moose734 wrote:I would add, if you wanna try all the slider/greasy burger joints, a trip to Bray's in Westland. Affectionately called donkey butt due to the large statue of a donkey outside the restaurant.

Westland, MI

Only reason I didn't include them was because they tore their old buildings down going from carhop to drive-thru. That being said they've been around for 62 years and one of their burgers did make for a good way to start the day. I forgot to mention that at all these spots the burgers seem to be eaten as much in the morning as they are in the afternoon, there are no specific hours for breakfast, lunch and dinner, everything is always served. There's also a Brayz in Hazel Park which I have to get to but does still sit in an old building like the others. Maybe thats the one you were talking about.


Bray's Cheeseburger

Rene G wrote:I'm truly impressed. Several years ago I planned a less ambitious Detroit slider tour but Telway, our first destination, stopped us dead in our tracks.

Da Beef wrote:All these spots featured offer bags of burgers which must of been the preferred way of ordering them back when lunch time hit at the factories. These days it's still a popular spot and two guesses for why would be it's still a place where one can fill up with just a few bucks and there must be quite a few who grew up on them. Because they weren't my favorite. Mushy is the best way to describe them. Not inedible but definitely different. I guess I could see enjoying them if they brought back pleasant memories of better days in Detroit.


Telway Cheeseburgers

I think the bags of burgers—and just about everything else at Detroit's many gleaming white burger palaces—were inspired by White Castle. Their slogan, "Buy 'em by the sack," introduced in the 1920s when take-out food wasn't common, became widely imitated (eg, Steak 'n Shake's Takhomasak).

Mushy? Sounds like you got lucky. Mushy suggests the presence of moisture. That Telway photo below is from over three years ago and it still brings back unpleasant memories. Did you happen to try Telway's chili?

Rene G wrote:

I'm pretty sure we got the last of the old batch of burgers. I'm being kind when I say these little guys were disappointing. I'd have to think long and hard to remember a skimpier or less appealing burger. It tasted mainly of cheap bun and stale grease. The chili was much worse—hands down the most disgusting bowl I've ever tried. Unfortunately that slop put an end to our slider explorations. Next time in Detroit I'll try to get back on the horse but it'll be tough to erase that chili from my memory. There have to be better places.

I have to say, some of those Detroit sliders look pretty good. Time to get back on the horse?

Haha thanks. I still haven't been back to Telway because of your experience. I don't want to risk being turned off forever. But the spots that look good are worth the stop. So yeah I'd say it's time to bring out the old Mustang and take a ride. Love or hate White Castle, you gotta appreciate the fact they spawned so many spots like this. I think an argument can made they did as much for the American burger culture as anyone else.

JeffB wrote:Beef and Rene: You guys have done more for Detroit than Megatron and Cabrera! Keep it up, and let me know if you identify a place on par with Mike's, for any food.

The thing I enjoy about it is, every time I'm in town, a couple new places pop up. When I say "new" I mean new to me, they're still around just like the rest on here. Mike's is a mecca but I haven't been the last couple trips because I cant get enough of Scotty Simpsons Fish and Chips (seen upthread). Two different types of bites but so very similar in both experience and being able to serve simple foods flawlessly.

Aw darn, I checked google streetview and sure enough they tore down the Bray's at Ford & Inkster. And I'm damn happy to see photos of the Cadieux Cafe, it makes it so much easier to explain feather bowling to people, I was starting to think I had dreamt it 30 years ago, along w/ Mike's ham sandwich.
The only place I can see that you're missing is Sander's, which Morley's has managed to revive.
http://www.sanderscandy.com/aboutus.asp

Although I stopped eating red meat and pork 20 years ago, one of my youthful memories was a trip from our North Suburban home to Dearborn for a bowl of Split Pea with Ham Soup and a Ham Sandwich on a Kaiser Roll at Lile's.

Lile's Dearborn

Still going strong in their small shop across from Dearborn City Hall on Michigan west of Schaefer, I would recommend Lile's to those making future Detroit food pilgrimages.

