Latest news with #Top10Takeover
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Puma, metro Detroit's top new restaurant, to host Top 10 Takeover dinner: Buy tickets here
An Argentine spot in Detroit's Core City neighborhood from a familiar owner is the next stop on the Top 10 Takeover dining series. Puma will host a Detroit Free Press/Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Top 10 Takeover dinner on May 27. Tickets go on sale for Free Press subscribers at noon May 8 and to the general public at noon May 9. Buy tickets here! Puma, from Javier Bardauil, who is also the chef-owner of Barda restaurant across the street, landed at the No. 1 spot of the 2025 Detroit Free Press/Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Top 10 New Restaurants & Dining Experiences list. In 2022, Bardauil's Barda landed at No. 9 on the Freep 10 Best New Restaurants list. Dubbed the 'little sister' of Barda, Puma is more on the casual side, with Argentine street food from its open kitchen with a wood-fired grill. More than a month ago, the Detroit Free Press and Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers unveiled the 2025 Restaurant of the Year, Restaurant of the Year Classic and 10 Best New Restaurants and Experiences in metro Detroit. The dining series is in its 11th year, showcasing the top metro Detroit restaurants and dining experiences named by Detroit Free Press dining critic Lyndsay C. Green. What's unique about each experience is that diners get an exclusive and personal interaction at the restaurant or establishment. Typically, each dining event takes place as a private event, and, at times, is held when the restaurant is closed. Here's the Top 10 Takeover menu at Puma in Core City: Shishito peppers, cilantro aioli, breadcrumbs Aguachile de camarón, shrimp, cucumber, cilantro, red onion Vegetarian option: Hominy ceviche, celery, cucumber, orange tiger's milk Bolivian fried chicken, coconut rice with cilantro, pickled cabbage Vegetarian option: Fried egg, plantain, coconut rice, pickled cabbage, jicama apple salad Flan, dulce de leche sauce The Puma dining event seating times are 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and will feature a multicourse, chef-curated meal. Tickets for the meal are $65 per person and include the uniquely curated menu, gratuity, and tax. Since the inception of the dining series, the Free Press and Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers have maintained a charitable aspect; $3 of each ticket sale this year will be donated to Forgotten Harvest to help fight food insecurity in metro Detroit. Tickets for the series go on sale every other Thursday when Free Press subscribers have first access to tickets for each event. Subscribers should check their email at noon on May 8 for a link to ticket sales. More: Dozens of metro Detroit restaurants ready for Mother's Day with special menus Following subscriber sales, tickets for the general public go on sale at noon on May 9 at where you will also find a schedule of upcoming dining events. As in years past, the Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers are once again offering a contest for a chance for one diner to win two complimentary tickets to each dinner of the series. You can enter the contest at Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to: sselasky@ Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter. Subscribe to the Free Press. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Top 10 Takeover dinner series at Puma is May 27: Buy tickets
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Top 10 Takeover dining series heads to Lincoln Yard on May 13: How to get tickets
The second stop on the Detroit Free Press and Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers' popular Top 10 Takeover dining series is a restaurant with a sidekick coffee shop and breakfast spot in a renovated school bus garage. The Lincoln Yard event in Birmingham is scheduled for May 13. Weeks ago, the Detroit Free Press and Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers unveiled the 2025 Restaurant of the Year, Restaurant of the Year Classic and 10 Best New Restaurants and Experiences in metro Detroit. Lincoln Yard landed at No. 10 on the list. Lincoln Yard and its sidekick, Little Yard, are from Union Joints, the hospitality group behind eateries such as Vinsetta Garage, Union Assembly and Mom's Spaghetti. Lincoln Yard offers brunch, lunch, dinner and spirited beverages while Little Yard features an all-day breakfast menu, soups and coffee. The Birmingham spot in the city's Rail District follows Union Joints' mission to bring new life to old spaces. The dining series is in its 11th year, showcasing the top metro Detroit restaurants and dining experiences named by Detroit Free Press dining critic Lyndsay C. Green. What's unique about each experience is that diners get an exclusive and personal interaction at the restaurant or establishment. Typically, the experiences take place as a private event and, at times, when the restaurant is closed. Seatings for the May 13 event are at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and diners will enjoy a four-course, chef-curated meal at Lincoln Yard. Tickets for the meal are $60 per person and include the uniquely curated menu, gratuity, and