Latest news with #EatDrinkFreep
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Metro Detroit's Top 10 New Restaurants & Dining Experiences for 2025
Last week, we counted down the 2025 Detroit Free Press/Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Top 10 New Restaurants & Dining Experiences list. The list includes traditional restaurants as well as a pop-up, a pair of bakeries and a breakfast diner. The full list is below, for quick reference. Want to dig deeper? Check out our all-time list here. From Union Joints, the hospitality group behind eateries, such as Vinsetta Garage, Union Assembly and Mom's Spaghetti, Lincoln Yard joins the roster with its little sister, Little Yard. The side-by-side establishments come as a twofer: Little Yard, with an all-day breakfast menu, soups and coffee; and Lincoln Yard, offering brunch, lunch, dinner and spirited beverages. Full review here. [ Subscribe to the Eat Drink Freep newsletter for extras and insider scoops on Detroit-area dining. ] For many years, the east side of Detroit's culinary scene has been driven by fast food and fast-casual restaurants. When it opened last summer, Savoy offered an upscale dining experience for the Cornerstone Village neighborhood. Led by chef Melba Dearing, the restaurant delivers an amalgam of Southern dishes and Creole flavors, plus a few fun riffs in between. Full review here. JP Makes and Bakes might be new to the New Center neighborhood, but the bakery's breads, cakes and cookies are well established among the Detroit dining scene. Pastry chef Jonathan Peregrino first introduced the bakery as a pop-up concept back in 2021 and quickly wielded his Filipino foodways as his superpower. Full review here. One of the most highly anticipated openings of 2024, Vesper made a splash with its collection of wines by the bottle or glass. The new wine bar is operated by Rob Wilson, an alum of Kiesling in Detroit's North End, and partner Symantha Duggan. The duo has established a space that defies the traditional expectations of a stuffy wine bar. Full review here. On a frigid Saturday morning just after 10 a.m., when the bakery opens, a line snakes around Forest Bakery, the 488-square-foot shop in Oak Park. Guests, largely families with friendly dogs on leashes and small children in tow, are there to nab the bakery's selection of sweet and savory pastries before they're gone. Full review here. The finishing touch on each plate created by Franchesca Lamarre is a toothpick flying the Haitian flag. As if the dishes themselves aren't indication enough, the garnish reaffirms the Haitian American chef's cultural pride. Full review here. The coffees at sister shop Encarnación Café remind me of the cups I sipped at my Puerto Rican grandmother's house when I was well below the standard drinking age for caffeine. The food at La Fonda is equally nostalgic. I've long lamented the lack of Latin American cuisine beyond Mexican in the Detroit area. La Fonda Street has managed to bring many of the classics under one roof. Full review here. There's something endearing about a retro diner. Maybe it's the simplicity of those ubiquitous diner foods — thick, whipped milkshakes, malts and floats, patty melts and all-day pancakes. Or, maybe it's the old-fashioned décor — the counter-service stools, leatherette-backed banquettes and vintage accessories like jukeboxes plucked from before your time, and soda machines from an era you'd give anything to relive. Whatever the reason for the gravitational pull, everyone longs for a neighborhood diner, and Norm's has all the makings of a great one. Full review here. When a restaurant draws inspiration from a particular country or region, it can be difficult not to veer into kitschy territory. Leña, the new Brush Park neighborhood restaurant with Spanish influence, strikes a beautiful balance. Full review here. It is not hyperbolic to say that you can feel the heat at Puma, Detroit's Argentine street food newcomer. At the request of chef-owner Javier Bardauil, contractors carved a gaping hole into the façade of the former Core City neighborhood auto garage for a live fire that would burn during service. The heat from the flames toasts your ankles as you approach the front door. Full review here. Save the Date: On Tuesday, May 27, Puma, the Detroit Free Press and Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers will host a Top 10 Takeover dinner. Full Top 10 schedule and ticket information at For a chance to win five $100 gift cards to dine at restaurants on the 2025 Detroit Free Press/Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Top 10 New Restaurants & Dining Experiences list, visit This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Top 10 new restaurants in metro Detroit for 2025
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
No. 2: Leña in Detroit offers Spanish flair without usual suspects
