Hour Detroit | June 2026

Detroit bestof

THE

READERS’ VOTES ARE IN!

Discover the winners and finalists in 223 categories

Photo by Blaine Siesser Photography

Iconic Moments.

Iconic moments deserve iconic settings. As we celebrate our 100th year of hospitality, envision celebrating your special day in one of our beautifully restored ballrooms. Our thoughtfully redesigned guestrooms and event spaces create a sophisticated urban oasis perfect for any occasion. Connect with one of our wedding specialists today at westinbookcadillac.com or by calling 313-442-1616.

Photo by Jermme of @WeddingsbyJermme

Photo by Dave and Ang Photo

Luxury Innovation

Luxury and innovation with our state of the art facilities located in Michigan and Florida.

Cutting-Edge Care

Highest standards of care by integrating the latest medical techniques and technology

DRS. VIKRAM AND CHETHANA GOTTAM

ART OF DERMATOLOGY

FOUNDERS OF PREMIER DERMATOLOGY PRACTICE

At Art of Dermatology, our Board Certified Providers are dedicated to offering exceptional care for the diagnosis, treatment, and enhancement of your overall skin health. We understand how important it is to look and feel your best. That’s why our team of highly experienced providers are dedicated to enhancing your natural beauty.

With several locations to serve you, trust us as your go-to dermatology practice, providing you with everything you need in one convenient place.

From personalized consultations to state of the art procedures, our promise is to provide the highest standard of care backed by expertise and compassion. We serve to be a one stop shop for all of your dermatology and aesthetic services.

Art of Dermatology is dedicated to offering exceptional care for the diagnosis, treatment, and enhancement of your overall skin health. Experience the art of beautiful, healthy skin at Art of Dermatology.

wish you were here.

It’s not just a destination – it’s the destination. See why Good Housekeeping named Traverse City as a “2026 Travel Award Winner for Best Beach Escapes”.

If you want to know what a university is for, Look

to the work.

Look to the Physicians destroying cancer with sound instead of scalpels.

Look to the Architects designing stronger structures with 72% less concrete.

Look to the Librarians preserving and providing access to millions of digitized books.

Look to the Designers bringing braille into the digital world.

Look to the Engineers making electric vehicles charge 5X faster.

Look to the Researchers creating an artificial ovary so cancer survivors can become parents.

Look to the Scientists developing tools to improve and protect our water.

Across 19 schools and colleges, from regional campuses to one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers, throughout classrooms, communities, and continents, wherever Michigan goes, progress follows.

To keep the work moving forward, the University of Michigan is investing $1 billion over the next decade in the people and ideas behind it—transforming public investment into the public good.

For answers. For action. For all of us.

Look to Michigan

Your health and beauty are in trusted hands when you choose Dr. Elan Reisin, M.D., F.A.C.S., at Star Plastic Surgery in Novi. A multiyear Hour Detroit Top Doc honoree, he’s board-certi ed in plastic and reconstructive surgery and has received numerous national awards. Dr. Reisin, who serves as medical director at Star, and his team have completed over 25,000 cosmetic procedures. Dr. Reisin spent ve years as an attending physician, teaching plastic surgery residents at the prestigious Georgetown University Hospital Department of Plastic Surgery, before creating Star Plastic Surgery, a pre-eminent, state-ofthe-art A.A.A.H.C. surgical center and medical spa. He’s a member of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and the American Society of Plasitc Surgeons. He has traveled internationally to learn from top plastic surgeons and partaken in philanthropic trips to treat children with congenital and traumatic deformities in the Dominican Republic.

1.

2. MORE amenities like a pool, fitness center, and restaurants.

3.

40

A Tale of Two Cities

A local descendant of a freedom seeker and a Detroit church pastor shed light on the Underground Railroad’s DetroitWindsor connection.

52

Best of Detroit

The votes are in. We’re proud to present the best of the best, with more than 200 winners across metro Detroit. See how your favorite people and places stacked up against the competition.

The Best of the Best. Every Year.

For over 40 years, the Joe Vicari Restaurant Group has proudly served Metro Detroit with a collection of award-winning restaurants, each defined by tradition, quality, and hospitality. From Joe Muer Seafood, named Best Seafood Restaurant for 14 consecutive years, to Andiamo, consistently recognized for Best Italian and Best Restaurant, excellence isn’t occasional. It’s what we do.

UP FRONT

Development

Michigan Central’s new coworking space

Books

An award-winning Flint poet releases his second book.

Sports

The 50th anniversary of Mark Fidrych’s rookie season.

24/SEVEN

Design

A

AGENDA

Listings

12 can’t-miss shows, films, and performances.

Essay

Ryan Patrick Hooper honors the man who made him.

History

A key piece of civil rights history finds a home in Dearborn.

Travel

Our culture columnist takes on Miami. FOOD &DRINK

News

Detroit’s Michelin star is rising.

Drinks

Why you should join a wine club.

Essay

A changing of the guard from one critic to the next.

Food Focus

The pasta dishes defining Detroit.

Editor’s

Our Best of Detroit list — where you, the readers, decide the winners

and finalists — is finally here, and we’re thrilled to share the results. Beginning on page 52, you’ll find the top vote-getters across more than 200 categories in eight areas that make up the fabric of metro Detroit: arts and entertainment, community, food, drink, health and beauty, retail, services, and sports.

Now it’s time for our staff to share their favorite things. Here, they answer my question: What was your favorite metro Detroit-related event or experience from the past year?

“Going to a Tigers game at Comerica Park on Father’s Day with my dad. It felt like the peak of Detroit, watching the game with a hot dog and beer in hand, soaking up the sun and the energy of the city.” —Sabrina Seldon, Jr. Art Director

“Immediately after his first game as a Detroit Lion, I met Za’Darius Smith at a Chief Keef concert at the Fillmore Detroit, and it’s all thanks to one young, undertrained host. As we were being led to our box seats, the employee mistook Smith’s booth for ours and proceeded to try and kick out the newly acquired defensive end. After the mistake was realized, Smith extended a hand and proceeded to dap me up.” —Will Reaume, Assistant Editor

“Now that my dad is finally retiring from the United States Postal Service after 51 years, I can spend more time with him, which we tend to do over coffee at Mia’s Bakery & Coffee Shop in Madison Heights. Specifically, we always schedule a lunch whenever Mia’s updates its seasonal coffee flights. We’ve been there many times, and the coffee flights always deliver!” —Erica Banas, Digital Editor

“I’ve been spending a lot of my weekends at the Baldwin Public Library in Birmingham. I’ll head to the quiet section, sink into one of the oversize chairs, and attempt to catch up on reading, though it usually turns into a nap because it’s that peaceful. What keeps me going back is the Idea Lab. You can use everything from vinyl printing and embroidery machines to 3D printers, so it’s become my go-to spot to work on personal projects and make things I wouldn’t be able to anywhere else.” —Lisa LaBelle, Media Rep

“I have two! I was able to get street parking right by the LCA when I went to see Stevie Nicks. I considered it a personal triumph. Also, I was having coffee at Atomic Coffee in Royal Oak one Saturday morning and was sitting next to Tim Meadows, who was waiting for his latte to be made.” —Andrew Kotzian, Senior Accounting Associate

“My favorite memory has to be the Taylor Swift candlelight [tribute] concert at the Masonic Temple. Truly a magical night I’ll always remember.” —Kayla Yucha, Marketing & Events Assistant

“During a DJ set at Dally in the Alley, a circle formed near my group. A bunch of people who didn’t know each other took turns hitting dance moves. My friend moved to the center and did a backflip; everyone started screaming and cheering. I didn’t know he could do that.” Jack Thomas, Associate Editor

KATE WALSH, EDITOR KWALSH@HOUR-MEDIA.COM

VOLUME THIRTY-ONE / ISSUE SIX

PUBLISHER: Jason Hosko

EDITORIAL

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Kate Walsh

DIGITAL EDITOR: Erica Banas

ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Jack Thomas

ASSISTANT EDITOR: Will Reaume

COPY EDITOR: Morgan Brown

CONTRIBUTORS: Karen Buscemi, Serena Maria Daniels, Bill Dow, Cornelius Fortune, Natalia Holtzman, Ryan Patrick Hooper, Mickey Lyons, Danny Palumbo, Megan Swoyer, Lauren Wethington

EDITORIAL INTERN: Kate Silverman DESIGN

CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Lindsay Richards

ART DIRECTOR: Steven Prokuda

JR. ART DIRECTOR: Sabrina Seldon

CONTRIBUTORS: Sal Rodriguez, Boswell Hardwick, Jessica VanAssche, Monica Jadan, Brad Ziegler, Jacob Lewkow, Rosa Maria Zamarron

ADVERTISING

MEDIA ADVISORS: Samantha Alessandri, Cynthia Barnhart, Hannah Brown, Karli Brown, Sarah Cavanaugh, Cathleen Francois, Donna Kassab, Lisa LaBelle, Danielle Smith-Elliott, Mary Pantely & Associates

PRODUCTION

PRODUCTION MANAGER: Crystal Nelson

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT: Alessandra Taranta

ACCOUNT MANAGER: Elizabeth Kowalik

GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Joe Salafia

SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGING EDITOR: Olivia Sedlacek

IT

DIRECTOR OF IT: Jeremy Leland DIGITAL

DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL STRATEGY: Travis Fletcher

DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT MANAGER: Matt Cappo

SR. DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST: Luanne Lim

DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST: Brian Paul 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 COORDINATOR: Puja Trivedi

MARKETING & EVENTS ASSISTANT: Kayla Yucha

EMAIL MARKETING COORDINATOR: Mitch Ackerman

MARKETING RESEARCH

MARKETING RESEARCH DIRECTOR: Sofia Shevin

MARKETING RESEARCH COORDINATOR: Kristin Bestrom

MARKETING RESEARCH SALES COORDINATOR: Alexandra Thompson

MARKETING RESEARCH SALES COORDINATOR: Theresa Lowery

MARKETING RESEARCH ASSISTANT: Abby Galanty

PRS GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Kendra Okamoto

MARKETING RESEARCH INTERNS: Ariana Biondo, Lauren Lienhart, Gwen Zych

BUSINESS CEO: Stefan Wanczyk

PRESIDENT: John Balardo

DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS: Kathie Gorecki

MEDIA ASSOCIATE: Lachlan O’Neill

SENIOR ACCOUNTING ASSOCIATE: Andrew Kotzian

ACCOUNTING ASSOCIATES: Jenna Glod, Austin Schmelzle

DISTRIBUTION: Target Distribution, Troy

5750 NEW KING DRIVE, TROY, MI 48098

TELEPHONE: 248-691-1800 FAX: 248-691-4531

EMAIL: EDITORIAL@HOURDETROIT.COM

MEDC SUPPORTED. MICHIGAN MADE,

REACHING NEW HEIGHTS

Hudson’s Detroit is a new symbol of economic prosperity in the Detroit skyline. The MEDC is proud to support the construction of the historic skyscraper through the Michigan Strategic Fund, creating further proof that Michigan is a state on the rise. Discover how the MEDC is driving our state forward at MICHIGANBUSINESS.ORG

UP FRONT

 P.30

Fifty years ago, Mark “The Bird” Fidrych became a household name.

Inside Michigan Central’s NEWEST COWORKING SPACE

BY WILL REAUME

Two years after The Station's grand opening, we look at the 17,000-squarefoot space inside that offers shared and private collaborative areas

As corporate office square footage continues to shrink, the need for coworking spaces is only increasing. Both startups and Fortune 500 companies now have a new option in Detroit: The Michigan Central Mezz, which opened in late April on the mezzanine level of Michigan Central Station.

Located across the street from Newlab, which offers coworking spaces for hard-tech startups, the latest development at the former train station looks to provide a place for innovators to hold formal meetings away from the industrial environment of the lab. Both Newlab and the station are part of the 30-acre innovation district known as Michigan Central.

“We want this space to be adjacent but connected to Newlab,” says Clare Braun, director of strategy and integration at Michigan Central. “This is where the corporate innovators are coming to see what’s happening, and the hard-tech startups can pitch their ideas to them.”

Membership, which is also open to companies outside of the hard-tech sphere,

starts at $300 a month and includes 24/7 access to The Mezz. The 17,000-square-foot space features plenty of windows and natural light, plus amenities including a kitchen, private areas, quiet zones, conference rooms, and access to the gym in Newlab’s lower level.

Members have exclusive opportunities to network with venture capital firms, universities, and other industry partners. Current members include Grand Valley State University, Cummins, and General Dynamics. Nonmembers can rent select conference rooms for meetings and team retreats. Dedicated private offices are available on the sixth floor of the station.

The Mezz was designed by HannahNeuman/Smith, the Detroit-based firm behind the buildouts of Yellow Light, The Study, and The Shop inside Michigan Central.

“As people are innovating, they need different things at different times, so that’s what we’re trying to build out here,” Braun says.



A rendering of The Mezz shows a portion of the coworking space designed for members.

What’s New at Newlab Detroit?

A closer look at Michigan Central’s “engine of innovation”

By Will Reaume

What is Newlab?

Originally founded in Brooklyn, Newlab provides tech startups with a place to develop their products and expand their manufacturing capabilities. Located in the Albert Khan-designed former Detroit Public Schools Book Depository building in Corktown, Newlab Detroit is the venture platform’s second development center.

2023 and is situated

primarily designed to accommodate them. If an application is accepted, the monthly membership cost is $250.

What does Newlab Detroit provide members?

Newlab Detroit attracts ups like metro Detroit’s

The 270,000-squarefoot facility opened in 2023 and is situated within the 30-acre Michigan Central Innovation District. Newlab Detroit attracts global and local startups like metro Detroit’s Sharrow Marine, which makes advanced propellers.

“Detroit is still the best place in the world to make anything,” says Greg Sharrow, founder and CEO of Sharrow Marine. “It’s incredible that Michigan Central and Newlab exist here and that inventors are able to take advantage of those resources.”

How can a business become a member at Newlab Detroit?

In addition to a floating desk, one of the biggest advantages Newlab o ers is access to the workshop. There, members can learn how to use state-ofthe-art technology that would otherwise be too costly for a startup to purchase. Other perks include access to Newlab’s manufacturing network and community of investors.

How many startups operate out of Newlab Detroit? Currently, a blend of more than 100 local, national, and global companies operate out of Newlab Detroit. International startups currently make up roughly 15% of the community.

What kinds of products come out of Newlab Detroit?

More than 100 companies apply for Newlab Detroit residency every year, making membership an exclusive commodity. While membership is not restricted to hard-tech startups, the space is

The products developed at Newlab are as diverse as the people who create them. Technologies range from body temperature-reactive heating and cooling tiles to underwater robots designed to prevent water main breaks. platform’s second

My dreams are so intense that I dread going to sleep sometimes — I’m terrified of what I might dream,” says Jonah Mixon-Webster, an award-winning, Flintbased poet whose second book was published

Mixon-Webster has been working on Promise/Threat since around 2016, well before his critically acclaimed first book, Stereo(TYPE), was published. Stereo(TYPE) went on to win both the PEN/Joyce Osterweil Award for Poetry and the Sawtooth Poetry Prize, and it was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Gay Poetry.

Both books explore dualities, MixonWebster says — more specifically, “How do you hold two things that seem to be opposite together at the same time? How do you literally take the good with the bad?”

Other dualities come into play in Promise/ Threat (not least the book’s title): reality and make-believe, memories and lived experience, dreaming and waking.

Mixon-Webster describes having “very, very vivid” dreams that deeply affect him, even in his waking life. As he writes in the new book’s title poem, “the mind returns to the image in the dream.”

He isn’t always sure where a dream ends and waking life begins — especially since he sometimes dreams that he’s waking up. “That whole line between reality and dreaming just gets so blurred,” says MixonWebster, who has sleep apnea.

He’s also had lucid dreams, where he knows he’s dreaming and deliberately does certain things he’d be unable to do if he were awake — like fly, which he says “felt like freedom. It felt so free.”

The dualities in Promise/Threat extend to language itself. In the poem “Dollar Straight/ Dollar Box,” Mixon-Webster plays with typography and font, arranging numerals sideways and upside-down across the page.

The appearance of words, the visual medium of the page itself, “carries a meaning that also is a part of language,” he says. “Historically, the shapes of letters and the way they’re stylized dictate authority.”

Dreams, Dualities, and the Poetry of Jonah Mixon-Webster

BY NATALIA HOLTZMAN

In his new collection Promise/Threat, the Flint-based poet explores the blurred lines between waking and dreaming, love and grief, language and meaning BOOKS

Mixon-Webster’s work explores questions like “How can I think about what is being signified, or what messages or meanings are being made, by the way words are styled?”

Put more simply, “What else can language do?” he asks.

The depth of Mixon-Webster’s questions, combined with the raw immediacy of his writing, has helped jump-start his writing career — in spite of an odd confluence of bad and good luck.

Just a year after his first book was originally published in 2018, MixonWebster’s then-publisher went out of business. Normally, that kind of timing could mean death for an up-and-coming writer’s career, especially a poet’s. But Mixon-Webster was soon approached by an

agent with contacts at Knopf, one of the country’s biggest publishing houses.

“Let’s republish this thing,” the agent told him.

Mixon-Webster did a bit of reworking, added some material, and republished Stereo(TYPE) in 2021.

He describes Promise/Threat as Stereo(TYPE)’s “sibling.” Its poems ask, “What’s elation in love?” MixonWebster says. “What’s reverence for the beauty of nature? What does it mean to process grief for a loved one and still remain upbeat?”

Meanwhile, he wants readers to hear the following message: “Love is real. Love is possible. … You’re not crazy. If you need help, ask for it — and everything is going to be okay. We’re going to make it through this.”

Jonah MixonWebster’s poetry has earned him the PEN/ Joyce Osterweil Award for Poetry and the Sawtooth Poetry Prize.

1976: The Summer of The Bird

BY BILL DOW

Fifty years ago, rookie Tigers pitcher Mark “The Bird” Fidrych became a Detroit folk hero

At the closing ceremonies following the last game played at the historic Tiger Stadium on Sept. 27, 1999, 62 former Tigers players in full uniform walked, ran, or were carted from underneath the center field stands to their former positions on the field.

Among them were Hall of Famers Al Kaline and U.S. Senator Jim Bunning, along with the two surviving members of Detroit’s first World Series championship team in 1935: 94-year-old Billy Rogell and 89-year-old Elden Auker.

As a clear indication of how much the franchise and fans revered him, the first former player out of the tunnel was 45-yearold Mark Fidrych.

Wearing his familiar number 20, he raced to the pitcher’s mound, dropped to one knee, manicured the hill as in days gone by, and then pulled out a plastic bag from his back pocket, filling it with sacred Tiger Stadium dirt. Earlier that day, he’d told UPN 50’s Tim Swore, "I'd love to have that [mound] in my yard."

 Detroit Tigers fans remember pitcher Mark Fidrych for his stellar rookie year and unforgettable personality.

It’s been 50 years since that bicentennial summer of ’76, when the tall and lanky 21-year-old pitcher with long, curly, blonde hair — nicknamed “The Bird” after television’s Sesame Street character — became a beloved Detroit folk hero while packing stadiums across the country.

Fans were captivated by his unbridled enthusiasm and antics, which included manicuring the mound before every inning, talking out loud to himself, aiming the ball like a dart, nervously strutting around between outs, and running to and from the dugout.

That season, the Northborough, Massachusetts, native started the All-Star game in Philadelphia and was named the American League Rookie of the Year.

Sadly, The Bird was a shooting star whose career was suddenly shortened in 1980 due to injuries before he died in a tragic accident on his Massachusetts farm in 2009.

“HIS STORY WAS INCREDIBLE, SPONTANEOUS, AND UNPREDICTABLE."

—JIM HAWKINS, DETROIT FREE PRESS

“His story was incredible, spontaneous, and unpredictable,” says Jim Hawkins, the Tigers beat writer for the Detroit Free Press during Fidrych’s career and the co-author of the pitcher’s unauthorized biography, Go Bird Go! (Dell). “I never saw anything like it in my almost 60 years of covering baseball. Of all the seasons I covered, including the Tigers’ 1984 world championship year, 1976 was the most memorable for me for one reason: Mark Fidrych.”

The Birth of The Bird

Drafted out of high school (Worcester Academy) by the Tigers in the 10th round (232 overall) of the June 1974 amateur draft, Fidrych first reported to the Tigers’ rookielevel minor-league team in Bristol, Virginia — along with future 1984 World Champion Lance Parrish, who had been a first-round pick that year.

“His personality stood out right away,” Parrish says. “He was very outgoing,

energetic, always smiling, laughing, and he was a lot of fun to be around. The stuff he did on the mound was genuine, and he did it everywhere. He was primarily a sinker and slider guy with great command, and he kept his pitches down in the zone almost all the time. He was the happiest go-lucky guy you would ever run into, but when he crossed that white line, he was all business. He was a competitor above all else.”

In 1977, Fidrych graced a Sports Illustrated cover with the star who inspired his nickname.

organization, media and fans had never heard of him, and to everyone’s surprise, five days before the team went north, Tigers manager Ralph Houk informed Fidrych that he’d made the team with a minimum league salary of $16,500.

Hawkins was as surprised as anyone.

In just his second minor-league year, Fidrych quickly advanced to Triple-A Evansville, where he finished with a 4-1 record and a 1.58 ERA that earned him a non-roster invitation to the Tigers’ 1976 spring training camp. Outside of the

“No one expected him to make the team,” he says. “In those days, the Tigers went through young pitcher after young pitcher. I remember that Jim Campbell [the Tigers’ general manager] took Mark to a department store in Lakeland and bought him a sport coat and slacks because all he had were shorts, blue jeans, and a bunch of T-shirts.”



As a rookie, Fidrych was runner-up for the Cy Young Award. He was released from the Tigers in 1981.

In the first five weeks of the season, Fidrych made just two brief relief appearances, but on May 15, he was given his first start against the Cleveland Indians at Tiger Stadium.

That is when The Bird took first took flight. In front of just 14,583 fans, with the third-string catcher Bruce Kimm behind the plate, Fidrych threw a no-hitter through six innings in a complete game. The two-hit 2-1 victory took just one hour and 57 minutes to finish.

“There was a real buzz in the press box when he had the no-hitter going,” Hawkins says. “It was like, ‘Who is this kid?’ We were just amazed. It was totally unexpected, and it just snowballed from there.”

From then on, The Bird was the word — Tigers fans flocked to the stadium whenever he pitched.

After losing his second start — a completegame 2-0 loss in Boston — Fidrych reeled off six straight complete-game victories leading up to his national debut on ABC’s Monday Night Baseball. In that June 28 home game against the first-place New York Yankees, Fidrych didn’t just walk off a winner; he emerged a star.

John Hawkinson, 70, who sat in the left center field lower deck, was one of 47,855 in attendance that day. (Another 10,000 were turned away.) “I attended Game 5 of the ’68 Series, but honestly, I think the Fidrych game was louder than that,” Hawkinson says. “It was just so electric.”

Yankees first baseman and 1976 All-Star Chris Chambliss had no hits that night — striking out twice to The Bird. “Fidrych was a fun guy to watch but not a fun guy to face,” he told Hour from his Atlanta home. “No one had that kind of enthusiasm on the mound that I had ever seen. He looked like he was having fun out there. He had great stuff, movement and location, worked fast, and he knew how to pitch.”

That night, Fidrych beat the Yankees 5-1 with a complete game seven-hitter. After the game, the electrified crowd would not leave and loudly chanted in unison, “We want The Bird!” Several minutes later, Fidrych came out of the dugout for a curtain call while doffing his cap — overcome with emotion as the crowd roared.

Words About The Bird

By Bill Dow

“A lot of opposing players didn’t like his antics on the mound. They thought he was showing them up, but he wasn’t. He was so genuine. Everything about him was real; there was no pretense. He was a kid who had pumped gas in Northborough, Massachusetts, who liked rock and roll.”

—Jim Hawkins, the Tigers beat writer for the Detroit Free Press during Fidrych’s career

“I attended Game 5 of the ’68 Series, but honestly, I think the Fidrych game was louder than that. It was just so electric. I think one of the reasons Fidrych was so loved here is because he was a blue-collar guy who came out of nowhere to a blue-collar town and just performed every day.” —John Hawkinson, 70, who sat in the left center field lower deck

“I’ve been in baseball 35 years, and I have never in my life seen anything to equal this,” said Monday Night Baseball color commentator Bob Prince to millions of viewers across the country.

Suddenly, Fidrych became a national phenomenon. Tigers fans bought “The Bird’s the Word” buttons and Fidrych T-shirts, while local radio stations played the 1963 hit “Surfin’ Bird” by the Trashmen.

“On the road, he was like a rock star,” Hawkins says. “GMs from other teams would call Jim Campbell begging that The Bird would pitch in their ballparks. Girls would climb onto the team bus hoping to get a kiss, and outside of his hotel room, there would be girls and reporters. I felt sorry for him.”

“He had this unabashed youthfulness, an unrestrained joy about him that was so different before he became a tragic hero. Mark was honest, forthright, fun-loving, and unpretentious. And even during his comeback struggles, people still loved him, and they remembered the joy he brought them. He never complained. He never blamed anybody. He said, ‘That’s just life.’”

—Eli Zaret, former WDIV sports anchor

“Mark is special. He was more than just a great pitcher. He brought a breath of fresh air to the entire game of baseball when it was sorely needed.”

—Jim Campbell, Tigers president and GM, to the Detroit Free Press when Fidrych was released from the team

“Fidrych was the greatest thing I ever saw in the major leagues.” —Rusty Staub, Fidrych’s former teammate and a 23year MLB veteran, in an ESPN documentary in 2000

Campbell assigned pitcher John Hiller to mentor Fidrych, and his locker was next to the rookie’s. “When we returned from road trips, there were bags and bags of fan mail,” Hiller says. “It was unbelievable what he went through. It was a lot for a young guy. Suddenly he’s this big celebrity, but he never changed. He was so great with the fans. Mark was the most genuine person I ever met in my life.”

In his next start, Fidrych threw a completegame four-hitter to defeat Baltimore 4-0 at Tiger Stadium before 51,032 fans. Ten days later, he was the starting pitcher in the AllStar game, where he took the loss after giving up two runs in the first inning.

Fidrych finished the year with a 19-9 record. He was also the league leader in ERA (2.34) and complete games (24), the A.L. Rookie of the Year, and the runner-up for the A.L. Cy Young Award. Meanwhile, despite the Tigers’ fifth-place finish with a 74-87 record, Tiger Stadium attendance had increased by 38%, largely due to Fidrych, who attracted more than 50,000 fans in three starts. When he pitched a home game, the Tigers averaged 33,649 fans compared to 13,893 when he didn’t pitch.

In the final weekend of the season, the Tigers reportedly gave Fidrych, the game’s most underpaid player, a bonus estimated at $34,500. Without using an agent, Fidrych signed a new three-year contract. The terms were not disclosed, but reportedly, he was to be paid approximately $50,000 in 1977.

The Bird Falls to Earth

Sadly, Fidrych became a one-year wonder. While playfully shagging balls in the outfield at spring training the next year, he injured his knee and required surgery. He returned to the mound on May 27, appeared on the covers of Rolling Stone and Sports Illustrated, and had an impressive 6-2 start.

But in July, he suffered an arm injury that was diagnosed as tendinitis.

He would never be the same.

For the next several years, Fidrych struggled to come back from his arm injury and would have only 19 more major-league starts throughout the 1980 season, posting a record of 4-8. He won his final major-league start at Toronto on Oct. 1, 1980, but was pulled after five innings.

Finally, on Oct. 5, 1981, the Tigers released the 27-year-old.

“Mark Fidrych always will retain a spot in the hearts of all those connected with the Tiger organization and fans throughout Michigan and the entire nation,” Tigers president and GM Jim Campbell said to the Detroit Free Press

In a statement issued through the Tigers, Fidrych said in part, “Most of all, I want to



The 21-year-old was a fan favorite, even at Yankee Stadium on Aug. 2, 1976.



Fidrych, 45, waves to fans at a celebration after the last game played at Tiger Stadium on Sept. 27, 1999. That night, he filled a bag with dirt from the mound.

Today, Ann and Jessica continue to honor his memory through the Mark Fidrych Foundation, whose mission is to “enhance the lives of children and adults with disabilities and/or special needs through and with a focus on sports and sports education.”

Appropriately, near the end of Fidrych’s funeral service, mourners sang “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” In the summer of ’76, he took thousands there, where they celebrated The Bird and America’s pastime.

thank all the fans. They were great. It was a great feeling to step on the field and know they were behind me whether I was up or down. … The Tigers have done everything they possibly could do.”

Fidrych was later signed by the Red Sox, playing for Triple-A Pawtucket in ’82 and ’83 until he was released again.

After his retirement, Fidrych returned to Northborough, where he purchased a 107-acre farm, became a licensed commercial truck driver, and married his wife, Ann, in 1986. The year prior, he'd discovered that his arm injury was actually a torn rotator cuff. The couple’s only child, Jessica, was born in 1987.

On April 13, 2009, he died tragically while working underneath his truck on the farm.

Reportedly, more than 1,000 mourners paid their respects at the visitation; some waited for more than three hours.



The Bird manicures the mound during an away game against the Minnesota Twins on June 20, 1976.

The Royal Park Hotel in downtown Rochester has turned over a bright new leaf — as in a refreshing garden-themed look.

This is the first design overhaul since the AAA Diamond Hotel, now owned by Fairwood Capital and managed by Davidson Hospitality Group, opened in 2004.

“We wanted to bring an English garden feel to the entire property,” says Sarah Osbourn, the hotel’s director of marketing. The refurbishment took about seven months to complete.

Soft floral wall coverings with a serene color palette reflect what designers are calling a “bud to blossom” concept. “It’s inspired by the original architecture of the building and the beautiful grounds surrounding the property,” says designer Chris McDonough of the Chicago-based

and a fireplace.

FOUR-DIAMOND REDO in Rochester

BY MEGAN SWOYER

A seven-month refresh has transformed the Royal Park Hotel into a sophisticated and modern venue for events, business conferences, staycations, and afternoon tea

Gettys Group, which led the undertaking.

A light-filled, welcoming atmosphere now mirrors the property’s natural surroundings along the peaceful, 17-mile Paint Creek, which flows into the nearby Clinton River.

“Our goal was to invite guests to slow down, take notice, and truly enjoy their surroundings,” adds Danielle Gilligan, general manager of the hotel.



One space that remained untouched is the Belgium Glass Conservatory.

Each of the hotel’s 143 guest rooms (including 15 suites) has been refreshed, and a significant collection 

of spacious suites were designed to accommodate longer stays, celebrations, and group travel.

The wallpaper (from MDC) in the lobby (see pg. 35) and hallways is especially impressive. Large-scale peony blooms in hushed grays and whites make up the pattern and pair well with the creamy, newly painted millwork. McDonough says that he wanted guests to sense “a soft and airy arrival” upon entering. Special details, such as light fixtures with a petal motif, also wow, and muted pink tones provide a relaxed ambience. Soft, warm paint tones like Scuffmaster’s Mocha Cream on the

DESIGN

The Buckingham Suite’s parlor has a sectional sleeper sofa

The 601 Room seats 40 and is perfect for social gatherings or meetings. In December, it’s home to a holiday pop-up.

lobby’s wood and Benjamin Moore’s Alabaster on the library’s walls and ceiling create a soothing feel.

The rooms and suites with large balconies are particularly alluring, as they look out to the calming Paint Creek. Some suites have connecting doors; one suite has three balconies, and all have sleeper sofas.

Also complementing the new motif are headboards that feature floral-patterned fabric in shades of light gray, deep purple, and cream. The artwork ranges from modern abstract (an enlarged calla lily, for example) to a more classical botanical art style.

Meeting rooms also received a recharge, including new televisions, chairs, banquettes, carpeting, wall treatments, and drapery.

A favorite spot is the library, where guests can browse a collection of floral-themed books and enjoy the fireplace and garden-themed photography. A soft rug with an organic design (deep maroon with cream and sage floral patterns) complements cream- and peach-toned furnishings. Bright ivory drapery, small marble-topped tables, and brass tabletop lights also adorn the airy room.

