It was a quiet first quarter on the dining beat in metro Detroit —typical of the cold months following the busy holiday season but more pronounced this year thanks to a tepid Auto Show.
Things started to heat up in March with the unveiling of NoHo Hospitality’s more casual ventures at Detroit’s Shinola Hotel, the Brakeman beer halland adjoining fried chicken joint Penny Red’s.
Sticking with the casual theme,the Detroit Optimist Society debuted itsCorktown pizza slinger Grandma Bob'sacross from its flagship Sugar House bar. I was really impressed with my first couple of pies from Bob's, particularly the simple pepperoni, which features salty pepperoni discs crisped around the edges and made by DOS' own Gratiot Avenue Provisions charcutier. (Meanwhile, DOS’ planned Gratiot Avenue Provisions restaurant near Eastern Market is on halt indefinitely after suffering a flood this winter.)
Over in New Center, Godwin Ihentuge’s popular YumVillage food truck dropped anchor in the old Atomic Chicken space and is now softly open with limited hours midweek. Those hours will grow to 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday beginning April 16 ahead of a full-scale launch in May. The juicy, all-thigh jerk chicken bowl with jollof rice and perfectly fried plantains is an early favorite from the Afro-Caribbean menu.
Despite a local staffing shortage and worries of an impending economic slowdown, a diverse cast of more than a dozen high-profile new restaurants are eyeing openings in the next few months.
Here’s the rundown on 15 of the buzziestrestaurants slated to debut in metro Detroit before summer’s end.
Peso
When: Early Spring
Where: Hubbard-Richard, Detroit
Who: The team behind planned Corktown tequila and mezcal bar Toma
What:"The concept is going to be three things," explains Peso co-owner and Vertical Detroit/El Barzon alum Eddie Vargas."Whatever protein you want you can get in a California-style burrito, a torta or a dish." The California style in Peso's case includes a choice betweenthe bulging, foil-wrapped Mission-style burritos and the Southern Californian style that includes french fries as filling.The bar side promises a deep list of margaritas, cantaritos and palomas. That is, plenty of tequila.
More:Opening any day now in the former Fist of Curry/Huron Room space.
Peso: 2547 Bagley, Detroit;facebook.com/pesobardetroit.
Table No 2.
When: Easter
Where:7 Mile & Livernois, Detroit
Who: Native Detroiters and twin brothers Omar & Shimar Mitchell
What:Chef Omar Mitchell describes Table No. 2 as somewhat of athrowback white-tablecloth fine-dining restaurant on Detroit’s “Avenue of Fashion,” touting tableside preparations of Caesar salad and bananas Foster —the type of dining that harkens back to the long-gone Golden Mushroom, where Mitchell got his culinary start.But Table No. 2 also promises ariffon the table dessert made famous by Chicago chef Grant Achatz atthe Michelin three-star restaurant Alinea. (Table No. 2'sonline menu even uses a photo of the well-recognizedAlinea dish.)This modern molecular gastronomy masterworkis notablya very far cry from tableside Caesars, so expect some major twists on the overall premise.
More: Now accepting reservations for Easter. Will begin regular dinner service Tuesday, April 23. No liquor license.
Table No. 2:18925 Livernois, Detroit;(313)-340-9550 andtablenumber2.com.
Pinky’s Rooftop
When: Early Spring
Where: Downtown Royal Oak
Who: Howell restaurateur Adam Merkel
What: One of two forthcoming rooftop lounges, the old Red Fox English Pub space will soon be revived in trendier style as Pinky's, a cocktail and small plates lounge with a vintage feel and a garden theme. Think: Miami Beach in the '50s, with lots of pink and live palms, plusoysters and other snacks. Expected to debut late April/early May.
Pinky's: 100 S. Main, Royal Oak; pinkysroyaloak.com.
Momo Cha
When: Spring
Where: Cass Corridor, Detroit (inside the Detroit Shipping Company)
Who: Nepalese chef Anjani Lama
What: The Detroit Shipping Company food hall debuted last year with two of its vendor slots unfilled thanks to a hiccup at the border for the Canadian brands it had originally signed. Soon, one of those spaces will be filled by a vendor slingingNepalese snacks andSouth Asian dumplings called momos, which are similar togyoza or mandu butflavored with spicesmore closely associated with the cooking of the Indian subcontinent.Momo Cha's chefwas previously at the well-regarded Indian restaurant Cardamom in Ann Arbor.
Momo Cha: 474 Peterboro, Detroit; momochadetroit.com.
