Locations in Detroit: Staff Pick

Simplified menus with items that travel well

At Atlas, you’ll find Carolina catfish, pork taquitos, short ribs, ravioli and polenta, Hawaiian shrimp and Moroccan beef. Ingredients — which don’t necessarily remain with their cuisine-of-origin — include lemongrass, cactus, Gorgonzola, wasabi, coconut, pancetta, caviar and black-eyed peas. It may sound like the chef is confused, but even if he were, open-minded taste buds should not quibble with the results.

Anyone can show up here. Detroit's only late night jazz club serving up Cajun catfish and red beans and rice all night long. It's not common to find a bar where everyone seems to know each other and yet newcomers don't feel excluded. Dozens of regulars turn up Thursdays for the open mic jazz jam sessions. Bert's serves the music fans bargain-price soul food from rows of steam tables: meat and two sides for nine bucks, or up to $25 for a whole slab of ribs. In keeping with Bert's bare-bones, working-class atmosphere, their food is more down-home than much of the soul food you find in restaurants, which has often been upgraded from its humble origins.

A true microbrewery; six to eight microbrews made on the premises. Spacious, high-ceilinged Chicago loft-style decor. Happy Hour Monday through Friday; 60-item menu served 'til midnight (until 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday). Specials include Employee Appreciation Night, Two-fer Tuesdays, karaoke and College Night.

If you're in the know about metropolitan nightlife then chances are you've heard of the Bosco, the trendy bar lurking behind frosted glass windows in downtown Ferndale. This hot spot has great music, a cool atmosphere, and often hosts a good-looking crowd of "scenesters, fashionistas, minimumwage celebrities and bibulous professional freeloaders."

Everything your living room has to offer and more. Comfortable couches, games and a selection of international publications. Fresh gourmet coffees from around the world. Also available: fresh juices, light food and desserts.

Old Detroit haunt takes on new appeal. The Bronx is short on frills - no bands, no parking, no Red Bull or exotic martinis - but long on character. Its pool table, cheap beer (an ice-cold Old Milwaukee will set you back as much as your DDOT bus fare) and jukebox stocked with old soul, hip-hop and greasy rawk, keep the place packed with local rock stars, college kids and other Cass Corridor gritterati. Stop in on Thursdays for a haircut in the pinball salon - owner Paul Howard promises "a high-class do at dive-bar prices." Or come by with everyone else after a garage-rock show to see what (allegedly) makes the Bronx Jack White's favorite hometown drinking spot. At 4476 Second Avenue, Detroit. Call 313-832-8464 for further lowdown. -Ian LeBlanc

Ann Arbor’s Café Felix is practically poetic. The tradition of a European café serving pastries, breads and cakes baked fresh on-site, as well as European wines, beers and liquors. They serve a full breakfast, omelets, crepes, soups, salads and tapas. Every finishing touch within the butter-colored walls is indeed, as the French say, “Au point.”

Classic, moderately priced Detroit bar & grill fare served in a modern upbeat and casual environment. Lunch and dinner are served daily Monday thru Saturday. Also open on Sundays during football season. Large HD plasma TVs and a huge 142" HD projection screen put everyone close to the action of the big game. The entertainment stage hosts the best in local, regional and national entertainers on the weekends!

After a long run as an upscale eatery, Brian Polcyn has reinvented the Milford space as a Mexican restaurant.

"Clutch Cargo's is housed in a turn-of-the century church. The stained glass windows and vaulted ceiling are dramatic, and the acoustics are superb - an atmosphere ideal for bands such as the Cocteau Twins, the first band brought to this venue in the summer of 1996. Since then, a wide range of artists have played here, including the Foo Fighters, Less Than Jake, Aphex Twin, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, the Brian Setzer Orchestra, Squirrel Nut Zippers, the Deftones and Spiritualized."

Whether it's pizza, pasta, or anything that can conceivably be breaded and deep-fried, this fixture on the corner of Nine Mile and Woodward has been serving it up since 1961. Rain or shine, Como's sheltered outdoor dining area offers a place for al fresco eating and open-air boozing. The restaurant closed in 2018 and reopened in 2019 under new management.

Chef Paul Grosz' dream come true, Cuisine. The French-American styled restaurant provides a simplistic, elegant attmosphere. The location provides a great pre-theater dining spot. Cuisine's menu offers European fish, Midwestern wild game, American seafood — in fact, many of today's global fresh ingredients. Cuisine also offers private dining rooms for exclusive events, and a bar for after-theatre gathering (smoking allowed in bar area only). Please see our Web page to see a menu, wine list and excellent reviews received from all of Detroit's media outlets. Fast becoming one of Detroits' must-dine dining spots — call 313-872-5110 for a reservation.

Located south of U-M's Ann Arbor campus is a restaurant decked out with a sprawling patio and lots of sangria. Dominick's serves up pizza, pasta, apps and sammiches. A favorite is the chicken quesadilla (which you can never go wrong with) and tomato bruschetta on a toasted baguette. All Michigan microbrews are also on tap including Bell's. Outdoor seating available in three spots: the balcony, the front or the back yard — your choice!

Unique place to eat, people watch, and chat.

Popular spot for afternoon networking and late night clubbing! Located in a beautiful historic building near Greektown. Known for its magnificent bar and live entertainment. Appetizers, sandwiches, soulfood. Live jazz, R&B and top-40.

