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Is there anything more comforting than a pasta dish? For me, the answer is no. Pasta has always been my go-to comfort food. Why the persistent love affair with pasta? Simple—it’s delicious. Whether you’re a fan of the traditional Italian fettuccine Alfredo or an enthusiast for exotic fusion pasta dishes, there’s something for every palate here and these are the cream of the crop.
OAK & REEL
2921 East Grand Boulevard, Detroit
The popular Milwaukee Junction restaurant from acclaimed two-starred Michelin chef Jared Gadbaw delivers contemporary Italian cuisine with a focus on fresh, local seafood. At the heart of Oak & Reel’s menu is their selection of handmade pastas, which rotates often and highlights the flavors of the season. Unique to Oak & Reel are their private dining rooms – perfect for meetings and events – as well as their lower-level speakeasy – The Upright. One must-try pasta dish full of flavor is the Bucatini, which features bucatini pasta, preserved lemon, walnuts, and oregano pecorino.
SHEWOLF PASTIFICO & BAR
438 Selden Street, Detroit
SheWolf has made a name for itself in the Italian food scene in Detroit as Chef Anthony Lombardo makes all of his dishes from scratch each and every day. Taking inspiration from old Rome, SheWolf brings contemporary Italian to new levels. Some menu options are the Conchiglie, which is a shell-shaped pasta, filled with a rapini and pork sausage filling, with Cusie fonduta, and gremolata, and the Cacio e Pepe, which has tonarelli, Pecorino, and peppercorns.
FOREST GRILL
735 Forest Ave, Birmingham
When you read the menu at Forest Grill, the minimal description is the name of the game for an experience that will knock your socks off. The Ricotta Dumpling are made of zucchini, squash, and lemon, and the Eggplant Agnolotti uses goat cheese and basil. Another option to try could be the Fusilli, which has sausage and a spicy vodka sauce.
CASA PERNOI
310 East Maple Road, Birmingham
This one is specifically for the truffle lovers out there. Casa Pernoi puts shaved discs of truffle over top of the entire plate of homemade pasta with the Mafaldine al Tartufo. To round out the woodsy flavors, local wild mushrooms accompany the dish in a light sauce. Come for the Mafaldine al Tartufo pasta, and don’t forget about the bread basket.
BIGALORA
Multiple locations in Metro Detroit
Bigalora Executive Chef Carrie Walker says, “Many of our pasta dishes are created with our fresh pasta dough which is handmade daily with Durum flour and water without any additives or preservatives. Our philosophy is always to keep it authentic, simple, and let the food speak for itself. If you start with fresh, high-quality ingredients, you don’t need much more.” Bigalora Wood Fired Cucina was founded in 2010 with Michigan’s first Biga fermented pizza as the base of its operations. After a careful two years of dough experimentation, the first Bigalora opened in Southfield. Since then, Bigalora has grown to be known for its scratch-made menu featuring pizza, fresh pasta, salads, small plates, and handmade gelato, and has a mobile wood-fired pizza truck.
LUCIANO’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT
390931 Garfield Road, Clinton Township
Touted as “the place Italians go when they want to eat Italian food,” Luciano’s is a fan-favorite for all things Italian. The ravioli is simple yet delicious, freshly made in their kitchen each day and paired with their homemade sauce. Other options include Pasta al Pesto, which has a special version of the classic pesto sauce that is made with cheese, almond, olive oil, garlic, and fresh basil, or the Pasta Primavera with fresh garden veggies and alfredo sauce.
SAN MORELLO
1400 Woodward Ave, Detroit
San Morello located in the Shinola Hotel offers some delicious pasta creations. The Saffron Gnocchetti has jumbo lump crab, roasted garlic, smoked chili, and bottarga. Another good choice is the Pappardelle with chanterelle, sweet corn, and summer truffle.
LIVONIA ITALIAN BAKERY
33615 West Seven Mile Road, Livonia
What started as a market back in 1991, Livonia Italian Bakery evolved into a destination for delicious homemade Italian food. The lasagna at Livonia Italian Bakery is made fresh every single day. It’s four layers of fresh pasta sheets, spaghetti sauce, mozzarella, and ricotta cheese. The awesome part about this is it’s family-sized and can be take-and-bake, which means you can have it on hand any time you like! You can also give them an hour’s notice and it’ll be ready to be picked up fresh out of the oven.
This article has been updated to include new information. The original article was published on October 18, 2022, and was authored by Katie Goncalves.