The Monarch Club
When: May 1
Where: Downtown Detroit (atop the Element Detroit at the Metropolitan)
Who: Former “Hell’s Kitchen” contestantJared Bobkin is executive chef
What:Few details are known about this rooftop lounge crowning the oldMetropolitan Building, recently reborn as the Element Detroit hotel afternearly 40 years of vacancy. Repeat "Hell's Kitchen" contestant Jared Bobkin is heading up a menu of small plates that accompany the cocktails and promised "big views" of the downtown cityscape.
The Monarch Club: 33 John R, Detroit;marriott.com/hotels/hotel-information/restaurant/dtwel-element-detroit-at-the-metropolitan.
Zao Jun
When: May 1
Where: Bloomfield Twp.
Who: The team behind Birmingham Japanese hotspot Adachi
What: The biggest update on the previously announced pan-Asian concept Zao Jun is that Boston-based celebrity chef Michael Schlow is no longer attached to the project and has split from sister restaurant Adachi. Instead, partners Clint Mansour and Kenny Koza have tapped Adachi Executive Chef Lloyd Roberts,who boasts a deep pedigree working in some of the world's best Japanese kitchens,to takethe lead on the projectthat promises"greatest hits" from the vast and varied Asian continent. Mansour said the split with Schlow was amicable. The partners had signed with him before finding Roberts, who provedhimself more than capable of running the show himself. Expect a family friendly vibe in the strip-mall restaurant, where Thai-inspired papaya salad will share room on the menu with Mandarin-style bang bang chicken and more.
Zao Jun: 6608 Telegraph, Bloomfield;zaojunnewasian.com.
Como’s
When: May
Where: Ferndale
Who: Peas & Carrots Hospitality
What:Peas & Carrots Executive Chef Zack Sklar concedes that it might seem a little crazy to keep the Como's name despite all the bad pressthe iconic Ferndale pizzeriareceived in its last few years. "I'm taking over the great 50 years that Como's had before the bad 5, 6, or 7 years in the end where it wasn't so good," he said. "I didn't want to rip its soul out." The name, the lit sign out front and the floor in the dining room are about all that's left of the old Como's, which was completely gutted inside and given a brick-tipped facelift. The interior features acustom cane-webbed ceiling, anArt Deco bar and tubular vintage-style fluorescent lighting that's a mashup of midcentury Brooklyn pizzeria and Palm Beach bar. Como's once-beloved round pizzas have also been reimagined in the form of the chef's take on Detroit-style square, withdough fermented for three days and topped with hand-sliced pepperoni. Como's famous patio, too, will live again, but will likely re-openshortly after the indoor dining room.
More:The separate bar area on the north side of the building will be operated by Traverse City Whiskey Co.
Como's: 22812 Woodward, Ferndale.
Pink FlaminGoTo Go
When: Spring/Summer
Where: Grixdale Farms, Detroit
Who: Guerrilla Kitchen & Pink Flamingo Chef Meiko Krishok and partner Khalee
What:The old Bread Basket Deli across from Palmer Park has found the perfect tenant for its pink-roofed space. The popular North Corktown food truck Pink FlaminGowill offer a carryout version of its chef's"food as medicine" concept.“We’re more interested in how can we do really healthy, good quality grassroots-related food," said co-owner Meiko Krishok. "And we like the idea of being in a neighborhood and not so much just in a concentrated commercial district.” The outpost will offer prepared grab-and-go options, a smoothie bar and a small rotating menu of nutrient-dense hot foods in the $7 to $12 range. Think: rice bowls, salads and quarts of soup for $10.
Pink FlaminGo To Go: 17740 Woodward, Detroit;guerrillafooddetroit.com.
Pernoi
When: June
Where: Birmingham
Who: Legendary Detroit-area chefs Takashi Yagihashi and Luciano DelSignore
What:What happens when two of the most revered local chefs of the last two decades come together for a late-career moonshot of a restaurant that aims to raise the bar forfine dining in the area? We'll find out early this summer when DelSignore and Yagihashi consummate their long friendship with their first culinary project together, the most ambitious yet for either chef. Work is underway to transform the former Cafe Via space into a luxury yacht of a restaurant that will become a showcase for the world's best ingredients minimally manipulated viaItalian, Japanese and French cooking techniques. The bar will focus on absinthe, French champagne and Japanese whisky. The chef duo plan to offer previews of the fareat a few pop-ups in the coming months.
Pernoi: 310 E. Maple, Birmingham;pernoibirmingham.com.