Lile's Sandwich Shop
13800 Michigan Avenue
Dearborn, MI 48126
313-581-2821

Some Good New Places in Detroit

This thread, one of my favorites, has focused primarily on the places that refused to give up on Detroit. Today I thought I'd add a section on the spots helping build a new Detroit. There's countless articles out there about the new generation of artists, young businessmen, and industry people etc moving into an area that was once as rich as any. Not to mention the Chinese and English firms that have been buying up land to the point where the days of a $20,000 building are gone. I myself do some business in the area and when not indulging in the riches of Middle Eastern eats next door in Dearborn, or enjoying the best fish n' chips outside of the UK and Canada, or eating ham sandwiches stacked sky high, or enjoying real deal old fashioned burgers, these are some of the newly opened spots I've enjoyed.


The Green Rush is in full flow mode
________________________________________________________________________________

One of the major bricks in building a new Detroit is modern art. There's countless galleries featuring the work of people from all over the globe. One of the more concentrated places featuring these montages is the MOCAD aka Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit.


MOCAD

I'll admit I'm not the biggest art geek in the world but I find myself more appreciative of it as I get older. MOCAD is a non-collecting museum so I don't think anyone has a right to complain about the work they're showing.


a peek inside

After a walk around the former car dealership turned museum we decided it was time. Lets be real, the real reason we were here was to eat and drink. Attached to the museum is Cafe 78 where they're serving food and drinks in a large open space with young entrepreneurs showing off their craft. On this day a young lady from Seattle was selling her 'Detroit is the New Black' clothing line and people were waiting to purchase an item to showcase. It's a tight knit community. The bar here has become a staple for me when in town. I think they have the best cocktails around these parts. It's all about the colors.


Cocktail Menu based off the Pantone Color Palette


Brunch Cocktails

Don't sleep on the food. Cafe 78 offers a a bar menu and also brunch on Sunday's which was the showcase on my most recent visit with the lady. We decided to split a Croque Madame sandwich and it was glorious. As followers of this thread know Detroit is as serious about its ham as they are the cars.


Croque Madame Sandwich at Cafe 78 inside the MOCAD
________________________________________________________________________________


Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails

Continuing on in this area, around the corner from MOCAD is a kitchen and bar focusing on Chartreuse. I've only been in here once which was my most recent visit with the lady. I thought the drinks were just ok while the small plate of charred octopus was enjoyed, though I have had more tender. Including from a place visited later that night.


Grilled Spanish Octopus- fennel, pickled onion, chorizo, cucumber, chili, sea salt
________________________________________________________________________________


Wright & Co.

One of the things I really love about this industry renaissance is the fact they're opening businesses in beautiful old buildings and neighborhoods. Wright & Co. sits on the second floor of the historic Wright-Kay Building, one of the oldest in Detroit. I love the views of downtown from inside but must admit that the food menu feels a little bit like it's circa 2003 though the vibes are fantastic. I've enjoyed the plates I've tried but none of them are anything new. The bartenders are well informed and will make you most anything or surprise you with something after telling them what you like.


Sitting at the bar inside
________________________________________________________________________________


Corktown

The biggest concentration of new age spots opening up shop is happening in Detroit's oldest neighborhood. When Slow's BBQ debuted some 10 years ago it turned this stretch of Michigan avenue around. Handfuls of businesses have followed the smell of the smoke and opened in the area.


Two James Distillery is the first in Detroit since pre-prohibition. The cocktails are a little expensive for the city but it's worth a stop for a shot.
________________________________________________________________________________


Rubbed

This Corktown sandwich shop is the concept of a couple longtime restaurant vets who moved back from San Francisco to make their dream a reality. Most delis in Detroit are all about the corned beef but Rubbed is focused in on cured meats and such. They make their own stuff on-site and offer it by the pound and also in sandwiches. The 'East-Sider' is a favorite of mine. It packs soppressata, capicola, pepperoni, honey ham, provolone, bacon–herb spread, lettuce, tomato, onion, sweet peppers into their fresh bread and its awesome though on my last trip in it was 94 degrees and the 'Yooper' seemed appropriate. Since it was brunch time they had thick crisp local bacon ad I asked them to add that on on top of the smoked whitefish. Standard toppings are Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, and carrot.


The Yooper Sandwich
________________________________________________________________________________


Gold Cash Gold

Down the street is this former pawn shop turned restaurant. They call the food here "farmstead fine food" and it all comes from nearby farms and or the kitchen where they make many items in house. The fried chicken is pretty damn good as is the burger and the cocktails. It can also be a nice place to enjoy some drinks.