Best of Detroit 2002
Best place to move and shake
You can tell by the bottlenecked line of glimmering Jags, Beemers, Mercedes and SUVs lined up for valet parking that this is a nightspot where the Motor City’s elite come to meet. The food’s OK, but that ain’t the point; it’s the tailored clientele and top-shelf booze that really sets Flood’s apart. And when the band kicks on, the place really starts to thumpin’. Precaution: Don't wear jeans and flip-flops.

"The Gandy Dancer offers a historic 1886 railroad depot setting. Specializing in fresh fish and shellfish, as well as housemade pastas and desserts."

The Gandy Dancer has an autumn harvest menu that plows right through December with crispy duck, hibachi salmon, autumn tuna steak and more. Special menus come out on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. Brunch is also served. Make a reservation or just go on a whim -- a portion of the room is always open to walk-ins.

Lunch is deli-style with homemade soups and sandwiches. Dinner is seven courses, family style, by reservation only. Complete with interactive dinner theater.

Many of the Hill's signature dishes cater to a Reagan-era notion of good eating: surf and turf, lots of blue cheese and bacon in the house salad. Seafood is a strong point: The grilled swordfish is tall and terrific and the calamari appetizer is out of the ordinary. Desserts are quintessentially American: The molten lava cake has a lucious liquid chocolate center. The steaks are the usual cuts: filet mignon, New York strip, porterhouse and ribeye and all are certified Angus beef, char-grilled and prepared to spec, and finished with a burgundy demi glace. The strip is available au poivre. Meat lovers will also find lamb chop finished with rosemary balsamic natural sauce and french pomery mustard, and barbecued pork osso bucco.

Live music, DJs, dancing, games, pool, TVs, hockey memorabilia, great food and great people! Please visit HockeytownCafe.com for more info and upcoming events!

Serving up breakfast till noon on weekdays and till 3 on weekends, Honest John's is sure to keep you going, with Bloody Marys and Ghetto Blaster Ale and a full bar at any time of day. As many as 30 to 40 people can sit outside, complete with Waspinators to keep your eating adventure clean and fun. Note: The badass jukebox plays funk and Motown, and can be heard out on the patio.

Outdoor patio holds 200 people. Wedding chapel adjacent to lounge is available by appointment. Traditional weddings and alternative commitments. Ministers Phil Labrie and Richard Borg presiding.

A sophisticated European-style country inn restaurant whose dining room overlooks a brick-walled garden with a fountain, wood grill, terrace with tables and herbs, vegetables, fruit and grape trellis. Interior decor includes tiled and carpeted floors, terra cotta walls, tile murals and important art. The Lark was voted the best restaurant in America in the Conde Nast Traveler reader's poll, best restaurant in Detroit area in Gourmet magazine reader's polls, top-rated in Michigan by AAA, Mobil and Zagat survey. 850 wines earned Wine Spectator's best award of excellence.

With a German brewhall motif, this spacious restaurant/bar offers much for the eye and the mind. Board games, pool tables, foosball, darts and bubble hockey on the inside, beer garden and grill on the outside.

Maria’s anchored Ferndale's restaurant scene for more than a decade. Then, after memorable owner Joan Orlando died in 2004, the restaurant remained open until April of 2008. Its longevity had a lot to do with the fact that little had changed over the years. David Brown reopened the cozy trattoria in October 2008, and even purchased Maria’s old recipes. He did, however, do considerable redecorating. The place does look more sophisticated now, and Brown slashed the previously low prices by about 25 percent so that entrées now average around $14. The food includes old classics and some new lighter fare. Moreover, Brown scored a full liquor license from Ferndale’s city fathers, and now boasts a serviceable list with most bottles under $30.

Detroit's top alternative dance club. Weekly live DJs include Ron Solo, Tommy Scrapp and Jim Shaff. Daily Drink specials. Dance on the floor a young Madonna once danced on!

Enjoy a refreshing fruit smoothie on our patio.

Michigan's second oldest brewery. Hand-crafted beer - hand-crafted tap room.

A pleasant 12-table lunch spot on the Corktown site formerly known as Eph McNally’s. Exceptionally friendly waitstaff, with delicious house-made quality and solid local products. The 24 sandwich selections include every good thing you can think of, including design-your-own options. Though the bread could be better, the salads are loaded but still green. You can also get an ice cream float with rich premium vanilla from Calder’s Dairy in Lincoln Park.

Daniel Overstreet, a Vietnam veteran infantryman, bought the burned out building in 1979 and opened the The Old Miami in 1980. Due to Mr. Overstreet's service to the country, it is a veteran's bar, first, and any veteran is granted free entry for all the events. It has morphed into one of the gems of The Corridor and has a huge backyard & patio, including a koi pond and bonfire area. It is a place where locals, artists, musicians and punks get along over whiskey and a game of pool.. But this place garnered credibility by supporting the great local bands and traveling musicians that come to city. Since the bar started booking shows, it has gained notoriety as the "CBGB's of the Midwest," playing host to national/international artists like The Allman Brothers, The Vibrators, Butthole Surfers, D.O.A., Booker T and the MG's, Richie Hawtin, Dead Milkmen, Country Joe and the Fish, Red Elvises, and PF Sloan. The music venue has, also, been home to some of Detroit's biggest talent including Iggy Pop, The White Stripes, Mitch Ryder, Patti Smith, MC5 members Rob Tyner & Wayne Kramer, Sonic's Rendezvous, Carl Craig, Jay Dilla, Rodriguez, Amboy Dukes, Eminem, Royce da 5' 9", Big Sean, Visionquest crew, Detroit Cobras, The Dirtbombs, The Gories, Destroy All Monsters, Mary Wells and many Motown performers. For bookings, send email to [email protected].