tax. Since the inception of the dining series, the Free Press and Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers have maintained a charitable aspect. That effort continues this year with $3 of each ticket sale donated to Forgotten Harvest to help fight food insecurity in metro Detroit. More: Lincoln Yard in Birmingham brought new life to old bus garage Tickets for the series go on sale every other Thursday when Free Press subscribers have first access to tickets for each event. Subscribers should check their email at noon on April 24 for a link to ticket sales. Following subscriber sales, tickets for the general public go on sale at noon April 25 at where you will also find a schedule of upcoming dining events. First course Microbus salad: Baby kale, marinated tomatoes, cucumber, radish, fennel, pickled celery, crispy curry chickpeas and avocado vinaigrette Olive oil and orange cornbread: served warm with spicy honey butter Second course Edamame hummus: Served with blistered shishito peppers, scratch pita Third course Rotisserie chicken: Hot honey-glazed, roasted jalapeno sweet potato mash, crispy Brussels sprouts Third course vegetarian Rotisserie cauliflower: Hot honey-glazed, roasted jalapeno sweet potato mash, crispy Brussels sprouts Fourth course Lemon semifreddo tart: Burnt meringue, strawberry-rhubarb compote As in years past, the Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers are once again offering a contest for a chance for one diner to win two complimentary tickets to each dinner of the series. You can enter the contest at Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to: sselasky@ Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter. Subscribe to the Free Press. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Top 10 Takeover dining series heads to Lincoln Yard on May 13
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
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
6 great recipes from 25 years of Free Press top restaurants series
Cook like a chef. One of the most delicious components of the Free Press Restaurant of the Year series over the past quarter-century has been the curation of some mighty fine, elevated recipes. We've tested and documented many chefs' recipes over the last 25 years of Restaurant of the Year reporting, paired with programs like Detroit Top Tables and the Top 10 Takeover dining series. Cooking like a chef as come a long way since the advent of the Food Network, and duplicating dishes can be a tall order for home cooks. But that's the beauty of some chef recipes: You can make them at home. With this year's top restaurants set to be revealed next week, we thought it fitting to share some of our past favorites. Most of these recipes reflected dining dining trends at the time or were restaurant favorites. This grouping has a lot of flavors going on and each dish is bold and beautiful, so be sure to get your food styling tweezers out. The recipes range from a main dish to a salad and appetizers. They don't require a lot of heavy lifting or oddball ingredients, and are easily doable. All the recipes were previously tested by Susan Selasky in the Free Press Test Kitchen or the Great Lakes Culinary Center in Southfield. Here are a half-dozen favorites. Enjoy! Makes: 2 salads / Preparation time: 15 minutes / Total time: 20 minutes This Brussels Sprouts Salad from Forest in Birmingham is simple yet packed with flavor. Shaved Brussels sprouts are blended with roasted Brussels sprouts and tossed with Bulgarian Feta cheese. Look for the cheese at grocery stores with a large cheese selection like Holiday Market in Royal Oak. Bulgarian feta is made from sheep's milk; the texture is creamier than Greek feta and the flavor profile is tangier. Finally, the salad is finished with a soft white balsamic vinegar-based vinaigrette. 1/2 cup Brussels sprouts, shaved and roasted Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 2 cups Brussels sprouts, ends removed, shaved 3 tablespoons golden raisins 2 ounces Bulgarian Feta 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar 1/4 cup olive oil 3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the 1/2 cup shaved Brussels sprouts on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with a few pinches of salt and pepper. Drizzle with a few drop of olive oil; toss to coat. Roast about 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool. In a large bowl, combine the roasted and regular Brussels sprouts, raisins, feta, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and pine nuts. Gently toss to coat. Serve. From Forest, Birmingham. Tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen at the Great lakes Culinary Center, Southfield. Serves: 6 (generous main dish servings) / Preparation time: 20 minutes / Total time: 1 hour On the Detroit Townhouse menu, the Mac & Cheese was described as: Mac & Cheese/ Boursin Mascarpone Sauce/ Parmesan Cracker Crumble/ Aged Cheddar Cheese. It's the combination of all those cheeses in a cream sauce that make Townhouse's Mac & Cheese a winner. One staffer called Townhouse's Mac & Cheese as addictive as Girl Scout cookies. Every bite has you craving more.) If you cannot find orecchiette pasta in your local grocer, you can substitute fusilli, penne, rigatoni or macaroni. SAUCE 