A few years ago, The New York Times
wrote that keeping up with the ever-changing Detroit culinary scene is a full-time job. Fast forward to today and that statement is still true. When you think of famous Detroit restaurants, Slows Barbeque or Lafayette Coney Island are two that come to mind. Here at MCCI we’re always trying the latest restaurants around town at lunch and after work, especially in the summertime... Below are a few that I have recently discovered and show how Detroit is a culinary force to be reckoned with:
Rose’s Fine Food: If you mix a mom and pop diner with a hipster hotspot you will end up with Rose’s. All of their food is made from scratch and it is locally grown. Their breakfast is phenomenal and don’t even get me started on the doughnuts! During the week they offer a decent $5 breakfast special if you get there before 9:30 a.m. If you decide to check it out on the weekend, make sure you get there early or there will be a wait, with a line out the door.
Cutters: Tucked down one of the side streets in Eastern Market, Cutters is a little hole in the wall bar and restaurant. More importantly, it is by far the best burger I have ever had in Detroit. The meat was so fresh the cow was probably walking around the day before.
Supino Pizzeria: Another restaurant across from Eastern Market, their pizza is the closest you will get to an authentic New York style outside of the five boroughs. When it comes to pizza, I prefer limited toppings but the friend I went with ordered the Supino’s version of a meat-lovers and it was phenomenal.
Captain Jay’s Fish & Chicken: When you need your fast food fix, this is where you want to go because fried food needs to be done right. My go-to is its chicken which is battered in lemon and pepper and then fried. This mix has become known as crack chicken. There are 13 locations in Detroit alone and a few spread out across metro Detroit.
Mabel Gray: Mabel Gray is one of THE restaurants in Detroit right now. It took me over a month to secure a reservation and it was well worth the wait. The menu changes nightly and Chef James Rigato makes sure that his dishes are unique and memorable. Some of the dishes served the night I went included tuna and basil served over toasted ciabatta, grilled octopus with tzatziki sauce and coeur de canard (a duck heart) over a hummus-like spread. It is a little on the pricier side, $65 for the tasting menu and $35 for a beverage pairing, but you can order off the menu as well.
I hope that you have the chance to experience some of the great eats I mentioned above, and that you’re enjoying the Detroit culinary scene’s expansion as much as I am.
