This spring, there are a number of new restaurants popping up throughout southeast Michigan. Whether you’re craving sophisticated entrees, ice cream or whiskey, there’s a brand spankin’ new establishment just waiting for you to discover it.
A few new and notable eateries of Metro Detroit worth checking out include:
Krema, 531 Monroe St., Detroit, opened at the end of February in Greektown. The coffee bar serves gelato and Kremnuts, also known as a heavenly and brilliant combination of the doughnut and croissant.
You’ll also find savory pies on the menu, including Village Spanakopita (spinach and feta) and Tiropita (just feta). But really, when a Kremnut or Lokoumade (honey puff) are also choices, it’s hard to not go sweet.
Wicked Table, 38503 W. 10 Mile Rd., Farmington Hills, also opened at the end of February, and serves lunch, small plates and dinner specialties from scratch. For a feel of what the menu offers, starters and small plates include Baked Brie (with cherry apple chutney and pecan brittle) and Tempura Portobello Fries (served with Lebanese garlic sauce).
Entrees consist of dishes like Roasted Chicken Pot Pie, Short Rib Ravioli (homemade pasta topped with a mushroom cognac sauce) and Scallops Veracruz. Sandwiches include the Wicked Veggie Burger (with chipotle mayo) and Lobster and Crab Roll (topped with tarragon aioli).
Browndog Creamery & Dessert Bar, 118 E. Main St., Northville, opened its doors at the beginning of March, and has been wonderfully received by its customers, who love the creative flavors and high quality of the product, according to owner Paul Gabriel.
The shop is Northville’s first and only micro-creamery, meaning it runs very small (only five gallon) batches of ice cream at a time.
“We believe these small batches give us better control of the product and the ability to create a better quality product,” Gabriel said.
Of all the flavors Browndog Creamery produces, its number one bestseller so far is Salty Dog. Other top sellers include Bourbon Pecan, Who Needs a Therapist (dark chocolate with peanut butter) and Black n White (the shop’s version of cookies and cream). In addition to small batch ice cream, Browndog Creamery also sells handcrafted desserts and ice cream cakes.
Rochester Tap Room, 6870 N. Rochester Rd., Rochester, opened a little over a month ago, and with 60 craft beers on tap and 100 boutique wines available, this is a place you’re going to want to try. Live music nights take place every Friday and Saturday, and there is plenty of outdoor seating to take advantage of as the weather warms up.
Take a peek at the beer list here. Since the Rochester Tap Room is all about the beverages, there’s a limited menu of bar snacks, but there are some great choices to pick from. Consider Tap Room Wings with one of four signature sauces, including buffalo, maple bacon, Thai chili or honey bourbon. Panko Fried Onion Chips (served with smoky chipotle aioli), Ale Steamed Mussels and Aged Cheddar Tater Tots are also available.
Motor City Gas Whiskey, 325 E. 4th St. Royal Oak, opened its doors on St. Patrick’s Day, and welcomed patrons with tastings, pours and whiskey by the bottle.
“We literally just opened the doors and let word of mouth do its thing,” Rich Lockwood, owner and distiller of Motor City Gas Whiskey, said. “It’s amazing the support we’ve received just from people talking to each other.”
Do yourself a favor and stop by for a $4 Motor City Cherry Bomb this week for happy hour, try a specialty cocktail or take home a bottle of Motor City Gas Whiskey’s very first rye whiskey. Coming soon, patrons will be able to enjoy a single malt barley, a bourbon whiskey and a barrel-aged apple pie moonshine.
“I think what separates us from other local distilleries is that we focus on one thing. It’s not about other spirits, it’s not about fancy drinks and it’s not about the food: it’s all about making whiskey,” Lockwood said.
Motor City Gas Whiskey is closed Sunday through Tuesday, and is open Wednesday through Saturday from noon to 8 p.m.
Garrido’s Bistro & Pastry, 19605 Mack Ave., Grosse Pointe Woods, has already established a few regulars since opening its doors on March 27, according to Vanessa Gonzalez, co-owner of Garrido’s.
The bistro’s popular breakfast item, an Arepa, is so popular that it’s soon to be featured all day long, not just during the morning. The Venezuelan flatbread is fried or made on a griddle, then filled like a pocket sandwich with savory fillings like egg and bacon, ham and cheese, or the popular vegan version with roasted veggies.
“People who are not vegan or vegetarian come and ask for it because someone told them it was really tasty,” Gonzalez said.
The bistro serves a pre-fix lunch menu that changes daily. Lunch choices are more European, and each day there are two to three options available, like Seafood Linguine or Chicken Parmesan. Lunch is always $12 and includes an entrée, salad and appetizer. The dinner menu consists of appetizers, entrees and desserts with European and Latin American flair. Chef David Garrido expertly prepares dishes like Caprese Chicken, Pasta Puttanesca and Parmesan Chicken from scratch.
“We do everything in our kitchen as close to natural as possible,” Gonzalez said. “It requires more effort and more knowledge, but we don’t buy anything premade or prepackaged.”
Don’t miss out on the French toast, which is made with baguette and a strawberry sauce from scratch!
Jolly Pumpkin, 441 W. Canfield, Detroit, opened its Midtown location the second weekend in April, and serves up some of your favorite Jolly Pumpkin, North Peak and Grizzly Peak beers on draft. Take your pick from choices including Jolly Pumpkin Bam Biere, Jolly Pumpkin La Roja, North Peak Diabolical and Grizzly Peak Maylem.
There are several sandwiches on the menu, including The Perfect Fried Chicken Sandwich (with sesame cilantro slaw, turmeric aioli, spicy pickles and Sriracha brioche), Zucchini Parmesan (breaded zucchini with charred tomato sauce, mozzarella, lemon basil goat cheese and arugula) and a Short Rib Sandwich (with fontina, garlic slaw, red onion and black pepper aioli). There are also plenty of unique pizzas to choose from—try the South Pacific, with honeyed bacon, candied pineapple, jalapeno and red onion.
While you enjoy all of the above restaurants, be sure to eagerly anticipate the following openings as well! Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails, Katoi and Bon Bon Bon are all nearing their opening dates.
Enjoy tasting your way through Metro Detroit’s new restaurant offerings!