The hotel’s light-filled, garden-inspired conservatory, hand-constructed in Belgium and assembled on-site, was untouched — and for good reason. It not only aligns perfectly with the new design concept, but it’s also a space that gets rave reviews event after event.

The Royal Park Hotel offers formal afternoon teas, seasonal celebrations, and holiday events from Easter through Christmas. In warm weather, hotel guests and the community at large can enjoy ticketed monthly concerts at an outdoor stage set up near Paint Creek.

The hotel’s garden theme is inside and outside. Floorto-ceiling windows offer views of the natural surroundings.

What to Expect During Your Stay

A luxury hotel near nature and a great downtown. What more could you want?

By Kate Walsh

Floral patterns are featured throughout the hotel, including on the room’s headboards. The luxury extends to the Italian marble bathrooms with 7-foot showers.

The Setting

The Royal Park Hotel at 600 E. University Drive in Rochester looks out over the River Walk, which winds through the city’s downtown. Step outside and onto the 1.6-mile path or enjoy the view from your balcony. From there, it’s a short walk to Rochester’s many bars, restaurants, and shops, as well as its excellent library.

First Look

The hotel’s mission to encourage guests to slow down and savor their surroundings becomes clear the moment you step into the lobby. Its striking English garden theme carries through the decor. And the Murano glass chandelier will have you stopping in your tracks. During the holidays, a full-size sleigh takes center stage, tying

into the hotel’s festive pop-up bar.

The Bones of the Building

While the hotel is only 22 years old, it feels much older — in the best way, like a thoughtfully renovated historic inn. There’s a sense of solidity throughout: The halls are hushed, the walls seem almost foot-thick, and the guest-room doors have a noticeable heft. My tour guide, who has worked in many hotels, agrees and attributes it to the original owners, the Rewold family, whose construction firm Frank Rewold and Sons is based in Rochester.

The Rooms and Suites

The hotel’s 143 guest rooms and suites are elegant, airy, and generously sized. Take the Luxury King Terrace, for example, which sleeps four and

feels more like a suite thanks to its expansive terrace overlooking Paint Creek, a walk-in closet within the bathroom, and a seating area with a sleeper sofa and chairs.

The Restaurant Park 600 is an inviting spot for dinner or a drink, anchored by a large central bar that draws a lively crowd during happy hour. Seating is plentiful, both inside the restaurant and just outside near the windows, and the menu features “European-inspired flavors with an authentic local twist.” I tried the braised short ribs with yellow mashed Yukon potatoes. It was outstanding, as was our server. Afternoon tea, o ered in a variety of themed experiences (including a Cinco de Mayo “Tea-quila Fiesta”), is popular with locals and guests.



MM-O-DD’s founder looks to Belle Isle for inspiration, and the museum is currently showing a Belle Isle-inspired exhibit. Earthlings Unite includes cymatics, frequencybased sound therapy, and noise-reduction design.

It’s a MM-O-DD WORLD

BY KAREN BUSCEMI

PHOTO BY SAL RODRIGUEZ

Leslie Ann Pilling celebrates all facets of design at her Detroit-based museum

Design has played a significant role in Leslie Ann Pilling’s life since childhood, when she often spent time with her parents in museums.

“I wanted to buy all the relics and interesting pieces with my quarter,” she says. “My mom would say they weren’t for sale.”

Today, she can spend as much time as she wants in the museum she founded. Eleven years ago, she opened the Metropolitan Museum of Design Detroit (MM-O-DD), which popped up at various locations around the city before securing a home on the third floor of 905 Henry St.

The museum is described as “the singular design museum in Detroit” that “provides access and champions the design industry.” Pilling says the museum is based in experiential opportunities and educational enrichment where people come to research and discuss.

Here, Pilling talks about how her style is influenced by design and more.

I describe my style as … A clean silhouette, like architectural, and then pick the edges off to give it texture.

My fashion philosophy is … You can wear everything as long as it's balanced. How do you know it’s balanced? If you ask, “Do I like it or not?” If it’s not a yes, it’s a no.

My favorite trend right now is … Loafers. I love that we’re getting out of so many tennis shoes but staying with the flats.

My signature piece of clothing is … Black, black, black. My mother used to say to me, “Leslie, why do you always look like you’re going to a funeral?”

I dress for an event at my museum … For comfort because I’m bouncing around. I usually have a few different looks with me. Sometimes I get tired of [what I’m wearing] and throw something else on.

My style icons are Vivienne Westwood, definitely, and Ann Lowe. I think they got it right, especially Ann Lowe. If you look at her, how her aesthetic was, it’s still relevant today.

When I’m looking for inspiration … I go to Belle Isle. There is inspiration in the water, in the architecture, within the aquarium and the conservatory.

MI STYLE

Linda’s LEGACY

BY KAREN BUSCEMI

A tribute to

global

fashion icon and retail apparel guru Linda Dresner

Ifirst met Linda Dresner in 2008 while pulling clothing for a StyleLine magazine fashion shoot at her eponymous store in downtown Birmingham. It was a space where clean lines and minimalist fixtures met vibrant, avant-garde designs that practically danced on their hangers. And there was Linda, a more muted statement, with a bandana effortlessly wrapped around her head and smiling eyes that beckoned, “Welcome.”

John Arnold, a display artist who worked at Linda Dresner for 12 years, recalls that first meeting. “I remember Linda saying to me, ‘I want to support this young woman because I believe in women who are breaking into the business of fashion.’”

Linda’s giving nature impacted many throughout metro Detroit, from the boards she served on to the fashion designers she supported.

She was a member of the Board of Trustees and the Fashion Advisory Council at the College for Creative Studies (CCS). She and her husband, Ed, also created the Linda Dresner Endowed Chair as a

continuously funded position for the school’s fashion design program.

“Being endowed by Linda means a lot to me,” says Aki Choklat, the chair and founding head of fashion design at CCS. “It’s recognition of the work we’ve done, a real honor to always be connected to her legacy, and meaningful support to keep growing the department and creating better opportunities for our students.”

Musician Gretchen Gonzales Davidson met and befriended Linda in 2010 while serving on the CCS board with her, and two years later, they became neighbors.

“You are drawn to certain people,” she says. “Every time I saw her, she was warm and welcoming, and I felt at ease when I was around her. She had this gracefulness about her. It was her essence.”

Linda was a patron of all arts, supporting institutions like the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit and the Detroit Opera House. She welcomed art organizations to her eclectic Birmingham home, whether it was to fundraise or simply bring people together. She treated her store the same way, giving artists a high-visibility canvas to exhibit their work.

Artist Leon Dickey displayed his exhibits at Linda Dresner for 12 years. “We became great friends and comrades in artful endeavors,” he says. “She considered me her artist in residence, and I considered her my champion.”

“The thing I’ll miss most about her was when she would look at me and smile and kiss me on the cheek,” he says.

Linda’s loved ones describe her consistently, noting her humor above all, along with her keen eye, kindness, humility, and generosity.



Beyond her store on West Maple and Bates, where every garment or accessory she chose reflected craftsmanship and innovation, Linda is also remembered for bringing designers such as Comme Des Garçons, Junya Watanabe, and Dries Van Noten to metro Detroit for the first time. (Her Birmingham store closed in 2021, and her New York City location closed in 2008.)

Longtime friend and fellow retailer Mark Keller said Linda inspired him to open his

Fellow fashion icon Sandy Schreier, who modeled with Linda in the 1960s, called her friend “playful and so down-to-earth.”

“She always came to my book signings, and though the lines were often long, she waited patiently for her turn, never texting me to save her a copy,” she says. “Of course I miss the store, but even more, I miss Linda!”

Linda’s son Mark Lewis says his mom loved to laugh. “She thought humor was a great antidote,” he says. “She never took herself too seriously. She didn’t have that kind of ego. And she had no fear. No fear at all.”

Linda Dresner passed away on March 30 from Alzheimer’s. She was 88 years old.

first store. She also rented him the loft in her store to showcase his ELM Designs, a “pop-up” that stayed there for 10 years.



Linda Dresner is remembered as an influential fashionista and generous patron of the arts in Detroit.

Pictured here with Aki Choklat and his students, Dresner served on the CCS board and supported its fashion design program.

A LOCAL DESCENDANT OF A FREEDOM SEEKER AND THE PASTOR OF SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH SHED LIGHT ON THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD’S DETROIT-WINDSOR CONNECTION

BY CORNELIUS FORTUNE

PHOTOS BY BRAD ZIEGLER

IN MID-MARCH 2026, construction along Monroe Street in Greektown is an endless buzz of things awhirl, being broken apart and put together again. Amid this chaos sits Second Baptist Church, a nearly 200-year-old messenger from the past speaking into the environs of the present. It reminds the casual viewer that some things do not change so drastically as to be unrecognizable; instead, they change thematically, sometimes rhythmically: an old Detroit set against the rising din of a “new,” if not “newer,” Detroit.

As the original streets, concretized, are crushed, demolished, and remade behind fences narrowly accommodating agitated pedestrians, Second Baptist remains an archetypal, anachronistic sentinel, watching over the subtle transformation of a city currently engaged in a spirted conversation with itself. Again, it is witness to a new age, from the early part of the 19th century to the “color line” of the 20th, and now to the social media and AI-technologized encroachment of the 21st century, firmly ensconced in its second decade and counting.

The building now bears witness to the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding and the fifth official marking of Juneteenth — commemorating the liberation of the last enslaved people to be freed after the Civil War — as a national holiday. The overarching theme of freedom rides softly across the words, across the winds of time, bending and ardently tested.

Perhaps no other building — an institution unto itself — represents freedom as powerfully as Second Baptist Church. You step through those heavy wooden doors and enter an incredible story.

But Second Baptist isn’t just a Detroit story. It also belongs to Windsor. You might think of Detroit as the talkative one and Windsor, a great listener.

What hasn’t been discussed as widely is the Detroit-Windsor connection. Everyone knows the first part of the story, but what happened after a slave made it as far as Detroit, then to Second Baptist Church, and finally rowed to freedom in Windsor, Ontario?

Kimberly Simmons embodies the answer to this question. As a dual citizen (her father is American, her mother Canadian), she can articulately and passionately speak to these dualities — the same ones that will mark the anniversary of the nation’s founding.

She knows this history all too well.

DISCOVERING FAMILY CONNECTIONS AND BLACK HISTORY

Before diving deep into historical oceans, Simmons was a bank manager for 20 years. A Cass Technical High School graduate with a deep curiosity for American history, she was particularly drawn to the Underground Railroad’s lineage running through her veins, deeply embedded in the oral histories of her family — the kinds of stories told on family porches, at big gatherings, and during quiet moments at the dinner table.

“The Underground Railroad story is an American and a Canadian story, and the connection is across our river, right?” she says. “So the stories that are attached to that history are cross-border stories. A lot of the stories — not all of them, but a lot of the stories — start on one side and end up in the other or vice versa. Our river tells this story.”

Simmons’s ancestry traces back to the

Mayflower — she has the documentation to prove it, and that’s just the “white” side of her family. She is very attuned to her family’s history, which starts in the 17th century and continues through the 21st century with her work as the executive director of the Detroit River Project. But that’s getting ahead of the narrative; Simmons usually likes to start with Caroline Quarlls, who, according to most accounts, was the first enslaved woman to “travel” on Wisconsin’s Underground Railroad in 1842, seeking her freedom. Eight years later, the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 ensured that whether free or not, any slave could be brought back to their owners, even if they traveled to the north.

The Underground Railroad — run from the late 18th century to about 1865 — was a network of people who served as “conductors” to help enslaved people find freedom in the north. This included various routes through the country. The enslaved were hidden. Once they reached Detroit generally — and Second Baptist Church specifically — they were ferried to Windsor, Canada.

Quarlls’s route took her from Wisconsin to Canada and into the arms of the Sandwich First Baptist Church in Windsor, a sister church of Second Baptist. Quarlls married Allen Watkins, an escaped slave from Kentucky, in 1844. Today, the Watkins family has a street named after them. It remains “Windsor’s only thoroughfare named after a family of African descent,” according to the University of Windsor. Moreover, the home built by Allen’s grandson Homer Watkins on that street in 1917 is listed on the Windsor Municipal Heritage Register: “The neighbourhood has been home to four

generations of Watkinses. In honour of the family’s contributions to the community and church, Lot Street was renamed Watkins Street in 1963.”

Simmons proudly proclaims, “We’re still living on [that] land … [and] they can’t get rid of us!”

All of this was made possible by a teenager, who, on the Fourth of July, reportedly declared her own independence by escaping while the family was away celebrating the nation’s founding.



Kimberly Simmons’s great-great-greatgrandmother Caroline Quarlls escaped to Canada via the Underground Railroad when she was 16.

The Burlington Historical Society writes, “Caroline Quarlls, a 16-year-old fugitive slave from St. Louis, Missouri, was the first passenger on Wisconsin’s ‘Underground Railroad’ in 1842. While it is not clear that she ever ‘stepped foot’ in Burlington, she was hidden on farms just outside Burlington in Spring Prairie township and was met and helped by several Spring Prairie and Burlington citizens …” Simmons “discovered” Quarlls while going deep into rabbit holes one night. Little did she know that her axis would shift ever so slightly.

“I started doing some investigation because growing up, I knew that our family was Underground Railroad,” Simmons says. “It's just one of those family stories, and that night, I was just curious … doing a Google search, I typed in Caroline Quarlls, and her picture came up. Now, I do look a little bit like

 Sandwich First Baptist Church in Windsor served Black refugees who fled slavery.

her. … I am the second great-granddaughter of William, who was her youngest boy. She had three girls, three boys, and then there were three that were Allen’s originally. She was hidden for a time in Milwaukee. That’s why she’s tied to Wisconsin.”

Her lineage as Quarlls’s great-greatgreat-granddaughter has led her to an intriguing life as the co-author of the 2019 book To the River: The Remarkable Journey of Caroline Quarlls, A Freedom Seeker on the Underground Railroad

Simmons served as a historian and production consultant for the PBS documentary miniseries The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross and was featured in the ARTE-TV (European PBS) documentary American Rivers — Detroit River, which debuted in Berlin, Germany, in November 2016. She also contributed to the anthology A Fluid Frontier: Slavery, Resistance, and the Underground Railroad in the Detroit River Borderland from Wayne State University Press (2016).

She is the founding president and executive director of the Detroit River Project, a nonprofit organization with the mission of designating the historic Detroit River as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. She spends a great deal of her time bridging the gap between Detroit and Windsor and educating others, including the next generation, on the importance of this history.

From helping to develop K-12 curriculum to serving in various capacities as an educator and public speaker on the issues of freedom, the Underground Railroad, and its relevance today, Simmons keeps busy.

“I would say that what I do is showcase our stories, the unknown stories,” she says. “Because inevitably, if you walk up to a man or woman on the street [and ask them about the Underground Railroad], first off, they may not even know what that is. [If they] do [know], you say, ‘So what have you heard?’ ‘Frederick Douglass’ — that’s what you’re going to hear. Out of 90% of the people, 10% may be able to take you a little bit further, and they probably read a book or something, but just on average, that’s what you’ll get.”

Douglass has several grandchildren in Michigan, she notes. And even though



Established in 1836, Second Baptist Church has occupied its current location since 1857. It was rebuilt in 1914 after a fire.

Harriet Tubman did not make it to Detroit (or Second Baptist Church), she also has descendants in the state. It is a harsh reality for most Blacks in America that they, unlike Simmons and the descendants of Douglass and Tubman, can’t trace their family histories so easily.

“That’s because we were separated,” she says. “It was a moment where I realized that using my family’s history and the fact that it’s so well documented … I could use that story, my family story, as a catalyst to get other people interested, to find out who they are.”

SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH: THEN AND NOW

History has often been described as “stories,” “dates and locations,” “a record of conquests and defeats,” and the “rise and fall of empires.” Most can remember taking a history class in which the textbook did not perfectly align with the world outside the classroom. Because for history to breathe, it must be real. Second Baptist Church was founded in 1836 by 13 formerly enslaved men.

For people such as Simmons, Black history comes alive daily — in their blood, in their ancestry, in their purpose and activism, in words and deeds. Pastor Lawrence Rodgers, a millennial, knows his history intimately. He has served as the church’s 24th senior pastor since 2021. Prior to this role, he pastored Westside Church of Christ in Baltimore.

The son of a retired truck driver and middle school English teacher, Rodgers benefited from a two-parent household that had strong church roots in North Carolina. He remembers his town as segregated, a place where people struggled and lived by modest means. Even the pastors did not display the gold, expensive cars, and other adornments often seen in certain communities. No, he notes, some of the pastors had holes in their shirts.

“I felt at a young age that the church should [and could] serve as a utility to reduce these disparities, and so I just started doing work as a preteen,” Rodgers says. “To that

end, I got trained in every aspect of church, life, and ministry. I preached my first sermon at 16 years old. I’ve been committed to social justice and social compassion since as far as I can remember.”

The Underground Railroad conjures — as it should, by definition — trains, train tracks, steam whistles, and conductors. This was, of course, a metaphor and continues to be a misperception of Second Baptist’s role in helping slaves escape to freedom in Canada.

“We don’t have any tunnels underneath our church,” he says. “The way we got people to freedom was by putting them in a



Located at 441 Monroe, Second Baptist Church is Michigan’s oldest Black congregation.

wagon with a false body and hiding them there from slave catchers. And they were riding the wagon to the Detroit River, which maybe is about 12 minutes from here, and then they would get into a steamboat run by George DeBaptiste, and [he rowed] them over the river. And that’s how we would get people across the river, but we don’t have any tunnels.”

The Detroit Historical Society writes, “One of most notable abolitionists in Detroit’s network was George DeBaptiste. Born a free man in Virginia in 1814, he relocated to Detroit as an adult. A respected entrepreneur and business leader, he owned a barbershop and a bakery in Detroit before purchasing the steamship T. Whitney, which he used to secretly transport slaves from Detroit to Canada.”

It’s an amazing history, one that should be recounted, discussed, and remembered. But, Rodgers muses, “the battle isn’t won. While we have a lot of comforts with entertainment scrolling and cell phones and media, these things may make us feel … almost like an opiate.”

The church offers tours through the Detroit Underground Railroad Historical Society.

If, as W.E.B. Du Bois proclaimed, the “problem of the 20th century is

SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH MIKE MULHOLLAND HISTORIC MARKER MICHAEL BAKER

the problem of the colorline” — that is, race relations in Detroit — Rodgers sees escapism as the problem of the 21st century.

“Everybody wants to escape,” he says. “If everybody tries to escape, we’ve created devices, substances, streams, [and various] things to escape. Everybody wants to escape, and no one wants to really dig in and do the work. … The technology can feel like an opiate. It can numb you to the injustices of the world around you.”

Memory combats this, an active approach to thinking of Black history beyond the month of February (and now June).

The church engages with its community in a wide range of activities for youth. In other words, Second Baptist continues to make history — a different kind of history, but no less impactful.

Rodgers fondly recalls a special visit to Second Baptist Church after becoming pastor. A “gentleman,” as Rodgers called him, had visited one Sunday with his family. The reason was simple: He wanted to connect with the space, to see it with his own eyes.

He came from Canada, Rodgers recounts, “because he said Second Baptist helped his family to get across the Detroit River. And he came all these years later to really experience the space where his parents found freedom. So that really touched my heart.”

KEEPING TRACK: THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Simmons and Pastor Rodgers represent a continuation of the freedom fight. It is not about the removal of physical shackles; rather, it is about removing shackles of the mind and the rewriting — or rewiring — of history.

I had the advantage of experiencing the silence and majesty of the building. The satisfying creaking of the wooden floors, portraits of the church leaders adorning the walls, hundreds of years of history running right beneath my feet, all around me. Even as the sound of construction outside intrudes, like some “machine in the garden,” I know that the narrative is still alive. The work of Second Baptist continues.

I got a personal tour from Second Baptist Church member Bobbie Fowlkes-Davis, an unassuming, wise Black woman who has been a member of the church for decades and is, as she proudly told me, a “deaconess,” the wife of a deacon. She summed up this encounter with living history perfectly.

“Second Baptist Church is the oldest Black church in Michigan,” she says. “The oldest Black churches are all over the United States. What that means, ‘oldest Black church,’ is that the church started during slavery before the states were formed. There was no Michigan. This was

a wooded area out here. You [could] see the river through the trees. The river’s still [in] the same place, but now you got all these buildings and sidewalks and streetlights. You didn’t have all that when we came here.”

The change from outside is palpable, but some things never change. The inside of the building feels immutable yet invariably open to change, reflected in its new leadership and mission for the 21st century.

As I walked around Second Baptist, Simmons’s words as we concluded our chat rang true and linked everything together in my mind about Black identity and its ties to not only Second Baptist Church but to the Black church in America, from oceans to rivers to borders of varying types. The diaspora is inexorably connected and celebrated in surprising ways.

“So all of the story of people of African descent in this region can tie itself back to a church, back to that church,” Simmons says of Second Baptist. “It is the mother church … that is significant on both sides of the border.”

Cornelius Fortune (Ph.D.) is a metro Detroit-based writer, lecturer, public ethnographer, and scholar. His work has appeared in the Detroit Metro Times, Yahoo News, Midwest Living, The Journal of American Culture, and other publications.



Rev. Lawrence W. Rodgers is Second Baptist Church’s 24th senior pastor.

A Production By

Detroit Burger Week brings the city’s top chefs and restaurants together for a week of one-of-a-kind burger creations. Celebrate local flavor, hometown pride, and culinary creativity while exploring Detroit’s best spots.

You to our Participating Restaurants: Bell Bistro, Gus' Snug Irish Pub, Great Dane, High Pointe Burger Joint, O'Connor's Public House, NoVI Craft House, Brome, Motz Burgers, Chaos Burger, and More Signing on Daily!

Presenting our annual list of the very best metro Detroit has to offer, as voted by Hour Detroit readers

Detroit best of

Photography by Boswell hardwick

hair and makeup by Monica Jadan Wardrobe/prop styling by Jessica VanAssche

shot on location at The Westin Book Cadillac

after the party

Arts&

Arcade or entertainment venue Barcade Detroit; barcade.com

Finalists: Breakout Escape Rooms,  Escape Room, Free Play Pinball Arcade,  Offworld Arcade Art fair Ann Arbor Art Fair Ann Arbor; theannarborartfair.com

Finalists: Art & Apples Festival, Art in the Park, Michigan Lottery Arts Beats & Eats, Wyandotte Street Art Fair Art gallery Scarab Club Detroit; scarabclub.org

Finalists: Anton Art Center,  Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center,  David Klein Gallery, El Piqasso Art Café & Gallery, Paint Creek Center for the Arts,  Playground Detroit

Finalists: Hollywood Casino at Greektown, MotorCity Casino Club for dancing Boogie Fever Ferndale; boogieferndale.com

Finalists: Nomi Lounge, Spot Lite Detroit, TV Lounge

Club for live music Cliff Bell's Detroit; cliffbells.com

Finalists: Blue LLama Jazz Club & Restaurant, Nomi Lounge, The Magic Bag, The Roxy Comedy club Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle Royal Oak; comedycastle.com

Finalists: Go Comedy!, One Night Stans Comedy Club, Planet Ant Theatre,  Punchline Comedy Lounge

Community theater company Stagecrafters

Royal Oak; stagecrafters.org

Finalists: Farmington Players,  In The Mitten Productions

Concert venue Pine Knob Music Theatre Clarkston; pineknobamp.com

Finalists: Andiamo Celebrity Showroom, Little Caesars Arena,  Meadow Brook Amphitheatre,  Royal Oak Music Theater, Sound Board at MotorCity Casino Hotel

Detroit Music Legend Bob Seger bobseger.com

Finalists: Diana Ross, Eminem, Jack White, Kid Rock, Madonna, Stevie Wonder Jazz club

Cliff Bell's Detroit; cliffbells.com

Finalists: Aretha Jazz Café, Baker’s Keyboard Lounge, Blue LLama Jazz Club & Restaurant, Dirty Dog Jazz Cafe

Movie theater (art/indie) Detroit Film Theatre Detroit; dia.org/dft

Finalists: Farmington Civic Theater, Michigan Theater,  Redford Theatre

Movie theater (complex) Emagine Entertainment

Multiple locations; emagineentertainment.com

Finalists: MJR Theatres,  Phoenix Theatres

Museum (arts) Detroit Institute of Arts Detroit; dia.org

Finalists: Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History,  Cranbrook Art Museum,  Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit

Museum (other) Greenfield Village

Dearborn; thehenryford.org/visit/ venues/greenfield-village

Finalists: Cranbrook Institute of Science, Detroit Historical Museum,  Stahl Motors and Music Experience,  The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation

Performing Arts Venue Fox Theatre Detroit; 313presents.com/ venue/fox-theatre

Finalists: Detroit Opera House, Detroit Public Theatre, Fisher Theatre, Music Hall Detroit

Podcast St. Brown Podcast

youtube.com/@stbrownpodcast

Finalists: Daily Detroit, Eat ‘Em Up: A Detroit Tigers Podcast,  LifeExcellence with Brian Bartes,  The Drew & Mike Podcast, The Pindown: A Pistons Podcast, The Robinett’s Nest (Chuck and Kristy Robinett),  What Dewey Do? (Dewey Steffen),  Winged Wheel (Red Wings)

Visual Artist Tiff Massey tiffmassey.com

Finalists: Allie McGhee,  Brittney Robinson (@justbiiird), Jodi Lynn Burton, Lois Teicher, Mario Moore,  Nicole Jarecz, Sabrina Nelson, Senghor Reid, Sheefy McFly, Shirley Woodson,  Susan Goethas Campbell, Tylonn J. Sawyer

tainment

Author Mitch Albom mitchalbom.com

Finalists: Brian Bartes, Josh Malerman, Kristy Robinett, Nandi Comer, Stephen Mack Jones, Viola Shipman (Wade Rouse)

Bartender Asher Miller (Grey Ghost) greyghostdetroit.com/ team/asher-miller

Finalists: Ann Howard (Rudy’s Prime Steakhouse), Joel Grabenstein (Victoria's Bistro), Johnny Boyce (FIVE Steakhouse), Max Schikora (Echelon Bar & Kitchen), Soonie Itawi (Sexy Steak), Tina Bellomo (Weiss Distilling Co.)

Chef James Rigato (Mabel Gray)

Hazel Park; mabelgraykitchen.com

Finalists: Andy Hollyday (Selden Standard), Anthony Lombardo (SheWolf Pastificio & Bar), Colin Campbell (Alpino), Cory Barberio (San Morello), Ernesto Antopia (Café Cortina), Garrett Lipar (Dixboro Project), Jared Gadbaw (Oak & Reel), Javier Bardauil (Barda), Joseph VanWagner (Echelon Kitchen & Bar), Josh Stockton (Rudy's Prime Steakhouse)

Community organization Women of Tomorrow Mentor & Scholarship Program

Detroit; womenoftomorrow.org

Finalists: 1 Mother 2 Another, Chaldean Community Foundation, Easterseals MORC, Elmwood Blessing Box, Guiding Harbor, Impact 100 Oakland County, United Community Family Services

Fundraising gala Detroit Zoo's Sunset at the Zoo

Royal Oak; detroitzoo.org/events/ sunset-at-the-zoo

Finalists: Anton Art Center’s ArtParty, Chaldean Community Foundation’s Annual Gala, Detroit Auto Show Charity Preview, Dynami Foundation’s Uncork for a Cure, Eastern Market Harvest Gala, Grace Centers of Hope’s Night of Hope, Hob Nobble

Gobble presented by Ford Motor Co., KIDSgala, a David C. McKnight Foundation, Living and Learning Enrichment Center’s Hopes & Dreams Gala, On The Wings of Angels Annual Fundraising Gala, U Can-Cer Vive's Evening for the Cure

Local music actoriginal material Ebony "KARMA" Dior ebonykarmadior.bandcamp.com

Finalists: Annemarie Jo, Bluhm, CHOFF, Coffin Jockeys, George Montrelle, Jackamo, Panda House, Sean Blackman, Songsmith

Local music act - covers Mega 80's mega80s.com

Finalists: Chit!, RockStar, Vavoom, Your Generation In Concert

Organization for people with disabilities Friendship Circle West Bloomfield; friendshipcircle.org

Finalists: Easterseals MORC, Jarc, Judson Center, Living and Learning Enrichment Center, Paint A Miracle

Radio host Mojo (Mojo in the Morning) mojointhemorning.iheart.com

Finalists: Dave & Chuck the Freak, Jay Towers (Jay Towers in the Morning), Paul W. Smith (WJR), Ryan Patrick Hooper (101.9 in the Groove), Scott Randall (Screamin Scott Randall)

Radio News or Sports Reporter Ryan Ermanni (WJR) fox2detroit.com/person/e/ ryan-ermanni

Finalists: Charlie Langton (WWJ), Dan Leach (WHMI), Dan Miller (97.1 The Ticket), Jeff Riger (97.1 The Ticket), Jerome Vaughn (WDET), Mike Stone (97.1 The Ticket), Pat Batcheller (WDET)

TV anchor or host Ryan Ermanni (FOX 2) fox2detroit.com/person/e/ ryan-ermanni

Finalists: Alicia Smith (WXYZ/Channel 7), Glenda Lewis (WXYZ/Channel 7), Jay Towers (FOX 2), Kimberly Gill (WDIV/ Local 4), Maurielle Lue (FOX 2), Rhonda Walker (WDIV/Local 4), Roop Raj (FOX 2)

TV News or Sports Reporter Brad Galli (WXYZ/Channel 7) wxyz.com/brad-galli

Finalists: Charlie Langton (FOX 2), Dan Miller (FOX 2), Faraz Javed (WXYZ/ Channel 7), Jennifer Hammond (FOX 2), Jessica Dupnack (FOX 2), Lauren Kostiuk (WDIV/Local 4), Ruta Ulcinaite (WXYZ/ Channel 7), Ryan Ermanni (FOX 2)

bestDetroit of Community

food

African food Baobab Fare

Detroit; baobabfare.com

Finalists: Blue Nile, Fork In Nigeria, Maty’s African Cuisine, Yum Village

All night eatery O.W.L. Royal Oak; owlwoodward.com

Finalists: Detroit One Coney Island, Fleetwood Diner, Nicky D’s, Telway, Zack’s of Plymouth

Appetizers Leila Detroit; leiladetroit.com

Finalists: Aurora Italiana, Bell Bistro, Le Suprême, Union Woodshop

Bagel Shop New York Bagel

Multiple locations; newyorkbagel-detroit.com

Finalists: Bev’s Bagels, Brooklyn Bagel, Eastside Bagel, Jersey Bagel

Bakery (bread) Zingerman's Bakehouse

Ann Arbor; zingermansbakehouse.com

Finalists: Crispelli’s, Dakota, Give Thanks, Secret Bakery, Vince & Joe’s Gourmet Market

Bakery (desserts) Astoria Detroit, Royal Oak; astoriapastryshop.com

Finalists: Allergy Free Bakery, For the Love of Sugar, Good Cakes and Bakes, MK Cannelle, The Home Bakery, Vince & Joe’s Gourmet Market, Warda Pâtisserie Bar Food Griffin Claw Brewing Company Birmingham, Rochester Hills; gri nclawbrewingcompany.com

Finalists: Luxe Bar and Grill, Oak Parker, Sakazuki, Second Best

Barbecue restaurant  Slows Bar BQ

Ann Arbor, Berkley, Detroit; slowsbarbq.com

Finalists: Arkins Sweet BBQ Pit, Bad Brad’s, Union Woodshop, Woodpile BBQ Shack

Burgers (classic) Redcoat Tavern

Royal Oak, West Bloom eld; redcoat-tavern.com

Finalists: Bunkhouse Burgers, Hunter House Hamburgers, Miller’s Bar, Shamrock Pub

Burgers (specialty) Vinsetta Garage

Berkley; vinse agarage.com

Finalists: Frita Batidos, Grey Ghost, High Pointe Burger Jointe, Li le Ghost, Olin Café Commonwealth Cafe Birmingham; gocommonwealth.com

Finalists: Bar Rotunda, Café Origins, Li le Yard, Livonia Italian Bakery & Cafe, Mother Handsome

Cheap Eats Green Dot Stables Detroit; greendotstables.com

Finalists: Hunter House Hamburgers, Leo’s Coney Island, Neehee’s, O.W.L.

