed an intern, wounded five others, and set fire to the firm’s eighth-floor office. Thirty-eight people were injured, including two attorneys who jumped four floors to safety onto a landing.
Thankfully, more-recent headlines are tamer by comparison — including the sale of the building in December 2017 to businessman Dan Gilbert’s Bedrock. —Bill Dow
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