Whether you're going out on a fishing trip, discovering new hiking spots, or heading out for a weekend of camping, the Trailblazer is an ideal companion for your active lifestyle.
If you’ve made a resolution to explore more of the world around you in 2015, a great way to do that is through food! Dining out is not only delicious, but by doing so at an independent restaurant in southeast Michigan, it allows you to support the local economy, not to mention local chefs and restaurant entrepreneurs.
But really, do you need me to lecture you on why going out to eat is so great? I didn’t think so. While we all have our favorite restaurants that we frequent every so often (some more than others), there’s nothing wrong with broadening your horizons and checking out the new spot in town. Not only are there a few new places in the D worth dining at now, there will be a ton of new eateries opening in the coming months that will make 2015 a year for both you and your tastebuds to remember. Get your appetite ready, and read on:
Gold Cash Gold, 2100 Michigan Ave., Detroit, finally opened at the beginning of December after much anticipation. A retired pawnshop turned restaurant, Gold Cash Gold is a casual dining restaurant with plenty of flavor, thanks to the meals that Executive Chef Josh Stockton masterfully prepares.
Items you might find on the lunch menu include a Confit Tuna and Fennel Salad, Ham and Cheese Sandwich (with Stockton Farms ham, pimento cheese and pickled peppers on semolina bread), and a Lamb Sandwich (roasted lamb with Pepper Jack cheese and spicy greens on a whole wheat pita).
If you think that sounds good, just wait until you hear some of the dinner offerings, including Three Day Short Rib (served with carrot puree, confit rutabaga and turnip, and pickly gremolata), Pickle Brine Fried Chicken (with a side of cornbread and hot sauce gravy) and Great Lakes Walleye (with barley, pickled green tomato and preserved lemon).
Keep your eyes peeled to the restaurant’s Facebook page for daily specials, like a charred octopus and cuttlefish entree, or steak tartare.
Crave Lounge, 22762 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, a happenin’ sushi bar, restaurant and lounge, has replaced what was once John D. Bistro in Funky Ferndale. While the restaurant has been open for a few weeks, it will be holding a weeklong grand opening celebration from Monday, Jan. 12 through Monday, Jan. 19.
Throughout the grand opening week, guests who dine in between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. and make a minimum $25 purchase will receive a complimentary appetizer of choice, courtesy of Executive Chef Payne Mills. The Crave menu includes dinner items, nigiri sushi and specialty rolls.
Following Japanese traditions, the menu’s shared plates and entrees are suited for sharing among the whole table. Crab Cakes (flash fried with mango, red onion, herbs and citrus aioli), Asian Bao Buns (duck confit with marinated red cabbage and blood orange ponzu) and Crispy Salmon (with fresh herbs, citrus, olive oil, carrots and celery root) are all great choices. As for the specialty rolls, have you ever had a pizza sushi roll? Now you can.
No matter what you order, it will be unbelievably fresh—Crave sources its produce locally (not to mention organically), and the restaurant’s chicken is hormone free, while wild fish is caught and flown in daily. Even the beef comes from free-grazing cattle.
As for restaurants coming soon to the Metro Detroit area, there are plenty! Keep the following in mind throughout the next few months:
Restaurants coming soon…
- Cornerstone Barrel House Restaurant, 1456 Woodward Ave., Detroit, aims to open this month. For now, visit the whiskey bar, which is open daily from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.!
- Zeke’s Rock and Roll BBQ, 240 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale, opening soon!
- Sweet Lorraine’s Fabulous Mac n’ Cheez!, opening a new location in Midtown at Wayne State University in the near future.
- Falafill, 4206 Woodward Ave., Detroit, opening soon in Midtown—a quick café that serves Mediterranean food!
- Republic and Parks and Rec, two new restaurants from chef Kate Williams, located inside the G.A.R. building in Detroit. Still… coming soon!
- Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails, 15 E. Kirby Suite D, Detroit, a new project from the fine folks who brought you The Oakland in Ferndale. Coming in spring 2015.
- Slows BBQ, everyone’s favorite pork place, is opening a second location in Pontiac in late 2015.
This year has plenty to offer in terms of culinary pursuits in Metro Detroit. Happy eating, everyone!