Chinese restaurant Mon Jin Lau

Troy; monjinlau.com

Finalists: China Cafe, LC’s Asian Kitchen, Midtown Shangri-La, Young’s Coffee shop

Dessert Oasis Coffee Roasters

Multiple locations; docr.coffee

Finalists: Detroit Brew-ti-ful Coffee House, Ground Control Coffee Roasters, Haraz Coffee, Honcho, Kekoa Brew Co.

Coney Island Leo's Coney Island

Multiple locations; leosconeyisland.com

Finalists: American Coney Island, Greek Islands, Lafayette Coney Island, Lipuma’s Coney Island, National Coney Island

Cookies

Detroit Cookie Company

Ferndale, St. Clair Shores; detroitcookieco.com

Finalists: Chocolate Chipped, For the Love of Sugar, Good Cookies, Men Bake Cookies

Dessert Le Suprême

Detroit; lesupremedetroit.com

Finalists: Andiamo, Café Cortina, Rudy’s Prime Steakhouse, The Dixboro Project

Diner Dime Store

Detroit, Rochester Hills; eatdimestore.com

Finalists: Norm’s Diner, O.W.L., Side Street Diner, The Fly Trap, Whistle Stop Diner

Donuts

Yates Cider Mill

Rochester Hills; yatescidermill.com

Finalists: Apple Fritter Donut Shop, Daily Dozen, Donut Cutter, Dutch Girl Donuts, Knapp’s Donut Shop, The Looney Baker

Farm-to-table restaurant Mabel Gray Hazel Park; mabelgraykitchen.com

Finalists: Coriander Kitchen and Farm, Selden Standard, Sylvan Table, The Dixboro Project

Gluten-free menu Anita's Kitchen

Detroit, Ferndale; anitaskitchen.com

Finalists: Allergy Free Bakery, Breadless, Brown Iron Brewhouse, Clarkston Union, High Pointe Burger Jointe Greek restaurant Pegasus Taverna Detroit, St. Clair Shores; pegasustavernas.com

Finalists: Athens Souvlaki, Golden Fleece, Kouzina, Uptown Parthenon, Zorba the Greek Taverna Ice cream shop

Ray's Ice Cream Royal Oak;

Fast-casual restaurant Mootz Pizzeria + Bar Detroit; mootzpizzeria.com

Finalists: Anita’s Kitchen, Breadless, Los Gatos Tacos, Neehee’s Food truck

Detroit 75 Kitchen

Detroit, Madison Heights; detroit75kitchen.com

Finalists: Papelon Arepa Bar, Shenandoah Country Club Food Truck, Taco Cartel, The Pita Post French fries HopCat Multiple locations; hopcat.com

Finalists: Ferndale Project, Le Suprême, Stumblebum Beer Co., Vinsetta Garage

Italian restaurant, Livingston County Ciao Amici's Brighton; ciaoamicisbrighton.com

Finalists: Arta’s, Cello, Coratti’s, Tomato Brothers

Japanese restaurant Noble Fish Clawson; noblefish.com

Finalists: Adachi, Hiroki-San, Ima, Detroit, Sharaku

Kid-friendly restaurant Mootz Pizzeria + Bar Detroit; mootzpizzeria.com

Finalists: Ferndale Project, High Pointe

Burger Jointe, Lincoln Yard, The Country Inn

Latino restaurant (other than Mexican) Vicente's Cuban Cuisine Detroit; vicentesdetroit.com

Finalists: Culantro, El Guanaco, Frita Batidos, Papelon Arepa Bar Mediterranean restaurant La Marsa

Multiple locations; lamarsacuisine.com

Finalists: Anita’s Kitchen, La Saj, Leila, Phoenicia

Mexican restaurant Mexican Village Detroit, Shelby Township; mexicanvillagefood.com

Finalists: El Barzon, Los Gatos Tacos, Sagebrush Cantina, Sierra Station, Vecino Middle Eastern restaurant Anita's Kitchen Detroit, Ferndale; anitaskitchen.com

Finalists: Al Ameer, La Saj, Leila, Phoenicia New restaurant, Detroit Marrow Eastern Market Detroit; marrowinthemarket.com

Finalists: Bev’s Bagels, Dirty Shake, Enomah, Fred’s, Full Measure Brewing Company, Roar Brewing Co., Street Beet, Tacos Wuey, The Rectory New restaurant, Oakland County Little Ghost Ferndale; eatlittleghost.com

Finalists: Aurora on the Lake, Bar Gabi, Big Rock Italian Chophouse, Nata Detroit Kitchen & Cocktails, Red & The Wolf, Terra Kitchen & Cocktails, The Franklin Oyster Bar & Eatery

New restaurant, Macomb County Ford's Garage Utica Utica; fordsgarageusa.com

Finalists: Maple Spot Brunch, Masala Grill, Primo Cantina, Valentino’s Diner

New restaurant, Wayne County (excluding Detroit) High Pointe Burger Jointe

Grosse Pointe; highpointeburgerjointe.com

Finalists: Ariana Afghan Restaurant, Birdie’s Restaurant, Blue Kuna Smokehouse, Clara’s Table, Dolce V Italiana New restaurant, Washtenaw County Echelon Kitchen & Bar Ann Arbor; echelonkitchenandbar.com

Finalists: Campo Pizza, Drop Top Pizza, Eat Thai, La Serre, Little Kim Ann Arbor New restaurant, Livingston County The Ivy Table Brighton; theivytable.org

Finalists: Aladdin’s Shawarma, Bliss and Fish, Yume Sushi Outdoor dining Coriander Kitchen and Farm Detroit; corianderkitchenandfarm.com

Finalists: Aurora on the Lake, Café Cortina, Lincoln Yard, The Franklin Oyster Bar & Eatery

Oysters Mabel Gray

Hazel Park; mabelgraykitchen.com

Finalists: Hazel’s, Mink, The Franklin Oyster Bar & Eatery, Voyager

Pet-friendly restaurant Como's

Ferndale; comosrestaurant.com

Finalists: Coffee & Bark Berkley, Ferndale Project, Maverick’s, Mootz

Pizzeria & Bar, Northville Sports Den Pho Ima

Detroit, Madison Heights; imanoodles.com

Finalists: Got Pho, Pho Lucky, Que Huong Restaurant, What The Pho Pie

Achatz/ Pie Collective

Multiple locations; achatzpies.com

Finalists: Grand Traverse Pie Company, Nino Salvaggio, Sister Pie, Zingerman’s Bakehouse Pierogi Polish Village Café

Hamtramck; polishvillage.cafe

Finalists: Dobre Pierogi, Marcus Grill, Pietrzyk Pierogi, Srodek’s

Pizza (Detroit-style) Buddy's Pizza

Multiple locations; buddyspizza.com

Finalists: Cloverleaf, Como’s, Green Lantern, Loui’s Pizza, Michigan & Trumbull Pizza (round) Green Lantern

Multiple locations; greenlanternpizza.com

Finalists: Alibi, Fredi The PizzaMan, Mootz Pizzeria + Bar, Pie Sci, Supino, Tomatoes Apizza

Polish restaurant Polish Village Café

Hamtramck; polishvillage.cafe

Finalists: Polonia, Rose’s, Sabina’s, Three Brothers Ramen Ima

Detroit, Madison Heights; imanoodles.com

Finalists: Edo Ramen, Johnny Noodle King, Sakazuki, Shiromaru, Shun Ramen & Sushi

Restaurant (Detroit) Selden Standard

Detroit; seldenstandard.com

Finalists: Adelina, Alpino, Chartreuse, Freya, Ladder 4, Le Suprême, Leila, Leña, Oak & Reel, SheWolf Pastificio & Bar, Vecino

Restaurant (Livingston County) Ciao Amici

Brighton; ciaoamicisbrighton.com

Finalists:Bourbons, Brighton Bar & Grill, Single Barrel Social, Stillwater Grill, Tomato Brothers

Restaurant (Macomb County) Mr. Paul's Chophouse

Roseville; mrpaulschophouse.com

Finalists: Andiamo Pasta & Chops, Bar Verona, Da Francesco’s Ristorante & Bar, Primo Cantina, Regale Craft Food and Drink

Restaurant (Oakland County) Mabel Gray

Hazel Park; mabelgraykitchen.com

Finalists: Café Cortina, Casa Pernoi, Phoenicia, Rudy’s Prime Steakhouse, Sylvan Table, The Franklin Oyster Bar & Eatery

Restaurant (Washtenaw County) The Dixboro Project

Ann Arbor; thedixboroproject.com

Finalists: Bellflower, Echelon Kitchen & Bar, Sava’s, Spencer, Union Rec Restaurant (Wayne County) Table 5 Northville; table5.net

Finalists: FIVE Steakhouse, M Cantina, Neehee’s, The Ledger

Restaurant for breakfast Toast

Ferndale, Birmingham; eatattoast.com

Finalists: Anna’s House, Biscuits & Gravy, Dime Store, FIVE Steakhouse, The Fly Trap, The Hudson Café, Whistle Stop Diner

Restaurant for brunch The Hudson Cafe

Detroit, Northville, Troy; hudson-cafe.com

Finalists: Brunch Bar, Clarkston Union, Dime Store, Le Suprême, Rochester Brunch House

Restaurant to take a client joe Muer Seafood

Bloomfield Hills, Detroit; joemuer.com

Finalists: Besa, Le Suprême, Prime & Proper, San Morello, Terra Kitchen & Cocktails

Restaurant with a view Andiamo Detroit Riverfront Detroit; andiamoitalia.com

Finalists: Aurora on the Lake, Hamilton’s Restaurant, Highlands, Joe Muer Seafood, Kamper’s Rooftop Lounge

Romantic dining The Whitney Detroit; thewhitney.com

Finalists: Adelina, Aventura, Café Cortina, Experience Zuzu, Highlands, Le Suprême, The Wine Grotto

Sandwich shop Zingerman's Delicatessen

Ann Arbor; zingermansdeli.com

Finalists: Ernie’s Market, La Pecora Nera, Mudgie’s, Oak House, Rocco’s Italian Deli, Tall Trees Cafe, Ventimiglia Italian Foods

Seafood restaurant Joe Muer Seafood

Bloomfield Hills, Detroit; joemuer.com

Finalists: Detroit Fish House, Hazel’s, Mink, Oak & Reel, Streetside Seafood, The Franklin Oyster Bar & Eatery, Voyager Shawarma Bucharest Grill

Multiple locations; bucharestgrill.com

Finalists: Amo Sami, Anita’s Kitchen, Mr. Kabob, My Big Fat Shawarma Soul food restaurant Cornbread Restaurant and Bar Southfield; cornbreadsoulfood.com

Finalists: Fixins Soul Kitchen, Motor City Soul Food, SavannahBlue

Special-occasion restaurant Mabel Gray

Hazel Park; mabelgraykitchen.com

Finalists: Experience Zuzu, Highlands, Hiroki-San, Parc, Sexy Steak Steakhouse The Clawson Steakhouse Clawson; clawsonsteakhouse.com

Finalists: London Chop House, Prime & Proper, Rudy’s Prime Steakhouse, Sexy Steak Sushi Noble Fish Clawson; noblefish.com

Finalists: Adachi, Hiroki-San, Ronin, Sushi Zen

Sustainable restaurant Mabel Gray

Detroit; mabelgraykitchen.com

Finalists: Baobab Fare, Coriander Kitchen and Farm, Echelon Kitchen & Bar, Oak & Reel, Sylvan Table, Takoi, The Dixboro Project Tacos Imperial Ferndale; imperialferndale.com

Finalists: Casa Amado, El Charro, Honcho, Los Gatos Tacos, Tacos Wuey Thai restaurant Sy Thai Multiple locations; gosythai.com

Finalists: Coastal Thai, Khom Fai, Takoi, Thai Ocha, Thai Street Kitchen

Vegan/vegetarian restaurant Street Beet Detroit; streetbeet.online

Finalists: 313 Cinnamon Rolls, Neehee’s, Radical Plants, Spacecat V-stro Wings Detroit Wing Company

Multiple locations; detroitwingco.com

Finalists: Noori Pocha, Sakazuki, Sweetwater Tavern, Union Woodshop, Wing Snob

Bar/lounge to take a client Kamper's Rooftop Lounge

Detroit; kampersroo op.com

Finalists: Adelina, Aladdin Sane, Birmingham Pub, Evening Bar, Experience Zuzu, NOMI

Bar/lounge to take a date Candy Bar

Detroit; ash.world/dining/candy-bar

Finalists: Aladdin Sane, Evening Bar, IO Godfrey Roo op Lounge, The Wine Gro o, Vino & Vibes Wine Bar

Beer selection (bar) HopCat

Multiple locations; hopcat.com

Finalists: Brown Iron Brewhouse, Collect Beer Bar, Gri n Claw Brewing Company, The Brakeman, Union Rec Brewery/bar

Eastern Market Brewing Company

Detroit; easternmarket.beer

Finalists: Batch Brewing Company, Florian East, Gri n Claw Brewing Company, HOMES Brewery,Roar Brewing Co., Stumblebum Beer Co., Urbanrest Brewing Company

Cidery Blake's Armada; blakefarms.com/ blakes-tasting-room

Finalists: B. Nektar, Copper Hop Brewing Company, Gri n Claw Brewing Company

Craft cocktails Sugar House

Detroit; sugarhousedetroit.com

Finalists: Aladdin Sane, Dragon y,  Standby, The Oakland, Weiss Distilling Co., Wright & Company

Distillery

Valentine Distilling Co. Ferndale; valentinedistilling.com

Finalists: Detroit City Distillery, Motor City Gas, Tashmoo Distilling Company, Two James, Weiss Distilling Co.

Dive bar

The Old Miami

Detroit; instagram.com/theoldmiamidetroit

Finalists: Gusoline Alley, Jumbo’s Bar, Last Chance Saloon, Painted Lady, Temple Bar, Ye Olde Saloon

Happy hour Ima

Detroit, Madison Heights; imanoodles.com

Finalists: Aventura, Bell Bistro, Eastern Palace Club, Leña, Sakazuki, Voyager

LGBTQ bar

SOHO

Ferndale; ferndalesoho.com

Finalists: Adam’s Apple, Como’s, Pronto, Vino & Vibes Wine Bar

drinks

bestDetroit of

Michigan beer Bell's Brewery Kalamazoo; bellsbeer.com

Finalists: Eastern Market Brewing Company, Founders Brewing Company, Gri n Claw Brewing Company, HOMES Brewery

Michigan winery Chateau Chantal

Traverse City; chateauchantal.com

Finalists: Bel Lago, Black Star Farms, Boathouse Vineyards, Mawby, Rove Estate, Sage Creek Winery & Distillery, Verterra Winery, Vinomondo Winery, Youngblood Vineyard Mocktails Candy Bar

Detroit; ash.world/dining/candy-bar

Finalists: Bell Bistro, Dragon y, Eastern Palace Club, Syndicate, Tocororo, Vino & Vibes Wine Bar

Neighborhood bar Cadieux Café

Detroit; cadieuxcafe.com

Finalists: Ferndale Project, Kiesling, Mt. Chalet, Oak Parker, The Corner Bar, Two Birds, Ye Olde Tap Room

Place to drink outdoors Father Forgive Me Detroit; fatherforgiveme.com

Finalists: Ferndale Project, Kamper’s Roo op Lounge, La Casa Cigar Lounge, Lincoln Yard, Motor City Wine Sports bar

Art and Jake's

Multiple locations; artjakes.com

Finalists: Gilly’s Clubhouse, J’s Penalty Box, Northville Sports Den, The HUB Stadium Wine bar

Motor City Wine Detroit; motorcitywine.com

Finalists: Bar Chenin, Ladder 4, Stadt Garten, The Wine Gro o, Vesper Books and Wine, Vino & Vibes Wine Bar, Youngblood Vineyard

Architect Albert Kahn Associates

Detroit; albertkahn.com

Finalists: AZD Associates, Brian Neeper Architecture, DesignTeam Plus,  Disbrow Iannuzzi Architects, Hamilton Anderson Associates, Krieger Klatt

Architects, Saroki Architecture

services

After-school program (non-school)

YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit

Multiple locations; ymcadetroit.org

Finalists: Alternatives For Girls,  Downtown Boxing Gym, Ernest T. Ford Recreation Center, Metro Detroit Youth Clubs

After-school classes (non-school)

The Detroit School of Rock and Pop Music

Royal Oak; detroitschoolofrockandpop.com

Finalists: Jeannie Zibalatti’s Dance School, Michigan Stage Playlabs,  Paint Creek Center for the Arts, Rata2ee

Kitchen design service

KSI Kitchen & Bath

Multiple locations; kurtiskitchen.com

Finalists: Authentic Kitchen & Design,  E.W. Kitchens, Kendall Design + Build, Maple & Mill

Landscape design

Great Oaks

Auto detailing/car wash Jax Car Wash

Multiple locations; jaxkarwash.com

Finalists: El Car Wash, Matick Auto Wash, Redford, Motor City Auto Spa,  Mr. C’s Car Wash

Auto repair

Rochester Hills Collision, Inc.

Rochester Hills; rochesterhillscollision.com

Finalists: Automotive Authority, Brakes & More, Dynasty Auto Repair,  O’Brien Services

Caterer Vince & Joe's Gourmet Market

Clinton Township, Shelby Township; vinceandjoes.com

Finalists: Forte Belanger, Livonia Bakery and Cafe, Reva Constantine Events,  Skosh Catering, The Silver Shamrocks

Financial planner Foguth

Financial Group

Multiple locations; foguthfinancial.com

Finalists: Dewey Steffen of Great Lakes Wealth, Ecos Wealth Advisors, Great Lakes Wealth, Jeffrey Fratarcangeli of Fratarcangeli Wealth Management,  Kirk Dahring - Dahring | Cusmano and Associates

Home improvement Kendall Design + Build Royal Oak; kendalldesignbuild.com

Finalists: Basements Plus, Level Up Home Improvement, M.J. Whelan Construction, Maple & Mill,  Nightingale Company Hotel Shinola Hotel Detroit; shinolahotel.com

Finalists: Cambria Hotel Downtown Detroit, Dearborn Inn, Hotel David Whitney, Autograph Collection, MGM Grand, ROOST Detroit, Royal Park Hotel, Saint John’s Resort, The Townsend Hotel, Westin Book Cadillac

Interior design VERSA Design Royal Oak; versa-design.com

Finalists: Amareaux, Design Studio Detroit, Ruth Casper Design,  Tanya Rynicke Interiors

Summer day camp The Friendship Factory

Multiple locations; thefriendshipfactory.com

Landscape Novi; greatoakslandscape.com

Finalists: Dul Landscape Architecture, Great Lakes Landscape Design, Marino’s Landscape, Mosher Design Co., Tocco Mannino Landscaping

Limo service

Metro Cars

Taylor; metrocars.com

Finalists: Dream Limousines, Inc.,  Empire Luxury Transport, Golden Limousine International, World Class Detroit

Michigan resort Grand Hotel Mackinac Island; grandhotel.com

Finalists: Boyne Mountain Resort, Crystal Mountain, Grand Traverse Resort, Hotel Walloon, Inn at Bay Harbor, Mission Pointe Resort, Saint John’s Resort,  The Homestead

Pet groomer

All Paw Spa Ferndale; allpawspa.com

Finalists: Annie’s Pet Parlor, LC’S Detroit Pet Salon, Peticured, Scrubber’s Dog Wash

Photographer Hannah Marie Photography Farmington Hills; hannahmariephotos.com

Finalists: Chelcie Lou Photography,  Purple Tree Photography, Studio Belle Mere

Real Estate Agent Cynthia (Nicholson) Miller (Cynthia Lynn Luxury Real Estate)

Northville; cynthialynnluxury.com

Finalists: Dan Gutfreund (Realty Group | Signature Sotheby’s International Realty), Jillian Moutafis (Real Estate One),  Kathy Broock (Kathy Broock & Co., Max Broock Realtors), Kristy Paul (KW Lakeside, Keller Williams),  Lauren Fortinberry, Leslie E. Martin,  Renee Lossia-Acho (TVA+RLA),  Tushar Vakhariya (TVA+RLA)

Special-occasion venue Shinola Hotel Detroit; shinolahotel.com

Finalists: Anthology Events in the Book Tower, Paddle + Par, Roostertail, Saint John’s Resort, Shenandoah County Club

Finalists: Create Camps at Cranbrook, Rata2ee, Tollgate Farm Summer Camps, Willoway Day Camp Travel Agent / Agency Corporate Travel Service

Northville; ctscentral.net

Finalists: JCV World Travel, Linda DeAngelis of Volare Travel, Melissa Failla/Magical Vacation Planner, Volare Travel

Venue for a kids' party Friendship Factory

Multiple locations; thefriendshipfactory.com

Finalists: Born Yoga, Breakout Escape Rooms, Fascination Factory,  Livonia Bakery and Cafe, Troy Gym 4

Wedding cakes

For the Love of Sugar

Detroit; fortheloveofsugar.com

Finalists: Arnold’s Home of Sweets,  Cakes by Stephanie, Christine’s Cakes and Pastries, Pastry Guru, Sweet Heather Anne, Vince & Joe’s Gourmet Market, Vito’s Bakery

Wedding photography

Everlasting Moments everlastingmoments.com

Finalists: Abby B. Photography,  Amber Marie Photography,  Chelcie Lou Photography, Orange Blossom Photography

Wedding planner Utsav Planners

Livonia; utsavplanners.com

Finalists: A June Event, Bunny & June Events, Dreams2Vision Events,  Perfect Day Planners,  Sugar Events & Entertainment

The

Wedding venue

War Memorial

Grosse Pointe; warmemorial.org

Finalists: Anthology Events in the Book Tower, Colony Club, Planterra Conservatory, Roostertail, Saint John’s Resort, Shenandoah Country Club,  Shinola Hotel, Waterview Loft

Antique shop Town Peddler Livonia; townpeddler.com

Finalists: Odd Fellows Antiques, Riverside Vintage Market, The Rabbit Hole, Vogue Vintage Appliance shop ABC Warehouse

Multiple locations; abcwarehouse.com

Finalists: A Dependable Maytag,  Big George’s, Sargeant Appliance, Specialties Showroom

Auto dealership (group) LaFontaine Automotive Group

Multiple locations; familydeal.com

Finalists: Feldman Automotive, Matick Auto Group, Serra Automotive, Tamaroff Group

Auto dealership (individual) Hodges Subaru Ferndale; hodgessubaru.com

Finalists: Bill Snethkamp Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, Bowman Chevrolet,  Crest Lincoln, Fox Buick GMC, George Matick Chevrolet, Heidebreicht Chevrolet, Russ Milne Ford, Twins Auto Sales 8 Mile Beer Selection (store) Holiday Market Birmingham, Canton, Royal Oak; holiday-market.com

Finalists: Beverage Warehouse, Discount Drinks, Off the Wagon, Vince & Joe’s Gourmet Market Bike shop Downtown Ferndale Bike Shop Ferndale; downtown-bikeshop.com

Finalists: Bike Blades and Boards, Macomb Bike & Fitness, Metropolis Cycles, Ted’s Bike Shop

Bookstore

John K. King Used & Rare Books Detroit, Ferndale; johnkingbooksdetroit.com

Finalists: Book Beat, Literati, Read My Lips, Sidetrack Bookshop, Source Booksellers, Toadvine Books

Bridal salon

The Wedding Shop

Berkley; theweddingshoppe.net

Finalists: Ashley and Alexandria’s Bridal Atelier, Bella Bridal, Beloved Bridal, LeBori Bridal Vault, Roma Sposa

Butcher shop/deli Nino Salvaggio

Multiple locations; ninosalvaggio.com

Finalists: El-Sayed Meat Market, Marrow, Randazzo Fresh Market, Vince & Joe’s Gourmet Market

Cake shop

The Home Bakery Rochester; thehomebakery.com

Finalists: Christine’s Cakes & Pastries, For The Love Of Sugar, Good Cakes and Bakes, Randazzo Fresh Market, Vince & Joe’s Gourmet Market

Candy store Doc Sweets Clawson; docsweets.com

Finalists: Spun Sugar Shoppe, Sweet Arrangements, Sweet Essentials, Zingerman’s Candy Manufactory

Cannabis dispensary House of Dank

Multiple locations; shophod.com

Finalists: Dispo, Nature’s Remedy, Pu , Quality Roots

Children's clothing store Connie's Children's Shop

St. Clair Shores; shopconnies.com

Finalists: Apple Blossom Baby, Guys N Gals, Lil’ Rascals, Twinkle Toes & Clothes

Children's resale clothing store

Once Upon a Child Troy; onceuponachild.com

Finalists: Li le Threads, Pipsqueak Boutique, The Funky Frog

Chocolate/chocolatier Sanders

Clinton Township, Rochester; second naturebrands.com/pages/sanders-candy

Finalists: Bon Bon Bon, Elan Candies by Marilyn, Quix Chocolate

Cider mill Yate's Rochester Hills; yatescidermill.com

Finalists: Blake’s, Franklin Cider Mill, Long Family Orchard, Parmenters, Three Cedars Farm Cigar shop Churchill's

Birmingham; churchillscigarbar.com

Finalists: Hill and Hill, La Casa, O Cigar Bar, Robustos

Clothing and accessory resale

Regeneration

Pleasant Ridge; regenerationclothing.org

Finalists: Council Resale, Renue Style & Home, Resale Connection, Sum Girls Boutique

Coffee brand

Dessert Oasis Coffee Roasters

Multiple locations; docr.co ee

Finalists: Craig’s Co ee, Ground Control Co ee Roasters, Kekoa Brew Co., RoosRoast, Sabbath Co ee Roasters, Zingerman’s Co ee Company

Comic book shop Vault of Midnight

Ann Arbor, Detroit; vaultofmidnight.com

Finalists: Big Ben’s Comix Oasis, Comic City, Time Travelers, Warp 9

Farmers market  Eastern Market Detroit; easternmarket.org

Finalists: Ann Arbor Farmers Market, Birmingham Farmers Market, Farmington Farmers Market, Oakland County Farmers Market, Rochester Farmers Market, Royal Oak Farmers Market

Fish market   Noble Fish Clawson; noble sh.com

Finalists: Monahan’s, Nino Salvaggio, Randazzo Fresh Market, The Lobster Pot, Vince & Joe’s Gourmet Market

Flower shop Viviano

Multiple locations; viviano.com

Finalists: Bellisario Florist, Blossoms, Nino Salvaggio, Olive’s Bloombox

Furniture and home goods resale

Dee Dee's Fine Vintage Clawson; deedees nevintage.com

Finalists: Renue Style & Home, Resale Connection, Riverside Vintage Market

Furniture store

Leon & Lulu Clawson; leonandlulu.com

Finalists: 28 Furniture Co., Alexandra June, Bright Ideas Furniture, Gardner White, Royce Furniture & Lighting Gift shop  Leon & Lulu Clawson; leonandlulu.com

Finalists: Catching Fire ies, City Bird, Detroit Institute of Arts Gi Shop, Modern Supply, Rail & Anchor

Gluten-free products Plum Market

Multiple locations; plummarket.com

Finalists: Mongers Provisions, Nino Salvaggio, Randazzo Fresh Market, Vince & Joe’s Gourmet Market

Gourmet foods Nino Salvaggio International Marketplace

Multiple locations; ninosalvaggio.com

Finalists: Mongers’ Provisions, Papa Joe’s Gourmet Market, Papa’s Kitchen, Plum Market, Vince & Joe’s Gourmet Market

Home dEcor shop

Leon & Lulu Clawson; leonandlulu.com

Finalists: 28 Furniture Co., Alexandra June, Dee Dee’s Fine Vintage, Greene & Company Interior Design Studio + Shoppe, Modern Supply, Riverside Vintage Market

Jewelry store

Lucido's Fine Jewelry

Multiple locations; lucidojewelry.com

Finalists: Cooper & Binkley, Darakjian, Diamond Castle, Jacob Ma hew Jewelers, Steven Bernard Jewelers, Tapper’s

Leather goods Shinola

Multiple locations; shinola.com

Finalists: A&M Leather, Bespoke By Feldman, London Luggage Shop, Noir Leather, Pingree, Wills Leather Goods

Lighting shop

Ray Electric Supply

Multiple locations; rayelectricsupply.com

Finalists: City Lights Detroit, Michael’s Lamp Shop, Pine Tree Lighting, Royce Furniture & Lighting

Lingerie store

Harp's Lingerie Birmingham; harps-lingerie.com

Finalists: Bra-Vo Intimates, Busted Bra Shop, Hush Intimate Apparel, Sunny J’s

Men's clothing store

George Gregory Detroit; shopgeorgegregory.com

Finalists: Alexander’s Custom Clothiers, Carl Sterr 1922, Claymore Shop, Craig Ryan Fine Clothing, Joe Porter’s, Manno Clothing & Tailoring, Randazzo Formal Wear, Todd’s Menswear Nursery/greenhouse English Gardens

Multiple locations; englishgardens.com

Finalists: Bordine’s, Deneweth’s Garden Center, Farmer John’s, Ray Wiegand’s Nursery, Telly’s, Wojo’s

Optical shop

Henry Ford OptimEyes

Multiple locations; henryford.com/optimeyes

Finalists: House of Optical, Optik, Roland Optical, Shades, Spectacle Society

Place to buy an engagement/ wedding ring Lucido Fine Jewelry

Birmingham, Rochester, Sterling Heights; lucidojewelry.com

Finalists: Ahee Jewelers, Cooper and Binkley, Darakjian, Jacob Ma hew Jewelers, Tapper’s

Pet supply store

Premier Pet Supply

Multiple locations; premierpetsupply.com

Finalists: K-9 Specialties, Lou’s Pet Shop, Specialty Pet Supplies, The Pet Beastro, Tolonen Family Pet, Val’s Pet Supplies, Wags to Wiskers

Place to buy art

Ann Arbor Art Fair

Ann Arbor; theannarborartfair.com

Finalists: Alexandra June, Birmingham Bloom eld Art Center, David Klein Art Gallery, DuMouchelles, Paint Creek Center for the Arts

Record store

Dearborn Music

Dearborn; dearbornmusic.net

Finalists: Flipside Records, Found Sound, People’s Records, The Detroit Record Club, Weirdsville Records

Shopping mall

Somerset Collection

Troy; thesomersetcollection.com

Finalists: Great Lakes Crossing Outlets, The Mall at Partridge Creek, The Village of Rochester Hills, Twelve Oaks Mall

Skin care shop

Rivage Day Spa Birmingham; rivagedayspa.com

Finalists: Beautiphi Aesthetic Boutique, HueVine Skincare, Jackie Naik Aesthetics, Margo European Spa, Salem Skincare

Sustainable store  Arts & Scraps Detroit; artsandscraps.org

Finalists: 86 Plastic, Eugenie, Re ll Emporium, Walking Lightly Toy store  Whistle Stop Hobby & Toy

St. Clair Shores; whistle-stop.com

Finalists: Funky Monkey, MiPops Comics & Collectibles, Modern Natural Baby, Toyology Toys

Vintage/consignment clothes Lost & Found Vintage Royal Oak; lostandfoundvintage.com

Finalists: Boro, Regeneration, Renue Style & Home, Resale Connection

Wine store Red Wagon Shoppe Rochester Hills, Troy; redwagonshoppe.com

Finalists: Elie Wine Co., Fine Wine Source, Kakos, Michigan Wine by the Bo le, Old Woodward Cellar, Woods Wholesale Wine Women's boutique Peacock Room Detroit; shoppeacockroom.com

Finalists: Chrysalis Couture by Mira, Coup D’état, Eugenie, Hersh’s Boutique La Vie en Rose, Tender

Private golf course Detroit Golf Club Detroit; detroitgolfclub.org

Finalists: Oakland Hills Country Club, Red Run Golf Club, Shenandoah Country Club, Wabeek Club

Professional sports team Detroit Lions detroitlions.com

Finalists: Detroit City Football Club, Detroit Pistons, Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Tigers