Pure Michigan
________________________________________________________________________________

Rene G wrote:On the way out of town we grabbed a couple ham sandwiches to go. Wanted to try Johnny's Ham King but there wasn't time.

Johnny Noodle King

Out with the old and in with the new. At least they paid homage to the former tenant and kept the building up, and after all it aint like it was Mike's. I decided to finally try this popular Corktown spot with the bridge to Canada overlooking it on the rec of a local writer for New City named David Hammond. If you haven't heard of him or read any of his stuff check it out, he knows whats up. He said the tableside torched mackerel was where its at and I cant argue with that. The pieces basically melted in your mouth. All in all this place was solid enough that we went back on the same trip. The gyoza is great as is the bacon fried rice and daily bao bun selection, get the ham if they have it. The broth in the ramen was a bit mellow but the porkbelly was cooked perfectly.


Tableside Torched Mackerel


Char Siu Bun


Housemade Pork Gyoza


Bacon Fried Rice


Shoyu Ramen
________________________________________________________________________________


Selden Standard

Last but not least is my favorite "new" place to eat in the D. I'm not sharing any secret with this one as it's probably 1000's of others favorite spot to eat in town too. It's been named restaurant of the year and been reviewed by every local publication and had handfuls of national reviews. Selden Standard is a seasonal shared plate experience where many of the dishes are made on their wood roasting grill.


Sitting at the Grill

My recent birthday weekend meal here will no doubt make my year end best list. I thought everything we ate could've been listed in the best thing I've ate lately thread. If it sounds good to you, then you'll probably enjoy it. These guys are killing it, food and drink.


Charred Octopus - Fennel, citrus, olive, saffron


Sweet Pea Agnolotti - Garlic scapes, almond, brown butter


Smoked Lamb Ribs - Garlic scapes, yogurt, lemon


Strawberry Rhubarb Sundae - Salt & pepper ice cream, shortbread
________________________________________________________________________________

Cafe 78 at MOCAD
4454 Woodward Ave
Detroit, MI 48201
(313) 832-6622

Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails
15 E Kirby St
Detroit, MI 48202
(313) 818-3915

Wright & Co.
1500 Woodward Ave Second Floor
Detroit, MI 48226
(313) 962-7711

Two James Spirits
2445 Michigan Avenue
Detroit, MI 48184
(313) 964-4800

Rubbed
2015 Michigan Ave
Detroit, MI 48216
(313) 265-3684

Gold Cash Gold
2100 Michigan Ave
Detroit, MI 48216
(313) 242-0770

Johnny Noodle King
2601 W Fort St
Detroit, MI 48216
(313) 309-7946

Selden Standard
3921 2nd Ave
Detroit, MI 48201
(313) 438-5055

Beautiful report, Titus. I've been a bit lazy lately and haven't had the energy to write up my reports on Wright&Co and Selden Standard, but I agree with what you've said exactly.

This post reminded me to post a question about my upcoming trip. I'll be heading back to DTW from Canada next month. I think it'll be via the Ambassador Bridge. Any suggestions for a casual late lunch/early dinner spot between the bridge and the airport? Open to all cuisines except mexican. Thanks in advance.

Great stuff Beef!! Detroit is one of the places I'd most like to visit--not sure I'd ever say that if not for all of the wonderful reports that you, Hammond and ReneG have put together for us--much thanks!!!

Glad you tried and liked the mackerel at Johnny Noodle King. Whenever the subject of mackerel comes up (and it comes up often, oddly), I mention this tableside-torch prep. I cooked two mackerel in a pan last night, and they were fresh out of the Atlantic so really good, but man, I wished I'd had a torch.

Dave148 wrote:This post reminded me to post a question about my upcoming trip. I'll be heading back to DTW from Canada next month. I think it'll be via the Ambassador Bridge. Any suggestions for a casual late lunch/early dinner spot between the bridge and the airport? Open to all cuisines except mexican. Thanks in advance.

I cannot give you specifics but I will give you general areas.

The Ambassador Bridge is on Huron Church Road. As you approach the bridge, you are approaching the University of Windsor. Along University Ave., there are dozens of Asian restaurants of various persuasions. I have no specific recommendations but I have never had a bad meal in that area.