Leña takes the No. 2 spot on the 2025 Detroit Free Press/Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Top 10 New Restaurants & Dining Experiences list for its unique, personal approach to Spanish cooking. When a restaurant draws inspiration from a particular country or region, it can be difficult not to veer into kitschy territory. Leña, the new Brush Park neighborhood restaurant with Spanish influence, strikes a beautiful balance. There are elements that honor the most darling qualities of Spanish culture: tapas that embrace a penchant for sharing, menu items written in Spanish and interpretations of classic dishes you'd devour throughout the Catalan and Basque Countries. Still, meals at Leña feel entirely their own. The usual suspects are M.I.A. There are no gambas al ajillo or papas bravas. The Spanish tortilla made an appearance in the restaurant's early days, but was bumped for a more seasonal item fancied by Executive Chef Mike Conrad. The brainchild of the team behind Shelby, Leña instead places an emphasis simply on wood-fired cooking and farm-fresh ingredients. Conrad takes squid to the fire, charring it until the tips curl. He trusts Detroit-based farms, such as Core City's Fisheye and Hio Farms for produce that shows up in plates of ensalada verde, or bright gem lettuce punched up with fresh herbs, sweet Manchego and briny boquerones. And pastry chef Lena Sareini takes a playful approach to dessert. An early arroz con leche, or rice pudding with a walnut praline center and dots of fig leaf oil, was served in a colorful caviar tin. [ Subscribe to the Eat Drink Freep newsletter for extras and insider scoops on Detroit-area dining. ] A winter dish, the butifarra, was a simple pleasure. A single swirl of pork sausage sat in a sea of stewed chickpeas, golden raisins and pine nuts for a sweet-savory world of flavors. 2720 Brush St., Detroit. 313-262-6082; Save the Date: On Thursday, May 1, Leña, the Detroit Free Press and Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers will host a Top 10 Takeover dinner. Stay tuned for ticket information at For a chance to win five $100 gift cards to dine at restaurants on the 2025 Detroit Free Press/Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Top 10 New Restaurants & Dining Experiences list, visit This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Best New Restaurants 2025: Leña in Detroit
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
No. 3: Retro Detroit diner Norm's takes breakfast food seriously
Norm's Diner in Detroit takes the No. 3 spot on the 2025 Detroit Free Press/Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Top 10 New Restaurants & Dining Experiences list for its old-school feel and dedication to housemade breakfast staples. There's something endearing about a retro diner. Maybe it's the simplicity of those ubiquitous diner foods — thick, whipped milkshakes, malts and floats, patty melts and all-day pancakes. Or, maybe it's the old-fashioned décor — the counter-service stools, leatherette-backed banquettes and vintage accessories like jukeboxes plucked from before your time, and soda machines from an era you'd give anything to relive. Whatever the reason for the gravitational pull, everyone longs for a neighborhood diner, and Norm's has all the makings of a great one. The family-friendly eatery was just what the neighborhood needed. With a quaint café, ice cream shop, pizzeria and variety store just next door, all that was left to complete the Agnes Street dining ecosystem was a go-to breakfast joint. Norm's isn't just any breakfast joint, though. Yes, there are staples, like pancakes, to which you can add chocolate chips or blueberries. And lunch favorites, like a turkey club cut into triangles and skewered with cornichons. But cooks here take the art of diner food seriously. Nearly everything is made in house, from fluffy biscuits to pork sausage and lox, and ingredients are sourced from local farms and purveyors when possible. A classic egg salad, for example, features eggs from a Michigan farm. The crowds that form outside Norm's on a Saturday morning are the best indication of the diner's mark on the community. If you're hoping for a seat, just carve out some time in your day. Put your name on the list, then visit the nearby small businesses. It's going to be a while. [ Subscribe to the Eat Drink Freep newsletter for extras and insider scoops on Detroit-area dining. ] Rotating specials at Norm's are the real stars. One giant, crunchy chicken cutlet over an equally large cornmeal pancake drizzled with hot honey and punctuated with scoops of salty whipped butter has left a lasting impression. 8029 Agnes St., Detroit. 313-332-0347; Save the Date: On Thursday, July 24, Norm's Diner, the Detroit Free Press and Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers will host a Top 10 Takeover dinner. Stay tuned for ticket information at For a chance to win five $100 gift cards to dine at restaurants on the 2025 Detroit Free Press/Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Top 10 New Restaurants & Dining Experiences list, visit This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Best New Restaurants 2025: Norm's Diner in Detroit