Professional sports team athlete Aidan Hutchinson (Detroit Lions) detroitlions.com/team/ players-roster/aidan-hutchinson

Finalists: Amon-Ra St. Brown (Detroit Lions), Cade Cunningham (Detroit Pistons), Dylan Larkin (Detroit Red Wings), Jahmyr Gibbs (Detroit Lions), Jared Goff (Detroit Lions),  Moritz Seider (Detroit Red Wings), Tarik Skubal (Detroit Tigers)

Professional sports team coach or manager Dan Campbell (Detroit Lions) detroitlions.com/team/ coaches-roster/dan-campbell

Finalists: A.J. Hinch (Detroit Tigers), Danny Dichio (DCFC), J.B. Bickerstaff (Detroit Pistons), Todd McLellan (Detroit Red Wings)

Professional sports team venue Comerica Park (Tigers) mlb.com/tigers/ballpark

Finalists: Ford Field (Lions), Keyworth Stadium (DCFC), Little Caesars Arena (Pistons, Red Wings), UWM Field/Jimmy John’s Field (Four USPBL Teams)

Public golf course Shepherd's Hollow Clarkston; shepherdshollow.com

Finalists: Fox Hills, The Cardinal,  The Links at Hunter’s Ridge

sports

healthbeauty&

Aesthetician Kelsey Dorjevski (The Aesthetic Method)

Ferndale; theaestheticmethod.com

Finalists: Alexa Prabel (Alexxa Esthetic), Brianna Sapienza (Belle Santa Medical Spa), Danielle HueVine (HueVine Wellness + MedSpa), Michele Kaminer (Beach House Day Spa)

Barber shop Legends Salon Warren; legends-salon.com

Finalists: 223 Barberhouse, 6 Salon, Baus Barber, Detroit Barber Co., Hard Luck Barbershop, Kempt Culture, Lather Barbershop, Rocco's Barber Shop

Blowouts 6 Salon Detroit ; sixsalon.com

Finalists: Alex Emilio Salon, Antonino’s Salon, Lena Shkreli & Company, Peter Marks Salon

Cosmetic surgeon Dr. Alex Zayid Birmingham; alexzayidmd.com/dr-alex

Finalists: Dr. Daniela Rodriguez, Dr. Evan Black, Dr. Giancarlo Zuliani (Zuliani Facial Aesthetics), Dr. Mune Gowda

CrossFit gym CrossFit 8 Mile Livonia; crossfit8mile.com

Finalists: Catalyst CrossFit, CrossFit Freshwater, Five Lakes CrossFit, New Species CrossFit Day spa

Rivage Day Spa Birmingham; rivagedayspa.com

Finalists: Beach House Day Spa, Belle Santé Medical Spa, Color Box, Margot European Spa, Serene Scalp Spa, Spa Mariana

Eyebrow specialist Beauty Hub Commerce Township; beautyhubmi.com

Finalists: Bee Waxed Cosmetics, Belle Santé Medical Spa, Detroit Lashes & Brows, Yvonne Gevargesian (Aloria Skincare) Facials Rivage Day Spa Birmingham; rivagedayspa.com

Finalists: Beauty Hub, Bee Waxed Cosmetics, Belle Santé Medical Spa, FACE Skincare, Melanie Elias (Icon Anti-Aging & Aesthetics), Margot European Spa, Rivage Day Spa Fitness classes Detroit Sweat

Royal Oak; detroitsweat.fitness

Finalists: Detroit Fit Collective, Rebel Strength + Fitness, The Mill, Tone Zone Fitness

Fitness trainer Nate Jaworski (JT Fitness)

Clawson; jtfitnessstudio.com

Finalists: Chad Demchik (Next Level Fitness Academy), Rashonda Plant (Tone Zone Fitness & Studios), Shadey Liadi “Nigerian Workout Doll,” Stephanie Riley (Rebel Strength and Fitness)

Hair salon 6 Salon Birmingham; sixsalon.com

Finalists: Alex and Emilio Salon, Antonino's Salon, Lena Shkreli & Company, Peter Mark Salon

Health Club or Gym

The Schvitz Health Club

Detroit; schvitzdetroit.com

Finalists: Beverly Hills Club, Franklin Athletic Club, Jabs Gym, JT Fitness, Rebel Strength and Fitness

Lash specialist Detroit Lashes & Brows

Birmingham; detroitlashes.as.me

Finalists: Beauty by Randi, Beeswax Cosmetics, Claudia Burlacu –Natural Lash Northville, Lashed by Rachel, You Aesthetic Spa

Mani-pedi salon Lacquer Lounge Clawson; lacquerloungemi.com

Finalists: Antonino's Salon, Beach House Day Spa, Color Box, Rivage Day Spa Massage Rivage Day Spa

Birmingham; rivagedayspa.com

Finalists: Beach House Day Spa, Belle Santé Medical Spa, Home Comfort Massage, Margot European Spa

Med spa The Aesthetic Method Ferndale; theaestheticmethod.com

Finalists: Belle Santé Medical Spa, Icon Anti-Aging & Aesthetics, Omorfia Medical Spa, Tox & Skin Co.

Pilates classes 444 Pilates

Beverly Hills; 444pilates.com

Finalists: Equilibrium Studio, Hot Yoga Ferndale, Peace & Pilates, The Pilates Room Detroit

Spa services at a resort Grand Traverse Resort and Spa

Traverse City; grandtraverseresort.com

Finalists: Boyne Mountain Resort, Crystal Mountain, The Inn at Bay Harbor

Threading Beauty Hub

Commerce Township; beautyhubmi.com

Finalists: About Face Beauty Spa, Agnes, Alexa’s Vanity, Detroit Lashes & Brows

Yoga studio Citizen Yoga

Multiple locations; citizenyogastudio.com

Finalists: 359° Yoga, Full Lotus Yoga, Hot Yoga Ferndale, Thrive Hot Yoga

JUNE 2026

Under One Roof

All‑Day Café and Wine Bar Offering Coffee & Casual Dining

Immersive Soulful Japanese Dining and Artisan Cocktails

Classic French Brasserie, Daily Plat du Jour, Weekend Brunch

Rooftop Lounge with Tapas, Cocktails, and City Views

An Intimate Lounge for Curious Drinkers

A Tokyo I nspired Bar with Weekly Karaoke, Cold Beer, and Sake

Event Space for Corporate and Social Gatherings Boutique Hotel With Apartment Style Suites

At Dahring | Cusmano & Associates, we design and manage employer-sponsored retirement plans for business owners, leadership teams, and the employees who rely on them.

From plan design and fiduciary oversight to investment management and employee education, we simplify complexity and help improve plan outcomes.

401(k), 403(b), and 457 plan design, administration, and 3(38) EXECUTIVE BENEFITS

Nonqualified deferred compensation strategies to help

Integrated wealth, succession, and legacy planning for business owners and employees.

 P. 86

Art Deco by the pool at a Miami Beach hotel.

MUSIC

JUNE 17

Maysa: The Baltimore-born smooth jazz singer got her start performing with Wonderlove, Stevie Wonder’s group of backup singers, in the early ’90s. She later joined British R&B band Incognito before releasing her self-titled debut solo album in 1995. $26+. Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre, Detroit; ticket master.com

JUNE 18

Santana and the Doobie Brothers: The Grammy Award-winning rock pioneers will share the stage on the upcoming Oneness Tour. Both artists were recently honored for their important contributions to music history: The Doobie Brothers were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2025, while Carlos Santana received the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award earlier this year. $53+. Pine Knob Music Theatre, Clarkston; 313presents.com

JUNE 19-21

Pink Martini: The Detroit Symphony Orchestra will join world music ensemble Pink Martini for a run of genre-bending shows at Orchestra Hall. Led by vocalist and Rock Star: Supernova finalist Storm Large, the 12-piece band offers something for everyone with its blend of classical,

See Akea Brionne's A Dreaming Hour at Cranbrook Art Museum.

EVENTS

Don’t-Miss Events

BY LAUREN WETHINGTON

Save the dates for these shows, films, and performances this June

Latin, traditional pop, and jazz styles. $19+. Orchestra Hall, Detroit; dso.org

JUNE 27

99.5 WYCD Hoedown: Multiplatinum superstar (and former Hootie & the Blowfish vocalist) Darius Rucker will headline this annual country music bash at Pine Knob, which also features performances by up-and-coming country artist Corey Kent, singer-songwriter Lauren Alaina, and TikTok sensation Austin Williams. $43+. Pine Knob Music Theatre, Clarkston; 313presents.com

JUNE 29

Chicago: The acclaimed soft rock ensemble has spent decades blending classical, jazz, R&B, and pop music elements into successful hits like “If You Leave Me Now,” “Hard to Say I’m Sorry,” and “You’re the Inspiration.” Chicago’s legacy was honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in

2020. $53+. Fox Theatre, Detroit; 313presents.com

THEATER

MAY 22-JUNE 14

The Last Wide Open: Theatre Nova presents the Michigan premier of this new three-act play by Audrey Cefaly. Set in a restaurant, the time-bending love story follows waitress Lina and dishwasher Mikolaj as their universes intersect, exploring themes of fate, destiny, and the mysterious forces that bring people together. $15+. Theatre Nova, Ann Arbor; theatre nova.org

MAY 27-JUNE 21

Always a Bridesmaid: On the night of their senior prom, four best friends make a promise to stand up in each other’s weddings. This hilarious, feel-good play by writers of The Golden Girls follows the group 30 years after that fateful promise as they grapple with runaway brides, fist-fighting brawls, ugly dresses, and the messy world of love and matrimony.

$49. Meadow Brook Theatre, Rochester; mbtheatre.com

EXHIBITS

JUNE 6-ONGOING

Wayne County History Project: The Detroit Historical Society partners with the Wayne County Executive Office to offer a series of exhibits at the Guardian Building showcasing the county’s 43 unique communities. Six new exhibits will join the project this month: Harper Woods, Grosse Pointe, Grosse Pointe Woods, Grosse Pointe Shores, Grosse Pointe Farms, and Grosse Pointe Park. No cost. Guardian Building, Detroit; detroit historical.org

JUNE 12-14

Greenfield Village Block Party: Celebrate the grand opening of Dr. Sullivan Jackson and Mrs. Richie Jean Sherrod Jackson’s home — where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders organized for historic change — at the Greenfield Village Block Party. The bash also features educational programs, Southern-inspired eats, live music, and a Blackowned business market. Free with Greenfield Village admission: $39 (ages 12+), $35 (62+), $29.25 (5-11), free

(children 4 and under). Greenfield Village, Dearborn; thehenryford.org

ART

JUNE 6-7

Palmer Park Art Fair: This annual fair brings more than 100 juried artists to Detroit’s Palmer Park to display works in paint, glass, fiber, sculpture, jewelry, and more. Other offerings include live music, book readings by local authors, hands-on art projects, vendors selling local products, food trucks, and even a beer tent. No cost. Palmer Park, Detroit; palmerparkartfair.com

JUNE 20-SEPT. 6

New Exhibitions at Cranbrook Art Museum: Three new summer exhibitions arrive at Cranbrook Art Museum this month. In the North Gallery, interdisciplinary artist Akea Brionne presents A Dreaming Hour, which features large, multi-panel works that

depict the stories and cultures of the African diaspora through surreal combinations of fiber, glitter, oil pastels, and rhinestones. In the Upper Galleries, Monumental Color showcases significant works by iconic abstract artists Cecily Brown, Sam Gilliam, and Joan Mitchell. Also featured in the Upper Galleries is Drawing in Thread, an installation centered around threads created by Olga de Amaral and Anne Wilson. No cost with museum admission. Cranbrook Art Museum, Bloomfield Hills; cranbrook artmuseum.org

FILM

JUNE 5

Ernie & Emma with Special Guest Bruce Campbell: Actor, director, and writer Bruce Campbell will be on hand for this screening of his new film, Ernie & Emma. Campbell plays Ernie Tyler, a smalltown salesman who embarks on an adventure to spread the ashes of his beloved late wife, Emma, in Pear Valley, Oregon. As Ernie reflects on his journey and the memories it unearths, he must find a way to confront his grief and move forward into his new future. $26. Redford Theatre, Detroit; redford theatre.com

A Song for MY FATHER

BY RYAN PATRICK HOOPER

Our resident culture columnist’s tribute to the man who made him

In every song I love, there’s a note of my dad.

I was raised on the music he’d play in the family car, blasted through the speakers in the back seat and into my impressionable ears.

Don’t knock the sound system of a 1996 Jeep Cherokee. Stephen Stills, Little Feat, John Prine, and Bruce Springsteen just sounded better in that car as ashes from my dad’s Marlboro Red whipped from the driver’s seat through the back window and into my face.

That was the price of admission for a good tune, and I didn’t mind. One of the most romantic things I ever saw my parents do for each other was light a cigarette for whoever was driving, so a bit of ash on the baby makes sense. That romance likely made me.

Though my dad had absolutely no rhythm, his musical taste became the foundation of my career. He’d bash his hand against the steering wheel, always out of rhythm but with a lot of enthusiasm. That made up for the rest. From there, I’ve built a career in public radio and as a writer, simply from watching him read the Sunday Free Press on the couch every week.

“You don’t want to end up like me, painting Dodge trucks on the assembly line,” he’d say. “You want to sell your ideas instead.”

In my head, that meant journalism — telling other people’s stories. More than 20 years later, I’m still in this profession.

People ask me all the time why I use my full name. It’s to tell my dad’s story in some small way. His name is Kevin Patrick, and I’m his only son. I’ll never be able to capture his totality through my byline, but with every

published piece, I hope to keep the idea of him alive.

My dad’s musical taste evolved on the assembly line. This Springsteen-loving, suburban dad could later rap DMX songs front to back. He went from growing up in the boonies to being in Detroit and hearing new things from co-workers who grew up in the city with very different life experiences. He loved it and was eager to share it with me, hoping to impress his brooding teenage son.

That’s how 101.9 WDET-FM entered his life: He heard it from someone else’s radio on the assembly line. He rushed home to brag about discovering new bands that he prayed I would like.

It worked, even if I didn’t show it at the time. In fact, it’s influenced everything I play on my radio show, attempting to recreate the feel of the assembly line: a rhythm that’s

constant with musical influence coming from all walks of life but is always Detroit, speaking to the elevated sense of taste we have in the greatest music city on the planet.

When I was 21, my dad died from a terrible accident. I don’t need him to be here today to know that he’d be proud of me, that he would see a bit of his personality, his charm, and his musical taste reflected in everything I do today.

You might be reading this and wondering whether your father is proud of you on Father’s Day, too.

I don’t need to know your whole life to know that there’s a piece of your dad’s song in you, no matter what rhythm (or lack thereof) you’re currently following.

Ryan Patrick Hooper is the host of In the Groove on 101.9 WDET Detroit Public Radio (weekdays from noon to 3 p.m.).



Hooper credits his father, Kevin Patrick, with being the source of much of his musical taste.

From Selma to Dearborn

BY BILL DOW

The Jackson home — one of Greenfield Village’s most significant acquisitions in 40 years — opens to the public

On June 12, the Henry Ford will proudly unveil a significant artifact from the Civil Rights Movement: the relocated Selma, Alabama, home of Dr. and Mrs. Sullivan Jackson in Greenfield Village. The home — where the couple lived with their only child — served as a safe haven and command center for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and others as they planned the historic Selma-toMontgomery marches for voting rights in 1965.

King was famously photographed in the home watching President Johnson’s televised speech on March 15, 1965, calling upon Congress to create the Voting Rights Act, which he signed into law months later. The act enforced the 15th Amendment and eliminated barriers that effectively prevented racial minorities from voting‚ particularly in the South.

The Jackson home is the main showpiece of The Henry Ford’s yearlong celebration of the nation’s 250th birthday, America: 250 Years in the Making.

Hermitage Slave Quarters

Enslaved African Americans built and lived in these brick quarters on the Hermitage Plantation, owned by Henry McAlpin and located in a rice-growing region just north of Savannah, Georgia.

“When we acquired the Rosa Parks bus in 2001, it gave us the ability to talk about civil rights, freedom, and our country’s core democratic values,” says Patricia Mooradian, president and CEO of The Henry Ford. “We also have several Black heritage buildings in Greenfield Village, so the Jackson home helps us connect the dots and allows us to tell the story of another key period in American history.”

The single-story, Southern-style bungalow has found a new home in Greenfield Village.

History of the Home

Built in 1919, the home at 1416 Lapsley St. in Selma became the residence of newlyweds Dr. Sullivan Jackson, a dentist, and his wife, Richie Jean Sherrod Jackson, in 1958. Friends of Dr. King and Coretta Scott King, the couple opened their home to civil rights activists from November 1964 to March 1965, hosting Dr. King and dozens of others during the planning of the marches.

In Richie Jean’s book, The House by the Side of the Road: The Selma Civil Rights Movement (The University of Alabama Press, 2011), she writes that President Johnson called the home on countless occasions to speak with King. Visitors included King’s fellow Nobel Prize winner Dr. Ralph Bunche, Andrew Young, John Lewis, Walter Reuther, Jesse Jackson, John Conyers, James Baldwin, Dick Gregory, and numerous national reporters.

The Jacksons’ daughter, Jawana, who was 4 at the time, fondly recalls sitting on “Uncle Martin’s” lap as he read her bedtime stories.

enslaved African Americans — raised their two children in this rural Georgia farmhouse during the Great Depression.

Mattox Family Home Amos and Grace Mattox — descendants of

Logan County Courthouse Between 1840 and 1847, Abraham Lincoln, the Great Emancipator, tried cases here as a traveling lawyer. He worked mostly on

cases resolving neighbors’ disagreements over land, contracts, and debts. As Lincoln traveled, people got to know him because he always took the time to talk to them.

George Washington Carver Memorial Henry Ford first thought of dedicating a building to George Washington Carver

after the two met in 1937. In spring 1942, construction began on a cabin loosely based on Carver's descriptions of his southwest Missouri birthplace. By about 1950, a sign had been installed over the door, and the building had been whitewashed.

family, the Susquehanna Plantation was one of the largest, most productive farms in southern Maryland during the 1800s. Its success was made possible through the labor of 75 enslaved African Americans. These descriptions, provided by The Henry Ford’s website, have been edited for brevity. More Black Heritage Buildings at Greenfield Village

The Susquehanna Plantation House Home to the Carroll



Furniture from the home, like the chair Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. sat in while staying there, is on display.

The Roads to Greenfield Village

After Richie Jean passed away in 2013, Jawana turned the home into a local museum. After several years, she realized that “the house belonged to the world,” so she “began a quest to identify a place that could not only accept a whole house but really tell the multiple stories.” Through a tip from a visitor at the house, she learned of The Henry Ford’s Greenfield Village. In February 2022, she called to see whether the Dearborn museum would be interested in acquiring and relocating her childhood home to Greenfield Village.

Mooradian remembers that first phone conversation well.

“We, of course, know the history of the Voting Rights Act, but we did not know about the Jackson home and the activities that took place there that helped secure voting rights for millions of Americans.” she says. “Jawana sent us copies of The House by the Side of the Road, and after we read it, we said, ‘This is an incredible part of American history,’ and we immediately began exploring how we could make this happen.”

Mooradian first sent a research team, including engineers, to Selma to see the home and determine all that would be involved in moving it.

“Whenever we take on new projects that require capital, we raise the money first. The home was at risk, so this was the first time in my 20-year tenure as CEO that our board allowed us to proceed with the project at the same time as we began raising the necessary funds,” Mooradian says about the $30 million project. “It was a bit of a risk, but they knew the story was so important that the home had to be preserved.”

To help with the home’s relocation, reconstruction, and programming, the Erb Family Foundation provided a $5 million lead gift.

John Erb, the foundation’s chair, explained the motivation behind the grant in a news release: “We believe this project comes at a time that resonates all too much with what our parents witnessed in the ’60s, as our country is experiencing increasing efforts to erase Black history and the contributions [of] Black Americans, like those of the Jackson family and other civil rights activists.”

In fall 2023, the home’s contents, including more than 8,000 artifacts, were removed for conservation. The house was then split in two and loaded onto trailers for the 1,060-mile journey through five states to Dearborn. After the home arrived at Greenfield Village in 2024, teams prepared the site, laid a new foundation, and painstakingly reassembled the house. In spring 2026, many original artifacts and decorations were reinstalled to recreate the house’s look from 1965.

Countdown to Opening Day



Richie Jean Sherrod Jackson’s memoir details life at the Jackson home during the Civil Rights Movement.

You can find the Jackson home on Greenfield Village’s Maple Lane, between the McGuffey birthplace and the George Washington Carver cabin. It’s just a stone’s throw from the Hermitage Plantation slave quarters and the Logan County Courthouse, where the Great Emancipator Abraham Lincoln once practiced law.

“A lot of our buildings are about wellknown people like Thomas Edison and the Wright Brothers, but what is so special about the Jackson home is that they were an ordinary family that said yes to something that was extraordinarily dangerous and yet were willing to help fight for what our Constitution stands for,” Mooradian says.

Among the many original artifacts displayed in the home are the chair King sat in when he watched Johnson’s speech, the bed he slept in,

and the dining room table and chairs where Richie Jean served meals and meetings took place.

“The level of detail that our team researched in order to restore the home to 1965 is outstanding,” Mooradian says.

“While many of the original details of the home were intact, if we found something missing, it was made to be identical to the original. Underneath newer carpeting, they found fragments of the original carpeting, matched it, and had it made.” The team also scraped down layers of paint to match the house’s original wall color seen in photos from 1965.

“We took cuttings of a lot of the plants surrounding the home in Selma and propagated them in our greenhouses over the winter. So a lot of the plantings surrounding the Jackson Home are right from the Jackson family gardens,” Mooradian continues, “and the distance of the house from the road is the same distance as the home was in their Selma neighborhood.”

Award-winning author, filmmaker, and television producer Nelson George was hired to create a documentary that will come out after the house opens, according to Mooradian.

On June 12, Jawana, the guest of honor, will cut the ribbon to open the historic home to the public. As many as 1.7 million annual visitors (2025) can learn about the Jackson home’s legacy. “The opening of the home will be an incredible, joyous time, and I’m so excited,” she says.

 Jawana sits on her “Uncle Martin’s” lap next to her father, Dr. Sullivan. Jackson.

“I’ll never forget, Dr. King and I were having tea and cookies together, and he said, ‘Jawana, promise Uncle Martin that as you grow, you will always touch others so you will be touched,’” she recalls. “Sixty years later, I’m still touching others because this home will now touch millions of people. I am in awe that it will still be welcoming people committed to everything that we hold dear as a people, a country, and a society.”

Tapping into Miami’s Hospitality Scene

BY RYAN PATRICK HOOPER

A Detroiter explores the flavors, flair, and energy that define the Magic City

If I only have one chance, I want to make a good impression.”

That’s what waiter Diego Madrid told me during my first proper meal in Miami at a Cuban restaurant called La Mulata, just a couple blocks from the famed Art Deco district of Ocean Drive and its parade of neon lights.

The term “Miami hospitality” wasn’t in my vocabulary, but consider me a vocal advocate today. It made an impression, just as Diego had hoped.

Miami is one of the kindest, most accommodating cities, especially at a time when it feels like we’re paying more for less service where we stay, dine, and drink.

During my winter escape, I talked to every bartender and waiter I encountered to find out where they go after their shifts. Those recommendations led me to Swizzle Rum Bar & Drinkery, a tucked-away speakeasy with some of the best house music and a vibe that’s sexy but not fancy. (You’ll be OK in jeans and a T-shirt,



Brunch at Bistro Collins is best enjoyed on the wraparound patio.

There’s no shortage of beachfront views in Miami.

even if the decor suggests otherwise.)

My Miami Playlist

Miami’s soundtrack is incredible, with music that matches the city’s gorgeous immigrant flair. I ran across traffic on Ocean Drive to find out what song was belting from some club. It was Cuban legend Celia Cruz’s “Yo Viviré,” her cover of “I Will Survive” — and it’s been on repeat ever since. Live music is everywhere here — it literally pours out of the clubs and onto the street, like a beautiful backdrop to the wide range of languages being spoken.

Imbibe refreshing, coastally inspired cocktails at Bistro Collins’ bar.

If you’re in need of a vacation, imagine how the service-industry folks feel. So take the time to get to know them and offer them kindness. Their recommendations will always steer you in the right direction.

In Miami, there’s an elevated, hospitable kindness I’ve never experienced before.

It Starts Where You Stay

Location in Miami is everything — and South Beach puts you at the center of it all. Plus, the hotels on the South Beach strip are working hard to make sure you don’t have to leave the compound to have a true Miami experience.

At Loews Miami Beach Hotel, we stayed in an ocean-view king suite overlooking the beach and the hotel’s massive pool and lush cabanas. The beach is steps away, along with the beach walk where you can strut along the ocean while soaking up the architecture.

Whether you go for brunch or dinner, don’t skip Bistro Collins, which anchors the

Loews lobby. The avocado toast, fluffy pancakes, and eggs Benedict that we feasted on while seated on the wraparound patio are must-haves. And our server couldn’t have been friendlier.

“When you love what you do, you’re happy doing it,” said Shura Almanzar, who moved to Miami eight years ago from Nicaragua.

During a two-night stay at Loews, everyone treated us like family, down to the private concierge who helped us book a table at a Monday afternoon drag show on Ocean Drive. (I’ve seen The Birdcage with Robin Williams and Nathan Lane too many times to not indulge.)

“The world looks a lot better with glitter, doesn’t it?” declared German drag queen CC Glitzer on the patio of Palace South Beach. A drag show on a Monday afternoon in Miami. Does it get any more South Beach than that?

Where Art and Miami Collide

Our next stay was at The Shelborne, an Art Deco hotel that recently underwent a major renovation. It’s sleek, sexy, and less familyfocused than Loews. Marble floors, immaculate details, and a relaxing stay define the experience. Works by local artists cover every inch of the compound, from custom couches to textile wall hangings.

And it’s not just “let’s decorate our lobby with local art and call it a day.” The hotel offers something deeper, like poet Neysa King composing custom poems on a typewriter inside Little Torch, the property’s dream-like cocktail bar where drinks are made tableside.

I had one of the best meals of my life at Pauline, The Shelborne’s signature restaurant. The rock shrimp fideos with sour orange and aleppo pepper still lives rent free in my head. The grilled black bass with green papaya and the beef loin “con pan” with oyster mushrooms also stood out.

Speaking of art, one of my favorite excursions was visiting the small-butmighty Pérez Art Museum, which sits on the water and offers magnificent views of the massive cruise ships sorting themselves out before setting sail. The collection is

stellar and locally focused; check ahead on the museum’s website for exhibitions occurring during your Miami getaway.

Do I Have to Leave?

“I’ve been working at this hotel for 17 years, and I’m living the dream — I’m a memory maker,” said a hotel employee — again, one of the friendliest people I’ve ever met.

The sentiment stuck with me. Because while you can do your own research, remember that the people behind the bar, behind the desk, and working the door are most connected to the city. They’ll help you find the real Miami, a place you’ll never want to leave.

5 Reasons to Visit Miami This Summer and Fall:

June 11-19: For the first time, three countries — the U.S., Canada, and Mexico — will host the FIFA World Cup. Seven games will be played at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium.

July 28: Indie rock band Lord Huron, founded by Michigan native Ben Schneider, performs at The Fillmore Miami Beach.

Sept. 19-20: Bruno Mars brings The Romantic Tour to Hard Rock Stadium.

Oct. 3-11: The 42nd Miami Carnival features nine days of events leading up to the Parade of Bands and Concerts on Sunday, Oct. 11, at the Miami-Dade County Fairgrounds.

Nov. 12-15: The 20th World Polo League’s Miami Beach Polo World Cup takes place on the sands of Miami Beach, featuring top players, parties, and celebrity sightings.



Named for famed cocktail writer Charles H. Baker Jr.’s wife, Pauline features a menu inspired by the couple’s Latin American travels.



The Bar at The Shelborne offers everything from breakfast bites to late-night cocktails.

Dul Landscape Architecture

During its 45-year history, Dul Landscape Architecture has enriched human experiences by seamlessly integrating nature with exceptional site and landscape design. Based in Bloomfield Hills, the firm has collaborated on a wide range of projects for corporations, municipalities, institutions, developers, and residential clients. As professionally licensed landscape architects, the team brings a deep understanding of natural systems and a keen eye for the built environment, enabling them to deliver thoughtful and timeless site-specific solutions. Their creativity and expertise have earned

them widespread recognition, including the Outstanding Firm of the Year Award from the Michigan Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects, 13 Michigan ASLA design awards, and more than 100 individual Detroit Design Awards.

Managing partners Patrick Funke and Tim Shoemaker are proud to lead the firm into the future with a strong emphasis on teamwork, mentorship, and the integration of emerging technologies. Together with the entire Dul team, they remain committed to upholding the firm’s legacy of exceptional design, service, and client satisfaction. This dedication continues to strengthen

the firm’s presence in the community, resulting in ongoing referrals and new opportunities.

Dul Landscape Architecture 74 W. Long Lake Road, Suite 104 Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304 248-644-3410 | duldesign.com

FOOD & DRINK

PHOTO

 P. 95

A look at standout metro Detroit pasta dishes, like this spicy rigatoni from Tiliani.

STAR POWER

BY JACK THOMAS

What does Detroit’s inclusion in a Michelin Red Guide mean for the future of our culinary scene?

Could a Detroit-area restaurant earn a Michelin star? For the first time in history, it’s a real possibility.

Detroit is one of six cities to be featured in Michelin Guide’s upcoming American Great Lakes edition, set to publish online in 2027. The other five cities are Cleveland, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, and Pittsburgh.

The full selection of restaurants receiving accolades will be announced at the Michelin Guide American Great Lakes Ceremony next year; the exact date is pending.

Michelin says its fabled anonymous inspectors have been visiting restaurants in Detroit proper since early 2026, as well as its suburbs throughout Oakland, Wayne, and Macomb counties.

These assessments will ultimately determine which restaurants make the cut in the region’s first ever Red Guide — Michelin’s oldest and most famous series of publications.

How the Guide Came to Detroit

Visit Detroit CEO Claude Molinari’s campaign to convince Michelin restaurant inspectors to come to Detroit began shortly after the publisher announced its Detroit Green Guide — a travel publication highlighting attractions like monuments and museums — in late 2024.

“[Molinari was] a person who’s responsible for bringing us all here

Michelin’s Rubric

Today, Michelin can award the following distinctions to a restaurant:

together today with Michelin,” Peggy Williams-Smith, president and CEO of Visit Milwaukee, said at an April press conference.

In a phone interview, Molinari told Hour Detroit he’s thankful to the other tourism organizations that partnered with him on the effort.

Three Michelin Stars “Exceptional cuisine”

Two Michelin Stars “Excellent cooking”

One Michelin Star “High-quality cooking”

Bib Gourmand “Good-quality, good-value cooking”

Michelin-Selected “Good cooking”

Green Star Michelin awards these to restaurants that it determines use sustainable practices.

Michelin’s inspectors rank restaurants on the following o cial criteria: 1 2 3

Quality of products Mastery of flavor and cooking techniques

“From a tourism perspective, it really makes sense for us to partner up so that we can all uniquely benefit from these domestic and international travelers,” Molinari says.

What to Expect from the Inspectors

Have metro Detroit chefs been keeping an eye out for inspectors?

“You’re probably not going to spot them,” says Jared Gadbaw, chef-owner of Detroit’s Oak & Reel, who helped open Marea in Manhattan. He started as chef de cuisine before moving up to executive chef. That October, Marea earned its first star and gained a second star the following year. “The only thing you can do is make sure … every single guest has the best possible experience that they can have. … There are no shortcuts.”

No matter which Detroit-area restaurants receive accolades, next year’s guide won’t be the final word on the city’s dining scene.

According to Michelin, “… inspectors will continue to evaluate restaurants in the current coverage areas while keeping an eye on other locales as possible culinary hotspots for inclusion.”