If you head to the tunnel, there are any number of good places in the CBD. I like Tunnel BBQ and I have stopped a couple times at some Eastern European restaurants in the general area.

Personally, if I was heading through Detroit, I would get off at Porter St. and head to Mexicantown for seafood. I have had some great meals there. Or I would cross through the tunnel and take 94W to Dearborn and eat Middle Eastern in one of the many great restaurants along Warren Ave.

Dave148 wrote:This post reminded me to post a question about my upcoming trip. I'll be heading back to DTW from Canada next month. I think it'll be via the Ambassador Bridge. Any suggestions for a casual late lunch/early dinner spot between the bridge and the airport? Open to all cuisines except mexican. Thanks in advance.

None of the places in this thread appeal to you? Or is it simply too tough to choose between torched mackerel or a Coney dog? Not a problem, either way. What I consider the major culinary attraction of the Detroit area has been mentioned above, but most of the coverage is scattered among other threads. If you have any interest in Middle Eastern food, you really shouldn't miss Dearborn, with about 40% of its 100,000 being of Arab ancestry. Warren Avenue, dense with restaurants and markets, is a detour of only a few miles from I-94 on the way to DTW. In my too-brief visits to Dearborn I've been greatly impressed with the quantity and quality of the offerings. The worst places I ate at compare very favorably with the best I've been to around Chicago. You could probably choose randomly from the dozens of options and be very happy, but searching Beyond Chicagoland for Dearborn should pull up some useful discussions.

If you want some first-hand recommendations for restaurants with table service, consider Al-Ameer or Al-Ajami (both were mentioned in this thread as well as elsewhere). You can get great sandwiches, rolled or pressed, at Tuhama's (I especially liked the soujouk). So many sweets shops, including the gloriously garish Shatila, but Lebon Sweets' knafeh/canafa sandwich is in a class by itself. Don't miss the gigantic Super Greenland Market with its extensive serve-yourself olive and pickle stations, or the small Hashem's Roastery for great spices, including unusual blends. Everything I mentioned is on Warren, all within about a mile.

Chiming in, though sadly I'm without photographs, to add my $.02 from a quick trip to Detroit this weekend. Friends just moved to Detroit so we hit a few of the spots they had been wanting to try or had been and wanted me to experience.

Got in Friday evening and decided to risk a wait at Supino Pizzeria, a small spot (20-30 seat) across the street from Eastern Market. Remarkably, we were able to grab a table immediately. The same couldn't be said for those arriving 10 minutes after us. Excellent thin crust pizza, though I would have liked it just a bit crispier on bottom. Large, foldable slices (but not NY style - somewhere between there and Neapolitan). We had the eponymous Supino (roasted garlic, black olives, chili oil, ricotta, mozzarella) with added pepperoni, and also the San Gennaro (onions, roasted red peppers, sausage, mozzarella). The sausage was sliced into thin disks about the circumference of a nickel and nicely crisped at the edges, which added great texture.

Saturday we wound through Eastern Market, primarily picking up some produce but also doing a good amount of sampling - my friends just moved to the area a month ago so they're still exploring all the offerings. We noticed that many of the salsas, jams, and other provisions were good but not great; we generally wanted more heat in the salsa, and less sugar in the jams. Even the strawberry ginger jam was just much too sweet. That said, all of the meats and fishes were spot on - plentiful seasoning and good snap on sausages, and abundant smoke on the fish.

Late lunch at Mudgie's Deli didn't disappoint. We had the Ivey (spinach spread, Havarti cheese, avocado, sunflower sprouts, lettuce, tomato and red onion on toasted multi-grain bread), O'Leary (pastrami served warm with swiss, mayo, greens, tomato, red onion, and house ground horseradish on ciabatta), and That's Jared (Sy Ginsberg corned beef and Swiss cheese topped with a scoop of redskin potato salad on a kaiser roll, served warm with spicy mustard). Ivey was easily the most satisfying vegetarian sandwich I've eaten in my life - rather than a "spread" the spinach is whole baby leaves with a dressing that, if pulsed, would make it into a spread. Good crunch. That's Jared was the clear winner; that Sy Ginsberg corned beef is the stuff of my dreams, and the potato salad was nice big junks rather than a mayo-y mess. The only partial miss was the O'Leary. Perfectly good, but just couldn't stand up to the others. And we discovered that there's a dissonance for us in having pastrami on ciabatta.

