The best food in metro Detroit according to Chef James Rigato

By Layla McMurtrie on Mon, Mar 18, 2024 at 11:02 am

Courtesy photo

Chef James Rigato.

We wanted to highlight the best of Detroit’s cuisine and thought Chef James Rigato would be a great person to advise on the subject. Rigato is the chef and owner of the acclaimed Mabel Gray in Hazel Park, which opened in 2015.

“I’ve been cooking in metro Detroit for the last 25 years and have been dining out all over the area throughout my career,” Rigato says. “I love to travel out of the country, specifically for food and beverage knowledge and experiences, but I also love living in Michigan and being a part of the food scene here. This is a list of 10 of my favorite places around metro Detroit. I could happily add another 10, but let’s just start here.”

Here they are in no particular order:

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Google Maps

Hong Hua

27925 Orchard Lake Rd., Farmington Hills; honghuafinedining.com

“Owner Danny Yu is a Detroit legend and Hong Hua needs no introduction. I think the craziest part about this restaurant is how they are doing Peking Duck as good as any place in Chinatown, New York. The deeply authentic Chinese dishes explode with flavor but the Chinese American classics also exceed expectations. I love Hong Hua and don’t remember a local food scene era without it.”

Google Maps

Sharaku

6159 Haggerty Rd., West Bloomfield Township; sharakuhanzo.com

“Sharaku is my favorite restaurant in Michigan and my most frequented over the last 13 years or so. I’m obsessed with Japan and this place is a direct portal there. People often ask me what to order and I can’t stress enough that everything is fantastic. Call ahead for an omakase or just go a la carte. I love a nice draft beer and then switching to sake. Owners Ken Nagao and Kazuya Suzuki are masters of their crafts. If you ever hear a bad word spoken about Sharaku, deeply distrust that person.”

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Google Maps

Grey Ghost

47 Watson St., Detroit; greyghostdetroit.com

“My nephews proudly claim that Grey Ghost is their favorite restaurant. My girlfriend calls Chef John Vermiglio my boyfriend, so maybe I’m partial here, but Grey Ghost does a ton of heavy lifting for the city. Part steakhouse, part cocktail bar, part pre-LCA destination, Grey Ghost has to wear many hats. And they do it so well! Late-night burger rivals many, but it’s also a common wedding venue buyout. Hard to imagine Detroit without the Ghost. Somebody get them to offer brunch again.”

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Photo via Spencer/Facebook

Spencer

113 E. Liberty St., Ann Arbor; spencerannarbor.com

“Spencer is well known for its wine program. Which is great! But Chef Abby Olitzky is possibly the most underrated chef in Michigan. She’s certainly one of my favorites. Abby cooks food that lives in the part of my brain that stores nostalgic childhood hugs from a favorite aunt, the aromatic punch of church incense, and a pre-cell phone summer sunset walk along the pines where crickets hum and blackberries burst on the bush. Abby cooks from somewhere different than most. Honest, humble, nurturing, patient, restrained. She is a gem and we don’t deserve her.”

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Facebook, SheWolf

SheWolf

438 Selden St., Detroit; shewolfdetroit.com

“SheWolf and Mabel Gray share a ton of customers, so it’s always fun for me to dine there. Chef Anthony captures the spirit of Rome but the swagger of Detroit all in one space. I think the bar is one of the best places to take a date in the city. They are known for the pasta but I could honestly live on the focaccia and pistachio gelato. People need to drink more amaro and SheWolf is waving that flag. Talented team. Fantastic wine list. Thoughtful ambassadors of Italy. SheWolf is a second home for me. Disclaimer: my girlfriend also calls Anthony my boyfriend.”

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Instagram, @_takoi_

Takoi

2520 Michigan Ave., Detroit; takoidetroit.com

"Every guest chef I bring to Michigan wants to eat at Takoi. Takoi is BY FAR the most industry-coveted restaurant. This is where cooks and bartenders want to eat. Brad Greenhill may be the only chef who seasons his food harder than me. This is the Spinal Tap of flavor, kitchen. Takoi should be on your monthly rotation. Tiny thoughtful wine list. Great funky cocktails. I love Takoi. And Brad and his AMAZING farmer wife Noelle (who grows a ton for the restaurant), are not nearly celebrated enough here in Michigan.”

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Facebook, Second Base

Second Base

1309 E. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; secondbaseferndale.com

“Second Base is my current favorite dive bar. The bartenders are fast, efficient, and tough. The food is better than expected. The jukebox is loud and the Red Wings are always on. I eat here more than I even realize. If you need a quick bite in a loud bar that actually serves MGD (which is rare nowadays) go here. If you want anything formal or fancy skip this one, but you’ll probably see me here if you do go.”

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Michelle Gerard

Selden Standard

3921 2nd Ave., Detroit; seldenstandard.com

“Selden certainly doesn’t need any more attention. But they are absolutely deserving of the praise. Chef Andy Hollyday is a fixture here in Detroit and possibly the most crowd-pleasing chef I know of. The food is always lit and the beverage menu will have something for everyone. Mabel’s former bar manager Paul runs the floor so I definitely go here a ton and have many friends and colleagues on staff. But even if I didn’t know a soul it’d still be top-notch.”

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Google Maps

Las Tortugas Taqueria Market

40850 Van Dyke Ave., Sterling Heights; tortugastaqueria.com

“Las Tortugas is a Macomb County institution. I eat here all the time. The menu is huge, which sometimes scares me, but I’ve yet to be disappointed here. The tequila selection is fantastic and the Michelada’s are better than most in Mexico. There are moments where the menu crosses over to Tex-Mex but it’s all delicious. Family run. Family friendly. Affordable. Can’t say enough about this place. Love them.”

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Tom Perkins

Warda

70 W. Alexandrine St., Detroit; warda-patisserie-midtown.square.site

“OMG. Warda. First off, a very deserved James Beard Award winner. So what can I add?!? Well, the kitchen is smaller than most home kitchens, but the pastries are better than most Parisian patisseries. Warda is still wildly underrated. I want people on megaphones in the streets fighting about their favorite pastry there. Warda is a gift to the city. Warda is the kind of place that extremely wealthy hotel developers spend fortunes on recruiting for their benign concepts in blah blah city, yet here we are unbelievably lucky they chose Detroit on their own dollar and free will. I travel often, maybe five countries a year, and there isn’t a pastry/coffee/breakfast shop in the world I’d put above them. Warda has my heart.”

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