The personality of the chef represented in the dining experience

Harmony of flavors Consistency between inspectors’ visits

REFINING Your Palate

BY MICKEY LYONS

For casual wine lovers, joining a wine club unlocks a deeper appreciation

Call me a dilettante; I don’t mind. I’m a dabbler, a proud self-professed amateur in a lot of things. That includes drinks, especially wine. I know my way around a French 75 and a thing or two about Cali cabs and Burgundian gamays. But my knowledge stops well short of true expertise.

Luckily for me, plenty of real pros in Detroit can help me expand my knowledge. I’m all in for a wine-tasting event like the ones hosted by Freya, MotorCity Wine, and Alpino. For a relatively small entry fee, I’ve discovered new grapes that quickly became favorites. My sister and I still swoon over the Alsatian Jacquère we tried at an Alpino tasting. On any given winter Wednesday, it’s a good bet that I’m swinging by The Royce to chat with the visiting winemakers and bringing home a bottle or two based on their recommendations.

But of course, tastings aren’t just about getting your hands on a case of new treasures. Thor Jones launched Hospitality Included in 2020 to bridge the gap between the city’s food and beverage professionals and consumers. Last June, he folded in the Hospitality Included Wine Club. It’s more of an in-bar residency than a traditional club. With the motto “Sip. Stay. Find your way,” the monthly event is a celebration of community and the love of the grape for beginners and professionals alike.

Sign Up for Wine

Here’s what a few local wine clubs have to offer

MotorCity Wine: Tastings on the second Saturday of each month from 5-7 p.m. for $20

The Royce: Complimentary wine tastings every Wednesday with winemakers from around the world and wine club memberships ranging from $55 per month for three bottles

Alpino: Monthly wine club memberships from $52 to $135 and quarterly special event tastings

Michigan by the Bottle: Michigan-only wine bundles for holidays and wine club memberships

“A lot of people are still somewhat intimidated by wine and don't know a ton about it,” Jones says. “It’s kind of hard to just jump into, so the idea was to take someone who’s influential in the wine world and pair them with somebody who’s an influential voice in the city that’s respected and has good taste [such as an artist or musician]. We connect them and let them collaboratively come up with a wine list.”

This April, the club kicked off the season at Ladder 4 in southwest Detroit, lauded for its food menu and wine list. The tastemaker and sommelier work together to create an of-the-moment, revelatory wine list, paired with food from local chefs like Imani Battle of Nourish Ramen.

The appeal of wine clubs is the personal touch. Jones’s events lean into the communal energy that social gatherings spark. “If you’re not familiar with the wine world,” he says, “it’s a lot easier to come in and try some wine [recommended by] an artist you like … as opposed to a sommelier you aren’t familiar with talking about terroir and all these other terms that you may not be familiar with. I think it’s a lower barrier of entry.”

Wine clubs give sommeliers a chance to share their enthusiasm for unusual or underestimated grapes. For guests like me, it’s all about letting the experts provide insider access.

My time in Detroit ended as it began: on a Monday night at Selden Standard, sitting at the bar with a Negroni in my hand.

If I could leave readers with one great restaurant recommendation, it would be to go to Selden on a Monday, sit at the bar, and order a Negroni, steak tartare, and a seasonal pasta dish. Then, let your paltry anxieties wash away.

I came to Detroit in April 2024. Over the past two years, I learned much about this city by observing its eating habits. To the

What I’ll Miss About MOTOWN

BY DANNY PALUMBO

For the past two years, a Pittsburgh native and Los Angeles transplant was our food critic. He’s now back on the West Coast saying farewell but not goodbye.

rest of the world, Detroit is a Rust Belt town rebuilding; it’s a cute narrative. But Detroit is much more than the sum of its working-class history, more than its factories and manual laborers. Detroit is a city of dreamers.

For proof, take note of the amazing chefs here. The barriers to opening a restaurant in Detroit are fewer than in other major U.S. cities — the rent cheaper, the overhead lower. As a result, some fascinating things are able to blossom here.

I often think about Warda Bouguettaya (of Warda Pâtisserie), a native of Algeria and a phenomenal baker whose cooking represents a more hopeful, united America. Her new space in Detroit’s Little Village is a sanctuary merging nature, art, and culinary excellence. Bouguettaya’s pastries — woven, textured, and laced with preciousness — are themselves a work of art. Warda is a bakery that feels

like it can only exist in Detroit, a city with room to realize dreams.

I will remember Detroit fondly for its culinary eccentricities. For example, this city is full of wonderful interpretations of steak tartare. One such tartare exists at Tiliani in Dearborn, a halal Italian restaurant, where the chef preparing your pasta is also Lebanese. Tartare is a suitable expression of Detroit’s culture: In this area’s rich Arab American community, you’ll often find kibbeh nayyeh (that is, raw lamb mixed with bulgur wheat).

People often ask me what restaurant I’ll miss most, and I’d like to submit a full experience: lunch at Phoenicia in Birmingham.

Although his tenure wasn't long, Danny Palumbo was part of a renaissance in Detroit's dining community.

tabbouleh with curly leaf parsley and a towering leaf of crunchy romaine lettuce; hummus topped with awarma (lamb confit); smoky baba ghannouj, and vegetarian onions stuffed with tomatoey rice. I’ll miss murky glasses of arak clinking in midday celebration and the ability to take advantage of a full bar while dining on Texas-style ribs inside a Lebanese restaurant. What a glorious and highly unusual experience!

“I WILL REMEMBER DETROIT FONDLY FOR ITS CULINARY ECCENTRICITIES.”

—DANNY PALUMBO

I will miss the way a flurry of mezze hits the white tablecloth all at once, the way the table becomes unruly with plates —

Long after I’ve left Detroit, I will think about the soft, freshly baked pita bread paired with scrambled eggs and gooey American cheese at Mitsos, a Greek café in Eastern Market that opens at 6:30 a.m. I’ll miss ordering the tuna fahsa in Yemen Cafe’s diner setting and long nights at the homey-yet-debaucherous dive bars in Hamtramck — Bumbo’s, Kelly’s, and Trixie’s. I’ll miss the Filipino-inspired pastries from JP Makes and Bakes, the economical happy hour at The London Chophouse, and the warm, Romanian hospitality provided by the lovely married couple who run Bar Gabi in Hazel Park. Mostly, however, I will miss the people. Every story I wrote for Hour seemed to connect me with a new passionate, wonderfully talented, and creative chef or restaurant owner. These are people I hope to stay in touch with over the years, whose success I’ll be rooting for from afar. Thanks for the memories, Detroit — for the excellent food, conversation, and most of all, the sense of belonging. I’m sure I’ll be back to eat, only next time as a visitor. Who knows, maybe I’ll even see you at Selden Standard on a Monday.

I’d just experienced my first polar vortex, the kind that freezes the inside of your nostrils the moment you step outside. It was 2014, and an extreme winter blast had covered metro Detroit in a slick glaze of ice. One fateful afternoon, my Honda Civic lost a battle to that ice, sliding into the back of a Jeep at Woodward and 13 Mile — and with it went my ability to continue working as a breaking news reporter.

There I was, in a town I had no ties to, shinsdeep in snow, with no family and no safety net. That’s how I ended up at the Painted Lady Lounge in Hamtramck. It felt suspended in time. Cigarette smoke curled through the air, making my eyes feel like they were bleeding as I walked in. A jukebox nodded to the Lady’s former life as a 1980s punk bar. A regular crowd gathered in one corner, sipping on shots and cans of whatever was cheapest.

Behind the bar, Timmy Lampinen, a local rocker, hosted weekly pop-ups, turning out guisos like mushroom tinga and slow-cooked chuck roast in salsa verde, folded into tacos. The setup was scrappy — a handwritten sign advertising $2 tacos featured a ghoulish cartoon of Lampinen that looked like something out of Beavis and Butt-Head. Lampinen worked with the quiet precision of someone who felt equally at home assembling bar snacks and on stage at the Hamtramck Blowout music festival. For the first time, I started to understand what reinvention looked like here.

I didn’t know it then, but that plate of tacos would change the course of my career. I hadn’t come to Detroit to write about food. I had come for the metro desk at the Detroit News — to cover elections, take on ambitious editorial projects, follow a path I assumed would lead me somewhere else. But sitting there in a century-old bar that likely once served Polish autoworkers, eating something that felt both improvised and deeply intentional, I realized I wasn’t just passing through. I was meant to stay — to tell the story of a city remaking itself at a time when I was learning how to remake myself, too.

ESSAY

Sharp Turn

BY SERENA MARIA DANIELS

PHOTO BY ROSA MARIA ZAMARRON

Our new award-winning food writer and critic reflects on her new beat at Hour

Food, I’ve found, is my way of telling that story. When I first started writing about food, Detroit was emerging from bankruptcy, and much of the attention was on buzzy smallplate restaurants in the city’s trendiest corridors. But the deeper I looked, the more it became clear those weren’t the stories shaping how Detroit eats.

It was immigrant and diasporic communities — Mexican, Venezuelan, South Asian, African, Lebanese, Yemeni, and others — defining the city’s food culture in quieter, more enduring ways, like the Mexico City-inspired restaurant going to great lengths to import handcrafted glassware from Oaxaca or the arepa shop on McGraw serving a taste of home to visiting Venezuelan major-league ballplayers.

Food also offered a way to see our connections — in shared rituals like giving up coffee for Lent or abstaining during Ramadan, or in places like Hamtramck, where naan or pita bread did the job when tortillas weren’t available.

So what can you expect from me? You can expect me to follow that instinct — to explore all the ways communities across metro Detroit influence how we eat.

I’m interested in the places that are building something here — not chasing trends but creating a sense of home. Because in a city still redefining itself, those places determine what Detroit becomes.

Serena Maria Daniels is a former Midwest editor and Detroit city editor for Eater. Her food and culture writing has appeared in Bon Appétit, NPR, Taste, Detroit Metro Times, and more. She served as the Great Lakes representative on the James Beard Awards’ Restaurant and Chef subcommittee from 2021 to 2025. Before working in food journalism, Daniels began her career as a breaking news reporter at outlets including the Orange County Register, The Detroit News, Reuters, and the Chicago Tribune, where she contributed to Pulitzer Prize–nominated coverage.

where she's pictured here.



Serena Maria Daniels began her food writing journey at the Painted Lady Lounge in Hamtramck,

Fineline Landscape

In southeast Michigan, where curb appeal and outdoor living go hand in hand, Fineline Landscape has become a trusted name for homeowners and businesses seeking refined, highperforming landscapes without the stress. Known for its seamless process, skilled crews, and consistent results, Fineline delivers outdoor environments that feel both elevated and effortlessly livable.

Structure is at the core of every project. Fineline specializes in hardscape and outdoor living elements that define and anchor a space. Brick paver patios and walkways create natural flow and movement, while retaining and boulder walls add dimension and purpose. Custom features such as raised beds, wrapped pillars, fire pits, and built-in seating or barbecue areas transform ordinary yards into polished extensions of the home. Each detail is thoughtfully executed to enhance both aesthetics and long-term value.

Beyond structure, Fineline brings landscapes to life through carefully curated softscape design. Fresh sod installation provides an immediate lush foundation, while plantings are selected to deliver color, texture, and seasonal interest throughout the year. From hydrangeas and roses to lilacs, evergreens, and layered shrubs, every element is chosen with intention. Seasonal annual flower rotations further elevate entrances and focal points, creating a welcoming impression that evolves with the seasons.

For clients who want their property to look impeccable without the ongoing effort, Fineline offers comprehensive maintenance programs. Designed for busy homeowners and commercial properties, these services ensure a consistently manicured appearance. Weekly mowing, trimming, and cleanup are paired with biweekly edging and optional bagging, typically running from April through mid-November, weather permitting. The result is a landscape that remains pristine and polished week after week.

Fineline also stands out for its ability to solve complex outdoor challenges. From drainage and water-management solutions such as French drains to lawn seeding, tree trimming, and full tree removal with stump grinding, the team approaches every project with both technical expertise and creative problem-solving. Brick paver restoration services, including power washing, repairs, and re-sanding, refresh and protect existing spaces, extending their life and beauty.

What truly sets Fineline apart is its commitment to precision and client experience. Detailed 2D design renderings and video previews help bring each vision into focus before installation begins,

ensuring clarity and confidence throughout the process. Whether the goal is to enhance curb appeal or create a private backyard retreat, every project is handled with care, creativity, and a customer-first mindset.

This dedication has not gone unnoticed. Fineline Landscape was recently honored as the AMP Top 25 Contractor of the Year for 2025 in the Northeast, a recognition that reflects the company’s quality, consistency, and reputation for excellence.

Based in Imlay City and proudly serving southeast Michigan, Fineline Landscape continues

to set the standard for outdoor design, installation, and maintenance. For those ready to invest in a landscape that makes a lasting impression, Fineline offers both the expertise and the reliability to bring that vision to life.

Fineline Landscape

7289 East Imlay City Road

Imlay City, MI 48444

810-790-7015 | finelinelandscaping.com

PASTA HEAVEN

BY DANNY PALUMBO

PHOTOS BY JACOB LEWKOW

These seven standout dishes from metro Detroit chefs challenge our notion of what’s in a pasta bowl

The best pasta dishes change as the year progresses, and Michigan has four beautiful, bountiful seasons to cherish. In the frigid months, a rich Bolognese or short rib ragù warms like a wool coat. In the spring, foragers pluck garlicky ramps to be delivered to chefs, who often stuff them into ravioli or sauté them in hot oil. The summer months bring plump, sweet corn agnolotti plated with creamy sauces and meaty, blistered chanterelle mushrooms. In the fall, butternut squash ravioli comforts with its sweet flavor and luscious texture.

Detroit has a rather underrated pasta scene, but since I moved here two years ago, I’ve unearthed some of the city’s best wellkept secrets. Some are year-round staples, while others are seasonal specials. Regardless, there’s no greater representation of Detroit’s dining scene than a well-made pasta dish. So enjoy these seven pastas often; they’re some of the best the city has to offer.

LINGUINE AND CLAMS AT MABEL GRAY E.E. BERGER

 Linguine and Clams at Mabel Gray

Chef James Rigato drew inspiration from Japanese ramen when concocting this prestigious dish. Fresh linguine and steamed clams wade in a white wine-butter sauce spiked with garlic, fish sauce, and parsley, but it’s the sauce-to-pasta ratio here that’s so striking. This bowl is meant to be tilted to your mouth and slurped, much like you would enjoy ramen at a stall on the streets of Tokyo. Rigato artfully incorporates his world travels into his cooking — that’s the engine of Mabel Gray — and here he creates a whole new aesthetic for enjoying vongole. The dish usually appears around December, proving that you don’t need the entire Feast of the Seven Fishes; you need just one.

 Bolognese at Forest Forest is the definition of a hidden gem. This seasonal, Italian-inspired grill is located east of Woodward Avenue in Birmingham, near some leafy residential streets. With streetlevel glass windows, white tablecloths, and shining silverware, Forest beams proudly. But as much as the restaurant’s interior radiates, the brilliant pasta housed within is the real divine light.

Forest consistently provides some of the most imaginative, delicious seasonal pastas in the metro area. Expect a deftly creative use of mushrooms and corn in the summer, ramps and peas in the spring, and so on. However, the traditional Bologna-style Bolognese anchors the menu year-round. The Bolognese is a blend of beef and pork, cooked lovingly with spices, served with an egg yolk-enriched, hand-cut tagliatelle. Head chef Talia Clark uses a mattarello to roll the golden sheets of pasta fresh each morning. Once you try the Bolognese, move in for the more seasonal offerings. The pastas are meant to be shared, so bring a few people with you. They’ll thank you for doing so.

 Spring Pasta Set at Selden Standard Selden Standard’s menu rotates seasonally, which means customers end up longing for dishes like the summer sweet corn agnolotti. However, if you go to this Midtown stalwart in the spring, you’ll be privy to its Spring Pasta Set, a dish that usually involves anchovy,

stracciatella, and rapini. The last two springs, I’ve enjoyed Selden’s deep, chewy, handmade orecchiette with rimmed edges. These orecchiette (meaning “little ears” in Italian) are tiny but cavernous, famously picking up little bits of cheese, rapini, and breadcrumbs with each spoon scoop. Everything is evenly seasoned, meaning each bite packs a consistent punch of flavor: light, lemony, buttery, and balanced. Some ingredients may change based on their availability, but the fact remains that Selden’s Spring Pasta Set is the long-awaited respite after a harsh winter. It’s recommended eating for every enthusiastic diner in the city.

LINGUINE AND CLAMS AT MABEL GRAY E.E. BERGER

 Bucatini con le Sarde at Medusa Medusa is chef Anthony Lombardo’s love letter to Sicily, a fertile island with traditions distinct from those in Italy’s inland. Sicilian food is esoteric and exciting due to its Mediterranean, Spanish, and Arab influence. There’s a general focus on freshly caught seafood, produce like eggplant, square pizza (Sicilian-style inspired Detroit-style), and agrodolce (sweet and sour sauce). Pine nuts, raisins, capers, olives, anchovies, and sardines all have a way of finding themselves in Sicilian cookery.

Pasta con le sarde (which often features sardines, breadcrumbs, and lemon) is one famous Sicilian dish that I find consistently alluring. Medusa pairs fleshy, oily sardines with saffron, fennel, black currant, and a pinenut crumble on top. The dish has a subtle sweetness, one of the main tenets of Sicilian flavor. I feel that Italian food could often use a sour element, and some of the dishes at Medusa fill this gap beautifully.

 Rigatoni with Braised Short Rib and Parmesan Crema at Bar Gabi

While most short rib pastas veer into ragù territory, chef Gabriel Botezan of Bar Gabi imagines a wonderful short rib pasta that plays more like a cacio e pepe. Tender, toothsome, hulking rigatoni are coated with a Parmesan cream sauce and served with succulent chunks of braised short ribs. Each bite of rigatoni is equally buttery and peppery. The grassiness of the black pepper pairs especially well with the short rib. In all my time eating short rib pasta, I can’t say I’ve ever had an iteration quite like this. This dish wasn’t supposed to be a mainstay, but customers let Gabriel and Gabriela Botezan (the husband-and-wife couple who run the restaurant) know: We’ll riot if you take it off the menu.

 Spicy Rigatoni at Tiliani

Running a halal Italian restaurant can’t be easy, but chef Hisham Diab pulls it off with grace. One memorable offering is the spicy rigatoni, a tomato sauce swirled with cream, then infused with a Calabrian chile crisp spiked with anise seed, cinnamon, shallot, and garlic. The sauce is then tossed with freshly extruded rigatoni, creating a bright pasta dish that flashes red like a neon sign in Vegas. The spicy rigatoni sizzles tenderly on its own, but a dollop of herbed ricotta flecked with fresh tarragon, basil, oregano, and mint soothes and cools luxuriously. It’s amazing just how much subtle flavor it packs, and I’m always impressed with the way Diab has made an Italian American staple his own. For only $18, it’s one of those pasta dishes you can afford to put in your regular rotation.

 Capellini al Limone at Ladder 4 Ladder 4 is a wine drinker’s heaven, selling everything from the classic to the obscure. Its “by the glass” section features a robust selection of reds, whites, skin contacts, and rosés. As an eager novice in the world of wine, I find that the move at Ladder 4 is to sit at the bar and ask for the bartender’s personal recommendation. I was recently delivered a funky, citrusy chardonnay that blew me away and made the perfect pairing for chef John Yelinek’s pasta limone.

The entirely house-made capellini al limone starts with capellini fortified with egg yolks, creating a rich, luscious pasta with plenty of good bite. In the pan, a shower of 48-month-old Parmigiano-Reggiano, some good butter, pasta water, and lemon juice swirl and emulsify to create this sensational sauce. This is one of the more indulgent pasta dishes around, but it’s balanced in such a way that it never feels decadent. This is a great pasta to pair with some of Ladder 4’s wonderful wine or even one of the choice lemon grappas. (Truthfully, I had both.)

RESTAURANT GUIDE

Detroit

Adelina

$$$

ITALIAN • This relative newcomer to downtown Detroit features traditional Italian eats in a modern atmosphere, with house-made pasta and starters like focaccia, octopus, sausage and peppers, and a roasted Wagyu meatball. Entrées include lamb chops with house-made tzatziki, veal Parmesan, and branzino served with tricolor potatoes, salsa verde, and a tomato-based Livornese sauce. 1040 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-246-8811. D Tue.-Sun.

Amore da Roma

$$

ITALIAN • Once the longest-operating Italian restaurant in Detroit, Roma Café was transformed into this Eastern Market staple by chef Guy Pelino in 2017. The menu features favorites like fried calamari, baked lasagna, and house-made paglia and fieno — a traditional pasta dish made with spinach and egg noodles. 3401 Riopelle St., Detroit; 313-831-5940. L,D Tue.-Sat.

Alpino

boasts a selection of muffins, with favorites like blackberry walnut and chocolate espresso. 1049 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-285-8006. B,L daily.

Babo

made with strawberries, citrus mousse, and salmon roe. 4842 Grand River Ave., Detroit; 313-952-5182. D Wed.-Sun.

Basan

$

NEW AMERICAN • Nestled into a cozy space in Midtown Detroit, this all-day diner carries both breakfast and lunch fare. For a morning meal, try the chorizo breakfast tacos, which come with all the fixings. The Korean beef cheesesteak or buffalo chicken sandwich will handle any midday cravings. 15 E. Kirby St., Ste. 115, Detroit; 313-974-6159. BR,L daily.

Baker’s Keyboard Lounge

$$

SOUL FOOD • This iconic jazz lounge offers up live music alongside good eats. Work your way through fried chicken, corn muffins, collard greens, and sweet potato pie while listening to live jazz music. 20510 Livernois Ave., Detroit; 313345-6300. D Mon.-Fri.

Baobab Fare

$$$

ALPINE •Taking inspiration from the Alps, this Corktown restaurant serves fondues, Swiss potato pancakes, stuffed pasta, and Wiener schnitzel. Enjoy your meal with wines from Italy, Slovenia, or Germany. The historic building has been repurposed and is now inspired by European countryside farmhouses, lending a cozy interior to the Alpine-inspired menu. 1426 Bagley St., Detroit; 313-524-0888. D daily, BR Sun.

Andiamo $$

ITALIAN • Centered on a commitment to quality, from-scratch cooking, Joe Vicari has turned his culinary approach into a local restaurant dynasty. Each location has a slightly unique menu, but they all feature fresh, house-made pastas. Dishes like the frutti di mare — a shellfish-forward seafood stew — and braised short ribs round out the menu. 400 Renaissance Center, Detroit; 313-567-6700. D Mon.-Fri., L,D Sat.-Sun. 38703 Seven Mile Road, Livonia; 734-953-3200. D daily.

Apparatus Room

$$$

NEW AMERICAN • Located in the former Detroit Fire Department headquarters, the Apparatus Room at the Foundation Hotel once stored fire trucks and other lifesaving equipment. These days, you’ll find elevated fare made with local, seasonal ingredients. For starters, try the crispy pork belly or the heritage sourdough served with whipped butter and sea salt. As an entrée, the Michigan pork chop packs a savory punch, with farro, kale, and a sorghum jus. 250 W. Larned St., Detroit; 313800-5600. B,L,D Mon.-Fri., BR,D Sat.-Sun.

Avalon Café and Bakery

$$$$

JAPANESE FUSION • Just around the corner from Little Caesars Arena, you’ll find small bites and meat skewers prepared over a robata grill. Larger dishes are available, such as ramen-rub chicken wings or a fried chicken sandwich served on milk bread. It’s known for its inventive cocktails, with highlights including Then There Was One, made with rum and pandan, and Pear Pressure, made with shiso and mint gin. 2703 Park Ave., Detroit; 313-481-2703. D daily.

Besa

$$

EAST AFRICAN • This New Center eatery, founded by Burundian refugees Hamissi Mamba and Nadia Nijimbere, opened its doors in 2021. Choose from East African dishes like ugali — a traditional corn flour swallow served with an okra stew. The beverage menu is complete with a selection of fresh juices, coffees, and teas to complement any meal. For a sweet bite, try the coconut cream with mango coulis and fresh mango chunks. 6568 Woodward Ave., Ste. 100, Detroit; 313-265-3093. L,D Tues.-Sun.

Bar Chenin

$$$

WINE BAR • In the far corner of The Siren Hotel sits Detroit’s smallest wine bar. With only 10 seats and limited standing room, the bar’s cozy atmosphere pairs well with its rotating selection of natural wines and homestyle dishes. Enjoy a house-made assortment of ice creams, including unique flavors like Negroni, olive oil, and Underberg. For something savory, try the sourdough focaccia pizza or delistyle sandwiches. 1509 Broadway St., Ste. A-1, Detroit; 313277-4736 (Siren Hotel). D Thu.-Mon.

Bar Pigalle

$$$

FRENCH • In Brush Park, once known as Little Paris, you’ll find a haven for modern, French-inspired cuisine. Classic dishes like oysters and steak tartare share a space with heartier bites, like the striped bass and cassoulet. If you sit at the bar, try the pub-style burger that comes blanketed in melty cheese and can be ordered with one or two patties. 2915 John R Road, Detroit; 313-497-9200. D daily.

Barda

$

ORGANIC BAKERY • What originally started as a small bakery specializing in organic breads has evolved into multiple cafés serving up artisan baked goods. Avalon’s Woodward location offers a variety of breakfast items, such as the egg and cheese sandwich served on 313 bread. It also

$$$$

ARGENTINIAN • Inspired by cuisine from chef Javier Bardauil’s home country of Argentina, this Core City staple emphasizes live-fire cooking and raw bites. The beets, thin-cut and formed into a rose, are dusted with raspberry powder. Beef takes center stage, with multiple cuts to choose from. Save room for the broken pavlova, a sweet and savory combination

$$$

EUROPEAN-INSPIRED • The culture and cuisine of the northern Mediterranean are on full display at this modern fine-dining establishment. Try the tiropita to start — Besa’s take on the Greek pastry served with hot honey, sesame, and thyme. Taste the fruits of the Adriatic Sea with scallops accompanied by bacon, scallions, and mashed potatoes. 600 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-315-3000. D Mon.-Sat.

Bohemia

$$$

NEW AMERICAN • The former members-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, featuring plush couches and trees lined with lights. The food is upscale but approachable, including the Nashville fried chicken and the lobster fettucini, which is worth every indulgent bite. 712 Cass Ave., Detroit, 313-338-3222. D Wed.-Sat.

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 are also classic sandwiches. 4300 Cadieux Road, Detroit; 313-882-8560. D daily.

Caucus Club

$$$$ TRADITIONAL AMERICAN • Founded in 1952 as a sister restaurant to London Chop House, Caucus Club is where Barbra Streisand famously launched her singing career. This steakhouse has all the classics, from oysters Rockefeller to steak tartare, and, of course, a selection of prime-cut steaks, aged in a Himalayan salt-lined aging room. 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 entrées. But the Twice Cooked Egg is not to be missed. 15 E. Kirby St., Detroit; 313-818-3915. D Tue.-Sat.

Cibo

$$$

ITALIAN-INSPIRED • Cibo offers a “social dining” experience with shared plates, craft cocktails, and theatrical presentations. On the menu: pizzas, steaks, chops, seafood, and plenty of veggies. It’s located inside the Cambria Hotel Detroit Downtown, an Albert Kahn-designed building that once housed 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 hot spot offers small plates such as oysters with cava granita and potato croquettes. Entrées range from savory seared diver scallops to a 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 for 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, sautéed 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 Alaskan halibut, as well as sea scallops featuring lemon risotto, corn, almonds, citrus butter, and beet dust. 670 Lothrop Road, Detroit; 313-872-5110. D Wed.Sat. (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; 313-9266305. L,D Tue.-Sun.

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; 313962-9106. B,L Thu.-Tue. 6920 N. Rochester Road, Rochester Hills; 313-962-9106. B,L daily.

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 • The concentrated cuisine with little modern flairs 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 cuisine alongside his wife, Silvia Rosario Garita. Authentic Mexican entrées include enchiladas with a homemade green sauce made with tomatillo, jalapeño, 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, 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 New Orleans classics like gumbo and jambalaya or something more eclectic like jalapeño pepper jack cheese, flamed tableside and served with grilled pita bread. Or try the deep-fried alligator bites or catfish beignets. Check their calendar for live music to accompany your meal. 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; 313554-2085. D Thu.-Sun.

Folk $

NEW AMERICAN • Folk is 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 sought after, too. 1701 Trumbull Ave., Detroit; 313-742-2672. B,L daily.

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 Cole Lauri’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 and dishes that accommodate vegetarian, vegan, and pescatarian diets. Co-run by 2023 James Beard semifinalist Sandy Levine, Freya 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; 313653-3700. L,D Wed.-Sun.

Giovanni’s Ristorante

$$$ ITALIAN • This old-school Italian restaurant offers housemade pastas, including outstanding lasagna. Elaborate veal and seafood dishes and desserts like key lime cheesecake tiramisu 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; 313962-7093. 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 DeWall, previously of Wright and Co., offers a small, delicious menu of pies, including sausage and pistachio with ricotta cheese and thyme. Or try the Big Mack — the vegan pizza version of the popular burger. 2135 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-315-3177. L,D daily.

Grand Trunk Pub $ NEW AMERICAN • Meats from Eastern Market and delicious breads anchor the hearty fare, which pairs well with a

selection of Michigan beers. Staples include a Reuben with Poet stout kraut and the Ghettoblaster beer-battered fish and chips. 612 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-961-3043.; L,D, Tue.-Sun., BR Sat.-Sun.

The Greek $

GREEK • The place to find modern Greek food, The Greek has all the favorites, from spanakopita to moussaka and gyros. Enjoy it all while sipping a strawberry shortcake martini or a spicy mule. 535 Monroe Ave., Detroit; 313-209-6667. L,D daily.

Green Dot Stables $

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

Grey Ghost $$

NEW AMERICAN • The cuisine at this Brush Park hot spot isn’t easily defined, but the results are original and well prepared — for example, pork tenderloin with romesco, peri peri, and wild rice or yellowfin tuna with kimchi, edamame, and sweet soy. 47 Watson St., Detroit; 313262-6534. 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; 313-8779090; 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; 313237-1000. 17101 Haggerty Road, Northville; 248-308-3793. B,L daily.

Iggy’s Eggies

tol Park for a true downtown experience. 34 West Grand River Ave., Detroit; 313-986-1174. B,L daily.

Ima $

JAPANESE-INSPIRED • This ramen hot spot has three locations and a Midwest emphasis. Ima’s 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 of a pub. In addition to the staple noodles and soups that put Ransom on the map, the menu also includes grilled skewers from the robata grill, such as kawahagi trigger fish jerky and mini kurobuta pork sausages. There’s also a tantalizing selection of cocktails and mocktails, sake, beer, and wine to make it a true izakaya experience. 2100 Michigan Ave., Detroit, 313-306-9485. L,D daily.

Ivy Kitchen and Cocktails

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

Jacoby’s

$$ GERMAN • Detroit’s oldest biergarten, Jacoby’s has been serving beer and traditional German fare since the late 1800s. Pick from more than 100 beers on the rotating drink menu: everything from German pilsners and hefeweizens to Irish stouts and craft brews. The food menu honors the restaurant’s roots with favorites like house-made potato pancakes, schnitzel, and German-style meatballs. 624 Brush St., Detroit; 313-962-7067. L,D daily.

RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR 

Joe Muer Seafood

2012

$$$$ 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. It’s a true Detroit classic. 400 Renaissance Center, Ste. 1404, Detroit; 313-5676837. 39475 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills; 248-792-9609. L,D daily.

Johnny Noodle King

$

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 Capi-

$

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.

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

Ladder 4 Wine Bar

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

La Dolce Vita

$$$

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

La Lanterna

$$

ITALIAN • The founder of Da Edoardo, the first Edoardo Barbieri, started it all in 1956 with a restaurant called La Lanterna. Now his grandchildren have revived it. Although the white and red pizzas — like Margherita, Liguria, and Da Edorado — dominate, there are more, including a number of elegant pastas like the lasagna alla Bolognese. 1224 Griswold St., Detroit; 313-9628821. L,D Tue.-Sun.