Astro Coffee was excellent, as was the orange and blackberry polenta cake.

Dinner at Selden Standard... there's a reason it was recently named Freep's best restaurant of the year. The service was attentive, friendly, knowledgeable. An off-menu Bourbon Branch cocktail for my friend and a dealer's choice mocktail for me both showcased excellent balance and use of one of my favorite drink ingredients, ginger. As for the food: just order everything. Roasted veggies with tahini and pistachio freekeh was a revelation, as were the sweet corn agnolotti and rabbit ragout. Tuna crudo (they were out of king salmon) and duck congee both highlighted just how special a well-prepared protein can be. Dessert - don't miss the strawberry rhubarb sundae or the bruleed fig tart.

I'm excited to have friends who just moved to the heart of downtown Detroit. Can't wait to get back and explore some more of the old and new that the city has to offer.

Supino Pizzeria
2457 Russell St

Mudgie's Deli
1300 Porter St

Astro Coffee
2124 Michigan Ave

Selden Standard
3921 Second Ave

Considering I was just in Detroit for an overnight work stay, I'd say I did alright damage. I was hoping for Selden Standard, but my flight was slightly delayed and I had had a long day of work and just wasn't interested in what I assumed would be a slightly more drawn out dinner. Instead, Al-Ameer, which proved to be a bit of a mixed bag.

This was my first visit to Al-Ameer and when I told that to my waiter, he tried to push me towards the lamb stew. I opted for the shawarma and in retrospect, I wonder if he was trying to tell me something. It was about 8:30pm, and perhaps the shawarma was not at its prime. Whatever delicious spices and seasonings the shawarma had were largely overwhelmed by dryness. The accompanying rice was moist enough, but completely devoid of flavor. I'm guessing that's not unusual.






I had the meal which also came with the choice of soup or salad. I chose the lentil soup, which was a fine but unremarkable version.






But yes, the housemade pita is terrific.






And the falafel were among the best I've ever had. I had a half order and no question that these were fried fresh. Slightly less seasoned than others I've had, but incredibly delicious, not the least bit greasy, but crisp, fluffy and moist. While the shawarma left me disappointed, the falafel was everything I could have hoped for.






In the morning, I had an early start and really just wanted a bagel on the run. I did a Google search of bagel places close to my hotel and where I needed to be for work and noticed that Detroit Institute of Bagels was very close. Paint me impressed, very impressed. They opened in 2012 and they're making bagels the right way, the traditional way, boiled and baked. I had a sesame bagel with vegetable cream cheese (radish, carrot, green onion and perhaps green pepper? can't recall exactly). The bagel itself was just right - gentle outside crispness, good chew, pretty much like a good bagel should be. I didn't think the dough had as developed a flavor of a longer fermentation, but I was still impressed. And the vegetable cream cheese was about as delicious as any I've tried. This is what I expect from a bagel shop.

Detroit Institute of Bagels
1236 Michigan Ave.
Detroit
Hours: Monday to Friday - 7am to 3pm; Saturday and Sunday - 8am to 3pm
Phone: 313.444.9342



Before heading to the airport, I had time for a quick lunch. I really wanted to try a Detroit coney island . . . I never had. And I was just a couple minute walk from Lafayette Coney Island. Well, two coneys later I was converted. The hot dogs themselves had a great snap. But I was more impressed by how well it all worked together, particularly the chili and mustard. One of the best hot dogs I've ever had, and really didn't expect to say that. The french fries were standard foodservice and begged for the cheese or chili and cheese option, but this was one of those rare occasions where I didn't give a damn about the fries. I was in a good place.






All in all, pretty good eating for just an overnight stay, particularly when you're only in town for work.

Yes, nice work!

BR wrote:Well, two coneys later I was converted. The hot dogs themselves had a great snap. But I was more impressed by how well it all worked together, particularly the chili and mustard. One of the best hot dogs I've ever had, and really didn't expect to say that.

As I remarked on Twitter, I love coneys as well (and esp. Lafayette), one of the two world's greatest dogs. And while our native assembly in its celebration of pickles and vegetation and this greezy spicy beast are two different animals, I can honestly say that I find the Koegel to be the superior Vienna, a pork/beef blend with a pronounced kiss of smoke.