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 small shallot, peeled, finely chopped 1 large clove garlic, peeled, finely chopped 3/4 cup white wine 1 quart (4 cups) heavy whipping cream 1/2 pound (1 1/2 packages) Boursin cheese (herb or herb and garlic variety) 3/4 pound mascarpone cheese Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 3 tablespoons corn starch 2 tablespoons water Pasta 4 quarts water 2 pounds dry orecchiette pasta 2 tablespoons kosher salt GARNISH 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 cup butter crackers (like Ritz) 3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter 1 1/2 cups aged white cheddar cheese To make the sauce: In a medium stock pot heat the vegetable oil on low heat. Add the shallots and garlic and slowly saute until lightly translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Increase heat to medium and add white wine and deglaze pot. Continue cooking until the wine is reduced by half. Slowly whisk in the heavy whipping cream to the pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer 5 minutes. Whisk in the Boursin and mascarpone cheeses to the sauce. Continue cooking until the cheeses melt. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste being careful not to over season. In a small bowl combine the corn starch and water to create a slurry. Slowly whisk the slurry into the sauce. Continue cooking, while whisking, until the sauce is thickened enough to just barely coat the back of a spoon. Do not over thicken sauce. Remove from the heat and set aside. To make the pasta: In a large stock pot, heat water to a boil. Add the salt to boiling water and then add pasta. Cook pasta until al dente according to package directions, about 9-10 minutes. Drain, do not rinse. To make the crumble: In a food processor or in a large mixing bowl using your hands, combine all ingredients and crush to desired consistency. Mix together thoroughly. To serve: Preheat the broiler to low. Place the sauce over low heat and add the cooked pasta. Stir to combine and heat through. Spoon the pasta mixture into individual ramekins (or desired serving dish). Top with aged cheddar cheese and Parmesan crumble and place in oven on middle rack. Broil until the top is golden brown. From Townhouse, Detroit. Tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen at the Great lakes Culinary Center, Southfield. Serves: 6 (side dish servings) / Preparation time: 20 minutes / Total time: 40 minutes At Selden Standard, executive chef and co-owner Andy Hollyday roasts cauliflower in the restaurant's wood-burning hearth at a temperature of 600-plus degrees. At home, Hollyday says, a 500-degree oven will suffice. The seasoned roasted cauliflower is paired with a drizzling of a dressing with hints of tahini, toasted coriander and cumin. Don't skip the toasting of the coriander and cumin seed, it really intensifies their flavor. This recipe makes more dressing than you'll need, but it will keep in the refrigerator at least a week. CAULIFLOWER 1 head cauliflower cut into florets 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil Salt and pepper to taste DRESSING 1 tablespoon coriander seed, toasted and ground 1 tablespoon cumin seed, toasted and ground 2 garlic cloves, peeled, minced 1/4 cup tahini paste 1/4 cup water 1/2 cup lemon juice 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil Pinch of ground cayenne pepper Salt to taste FINISHING 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (parsley or mint can be substituted) 1-2 pickled peppers, deseeded and julienned (use jalapeños or Fresno or hot or sweet Hungarian hot or sweet) Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower florets with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the cauliflower to a sided baking sheet (set the mixing bowl aside because you'll use it again), and roast about 10 minutes or until cauliflower is golden brown and just cooked through, stirring once or twice throughout. While the cauliflower is roasting, prepare the dressing. To toast the coriander and cumin seed, place them in a skillet set over medium heat. Toast, while shaking the skillet so they don't burn, about 3-5 minutes. Once the seeds become fragrant, remove the skillet from the heat, cool seeds slightly and transfer to a clean coffee grinder (or use a spice grinder if you have one) and grind them. In a food processor or blender, combine the garlic, tahini, water and lemon juice; blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until it emulsifies. Add cayenne, coriander and cumin, and salt to taste. Adjust seasoning to your liking. Remove the roasted cauliflower from the oven and transfer back into the mixing bowl. Pour some of the dressing onto the cauliflower to just coat. You will have extra dressing. Add more if you'd like, and reserve the rest for a future use. Add cilantro and pickled peppers. Adjust seasoning. Arrange in a bowl or platter, and serve. From Selden Standard, Detroit. Tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen. Makes: 24 / Preparation time: 45 minutes / Total time: 1 1/2 hours 24 chicken tenders (about 1 1/2 to 2 ounces each) or about 2 1/2 pounds chicken breast cut into 24 even pieces 24 wooden skewers (6 inches) CHICKEN MARINADE 3 cups packed brown sugar 3 cups rice vinegar 1 1/2 cups sambal oelek