London Chop House

$$

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

Leila

$$$

LEBANESE • The restaurant from the proprietors of Birmingham’s Phoenicia is named after the owner’s mother — just one facet of the establishment that pays homage to family traditions and heritage. The menu includes various Lebanese dishes, from falafel to Leila’s Mixed Grill, which offers a little bit of everything with shish kebab, tawook, and kafta. Other menu items include kibbeh niyee — fresh lamb, cracked wheat, and spices — 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; 313-8168100. 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. The 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 decor on the historic Book Tower’s ground floor. There are pastis, absinthe,

RESTAURANT GUIDE

France-themed cocktails, and more than 300 wines. Standout dishes include escargots, honey-roasted duck breast, and trout amandine. 1265 Washington Blvd., Detroit; 313597-7734. D daily, BR Sat.-Sun.

Lumen Detroit

$$

NEW AMERICAN • A contemporary American menu and a Victor Saroki setting make the restaurant overlooking downtown’s Beacon Park one of the best 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

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 firstcome, first-served patio seating for walk-in diners. 1701 Trumbull, Detroit; 313-351-0771; D Thu.-Sun.

The Monarch Club

$$$

ITALIAN • This Midtown Detroit classic dates back 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 with soup, salad, pasta, and entrées. 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 ragù. 8044 Kercheval Ave., Detroit; 313-513-0361. L,D Thu.-Sun. marrowdetroit.com for more locations.

Maty’s African Cuisine

$$$

NEW AMERICAN • On 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

stuffed inside a brioche bun grilled with Old Bay-infused butter. Choice entrées include the grilled swordfish, served as an acqua pazza over crispy fingerling potatoes. 536 Shelby St., Detroit; 313-403-2111. D Mon.-Sat.

Ottava Via

$$ ITALIAN • Chef Ariel Millan sends out great thin-crust pizzas, as well as interesting small plates typified by bruschetta, calamari, roasted garlic, and whipped goat cheese to spread on paper-thin crostini. 1400 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-9625500. L,D daily.

RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR



Parc

$$

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 Lounge, Mootz’s by-the-slice counter next door. 1230 Library St., Detroit; 313-243-1230. L Fri.-Sun., L, D daily.

Mudgie’s Deli

$$

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

Medusa

$

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-your-own sandwich options. It’s a great place for a delicious meal any time. 1413 Brooklyn St., Detroit; 313-961-2000. B Tue.-Sat., L Tue.-Wed., L,D Thu.-Sat.

RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR 

Oak & Reel

$$$

ITALIAN • A few short blocks from chef Anthony Lombardo’s SheWolf Pastificio & Bar is his latest project, Medusa, centered on Sicilian cuisine. The seafood-heavy menu and amaro-forward cocktail program look to honor the island’s culinary history. 644 Selden St., Detroit. D Thu.- Sun.

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, jalapeño, Muenster cheese, tortilla strips, and avocado. 2163 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-964-5000. L,D daily.

Michigan & Trumbull $$ ITALIAN-AMERICAN • Not your traditional carryout joint, Michigan & 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

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 tartare and charred burrata. Main courses include an interesting blend of Italian food, woodgrilled steaks, and a red chile short rib. There’s also a large selection of dry-aged gourmet steaks. 800 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-922-7272. L,D daily, BR Sat.-Sun.

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 TueSun (Detroit); L Sun., D Tue.-Sun. (St. Clair Shores)

The Peterboro

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 Oak & Reel was named 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 • Enjoy small plates such as beef tartare, wild mushroom pâté, or potatoes bravas. Or try large plates like pumpkin gnocchi, chicken Milanese, or shrimp cavatelli with chorizo and Calabrian chili. End the meal with Santa’s milk and cookies, a plate of assorted cookies with whole or chocolate milk. 25 E. Grand River Ave., Detroit; 313774-1190. D Tues.-Sat., BR Sun.

$$$

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.

Ostrea

$$$

SEAFOOD • Located a floor above the iconic London Chop House and by the same ownership, Ostrea offers refined seafood in a modern, casual environment with cocktails, beer, and champagne. Indulge in a wide selection of raw oysters or the Maine-style lobster roll with celery salt mayonnaise,

$$

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 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 into 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 empanadas, plus refreshing cocktails. Live DJs are a regular source of entertainment. 4725 16th St., Detroit; 313-819-6804. D Thu.-Sun.

RESTAURANT

Prime + Proper

OF THE YEAR 

2019

$$$$ 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.

Where Care Feels Like Home

Adult foster care for adults 18+ in Harper Woods, Detroit, and now Southfield

Heavenly Comfort AFC is more than a place to live; it’s a family environment where individuals 18 and older receive the care, support, and respect they deserve.

Each resident receives a personalized care plan, which may include assistance with bathing, dressing, housekeeping, meal preparation, and medication.

Residents enjoy enriching activities such as arts & crafts, crochet groups, family picnics, and interactive events – plus visits from Michigan Humane Society and on-site beautician/barber services.

Independence is encouraged with one-on-one goal setting and support toward supported independent living.

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.

Sakazuki

$$

JAPANESE • This street-level pub in Detroit’s Book Tower offers drinks inspired by Japanese anime, pop culture, and city life, with karaoke on Wednesdays. The food menu features a Wagyu dog, a burger, sandwiches, ramen, and the ekiben bento box: a boxed lunch traditionally sold at train stations across Japan. Choice cocktails include the Sailor Moon — Roku gin, lemon juice, sakura (cherry blossom), and lychee. 1265 Washington Blvd., Detroit; 313-597-8344. D Tue.-Sat.

Saksey’s

$$$

NEW AMERICAN • This intimate cocktail lounge is a throwback to the original space, owned by Dan Gilbert’s father, Sam Gilbert, in the 1960s and ’70s. Try a miniature martini, like the savory Dill Turf Club, or build your own three-Teeny ’Tini flight. In addition to craft cocktails, find shareable bites, like the caviar and Bugles, and the bar burger — Saksey’s take on a Royale with cheese. 1550 Woodward Ave, Detroit; 313-546-1500; D Tue.-Sat.

San Morello $$$

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

SavannahBlue

$$

SOUL FOOD • Dine on upscale soul food like red snapper and 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, accompanying 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; 313-4031000. D daily.

it is moving Detroit into a new era in which upper-end dining with starched linen and tuxedoed waiters doesn’t hold much interest anymore. Chef Andy Hollyday, a multiple-time 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  2020

SheWolf Pastificio & Bar

Tap at MGM Grand $

SPORTS BAR • Tap has 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 entrées 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

$$$

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

$$

BARBECUE • The brick-and-wood original in Corktown gained a following for its pulled pork, ribs, and chicken. It 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 entrées such as Thai pork skewers and the house cheeseburger. 225 Gratiot Ave., Detroit; 313-241-5719. D Wed.-Sun. (Not wheelchair accessible)

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 Fierce 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

RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR  2016

Selden Standard $$$ NEW AMERICAN • What sets Selden Standard apart is that

$$$

NEW AMERICAN • In 2021, this downtown hot spot underwent an aesthetic overhaul of the space and menu designed to elevate its 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, tuna tostada, half red snapper, and broccolini in green mole. 4100 Third Ave., Detroit; 313-500-1615. D Tue.-Sun.

Vesper Books and Wine

$$

WINE BAR • Nestled in a refurbished bank building in Core City, this half bar and half bookstore offers biodynamic wines by the glass or bottle along with small bites. Visitors can browse a diverse selection of cookbooks while sipping on both Old and New World wines. In addition to wine, the bar’s namesake, a vesper martini, is on the menu, along with various beers, ciders, and nonalcoholic alternatives. 5001 Grand River Ave., Detroit; 313-716-1708. L,D Wed.-Sun.

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; 313-9628800. 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 cuisine, including burgers, wings, tacos, hibachi bowls, and pit-style barbecue. 10635 W. McNichols Road, Detroit. L,D Tue.-Sun.

The Whitney

$$

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; 313855-2864. D Tue.-Sat.

$$$$ 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 pâté, and grilled sea scallops are the focus. The menu highlights seasonal dishes with a composed shared plates concept. 1500 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-962-7711. D Tue.-Sat.

Yum Village $

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

Wayne County

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. See website for locations: alameerrestaurant.com L,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; 734981-9800. 26356 Ford Road, Dearborn Heights; 313-278-6000. L,D daily.

Atwater in the Park $

GERMAN • At this casual spot, traditional German-style beer is the beverage of choice. Chef Chris Franz’s 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; 313344-5104. L,D daily.

Brome Modern Eatery $$ BURGERS • This healthy spin on a classic serves never-frozen, grass-fed, antibiotic-free, organic burgers. There are 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.

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

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 and 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 tradi-

tional 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.

RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR 

Dirty Dog Jazz Cafe

2010

$$$

GASTROPUB • This jazz club features 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 entrées include a beef short rib. 97 Kercheval Ave., Grosse Pointe Farms; 313-882-5299. L Tue.-Fri., D Tue.-Sat.

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 half a 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.

Hungarian Rhapsody

HUNGARIAN

$$

• This restaurant offers traditional Hungarian food like beef goulash and hortobágyi palacsinta, a type of meat-filled crepe. Or try the párizsi, a sautéed and breaded chicken dish. 14315 Northline Road, Southgate; 734-283-9622. L,D Tue.-Sun.

Karl’s Cabin

AMERICAN

$$

• Dishes from the currently rotating drivethrough menu, such as pan-seared walleye and pierogi and sausage, surpass typical roadhouse food. 6005 Gotfredson Road, Plymouth; 734-455-8450. L,D daily.

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.

Lola’s Taco Bar

$$

MEXICAN-INSPIRED • This fast-casual Mexican restaurant serves up tacos, burritos, bowls, and more with an emphasis on hospitality. The al pastor and steak tacos are cooked on a vertical spit, while the shrimp tacos are tempura fried and dressed with chipotle lime sauce, cilantro lime slaw, and onion. Margaritas on tap and light beers are available for refreshing drink options. 20195 Mack Ave., Grosse Pointe Woods; 313332-0471. L,D daily.

Lucy & the Wolf

$$ ITALIAN • This pizzeria offers a selection of drinks, salads, and wood-fired, hand-tossed pizza. The pizza menu is split between red sauces made with San Marzano tomatoes and white sauces made of whipped ricotta and Parmesan. Try classics like a margherita or Old World pepperoni pizza or sample the Honey Badger, with an enticing combo of Italian sausage, caramelized onions, and spicy honey. 102 E. Main St.,

Northville; 248-308-3057. D Tue.-Sat.

M Cantina

$

MEXICAN • This menu of tapas, tacos, and tortas features unique Nuevo Latino flavors curated by chef Junior Merino to represent his birthplace in Mexico. Be sure to try one of the signature craft cocktails, such as the Aviation SD with Roku gin, blueberries, bergamot, rosemary, and violet liqueur, or try a specialty nonalcoholic cocktail. 13214 Michigan Ave., Dearborn; 313-399-9117. L,D daily.

Nico & Vali

$$

ITALIAN • This eatery offers favorites with unexpected twists. The artichokes and chilies appetizer boasts battered and fried artichokes with Fresno and jalapeño 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.

Park Grill

$$

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

Polish Village Café

$

POLISH • Enjoy the warm comfort foods of Poland in this restaurant’s cozy atmosphere. The menu includes classics such as pierogi, pan-fried kielbasa, and dill pickle soup. Or try a bit of everything with the Polish Plate, which includes stuffed cabbage, pierogi, kielbasa, and sauerkraut. Finish off the meal with nalesniki, the Polish version of crepes. 2990 Yemans St., Hamtramck; 313-874-5726. L,D daily. (Not wheelchair accessible)

Polonia

$$

POLISH • In the heart of Hamtramck, this authentic Polish eatery is where Anthony Bourdain sampled a variety of classic dishes on his visit to Detroit. Diners will find favorites like dill pickle soup, potato pancakes, and city chicken. Or try the combination plate, which comes with stuffed cabbage, sausage, dumplings, mashed potatoes, and sauerkraut. 2934 Yemans St., Hamtramck. L,D daily.

Rocky’s of Northville

$$

NEW AMERICAN • The menu includes shrimp cocktail, smoked whitefish pâté, and broiled Great Lakes whitefish. Also try the chipotle honey-glazed salmon. 41122 W. Seven Mile Road, Northville; 248-349-4434. L Tue.-Fri., D Tue.-Sun.

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 the signature Gnocchi Rita. 9924 Dix Ave., Dearborn; 313-842-2100. L,D daily.

Sana’a

$

YEMENI • This authentic Yemeni restaurant is a hidden gem. Try the lamb haneeth: slow-roasted, fall-off-the-bone lamb shanks marinated in an array of traditional spices, served on a bed of orange and yellow basmati rice with a side of zahawig (spicy red salsa). 13277 Michigan Ave., Dearborn; 313-4278424. L,D daily.

THE ULTIMATE BOOK ABOUT DETROIT’S

The Sardine Room $$$

SEAFOOD • A seafood restaurant and raw bar, The Sardine Room is fresh, fun, and energetic, with clean-line decor 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.

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 12 Mile Road, Warren; 586-576-0495. L,D daily.

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.

Oakland County

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, specifically the seafood boils, which come with your choice of seafood (crab, clams, lobster, etc.) and sauce, corn, and potatoes. 32415 John R Road, Madison Heights; 248-616-0168. D daily.

220 Merrill

$$$

NEW AMERICAN • Located in the old Detroit Edison offices, this restaurant features contemporary American cuisine. You’ll find classics such as shrimp cocktail and Caesar salad alongside miso-roasted sea bass and chicken Parmigiana. 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. At Adachi, short rib bao buns are served with pickled cucumber and fresh scallions, and miniature tacos are filled with lobster. 325 S. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-540-5900. L,D daily.

Andiamo $$

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

Anita’s Kitchen $

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

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. 37646 W. 12 Mile Road, Farmington Hills; 248-994-4000. L,D Tue.-Sun.

At Anano’s $$

GEORGIAN • At Anano’s celebrates the largely obscure cuisine of Georgia, a small country on the border of Europe and West Asia. Georgian staples like mtsvadi, a flame-grilled shish kebab, combine the flavors of both continents. Well known for its khachapuri, a type of cheese-filled pastry, At Anano’s offers the dish two ways. Other favorites, like traditional, Georgian-style salad and chicken dressed in a rich walnut sauce, represent the best the country’s cuisine has to offer. 29410 Orchard Lake Road, Farmington Hills; L,D Tue., Thu.-Sun.

Aurora Italiana

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

Bigalora Wood Fired Cucina $$ ITALIAN • The pizza concept from chef Luciano DelSignore, a four-time James Beard Award nominee, features small plates, fresh pastas, wood-roasted meats, and a range of distinctive Neapolitan pizzas. See website for locations: bigalora.com.

Birmingham Pub

$$$$

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, and truffle demi-glace tossed in cream sauce. Other delectables include sausage and peppers, steak, and seafood. 6199 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township; 248-782-3000. D daily.

Aurora on the Lake

$$$

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 jalapeño hush puppies and filet mignon with Parmesan truffle fries and zip sauce. 555 S. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-885-8108. L Tue.-Fri., BR Sat.-Sun.

Bistro Joe’s

$$$$

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 Road, Commerce Township; 248-360-6650. D daily.

Bar Gabi

$$

ROMANIAN • Romanian-born chefs Gabriel and Gabriela Botezan’s Hazel Park restaurant combines Old World technique with New World flavors, serving traditional Transylvanian dishes like mititei — a skinless sausage served with mustard and toast. Other bites include a bone-in tomahawk schnitzel and house-made braised short rib rigatoni. 23839 John R Road, Hazel Park; 249-629-4160. D Wed.-Sun.

Bella Piatti

$$$

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

RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR  2003

Café Cortina

$$$

ITALIAN • For nearly 50 years, Café Cortina has been serving refined Italian cuisine in Farmington Hills. The family-owned restaurant is known for its handmade pastas and seasonal dishes inspired by an on-site garden. Don’t miss the signature millefoglie for dessert. 30715 W. 10 Mile Road, Farmington Hills; 248-474-3033. L Sun., D Tue.-Sun.

Café ML

$$

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 this restaurant’s Italian fare. 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 • Café ML is contemporary in its decor and “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

$$$

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 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.

The Beverly $$$

NEW AMERICAN • From the owner of Bar Pigalle, this new-American eatery features a menu of steaks, seafood, and charcuterie boards. Much like the food, the drink menu focuses on using simple, high-quality ingredients to create perfectly balanced flavors. Find unique takes on classic cocktails like daiquiris, margaritas, and Manhattans. 3180 Coolidge Hwy., Berkley; L,D Tue.-Fri., BR,L,D Sat., Sun.

$$$

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

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. House-made 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 best known 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. Located in an 1840s-era church, the restaurant provides much of its seating on pews. 54 S. Main St., Clarkston; 248-620-6100. L,D daily, B Sun.

Como’s $$

NEW AMERICAN • This Ferndale favorite reopened in May 2019 under the ownership of Peas & Carrots Hospitality with a trendier, fresher look. The warm, homey feel is still intact, but it’s ditched the old menu for — among other things — chef Zack Sklar’s square, deep-dish, Detroit-style pizza that’s leavened from a sourdough starter as opposed to commercial yeast. 22812 Woodward Ave., Unit 100, Ferndale; 248-6774439. L,D daily.

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

Crispelli’s Bakery & Pizzeria $ ITALIAN-INSPIRED • This hybrid offers artisanal pizzas from a brick oven, salads, paninis, and soups. The 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.

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; 248968-4060. L,D Tue.-Sat.

Elie’s Mediterranean Bar & Grill $$

LEBANESE • The lamb and chicken shawarma, shish kafta, kibbee neyee, and other Lebanese dishes are emphasized by the decor, including photomurals of old Beirut and strings of blue beads cascading from the ceiling. It’s 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 • The Fed is an attractive restaurant with great food and a delightfully refreshing atmosphere. The menu crosses boundaries, with 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.

The Franklin $$$ SEAFOOD • Located in a historic 19th-century home, this upscale establishment specializes in oysters, offering a daily selection of East and West Coast options. If you’re not in the mood for mollusks, other seafaring options include the fish and chips, made with Icelandic haddock, and the Loch Duart salmon. For dessert, leave room for the pistachio profiterole — a sweet and nutty final bite. 32760 Franklin Road, Franklin; 248771-4747; D, Tues.-Sun.

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” entrées, 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. At Gran Castor, the dining room is equally as decadent as the food and drinks served. Grab a $5 margarita between 4 and 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. 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 barbecue 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 restaurants dedicated to Asian food in the area 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; 248-4892280. L,D Tue.-Sun.

Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse

$$$$ STEAKHOUSE • This plush, modern steakhouse offers dryaged prime and Kobe-style Wagyu beef in a fun, clubby setting. An extensive wine list accompanies the restaurant menu, which 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 • This menu features an impressive selection of tacos, from grilled chorizo sausage to chili lime grilled chicken. Plant-based pork and seitan options are available for non-meat eaters. Or order ahead for DIY taco sets for an at-home taco bar. 22828 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, 248850-8060. L,D daily.

J-Bird Smoked Meats

$$

BARBECUE • Wood-smoked meats served with the traditional sides of cornbread, buttermilk slaw, and mac and cheese are 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 has a menu that 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. 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, 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 St., Royal Oak; 248-629-6500. L,D daily.

Lao Pot

$$$

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

RESTAURANT

La Strada Italian Kitchen & Bar

$$$

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

Lelli’s Inn $$

ITALIAN • Dinners begin with an antipasto tray, creamy minestrone, salad, a 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 wood-fired 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. It’s a great place for special occasions or a delicious workday lunch spot. 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 Wed.-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.” 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; 248677-3331. L,D Fri.-Wed.

Luxe Bar & Grill $$

NEW AMERICAN • The simple menu at this Grosse Pointe Farms joint offers burgers on brioche buns, interesting salads and sides, and entrées typified by wild-caught salmon, prime fillets, 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 multicourse 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 classics, with a serious kitchen that offers traditional American dishes and 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 offered at Paris bistros and a house-made soft pretzel with roasted jalapeño goat cheese dip. 301 S. Main St., Rochester; 248-7594825. D daily, BR Sat.-Sun.

Mesa Tacos and Tequila

$

MEXICAN-AMERICAN • The two-story setting includes balcony seating in a big, open room where the bar gets equal time with the kitchen. The pop-Mexican menu — which includes guacamole, nachos, and the titular tacos — is backed up with an array of tequilas. 312 S. Main St., Royal Oak; 248545-1940. L,D daily.

RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR 

2008

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

Noble Fish

$

JAPANESE • For more than 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 imported beers and bang-for-your-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

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 downtown Royal Oak spot bridges the gap between bar food and upscale dining. Order a dressed-up sandwich or burger or elevate your dining

$$

NEW AMERICAN • This lively neighborhood bar features thoughtful cocktails with a forward-looking food menu to match. Its smashburgers are the perfect answer to a cold pint. You can also kick it up a notch with Hungarian sausage, schnitzel, or pastrami — the latter stuffed in deli-style sandwiches and deep-fried chimichangas or mixed into pastrami hash for weekend brunch. 13621 W. 11 Mile Road; B Sat.-Sun., L,D daily.

Ocean Prime

$$$$

SEAFOOD • At this upper-end steak and fish place and 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 at this tried-and-true metro Detroit spot. 2915 Coolidge Hwy., Troy; 248-458-0500. L Mon.-Fri., D daily.

One-Eyed Betty’s

$$

ECLECTIC AMERICAN • Picnic-style tables and blackboards lettered with scores of brew choices add a beer-hall sensibility to this popular spot. The kitchen delivers New Orleans-themed dishes such as chicken Tchoupitoulas with tasso ham and béarnaise sauce, as well as a mouthwatering bacon burger. Weekend brunch features delicious house-made 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 and 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 eggs, sausage and potato hash, burgers, and chicken wings, as well as tacos and nachos served from the open kitchen. 27302 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak; 248-808-6244. B,L,D daily.

Phoenicia

$$$

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

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 daily, BR Sat.-Sun.

Prime29 Steakhouse

$$$$

STEAKHOUSE • The 29-day aged prime beef, including the 24-ounce tomahawk bone-in ribeye, 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 chả giò (elegant little eggrolls), bun bo nuong chả giò (grilled beef with eggroll, vermicelli, mixed greens, plus sweet-and-sour sauce), and bánh mì are made with fresh ingredients. 30701 Dequindre Road, Madison Heights; 248-268-4310. L,D Fri.-Wed.

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; 248-865-0500. L,D Mon.-Sat.

RH Rooftop Restaurant

$$$$

NEW AMERICAN • Located on the top floor of RH Detroit, The Gallery in Birmingham, the American and Mediterranean-themed restaurant offers a wide array of chilled seafood, caviar, and steak. Sit among the live olive trees while enjoying the 14-ounce charred, Australian Wagyu ribeye or enjoy one of 16 specialty cocktails. 300 S. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-614-6984. L,D Mon.-Fri., BR,L,D Sat.-Sun.

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, with 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 flatiron steak and littleneck clams. 3125 12 Mile Road, Berkley; 248-468-4487. L,D Tue.-Sun.

Rochester Chop House $$

NEW AMERICAN • Enjoy 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 crab cakes, 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.

RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR 

Rudy’s Prime Steakhouse

2026

$$$$ STEAKHOUSE • Once the location of 100-year-old Rudy’s Market, this version of Rudy’s pays homage to the historic shop in the best way possible — by serving up high-quality food. Classics meet inventive cuisine here, with shrimp cocktail, burrata, and Hokkaido scallops available as appetizers. Chops and steaks are the highlight, with prime-quality fillets, ribeyes, and Australian lamb chops on the menu. After dinner, try the peach cornbread cobbler, an inventive take on a staple dessert. 9 S. Main St., Village of Clarkston; D Tue.-Sun.

Sambong $

KOREAN • Known for its signature naengmyeon (a Korean cold noodle dish), Sambong is a fully self-service restaurant with unique offerings like complimentary 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

TigerLily

$$

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 is the saltimbocca alla Romana: veal scaloppini sautéed in white wine. Silver Spoon offers truly delicious food 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; 248594-4200. L Mon.-Fri., D daily, BR Sat.-Sun.

Streetside Seafood

$$

SEAFOOD • 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. It’s 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-to-table 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 — entrées combine to make this spot special. The exceptionally warm service is unforgettable. 1366 Walton Blvd., Rochester Hills; 248-652-7800. L,D Tue.-Sat., D Sun.

Tallulah Wine Bar & Bistro

$$ WINE BAR • Understated decor and a pared-down menu of seasonal dishes make this spot a Birmingham classic. The kitchen turns out dishes like lamb-belly ragù with housemade pasta and whole branzino with charred zucchini and romesco. Wine is served by the glass, 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.Patrons can even take home the colorful, quirky chairs or tables, as most of the furniture at Three Cats Restaurant is available for purchase. 116 W. 14 Mile Road, Clawson; 248-288-4858. L,D Tue.-Fri., B,L,D Sat.-Sun.

$$

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; 248-7334905. D daily.

Toast

$$

BREAKFAST/BRUNCH • It’s fun, it’s breezy, and the food is very good. Try the huevos rancheros: fried eggs upon corn tortillas, pintos, and cheese. Other favorites like the Trashy Hashy — a hash loaded with sausage and smothered with gravy — and the chicken and waffles can be found at both locations. 23144 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-398-0444. 203 Pierce St., Birmingham; 248-258-6278. B,L daily.

Toasted Oak

$$$

BRASSERIE • The menu revolves around the charcuterie sold in the market next door and a list of hot grill items. In 2019, the restaurant earned a Wine Spectator magazine award for its outstanding wine program. 27790 Novi Road, Novi; 248-277-6000. 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 $$

BARBECUE • Part of the Union Joints restaurant group, this is a self-described wood-fired joint, where pulled pork, ribs, chicken, and beef brisket come from the smoker alongside Neapolitan-style crisp-crusted pizzas from the wood-burning oven. And definitely check out the mac and cheese. 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. The restaurant pays true homage to the city of Detroit. 27799 Woodward Ave., Berkley; 248-5487711. L,D daily.

Voyager

$$

SEAFOOD • Fresh seafood with an 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.

Wilder’s

$$$$

STEAKHOUSE • You’ll find all the staples at this homage to the heyday of the American steakhouse. Choose from six martini options to accompany a first course of shrimp cocktail or beef tartare. Prime-cut steaks are the star of the menu, with dry-aged options available for a funkier flavor profile. Don’t forget the sides, with classic offerings like the creamed spinach, potato puree, and green beans almondine on hand. 458 N. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-7710900. D daily.

Macomb County

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. Between locations, the constant is fresh, house-made pastas handcrafted by the trinity of “pasta ladies” — Anna, Tanya, and Angelina — who have carried on the tradition. 7096 14 Mile Road, Warren; 586-2683200. L,D Mon.-Fri., D Sat.-Sun.

Bar Verona $$

ITALIAN • Modernized, made-from-scratch Italian favorites curated by chef Lindsey Connelly, 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, 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 from one of the top-producing hard cider brands in the U.S., plus bar-food staples with a twist. It’s steps away from family-friendly seasonal activities at Blake’s Orchard & Cider Mill. 17985 Armada Center Road, Armada; 586-7845343. L,D daily.

Butter Run Saloon $

GASTROPUB • The solid American fare is beyond bar food (although the burgers are certainly noteworthy). There are escargots, perch, steaks, and a huge whiskey selection — more than a thousand at last count. 27626 Harper Ave., St. Clair Shores; 586-675-2115. B, L,D daily.

Da Francesco’s Ristorante & Bar $$

ITALIAN • Founded by Italian immigrant Francesco Belcastro in 1990, Da Francesco’s has been run by family ever since. The restaurant offers up homey Italian dishes such as the rigatoni Mamma’s pasta and Steak Da Francesco, a prime New York steak chargrilled with olive oil, garlic, and oregano. 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 entrées, 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 every few months, Host Utica is a great place to constantly try something new — and get a first taste of concepts from up-and-coming chefs. The 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; 586-883-7526. L,D Tue.-Sat., BR Sun.

J. Baldwin’s Restaurant

$$$ NEW AMERICAN • The menu showcases chef Jeff Baldwin’s contemporary American food: award-winning stone-fired pizza, boom-boom shrimp, burgers, and salads. The desserts include chocolate bumpy cake and spiced carrot cake. 16981 18 Mile Road, Clinton Township; 586-416-3500. L,D Tue.-Sun., BR Sun.

Khom Fai

THAI • This Macomb staple serves a modernized take on Thai food, seasoned with what they call “a dash of good ol’ Southern hospitality.” Sip a specialty cocktail, 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 Original Restaurant

$$ ITALIAN • Family-owned since 1953, Luigi’s menu offers a sizeable number of options, including filet mignon, handtossed pizzas, and pastas. Finish the meal with traditional Italian desserts such as tiramisu or cannoli. 36691 Jefferson Ave., Harrison Township; 586-468-7711; D Wed.-Sun.

Mr. Paul’s Chophouse

$$$

STEAKHOUSE • This bastion of red meat and classic dishes is still going strong. Try old-school tableside presentations such as Chateaubriand and Caesar salad. There’s also a solid selection of fresh seafood and pasta. The founding family still runs the place and emphasizes great hospitality and a 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; 586532-9669. 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. It offers an array of well-prepared Angus steaks, plus seafood and pasta dishes. With the sizable lunch and portions offered at Steakhouse 22, good luck saving room for dessert! 48900 Van Dyke Ave., Shelby Township; 586-731-3900. L,D Tue.-Sun.

Testa Barra

$$$ ITALIAN • 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.

Vivio’s II Food & Spirits

$ SANDWICH/DELI • The second location of this Eastern Market classic shares some of the same menu but has its own unique offerings as well. Mainstays like the pub-style mussels and Bloody Mary menu carry over, but you’ll also find a focus on burgers and handheld bites. 3601 12 Mile Road, Warren; 586-576-0495. L,D daily.

Waves

$$

SEAFOOD • Seafood covers most of the menu at this Nautical Mile favorite. It’s a tough task choosing between such popular appetizers as coconut shrimp, crispy grouper nuggets, and plump steamed mussels. Entrées include al dente pastas and protein options such as lamb chops and New York strip steak, plus lump crab cakes and beer-battered cod. 24223 Jefferson Ave., St. Clair Shores; 586-773-3840. L,D daily.

Youngblood Vineyard

$$ WINERY • Sitting on 25 acres of wine grapes, this winery offers year-round wine tasting with a menu that includes grilled bruschetta with tomato and mozzarella, artisan pizza, a harvest salad, and charcuterie boards. More than a dozen wines are offered by the bottle, glass, or 2-ounce pour as part of a flight. 61829 Ray Center Road, Ray Twp.; 586-770-5220. D Thu.-Sun.

Washtenaw County

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 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 place 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. 302 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-2220400. D daily.

Blue LLama Jazz Club

$$

CREATIVE AMERICAN • This elegant destination for live music and dining offers gorgeous, skillfully balanced dishes designed by a fresh team of chefs. The menu brings the spirit and flavors of American jazz meccas like Harlem and New Orleans, along with flavors from Barbados and Puerto Rico, through an Afro-Caribbean lens. 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 vege-

tables 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 — a chicken, goat, or vegetable dish 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, fresh-made garlic naan. It’s the ideal spot for when you’re craving the classics. 1739 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor; 734-662-2877. D Wed.-Sun.

The Common Grill $$

SEAFOOD • Founded by chef Craig Common, whose skilled work drew the attention of the now-shuttered Gourmet magazine and the James Beard House, this mainstay was acquired in 2022 by Peas & Carrots Hospitality. Chefs Zack Sklar and Josh Humphrey kept most of the beloved restaurant’s menu, such as the expertly prepared oysters and seafood dishes, as well as the coconut cream pie. 112 S. Main St., Chelsea; 734-475-0470. L,D Tue.-Sun., BR Sat-Sun.

Dixboro House

$$$$

NEW AMERICAN • Much like the restaurant’s ambience, the cuisine at Dixboro House is both refined and relaxed. Chef Garrett 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; 734-6693310. L,D daily, BR Sat.-Sun.