We did a recent two day/ one night run of D-town ourselves and followed a similar itinerary, though made one stop that I would say is essential for any quick visit (though my first time out of four trips) Mike's Famous Ham Place.

A frozen-in-amber diner counter if there ever was one, presided over by one real nice old school dude with a quiet, but wry sense of humor. One of our country's greats, they don't make em like this anymore.





I'm not even a (cooked) ham nut, but this sandwich works. Great roll. Generous juicy slabs of smoky ham. The star of the show, though, was the thick, luscious bean soup employing the ham as an assertive seasoning (which is my preferred role for the salty pink stuff).

Too bad about Al-Ameer. We loved a late lunch there on the ride home.



These kebabs were flippin fantastic all around, especially, surprisingly, the white meat shish tawook, charred on the outside and moist as-could-be on the inside. Pillowy bread, fresh, warm from the hearth is indeed, worth the price of admission. Salads and meze were all super fresh and brightly flavored. The only (very minor) disappointment was the lack of cheese in their arayes, which were fortunately stuffed with heavily spiced mince. This meal was leagues better than my previous stop in Dearborn at Al-Ajami where the kebabs were fine but everything else was lame: bland hummous, rubbery kibeh nayyah, and watery molokhia.

I feel like I've done the palatial diner joints in Dearborn (incl. Cedarland, maybe my fave still). Next time through I'll try the cabbie style holes-in-the-wall.

We also did a dinner at Green Dot Stables which a friend had recommended. I guess their extensive slider menu provides creative-enough, cheap beer sop, but the two hour wait was not worth it (we couldn't find anything else open nearby, so we entertained ourselves with rounds of cheap Two- hearted).

Mike's Famous Ham Place
3700 Michigan Ave, Detroit, MI 48216
(313) 894-6922

Al-Ameer
2100 N Haggerty Rd. Dearborn, MI 48126
(734) 667-5316

Al-Ajami
14633 W Warren Ave, Dearborn, MI 48126
(313) 846-9330

Green Dot Stables
2200 W Lafayette Blvd, Detroit, MI 48216
(313) 962-5588

So glad to have this thread freshened up, as I'm heading to Detroit this summer for a wedding. Not that these are all new places by any means, but seeing the recent posts is reminding me that the trip doesn't necessarily have to be entirely an obligation. We'll likely go a day early and check out some of the local fare.

Thanks,

=R=

Any new insight into Detroit dining? Heading there this weekend.

dagrassroots wrote:Any new insight into Detroit dining? Heading there this weekend.

I'm sorry to say my planned trip got scrapped due to (my own stupid) injury.

=R=

Jefe wrote:This meal was leagues better than my previous stop in Dearborn at Al-Ajami where the kebabs were fine but everything else was lame: bland hummous, rubbery kibeh nayyah, and watery molokhia.
Al-Ajami
14633 W Warren Ave, Dearborn, MI 48126
(313) 846-9330

darn me and trying to read quickly on my mobile, I took your post as Al-Ajami was a great place for kebabs, so here is my report as we stopped by this past weekend for lunch.

Chicken Rice Lemon soup was outstanding, some tumeric added which I really enjoyed.

complimentary plate of pickled cabbage, pickles, turnip. pickles were delicious, I also enjoyed the cabbage.

Had 3 kebabs, ground beef, beef, chicken. Ground beef was by far best of 3. Good mark for cooking beef cubes to MR/Med. This said, the kebabs were nothing special.

A really nice gesture on the restaurant's behalf was when waiter inquired if I wanted soup or side salad with my lunch, I asked if he could instead just give me a small sample of the foul (ful). He brought out an entire bowl of it, really good, enjoyed this.

An enjoyable meal but nothing close to the amazing meals I used to have a La Shish (Original La Shish owner ran into legal troubles & fled, there is a new La Shish apparently: http://www.mlive.com/business/detroit/i ... r_ado.html )

Rene G wrote:The recently renovated and expanded Detroit Institute of Arts surprised me with the breadth and quality of its collections. In addition to its masterpiece mural by Diego Rivera (above is a tiny piece), there are paintings by Bruegel, van Eyck and many more. A very fine, pleasingly old fashioned museum.

For whatever reason despite traveling to Detroit an average of 6 times per year for years I had never been to DIA. Finally made it this past weekend. Rivera's murals are amazing, well worth price of admission.