chili paste 1 1/2 cups sriracha 3/4 cup fresh ginger, chunked, wrapped in cheesecloth CHINESE MUSTARD AIOLI 1 to 2 tablespoons mustard powder 1 cup mayonnaise 1 tablespoon Worcestershire 1 tablespoon ketchup 1 tablespoon A1 Steak Sauce 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream 2 to 3 tablespoons honey Salt and black pepper to taste Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl or plastic sealable bag. Set aside. To make the marinade: In a medium saucepan, add all the ingredients and simmer on medium until the mixture is reduced by half its original volume, about 20-30 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely. When completely cooled, pour the mixture over the chicken pieces, refrigerate and marinate several hours or overnight. Meanwhile, make the Chinese Mustard Aioli: In a mixing bowl, combine the mustard powder with mayonnaise. Allow to bloom 5 minutes. Whisk in Worcestershire, ketchup, A1 sauce, heavy whipping cream and honey. Adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper. Set aside. When ready to cook, preheat the grill or broiler. Skewer one chicken tender on a wooden skewer. When all the chicken is skewered, grill or broil until thoroughly cooked, about 6-8 minutes. Serve the chicken skewers drizzled with Chinese Mustard Aioli and marinated cucumbers. Cook's note: For the marinated cucumbers you will need to make two recipes. Make the ginger vinegar first because it's an ingredient for the Asian Marinade. For ginger vinegar: In a medium saucepan bring 1 1/2 cups rice wine vinegar and 1/2 cup sugar to a boil. Add 1/2 cup peeled and sliced fresh ginger and remove from heat. Cool to room temperature, cover and store in the refrigerator. To make the Asian Marinade: In mixing bowl whisk together 2 tablespoons sesame oil, 1/3 cup ginger vinegar, 1 3/4 cups rice wine vinegar, 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1 tablespoon salt together until the sugar is dissolved. Wrap 1 1/2 tablespoons of toasted and cracked coriander seed in a piece of cheesecloth and tie together. Add to the mixture. Cover and refrigerate. When ready to use, thinly slice a cucumber and pour some of the marinade over. Marinate the cucumbers for 45 minutes. From Wright & Co., Detroit. Tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen. Makes: 6 / Preparation time: 25 minutes / Total time: 45 minutes 6 ounces orange marmalade 6 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 4 ounces honey 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard 1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro or to taste 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup cornstarch 1 cup soda water Oil for frying 6 bamboo skewers (10 inches long) 3 lobster tails (4 ounces each) Napa Slaw (see note) To make the citrus glaze, bring the marmalade, vinegar, honey and ginger to a boil in a heavy saucepan. Reduce the heat to a simmer and reduce the mixture by one-third. Remove the mixture from the heat and cool it slightly. Stir in the sesame oil, Dijon and whole grain mustard and cool it completely. Add the cilantro and set aside. For the corn dog batter, in a large bowl mix together the cornmeal, flour and cornstarch. Slowly whip in the soda water. Let the batter rest 5 minutes before using it. In a deep fryer or pot, heat oil to 325 degrees. (You will need enough oil so the lobster is submerged.) Cut the lobster tails lengthwise and remove the meat from the shell. Thread the lobster meat onto a 10-inch bamboo skewer. Dip the lobster sticks into the corn dog batter, coating them thoroughly, then slowly place them into the deep fryer for 3 to 5 minutes or until they are golden brown. Place the Napa Slaw on a plate and lean the fried corn dog on top. Drizzle with citrus glaze, or use glaze as a dipping sauce. Cook's note: To make Napa Slaw: Mix together 6 cups shredded Napa cabbage, ½ cup red cabbage, 1 shredded carrot, 1 red bell pepper cut into strips. In jar or bowl, mix together ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar, ½ teaspoon each of minced shallots, rosemary and thyme, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Whisk in ¾ cup walnut or canola oil. Pour over slaw. From the former Coach Insignia at the top of the Renaissance Center. Tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen. Makes: About 40 / Preparation time: 20 minutes / Total time: 1 hour 1 cup water 7 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 tablespoon kosher salt Pinch of sugar 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 4 large eggs 1 1/4 cups grated Gruyére cheese Freshly ground black pepper Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium saucepan, combine the water, butter, salt and sugar; bring to a boil. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Transfer mixture to a mixing bowl and mix on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the cheese. Fill a pastry bag that is fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip with the mixture. Pipe mounds, about 1½-inches in diameter and 2 inches apart onto the pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool before serving. From the former Marais in Grosse Pointe. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 6 great recipes from 25 years of Free Press top restaurants series