The Earle $$$

EUROPEAN-INSPIRED • Inspired by French and Italian cuisine, the Ann Arbor staple opened in 1977 as a jazz club. Today, you’ll find an extensive menu filled with everything from linguine with shrimp to French staples like the beef bourguignon. The dessert menu will leave you with plenty to choose from, featuring house-made favorites like chocolate Chambord mousse and frozen hazelnut souffle. 121 W. Washington St., Ann Arbor; 734-994-0211; D Tues.-Sun.

Echelon Kitchen & Bar $$$$ NEW AMERICAN • Placing an emphasis on wood-fired cooking and local produce, this downtown Ann Arbor restaurant offers à la carte dining in addition to a seven-course chef’s tasting menu. The vegetable-forward menu elevates simple ingredients into complex dishes filled with flavor. Enjoy the kanpachi crudo or the stone fruit and chicory salad to start, with something for both vegans and omnivores to savor. Entrées include hazelnut-apricot risotto with scallops and beef shank torchietti with smoked almond cream and grilled scallion conserva. 200 S. Main St., Ann Arbor. D Wed.-Sun.

The Gandy Dancer

$$$$

SEAFOOD • At the Gandy Dancer, located in a historic Ann Arbor train station, guests can still be found celebrating as trains pass by. Known for its seafood, the restaurant features staples like creamy lobster bisque, applejack sea bass, and oven-roasted lobster tail. For meat-centric options, try the duck, served with a Grand Marnier demi-glace, or the primecut 14-ounce New York strip. 401 Depot St., Ann Arbor; 734769-0592. 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. 311 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734913-2730. L,D daily.

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. Ma Lou’s shines especially in its ability to craft the perfect sandwich, made with your choice of chicken or tofu. 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 taste. 341 E. Liberty St., Ann Arbor; 734-7696700. L,D Tue.-Sun.

Miss Kim

$$ KOREAN • James Beard semifinalist Chef Ji Hye Kim‘s unique blend of modern Korean food highlights Michigan vegetables, from house-made kimchi to the tteokbokki (rice cakes). Standouts include a craveable Korean fried chicken and its plant-based counterpart, Korean fried tofu. 415 N. Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor; 734-275-0099. L,D Wed.-Mon.

Palio

$$

ITALIAN • Named for the historic horse race that takes place in Siena, Italy, this downtown spot has been serving up traditional Italian food since 1991. Here you’ll find favorites like the rigatoni bolognese and zuppa pomodoro — a creamy tomato soup made with leeks, fennel, and white wine. Save room for the espresso chocolate cake for an after-dinner treat. 347 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-212-1089. D daily.

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 are the noodles (Yagihashi’s “soul food”), which are made in-house daily on a machine imported from Japan. 608 E. Liberty St., Ann Arbor; 734-8876868. L,D daily.

Spencer

$

WINE BAR • The food at this small but mighty spot is bright, fresh, and often surprising. The brief and very French menu changes frequently and is always imaginative. Previous dishes have included chicken liver mousse with violet mustard and grilled bread, as well as orange duck confit with North African spices. 113 E. Liberty St., Ann Arbor; 734369-3979; D Thu.-Sun. (By reservation only)

Tabe $$

ASIAN FUSION • This upscale spot in downtown Ann Arbor has three floors, each with its own dining experience and menu. The first floor offers an expansive selection of Asian cuisine, while the second floor hosts the only omakase experience in Ann Arbor. Here you’ll also find an extensive selection of Japanese whiskeys and sakes, as well as craft cocktails and specialty teas. 209 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-987-1688; L,D Thu.-Sun., D, Mon.-Wed.

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. You can also order grill-it-yourself meals like short ribs, pork belly, and marinated chicken. 505 E. Liberty St., Suites 100-200, Ann Arbor; 734-9958668 (Tomukun Noodle Bar); 734-369-2602 (Tomukun Korean BBQ). L,D daily.

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.

DETROIT

FIVE STAR AWARD WINNERS 2026

These days, it takes a village to manage your financial world. In fact, many consumers have a hard time figuring out where to even begin. Sometimes, a few simple questions can put you off on the right path. Asking a professional what makes working with them a unique experience can help you understand how they work and if their style meshes with your own.

This is a great place to start! Five Star Professional uses its own proprietary research methodology to name outstanding professionals, then works with publications such as HOUR Detroit magazine to spread the word about award winners. Each award candidate undergoes a thorough research process (detailed here) before being considered for the final list of award winners. For the complete list of winners, go to www.fivestarprofessional.com.

NOMINATION OF CANDIDATES

Three sources of nominations:

– Firm nominations

– Peer nominations

– Prequalification based on industry credentials

REGULATORY CONSUMER COMPLAINT REVIEW

All candidates must demonstrate a favorable regulatory history.

CANDIDATE SUBMISSION OF PRACTICE INFORMATION

Candidates must complete either an online or over-the-phone interview.

EVALUATION OF CANDIDATE PRACTICE

Candidates are evaluated on 10 objective evaluation and eligibility criteria.

FIRM REVIEW OF AWARD CANDIDATE LIST

All candidates are reviewed by a representative of their firm before final selection.

2026 AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Finalization and announcement of Five Star Professional award winners.

RESEARCH DISCLOSURES

In order to consider a broad population of high-quality wealth managers and investment professionals, award candidates are identified by one of three sources: firm nomination, peer nomination or prequalification based on industry standing. Self-nominations are not accepted. Detroit-area award candidates were identified using internal and external research data. Candidates do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final lists of Five Star Wealth Managers or Five Star Investment Professionals.

• The Five Star award is not indicative of a professional’s future performance.

• Wealth managers may or may not use discretion in their practice and therefore may not manage their clients’ assets.

• The inclusion of a professional on the Five Star Wealth Manager list or the Five Star Investment Professional list should not be construed as an endorsement of the professional by Five Star Professional or HOUR Detroit magazine

• Working with a Five Star Wealth Manager, Five Star Investment Professional or any professional is no guarantee as to future investment success, nor is there any guarantee that the selected professionals will be awarded this accomplishment by Five Star Professional in the future.

• Five Star Professional is not an advisory firm and the content of this article should not be considered financial advice. For more information on the Five Star Wealth Manager or Five Star Investment Professional award programs, research and selection criteria, go to www.fivestarprofessional.com/public/research.

FIVE STAR WEALTH MANAGER

DETERMINATION OF AWARD WINNERS CRITERIA

Award candidates who satisfied 10 objective eligibility and evaluation criteria were named 2026 Five Star Wealth Managers. Eligibility Criteria –Required: 1. Credentialed as a registered investment adviser or a registered investment adviser representative. 2. Actively employed as a credentialed professional in the financial services industry for a minimum of five years. 3. Favorable regulatory and complaint history review. 4. Fulfilled their firm review based on internal firm standards. 5. Accepting new clients. Evaluation Criteria – Considered: 6. One-year client retention rate. 7. Five-year client retention rate. 8. Non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered. 9. Number of client households served. 10. Education and professional designations. 3,902 award candidates in the Detroit area were considered for the Five Star Wealth Manager award. 262 (approximately 7% of the award candidates) were named 2026 Five Star Wealth Managers.

FIVE STAR INVESTMENT PROFESSIONAL

DETERMINATION OF AWARD WINNERS CRITERIA

The investment professional award goes to estate planning attorneys, insurance agents and select others in the financial industry. Eligibility Criteria –Required: 1. Credentialed with appropriate state or industry licensures. 2. Actively employed as a credentialed professional in the financial services industry for a minimum of five years. 3. Favorable regulatory and complaint history review. 4. Accepting new clients. Evaluation Criteria – Considered: 5. One-year client retention rate. 6. Five-year client retention rate. 7. Number of client households served. 8. Recent personal production and performance (industr y specific criteria). 9. Education and professional designations/industry and board certifications. 10. Pro Bono and community service work. This year, we honored 13 Detroit-area investment professionals with the Five Star Investment Professional award.

This award was issued on 05/01/2026 by Five Star Professional (FSP) for the time period 09/10/2025 through 03/03/2026. Fee paid for use of marketing materials. Self-completed questionnaire was of candidates) were named 2026 Five Star Wealth Managers. This year, we honored 13 Detroit-area investment professionals with the Five Star Investment Professional award.

The award is based on 10 objective criteria. Eligibility Criteria – Required 1.

Wealth Managers

Financial Planning

Phil Andrews LPL Financial

David Martin Boike Retirement Resources

Alicia Botti Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Ralph Bryant Jr. Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC Page 7

Nadine Burns A New Path Financial

Anthony Michael Collica Platinum Wealth Solutions

William K. Colvett Indianwood Financial

Matthew C. Davis LPL Financial

Douglas A. Dawe Fathom Financial Partners

Thomas J. DelPup Paint Creek Investment Advisors

Kenneth Demps

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC Page 3

Bob Dennis

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC Page 3

John Dyer

Royal Oak Financial Advisors

Christopher Dziklinski Artemis Wealth Advisors Page 5

Erika L. Fitzhugh Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Dominic D. Garcia

Rochester Wealth Strategies

Erik Gotaas

LPL Financial

Lynn Habrowski

Great Lakes Wealth Planning, LLC

Dawn Hausch-Cooper Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC Page 7

Danielle Holmes Stefanski Holmes Wealth Management Page 8

Christine Isham

Northern Financial Advisors Page 6

Jay P. Kempf

Thrivent Investment Management/ Pathfinder Financial Consultants

Robert Brandon Krut

Wells Fargo Advisors

Dr. Sara Mehraban

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC Page 7

Christopher G. Millio Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Steve Ohannes Nazoyan

Wealth Strategies Financial Group

Keith Nichol

Carrera Capital Advisors, LLC

Norman A. Pappas

The Enterprise Investment Company

Melony Jane-Marie Parker

Wells Fargo Advisors

Gary Pryka

Millennium Wealth Management

John F. Robbins

JFR Financial Services, Inc.

Jeffrey D. Roe

JDR Wealth Management, LLC

Jack J. Rothenberg

LPL Financial

Laurie Sall

Equitable Advisors

Linda Smith

William Mack and Associates, Inc.

Jennie Spurlock

William Mack and Associates, Inc.

Mark F. Thistlethwaite

Morgan Stanley

Michael L. Wallace

Financial Services of America Page 5

Kara Wilcox

Prudential

Beth Zilka

Baron Wealth Management

Jeffrey P. Arnott

Wells Fargo Advisors

Frank S. Arvai

William Mack and Associates, Inc.

Edgar Thomas Atnip Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. Page 8

Ted Bugenski

William Mack and Associates, Inc.

Anthony Calibeo Integrity Wealth Consultants Page 6

Patrick L. Carney

Foresight Capital Management Advisors, Inc.

Mark L. Foster

Morgan Stanley

Joseph C. Koch

Blue Mountain Wealth Management Page 8

John M. Kronner

Morgan Stanley

William Mack

William Mack and Associates, Inc.

Christopher Martin

Morgan Stanley Page 7

Jeffrey W. Mashini

Creative Planning

David R. Mehram

Wells Fargo Advisors

Joseph A. Michael Morgan Stanley Page 8

James D. Potter

Community Financial Credit Union

Cameron Staley

Artemis Wealth Advisors Page 5

Laurie S. Stegenga Foresight Capital Management Advisors, Inc.

Mitchell Swayze

Morgan Stanley Page 8

John Ursu

Artemis Wealth Advisors Page 5

Michael J. Welch

Robert W. Baird & Co.

Andrew Wilson

Artemis Wealth Advisors Page 5

Andrew Zale

LPL Financial/Zale Group Page 6

Janice Zale

LPL Financial/Zale Group Page 6

Gary L. Figurski

Gary L. Figurski P.C., CPA Estate Planning Attorney

Eric J. Gould

Cohen Lerner Silvenis & Gould P.C. Page 9

used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria. 3,902 Detroit-area wealth managers were considered for the award; 262 (7%

for a minimum of five years; 3.

may

Kenneth Demps and Bob Dennis

Building Wealth, Securing Futures

This award was issued on 05/01/2026 by Five Star Professional (FSP) for the time period 09/10/2025 through 03/03/2026. Fee paid for use of marketing materials. Self-completed questionnaire was of candidates) were named 2026 Five Star Wealth Managers. The following prior year statistics use this format: YEAR: # Considered, # Winners, % of candidates, Issued Date, Research Period. 2025: 2021: 3,260, 275, 8%, 5/1/21, 8/10/20 - 3/19/21; 2020: 3,105, 284, 9%, 5/1/20, 8/1/19 - 3/20/20; 2019: 2,987, 347, 12%, 5/1/19, 8/21/18 - 3/19/19; 2018: 3,069, 322, 10%, 5/1/18, 8/30/17 5/1/14, 10/22/13 - 3/9/14; 2013: 2,762, 749, 27%, 5/1/13, 10/22/12 - 3/9/13; 2012: 2,658, 745, 28%, 5/1/12, 10/22/11 - 3/9/12. This year, we honored 13 Detroit-area investment professionals

more than a total of three settled or pending complaints filed against them and/or a total of five settled, pending, dismissed or denied complaints with any regulatory authority or FSP’s

Left to Right: Seated: Richard F. Powell, Financial Advisor; Lauren Keilman, APMA®, Registered Practice Associate; Teale Burley, Client Services Associate; Sheetal Patel, CFP®, APMA®, Associate Advisor; Standing: Chad Halpin, CFP®, APMA®, CRPC®, Financial Advisor; 2012 – 2026 winner Kenneth Demps, CRPC®, Financial Advisor;

– 2026 winner Bob Dennis, CFP®, Financial Advisor; Bob Cline, APMA®, Financial Advisor

With over 41 years of experience in the financial

Demps Wealth Management Group has

clients’ needs. Kenneth and Robert are 2012 – 2026 Five Star Wealth Managers.

Greystone Financial Group

Thrive at Every Stage of Life

Greystone Financial Group is an independent wealth management firm that helps individuals, families and institutions make confident, well-informed financial decisions. Based in Bloomfield Hills, the firm provides integrated investment management, financial planning and retirement plan solutions centered around each client’s long-term goals.

With approximately $500 million in assets under management, Greystone combines institutional-level expertise with a highly personalized approach. Strategies are thoughtfully tailored, integrating investment management with retirement, tax and estate planning to create a cohesive plan that evolves over time.

Greystone is built on lasting relationships, serving not just individuals but entire families across generations. By understanding the full financial picture — from wealth creation to preservation and transfer — the firm helps clients navigate life’s transitions with continuity and confidence. What sets Greystone apart is its disciplined, relationship-first philosophy. Clients receive transparent, objective guidance focused on long-term outcomes, not short-term trends. Learn more at www.greystonefg.com.

Hulet Drive • Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302

248-267-1270 • info@greystonefg.com www.greystonefg.com @GreystoneFinancialGroupLLC

used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria. 3,902 Detroit-area wealth managers were considered for the award; 262 (7% 3,715, 289, 8%, 5/1/25, 8/21/24 - 2/28/25; 2024: 3,651, 278, 8%, 5/1/24, 9/5/23 - 2/29/24; 2023: 3,550, 312, 9%, 5/1/23, 9/5/22 - 3/3/23; 2022: 3,273, 304, 9%, 5/1/22, 9/3/21 - 3/11/22; - 3/19/18; 2017: 1,836, 356, 19%, 5/1/17, 8/24/16 - 2/24/17; 2016: 1,961, 630, 32%, 4/1/16, 10/22/15 - 3/9/16; 2015: 2,238, 627, 28%, 5/1/15, 10/22/14 - 3/9/15; 2014: 3,448, 658, 19%, with the Five Star Investment Professional award.

for a minimum of five years; 3. Favorable regulatory and complaint history review (As defined by FSP, the wealth manager has not; A. Been subject to a regulatory action that resulted in a license being suspended or revoked, or payment of a fine; B. Had discovered through a check of complaints registered with a regulatory authority or complaints registered through FSP’s consumer complaint process; feedback may not be representative of any one client’s experience; C. Individually contributed to a financial 5. Accepting new clients. Evaluation criteria - considered: 6. One-year client retention rate; 7. Five-year client retention rate; 8. Non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered; 9. Number of client households served; 10. may not manage their clients’ assets. The inclusion of a wealth manager on the Five Star Wealth Manager list should not be construed as an endorsement of the

Left to right: Standing: Eric Moss; Shannon Mahoney; Ten-year winner Todd Moss, CFP®; Heidi Frobel; Brian Stone; Seated: Stephanie Leier; Lori Vernier; Linda Meints

Michael L. Wallace

• 35-plus years of experience helping clients build financial confidence

50 W Big Beaver Road, Suite 500 • Troy, MI 48084 Phone: 586-646-4610 • Phone: 800-977-9292 mwallace@fsa-1.com www.fsa1.com

• Focusing on comprehensive financial planning: income, investment, tax-efficient, health and wellbeing and legacy strategies Financial Planning You Can Trust

Financial confidence isn’t just about investments — it’s about having a clear, strategic plan tailored to your financial goals and objectives. Michael leads his wealth management team, coordinating and collaborating with financial advisors Jacob, Bryan and Katie to help clients navigate to and through retirement, designing comprehensive financial plans specific to their needs.

Investment advisory products and services made available through FSA Advisors, Inc., (FSAA) a Registered Investment Advisor. Annuity and insurance products offered through Financial Services of America (FSA). Neither FSAA, FSA nor its agents or representatives may give

commonly owned and operated by FSA Marketing, Inc (FSAM). FSAM is not affiliated with the U.S. Government or any governmental agency. Chartered Retirement Planning CounselorSM and CRPC™ are trademarks or registered service marks of the College for Financial Planning in the United States and/or other countries.

Artemis Wealth Advisors provides a comprehensive, fiduciary-driven approach to wealth management and financial planning. Rooted in a process of listening and understanding, we partner with a diverse range of clients — including entrepreneurs, high-net-worth families and retirees — to design tailored strategies that align with their specific life goals and risk tolerance. Our services span dynamic portfolio management, retirement income planning, tax-aware decision-making and estate strategies. We aim to reduce the complexity of wealth management, offering ongoing guidance and disciplined execution to help clients navigate financial decisions with confidence.

This award was issued on 05/01/2026 by Five Star Professional (FSP) for the time period 09/10/2025 through 03/03/2026. Fee paid for use of marketing materials. Self-completed questionnaire was of candidates) were named 2026 Five Star Wealth Managers. The following prior year statistics use this format: YEAR: # Considered, # Winners, % of candidates, Issued Date, Research Period. 2025: 2021: 3,260, 275, 8%, 5/1/21, 8/10/20 - 3/19/21; 2020: 3,105, 284, 9%, 5/1/20, 8/1/19 - 3/20/20; 2019: 2,987, 347, 12%, 5/1/19, 8/21/18 - 3/19/19; 2018: 3,069, 322, 10%, 5/1/18, 8/30/17 5/1/14, 10/22/13 - 3/9/14; 2013: 2,762, 749, 27%, 5/1/13, 10/22/12 - 3/9/13; 2012: 2,658, 745, 28%, 5/1/12, 10/22/11 - 3/9/12. This year, we honored 13 Detroit-area investment professionals

The award is based on 10 objective criteria. Eligibility Criteria – Required 1. Meets requirements to be an investment adviser representative (IAR) or a principal of a registered investment adviser (RIA). 2. Actively practicing as an IAR or principal of an RIA more than a total of three settled or pending complaints filed against them and/or a total of five settled, pending, dismissed or denied complaints with any regulatory authority or FSP’s consumer complaint process. Unfavorable feedback may have been settlement of a customer complaint; D. Filed for personal bankruptcy within the past 11 years; E. Been terminated from a financial services firm within the past 11 years; F. Been convicted of a felony); 4. Fulfilled their firm review based on internal standards; Education and professional designations. FSP does not evaluate quality of services provided to clients. The award is not indicative of the wealth manager’s future performance. Wealth managers may or may not use discretion in their practice and therefore wealth manager is no guarantee as to future investment success, nor is there any guarantee that the selected wealth managers will be awarded this accomplishment by FSP in the future. Visit www.fivestarprofessional.com.

Left to right: Jacob Reeder, Financial Advisor; Two-year winner Michael L. Wallace, CRPC™, Senior Executive Vice President, Financial Advisor; Bryan McLaughlin, Financial Advisor; Katherine Johnstone, Financial Advisor

CRPC™, Senior Executive Vice President, Financial Advisor

Left to right: Standing: Five-year winner John Ursu; Faith Ferguson, Director of Operations; Nine-year winner Cameron Staley, CPFA®; Two-year winner Christopher Dziklinski; Seated: Adam Weiner, CRPC®, CPFA®; Eleven-year winner Andrew Wilson, CFP®, ChFC®, CPFA®, CLU®;

Zale Group Wealth Management

Our

“Your money and your life.” They are inseparable. If you want to enjoy both, you need a plan. That’s where we come in. Your money will fund the present and future lifestyles for you and your family. Your life can be summed up as the time you have on Earth and what you do with it. “Most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year but underestimate what they can accomplish in a decade.” We believe you can accomplish much if you just have a plan. Let us help you plan for your future.

2050 Livernois Road, Suite B • Troy, MI 48083 Phone: 248-243-5800 zalegroup@lpl.com www.zalegroup.com

CFP Board owns the marks CFP®, C ertified f inanCial P lanner ®, and CFP® (with plaque design) in the U.S. Security and advisory services offered through LPL Financial, a registered investment advisor, Member FINRA/SIPC.

MI 48304

Phone: 248-985-1632

christinei@nfa1040.com northernfinancialadvisors.com

over 30 years of experience

Christine and the highly experienced Northern Financial Advisors team provide

comprehensive financial planning and are proud fiduciaries to their clients. Since Christine started her business in 2002, it has blossomed, giving her the opportunity to serve clients nationwide.

8344 Hall Road, Suite 109 Utica, MI 48317

Phone: 586-726-2096

acalibeo@integritywc.com www.integritywc.com

Driven by Commitment, Powered by Integrity

With a professional background in public accounting, I bring a thoughtful and analytical approach to financial advising. I understand that life brings both expected and unexpected changes that can impact financial stability. Because of this, I believe financial planning should be both strategic and adaptable. At Integrity Wealth Consultants, I partner closely with clients to understand their goals and priorities, developing personalized strategies designed to provide clarity and peace of mind today while helping them stay focused on building and protecting their long-term financial future.

Securities and advisory services offered through Commonwealth Financial Network®, Member FINRA/SIPC, a Registered Investment Adviser. Fixed insurance products and services are separate from and not offered through Commonwealth. 2026 Five Star Wealth Manager Award, created by Five Star Professional. Presented in May 2026 based on data gathered within 12 months preceding the issue date. Advisors pay a fee to hold out marketing materials. Not indicative of advisor’s future performance. Your experience may vary.

used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria. 3,902 Detroit-area wealth managers were considered for the award; 262 (7% 3,715, 289, 8%, 5/1/25, 8/21/24 - 2/28/25; 2024: 3,651, 278, 8%, 5/1/24, 9/5/23 - 2/29/24; 2023: 3,550, 312, 9%, 5/1/23, 9/5/22 - 3/3/23; 2022: 3,273, 304, 9%, 5/1/22, 9/3/21 - 3/11/22; - 3/19/18; 2017: 1,836, 356, 19%, 5/1/17, 8/24/16 - 2/24/17; 2016: 1,961, 630, 32%, 4/1/16, 10/22/15 - 3/9/16; 2015: 2,238, 627, 28%, 5/1/15, 10/22/14 - 3/9/15; 2014: 3,448, 658, 19%, with the Five Star Investment Professional award.

for a minimum of five years; 3. Favorable regulatory and complaint history review (As defined by FSP, the wealth manager has not; A. Been subject to a regulatory action that resulted in a license being suspended or revoked, or payment of a fine; B. Had discovered through a check of complaints registered with a regulatory authority or complaints registered through FSP’s consumer complaint process; feedback may not be representative of any one client’s experience; C. Individually contributed to a financial 5. Accepting new clients. Evaluation criteria - considered:

• 2026 Five Star Wealth Manager award winner

Left to right: Ten-year winner Andrew Zale, CFP®, Wealth Advisor; 2026 winner Janice Zale, AAMS®, LPL Financial Advisor; Linda Weitzel, Administrative Assistant; Preston Zale, CFP®, Wealth Advisor

FIVE STAR WEALTH MANAGER AWARD WINNER

CRPC™

40701 Woodward Avenue, Suite 200 Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304

Phone: 248-723-1802 • Cell: 248-978-8601

christopher.d.martin@ms.com advisor.morganstanley.com/christopher.d.martin NMLS 2683790

Comprehensive Wealth Management

• Comprehensive financial planning and wealth management

• Vast resources and potential solutions for every life stage

• Wealth Manager with 30 years of experience

For over 30 years, I have been passionate about working with clients and small-business owners to realize their personal goals and dreams. I will take the time to understand your entire financial picture and custom-tailor a financial strategy to help you pursue what’s most important to you. I am a 2014 – 2026 Five Star Wealth Manager award winner.

©2026 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC.

SIPC. CRC 5240358 03/26.

Hausch-Cooper

ameripriseadvisors.com/dawn.l.hausch-cooper

Phone: 248-327-7497

ralph.x.bryant@ampf.com www.ralphxbryant.com

I help my clients achieve their dreams for today, tomorrow and well into the future — using our exclusive Confident Retirement® approach. It starts with a personalized conversation about

Investors should conduct their own evaluation of a financial professional as working with a financial advisor is not a guarantee of future financial success. The Confident Retirement approach is not a guarantee of future financial results.

by

Dr. Sara Mehraban

sara.x.mehraban@ampf.com www.ameripriseadvisors.com/sara.x.mehraban

Personalized financial strategies for every stage of life

Experienced financial and business financial advisor

With more than 37 years of experience, I enjoy building meaningful relationships with my clients and helping them achieve financial and retirement solutions by creating customized investment strategies and plans. I am honored to be recognized as a 2012 – 2026 Five Star Wealth Manager, reflecting my dedication to those I serve. Let’s work together to accomplish your lifelong dreams with personalized financial strategies.

This award was issued on 05/01/2026 by Five Star Professional (FSP) for the time period 09/10/2025 through 03/03/2026. Fee paid for use of marketing materials. Self-completed questionnaire was of candidates) were named 2026 Five Star Wealth Managers. The following prior year statistics use this format: YEAR: # Considered, # Winners, % of candidates, Issued Date, Research Period. 2025: 2021: 3,260, 275, 8%, 5/1/21, 8/10/20 - 3/19/21; 2020: 3,105, 284, 9%, 5/1/20, 8/1/19 - 3/20/20; 2019: 2,987, 347, 12%, 5/1/19, 8/21/18 - 3/19/19; 2018: 3,069, 322, 10%, 5/1/18, 8/30/17 5/1/14, 10/22/13 - 3/9/14; 2013: 2,762, 749, 27%, 5/1/13, 10/22/12 - 3/9/13; 2012: 2,658, 745, 28%, 5/1/12, 10/22/11 - 3/9/12. This year, we honored 13 Detroit-area investment professionals

The award is based on 10 objective criteria. Eligibility Criteria – Required 1. Meets requirements to be an investment adviser representative (IAR) or a principal of a registered investment adviser (RIA). 2. Actively practicing as an IAR or principal of an RIA more than a total of three settled or pending complaints filed against them and/or a total of five settled, pending, dismissed or denied complaints with any regulatory authority or FSP’s consumer complaint process. Unfavorable feedback may have been settlement of a customer complaint; D. Filed for personal bankruptcy within the past 11 years; E. Been terminated from a financial services firm within the past 11 years; F. Been convicted of a felony); 4. Fulfilled their firm

Joseph C. Koch

CFP®, CEO and Managing Director

The Detroit Group at Morgan Stanley 101 W Big Beaver, Suite 1200 Troy, MI 48084

Direct: 248-740-7120 • Fax: 248-462-7558

mitchell.swayze@morganstanley.com

Mitchell Swayze can help you define and meet your goals by formulating effective guidance for your financial planning and investment needs. Mitchell is a 2012 – 2026 Five Star Wealth Manager. Mitchell Swayze CFP®, Senior Vice President, Wealth Advisor, NMLS 1294069

CFP Board owns the marks CFP®,

ertified f inanCial P lanner ®, and CFP® (with plaque design) in the U.S. ©2026 Morgan Stanley

Member SIPC. CRC 5278743 03/26.

edgar.atnip@opco.com fa.opco.com/edgar.atnip

joseph.a.michael@morganstanley.com advisor.morganstanley.com/joseph.a.michael

With nearly 20 years of experience, I assist clients in identifying opportunities and navigating trends with confidence. By leveraging Morgan Stanley’s resources, I provide access to a world-class investment platform that allows me to assist clients with planning for retirement and wealth transfer. I am a 2025 and 2026 Five Star Wealth Manager award

711 W Ann Arbor Trail Plymouth, MI 48170

Phone: 734-459-7555

jkoch@brileywealth.com www.joekoch.brileyadvisors.com

Elevate Your Financial Future

• Creates personalized wealth and investment plans

• Specializes in retirement, tax and estate strategies

• Builds portfolios aligned with goals and risk tolerance

Joseph Clark Koch, CFP®, is a wealth manager at Blue Mountain Wealth Management with almost 40 years of experience in financial planning and investment management. He provides tailored strategies in retirement planning, estate planning and tax-efficient investing for individuals, families and business owners. His expertise lies in market analysis, risk management and wealth preservation, focusing on long-term financial stability.

Riley Wealth Management. Inc. member FINRA/SIPC. Feebased advisory services offered through B. Riley Wealth Advisors, Inc., an SEC-registered investment adviser. Fixed insurance products offered through B. Riley Wealth Insurance.

Start building your future today — because growth

used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria. 3,902 Detroit-area wealth managers were considered for the award; 262 (7% 3,715, 289, 8%, 5/1/25, 8/21/24 - 2/28/25; 2024: 3,651, 278, 8%, 5/1/24, 9/5/23 - 2/29/24; 2023: 3,550, 312, 9%, 5/1/23, 9/5/22 - 3/3/23; 2022: 3,273, 304, 9%, 5/1/22, 9/3/21 - 3/11/22; - 3/19/18; 2017: 1,836, 356, 19%, 5/1/17, 8/24/16 - 2/24/17; 2016: 1,961, 630, 32%, 4/1/16, 10/22/15 - 3/9/16; 2015: 2,238, 627, 28%, 5/1/15, 10/22/14 - 3/9/15; 2014: 3,448, 658, 19%, with the Five Star Investment Professional award.

for a minimum of five years; 3. Favorable regulatory and complaint history review (As defined by FSP, the wealth manager has not; A. Been subject to a regulatory action that resulted in a license being suspended or revoked, or payment of a fine; B. Had discovered through a

client retention rate; 7. Five-year client retention rate; 8. Non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered; 9. Number of client households served; 10. may not manage their clients’ assets. The inclusion of a wealth manager on the Five Star Wealth

Eric J. Gould

J.D., LL.M. in Taxation

Planning. Understanding. Confidence.

• Comprehensive, successful and tax-efficient succession through prudent and strategic planning

• Professor of tax procedure providing knowledge and clarity for tax audits, disputes and collection matters

Wealth Managers

Michael Joseph Acho

Wealth Strategies Financial Group

Marla Marie Alati

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Robert Andrew Amboian

Morgan Stanley

Jordann Michelle Andrusiak

Synergy Capital Solutions

Robert Thomas Armstrong

KB Elliott Financial Advisors

Taal Moris Ashmann

Morgan Stanley

Bryan Keith Baines

Plante Moran Financial Advisors

Bruce Kendall Ballard Merrill Lynch

Mark Edward Baniszewski

Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.

Frank L. Banks

Morgan Stanley

Cohen Lerner Silvenis & Gould P.C.

26862 Woodward Avenue, Suite 200 • Royal Oak, MI 48067

Phone: 248-691-2200 • eric.gould@cohenlerner.com • www.cohenlerner.com

Craig Bastuba @ASPEN

Kevin Bates NFP

Roman Orest Batschynsky Oakwood Financial Netwrok, LLC

Andrew Timothy Bearre Schwartz & Co.