Karl’s
When: Summer
Where: Downtown Detroit (inside the Siren Hotel)
Who:Lady of the House Chef Kate Williams and ASH NYC
What: 2018 Food & Wine Best New Chef Kate Williams is offering another piece of her family history in restaurant form.“The idea was that it would be this small space based off of Karl's, named after my great-great-grandparents’ bakery that was on Kercheval on the east side in the Depression era," Williams previously told the Free Press. The all-dayrestaurant promises re-imagined American diner classics in a "not-so-greasy-spoon" environment. One potential menu highlight: sandwiches made from house-baked bread and William's celebratedParisian ham.
Karl's: 1509 Broadway (in The Siren Hotel), Detroit;thesirenhotel.com.
Magnet
When: Summer
Where: Core City, Detroit
Who: ChefBrad Greenhill, chef de cuisine Mike Conrad and the team behind Takoi
What:Work has finally begun on the old Magnet Radiator Works building, the future home of the delayed followup to Corktown Thai hospot Takoi. Led by longtime Takoi sous Mike Conrad, the conceit at Magnet is cooking with live wood fire without any geographic limitations as inspirational sources. The menu also promises to double-down on the vegetable-centric approach found at its sister restaurant. The new restaurant is just one piece of co-owner Philip Kafka's growing Core City developments, which also include the forthcoming Ochre Bakery, a new roasting facility for Astro Coffee, an outdoor park and an award-winning quonset hut development across the street.
Magnet: 4848 Grand River, Detroit;facebook.com/magnetdetroit.
Poppies
When: Summer
Where: West Village, Detroit
Who: Rose’s Fine Foods proprietor Molly Mitchell and head baker Eggy Ding
What: Despite some fears that the follow-up to popular eastside diner Rose's Fine Foods was off, proprietor Molly Mitchell said the Polish restaurant and bakery Poppies is on track for a summer debut. The new spot will act as the commissary bakery for both restaurants, with head baker Eggy Ding producing various breads, donuts and pastries. On the savory side, expect pierogi, sandwiches andmodern riffs on Polish classics, served in a fast-casual environment with counter service.
Poppies: 1400 Van Dyke, Detroit.
Three Cats and a Cook
When: Summer
Where: Clawson
Who: Veteran restaurateur Matt Prentice and the owners of Leon & Lulu
What:With a forced five-year restaurant hiatus behind him, veteran restaurateur Mary Liz Curtin and Stephen Scannell for his first re-entry into a dining scene that's changed tremendously in his absence. Located in the historic Clawson Theatre building, Three Cats and a Cook will blend hyper-American shared platesand beverages with an interactive retail component. Prentice is expecting a mid-June debut.
Three Cats and a Cook:116 W. Fourteen Mile, Clawson.
Baobab Fare
When: Summer
Where: New Center, Detroit
Who: Burundian refugees Hamissi Mamba and Nadia Nijimbere
What: The long-delayed East African restaurant from husband-and-wife Burundian refugees is still on for the corner of Woodward and East Grand Boulevard, despite little activity in the bare space over the last few months. When it opens, the all-day cafe and market will be the only East African restaurant in Detroit and will be staffed in part by alums of Freedom House, the local non-profit that helped the husband-wife duo who run Baobab Fare receive asylum.
Baobab Fare: 6568 Woodward, Detroit; 313-266-5199 andbaobabfare.com.
Leila
When: Late Summer
Where: Capitol Park, Detroit
Who: The Eid family, owners of Phoenicia and Forest in Birmingham
What:Phoenicia owner Sameer Eidoften jokes about the mistress he keeps at home, because he's been married to the popular Lebanese restaurant for longer. Come August, he may finally make a lady of his mistress, as his new venture in Capitol Park will be named Leila for her. Eid's son, Samy, is handling much of the opening and has tasked Nick Janutol, executive chef of the Eid family'sForest restaurant in Birmingham, with overseeing the mezze-heavy Lebanese menu at Leila. Described as a more casual version of Phoenicia's white-tablecloth fare, one of the biggest differentiators for the new spot is an on-site pita oven and a deep focus on kebabs. And yes, Phoenicia's famous pork ribs will be making the trip downtown.
Leila: 1249 Griswold, Detroit.
Send your dining tips to Free Press Restaurant Critic Mark Kurlyandchik at 313-222-5026 ormkurlyandc@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @MKurlyandchik and Instagram @curlyhandshake. Read more restaurant news and reviews and sign up for our Food and Dining newsletter.