Mrs Willie & I dined at the museum cafeteria. Ok food, nothing worth noting, suggest one spend their food dollars elsewhere while in Detroit.

Will be back in Detroit area in a few weeks.

I took my girlfriend to Scotty Simpson's Fish and Chips last week. She really enjoyed the fish (house special), but we both thought their onion rings were the best thing we ate there. At $2.50 for an order, it's a steal. I am not a fish guy, so I tried their battered chicken strips which were great. Chips(fries) were tasty too. We will be back for sure. They literally ran out of all the pies too which we'll try next month.

I'm also happy to have found a little West Coast guilty pleasure in the Detroit area - Del Taco.

Recently- we took a Road Trip to Detroit for a Wayne State Graduation Ceremony held in Ford Field, where as a side note being a "reluctant-Chicago Bears Fan"- I was tickled to see the paucity of NFL Championship Banners hanging throughout the "Lie-Downs" Field.
Food wise- we had a very lovely Breakfast in The Financial District of Downtown Detroit- @ a place called The Dime Store- where
the Daily Special was Lavender and BlueBerry French Toast,
You-better-be-sharin'-a-bite....... by R. Kramer, on Flickr
as well as a Jerk-Chicken-Sausage-Hash
that was artfully plated.
Dime Store Breakfast Specials- Downtown DETROIT by R. Kramer, on Flickr

Dime Store- a great Breakfast spot in downtown Detroit! by R. Kramer, on Flickr
Also- an exceptional meal was had at a spot called "Fist of Curry"- that wasn't quite Indian- but had a lot of Indian Curry influences in their plates.
A Fried-Soft-Shelled Crab served with a Tumeric-Sambal-esque/yougurt curry- made for one of the standout dishes we enjoyed, in a converted Bohemian-style diner,
in an up & coming area of Detroit.

Highly reccd getting out and walking around in Detroit,especially along The River Walk.
Here's a few highlights...
The Motor City- well worth a visit! by R. Kramer, on Flickr
&
GM Center-Detroit MICHIGAN by R. Kramer, on Flickr
&
The GUARDIAN BUILDING- in Detroit- by R. Kramer, on Flickr
&
Detroit’s Guardian Building-1929 by R. Kramer, on Flickr
&
Downtown Detroit by R. Kramer, on Flickr
&
The Motor City- well worth a visit! by R. Kramer, on Flickr

Go-See-Detroit....up close and personal.
Well worth a trip!

Garden City is between Dearborn Heights and Westland area of greater Detroit.

I had planned to hit up a Middle Eastern place but upon pulling into the parking lot I spied KG's African-American Grill, which is where I ended up dining.

KG's has a number of Senegalese dishes as well as a sprinkling of Caribbean (such as jerk chicken).

I opted for grilled lamb chops with a "side" of grilled red snapper with house onion sauce.

Good flavorful tender lamb that has been marinated and grilled, what's not to like? Marinade was not pronounced so tough to describe.

Snapper was grilled with some spices, the onion sauce is made up of sauteed red onions with tomato paste and spices. I was offered up some hot sauce on the side which was a seriously heated chile hot sauce, I mixed a bit with the onion sauce to provide some heat. Snapper was a bit overdone but the flavor of fish, rice and some of that onion sauce was spot on!

About 15/18 minute drive from Detroit airport (DTW).

KG's African-American Grill
465 Inkster Road
Garden City, MI 48135
734-367-2000
http://kgsafricangrill.com/
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There are countless Coney Island restaurants around Detroit, though they are really Greek owned coffee shops. One I would recommend is Zorba's Coney Island which is a small 24 hour joint (kind of a divey, greasy spoon place) that is surprisingly good. They do breakfast all day and their lunch specials are very impressive. I regularly get the huge hot turkey sandwich/plate that comes with soup, mashed potatoes and vegetable for $6.75. One of the best I've had anywhere. They are on Fort St in the Downriver region (southwest of the city along the river). It's not far off I-75 if you were coming up via Toledo and 80/90 (which I prefer these days over 94 because there's a lot less traffic on the Toll Road). There are two other locations but I haven't been to those yet.

Zorba's Coney Island
18237 Fort St
Riverview, MI 48193
(734) 283-6522
http://riverviewzorba.com/