Tim Jack Bell

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Michael Sia Bellware Morgan Stanley

Mitchell Scott Benson

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Michael Fred Bisaro

StraightLine

Ken J. Bloom Bloom Advisors

Jason Raymond Bowens Merrill Lynch

David J. Brock The Brock Group

Eric professionally advises clients on personal and business planning, tax planning, estate planning and other legal matters. He also educates professionals and community groups about the law and new developments. Eric’s goals: 1) provide each client a course of action based on the client’s needs, goals and objectives; 2) ensure understanding of the plan’s purpose; and 3) create client clarity, comfort, confidence and certainty.

Proactive planning is beneficial when issues later arise. Comprehensive agreements document the parties’ intent and understanding. This often avoids disputes or resolves them early, saving time, energy and resources.

All award winners are listed in this publication.

Jason Eric Brooks

Brooks Financial

Leonard Michael Brunkey

Keystone Financial Services, LLC

Joseph G. Budd

Budd Wealth Management

Shawn David Bumgardner

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Mark Francis Burns

Synergy Capital Solutions

Brett Burzynski

The Burzynski Group

Patrick Terry Buschmohle Jr.

Wells Fargo Advisors

Rhonda Byer PFS Investments

George Christopher Calvert Calvert Planning

Christopher M. Carlson

Savant Wealth Management

Branden Russell Carney Melone Private Wealth

Bryan J. Carroll Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.

Emily Lorraine Chludzinski

Baron Wealth Management

Jason Alan Coldicott

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC/ EverNorth Wealth Advisors

Arthur Raymond Cole CND Financial

Mark Daniel Corombos Plante Moran Financial Advisors

Adam Brian Cousino Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Joseph Robert Creal

Mosaic Capital Group

Margaret Anne Cull

Hantz Financial Services

Matthew Cunningham

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Daniel John Dickhudt

Thrivent Financial

Brian Patrick Donohoe

Morgan Stanley

James I. Downing

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Damon Renard Dyas

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Christopher Robert Emde

Emde Wealth Management

Mary Kenny Ewasyshyn

E&E Wealth

Caitlin R. Falenski

Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.

Dominic R. Fazzolari

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Kevin Ferhadson

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Kurt Taylor Fillmore

Wealth Trac Financial

Kevin Filthaut

Lifetime Financial Growth of Michigan

Joseph Morgan Fisher

Morgan Stanley

Jeffrey D. Fitzgerald

Morgan Stanley

Jessica Sung Fitzgerald

Morgan Stanley

Michael Alan Fleischer

Morgan Stanley

Eldin Foco

Sterling Advisory Group

Jeffrey P. Forche

Baird Private Wealth Management

Brian Robert Franke

Integrated Capital Management

Arthur Dennis Frasca

Noble Capital Partners

Dana Margiotta Frellick

Morgan Stanley

Bruce Almo French

Morgan Stanley

David Gallina

Oxford Harriman & Company

This award was issued on 05/01/2026 by Five Star Professional (FSP) for the time period 09/10/2025 through 03/03/2026. Fee paid for use of marketing materials. Self-completed questionnaire was

of candidates) were named 2026 Five Star Wealth Managers. The following prior year statistics use this format: YEAR: # Considered, # Winners, % of candidates, Issued Date, Research Period. 2025: 2021: 3,260, 275, 8%, 5/1/21, 8/10/20 - 3/19/21; 2020: 3,105, 284, 9%, 5/1/20, 8/1/19 - 3/20/20; 2019: 2,987, 347, 12%, 5/1/19, 8/21/18 - 3/19/19; 2018: 3,069, 322, 10%, 5/1/18, 8/30/17

5/1/14, 10/22/13 - 3/9/14; 2013: 2,762, 749, 27%, 5/1/13, 10/22/12 - 3/9/13; 2012: 2,658, 745, 28%, 5/1/12, 10/22/11 - 3/9/12. This year, we honored 13 Detroit-area investment professionals

D. Filed for personal bankruptcy within the past 11 years; E. Been terminated from a financial services firm within the past 11 years; F. Been convicted of a felony); 4. Fulfilled their firm review based on internal standards; Education and professional designations. FSP does not evaluate quality of

Three-year winner Eric J. Gould, J.D., LL.M. in Taxation

John Garry

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Edward Anthony Gennrich Jr.

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Mark Genovese

Morgan Stanley

Glen Edward Gheesling

Morgan Stanley

Gregory E. Gilbert

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Sherry Noel Gira

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Herbert Neil Glass

Glass Retirement Strategies, Inc.

Jonathan Marc Goldberg

Bloom Advisors

Laurence David Golden

Wells Fargo Advisors

Timothy Leonard Good

ELGA Wealth Management

James Richard Griffith

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Thomas Allen Griffore

Great Lakes Wealth

Steve Grogan

Atticus Wealth Management

Steven T. Guglielmetti

Guglielmetti Asset Management

Michael J. Hagenian

Citizens Private Client

Dicran Berj Haidostian

Future Benefits Corporation

Nidal Naseeb Hamameh

MML Investors Services

Shaun Dorr Hampton

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Scott Alan Hankins

Merrill Lynch

Felicia Gail Harris

EverythingHR Financial Services

Lee Victor Hart

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Bryce Bernard Hemker

Midwest Pension Advisors

Amanda Lynn Henderson

Morgan Stanley

Susan Jill Hodess

Arrow Financial Group

WEALTH MANAGERS — INVESTMENT PROFESSIONALS

Marilyn P. Hogan Carter Capital Management

Jeffrey Dean Hollifield MML Investors Services

Jeffrey Allen Hoppie Morgan Stanley

Roger James Houston LPL Financial

Andrew Joseph Howard

Morgan Stanley

Armin Hrncic

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Jeffrey Charles Huebner Pointe Capital Management, LLC

Mary Katherine Huff-Earnest Merrill Lynch

Mark Ivezaj

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Christopher Paul Jaggi

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Mark Andrew Jankauskas

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Gary William Jbara

Morgan Stanley

Michael Fisher Jennings

Equitable Advisors

Melissa W. Joy

Pearl Planning

William R. Juergens Jr.

Merrill Lynch

Linda Ann Kay

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Laura Marie Kellmann

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Kevin Robert Kilgren

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Michael Allen King

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Shannon Kelly Klug

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC/ Blumark Financial Advisors

Eric James Konopka

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Barbara Ann Kreitsch

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

John Michael Kronner Jr.

Morgan Stanley

David Paul Kudla

Mainstay Capital Management

Raeann Kusch

Thrivent Financial

David John Laidlaw

Spectrum Financial Resources

Nivjola Gloria Lamani

Morgan Stanley

Constantine Dino Lembesis

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Christopher T. Letts

Morgan Stanley

Matthew C. Lively

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Julie Ann-Frakes Lobaza

Rochester Wealth Strategies

Jeffrey David Lynn

LPL Financial

Anne E. MacIntyre

Annie Mac Financial, LLC

Keith Edward Mahle

Morgan Stanley

Patrick Dennis Malzone

Morgan Stanley

Michael Jason Marcotte

Robert W. Baird & Co.

Avery Reese Markos

Wealth Trac Financial

Vadim Matatov

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

William Edward Mathers

TIAA

Jaime K. McCauley

Wells Fargo Advisors

Earl Edward Mchugh

Detroit Financial Group

Andrew Michael McLane

Northern Financial Advisors

Kevin Findley McMillan

Spectrum Financial Resources

Jake McNeil

Planned Financial Services, LLC

Lou Melone

Melone Private Wealth

Matthew Donald Merrifield

Morgan Stanley

Andrew Meyer

Hylan Charles Moises

Darden Wealth Group

James Scott Moran

Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.

Michele R. Morgan

Ameriprise Financial Services

Andrew Scott Mullins

Robert W. Baird & Co.

Keith Earl Murphy

LPL Financial

Kevin Michael Murphy

The Baker Group

Jay Scott Murray

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Eric Nahat

Synergy Capital Solutions

Charles Thomas O’Connor Jr.

LPL Financial

Lisa Renee Pallach

Morgan Stanley

Frank Frederick Patrick

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Daniel B. Paulson

Robert W. Baird & Co.

Wayne Everett Phillips

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Michael Robert Pohlod

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Mary Andrea Prebish

Osaic FA, Inc.

Scott Clare Prechtel

Equitable Advisors

Alexander John Rasky

Lincoln Investment

Susan M. Reck

Merrill Lynch

William V. Reepmeyer

Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.

Martin Daniel Reid

LPL Financial

Mark John Rogers

Morgan Stanley

Kristen Marie Roy

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC/ TapRoot Wealth

Robert Joseph Samrah

GFP Private Wealth

Michael Cary Sanfield

Merrill Lynch

Michael Norman Sarcheck

First Financial Coaching, Inc.

Sandra Michelle Scolari

Strategic Wealth Horizons, LLC

David John Sculati

Sculati Wealth Management, LLC

David William Senatore

Morgan Stanley

Tyler Joseph Silverthorn

Stonebridge Financial Partners

Jarryd D. Smith

Harbor Light Planning

Jeffrey John Smith

OWL Private Wealth Advisors

Thomas E. Smith Jr.

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC/ EverNorth Wealth Advisors

Bradley Steven Sova DFCU Financial Partners

Scott Mcmillan Strickland

Morgan Stanley

Paula Christine Swain

Financial Center for Women

Martin John Swiecki

The Valleta Group

Kristi Ann Szejbach Primerica Advisors

Daniel Peter Thomas Jr.

Thomas Financial Group, LLC

James Walter Thorpe

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Peter James Ulbrich

Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.

Thomas Victor Valade

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Jason Van Duyn

AQuest Wealth Strategies

Thaddeus Peter Vannice

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Adam Christopher Walsh

Rochester Wealth Management

JC Serge Wilhelm

Morgan Stanley

Jeremy Mitchell Wilson

J. Wilson Wealth Management

Xenia Kristina Woltmann

Rochester Wealth Strategies

Donald Gregory Wylin Savant Wealth Management

Troy M. Yaldoo

Baird Private Wealth Management

Robert John Yarmak

Vertrix Wealth Management, LLC

Cheri Young Forever Young Integrated Wealth

Derek Scott Zachariah DSZ Wealth Management

Eric Jason Zimmerman

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

David Raymond Zukowski

Morgan Stanley Investment Professionals

Margaret P. Amsden Wipfli Advisory, LLC

John Bringard

John Bringard, CPA, PLLC

Jack S. Couzens

Couzens Lansky Fealk Ellis Roeder & Lazar P.C.

Gregory C. Hamilton Hamilton & Associates

Phillip H. Hough Jr

Wagner & Hough, PLLC

Alisa Kwang

Alisa Kwang, PLLC

John Thomas MacFarlane Clark Hill PLC

Lawrence I. Millman Grant, Millman & Johnson, P.C.

Don L. Rosenberg Barron Rosenberg Mayoras & Mayoras, P.C.

Lawrence Mark Slutsky Randel & Associates, PLLC

Jeffrey Scott Sternberg Kotz Sangster Wysocki P.C. All award winners are listed in

Morgan Stanley

David P. Miller

North Coast Financial Advisors

David J. Runyon

Morgan Stanley

Timothy Patrick Rush

Nemes Rush Family Wealth

Management

Jared Weinerman

Impact Financial Planning

Richard Bruce Weinerman

Impact Financial Planning

used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria. 3,902 Detroit-area wealth managers were considered for the award; 262 (7% 3,715, 289, 8%, 5/1/25, 8/21/24 - 2/28/25; 2024: 3,651, 278, 8%, 5/1/24, 9/5/23 - 2/29/24; 2023: 3,550, 312, 9%, 5/1/23, 9/5/22 - 3/3/23; 2022: 3,273, 304, 9%, 5/1/22, 9/3/21 - 3/11/22; - 3/19/18; 2017: 1,836, 356, 19%, 5/1/17, 8/24/16 - 2/24/17; 2016: 1,961, 630, 32%, 4/1/16, 10/22/15 - 3/9/16; 2015: 2,238, 627, 28%, 5/1/15, 10/22/14 - 3/9/15; 2014: 3,448, 658, 19%, with the Five Star Investment Professional award.

for a minimum of five years; 3. Favorable regulatory and complaint history review (As defined by FSP, the wealth manager has not; A. Been subject to a regulatory action that resulted in a license being suspended or revoked, or payment of a fine; B. Had discovered through a check of complaints registered with a regulatory authority or complaints registered through FSP’s consumer complaint process; feedback may not be representative of any one client’s experience; C. Individually contributed to a financial 5. Accepting new clients. Evaluation criteria - considered: 6. One-year client retention rate; 7. Five-year client retention rate; 8. Non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered; 9. Number of client households served; 10. may not manage their clients’ assets. The inclusion of a wealth manager on the Five Star Wealth

LEARN

the Brightest

Finding a great doctor is not an easy task. Fortunately, metro Detroit has no shortage of doctors breaking new ground and delivering excellent care to their patients. From plastic surgery to neurosurgery, these stellar physicians have earned their reputations as leaders in their fields. Read on in this section to learn more about some of the top medical professionals in metro Detroit.

Find Your Featured Physician:

MIND — Michigan Institute for Neurological Disorders

MIND — Michigan Institute for Neurological Disorders — is a leading neurological care provider offering comprehensive diagnosis, treatment, and management of conditions affecting the brain, spine, and nervous system.

MIND’s team includes board-certified neurologists, fellowship-trained subspecialists, and experienced advanced practice providers who deliver expert, compassionate care supported by on-site MRI, EEG/EMG testing, infusion services, and advanced neurodiagnostic technology.

MIND’s six Centers of Excellence provide specialized expertise in multiple sclerosis, headaches and facial pain, Alzheimer’s disease and memory disorders, Parkinson’s disease and movement disorders, interventional pain management, and infusion therapies. Its Multiple Sclerosis Center — recognized by the National MS Society as a Center for Comprehensive MS Care — treats more than 5,500 patients annually. Many MIND physicians also contribute to clinical research as primary and sub-investigators. Through research, innovative treatments, and coordinated, one-stop access to care, MIND brings advanced neurological services closer to home across its network of metro Detroit offices, including a new Westland center opening this summer. ■

MIND — Michigan Institute for Neurological Disorders 28595 Orchard Lake Road, Suite 200 Farmington Hills, MI 48334 248-553-0010 • MINDonline.com

network of metro Detroit offices, including a new Westland center opening this summer.

Consultants in Ophthalmic & Facial Plastic Surgery

In the world of ophthalmic and facial plastic surgery, the physicians at Consultants in Ophthalmic & Facial Plastic Surgery are consistently recognized for their excellence. is year, Dr. Evan Black was once again honored in the Top Docs issue of Hour Detroit in the specialties of plastic and reconstructive surgery and ophthalmology. e physicians’ consistent recognition reflects their skill, their dedication, and the trust they’ve built with their patients over the years.

At Consultants in Ophthalmic & Facial Plastic Surgery, patient care begins with listening, understanding individual needs, and then determining the most effective and affordable path forward. e goal is not only to deliver exceptional results but also to ensure a comfortable, supportive experience from start to finish. A patient from Livonia shared, “Not only did I know that I was in the very best medical hands, but I felt well cared for from beginning to end, and that makes all the difference.”

e commitment to clinical care and customer service is a hallmark of the practice. Consultants in Ophthalmic & Facial Plastic Surgery is home to an esteemed team of physicians, including Dr. Geoff rey J. Gladstone, Dr. Evan H. Black, Dr. Francesca Nesi-Eloff, Dr. Dianne M. Schlachter, Dr. Robert A. Beaulieu, and Dr. Shravani

Mikkilineni, as well as physician assistant Lindsay El-Awadi. Serving communities across southeast Michigan and Flint, these doctors maintain affiliations with top accredited hospitals, ensuring their patients receive the highest standard of care.

e expert physicians at Consultants in Ophthalmic & Facial Plastic Surgery set the bar with their extensive training, professional affiliations, certifications, leadership positions, and teaching roles. Each physician has received accolades for their contributions to advancing ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery.

Procedures and Services Offered:

Cosmetic Procedures: With age comes the natural onset of wrinkles and sagging skin. e practice offers a range of cosmetic procedures designed to rejuvenate the face, including eyelid and forehead surgeries that lift drooping eyelids, smooth wrinkles, and remove under-eye bags.

Reconstructive Surgery: e practice offers reconstructive surgery to restore both function and appearance. Services include ptosis repair, eyelid reconstruction, lower eyelid malposition surgery, eyelid skin cancer treatment, tear duct surgery, thyroid eye disease treatment, orbital tumor surgery, and fracture repair.

Nonsurgical Rejuvenation: For those seeking a less invasive approach, the practice provides options like

fractional CO2 laser treatments, Botox, and dermal fillers to smooth deep wrinkles and rejuvenate the skin. With locations in Southfield, Troy, Livonia, Novi, St. Clair Shores, Southgate, and Flint, Consultants in Ophthalmic & Facial Plastic Surgery is easily accessible for patients across metro Detroit and beyond. No matter which doctor a patient sees, they can expect top-tier expertise and personalized care that have made this practice a trusted name in the community. ■

Consultants in Ophthalmic & Facial Plastic Surgery, PC 29201 Telegraph Road, Suite 324 Southfield, MI 48034

800-245-8075

EyelidPros.com

Hugh Pabarue, M.D., DABVLM

Hugh Pabarue, M.D., DABVLM , of Metro Vein Centers is a highly respected, double board-certified vein specialist with more than 15 years of experience treating venous and vascular conditions. He is dedicated to delivering lasting relief from leg pain, swelling, fatigue, and varicose veins through advanced, minimally invasive care. A recipient of the 2025 Castle Connolly Top Doctor Award, Dr. Pabarue is recognized by his peers for excellence in clinical care. As a diplomate of the American Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine, he is known for his advanced expertise and commitment to the highest standards in vein and lymphatic treatment.

Dr. Pabarue has performed more than 25,000 minimally invasive vein procedures, making him one of the most experienced vein specialists in the

region. He specializes in treating chronic venous insufficiency using leading evidence-based technologies, including radiofrequency ablation, Varithena, and VenaSeal, allowing patients to return to normal activities quickly with minimal downtime.

Dr. Pabarue regularly trains other doctors in advanced vein treatments and is a trusted medical authority in metro Detroit. He is frequently sought out by media outlets to provide expert insight and promote public awareness of venous disorders. Dr. Pabarue earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan, a master’s degree from Wright State University, and his M.D. from the Medical College of Ohio, completing his residency at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, where he further developed his commitment to patientcentered care and clinical excellence. ■

Metro Vein Centers

25631 Li le Mack Ave., Suite 204 St. Clair Shores, MI 48081

46591 Romeo Plank Road, Suite 111B Macomb, MI 48044

586-210-9589 | metroveincenters.com

Photo courtesy of Lemon Lane Photography

Mariam Awada, M.D., FACS

Voted Best in Michigan and recognized multiple years as a top board-certified plastic surgeon in America by U.S. News & World Report, Dr. Mariam Awada stands at the pinnacle of cosmetic surgery. She is the premier choice for the most elite and discerning patients seeking unparalleled aesthetic transformations.

Dr. Awada has helped thousands of women and men elevate their confidence through thoughtful, personalized transformation. Her approach blends surgical precision with an artist’s eye for proportion, balance, and “undetectable” enhancement — results that look like you, only refreshed, sculpted, and beautifully aligned. Patients seek her expertise for bespoke mommy makeovers, precision tummy tucks, breast augmentation and lifts, elegant rhinoplasty, and comprehensive facial rejuvenation.

At Michigan Cosmetic Surgery, Dr. Awada leads an exceptional team with 90 years of combined experience, delivering concierge-level care from your first consultation through every follow-up visit. Every decision is collaborative — your questions are welcomed, your options are clearly explained, and your plan is tailored to your lifestyle and recovery timeline.

Patients trust Dr. Awada’s extraordinary artistic vision to create bespoke treatment plans tailored to their individual aspirations and lifestyles. Her unwavering dedication to patient safety and personalized care and her exceptional ability to connect with clients truly set her apart.

“Witnessing my patients’ joy and newfound self-love over the past 23 years as a plastic surgeon is what I cherish the most,” she says.

Ready to invest in yourself? Schedule your private consultation with Dr. Awada and step into your most confident, radiant chapter. Call or text 248-631-6031. You can also schedule online at michigancosmeticsurgery.com. ■

Mariam Awada, M.D., FACS

Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon Michigan Cosmetic Surgery

29110 Inkster Road, Suite 250 Southfield, MI 48034

248-631-6031

michigancosmeticsurgery.com

Dr. Pradeep Se y

Born and raised in metro Detroit, Dr. Pradeep Setty returned home to provide patients with world-class neurosurgical care backed by elite training and a passion for innovation. He earned his undergraduate degree in neuroscience from Lehigh University before completing medical school at Touro University Nevada.

Dr. Setty returned to Michigan for his neurosurgery residency through Michigan State University, where he specialized in minimally invasive spine and cranial surgery under Drs. Fernando Diaz, Daniel Pieper, and Teck Mun Soo. During his residency, he also completed a prestigious neuro-oncology fellowship at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, gaining advanced expertise in brain and spine tumor surgery.

Following residency, Dr. Setty pursued an endoscopic and open skull base fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh, home to the nation’s first and largest cranial base surgery center, where he trained under renowned surgeons Drs. Paul Gardner and Juan Fernandez-Miranda. He also received specialized training in Gamma Knife radiosurgery before returning to Michigan in 2017.

Today, Dr. Setty focuses on minimally invasive brain and spine surgery, offering patients smaller incisions, less pain, faster recoveries, and better outcomes. He has performed thousands of complex procedures and remains committed to advancing neurosurgery through innovation, research, and education. He has published numerous peer-reviewed articles, has contributed to medical literature, and serves as an assistant professor in the Oakland University Department of Neurosurgery.

Outside his practice, Dr. Setty is dedicated to global humanitarian efforts, participating in medical missions to Ukraine, the Philippines, and Guatemala, where he provides critical neurosurgical care and surgical training to underserved communities.

With exceptional expertise, compassionate care, and a commitment to both local and global impact, Dr. Setty is helping patients restore function, improve quality of life, and return to the activities they love. ■

Dr. Pradeep Se y

3555 W. 13 Mile Road, Suite N220 Royal Oak, MI 48073

248-784-3667

info@drse y.com drse y.com

EAT DETROIT 2026

June 8

eatdetroit.info/#surveychat

EAT Detroit is a one-night-only food and drink experience and fundraiser. Guests will explore participating restaurants and food trucks with included tastings. Proceeds benefit SAY Detroit, supporting programs that provide pathways to success for Detroiters in need.

RUNWAY 313: BIG FASHION, BIG FUTURES

June 12, 6 to 11 p.m.

bbbssoutheastmi.org/313.html

Hosted by Chuck Bennett with DJ Bruce Bailey, Runway 313 delivers a high-energy fashion event benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southeast Michigan. Guests will enjoy green-carpet photos, a designer expo, a runway show, and the afterglow dance party, celebrating Detroit style and the impact of youth mentoring.

Charity Calendar

SUNSET AT THE ZOO

June 18, 7 p.m. start for general admission, 5 p.m. start for VIP, through 11 p.m.

detroitzoo.org/events/sunset-at-the-zoo Sunset at the Zoo, presented by KeyBank, is the Detroit Zoological Society’s annual fundraising celebration. Guests will stroll the zoo with cocktails, enjoy local bites, bid on auction items, and dance to live music. Proceeds support conservation and the connection between people, animals, and the natural world.

THE PARADE COMPANY’S FORD FIREWORKS ROOFTOP PARTY

June 22, 5:30 to 11 p.m.

theparade.org/ford-fireworks/rooftop-party

The Parade Company’s Rooftop Party, presented by Ford Motor Company, offers premier views of one of the country’s largest fireworks displays. Held atop the Center Garage, the event features food by Andiamo, live music, games, and family-friendly entertainment as the themed Ford Fireworks light up Detroit’s skyline. Proceeds benefit the Michigan Thanksgiving Parade Foundation.

POWER CONNECTIONS COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE CONFERENCE

June 9 and 10

powerconnectionsco.com/commercial-realestate-conference-2026

The Power Connections Commercial Real Estate Conference returns to Detroit in 2026, convening industry leaders for a day of networking, insights, and deal-making. The event features dynamic speakers and expanded programming, highlighting Michigan’s role as a hub for innovation, investment, and growth in commercial real estate.

VARIETY BIKE NIGHT

June 4

variety-detroit.com/events/bikes-on-the-go Variety the Children’s Charity presents Variety Bikes for Kids, providing adaptive bicycles to children with special needs. The program aims to serve 150 children, supporting mobility, independence, and inclusion across the community. Bike Night at UWM Field features bike presentations, game experiences, and special guests.

Charity Calendar

37TH ANNUAL VARIETY

KOVAN GOLF CLASSIC

June 15

variety-detroit.com/events/golf-classic

The 37th annual Variety Kovan Golf Classic will take place at Tam-O-Shanter Country Club, featuring golf, dining, and an auction benefiting children facing physical and cognitive challenges. Proceeds support memorial funds and Variety programs. Sponsorship opportunities and guest tickets are available.

FELDMAN AUTOMOTIVE CHILDREN’S MIRACLE CELEBRITY INVITATIONAL

June 8, 9 a.m.

corewellhealth.org/foundation/southeast/ events

This invitational pairs golfers with celebrities from sports and entertainment for a day of golf and hospitality. The event concludes with a live auction, with proceeds benefiting Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals at Corewell Health Children’s and the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation.

WOMEN’S HEALTH CARE CLASSIC

June 22, 8 a.m.

corewellhealth.org/foundation/southeast/ events

The Women’s Health Care Classic will take place at Dearborn Country Club, featuring an 18-hole mixed tournament and a 9-hole women’s event. Proceeds support women’s health services at Corewell Health hospitals in Dearborn, Taylor, Trenton, and Wayne, continuing more than three decades of community impact.

EYESON DESIGN AT FORD HOUSE

June 21, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

eyesondesign.org/ford-house

Each Father’s Day, thousands of car fans journey to the idyllic home of Edsel and Eleanor Ford in Grosse Pointe Shores for the automotive design celebration EyesOn Design. Organized around an annual design theme, vehicle owners are invited to share their rolling sculptures with the world.

Junior League of Birmingham’s Little Black Dress Brunch

PHOTOS BY AMI NICOLE

RAISING MONEY for women living in poverty or crisis situations, this event — held at The Community House in Birmingham — featured a plated brunch, multiple speakers, and a silent auction. The funds raised went to local organizations supporting women, including HAVEN and Habitat for Humanity of Oakland County. Attendees wore black dresses and brought items for a women’s health and hygiene donation drive. To learn more about the Junior League of Birmingham, visit birminghammi.jl.org

1. Heather Hall, Keli Kildow-Polymeneas 2. Laura Zawodni, Mallory McComb 3. Tracy Zimmerman, Kelly Miner, Samantha Sant 4. Kate Smith, Kathy Smith, Elizabeth Young Boyd, Emily Engel 5. Lindsey Mitchell, Catherine Reber, Jaime Fisk, Morgan Velez, Zoé Crowe, Monica Chrobak, Katrina Karpowitsch, Claire Knutson 6. Claire Knutson, Morgan Velez, Maddie Wein 7. Lily Ramos Zalewski, Katie Zinkel 8. Elionora Donelson, Lindsey Mitchell 9. Aria Hughes, Jaime Fisk 10. Tammy Miller, Kellianne Miller, Shelley Goldin 11. Kelly Miner, Nikki Angle, Emily Colbert, Madison Miner 12. Laurie McCullen, Jessica Rabine, Catherine Reber 13. Rose Kuo, Amy Hensley, Lee Watson

2026 Role

Model Celebration

SERVING AS THE LARGEST fundraising event for Alternatives For Girls, the Role Model Celebration honors “the extraordinary women in the community alongside the accomplishments of the girls and young women” the organization serves. This year’s honorees were Rita Brown, CEO of Brown Constructive Collective; Jenifer Dionne, founder of BATCH Modern Skin Science; and Denise Lewis, a retired attorney who helped lead many projects and initiatives in downtown Detroit. Guests and honorees at the event, held at The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, enjoyed dinner and a live silent auction. To learn more about Alternatives For Girls’ programs and services, visit alternativesforgirls.org

1. Ashley Williams, Professor Kyle Lopes, Jeanee Darde 2. Scott and Alison Brawner, Kelly Muldoon, Luke McMurray, Shivani and Sunil Arjun 3. Yulonda Byrd, Danté Ramocan, Lafrancia Davis 4. Emma Seidel, Ashley Preston 5. Alexis and Jenifer Dionne, Dr. Celia Thomas 6. Christina and JD Spina, Erin and Joe Bracken, Stephanie and Brian Blatt 7. Melissa Jochums, Hoop Sandhu, Laurie Manery 8. Margaret Dinneweth, Allisen Willhoft, Megan Zurbo, Alexis Hanson 9. Denise Fair Razo and Rico Razo 10. Dhivya Srinivasan, Scott DiTomaso, Kendall Cislo 11. Amanda Posch, Kellie Twynham, Britni McGuckin, Lauren Morris 12. Sandra Ramocan, Rita Brown, Dea Mason

25th Annual Classical Roots Celebration

THIS EVENT, which raises funds for the DSO’s African American music and musician development programs, served as a pre-party for the 48th Annual Classical Roots Concert at Orchestra Hall. Both events served to honor and raise awareness of African American composers and musicians who have made significant contributions to classical music. Attendees enjoyed champagne and a seated dinner before the concert. To learn more about upcoming classical music events in Detroit, visit dso.org.

1. Betty Howard, Dianne Martin 2. Andrea Ingram, Noah Jackson, Angel Ingram 3. Jamaal Howell, Geila Mekonnen, Caylyn Emanuel, Michael McCauley 4. Deena Ashford Gardner, Ashley Soper 5. Krystal Gardner, Ayanna Clinton 6. LaToya Cross, Elizabeth Mays, Leigh Chandler 7. Taylor Richard, Christian Atabong 8. Noah Jackson, Lulu Fall, Issac Eide 9. Clarinda and Ritchie Harrison 10. Darwyn Parks, Colin Parks 11. Gabrielle Willis, Rita Brooks, Margo Walker, John Gillon 12. Gary and Kimberly Dorsey

PHOTOS BY AMI NICOLE

DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION, Detroit kids, like most of the country, didn’t have a lot to be cheerful about. But when 9-year-old actor Jackie Cooper came to town to headline an All-Star Musical Revue at the Fisher Theatre, those lucky enough to meet him or see the show had reason to cheer. On May 7, 1932, Cooper was photographed front and center with dozens of children in the lobby of the theater, which was only in its fourth year.

Earlier that day, Cooper had appeared at the WWJ radio studio, where he met young contest winners from the Detroit News-sponsored Seckatary Hawkins Fair and Square Club, which made him an honorary member. Based on Robert F. Schulkers’s wildly popular Seckatary Hawkins children’s comic strips and books, dozens of the clubs emerged across the country, giving kids the opportunity to enter contests for writing, poetry, and drawing.

Cooper already had star power when he appeared at the Fisher Theatre. He first starred in the Our Gang comedy shorts

(The Little Rascals) and became known for his roles in the 1931 movies The Champ, a sentimental boxing tale with Wallace Beery, and Skippy, for which he became known as “America’s Boy.” For his acting in Skippy, Cooper was the youngest person to be nominated for the best actor Oscar, a record that still stands. He lost to Lionel Barrymore at the fourth Academy Awards in November 1931.

The L.A.-born actor also appeared in films as a teen and adult, earned the rank of Navy captain during World War II, and starred in television series The People’s Choice and Hennesey before becoming the vice president of program development for Columbia Pictures’ TV division. He later guest-starred on television shows and directed a number of episodes for several series, including M*A*S*H and The White Shadow, each earning him an Emmy award for directing. Younger generations may remember him as newsman Perry White in 1978’s Superman and three of its sequels. Cooper died in 2011 at age 88. —Bill Dow

Try your luck on our stunning casino floor featuring over 2,200 slot machines, nearly 150 table games and the city’s only award-winning poker room. Satisfy your cravings with Detroit’s finest dining at D.PRIME Steakhouse. When it’s time to unwind, our acclaimed IMMERSE spa is ready to deliver unparalleled relaxation. End your day in GRAND style in our newly refreshed hotel rooms ensuring a home-away-from-home experience.