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I don’t know about you, but when I think “seafood restaurant,” I think “fancy.” Whether it’s your birthday, your anniversary or you’re just looking for some additional lent-friendly meals in the D, there is no better time than the present to celebrate. It’s Friday!
A few weeks ago, I shared with you the best places for fish and chips in southeast Michigan, and now it’s time to expand our horizons to the entire sea—seafood, that is. From simple fish dishes to more adventurous mussels, there are plenty of appetizing dishes to choose from. Let’s dive right in!
Harbor House, 440 Clinton St., Detroit, is but a few blocks away from Greektown Casino. “The Temptations” are great ways to get your meal started off, with Cracklin’ Calamari (flash fried and served with marinara), Crab Stuffed Jumbo Jalapenos or Lobster Mac and Cheese (it’s touted as the best in any town, which is pretty serious business).
As for the main course, try a house specialty like Angels of the Sea (jumbo shrimp with scallops, pomodoro and angel hair pasta), Low Country Tilapia (Cajun grilled, served with dirty rice and topped with shrimp Creole stew) or Great Lakes Perch (sautéed or flash fried, served with seasonal vegetables and your choice of potato).
River Crab, 1337 North River Rd., St. Clair, is the restaurant adjacent to the Blue Water Inn. The restaurant is situated right on the St. Clair River, and with spring now officially here, what a lovely sight it will be in the months to come.
Begin with some Firecracker Shrimp (tempura battered and fried, served with sweet chili glaze), Hot Rocks & Blue Slaw (rock shrimp with bleu cheese coleslaw) or Dynamite Scallops (encrusted in crab and topped with basil-infused olive oil). Items that fall under “Sensational Seafood” include Coldwater Lobster Tail, Coconut Macadamia Encrusted Shrimp (served with mango salsa and Thai chili butter) or Maryland Crab Cakes (with a roasted red pepper sauce).
Specialty fish choices include the Wasabi Pea Encrusted Tuna (with soy-Sriracha Beurre Blanc) and Salmon Rockefeller (stuffed with crab, spinach and bacon).
The Real Seafood Company, 341 S. Main St., Ann Arbor, has been around for 40 years, which means the restaurant has had plenty of time to perfect exactly what its tagline says: “quite simply, seafood as it should be.”
Fresh fish and seafood is flown in daily, and local, fresh produce is used in dishes as often as possible. For an appetizer, try a spin on the usual spin-artichoke dip: Crab & Artichoke Dip, served with tortilla chips.
Fresh fish options include George’s Bank Blue Cod, Block Island Swordfish and Lake Superior Whitefish. Each can be prepared a number of different ways, but skipping the Shanghai style (sesame steamed fish served with sticky rice, spinach and ginger-scallion soy sauce) sounds like a mistake to me.
House specialties include Sautéed Lake Superior Whitefish (with dried Michigan cherries, shiitake mushrooms and basil) and Baked Stuffed Flounder (stuffed with lump blue crab, spinach, rock shrimp, mushrooms and leeks).
Plymouth Fish Seafood Market & Restaurant, 578 Starkweather St., Plymouth, sells fresh fish you can take home and prepare, but don’t miss out on any of the quality dine-in meals.
The dinner menu includes Fried Crab Cakes, Sea Scallops, Lake Superior Whitefish, Rainbow Trout and more, all of which are served with coleslaw and your choice of redskin potatoes, seasoned rice, fries or veggies. If you’re looking for your seafood to be prepped a little differently, try the Stir Fry dinner, with shrimp and scallops in a teriyaki glaze served over rice.
Before you visit, be sure to print off this 10 percent off any dinner coupon online for a discount.
Tom’s Oyster Bar, 318 S. Main St., Royal Oak, has been serving up fresh seafood for over 15 years. If you’re there with a group, order a few appetizers to share with the table, such as Crab Bruschetta (with herb cheese spread, fresh basil and tomato vinaigrette) or Crispy Salt and Pepper Calamari (with arugula, pepperoncini and chipotle aioli).
For dinner, there are plenty of seafood items to choose from, including Walnut Crusted Whitefish (sautéed and served with redskins and vegetable), Seafood Pasta Aurora (shrimp, scallops, mussels and spinach with creamy tomato sauce) and Lobster Tacos (served with avocado and citrus corn salsa).
Tom’s Seafood Chowder and Tom’s Clam Chowder pair perfectly with each of the above.
Fishbone’s, with locations in Greektown, Southfield and St. Clair Shores, brings Bourbon Street right to Metro Detroit. Start yourself off with some New Orleans Bar-B-Que Shrimp (with a spicy butter herb sauce) or Lobster Medallions, which are tempura fried.
Seafood entrees consist of plates like Orange Roughy (with a lemon butter sauce), Pacific Mahi Mahi, Jumbo Sea Scallops (served broiled, grilled or fried) and Alaskan Crab Legs (two ginormous pounds).
There are even seafood sandwiches on the menu, including a Shrimp Po’Boy, Crab Cake sandwich (with spinach and Dijon mustard) and New Orleans Bar-B-Que Shrimp Po’Boy (with sautéed onions).
With so many seafood options in Metro Detroit, there is no way you will possibly run out of crab cakes, fish filets or seafood pastas to enjoy. Remember, there are always more fish in the sea.