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
No. 5: Haitian pop-up eatery Ayiti Spaghetti arose in Detroit as an act of defiance
Ayiti Spaghetti, a Detroit pop-up, takes No. 5 on the 2025 Detroit Free Press/Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Top 10 New Restaurants & Dining Experiences list for proudly bringing authentic Haitian dishes to a market ripe for more Caribbean cuisine. The finishing touch on each plate created by Franchesca Lamarre is a toothpick flying the Haitian flag. As if the dishes themselves aren't indication enough, the garnish reaffirms the first-generation Haitian American chef's cultural pride. Lamarre's signature, the Haitian spaghetti that inspired the pop-up's name, is her interpretation of a classic. Unlike an Italian spaghetti dinner, Haitian spaghetti is a traditional breakfast food made with a sweet tomato base and hot dog rounds. Lamarre's rendition is sweet and spicy in a peach jerk, tomato sauce laden with hunks of the stone fruit. It's topped with an epis chimichurri, a verdant slurry of bell peppers, scotch bonnets, garlic, green onions, cilantro, pikliz — a spicy pickled slaw — and various herbs. Diners can opt for the addition of a jammy egg, slices of turkey sausage or cotija cheese. With little Haitian representation in Detroit, and in the wake of Donald Trump's disparaging and baseless accusations about Haitian immigrants eating cats and dogs, Ayiti Spaghetti's mere existence is like an act of defiance. Lamarre took to places like Two Birds in Detroit's West Village, Foxglove in the North End and La Ventana near Eastern Market to showcase the true beauty of Haitian food. [ Subscribe to the Eat Drink Freep newsletter for extras and insider scoops on Detroit-area dining. ] Haitian spaghetti and a moist rum cake flavored with pineapple. Follow @ayitispaghetti on Instagram to keep up with Lamarre's latest pop-up stops. Save the Date: On Thursday, Aug. 7, Ayiti Spaghetti, the Detroit Free Press and Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers will host a Top 10 Takeover dinner. Stay tuned for ticket information at For a chance to win five $100 gift cards to dine at restaurants on the 2025 Detroit Free Press/Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Top 10 New Restaurants & Dining Experiences list, visit This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Best New Restaurants 2025: Ayiti Spaghetti in Detroit
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
No. 6: Forest Bakery in Oak Park lures long lines with masterfully crafted pastries
Forest Bakery in Oak Park takes No. 6 on the 2025 Detroit Free Press/Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Top 10 New Restaurants & Dining Experiences list for its stellar pastries and savory offerings. On a frigid Saturday morning just after 10 a.m., when the bakery opens, a line snakes around Forest Bakery, the 488-square-foot shop in Oak Park. Guests, largely families with friendly dogs on leashes and small children in tow, are there to nab the bakery's selection of sweet and savory pastries before they're gone. On any given day, the inventory is typically bare by 12:30 p.m., just two and a half hours after opening. Inside, there's a small selection of kitchenware and specialty beverages, jams and teas, cookbooks and tea towels. But the real highlight is the pastry case lined with baked goods crafted by Jo Burke, Kyle Suczynski and Humna Tak, a trio of skilled bakers with nearly 30 years of collective experience. There's a daily rotation of goods, from chocolate chip cookies with a tahini base to croissants laminated with French butter. Here, savory items are as impressive as the sweets. A grilled cheese sandwich served on griddled slices of a buttery croissant loaf, is both crunchy and chewy at once. And a ricotta and spinach galette is balanced and topped with a handful of fresh arugula. [ Subscribe to the Eat Drink Freep newsletter for extras and insider scoops on Detroit-area dining. ] The gluten-free brown butter polenta financier is a showstopper. With a texture similar to a coarse cornbread and a melt-in-your-mouth feel, it's a pastry experience like no other. 8140 W. Nine Mile Road, Oak Park. Save the Date: On Saturday, Sept. 6, Forest Bakery, the Detroit Free Press and Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers will host a Top 10 Takeover event showcasing the best the bakery has to offer. Stay tuned for ticket information at For a chance to win five $100 gift cards to dine at restaurants on the 2025 Detroit Free Press/Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Top 10 New Restaurants & Dining Experiences list, visit This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Best New Restaurants 2025: Forest Bakery in Oak Park
