Restaurants were particularly hard hit by the pandemic, but Detroiters are no strangers to picking ourselves up and hustling harder, and our city's restaurant workers are proof of that resilience. Detroit's culinary community rose to the occasion, shifting to carryout and delivery and finding ways to serve the community. The city's restaurant boom has slowed, but restaurateurs and chefs are still opening in these difficult times. To keep up with all of this, we've compiled a list of some of the newest hot spots to visit, as well as some of the old standbys from previous years. Here's where you can eat and order takeout/delivery in Detroit right now.
Location: Eastern Market
The gist: Jennifer Jackson and Justin Tootla, former executive chefs at Voyager in Ferndale, have opened a new restaurant in the former Gather restaurant space in Eastern Market with a ‘80s-tastic vibe.
The food: Jackson and Tootla, who previously worked as executive chefs at Chicago's Thank You Chinese, where they served American-Chinese fare, are exploring different regions of China with dishes like cumin lamb, dried fried eels, and fried eggplant and potato with garlic sauce. There isn't any General Tso's chicken, but there are wontons and spring rolls.
The price ranges from $11 to $18, with appetizers and sides starting at $2.50.
How to Order: Place your order online for takeout (delivery coming soon).
Location: Rosedale Park
The gist: There are a growing number of boiled seafood in a bag options in Detroit, with more on the way, and this neighborhood joint opened in the midst of a pandemic. Cajun Boiling Crab, on the other hand, has quickly gained a following among those looking for more takeout options (and, no doubt, sick of quarantine cooking).
The menu: The seafood in a bag is the main attraction: Choose your seafood (lobster tail, snow crab legs, shrimp, crawfish, and clams, to name a few), your sauce and spice level, and your sides (corn and potatoes, for example). There are also po-boy sandwiches (shrimp, oysters, soft shell crab, fried fish, and, strangely, chicken) and appetizers (don't miss the gumbo).
The price: Appetizers begin at $4. Prices range from $13 to $34 depending on the type of seafood you select for your bag.
Call 313-693-9692 to place an order for curbside pickup or carryout.
Location: Birmingham
The gist: Originally a fine dining white tablecloth restaurant with luxury yacht inspired decor and high-end fare, this Birmingham hot spot rebranded after the departure of co-opening chef Takashi Yagihashi and pivoted early on during the pandemic to shift to a more casual setting serving up Italian cuisine, which is chef Luciano Delsignore's specialty.
The food: Spicy palomino pasta and ravioli, as well as hearty entrees like branzino and Bistecca Fiorentina, a dry-aged Wagyu with blistered tomato, fennel, and herb salad.
Pane (bread with your choice of accompaniment, from giardiniera to buffalo mozzarella) ranges from $5 to $9, and entrees range from $30 to $79.
Order online or call 248-940-0000 for curbside pickup, or make a reservation to dine in the socially separated dining room or patio.
Location: Green Acres
The gist: This popular food truck, which debuted this summer, can be found on the Avenue of Fashion. Prej Iroegbu, the company's founder, grew up on a farm where he learned how to cook traditional Nigerian food in pots on firewood, and he's bringing that experience to the Motor City.
The food: Enjoy hearty dishes prepared “the Nigerian way,” such as jollof with your choice of protein (chicken, goat, oxtail, and others), stewed dodo (plantains), and suya steak.
The price is: Prices start at $4.50 for a meat pie and go up to $20 for oxtail.
How to Order: Use UberEats or GrubHub to place an order for pickup or delivery.
Location: Corktown
The gist: Husband-and-wife team Nate Peck and Kristen Calverley brought Detroit-style square pan pizza to Pittsburgh to fill a void, and now they've returned, setting up shop near the old Tiger Stadium (the restaurant's name is a nod to the ballfield's cross streets, and the indoor space has touches of sports flair like a metal cage and wood paneling from a school gym).
The food: Crispy-edged, cheesy square pies with toppings ranging from traditional (red sauce and pepperoni with a touch of honey) to craveworthy (chorizo and cilantro ranch).
Salads start at $7, and pies range from $7 to $14.
Order online for curbside pickup or delivery through GrubHub or Postmates.
Location: Milwaukee Junction
The gist: Jared Gadbaw, a Michigan native, left his home state to study and work in New York (as well as around the world, with stints in Hong Kong and Istanbul), amassing an impressive culinary resume. The Michelin-starred chef returned home to open this high-end seafood-forward restaurant in a growing neighborhood with dining and drinking options.
The menu: Oak and Reel boasts contemporary Italian cuisine punctuated with bright and clean flavors, as evidenced by dishes like yellowtail with walnut agrodolce, octopus with grilled polenta, and mafaldine (ribbon-based pasta) with shrimp.
The price for a three-course prix fixe menu is $60, and the price for four courses is $75.
Location: McDougall-Hunt
The gist: An intimate and cozy Moroccan bistro on Detroit's east side that increased its community focus in the aftermath of the pandemic by adding a community kitchen that feeds hundreds of people. This year, the James Beard Foundation named it a semifinalist for Best New Restaurant.
The cuisine: Moroccan-inspired dishes with street-style twists, such as the Moroccan chicken sandwich, lamb and eggplant beef tagines, and zaalouk (eggplant dip).
The price ranges from $8.50 to $14 for main courses, and starters are around $6.
How to Order: Place your order online for takeout.
Locations: Hamtramck and Ferndale
The gist: The homey (literally, it's in a former house) Hamtramck spot developed a cult following for its döner kebab and quickly expanded to the inner-ring 'burb of Ferndale.
The food: Specializing in Eastern European fare, Balkan House serves chevapi (sausage links in homemade bread), Bosnian burgers, and sandwiches, but the döner kebab, with your choice of beef/lamb, chicken, or falafel enveloped in creamy döner sauce and sandwiched between crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside bread, is the main reason anyone comes here.
Soups and salads range in price from $5 to $9.50, while sandwiches and main courses range from $8.50 to $25.
Ordering Instructions: Order online or through DoorDash.
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